Document	Document Title
US08440255B2	Method of making heat treated coated article using diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating and protective film There is provided a method of making a heat treated (HT) coated article to be used in shower door applications, window applications, or any other suitable applications where transparent coated articles are desired. For example, certain embodiments of this invention relate to a method of making a coated article including a step of heat treating a glass substrate coated with at least a layer of or including diamond-like carbon (DLC) and an overlying protective film thereon. In certain example embodiments, the protective film may be of or include both (a) an oxygen blocking or barrier layer, and (b) a release layer. Following and/or during heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering, or the like) the protective film may be removed. Other embodiments of this invention relate to the pre-HT coated article, or the post-HT coated article.
US08440250B2	Fat crystallization accelerator Provided is a crystallization accelerator capable of accelerating fat crystallization a short time during a production step of a product of margarine, shortening, chocolate, or hard butter to be used for confectionery production or bread production. A phenomenon that sorbitan fatty acid ester having an esterification ratio of from 28 to 60% and a sorbitol-type content of from 20 to 40% exhibits a remarkable effect on acceleration of fat crystallization in a short time was found, and thus, the invention was completed.
US08440240B2	Method for treating ocular demodex The present invention relates to a method for treating a disorder chosen from ocular Demodex, Demodex-induced blepharitis, rosacea, acne, and meibomian gland dysfunction in a patient in need thereof, comprising administering to the patient a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a substance chosen from at least one of an isoprenoidal essential oil such as Tea Tree Oil; Terpinen-4-ol; Carvone; alpha-Terpineol; Cardinene; d-Carvone; l-Carvone; gamma-Terpinene; alpha-Terpinene; 1,8-Cineole; alpha-Terpineol; para-Cimene; alpha-Pinene; Limonene; (R)-(+)-Limonene; alpha-Thugene; Eucalyptol; (+)-Ledene; Cuminic Aldehyde; and Myrcene; the administration comprising contacting or scrubbing an affected area of skin or hair, or eyelid margin and lashes of the patient with the composition; also disclosed are a method for treating mange and mite infestations on a mammalian animal; and kits for in-office and at home treatments of the disorders.
US08440239B2	Formulations and treatments for trichology A formulation for trichological treatment of a patient including, in a dosage in the range of 3 g to 8 g: phytosterols in the range of 200 mg to 2500 mg; the quantitative equivalent of Polygonum multiflorum root 4:1 in 70% EW in the range of 600 mg to 2600 mg; methylsulfonylmethane in the range of 500 mg to 2000 mg; and bovine colostrum in the range of 500 m to 2000 m.
US08440229B2	Hollow silica nanospheres and methods of making same The disclosure provide hollow nanospheres and methods of making and using the same. The methods and compositions of the disclosure are useful for drug delivery and gene transfer.
US08440225B2	Process of making flowable hemostatic compositions and devices containing such compositions The present invention is directed to processes of making flowable hemostatic compositions and devices that include the flowable hemostatic composition disposed therein, where a volume of a biocompatible liquid, a volume of a biocompatible gas, and an amount of solid particles of a biocompatible polymer are mixed together to form a substantially homogenous composition including a discontinuous gas phase and the solid particles substantially homogenously dispersed throughout a continuous liquid phase to form a flowable hemostatic composition, and the composition then transferred into a device suitable for applying the flowable hemostatic composition to a site of a body requiring hemostasis under conditions effective to maintain the substantially homogeneous dispersion of the gas phase and the solid particles throughout the liquid phase, wherein said transfer of said substantially homogenous hemostatic composition is conducted at an angle.
US08440218B2	Method for enhancing milk production The present invention concerns a method of enhancing milk production by a ruminant that includes providing a feed that contains sorbitol and at least one additional feed component, and orally feeding the feed to the ruminant, the ruminant ingesting about 100 grams, or less, of sorbitol per day.
US08440210B2	Stabilized pharmaceutical product Use of an adsorbent and a sealed package (e.g. an overwrap) to protect a pharmaceutical product in a solid state in the presence of a reducing sugar.
US08440208B2	Chlamydial antigens as reagents for diagnosis and treatment of chlamydial infection and disease The present invention provides Chlamydia proteins and methods of use in diagnostic and detection assays as well as in treatment and immunization protocols.
US08440206B2	Methods for producing an immune response to tuberculosis Methods for producing an immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) are disclosed herein. In several examples, the immune response is a protective immune response. In additional embodiments, methods are disclosed for preventing an infection with Mtb, or treating an infection with Mtb. Pharmaceutical compositions for the prevention and/or treatment of tuberculosis are also disclosed.
US08440200B2	Non-anaphylactic forms of grass pollen Ph1 p 6 allergen and their use Methods for desensitization of a mammal suffering from IgE mediated allergy comprise the steps of: administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an immunogenic and hypoallergenic composition which comprises (i) a Phl p 6 molecule having an N-terminal truncation which makes the molecule at least lack IgE binding capacity, and/or (ii) a Phl p 6 molecule having a C-terminal truncation which makes the molecule at least lack IgE binding capacity, wherein the molecules of (i) and (ii), if employed in combination, together span the complete sequence of Phl p 6, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
US08440195B2	Inhibition of CD69 for treatment of inflammatory conditions A method of treating or reducing at least one inflammatory condition or the susceptibility to at least one inflammatory condition is provided involving administering at least one CD69 antagonist to a subject, wherein the subject has been diagnosed with at least one inflammatory condition, or a susceptibility to the same. CD69 antagonists can include one or more of an anti-CD69 antibody, an anti-CD69 aptamer, a CD69 mRNA antagonist, and a small molecule pharmaceutical.
US08440189B2	Antagonists of TWEAK and of TWEAK receptor and their use to treat immunological disorders The present invention relates to reagents which modify the activity of TWEAK and their use as therapeutic agents for the treatment of immunological disorders.
US08440187B2	Use application of sugar chain-recognizing receptor Provided are a novel means for regulating inflammatory reactions by regulating the signaling in inflammatory responses caused by non-homeostatic cell death, specifically an anti-inflammatory agent comprising a substance that inhibits the expression of Mincle or the interaction of Mincle and SAP130 or FcRγ, a screening method for a substance that regulates inflammatory reactions, comprising contacting Mincle or a fragment containing an extracellular region thereof and SAP130 in the presence and absence of a test substance, and comparing the degrees of the interaction of Mincle or the fragment thereof and SAP130 under the two conditions, a method of detecting non-homeostatic cell death, comprising measuring the amount of SAP130 in a sample collected from a subject animal, and the like.
US08440171B2	Composition and its physical requirements for eliminating odors in air An air treating composition for eliminating odors from air in combination with specific spray valve and actuator requirements and spray performance parameters providing maximum dispersion of the active component in the composition into the air is disclosed. The particles of the composition are small so that the active component is dispersed into air as a fine dispersion to provide more contact with odors and to provide quick absorption of odors. The particle size of the composition is controlled through the selection of valve and actuator dimensions. The air treating and odor eliminating composition of the invention includes water, a low molecular weight polyol, an emulsifier, and a propellant. The composition may also include additional adjuvants such as solvent(s), fragrance(s), corrosion inhibitor, pH adjustor and the like.
US08440166B1	Method of synthesizing a novel absorbent titanosilicate material (UPRM-5) A titanium silicate variant named UPRM-5 was prepared using tetraethylammonium hydroxide as a structure-directing agent (SDA). Successful detemplation was achieved via ion exchange with NH4Cl. Effective functionalization was obtained after ion exchanging the detemplated material using SrCl2 and BaCl2. Adsorption of CO2 at 25° C. in Sr- and Ba-UPRM-5 materials activated at different temperatures. For low partial pressures, the observed CO2 adsorption capacities increased as follows: NH4-UPRM-5
US08440163B2	Slaked lime composition and its manufacturing process The invention relates to a slaked lime composition containing Ca(OH)2 particles of platelet crystalline morphology, called platelets, said platelets having a diameter D, this being the diameter of the circle circumscribing the platelet, a thickness e and an aspect ratio given by the ratio of said diameter of the platelet-circumscribing circle to said thickness, said composition having a platelet content of between 50 and 100% relative to the sum of the Ca(OH)2 particles and said aspect ratio being between 10 and 300, and to its manufacturing process.
US08440154B2	Processes and uses of dissociating molecules A process has been developed to selectively dissociate target molecules into component products compositionally distinct from the target molecule, wherein the bonds of the target molecule do not reform because the components are no longer reactive with each other. Dissociation is affected by treating the target molecule with light at a frequency and intensity, alone or in combination with a catalyst in an amount effective to selectively break bonds within the target molecule. Dissociation does not result in re-association into the target molecule by the reverse process, and does not produce component products which have a change in oxidation number or state incorporated oxygen or other additives because the process does not proceed via a typical reduction-oxidation mechanism. Target molecules include ammonia for waste reclamation and treatment, PCB remediation, and targeted drug delivery.
US08440148B2	Microfluidic device and microfluidic analysis equipment Provided are a microfluidic device and a microfluidic analysis equipment. The microfluidic device includes guides disposed along both edges, a lower plate including a flow path defined between the guides, and a movable upper plate moved along the guides on the lower plate and having a length less than that the flow path. A fluid flow can be simply accurately controlled by adjusting a position of the movable upper plate. As a result, the fluid can sufficiently react in the detection part and the reaction part. Therefore, effective reaction and detection can be realized using only a small amount of fluid, thereby improving sensitivity. In addition, due to the improved sensitivity, a washing process for removing materials that are not consumed in the reaction can be omitted. Also, the movable upper plate can be manually moved using a user's finger.
US08440146B2	Gas production through pulsed electrolysis Cells and methods of producing hydrogen and oxygen from an aqueous solution at about 90% of the Faraday Limit are provided. An exemplary method includes the steps of placing a graphite electrode and a nickel electrode in an alkaline solution comprising colloidal silver, colloidal magnesium and a powdered metal such as aluminum, and applying a constant positive voltage to the nickel electrode. Further, the example includes cyclically applying a negative voltage potential to the graphite electrode by turning on the negative applied voltage for a first time period and switching off the negative voltage for a second time period. The second time period should be sufficient to permit removal of substantially all or at least some of any aluminum or zinc deposited on the graphite electrode. Graphite-containing electrodes may be pretreated to infuse with a precious metal.
US08440144B2	Metallic photocatalytic oxidation reflector coated with titanium dioxide Through innovative design of a titanium dioxide coated metal reflector, which uses the negative space of a U-shaped ultraviolet lamp, maximum airborne chemical, vapor and/or odor abatement through photochemical reaction, yet eliminates most UV irradiation obstruction emanating from the lamp, thereby insuring maximum germicidal effect.
US08440143B2	Air purifier An air purifier is provided, including a body comprising a wall defining an interior space, a first opening to the interior space, and a second opening to the interior space. In one example the body is a tubular body. An airflow pathway is provided through the tubular body defined between the first and second openings. A source of ultraviolet radiation is arranged to emit ultraviolet radiation into the interior space. A photocatalyst is arranged within the interior space and along the airflow pathway, and the ultraviolet radiation can be emitted onto at least a portion of the surface of the photocatalyst to activate the photocatalyst. In one example, the wall includes an aperture, and a cover is coupled to the body about the aperture and configured to enclose the source of ultraviolet radiation. In another example, the air purifier includes turbulence structure.
US08440140B2	Sample analyzer and computer program product A sample analyzer prepares a measurement sample from a blood sample or a body fluid sample which differs from the blood sample; measures the prepared measurement sample; obtains characteristic information representing characteristics of the components in the measurement sample; sets either a blood measurement mode for measuring the blood sample, or a body fluid measurement mode for measuring the body fluid sample as an operating mode; and measures the measurement sample prepared from the blood sample by executing operations in the blood measurement mode when the blood measurement mode has been set, and measuring the measurement sample prepared from the body fluid sample by executing operations in the body fluid measurement mode that differs from the operations in the blood measurement mode when the body fluid measurement mode has been set, is disclosed. A computer program product is also disclosed.
US08440139B2	Method of delivering liquid sterilant to a sterilizer A method of delivering a liquid sterilant to a sterilizer involves piercing a cell of a cassette with a first needle having a first lumen, flowing a gas into the cell to pressurize the cell relative to a pressure within the first lumen and drive the liquid sterilant out of the cell through the first lumen. The liquid sterilant travels from the lumen to a vaporizer in the sterilizer.
US08440138B1	Odor neutralizing shoe insert and associated method An odor neutralizing shoe insert includes a flexible top layer formed from a fluid-absorbent material and a flexible bottom layer spaced from the top layer. An intermediate layer impregnated with a plurality of ground coffee particulates may be intercalated between the top and bottom layers respectively. The top layer may include a plurality of apertures formed through its entire cross-section such that the top layer is in fluid communication with the ground coffee particulates. The ground coffee particulates may further be scattered along a major top surface area of the intermediate layer and thereby filter through the top layer such that the ground coffee particulates become exposed above the top layer.
US08440135B2	System for releasing gas into molten metal A device for releasing gas into molten metal includes a base having a discharge. The discharge has a first section including a first cross-sectional area and a second section including a second cross-sectional area, wherein the first section is upstream of the second section and the first cross-sectional area is smaller than the second cross-sectional area. A gas-release opening is positioned so that it can release gas into one or more of the first section or the second section. As the molten metal moves from the first cross-sectional area to the second cross-sectional area gas is released into the molten metal and the molten metal flow helps to draw the gas into the flow, thereby lowering the pressure required to release gas into the molten metal. Metal-transfer conduits other than a discharge incorporated in a pump base are also disclosed, as are pumps including either a discharge or other metal-transfer conduit according to the invention.
US08440133B2	Cooling apparatus, cooling method, manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of hot-rolled steel sheet The present invention provides a cooling apparatus of a hot-rolled steel sheet capable of manufacturing a hot-rolled steel sheet having ultra fine crystal grains. In the cooling apparatus, when defining as L1, a length in a transporting direction of a steel sheet, of a zone from a rolling reduction point in a final stand to an exit side of a housing post; defining as L2, a length in the transporting direction of the steel sheet, of an area where high-pressure water is continuously sprayed over the steel sheet, within the zone; and defining a ratio of L2/L1 as X, an average value Ps [kPa], in the transporting direction of the steel sheet, of an impact pressure of the high-pressure water on a surface of the steel sheet in the area of the length L2 satisfies Ps≧2.5X(−1/0.6) on the above upper surface and lower surface of the steel sheet.
US08440127B2	Process for production of polytetrafluoroethylene sheet, and process for production of polytetrafluoroethylene seal tape Disclosed is a process for production of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sheet, which is superior in productivity compared to conventional processes and can reduce the cost of production. Also disclosed is a process for production of a PTFE seal tape. The processes comprise the following steps (i) to (iii): (i) applying a force to a PTFE particle suspension comprising PTFE particles, a surfactant and water (a dispersion medium) so that the particles can come close to each other or contact with each other, thereby forming a PTFE-containing solid material having the water and the surfactant included therein; (ii) shaping the solid material into a sheet-like form; and (iii) reducing the water content in the sheet-like solid material.
US08440122B2	Introducer sheath and methods of making An introducer sheath and methods of making the introducer sheath are described. The introducer sheath may include a hub portion and a tubular portion. The hub portion may include a substantially non-planar valve portion in a relaxed state. The valve portion may include an aperture configured to receive a medical device. A hub portion may be formed using a forming device. An aperture may be formed through a distal surface of the valve portion.
US08440111B2	Lead-free conductive paste composition A lead-free conductive paste composition includes silumin powder, lead-free glass frits, an organic binder, stearic acid zinc, and aluminum powder.
US08440109B2	Fullerene derivative The present invention relates to an organic photoelectric conversion device comprising a layer comprising a fullerene derivative represented by formula (1).
US08440092B2	Method for selective etching Method and device for selectively etching a first material (4) relative to a second material (2), comprising a bath (11) of a solution capable of producing at least one chemical species for etching the first material (4) but not the second (2) and a system (12) for generating ultrasound at a frequency between 100 kHz and 3 MHz in the bath in order to produce cavitation bubbles.
US08440090B2	Apparatus and method of making a variable stiffness multilayer catheter tubing A catheter body having a variable stiffness along its longitudinal length and a method for manufacturing same is disclosed wherein an inner layer having an uninterrupted length serves as a backbone for segments of coextrusion of, e.g., Pebax or nylon and a tie layer which are then bonded to the backbone to create a multi-stiffness catheter body.
US08440089B2	Three-dimensional structure and its manufacturing method A plurality of micro three-dimensional structure elements each having a movable structure fixed on a sacrifice layer, and fixation portions of the micro three-dimensional structure elements for the sacrifice layer are arranged into a film-like elastic body, and then the sacrifice layer is removed. Thus, a three-dimensional structure in which the individual micro three-dimensional structure elements are arranged independently of one another within the elastic body is manufactured.
US08440084B2	Washable anaerobic digester with fixed biofilm An effluent treatment apparatus which is a flushed anaerobic digester with fixed biofilm (FAD system) is disclosed. The FAD system creates and maintains an optimum environment for the development and activity of anaerobic bacteria. The FAD system can be used for all treatment methods for anaerobic bacteria, regardless of function. The FAD system is intended for the production of biogas.
US08440071B2	Methods and systems for hydrocracking a heavy oil feedstock using an in situ colloidal or molecular catalyst A hydrocracking system involves introducing a heavy oil feedstock and a colloidal or molecular catalyst, or a catalyst precursor capable of forming the colloidal or molecular catalyst, into a hydrocracking reactor. The colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed in situ within the heavy oil feedstock by 1) premixing the catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluents to form a catalyst precursor mixture, 2) mixing the catalyst precursor mixture with the heavy oil feedstock, and 3) raising the temperature of the feedstock to above the decomposition temperature of the catalyst precursor to form the colloidal or molecular catalyst. The colloidal or molecular catalyst catalyzes upgrading reactions between the heavy oil feedstock and hydrogen and eliminates or reduces formation of coke precursors and sediment. The colloidal or molecular catalyst can be the sole or primary hydrocracking catalyst in a stand-alone hydrocracking reactor or it can be used together with a porous supported catalyst within a fixed bed or ebullated bed reactor.
US08440070B2	Process and apparatus for converting high boiling point resid to light unsaturated hydrocarbons A process and apparatus process for preparing a resid-containing hydrocarbon feedstock for use in a regenerative pyrolysis reactor, comprising (a) feeding a resid-containing hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal cracking unit; (b) thermally cracking at least about 60 wt. % of said resid having a boiling point of at least 565° C. in said hydrocarbon feedstock to form a vapor phase containing cracked hydrocarbons; (c) separating said vapor phase from remaining non-volatiles; and (d) converting the separated vapor phase in a regenerative pyrolysis reactor system.
US08440066B2	Tin electroplating bath, tin plating film, tin electroplating method, and electronic device component Disclosed is a tin electroplating bath containing a water-soluble tin salt, one or more substances selected from inorganic acids, organic acids and their water-soluble salts, and one or more substances selected from water-soluble tungsten salts, water-soluble molybdenum salts and water-soluble manganese salts. This tin electroplating bath enables to form a tin-plated coating film on components for electronic devices such as a chip component, crystal oscillator, bump, connector, lead frame, hoop member, semiconductor package and printed board, as a substitute for a tin-lead alloy plating material, while having high whisker suppressing effects.
US08440058B2	Method for concentrating nitrogen isotope Method for concentrating nitrogen isotope to obtain a final product nitrogen, in which the stable nitrogen isotope, 15N, is concentrated, by low-temperature distillation of raw material nitrogen containing trace amounts of oxygen and argon using a plurality of distillation columns in a cascade arrangement. An argon-oxygen mixture is discharged from the bottom of the final column and 15N-concentrated nitrogen is extracted from a lower intermediate point of the final column. The flow rate of the argon-oxygen mixture discharged from the bottom of the final column is controlled based on the reading of a thermometer installed below the point where the final product 15N-concentrated nitrogen is extracted, thereby providing a stable nitrogen product.
US08440054B2	Calender for calendering a paper web A calender (1) for calendering a paper web (2), in particular made from paper suitable for gravure printing, having at least one roll stack which in each case has an upper and a lower end roll (4.1, 4.2) and intermediate rolls (5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4), one of the two end rolls (4.1) delimits a first working nip (3) of the roll stack depending on the guidance of the paper web (2), and the rolls (4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4) are hard rolls (4.1, 5.2, 5.4) and soft rolls (5.1, 5.3, 4.2) in order to form loadable working nips in the form of soft nips, the end roll (4.1) which delimits the first working nip (3) being a hard, heated roll, the diameter of which is greater than that of a hard, heated intermediate roll (5.2, 5.4) and the outer wall (9) of which forms one of two contact faces (9, 10) of a web treatment nip (8) which is arranged upstream of the first working nip (3), and the other contact face (10) being formed by a belt (14) which circulates on guide rolls (11, 12, 13).
US08440052B2	Method and arrangement for feeding chemicals into a pulp process stream An apparatus for feeding one or more chemicals into a process stream of a pulp process is disclosed, as well as a method of utilizing the apparatus for feeding one or more chemicals into a pulp process is disclosed.
US08440049B2	Apparatus for etching high aspect ratio features Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus, such as a processing chamber, suitable for etching high aspect ratio features. Other embodiments include a showerhead assembly for use in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a processing chamber includes a chamber body having a showerhead assembly and substrate support disposed therein. The showerhead assembly includes at least two fluidly isolated plenums, a region transmissive to an optical metrology signal, and a plurality of gas passages formed through the showerhead assembly fluidly coupling the plenums to the interior volume of the chamber body.
US08440045B2	Conformal deltoid noodle for a composite structure A method of fabricating a conformal deltoid noodle includes providing a composite prepreg material having a predetermined length and a width, the predetermined length being aligned along a longitudinal axis; subjecting the composite prepreg material to a cutting process to form a notched section coextensive along the predetermined length; and rolling the composite prepreg material along its width to create the conformal deltoid noodle.
US08440037B2	Coated article with low-E coating including IR reflecting layer(s) and corresponding method A coated article is provided that may be heat treated in certain example embodiments. A coating of the coated article includes a zinc oxide inclusive layer located over and contacting a contact layer that is in contact with an infrared (IR) reflecting layer of a material such as silver. It has been found that the use of such a zinc oxide inclusive layer results in improved thermal stability upon heat treatment, increased visible transmission, and/or lower sheet resistance (Rs).
US08440034B2	System, method, and apparatus for pre-tensioned pipe for load-sharing with composite cover A pipe is wrapped with a composite to form a pre-stressed interface to facilitate load sharing between the materials. Prior to being wrapped, the pipe is placed in tension via hydraulic devices or the like. Alternatively, a combination of cured and uncured composite wraps is used in proximity to each other to apply compressive stress to the pipe. In addition, the pipe may be subjected to cold temperatures to change its dimensions prior to being wrapped with a composite material.
US08440031B2	Nickel-titanium-rare earth alloy and method of processing the alloy A nickel-titanium-rare earth (Ni—Ti-RE) alloy comprises nickel at a concentration of from about 35 at. % to about 65 at. %, a rare earth element at a concentration of from about 1.5 at. % to about 15 at. %, boron at a concentration of up to about 0.1 at. %, with the balance of the alloy being titanium. In addition to enhanced radiopacity compared to binary Ni—Ti alloys and improved workability, the Ni—Ti-RE alloy preferably exhibits superelastic behavior. A method of processing a Ni—Ti-RE alloy includes providing a nickel-titanium-rare earth alloy comprising nickel at a concentration of from about 35 at. % to about 65 at. %, a rare earth element at a concentration of from about 1.5 at. % to about 15 at. %, the balance being titanium; heating the alloy in a homogenization temperature range below a critical temperature; and forming spheroids of a rare earth-rich second phase in the alloy while in the homogenization temperature range.
US08440030B2	Fine spheroidized steel sheet with excellent heat treatment characteristic and method for manufacturing the same A method for manufacturing a fine spheroidized steel sheet having an excellent heat treatment characteristic, the method including: i) manufacturing a high carbon slab that is formed of 0.3 to 1.0 wt % C, 0.1 to 1.2 wt % Mn, 0 to 0.4 wt % Si, 0.01 to 0.1 wt % Al, 0 to 0.01 wt % S, and balance Fe and an inevitably added impurity as residuals; ii) reheating the slab to a temperature of Ar3 transformation point or more; iii) roughing rolling the slab, and manufacturing a thin plate by performing finish rolling in an austenite region; iv) cooling the thin plate at a cooling speed of 50 to 300° C./sec; v) finishing the cooling of the thin plate at a temperature region of 400 to 650° C. and maintaining the temperature; vi) winding the thin plate at a temperature region of 450 to 700° C.; vii) performing cold rolling at a reduction ratio of 30% or more; and viii) spheroidizing annealing the cold rolled thin plate.
US08440023B2	Flavored packaging insert for smokeless tobacco A package of smokeless tobacco includes a flavor patch located in the package to provide flavor to smokeless tobacco. Also disclosed is a method of packaging smokeless tobacco by combining a package with a flavor patch disposed inside the package, the flavor patch comprising a flavor and an adsorbent, so that the flavor patch resides in an interior of the package; and adding smokeless tobacco to the package with the flavor patch.
US08440021B2	Apparatus and method for deposition for organic thin films The invention provides apparatus and methods for organic continuum vapor deposition of organic materials on large area substrates.
US08440013B2	Radiation-curable coating compositions, composite and plastic materials coated with said compositions and methods for their preparation Disclosed is a curable coating composition suitable for use on composite substrates such as plastic composites, cementitious composites, ceramic composites, and engineered wood, or on plastic materials. The curable coating composition comprises a multifunctional oligomer, a monomer selected from the group consisting of monofunctional monomers, difunctional monomers and mixtures thereof, a photoinitiator, a polyester resin and a polycarboxylic acid. Also disclosed is a method of coating the substrates with the curable coating composition and a coated substrate wherein the cured coating resides on the surface of the substrate.
US08440009B2	Cladophora based materials and method of making same A process for manufacturing fire resistant materials comprising the steps of recovering Cladophora algae; mixing said algae with water to form an aqueous mixture; mixing a chlorine based solution to the mixture to kill the algae and any bacteria and to form an algae-based product; allowing the algae-based product to separate and rise to the surface of the aqueous mixture; skimming the algae-based product from the surface of the mixture; drying said recovered algae-based product; and recovering the dried algae-based product.
US08440008B2	Preparation of a lead-free primary explosive Described are compounds and materials that may be used as a lead-free primary explosive, such as copper(I) nitrotetrazolate. Copper(I) nitrotetrazolate may he prepared by a process comprising the steps of: combining cupric salt, water and 5-nitrotetrazolate salt to form a mixture, heating the mixture, adding a reducing agent and stirring with continued heating. The method may also include combining cupric chloride, sodium 5-nitrotetrazolate and sodium ascorbate.
US08440002B2	Long life pyramidal filter for gas turbine inlet system A filtration apparatus includes at least three filter elements for filtering fluid, and a frame having a pyramidal frustum configuration that has at least three sides. The frame includes a frame structure for supporting the filter elements at the sides such that the filtration apparatus has a pyramidal frustum configuration. The filtration apparatus may be part of a filtration assembly. The filtration apparatus may be utilized within an associated method.
US08440000B2	Nitrogen-permeable membranes and uses thereof A nitrogen-permeable structure includes a porous support and a nitrogen-permeable membrane adjacent to the porous support. The nitrogen-permeable membrane includes a first metal and a second metal, wherein the first metal is selected from niobium, tantalum, and vanadium, and the second metal is different from the first metal.
US08439996B2	Indoor unit of air conditioner An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes: a casing (10); an indoor fan (21); an air filter (30); an inlet port (24) in which the air filter (30) is attached, and a divider plate (25) for dividing space in the casing (10) into a room upstream of air passing through the air filter (30) and a room downstream of air passing through the air filter (30). The indoor unit conditions room air sucked into the casing (0) through the air filter (30). The indoor unit includes a rotating brush (51) for removing dust trapped on the air filter (30), and a dust container (90) for containing the removed dust. An access opening (70) which allows for checking of an electrical component box (72) in the casing (10) is formed in the divider plate (25), and an access lid (71) for closing the access opening (70) is provided.
US08439995B2	Abrasive compounds for semiconductor planarization A polishing slurry for semiconductor planarization containing cerium oxide particles and water, wherein the content of the cerium oxide particles having a diameter of 3 μm or more is 500 ppm or less (weight ratio) in a solid, preferably 100 ppm or less and it is more preferable that D99 (99% by volume of the whole particles in polishing slurry) of the cerium oxide particles is 1 μm or less. The polishing slurry can reduce the generation of scratches, and can polish a surface of the semiconductor substrate in the wiring formation process of semiconductor device precisely at a high speed.
US08439994B2	Method of fabricating a polishing pad with an end-point detection region for eddy current end-point detection Methods of fabricating polishing pads with end-point detection regions for polishing semiconductor substrates using eddy current end-point detection are described.
US08439991B2	Process for the generation of a synthesis gas A process for the generation of a synthesis gas comprising: (a) forming a raw synthesis gas, (b) dividing the raw synthesis gas into first and second streams, (c) subjecting the first stream to the water gas shift reaction to form a shifted gas mixture, (d) cooling the second raw synthesis gas stream and shifted gas mixture to below the dew point to form a dry raw synthesis gas mixture, and a dry shifted gas mixture respectively, (e) feeding the dry raw synthesis gas mixture and a dry shifted gas mixture to a gas-washing unit operating by counter-current solvent flow, such that the solvent flowing through said unit contacts first with the dry raw gas mixture and then the dry shifted gas mixture, and (f) collecting from said gas-washing unit a synthesis gas having a stoichiometry ratio, R=(H2−CO2)/(CO+CO2), in the range 1.4 to 3.3.
US08439990B2	Reactor flow control apparatus An apparatus for fuel reforming is provided that utilizes pulsed injectors for a fuel flow controller and an air flow controller, and the injectors are integrated with an atomizing mixer thereby producing a fuel-air mixture having an O/C Ratio which, in turn, is passed to a Catalytic Partial Oxidation reactor. Use of this apparatus permits beneficial long term operation of this Catalytic Partial Oxidation reactor.
US08439986B2	Fuel additive A fuel additive for gasoline that increases automobile fuel efficiency and decreases carbon emissions. The fuel additive comprises a composition of olive oil and fuel oil in a ratio, by volume, of about 1 part olive oil to about 8 parts fuel oil. In the preferred embodiment the fuel oil is fuel oil no. 2-D.
US08439978B2	Prosthetic device and method for implanting the prosthetic device A substantially cup-shaped prosthetic device for a joint is provided. The prosthetic device includes an outer surface configured to operatively engage at least one of a first bone of the joint and a component, an inner surface including at least a portion configured to connect to a second bone of the joint, and at least one reservoir having an opening at each of the inner surface and the outer surface and extending therebetween.
US08439971B2	Adjustable height focal tissue deflector A tissue shaping device adapted to reshape target tissue adjacent to a lumen. In some embodiments, the device includes an expandable and contractable anchor, with the anchor having an adjustable height anchoring portion adapted to engage a wall of the lumen in at least first and second anchor heights, the anchoring portion being further adapted to be changed from the first anchor height to the second anchor height by a substantially proximally or a substantially distally directed actuation force. The invention is also a tissue shaping system including a tissue shaping device and a tool for adjusting the height of an anchor of the device. The invention also includes methods of using such tissue shaping devices and systems.
US08439964B2	Stent with web-inducing nodes for increased surface area A medical device for delivering a therapeutic agent is described comprising a stent comprising a sidewall and a plurality of struts, wherein at least one strut or strut portion comprises at least one node, wherein the expansion of the stent creates at least one web comprising a coating composition having a therapeutic agent, and wherein at least one node is configured to be associated with at least one web. A method for delivering a therapeutic agent to a body site is also described.
US08439955B2	Fracture fixation plates for the distal humerus A system for the internal fixation of a fractured bone of an elbow joint of a patient includes at least one bone plate, each bone plate having a plurality of holes and generally configured to fit an anatomical surface of the fractured bone. The at least one plate is adapted to be customized to the shape of a patient's bone. The system also includes a plurality of fasteners including at least one locking fastener for attaching the bone plate to the bone. At least one of the holes is a threaded hole. Guides for plate benders, drills, and/or K-wires can be pre-assembled to the threaded holes, and the locking fastener can lock into any of the threaded holes after the guides are removed.
US08439941B2	Disposable lancing device A disposable lancing device including: a lancet housed in a housing and urged by a spring member such that a puncture member provided at a distal end of the lancet is adapted to extend out from the housing so as to carry out a puncturing operation; a locking ring disposed within the housing such that the lancet is allowed to displace in an extension direction through the locking ring; a locking protrusion provided to the lancet and adapted to be engaged by the locking ring so as to hold the lancet in a puncture-ready position located deep in the housing with the spring member being compressed; and an operating member adapted to carry out the puncturing operation by rotating the locking ring so as to disengage the locking protrusion from the locking ring and displace the lancet in the extension direction by means of the spring member.
US08439936B2	Device and method for tendon, ligament or soft tissue repair Disclosed are medical devices and methods for tendon, ligament, and soft tissue repair. A method includes introducing a first segment having a delivery assembly into a first soft tissue, and removing the delivery assembly to expose an opening of a hollow body of the first segment. The method also includes introducing a second segment having a second delivery assembly and a second body into a second soft tissue, guiding the second delivery assembly through the opening, and advancing the second body into the hollow body, thereby joining the first soft tissue and the second soft tissue.
US08439918B2	Ulna fixation An improved means for fixation of a fractured coronoid process of the proximal ulna. A substantially rigid plate is secured to the anterior aspect of the proximal ulna relative to a fracture of the coronoid process of the ulna. The plate contains a hook feature at the proximal aspect and is positioned so that it extends over the proximal/anterior aspect of the coronoid process relative to the fracture. The plate has surfaces that define a plurality of openings through which suture and/or screws can pass. The openings may contain a recess at a side of the plate opposite the ulna. At least one hole is formed in the ulna. At least one anchor may be secured to a flexible device, positioned at a side of the plate opposite the ulna, secured to another anchor on the posterior aspect of the ulna and the flexible device tensioned. At least one screw may be inserted through the plate and into the coronoid process or a bone fragment securing it to the plate.
US08439906B2	Regulating internal pressure of a cryotherapy balloon catheter A method of performing a cryotherapy procedure can include introducing a cryotherapy balloon catheter at a treatment site inside a patient's body; regulating, during a first phase of a cryotherapy procedure, flow of cryogenic fluid to and exhaust from a distal balloon portion of the cryotherapy balloon catheter to cause an initial pressure to be maintained inside the distal balloon portion that is sufficiently high to cause an outer wall of the distal balloon portion to be pressed against body tissue at the treatment site; and regulating, during a second phase of the cryotherapy procedure, flow of cryogenic fluid to and exhaust from the distal balloon portion to cause a) a temperature inside the distal balloon portion to reach a value sufficient to deliver therapeutic levels of cryotherapy to the body tissue, and b) a second-phase pressure to be maintained that is within a threshold value of the initial pressure.
US08439905B2	Nucleation enhanced surface modification to support physical vapor deposition to create a vacuum The device of the invention takes the form of a catheter/probe and is a closed loop system in which cryogen is delivered along the length of the catheter/probe to the tip where freezing occurs, and then recirculated. The device is a tube within a tube and comprises a number of parts including supply and return (internal) tubes, outer sheath (external tube) seaJed to the inner tubes at one or both ends with a gas filled lumen between the internal and external tubes. The lumen of the external tube is filled with a saturated gas which solidifies upon cooling, thereby creating a vacuum along the catheter length and providing for insulation between the inner and outer tubes, and preventing freezing along the probe shaft length. The outside surface of the internal tubes is modified to potentiate gas nucleation on the outer surfaces of the internal tubes when cooled.
US08439897B2	Assessing residual insulin time Methods, systems and devices for assessing residual insulin time of a patient are provided. In one embodiment, the method and the device can be implemented by receiving a confirmation that an insulin dose has been administered to the patient; repetitively receiving a value corresponding to the patient's blood glucose level; identifying at least two consecutively received values based on a predetermined criteria; and, selecting the residual insulin time corresponding to a time period between the confirmation that the insulin dose has been administered and a time corresponding to the identification of the at least two consecutively received values.
US08439896B2	Device, system, and method for targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory medicaments to a mammalian subject A device, a system, or a method is described for treating a disease or a condition of one or more joints of articulating bone in a mammalian subject. The device provides one or more medicaments to one or more joints of the mammalian subject. A device is described that includes an enclosure including one or more sensors, a controller, and one or more applicators configured to surround one or more joints of articulating bone of a mammalian subject, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more physiological conditions of the one or more joints of the mammalian subject, and the controller, configured to communicate with the one or more sensors, is configured to activate the one or more applicators, and wherein the one or more applicators are configured to inject one or more medicaments to one or more joint tissues of the mammalian subject.
US08439893B2	System and method for efficient drainage of body cavity A system for efficient drainage of a body cavity includes application of vacuum at very high pressure, preferably in the range of approximately 50-500 torr or higher. The system includes the use of a drainage tube having a plurality of holes formed into the wall of a portion of the tube to be inserted in the body cavity. The area of each of the holes is preferably selected to ensure that the suction force communicated by each of the holes to areas within the body cavity is insufficient to injure the tissues exposed in the body cavity. A one-way valve maintains unidirectional flow of drained fluids and gases away from the body cavity. A vacuum relief valve prevents application of dangerous levels of vacuum pressure by opening to admit atmospheric air when vacuum pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold. A vacuum chamber separates drained fluids from drained gases.
US08439890B2	Material delivery system A method for injecting a therapeutic agent into a target tissue, the method comprising: (a) providing an expandable member; (b) positioning said expandable member in proximity to the target tissue; (c) Introducing the therapeutic agent into the expandable member until a desired pressure is achieved; and (d) creating a plurality of small apertures in the expandable member.
US08439888B2	Three-piece disposable absorbent article having an absorbent with cross-direction flexibility A three-piece disposable absorbent article is disclosed having a longitudinal central axis and a transverse central axis. The disposable absorbent article includes front and back panels, each panel capable of being stretched and retracted in multiple directions. The back panel is also distinct and spaced apart from the front panel. The disposable absorbent article further includes an absorbent assembly situated between the front and back panels and which is attached to each by a first attachment member. The first attachment member is aligned along the longitudinal central axis. The disposable absorbent assembly includes a non-elastic absorbent that is capable of being elongated and contracted in only one direction, that direction being aligned approximately parallel to the transverse central axis.
US08439882B2	System and method for using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) to heal wounds A system and method for treating a tissue site of a patient may include sensing one or more characteristics of exudate fluid of a tissue site of a patient. A level of the sensed one or more characteristics of the exudate fluid may be measured, and, in response to the measured at least one characteristic level, treatment may be applied or altered to the tissue site.
US08439878B2	Rheolytic thrombectomy catheter with self-inflating proximal balloon with drug infusion capabilities A thrombectomy catheter with a self-inflating proximal balloon having drug infusion capabilities is described. A self-inflating balloon is formed from an inflatable thin walled section of a flexible catheter tube. The self-inflating balloon includes a plurality of outflow orifices located about the peripheral circumference thereof and located proximal to an inflow gap interposed between a fluid jet emanator and the self-inflating balloon. The self-inflating balloon is inflated and expanded by internal operating pressures by proximal composite flow of fluid from the fluid jet emanator and entrained fluid from the inflow gap to uniformly space and position the outflow orifices of the self-inflating balloon in close proximity to the thrombus or vessel walls of a blood vessel. The thrombectomy catheter may be used for, among other things, thrombectomies, embolectomies, thrombus or vessel dilation, and for the delivery of drugs to a thrombus or vessel site.
US08439867B2	Injection guidance system and method A system and method of treating urinary incontinence including a catheter and injection guide operatively disposed together. At least one needle is operatively disposed within at least one lumen and at least one channel extending through the catheter and injection guide respectively. The injection guide is transformable from a pre-injection configuration for placement in the bladder to an injection configuration for injection of a pharmaceutical such as botulinum toxin into the bladder tissue. Upon introduction of the pharmaceutical to the bladder tissue, symptoms of incontinence are alleviated.
US08439865B2	Punctal plugs Punctal plugs for delivering therapeutic agents to the eye have a body with a portion into which the therapeutic agent is loaded and a conical anchor portion at an end of the plug.
US08439863B2	Methods for controlling medical fluid injections The present invention is directed to control of medical fluid injection systems. For instance, in some embodiments, an injection protocol may be initiated, and an actual flow rate of the medical fluid utilized in the injection protocol may be adjusted based, at least in part, on an inherent system elasticity of the injection system.
US08439856B2	Composite plastic rigid walking cast with cushioned interior supports A walking cast having an upper cage assembleable over an upper leg and a lower cage assembleable over a lower leg and hingedly secured to the upper cage approximate a wearer's knee. A foot sole support is connected to the lower cage which includes lower angled supports for engaging side locations of the sole in a further hinged connection. Each of the upper and lower cages include a rear positioned fixed support with a second forward and hingedly connecting door. A plurality of cushioning supports secure to inner facing locations associated with each of the upper and lower cages.
US08439852B2	Walk assistance device A walk assistance device comprises a thigh unit configured to be arranged on a thigh of the user, a shank unit configured to be arranged on a shank of the user, a foot unit configured to be arranged on a foot of the user, a knee position joint unit configured to couple the thigh unit and the shank unit in a swingable manner, and an ankle position joint unit configured to couple the shank unit and the foot unit in a swingable manner. The shank unit comprises a first replaceable member and a second replaceable member that extend along the shank of the user, and a length of the shank unit is adjustable by replacing each of the first and second replaceable members with another one having a different length.
US08439845B2	Obtaining measurements of muscle reflexes for diagnosis of patient symptoms A system and method is disclosed for measuring muscle reflexes (e.g., a bulbocavernosus reflex) as a tool for identifying/diagnosing dysfunctions (e.g., spinal cord abnormalities, bladder voiding dysfunction, and sexual organ dysfunction) non-invasively by using mechanical stimulation. The system and method includes a probe having a predetermined patient contacting portion, wherein when the contacting portion is moved into contact with a particular area of the patient (e.g., the patient's genitals), the contact induces a muscle reflex. The probe detects the pressure resulting from the contacting portion being abruptly and forcibly brought into contact with the particular area. Such detection is used to electronically initiate capture of electrical responses from a plurality of electrodes placed on the patient's skin in proximity to the particular area. Such electrical responses are processed to determine characteristics of the patient's reflexes of one or more muscles adjacent to the electrodes.
US08439837B2	Systems and methods for detecting hypoglycemic events having a reduced incidence of false alarms The present invention is directed to a method of reducing false readings in a hypoglycemic detector that includes establishing a predetermined hypoglycemic threshold, a predetermined critical threshold, a predetermined rate of change in glucose concentration where the predetermined critical threshold is below the predetermined hypoglycemic threshold. A first sampling rate is then calculated based upon said predetermined hypoglycemic threshold, said predetermined critical threshold, and said predetermined rate of change in glucose concentration.
US08439836B2	Method and apparatus for monitoring the autonomous nervous system of a sedated patient The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for monitoring the autonomous nervous system of a sedated patient. According to the method, skin conductance is measured through a time interval. Average skin conductance values and the number of fluctuation peaks are in the interval are calculated and analyzed, and an indication is given of the state of pain/discomfort in the patient as well as the state of awakening in the patient. The invention is particularly applicable for use with anaesthetized or artificially ventilated patents, as separate output signals are automatically provided, indicating the need for analgesics and hypnotics, respectively.
US08439831B2	Laparoscopic instrument and trocar system and related surgical method Laparoscopic instruments and cannulas are provided for performing laparoscopic procedures entirely through the umbilicus. Generally S-shaped laparoscopic instruments placed through the C-shaped trocar sleeves or through the cannula and instrument holder unit provide markedly improved degrees of instruments' freedom during trans-umbilical laparoscopic procedures.
US08439822B2	Capsule endoscope A capsule endoscope includes a capsule-shaped casing and an imaging unit for taking an image of an inside of an organ in a state where the capsule endoscope is floating in liquid introduced inside the organ of a subject. Specific gravity of the capsule endoscope to the introduced liquid is ρ; a plane divides the capsule endoscope such that a volume ratio is to be ρ:1−ρ. A straight line that connects a center of volume of a portion whose volume ratio is ρ and a center of gravity of the capsule endoscope is substantially perpendicular to the plane. The center of gravity is present at a position farther distant from the plane than the center of volume. A surface of a boundary of a field of view that forms an angle of view of the imaging unit and the plane do not intersect outside the capsule endoscope.
US08439821B2	System and method for the central control of devices used during an operation The present invention relates to a system for the central control of devices used during an operation, comprising a first control unit for control of said devices. The system is characterized in that a second control unit is provided which is connected to the first control unit for exchange of information. The first control unit may be embodied as closed system for control of at least those devices which carry out safety-related functions (safety-related devices), and the second control unit may be embodied as open system for control of the remaining devices which carry out non safety-related functions (non safety-related devices). The invention further relates to a method for the central control of devices.
US08439813B2	Method of manufacturing a top sheet or back sheet of a disposable absorbent article A method of manufacturing a top sheet material or back sheet material for use in the manufacture of disposable absorbent articles including the steps of: a) splitting a continuous first web of sheet material having substantially straight side edges into a second and third continuous web by an alternating concave-convex cutting line cut in a longitudinal direction along the continuous first web, the cutting line being distanced from both side edges of the continuous first web; b) shifting the second continuous web in a lateral direction in relation to the third continuous web so that the substantially straight edges of the second and third continuous webs are parallel to and adjacent to each other and longitudinally shifting the second continuous web so that the series of concave edge portions and the series of convex edge portions of the second and third continuous webs are longitudinally aligned with each other; c) directly or indirectly joining the substantially straight edges of the second and third continuous webs to each other, thereby forming a composite fourth web. The cutting line is made in the first continuous web so that all portions of the cutting line are distanced from a longitudinal center line of the first continuous web.
US08439809B2	Training dummy assembly for doing stand-up drills and ground drills A training dummy assembly includes a base, a column, a tensioning mechanism, a dummy. The base rests on the ground. The column is pivotally coupled to the base. The tensioning mechanism resiliently couples the base to the column. The dummy has a shape of a torso with head and is formed out of foam with an outer latex skin. The torso of the dummy is mechanically coupled to the column.
US08439805B2	Hydraulic system of a gear box An automatic vehicle transmission comprises a first oil supply unit (10) with at least one mechanically driven first pump (11) and a second oil supply unit (20) with at least one electrically driven second pump (21), and a valve device (14) and a clutch system (1). The second oil supply unit (20) supplies the clutch system (1), during a first operating condition, and the first oil supply unit (10) supplies the clutch system (1), during a second operating condition.
US08439804B2	Electro-hydraulic control including blocking features for multi-speed automatic transmission A control for a multi-speed automatic vehicle transmission is provided. Electrical and hydraulic components are provided, including pressure control or “trim” valve systems in fluid communication with shift valves and electrohydraulic actuators to selectively engage and disengage the transmission clutches or other shift mechanisms. Pressure switches are provided for the trim valves and shift valves. The fluid connections between the trim valve systems and the shift valve systems are configured to reduce the total number of valves and fluid passages required and to reduce the size of at least one of the valves. Clutch blocking features are provided. Power off limp home and reduced engine load at stop features are provided in all forward ranges, and control of double transition shifts is also provided.
US08439803B2	System and method for improved closed throttle downshifts A control system for a transmission coupled to an engine includes first, second, and third modules. The first module detects a closed throttle downshift of the transmission. The second module detects a request for a power-on downshift of the transmission. The third module controls a clutch of the transmission when the request for the power-on downshift is detected during the closed throttle downshift, wherein the third module one of (i) decreases a pressure applied to the clutch to a first predetermined pressure before an end of the closed throttle downshift and (ii) controls a pressure applied to the clutch to a second predetermined pressure at the end of the closed throttle downshift.
US08439802B2	Speed change control device of automatic transmission A speed change control device of an automatic transmission comprises a first control section that, upon detecting a speed change instruction for a speed change from a first given speed to a second given speed, carries out the speed change by reducing an engaging pressure of a releasing side frictional element that has established the first given speed and increasing an engaging pressure of an engaging side frictional element that would establish the second given speed; a second control section that carries out a correction processing to increase the engaging pressure of the releasing side frictional element when a throttle open degree is increased during the speed change carried out by the first control section; and a third control section that inhibits the correction processing of the second control section when the engaging pressure of the releasing side frictional element is lower than a given value.
US08439795B2	Apparatus for controlling motor torque In a vehicle that generates creep torque using an electric motor, a controlling means that causes, on the basis of the results of the detecting by the vehicle speed detecting means and the braking operation detecting means, the electric motor to generate the creep torque, wherein if the brake is operated when the creep torque is generated, the controlling means decreases the creep torque by a first level, if the brake is not operated when the creep torque is generated, the controlling means increases or decrease the creep torque in a level range on the basis of the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detecting means, and the first level is a decreasing level larger than a possible maximum decreasing level in the level range.
US08439793B2	Multi-speed transmission having three planetary gear sets A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, three planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes.
US08439785B2	Control apparatus for automatic transmission An automatic transmission includes: a frictional engagement element arranged to be switched from an engagement state to a disengagement state at a switching from a running range to a neutral range, and including: frictional plates; a first piston arranged to push the frictional plates; a second piston arranged to push the frictional plates; a first hydraulic chamber arranged to receive a hydraulic fluid for pushing the first piston; and a second hydraulic chamber arranged to receive a hydraulic fluid for pushing the second piston; a first discharge speed switching section arranged to switch only a discharge speed of the hydraulic fluid of the first hydraulic chamber; and a control unit configured to increase the discharge speed of the hydraulic fluid of the first hydraulic chamber during a predetermined time period by the first discharge speed switching section at the switching from the running range to the neutral range.
US08439784B2	Braking system The present invention relates to a braking system (1). The system comprises an annulus gear (3) having a fluid contained therein and at least one planet gear (4), arranged within the annulus gear and rotatably engaged therewith. The system further comprises means (10) for controlling the flow of fluid within the system to control relative rotational motion between the planet gear and the annulus gear.
US08439782B2	Automatic transmission An automatic transmission includes an input shaft rotatable by power from a driving source. A transmission unit is capable of changing a speed of rotation of the input shaft to any one of speeds at gears. The transmission unit includes at least one planetary gear mechanism having three elements. An output member outputs the transferred power with a speed changed by the transmission unit. A transfer mechanism switches between a transfer state of power between a motor connection element and the output member and an open state of no transfer of power. The transfer mechanism is in the transfer state in a low-speed gear range and in the open state in a high-speed gear range.
US08439781B2	Radial damping mechanism and use for belt tensioning A tensioner for an endless power transmitting element in a drive system is disclosed that includes an arm rotatable about an axis and having a sleeve that includes a ramp face or contoured face, a damper cup having a protrusion and a plate, a spring case that houses the sleeve of the arm and the damper cup with the damper cup's plate mated with the ramp face or contoured face of the sleeve. During wind-up of the tensioner, a normal force is applied to the damper cup's protrusion that moves the plate along the ramp face or contoured face in a first direction, and in the first direction the ramp face or contoured face pushes the damper cup generally radially outward into the spring case to provide frictional damping.
US08439777B2	Scent dispersing apparatus An animal attractant, such as a liquid scent can be dispersed from a soft-shelled frangible capsule by positioning the capsule in an enclosure and then attaching the enclosure to an arrow. A plunger secured to the enclosure slidably moves inside the enclosure and causes rapture of the capsule upon impact of the plunger with a solid surface. The liquid animal attractant is dispersed through cutouts formed in the enclosure in a fan-like fashion.
US08439775B2	Soccer training apparatus and method A soccer training apparatus comprises a net capable of being placed in a deployed position, connected to or located adjacent a soccer goal frame and above a soccer playing surface, so as to cover a portion of a target opening bounded by the soccer goal frame and soccer playing surface. The net includes a peripheral edge located relative to the soccer goal frame so as to form a gap which extends around the net in the deployed position. which permits a soccer ball to pass through and enter the soccer goal area.
US08439773B2	Basketball shooting target The invention is directed to a novel and unique basketball shooting target removably connected to a basketball goal. The target is an object that includes a female member having a female member core and female outer layer and a male member having a male member core and male outer layer. The female member core includes female lock flanges and female contact surfaces for engaging the male member core. The male member core has buttons that each includes respective cam locks configured for releasable engagement with female lock flanges on a female core to prevent horizontal movement. The male member core has male contact surfaces for engaging the female contact surfaces of the female member to prevent vertical movement. In operation, the male and female members removably connect with one another to engage a netting of a basketball goal and prevent movement relative to one another in horizontal or vertical direction.
US08439770B1	Iron-type golf club head with rear cavity with undercut An iron-type golf club head having a rear cavity with an undercut portion is disclosed herein. The undercut portion is present in less than 360 degrees of the rear cavity. Further, the undercut portion is preferably discontinuous. Further, the under portion preferably has sharp angles at segments of the rear cavity.
US08439767B2	Adjustable pendulum golf putting trainer A swinging mechanism and a ball capturing target, used together or separately, teach putting skills and enable entertaining indoor/outdoor putting games and practice. The swinging mechanism teaches tempo, direction and distance control. The mechanism adjusts to fit most bodies and putters to achieve a repeatable eye-over-ball setup. The putter-head's backside pushes the mechanism aft and lets the mechanism pace the forward stroke. Premature head and sternum movement are eliminated by focusing on swing-thought words on the base; feeling the support rod against your sternum; and noticing the mechanism tap your cheek at the instant you see and hear the putter-ball impact. Colored ball-sets are putted through 3 different sized openings into separated capture zones to score 1, 2, or 3 points per ball. Player's uniquely colored ball-sets enable easy counting and strategy changes as games progress. After final score count, up to 75 balls are easily retrieved for a new round.
US08439749B2	Gaming system having tools for pairing wagering games with available progressive games Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting wagering games, and computer programs for conducting wagering games are disclosed. A gaming system for playing a wagering game is disclosed which includes a processor(s) and a memory device(s) storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the processors, cause the gaming system to: store, on at least one memory device, a progressive game having a first set of configuration parameters; store, on at least one memory device, a primary wagering game having a second set of configuration parameters; and compare, via at least one processor, the first set of configuration parameters with the second set of configuration parameters to determine, in accordance with at least a first rule set, if the primary wagering game can be activated and paired with the progressive game.
US08439744B2	Wagering game system with pausing feature A gaming system for playing a wagering game includes a gaming machine and a controller operatively associated with the gaming machine. The controller is configured to temporarily pause a game-in progress on the gaming machine following the occurrence of a pause event. The controller is also configured to reinstate a game-in progress on the gaming machine following the occurrence of an end-pause event.
US08439743B2	Gaming device having one or more shared award-modifier reels A gaming machine is disclosed having indicia of a plurality of spinning reels in a first set of reels and indicia of a plurality of spinning reels in a second set of reels. A determination is made as to whether the outcomes of the indicia of the plurality of spinning reels in the first and second sets of reels are winning outcomes. Award-multiplier indicia of a first shared spinning base game award-multiplier reel is positioned between the first and second set of reels. The first set of reels, second set of reels, and the base game award-multiplier reel form a contiguous set of reels having a common axis of rotation. The base game award-multiplier indicia modifies the winning outcome on the first set of reels, modifies the winning outcome on the second set of reels, includes a secondary game trigger symbol, or combinations thereof.
US08439734B2	Electronic game machine and its program An electronic game machine including a central processing unit, a storing device, a display, and an inputting device. The central processing unit serves as a game board displaying unit to display a game board on a display, a game piece deploy controlling unit to initially deploy game pieces, and a game piece movement permitting unit to permit the movement of the game pieces.
US08439726B2	Cutting heads A nozzle assembly (1) generates a jet (9) of water, or abrasive particles suspended in water, for use in an abrasive waterjet-cutting head. The nozzle assembly (1) comprises a nozzle element (5, 80, 84, 86, 91) with a tapering bore (7) therethrough, mounted to a carrier (2, 52) so that the bore (7) is connected coaxially to a passage (4) through the carrier (2, 52), the bore (7) and passage (4) preferably having the same diameter where they meet. The nozzle element comprises a superhard material, such as diamond, in the form of a solid body (5, 81, 83, 86) or a coating (90). The nozzle element is mounted to the carrier (2, 52) by a brazed or soldered joint (6), extending normally to a longitudinal axis of the passage (4) and bore (7).
US08439724B2	Abrasive waterjet machining and method to manufacture a curved rotor blade retention slot A method of machining a blade retention slot with an abrasive water jet machining. A straight blade retention slot along an X-axis then a at least one side of the straight blade retention slot is abrasive water jet machined to generate a curved side of the blade retention slot defined within an X-Y plane.
US08439722B2	Recovery bra A brassiere garment and associated method for dressing is provided contemplating a strap that is operably trained around a user's back and sides, a cup attached at each end of the strap, and an adjustable attachment feature connecting the cups together.
US08439719B2	Method of encapsulating organic light emitting display device In a method of encapsulating an organic light emitting display device, when a lower substrate and a encapsulating substrate are encapsulated, the encapsulating process can be simplified since a sealant coating process can be performed without a mask aligning process, thereby reducing manufacturing cost. The method comprises the steps of: preparing an encapsulating substrate for encapsulating a lower substrate on which a display unit, which includes the organic light emitting display device, is formed; forming a black mask on a region of the encapsulating substrate, which is not a sealant region, corresponding to outer regions of the display unit; and forming a sealant on the sealant region.
US08439713B2	High-power connector having heat dissipation structure The present invention is to provide a high-power connector having a heat dissipation structure, which includes a cover, a plurality of resilient metal terminals and a plurality of auxiliary metal plates. The cover is made of an insulating material and defines a plurality of receiving spaces therein. The resilient metal terminals are fitted in the receiving spaces respectively. The front section of each resilient metal terminal has an arcuate shape, passes through a lateral side of the cover, and is exposed from the cover. The front section of each auxiliary metal plate is electrically connected to the corresponding resilient metal terminal, and the rear section of each auxiliary metal plate is electrically connected to a circuit board. Since the auxiliary metal plates have relatively low impedance capable of rapidly releasing the heat generated by the connector, the components of the connector are prevented from premature aging attributable to high temperature.
US08439705B2	Modular jack with sheilding plate between magnetic components An electrical connector (100) includes an insulative housing (2) defining a receiving cavity (20) for insertion of a mating connector, a terminal module (3) including a number of mating terminals (311) projecting into the receiving cavity and a number of magnetic components connected with the mating terminals, and a respective shielding plate (33) located between adjacent magnetic components to reduce crosstalk.
US08439700B2	Socket for electrical parts A socket for electrical parts which makes a locater plate fulfill the function satisfactory and enhance the operational feeling of the locater plate. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lock members are fixed on the vertically movable locater plate. The top of the lock member is the first engaging potion formed so as to have a hook shape, and the bent double portion thereof is a second engaging portion. The first engaging portion regulates the downward movement of the locater plate at the bottom position. The second engaging portion which regulates the upward movement and releases the regulation of the upward movement by deforming elastically when a force larger than a predetermined value is applied.
US08439693B2	Socket assembly with a pick up cap linking with a loading plate A socket assembly comprises an insulating housing receiving a plurality of contacts, a pick up cap assembled on the insulating housing and a loading plate covering the insulating housing and the pick up cap. The pick up cap is pivotally assembled to one of the sidewalls of the insulative housing at an end thereof and has an operating portion at an opposite end thereof. The loading plate is provided with a latching piece to latch with the operating portion of the pick up cap, so that the loading plate can bring the pick up cap to open.
US08439692B1	Bus bar arrangements for multiple outlet electrical receptacles A triplex electrical receptacle has a flexible, compact arrangement of bus bars and phase, neutral and ground contacts associated with three outlets. Two outlets are nearest two corners of the body that share a common first side, and the third outlet is between them but closer to the opposite side of the body. A common neutral bus bar (with terminal) is connected to the neutral contacts of all three outlets. The phase bus bar (with terminal) is connected to the phase contacts of at least two of the outlets. One embodiment permanently connects the phase contact of the third outlet to the phase bus bar; another embodiment permanently isolates the third outlet, connecting its phase contact to a separate phase terminal; and an additional embodiment incorporates a separate phase terminal for the third outlet and an optionally severable connection between the third outlet and the first phase terminal.
US08439687B1	Apparatus and method for simulated insertion and positioning of guidewares and other interventional devices Apparatus and methods useable for simulated insertion and positioning of medical or surgical devices. The apparatus generally comprises a substantially flat structure having simulated body openings, anatomical passageways, anatomical structures and anatomical cavities formed therein. One or more windows (e.g., a transparent top panel or cover) allows the operator to observe the movement or positioning of the medical or surgical device.
US08439685B2	Fire training door assembly A fire training door assembly includes a door hingably connected in a door frame including first and second vertical posts and an upper horizontal beam connecting the vertical posts. A cutout space is defined along one of the lateral sides of the door. The cutout space has an upper end, a lower end, and a side portion. The reinforced section of the second vertical post extends at least from the lower end to the upper end of said cutout space. The fire door assembly further includes a lock element movably arranged in the cutout space and a spring arranged between the lock element and the side portion urging the lock element toward the second side of the door against a stop element arranged on the door along the second lateral side of the door. The lock element is movable against an urgency of the spring toward the first lateral side of the door, whereby the forces required to move the lock element against the spring simulate the forces required to pry open a steel door. An adjustment device adjusts the urgency of the spring.
US08439682B1	Set of endodontic instruments A set of endodontic instrument adapted to remove material from walls of a root canal having a working portion with a relatively short working length. A substantially untapered nonworking portion of the instrument shaft with substantially parallel sidewalls and a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the proximal end of the working portion extends from adjacent a proximal end of the working portion to the proximal end of the shaft. The working portions of the set of instruments have relatively small, slowly progressing taper rates.
US08439674B2	Systems and methods for intra-oral drug delivery Systems and methods are disclosed for intra-oral delivery of drugs.
US08439673B2	Tracking teeth movement correction Embodiments are provided for tracking teeth movement correction. One method embodiment includes using a set of positioning appliances shaped to move teeth through a number of successive stages of arrangements of an expected teeth arrangement model where each stage corresponds to a particular positioning appliance, mapping a current teeth position based upon positions of a number of physical markers attached to a number of physical teeth, comparing the positions of the number of physical markers with a corresponding number of virtual markers positioned on a number of virtual teeth of a stage in the expected teeth arrangement model, determining whether midcourse correction is needed.
US08439660B2	Screw compressor having a second meshing body with at least one projection non-uniformly arranged with respect to the other projections in circumferential direction A screw compressor comprises a first meshing body and a second meshing body. The first meshing body has plural helical flutes disposed around a first rotating shaft. The second meshing body has plural projections or lobes disposed around a second rotating shaft. At least one of the projections or lobes is arranged non-uniformly with respect to the other projections or lobes in a circumferential direction of the second rotating shaft. The plural helical flutes are arranged to be meshable with the plural projections or lobes, in a circumferential direction of the first rotating shaft.
US08439658B2	Progressing cavity pump rubber reinforcement device for rotor alignment A progressing cavity pump assembly utilizes a reinforced upper section of the stator rubber helix. The pump stator is located at the end of a string of tubing. The reinforced upper section of the stator rubber helix is strong enough, whether reinforced by mechanical means or by strengthening the rubber matrix chemically, so as not to allow the passage of a stop located above or on the top of the pump rotor. The rotor is lowered on a string of rods until the stop above or on top of the rotor lands onto the reinforced upper section of the stator rubber helix. The rotor is then repositioned away from the stator helix a predetermined distance before pump operation begins with rod string rotation.
US08439653B2	Pump for a high-pressure cleaning apparatus A pump for a high-pressure cleaning apparatus for delivering cleaning liquid is provided. The pump has at least one pump chamber into which at least one reciprocally movable piston plunges. The pump chamber is connected via at least one inlet valve to a suction conduit and via at least one outlet valve to a pressure conduit. A bypass conduit leads from the pressure conduit to the suction conduit. A bypass valve is arranged in the bypass conduit. The valve body of the bypass valve is connected to a control member which displaces the valve body to a closed or an open position and displaces a switch plunger which is coupled to the valve body to a first or a second switch position. The valve body opens a passage upstream of the valve seat which becomes wider when the valve body is at a predetermined distance from the valve seat.
US08439652B2	Suction throttle valve for variable displacement type compressor A suction throttle valve of a variable displacement compressor having a compressor housing includes a suction chamber, a crank chamber, an inlet, a suction passage, a valve body, a valve housing, an urging member, a valve chamber, and a communication hole. The valve body is provided for adjusting an opening area of the suction passage and movably arranged in the suction passage. The urging member urges the valve body in the direction that decreases the opening area of the suction passage. The communication hole is provided for connecting the suction chamber to the valve housing. An opening area of the communication hole is variable in accordance with the movement of the valve body. Accordingly, the opening area of the communication hole becomes maximum during the maximum displacement operation of the compressor and becomes reduced during the intermediate displacement operation of the compressor.
US08439649B2	Sputter ion pump with enhanced anode A sputter ion pump including an evacuateable envelope having a chamber, first and second cathodes and an anode disposed in the chamber. The anode can have an outer layer of a non-evaporable getter (NEG) material so as to permit NEG pumping of gases by the anode. In another aspect of the invention, the anode can be formed with spaced-apart first and second sheet portions disposed in juxtaposition to each other and having a plurality of holes extending through the sheets for forming a plurality of anode cells.
US08439643B2	Biformal platform turbine blade A turbine blade includes an airfoil and integral platform. The platform is biformally contoured in elevation to include bilaterally disposed elevated ridges and depressed troughs on opposite sides of the airfoil.
US08439640B2	Propeller blade pitch control system A propeller blade pitch control system includes a propeller hub for mounting at least one propeller blade, and a propeller shaft which rotates about an axis to rotationally drive the propeller hub. A pitch change yoke located within the propeller hub is configured to change a pitch of the at least one propeller blade in response to hydraulic fluid flow to a pitch change actuator. A propeller gearbox includes a first, rear end and a second, forward end located between the first, rear end and the pitch change yoke, and is configured to apply torque to the propeller hub. A hydraulic transfer bearing located between the first, rear end and the second, forward end of the propeller gearbox is operable to selectively permit a flow of hydraulic fluid from at least one hydraulic flow controller to the pitch change actuator.
US08439637B2	Bellows preload and centering spring for a fan drive gear system An assembly includes a first tapered roller bearing and a second tapered roller bearing and a bellows spring. The bellows spring is disposed adjacent the first tapered roller bearing and the second tapered roller bearing.
US08439629B2	Blade outer air seal A turbine engine blade outer air seal segment has a body having a base portion. The base portion has a transversely concave ID face, a forward end, an aft end, and first and second circumferential edges. The body has at least one mounting hook. At least one cover plate is secured to the body to define at least one cavity. The cover plate has a plurality of feed holes. A plurality of outlet holes extend through the base portion to the ID face. At least one of the base portion and cover plate comprises a protruding portion protruding into the cavity to form a partial restriction separating forward and aft cavity portions.
US08439627B2	Steam turbine and cooling method thereof A steam turbine includes a casing, a rotor arranged inside the casing so as to extend in an axial direction of the casing, a rotor disk integrally formed with the rotor, a rotor-side implanting portion formed in the rotor disk, a plurality of moving blades arranged on the rotor disk in a circumferential direction of the rotor, and a moving blade-side implanting portion formed in the moving blade, in which the moving blade-side implanting portions of the moving blades are engaged with the rotor-side implanting portions, respectively. A cooling medium flows through a gap formed at least on a blade portion side of the moving blade among gaps formed between the moving blade-side implanting portions and the rotor-side implanting portions.
US08439613B1	Toggle bolt device A fastener apparatus is disclosed that features projecting locking members that extend and retract when a central drive shaft is rotated. The exterior of the connector has a body that is partially threaded to receive a nut so that two structures (eg. flanges, panels, plates, beams, etc.) can be pulled together by tightening the bolt when the locking members are in the extended position. In one embodiment, the shaft can be an eyebolt.
US08439607B2	Containment systems, methods, and devices At least one exemplary system comprises a tubular mesh enclosure formed from a mesh material having a nominal opening size of less than 0.5 inches, said tubular mesh enclosure having an opposing pair of ends, at least one of said opposing pair of ends sealed; and a filling surrounded by said tubular mesh enclosure; said system defining a length and a generally non-circular longitudinal cross-section defining a major width, a ratio of said length to said major width greater than approximately 40. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
US08439603B2	Improvements relating to hose A hose comprising an inner tubular structure, an outer tube and an insulation layer, wherein the inner tubular structure comprises a tubular body disposed between inner and outer gripping members, the tubular body including a sealing layer, and being formed of a material capable of withstanding cryogenic temperatures, wherein the outer tube comprises a rubber layer and a reinforcing layer disposed around the rubber layer, wherein the insulation layer is either incorporated in the inner tubular structure and/or is disposed between the inner tubular structure and the outer tube.
US08439598B2	Oscillatory compaction method A method for compacting a surface of granular materials is disclosed. The method is applicable to wheeled compaction equipment such as pneumatic-tire compactors, drum-type compactors and asphalt compactors. The propel system includes a controller programmed to send a first at least substantially constant propel command that propels the compaction equipment in a forward direction. The controller then changes the speed of the compaction equipment by providing a second varying propel command that may increase or decrease the speed resulting from the first command. As a result, the speed of the compaction equipment oscillates.
US08439595B1	Pre-emplaced electrical vehicle restraint A vehicle restraining system using an electrical impulse to disable the control system of a targeted vehicle including a roadway module placed at a location to engage the targeted vehicle for delivering the electrical impulse to the vehicle; a roadside module for generating the energy required for the electrical impulse and delivering the energy to the roadway module; and an operator interface module for operating the restraining system. In addition, a method of disabling the control system of a vehicle by delivering an electrical impulse to the vehicle includes the steps of charging a vehicle restraining system; setting the charged vehicle restraining system to disable the next encountered vehicle; detecting the next encountered vehicle, and delivering the electrical impulse to the targeted vehicle.
US08439591B2	Tube arrangement and crossbeam having such a tube arrangement A tube arrangement comprises a first tube and at least one second tube, the first tube and the second tube being arranged in relation to one another with an offset transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tubes and with a partial overlap region in the longitudinal direction of the tubes, so that a first end of the first tube is arranged at a side of the second tube and a second end of the second tube is arranged at a side of the first tube. The tube arrangement has, further, at least one connection element which fixedly connects the first tube and the second tube to one another in the overlap region. The connection element has a first end wall and a second end wall spaced apart from the first end wall in the longitudinal direction of the tubes, which end walls extend, in the overlap region, between the tubes transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the latter and are fixedly connected to these, and two longitudinal walls which are spaced apart from one another transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction and which extend in the longitudinal direction of the tubes from the first end wall to the second end wall and are fixedly connected to these.
US08439588B2	Fluid powered bath accessory A fluid-powered bath brush that uses the kinetic energy of moving water to operate skin-cleaning attachments. In one embodiment, the bath brush comprises a brush head member having at least one brush head housing, a water wheel, a first drive gear, a second drive gear and a brush element rotatably mounted thereon, an adaptor with an outlet side adapted to be connected to a showerhead and an inlet side adapted to be connected to a first fluid-dispensing means that carries water to the showerhead and contains a diverter which diverts the flow of water from the first fluid-dispensing means to the showerhead to the flow of water from the first fluid-dispensing means to the brush head member and a flexible second fluid-dispensing means containing at least two tubes for carrying water connecting the brush head member and the adaptor.
US08439585B2	Eraser and marker holder for white boards The present invention refers to an article to be used to hold and carry writing instruments, such as an eraser and a markers for a white board; the article includes means to support the article in a removable way on a flat surface, such as a wall, a blackboard, a table or a similar surface, so that both the eraser and the markers can be easily located by the user during a working session. In the embodiment illustrated, the article has the capacity to hold one eraser and up to three conventional markers.
US08439581B2	Shutter assembly A shutter assembly includes a plurality of shutter blades movable between an open position and a closed position, a drive ring having first and second oppositely-facing sides, at least one of the shutter blades being movably coupled to the first side, and a first permanent magnet coupled to the second side of the drive ring. The shutter assembly also includes a first solenoid selectively energizable to alternately attract and repel the first permanent magnet along an arcuate path beneath the first solenoid, thereby transitioning the plurality of shutter blades between the open and closed positions. The shutter assembly also includes a sensor assembly configured to detect a location of the first permanent magnet along the path.
US08439580B2	Vibrating device and image equipment having the same A dust-screening member arranged in front of an image forming unit that holds an image forming element configured to generate an optical image, is formed into a box shape that includes a plate-shaped polygonal light transmitting part that passes light entering from or to the image forming element, and a plurality of foot portions that tilt by a predetermined angle and extend from all sides of the light transmitting part or portions near all sides in a direction in which the image forming unit is located. The light transmitting part and the plurality of foot portions are formed using the same material. A vibrating member is fixed to at least one of the plurality of foot portions. The dust-screening member is held by an elastic force of an elastic member arranged between the plurality of foot portions and a support member configured to support the plurality of foot portions.
US08439576B2	Photoelectric connector assembly A photoelectric connector assembly includes a first and a second connector and a photoelectric signal conversion module. The first connector defines a mating cavity, first terminals including contacting sections exposing to the mating cavity and a first light transmission module including convex lenses at a front thereof exposing to the mating cavity and first light ports at a rear thereof. The second connector includes an insulating seat and second terminals. The seat defines a rear mating end loading the second terminals and a receiving cavity opening upwards. The conversion module is inserted in the receiving cavity and includes second light ports coupled with the first light ports of the first light transmission module and conductive pads touching with the second terminal.
US08439575B2	Connector having an floatable optical module A connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1) having a receiving slot (141) formed therein; an optical module (3) for transmitting optical data and being movably received in the receiving slot; a compression coil spring (4) having a first end for biasing the optical module to move in the receiving slot; a metal shell (7) shielding the insulative housing; and a sleeve (40) encircling a second end of the compression coil spring (4) opposite to the first end for retaining the compression coil spring therein.
US08439574B2	Tapered roller bearing A tapered roller bearing includes an outer ring, an inner ring, a tapered roller interposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage holding the tapered roller. The tapered roller bearing is for being used in an idler portion of an automobile transmission that switches between an idle state in which the outer ring rotates freely in relation to the inner ring and a shift state in which the outer ring rotates synchronously with the inner ring. In one embodiment, the tapered roller bearing has a ratio of roller dynamic load rating Cr to static load rating Cor of Cor/Cr≧1.4. In an alternative embodiment, MoS2 processing is performed on a surface of the tapered roller and the tapered roller bearing has a ratio of roller dynamic load rating Cr to static load rating Cor of Cor/Cr≧1.3.
US08439569B2	Combined bearing and rotary machine A highly reliable combined bearing capable of achieving equal and sufficient lubrication of a plurality of roller bearings with a simple and compact structure is provided. The combined bearing includes a first roller bearing and a second roller bearing which are in contact with each other and arranged on the same axis. A lubricating oil inlet introduces a lubricating oil into an inner space formed between the first roller bearing and the second roller bearing, the lubricating-oil inlet being provided on at least one of an outer ring of the first rolling bearing and an outer ring of the second rolling bearing.
US08439565B2	Remotely-aligned arcuate detector array for high energy X-ray imaging A scanning system and methods for inspecting contents of a container. High-energy penetrating radiation collimated into a fan beam illuminates an inspected container from one side, while a plurality of detector plates are disposed on the opposite side of the container. Each detector plate has a plurality of detector modules, each of which, in turn, is disposed on a remotely activated alignment and has multiple detector elements. A controller governs the orientation of each of the plurality of detector plates based at least on the detector signal generated by its detector elements such that each detector element of each detector module of each detector plate may be aligned to within a specified fraction of the transverse dimension of the fan beam as measured at the exit slot.
US08439557B2	Single piece wheel set for a timepiece The invention relates to a single piece coaxial escape wheel set (100, 100′) including a first toothing (108, 108′) formed at the periphery of a plate (103, 103′) and a second toothing (113, 113′). According to the invention, the second toothing (113, 113′) is formed in a single piece with the plate (103, 103′) of the first toothing (108, 108′) so as to reduce any problems of alignment of one in relation to the other and to decrease the overall mass of the wheel set (100, 100′).The invention concerns the field of timepieces.
US08439549B2	Display device A display device includes a top housing, a bottom housing, and a display module. The top housing is engaged with the bottom housing. The bottom housing includes a base and a fixing frame. The base and the fixing frame are integrally formed, and cooperatively define a receiving space. The fixing frame includes a reflective inner side surface. The display module is received in the receiving space. The reflective inner side surface reflects the light emitting from the side surface of the display module to the inner portion of the display module.
US08439543B2	Light source unit having a mounting rib and two pluralities of fins each extending in different directions A light source unit mounted in a mount portion of a vehicle includes a heat block and a reflector accommodated in an imaginary cylinder that is defined by a holding device for holding an outer circumference of a lens. A first heat dissipating portion and a second heat dissipating portion, which are partitioned by a partition plate, are provided on an outer circumferential surface of the heat block. A plurality of fins are projected on the first heat dissipating portion which is disposed on a lens side of the heat block so as to extend in a circumferential direction, and a second plurality of fins are projected on the second heat dissipating portion so as to extend in an axial direction of the heat block. The partition plate includes a mounting rib, and a mounting device is provided on the mounting rib for mounting the light source unit in the mount portion of the vehicle.
US08439538B2	Vehicle light A vehicle light can achieve the same or similar heat dissipation performance as that of a conventional vehicle light while having a smaller height than that of the conventional vehicle light, thereby improving space utilization efficiency for a limited installation space of a vehicle body. The vehicle light can include a housing, a cover lens attached to the housing to define a lighting chamber between itself and the housing. A heat dissipation member can be attached to the housing. An optical system can be disposed within the lighting chamber. The optical system can include a heat conduction member including an LED attached surface and a support member fixed to the LED attached surface at one end thereof and to the housing or the heat dissipation member at the other end thereof. An LED light source can be attached to the LED attached surface, and a reflector can be provided for receiving and reflecting light emitted from the LED light source towards the cover lens so that the reflected light passing through the cover lens forms a predetermined light distribution pattern.
US08439532B2	Lighting device to be installed in a panel The invention relates to a lighting device to be installed in and/or behind a panel (3), in particular ceiling and/or wall cladding, comprising at least one fitted lamp (1, 1a, 1b) having at least one housing (4) which ends approximately flush with the panel (3), at least one light exit surface (10) and at least one LED module (10), the LED module (5) comprising at least one light-emitting diode (LED) (6). At least one ventilation opening (11, 12) is arranged between the light exit surface (10) and the housing (4) and means (13) are provided for generating an air flow through the ventilation opening (11, 12).
US08439529B2	Lighting device, automotive headlights and method for producing a lighting device Disclosed is a lighting device comprising at least one LED and at least one optical element, wherein the LED and the optical element are aligned with each other by means of at least one dowel pin. A method of making such a lighting device is also specified. The described lighting device is particularly well suited for use in a vehicle headlight.
US08439518B2	Display backlight device with auxiliary light emitting element An illuminating device includes a hot-cathode fluorescent tube (discharge tube) and a light emitting surface that emits light from the hot-cathode fluorescent tube. An auxiliary light emitting portion is provided in the vicinity of a non-lighting region of the hot-cathode fluorescent tube. The auxiliary light emitting portion includes an optical fiber having an incident portion for receiving light from the hot-cathode fluorescent tube, and a light guide plate that receives light from the optical fiber and emits the incident light toward the light emitting surface.
US08439517B2	Fixture installation apparatus and method A light system for adapting the perimeter around an open space for accepting a light fixture comprising a first member for engagement with a portion of the perimeter around the space, a second member for engagement with a portion of the perimeter around the space such that the second member is located symmetrically opposite the first member with respect to the perimeter around the space, engaging the first member and the second member to the perimeter, a pivot for removably engaging the fixture to the first and second members such that the fixture pivots from a first position where the fixture fills the open space to a second position where the fixture is hanging from the perimeter, and a latch for securing the fixture in the first position. Also, a method of installing a fixture into an aperture in a ceiling, wall or box where the aperture is defined by a perimeter, the method comprises the steps of engaging an install apparatus with the perimeter of the aperture, engaging a fixture in a hanging relationship with the install apparatus, rotating the hanging fixture until the fixture is engaged with the perimeter of the aperture, securing the fixture in a operational relationship with the perimeter of the aperture.
US08439514B2	Lighting unit, display device and television receiver A lighting unit 12 of the present invention includes a light source 17, a chassis that covers the light source 17 and a vibration absorber 70 provided in a mat-like form and arranged between the light source 17 and the chassis 14. The vibration absorber 70 is made of gelatinous material. With this configuration, the vibration absorber 70 blocks vibration propagation from the light source 17 to the chassis 14. As a result, a roaring sound is properly eliminated or reduced.
US08439512B2	Semiconductor lamp with wavelength converter and circuit component axially opposed from light source A lamp includes a semiconductor light-emitting element, a light guiding element, a wavelength converter, a reflecting mirror, and a circuit unit axially disposed within a central section of the outer tube of an envelope. Light emitted by the semiconductor light-emitting element is guided by the light guiding element to be incident on and be converted by the wavelength converter. At least one component of the circuit unit is disposed at a side of the wavelength converter opposite the semiconductor light-emitting element. The reflecting mirror is disposed between the at least one component of the circuit unit and the wavelength converter, and reflects at least part of light received from the wavelength converter back toward the wavelength converter.
US08439509B2	Ribbed telescope mirrors with thermal gradient control Ribbed mirrors allowing heat to be conducted past the glass during optical polish and application of coatings and methods of fabricating same. The method comprises placing a bridge of thermally conductive material in thermal contact with the mirror plate and the supporting rib at the interior angle. The preferred thermally conductive material is room temperature vulcanizing silicone. However, the room temperature vulcanizing silicone can be mixed with a powdered heat conductor such as diamond dust, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. Alternatively, the thermally conductive fillet can be made from a segment of thermally conductive rigid material, such as copper, diamond, beryllium, silver and aluminum having an exterior angle matching the interior angle and a thermally conductive plastic such as room temperature vulcanizing silicone or thermally conductive grease, silicone or epoxy applied to surfaces of the exterior angle.
US08439504B2	Automatic mode switching between single and multiple projectors Control of a multiprojector system having multiple projectors arranged in a projector array. It is determined whether the projector array is positioned to form one object or two or more objects. A first keystone correction mode is selected if it is determined that the projector array is positioned to form one object. A second keystone correction mode is selected if it is determined that the projector array is positioned to form two or more objects. In the first keystone correction mode, a homography transformation for each of the projectors is derived so as to accommodate keystone correction of all projectors in the projector array involved in the projection of the single object. In the second keystone correction mode, a homography transformation for each of the projectors is derived so as to accommodate keystone correction of all projectors involved in the projection of each object.
US08439503B2	Infrared imaging projection The subject matter disclosed herein involves systems, methods, apparatuses or devices related to infrared imaging or infrared imaging projection.
US08439502B2	Algorithms and methods for determining aberration-induced vision symptoms in the eye from wave aberration Aberration-induced vision symptoms are determined by obtaining at least one wave aberration of an eye, calculating at least one point-spread function from the wave aberration, convolving the point-spread function of eye with at least one specially designed image for night vision diagnosis, and determining at least one aberration-induced vision symptom of the tested eye from the convolved images. The specially designed images are for vision diagnosis of aberration-induced glare, halo, ghost image, and starburst. The invention methods for specifying aberration-induced symptoms allow to find an optimized refractive corrections of defocus and astigmatism and to reduce vision symptoms caused by aberrations in the eye.
US08439500B2	Method of calculating an optical system according to a given spectacle frame A method of calculating an optical system (OS) of an ophthalmic lens according to a given spectacle frame comprising the steps of: providing geometrical data of the spectacle frame, providing wearer data, and optimization of the optical system (OS) according to at least the criteria consisting of the geometrical data of the spectacle frame, the wearer data and at least one positioning data, so as to generate at least two optical surfaces (S1, S2).
US08439489B2	Filter for ink supply system An ink supply system for an ink jet printer has an ink circuit including a plurality of circuit components and fluid paths for conveying ink between components. A manifold defining the fluid paths and a plurality of ports in fluid communication with the paths. A filter module is provided adjacent to the manifold and comprises a housing that houses at least a first filter, the housing having an inlet and an outlet. The filter module is connected to the manifold such that at least one of the inlet or the outlet is in fluid communication with one of the plurality of ports on the manifold. The filter module may comprise an ink filter and a solvent filter. A second ink filter may be provided upstream of a pump. The modular nature of the filter makes for easy assembly, service and repair. It also provides for improved printer reliability.
US08439486B2	Method for assembling a printhead having an inkjet ejector with a polymer aperture plate attached to an outlet plate A method of assembly produces a printhead having a polymer aperture plate and outlet plate that are at least 25 mm in length. The method includes bonding the polymer aperture plate to the outlet plate, which is configured with outlets. A laser is aligned with the outlets in the outlet plate to ablate apertures in the polymer aperture plate and the outlet plate is bonded to an inkjet stack to couple the outlets in the outlet plate to pressure chambers in a body plate in the inkjet stack.
US08439484B2	Pneumatic dispenser A pneumatic dispenser (1) according to the present invention includes: a first plate (10) including a liquid supply unit (11), a first chamber (C1) connected to the liquid supply unit (11), and a liquid discharge unit (12) connected to the first chamber (C1), a flexible membrane (20) at least installed on the first chamber (C1) of the first plate (10) and establishing one side of the first chamber (C1), a second plate (30) including a second chamber (C2) at a side opposite to the first chamber (C1) while facing the first plate (10) with the flexible membrane (20) interposed there between and a bump (40) formed by protruding the liquid supply unit (11) toward the flexible membrane (20).
US08439479B2	Liquid ejecting apparatus A liquid ejecting apparatus having a liquid ejecting unit that ejects liquid toward a target ejection medium and a target ejection medium support member that is disposed so as to oppose the liquid ejecting unit and supports the target ejection medium, includes a conductive shielding member that covers a first side of the target ejection medium, which opposes the liquid ejecting unit, at an edge area including an edge perpendicular to a feeding direction of the target ejection medium.
US08439476B2	Method of adjusting optical axis of ink droplet detecting device, method of assembling ink droplet detecting device, and apparatus for adjusting optical axis After a light emitting element holder is rotated, it is detected from the output value of a position adjusting light receiving element that a light beam formed by light emitted from a light emitting element is incident on a positioning target provided in a light emitting element. The light emitting element holder is duly fixed to a base member. When the incidence of the light beam on the positioning target is not detected from the output value of the position adjusting light receiving element even though the light emitting element holder is rotated, a light receiving element holder is made to slide for height adjustment and the light emitting element holder is rotated again. The adjustment of the height of the light receiving element holder and the adjustment of the rotation of the light emitting element holder are repeated until the light beam is incident on the positioning target.
US08439475B2	Image recording apparatus and method for controlling the apparatus In at least one of the period when the conveying speed of a continuous record medium is accelerated until the conveying speed reaches a constant speed and the period when the conveying speed is decelerated to stop conveying the continuous record medium, a test pattern is recorded on the continuous record medium by a first image recording unit and a second image recording unit. The pattern is read by a first detection unit and a second detection unit, and a record check unit determines whether or not there is a record error in the test pattern.
US08439472B2	Printing apparatus and method of acquiring correction value of conveying error While a conveying error of a roller depends on the eccentricity of the roller, the amount and the state of the eccentricity sometimes makes the roller have different conveying errors from one point in the longitudinal direction of the roller to another. There is provided a construction for obtaining a correction value that is suitable for the correction of the conveying error even in such a case as described above. To this end, plural test patterns are formed in the longitudinal direction of the roller. Then, a suitable correction value for correcting the conveying error that depends on the eccentricity of the roller is obtained on the basis of these test patterns.
US08439469B2	Liquid ejecting apparatus A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a feeding mechanism which feeds a recording medium; a first ejection head including a first ejection opening for ejecting first liquid and a first energy generating portion which generates an energy for ejecting the first liquid; an image-data storage section storing image data for ejecting the first liquid onto dot areas on the recording medium; an image-recording controlling section which controls the first energy generating portion based on the image data; a flushing-data producing section which produces flushing data for flushing; and a flushing controlling section which controls the first energy generating portion such that a flushing dot is formed on the recording medium, wherein the flushing-data producing section produces the flushing data such that the flushing dot is landed on one of the dot areas which is distant, by a specific area, from an edge dot area corresponding to an edge of the image.
US08439464B2	Inkjet printing apparatus and inkjet printing method Provided is an inkjet printing apparatus for performing a printing with a first nozzle array for ejecting a first color ink and a second nozzle array for ejecting a second color ink. The apparatus reduces density unevenness stemming from a sudden error in conveyance of a printing medium. When the apparatus performs a scan with respect to the printing medium for printing in which using ranges of nozzles in the first and second nozzle arrays are restricted to parts thereof, the restricted using ranges of the first and second nozzle arrays are shifted from each other. Thereby, the density unevenness stemming from the error in conveyance occur in positions which are different between the first and second colors, Thus, it possible to make the overall density unevenness less obvious by making gradients of variations in brightness and chroma of an image smaller.
US08439462B2	Refrigerator The embodiment relates to a refrigerator. The refrigerator according to one embodiment includes: a cabinet in which a storage chamber is formed; a door that is connected to the cabinet and opens and closes the storage chamber; a receiving member that is mounted in the door and receives foods; a guide unit that guides an up and down movement of the receiving member in a state where the receiving member is mounted in the door; and a fixing unit that fixes a position at which the receiving member is moved.
US08439458B2	Housing for at least partially accommodating a furniture fitting A housing for at least partially accommodating a furniture fitting is designed such that it can be changed in length along a longitudinal axis of the housing.
US08439455B2	Brake control system for vehicle A brake control system that is received in a waterproof case and can be easily assembled even when a plurality of electric wires or hydraulic pipes is connected thereto is provided. A brake control system for a vehicle is connected to hydraulic brakes through a plurality of brake pipes 116a through 116e and controls hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic brakes, wherein the brake control system is received in a case 100 having a waterproof property, a pipe supporting member 101, which enables the plurality of the brake pipes 116a through 116e to be arranged from an external side of the case 100 into the case 100, is formed on the case 100, and the pipe supporting member 101 and the case 100 are detachably attached to each other through a seal member 102.
US08439436B2	Arrangement structure for duct An arrangement structure for a duct is provided, enabling formation of an air intake opening of the duct such as to be widely open on the side of a seatback and improvement in strength of a striker holding the seatback. The arrangement structure includes a vehicle seat with a seatback and a lock mechanism provided on the seatback and engaging with a striker supported on a vehicle sidewall to lock the seatback at a standing position; and the duct provided on the side of the seatback, extending in the up and down direction and flowing air. The striker has an inclined portion extending from the engaging position of the seatback and the lock mechanism toward outside with respect to a vehicle lateral direction and toward the vehicle rear side. The duct is disposed on the side of the seatback and on the front side of the inclined portion.
US08439432B2	Roof structure for a vehicle with no center pillar A vehicle roof system enabling elimination of the B-pillar is disclosed. A particular aspect of the invention is to transfer vertical roof loads onto an enhanced rear structure of the vehicle. An additional aspect of the invention is to employ a rear upper cap reinforcement to directly assume roof crush loads applied at front of the vehicle during testing. A specific load transfer mechanism is disclosed. Vertical roof crush force applied near the front of the vehicle is transferred into both a torsional load upon a rear header of the vehicle, and a bending moment upon the C-pillar of the vehicle.
US08439423B2	Tonneau cover assemblies Elongated side rails for attachment to a sidewall of a truck cargo box as a portion of a tonneau cover assembly. Each assembly includes a flexible cover that can be operatively secured to side rails. One side rail includes a securing portion that can be operatively connected to the sidewall; an inclined portion extending from the securing portion, the inclined portion having first and second sides; a connecting member extending downwardly away from the inclined portion from a position located between the first and second sides; and a longitudinal portion extending from the connecting member opposite the inclined portion. To secure the cover to the side rails, hook fastener is preferably attached to loop fastener on the cover. One preferred side rail has a ridge to prevent premature engagement of the fasteners. Another preferred side rail has directional hook fastener to prevent premature engagement of the fasteners.
US08439403B2	Printed article with special effect coating A printed article is disclosed having a light transmissive substrate having a reverse printed region on a surface thereof in the form of a plurality of very closely spaced printed lines or regions. The printed regions and spaces therebetween are subsequently flood coated with special effect ink such as optically variable ink wherein the ink particle size is on average greater than the gap between reverse printed regions. The image is viewed from the non-printed side of the substrate and very fine lines of the special effect flood coated special effect ink appear as very clear sharp lines having a fine resolution. This eliminates the typical jagged edges that would otherwise be seen if the inked region was not present. This effect is due to the first printed inked regions or lines forming a mask through which the flood coated ink is seen.
US08439390B2	Three-wheeled collapsible golf cart A three-wheeled golf cart having collapsible mechanism to fold the cart down for storage and transport where the three wheels are placed evenly around the compact volume of the collapsed unit and a button-control unit allows for the front wheel to turn 180 degrees so that the front wheel will be turned and rotated to an offset position away from the center line of the main tube frame, resulting in a small and compact size storage and transport.
US08439386B1	Name plate motorcycle exhaust guard A name plate motorcycle exhaust guard that includes a name plate having a plurality of letters wrought three-dimensionally thereupon, a pair of fasteners disposed perpendicularly from an inward surface, wherein the name plate is removably attachable to a mounting bracket, said mounting bracket configured to be removably attachable to a highway peg mount of a motorcycle, whereby the name plate motorcycle exhaust guard extends rearwards in a vertical plane to shield a rider from contact with the exhaust pipe when the motorcycle is in use.
US08439385B2	Vehicle having a swivel wheel A tricycle may be operable between a first mode of operation steerable by a tricycle rider, and a second mode of operation steerable by an individual pushing the tricycle. A rider handle, in the first mode, may be rotationally coupled with the stem in a manner permitting a tricycle rider to exert forces on the rider handle and thereby turn the fork, and the rider handle in the second mode, may be rotationally uncoupled from the stem, preventing forces on the rider handle from turning the fork. At least one rotation restrictor may be included for preventing the front wheel from turning to a position where the front wheel axis leads the stem axis, and for maintaining the front wheel axis in a position trailing the stem axis in the first mode and in the second mode.
US08439377B2	Structure of roll rod for vehicle Provided is a structure of a roll rod for a vehicle which is mounted on a subframe of the vehicle and combined with a transmission or an engine. The structure includes a fastening rod having one end connected with the transmission or the engine and the other end where a sliding portion is inserted in the subframe, a mounting member fixed to the subframe in contact with the outer circumference of the sliding portion and having a protrusion on the inner circumference, a front insulator connected to the outer circumference of the sliding portion and positioned ahead of the protrusions, a rear insulator connected to the outer circumference of the sliding portion and positioned behind the protrusion, and an end plate mounted on the fastening rod, behind the rear insulator, in which the rear insulator is formed by combining two or more sub-insulators and one or more sub-insulators are spaced apart from the end plate. The structure allows efficiently carrying displacement of the power train and insulate vibration and preventing the rear insulators from being worn and broken, thereby improving durability.
US08439375B2	Portable cleaner with axle mount A new dolly can be used for making either a vacuum cleaner supported by casters or one supported by wheels. Casters can be mounted in sockets in bosses near the dolly perimeter. Alternatively, axle mounts can be fitted over the bosses. Upright walls on the mounts engage corresponding walls on the underside of the dolly, forming spaced supports. An accessory component with molded upright walls is mounted onto the dolly, and its walls engage corresponding walls under the dolly. One fastener seats against one fastener surface on the accessory component, and extends into a hole in that fastener surface, an aligned opening in the corresponding axle mount, and into the dolly.
US08439374B1	Lightweight high load capacity folding utility cart with unique support structure and ergonomic handle A lightweight cart which weighs less than three pounds but has a structural design which enables the cart to retain and transport objects which weigh over one hundred and ten pounds. The cart can fold down to two inches for storage, a flat thickness which is at least one inch less thick than conventional foldup carts.
US08439369B2	Tool holder for a rotary tool A shrink-fit chuck tool holder which comprises: clamping means which are provided centrally with respect to an axis of rotation of the tool holder for holding a shank of a rotary tool, and which define a receiving opening for the shank. The clamping means can be displaced in the radial direction between a release position for insertion or removal of the shank and a clamping position. The clamping means are assigned a clamping surface with a cylindrical contour which, in the clamping position, bears against the outer circumferential surface of the shank. The clamping surface has a helical groove surrounding the axis of rotation or a multiplicity of annular grooves surrounding the axis of rotation, which as seen in the direction of the axis of rotation project towards the axis of rotation and the roof surfaces of which form the clamping surface.
US08439359B2	Shuffleboard playfield assembly The present invention is directed to a two-piece shuffleboard playfield having two rectangular planar members forming the overall playfield, two bracket members and adjustment members. The two elongated planar playfield members are attached to each other with the bracket members. Each bracket member is mounted to the lower surface of one of the elongated planar members at the point of joinder of the two elongated playfield members. When the playfield members are placed in abutting relationship to each other, the bracket members are likewise placed adjacent to each other for securely attaching the same to each other with a plurality of fastener members. An adjustment bolt is position at each respective end portion of each bracket member for leveling the top surface of the elongated planar members at their point of joinder. Each end portion of one rectangular planar member adjacent the point of joinder or joint edge can be moved up and down with respect to the other end portions of the rectangular planar members by adjusting the adjustment members. The adjustment bolts are used to raise one corner of each of the elongated playfield members independently of each other at the point of joinder.
US08439355B2	Sheet feeder having movable supporter for supporting sheets stacked on a sheet tray and image recorder having the same A sheet feeder includes a sheet tray configured to support one or more sheets stacked thereon in a slanted state, a feed roller disposed to face a lower end of a top one of the sheets stacked on the sheet tray, the feed roller being configured to feed the sheets, a supporter disposed under the sheet tray movably relative to the feed roller, the supporter being configured to support, on an upper surface thereof, lower ends of the sheets stacked on the sheet tray, and a displacement mechanism configured to displace the supporter farther from the feed roller depending on a pressure which the feed roller applies to the sheets when rotating.
US08439350B2	Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus In an image reading apparatus, the linear coefficients of expansion of conveyance drive rollers and a linear coefficient of expansion of the holding unit are determined such that the amount of change in the outer diameter of each of the conveyance drive rollers due to a change in temperature environment is substantially the same as the amount of change in the interval between the first reading unit and the second reading unit due to a change in the temperature environment. The conveyance drive rollers are attached to a rotary shaft such that the positions of head portions of screws are alternately located along the axis direction of the rotary shaft on opposite sides of the outer circumference surface in a direction perpendicular to the axis direction of the rotary shaft.
US08439346B2	Method of feeding medium in recording apparatus, and recording apparatus The method includes determining whether or not the trailing end of the previous medium has reached a preliminary feed start position, if it is determined that the trailing end of the previous medium has reached the preliminary feed start position, determining whether or not the leading end of the subsequent medium has already reached a target position of the preliminary feeding operation, if the subsequent medium does not reach the target position, causing driving for the preliminary feeding operation so as to be performed, and when the preliminary feeding operation is performed, calculating a gap between the previous medium and the subsequent medium on the basis of a first value, and when the preliminary feeding operation is not performed, calculating the gap on the basis of a second value.
US08439334B2	Spring-mounted vibration system to reduce vibration Spring-mounted vibration system to reduce vibration with a first spring-mounted part and a second spring-mounted part, wherein the first spring-mounted part and the second spring-mounted part can oscillate relative to each in at least one vibration direction and at least one of the spring-mounted parts can be exposed to a return force on a vibration movement. A control unit is arranged with at least one travel linkage which is connected with at least one of the spring-mounted parts and in which is arranged displaceably at least one guide element connected with a spring element generating the return force and/or the other spring-mounted part.
US08439322B2	Apparatus and method for mounting of cabinets A mounting post for supporting a plurality of electronic cabinets, each having different bolt patterns, comprising a hollow post configured to receive a hollow mount at the upper end, a stabilizer plate attached to the lower end of the post, and a hollow mount selected from a plurality of hollow mounts, each having a lower end configured to mate to the post, and having a substantially planar upper surface with openings formed therein corresponding to a unique bolt pattern for an electronics cabinet.
US08439320B2	Extracting apparatus for storage module The extracting apparatus includes a bracket, a holder extractably mounted to the bracket, a locking member, an elastic member connecting the bracket with the locking member, and a handle pivotably connecting to the bracket. The locking member is pivotably engaged with the bracket. The handle includes a cam, and the locking member includes a latch portion. When the extracting apparatus is at a locked position, the latch portion of the locking member extends through the bracket to securely engage with the holder. When the handle is pivoted to move toward the bracket, the cam of the handle drives the locking member to rotate relative to the bracket for releasing the holder.
US08439315B2	System and method for monitoring condition of rail car wheels, brakes and bearings A system and method for detecting failing rail car wheels, brakes, bearings, and/or other components of a rail car may include at least one thermal sensor and at least one image capture device. The thermal sensor(s) and image capture devices(s) are usable to help determine whether there is a failure or potential failure of a component of a wheel set by detecting, measuring and/or comparing a temperature of various portions of the wheel set. If the temperature is higher than expected, it may indicate, for example, a stuck brake, a failing bearing, and/or some other failure of the wheel set. If the temperature is lower than expected, it could indicate that a brake of the wheel set is unexpectedly diengaged and/or some other failure of the wheel set.
US08439309B2	De-icer, a fixture and a method of adjusting the position of a de-icer A de-icer including a bracket arranged on a structural member and a de-icer module mounted on the bracket. The de-icer module is adjustable arranged on the bracket such that a position of the de-icer module is adjustable in relation to the bracket. Also a fixture and a method of adjusting a position of a de-icer.
US08439307B2	Structural component with rib and cross member element The present invention provides a fuselage structure for an aircraft or spacecraft with an outer skin. The fuselage structure comprises a rib element for stiffening the outer skin and ad cross member element. Here the rib element is bent in the shape of an arc to correspond to an inner contour of the outer skin. The cross member element connects two arc sections of the rib element transversely to each other. The cross member element has a higher strength than the rib element. From another point of view the invention provides an aircraft with such a fuselage structure.
US08439306B2	Thermal management system with staged cooling A thermal management system comprises a first heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, a second heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, a fluid loop, a first heat pump, and a second heat pump. The fluid loop circulates a fluid, and forms a continuous path between the first and second heat exchangers. The first heat pump is connected to the fluid loop and is disposed between the outlet of the second heat exchanger and the inlet of the first heat exchanger. The second heat pump is connected to the fluid loop and is disposed between the outlet of the first heat exchanger and the inlet of the second heat exchanger.
US08439304B2	Energy absorber system for an undercarriage, and an aircraft provided with said energy absorber system An energy absorber system (10) provided with a shock absorber (11) extending from a first end (12) suitable for being connected to a rocker arm (5) of an undercarriage (3) housed in a wheel bay (4), towards a second end (13). In addition, the system includes a fitting (20) connected to said second end (13), and guide means (30) for guiding said fitting (20) in translation that is suitable for being fastened to a flank (4″) of said wheel well (4), said system (10) including deformable energy absorber means (40) fastened to said fitting (20) and suitable for being fastened to a structure (4″) of said bay (4) and also to fusible retention means (50) suitable for fastening said fitting (20) to said flank (4″), said fusible retention means (50) rupturing from a predetermined threshold in order to allow said fitting (20) to move under guidance from said guide means (30) so as to deform said energy absorber means (40).
US08439300B2	Rear part of an aircraft comprising a structure for supporting engines, extending through the fuselage and connected thereto by at least one connecting rod A rear part of an aircraft, including a support structure for supporting engines, extending through the fuselage, through two openings distributed on either side of a vertical median plane of the aircraft. The support structure includes a first half-structure and a second half-structure respectively extending through the first and second fuselage openings, the first and second half-structures being joined to each other so that they can be disassembled in an inside space defined by the fuselage.
US08439298B2	Device for shrouding an aircraft nacelle An aircraft nacelle includes an air intake followed at the upper part by a part that is integral with the mast, called a cap, and at least one door with a curved profile that includes a stiffening device arranged at the edge upstream from the door and which includes: a flexible element that follows the curved profile of the door between two remote anchoring points, at least one safety index including a latch pivotable around an axis of rotation, and connected to the door so as to occupy a locked position in which the end of the latch rests against the inside surface of an edge upstream from the door, and an unlocked position in which the end of the latch is offset relative to the edge, whereby in the locked position, the latch prevents the scooping phenomena by limiting movements of the door in the radial direction toward the outside of the nacelle, and elements for stretching the flexible element between the two anchoring points and for controlling the pivoting in the locked position of the latch.
US08439292B2	Auto-reel changer A device for the automatic coiling and/or uncoiling on reels (28) of a flexible tape carrier of electronic components (60), the device comprising a coiling location (80) where a reel (28) can be connected to a rotation actuator, and retractable tape guides (35), consisting of articulated jaws (35) that can be closed together forming a channel to guide the flexible tape (60) and connect a free end of the flexible (60) tape (60) to a hub (29) of the reel (28), the device further having a stopper element (87) that engages with the slot in the reel hub, in order to stop the reel in a position in which the slot is aligned with the tape guide.
US08439281B2	Modular coatings sprayer A modular coatings sprayer includes a valve housing in which there is defined a nozzle orifice and a valve-shaft bore opposite the nozzle orifice. A housing side wall extends between the orifice and bore and defines an internal fluid passage. The side wall includes an opening through which pressurized fluid is introduced into the fluid passage. A valve including a valve shaft with opposed back and nozzle-closing ends is sealably supported within the bore such that (i) the nozzle-closing end is situated within the housing and the back end is situated external to the housing and (ii) the valve shaft can axially reciprocated between a first position in which the nozzle-closing end does not seal the nozzle orifice and a nozzle-closing position in which the nozzle-closing end seals the nozzle orifice such that pressurized fluid within the fluid passage is prevented from exiting through the nozzle orifice. The valve housing is configured for selective cooperative coupling to a valve-actuating assembly having a body and a lever mounted for pivotable movement relative to the body. The lever selectively engages a portion of the valve shaft external to the valve housing such that (i) when the lever is pivoted in a first direction, the valve shaft is axially displaced in order to open the nozzle orifice and (ii) when the lever is pivoted in a second direction, the valve shaft is axially displaced toward the nozzle-closing position.
US08439271B2	Method and system using a bitmap for passing contactless payment card transaction variables in standardized data formats An electronic payment system is configured to process both proximity payment card type and magnetic stripe card type transactions. The magnetic stripe card transaction data is communicated between cards, readers, and transactions authorizing or approving parties in common industry ISO 7811 standard data structures or tracks. The proximity payment card transaction data such a dynamic authentication codes are placed in unused space in the same standard formatted data structures. The availability of unused space varies with card issuer or vendor. An issuer-specific bitmap provides an index to the available space in discretionary data fields in magnetic stripe tracks. The bitmap also is stored in the card's discretionary data field.
US08439262B2	Image capture apparatus and method There is provided an image capture apparatus and method. An image capture device can be used in the decoding of a decodable indicia, e.g., bar code symbols and/or text characters and can further be used in the capture of one or more images that may or may not be subjected to decoding processes. In one embodiment, an image captured with use of an image capture device is an image of an item bearing a decodable indicia. In one embodiment, an image capture device can have a plurality of user selectable modes of operation.
US08439249B2	Device and method for making a semiconductor device including bonding two bonding partners A device and a method for making a semiconductor device including bonding a first bonding partner to a second bonding partner. The device comprises a lower tool and an upper tool, the upper tool including a plunger having a bottom side facing the lower tool at which bottom side a vacuum is creatable, so that the first bonding partner can be picked up by vacuum from the upper tool and positioned on the second bonding partner.
US08439233B2	Spray head assembly A spray head assembly includes a head, a main tube, a link, a piston, a reception member, a mount piece and a spring. The parts made of metal such as the spring is isolated from the liquid to ensure that the liquid is not affected by the metal. The main tube can be stopped by the extension portion of the mount piece so as to adjust the length of the mount piece to control the travel distance of the main tube so as to control the volume of each spray.
US08439228B1	Multi-chambered container and associated method A multi-chambered container for selectively storing and dispensing a plurality of items may include predetermined quantities of first and second items and a container having a divided cavity formed therein. The container may further have a spout formed at a top end thereof and in fluid communication with the cavity. Additionally, the container may have first and second mutually exclusive passageways extending from the cavity and terminating at the spout. A mechanism may be included for selectively dispensing one of the first and second items from the spout. Such a mechanism may channel one item along a corresponding passageway while prohibiting another item from being dispensed. The mechanism may be operated by rotating a cam and semicircular disc to position an opening on a simultaneously rotated wheel over the desired passageway. The mechanism may rotate the opening 180 degrees for every 360 degree rotation of the cam.
US08439223B2	Base cup for a supportable pressurizable container A container having a curved bottom and base cup which allows the container to stand upright. The container and base cup are fitted together by a mechanical engagement having portions on the container and base cup. The mechanical engagement of the container is disposed within the bottom cone of the container. The mechanical engagement of the base cup is cantilevered from the bottom of the base cup. Such disposition reduces stress at the interface between the side wall of the container and edge of the base, providing for a smoother transition and better appearance. Also, this disposition provides resistance to separation of the container and base cup during drop impact. The bottom of the container may be curved and have a well therein for receiving the contents of the container and a dip tube.
US08439222B2	Container, and selectively formed cup A container, such as a beverage or food can is provided, which includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a bottom portion extending between the first and second sidewalls. The material of the bottom portion is stretched relative to the first sidewall and the second sidewall to form a thinned preselected profile, such as a dome. The material of the container at or about the dome has a substantially uniform thickness. The container is formed from a blank of material, which has a base gauge prior to being formed. After being formed, the material of the container at or about the dome has a thickness less than the base gauge. Tooling and a method for selectively forming a blank of material into a container, are also disclosed.
US08439221B2	Beverage container with chill sleeve A round beverage container with a chill sleeve is provided having a molded plastic wall in the shape of a cup, a mug, or a pitcher. A sleeve containing a chill medium is in the shape of a truncated conical cylinder, and is positioned in the container to be lodged therein at a selected mounting location and secured by snap-action sealing and retaining rings. A bottom disk, also containing the chill medium, snaps into the container's bottom edge to form the bottom of the container. This bottom disk is sealed to the inside wall of the container by snap-action sealing and retaining rings. Sonic welding can be employed as an alternative to sealing and securing rings. A quantity of water-based chill medium is metered into the hollow cavities when the sleeve and the bottom disk are charged, taking into consideration the expansion of the chill medium (water) upon a change of phase. The wall of the container is tapered and the side walls of the sleeve and of the bottom disk are each tapered to match the taper of the container wall. A bottom face (wall) for each of the insertable chill sleeve and the bottom disk is first separate from the remainder and then snapped into place to seal the respective chill sleeve and bottom disk after they are filled. The bottom face of the chill sleeve is toroidal-shaped.
US08439211B2	Visual organization and display apparatus and system A system includes a panel, a holder removably connected to the panel. The holder includes at least one connecting portion. A removable slide hanger has a first portion rotatably connected to the panel and slidably connected to a frame. Content placed in the holder is viewable.
US08439206B2	Cyclone apparatus A cyclone apparatus for separating a mixture containing at least one fluid and a further constituent based on the densities of the mixture constituents. The apparatus includes a first hollow pressure vessel having an overflow plate positioned at an overflow end of the first hollow pressure vessel and an end plate for sealing the overflow plate. The cyclone apparatus also comprises an underflow plate positioned at an under-flow end of the first hollow pressure vessel and a hollow pressure vessel with one end being sealed against the under-flow plate and another end being closed. The overflow plate and the end plate are shaped such that when they are brought together they form separate adjacent overflow compartments between them. The underflow plate and the second hollow pressure vessel are shaped such that when they are brought together they form separate adjacent under-flow compartments between them which correspond to the overflow compartments.
US08439202B2	Coal ash treatment method and apparatus To effectively utilize coal ash while reducing mercury concentration in cement kiln exhaust gas. Coal ash is received from a thermal power plant or the like; the received coal ash is separated into ash and unburned carbon; the separated ash is utilized in a cement manufacturing facility as a cement raw material; and the separated unburned carbon is utilized in the cement manufacturing facility in accordance with mercury concentration in gas exhausted from a cement kiln of the cement manufacturing facility. In case that the mercury concentration in the gas exhausted from the cement kiln of the cement manufacturing facility is high, in the coal ash, unburned carbon with high mercury content can be treated in facilities other than the cement manufacturing facility without feeding the unburned carbon to the cement manufacturing facility, or the quantity of such unburned carbon fed to the cement manufacturing facility can be adjusted. It is possible to separate mercury from the separated unburned carbon, and utilize the unburned carbon from which mercury is separated in the cement manufacturing facility as a fuel.
US08439197B2	Damping body for packaging and package body A damping body for packaging includes, between an abutment adapted to abut against a precision substrate storage container upon packaging and an outer peripheral wall rising from an outer peripheral edge of a bottom part having the abutment, an outer peripheral bottom formed at a position distanced more from the abutment than is the precision substrate storage container, and a stepped part formed between the outer peripheral bottom and the abutment. Consequently, in the event of an impact from the outside, the stepped part collapses, so that the abutment favorably moves with respect to the outer peripheral bottom and thus can efficiently absorb the impact. This can prevent large impacts from instantaneously being exerted on the precision substrate storage container and efficiently damp drop impacts.
US08439196B2	Food storage container system A food storage container system including a plurality of food containers and a tray is provided. Each food container includes a container body defining an interior space for holding a product therein and a lid configured to open and close the interior space. The container body is formed from a material including a silicone elastomer. The tray includes a plurality of holders. Each holder defines a recess sized and shaped to removably hold one container of the plurality of containers therein.
US08439195B2	Pack of several containers and method for the production of the pack A pack, including at least two PET containers combined with each other, which are held together by a strip-like or ribbon-like compact strapping. The pack is provided with a carrier handle, which overstretches one top side of the pack and is fixed at the lateral surface areas of two PET containers which are arranged opposite of each other, next to each other or adjacent to each other, joints between the carrier handle and the respective PET container being at least partially arranged within the strapping.
US08439194B2	Carton with insert A carton for holding a plurality of containers. The carton comprises a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a top panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the first side panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and a corner reinforcement flap foldably connected to the top panel. A reinforcing insert comprises a central panel and at least one reinforcing side flap. The central panel can be at least partially in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the top panel. A container-restraining structure comprises the corner reinforcement flap positioned to restrain at least one container of the plurality of containers that is adjacent the second side panel.
US08439187B2	Shipping and display container with removable panel A shipping container convertible into a display container comprises a case having sidewalls, a closed bottom, and an open top. A separate cover is secured to and closes the open top. The cover comprises a lid panel coextensive in length and width with the open top. A flange depending from each of the side edges of the lid panel and attached to upper outer surfaces of the case sidewalls to secure the cover to the case. A detachable display panel is formed in the lid panel. A detachable protective panel is foldably attached to one side edge of the lid panel by weakened tear lines. The protective panel is attached to the display panel, whereby removal of the protective panel carries with it and removes the display panel to form a display opening in the lid panel for display of and access to product contained in the container.
US08439182B2	Mailpiece inserter including system for controlling friction forces developed on an envelope A system for controlling friction forces acting on a mailpiece in a mailpiece insertion module. The system includes, a backstop assembly for arresting the motion of the envelope when disposed in a first positon and permitting conveyance along the feed path when disposed in a second position, an actuator operative to position the backstop assembly into the first and second positions and consuming energy to maintain the backstop assembly in the first position, a sensor for acquirinq data indicative of the magnitude of energy consumed by the actuator; a means for developing a pressure differential across the envelope to urge the envelope into frictional engagement with a plurality of drive belts and for developing friction forces along a mating interface, and a system controller, for varying the magnitude of the pressure differential and the friction forces developed along the mating interface of the envelope.
US08439181B2	Method and device for holding containers A device having a holder for holding a container such as a bottle of a size and with a second other holder for holding a container such as a bottle of another size. In addition, a method for loading a device with containers such as bottles, whereby the containers of one size are placed in a first holder and the containers of another size are placed in a second other holder to allow easy adjustment to a different size of container without requiring any time-consuming retooling work.
US08439175B2	Failure detecting apparatus for hydraulic circuit of gearbox A failure detecting apparatus for a hydraulic circuit of a gearbox includes an operating-state detector. The operating-state detector is configured to detect an operating state of a subject to be controlled with a control-signal pressure output from a solenoid valve. A current setting device is configured to set an electrical current supplied to a solenoid so as to close an output oil passage when a modulator valve is normal and to open the output oil passage when an open failure occurs in the modulator valve, while the solenoid valve is conductive. A failure determining device is configured to detect a failure of the modulator valve when the operating state of the subject to be detected by the operating-state detector is abnormal after a value of the electrical current to be supplied to the solenoid is set at the current setting device.
US08439170B2	Self-reinforcing electromechanical disc brake The invention relates to a self-reinforcing electromechanical disc brake having a brake caliper produced by means of shaping, in one piece with a housing for electromechanical parts of an actuating device of the disc brake, with the housing forming a dimensionally stable hollow body. It is possible in this way to produce a bending-resistant and torsionally rigid brake caliper with a low wall thickness.
US08439166B2	Vertical frame intended for the construction of a frame support, a supporting scaffold and/or a supporting scaffold tower A closed vertical frame for constructing a supporting frame, including at least two vertical supports disposed at a horizontal distance from each other, and at least two horizontal arms disposed at a vertical distance from each other. Each extends between the at least two vertical supports transversely to the vertical supports. A first horizontal arm is welded on both ends to a respective vertical support near the upper end thereof, and a second horizontal arm is welded on both ends likewise to these vertical supports near the lower end thereof. The vertical frame is reinforced with at least one diagonal rod extending between two vertical supports and two horizontal arms and is welded onto two vertical supports. Near the respective upper and/or lower end, a perforated disk having openings is welded to connect holding devices.
US08439156B1	Muffler with controlled pressure release A plastic muffler is configured to provide a controlled mode for releasing exhaust gas pressure during an over-pressurization event. The plastic muffler has a plastic casing that includes at least one pressure relief feature. The pressure relief feature allows exhaust gas to escape from the plastic casing when internal exhaust gas pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure level.
US08439150B1	Drive shaft damper assembly A drive shaft damper assembly is structured to be installed onto a drive shaft bearing while it remains secured to a drive shaft mounted to a vehicle. The drive shaft bearing assembly includes a bearing collar assembly having a collar and a securing mechanism structured to securely attach the collar to the drive shaft bearing. The drive shaft damper assembly also includes an inner damper assembly, interconnected to the bearing collar assembly, which defines an inner bushing interface, and an outer damper assembly defining an outer bushing interface. A bushing assembly is disposed in an operative engagement between the inner and outer damper assemblies, wherein each of a plurality of bushing members are individually interconnected between the inner bushing interface and the outer bushing interface. A mounting mechanism is structured to securely attach the outer damper assembly to a portion of the vehicle.
US08439146B2	Canister device for motorcycle A motorcycle includes a pair of left and right main frames, a fuel tank placed on an upper side of the main frames, an engine suspended on a lower side of the main frames and provided with a cylinder assembly and a crankcase, and a canister that adsorbs an evaporated fuel gas generated in the fuel tank, wherein the canister is arranged inside the main frames in a plan view of the motorcycle and is disposed on a rear side of the cylinder assembly and on an upper side of the crankcase of the engine in a side view of the motorcycle.
US08439137B1	Superabrasive compact including at least one braze layer thereon, in-process drill bit assembly including same, and method of manufacture A superabrasive compact (e.g., a polycrystalline diamond compact) is disclosed, which includes a substrate pre-coated with at least one braze layer and an in-process drill bit assembly including at least one of such superabrasive compacts. Pre-coating the substrate with at least one braze layer and dimensioning the pre-coated substrate to fit within the tolerances of a conventionally-sized cutter recess of a drill bit body enables a drill bit manufacture to easily and rapidly braze the disclosed superabrasive compacts into the conventionally-sized cutter recess without substantially decreasing the superabrasive volume of the superabrasive compact.
US08439136B2	Drill bit for earth boring Embodiments of the present invention include a drill bit comprised of a plurality of blades. A first plurality of the blades has cutting elements positioned substantially within the cone section of the drill bit. A second plurality of blades has cutting elements positioned substantially within the blade flank section and the blade shoulder section. Another embodiment of the first plurality of blades in which the blades end or truncate at a radial distance substantially less than the radial distance of the blade shoulder section from the center of the drill bit.
US08439133B2	Down hole apparatus for generating a pusling action A down hole apparatus for generating a pulsing action includes a tubular housing a rotating first mandrel with a first cam profile and a reciprocating second mandrel with a second cam profile, which engages the first cam profile. Upon rotational movement of the first mandrel, the first cam profile exerts an axial force upon the second cam profile to initiate a pulsing action by forcing the second mandrel away from the first mandrel. Springs bias the second mandrel back toward the first mandrel, thereby completing the pulsing action and maintaining the second cam profile engaged with the first cam profile.
US08439121B2	Hydraulic interlock system between casing gripper and spider A system for deploying a string of pipe from a drilling rig into a well includes a spider for mounting on a rig floor and a pipe gripper attached to the top drive. A hydraulic safety circuit monitors hydraulic fluid pressure at an apply port of the gripper and prevents hydraulic fluid pressure from being directed to move the slips to the released position if hydraulic fluid pressure is not already present at the apply port of the gripper. The safety circuit also monitors hydraulic fluid pressure at the apply port of the spider and prevents release hydraulic fluid pressure from being directed to move the gripping members to the released position if apply hydraulic fluid pressure is not already present at the apply port of the spider.
US08439118B2	Pressure vortex device to allow flapper closure in high velocity fluid applications The problem of flappers that will not close due to high velocity gas rushing past and creating a vortex that has zones of high pressure pressing the flapper against the force of the torsion spring is reduced or overcome with modifications in the passage through a subsurface safety valve so as to reduce the intensity of the vortex to allow the torsion spring to pivot the flapper to closed position. Various shapes are inserted adjacent the flapper base to create turbulence to minimize or prevent the vortex and the associated pressure increases that would otherwise prevent flapper closure with the flow tube retracted. Inserts that create turbulence are placed in a recess that in part holds the flapper when it is rotated to the open position.
US08439110B2	Single packer system for use in heavy oil environments A technique involves collecting formation fluids through a single packer having at least one drain located within the single packer. The single packer comprises an outer seal layer, and the at least one drain is positioned in the outer seal layer. A viscosity system also is incorporated and enables the viscosity of a surrounding fluid to be selectively lowered for sampling.
US08439109B2	System and method for depth measurement and correction during subsea intervention operations A technique enables determination of changes in length of a conveyance deployed between a surface vessel and a subsea installation. The technique allows information to be obtained on the relationship between length of conveyance spooled out or spooled in at a surface location and the depth and/or speed of an intervention well tool deployed in a well. The information can be used to determine the actual depth of the well tool deployed in the well for the intervention operation.
US08439108B2	Application of degradable polymers in sand control Degradable polylactic or polyhydroxyalkanoate polymers may be used to viscosify aqueous fluids for use in wells, Sand control screen or liner can be coated with a solid degradable polymer during placement in a well. Mechanical changes or flow changes in a well can be caused by solid degradable polymer that changes physical properties after it is placed in a well. Parts of devices or entire devices can be made of solid degradable polymer that converts to a fluid after selected times in an aqueous environment in a well.
US08439104B2	Multichannel heat exchanger with improved flow distribution Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems and heat exchangers are provided that include multichannel tube configurations designed to reduce refrigerant pressure drop through a heat exchanger manifold. In certain embodiments, tubes inserted within the manifold adjacent to a refrigerant inlet have non-rectangular or recessed end profiles configured to increase flow area near the inlet, thereby reducing a pressure drop through the manifold. In further embodiments, insertion depths of the tubes within the manifold vary based on distance from the inlet. This configuration may establish a larger flow area adjacent to the inlet, thus reducing the pressure drop and increasing heat exchanger efficiency.
US08439100B2	Modular upright for service door with flexible curtain A vertical modular mount for a handling door (1) includes an upper plate (18) connected to a horizontal frame (4) and more particularly to a side flange (19), a lower plate (20) connected to the ground, a central web (21) connecting the upper (18) and lower (20) plates together, a cloth (23) arranged around the upper (18) and lower (20) plates in order to define an envelope (24) on the entire height of the mount (2, 3), and a guiding device (15) defining a slide for the movement of the flexible screen (6), characterized in that each of the members (21, 23, 15) forming the mounts (2, 3) of the handling door (1) are arranged so as to impart a high resilience to the latter, i.e. a high resistance to shocks due to the elastic deformation of each of the members.
US08439097B2	Pneumatic tire and manufacturing method therefor Provided is a pneumatic tire and a manufacturing method therefor which allow a reduction in a cavity resonance sound without complicated manufacturing steps. A pneumatic tire of the present invention includes: a pair of bead portions; a carcass layer bridged between the pair of bead portions; and an inner liner layer disposed at a tire inner surface side of the carcass layer, the inner liner layer being made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition obtained by blending a thermoplastic resin with an elastomer. The inner liner layer has a laminated structure including multiple film layers having different melting points of the thermoplastic resin from each other. The film layer having the lowest melting point of the thermoplastic resin is foamed to form multiple convex portions in the tire inner surface.
US08439094B2	Pneumatic tire with tread including sipes having first and second protrusions The present invention provides a pneumatic tire that can exhibit high ice performance throughout a period of use of the tire, and can reduce a rejection rate without complicating production of the tire. The pneumatic tire includes: a plurality of land portions 4 partitioned by grooves 2 and 3 and formed in a tread surface 1a; and a sipe 5 formed in each of the land portions 4, wherein a plurality of first protrusions 7 are formed on only one of sipe inner wall surfaces 6 and 6 opposed to each other in the sipe 5, each of the first protrusions 7 continuing in a tire depth direction from the tread surface 1a to a sipe bottom 8 and protruding toward an opposite sipe inner wall surface, the first protrusion 7 is tapered toward the opposite sipe inner wall surface, a narrow portion 7a is provided between the tread surface 1a and the sipe bottom 8, and a second protrusion 9 protruding toward the opposite sipe inner wall surface is formed between narrow portions 7a of adjacent first protrusions.
US08439091B2	Pneumatic tire A pneumatic tire including: a tread portion and a belt layer on an outer periphery of a carcass layer that extends between left and right bead portions and a plurality of circumferential main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction provided on an outer surface of the tread portion, wherein on a tire cavity side surface of the tread portion, a ridge (Ra) protruding into the tire cavity side in a direction opposite to a tire radial direction is formed that extends in the tire circumferential direction in a position offset from a tire center towards a well side of a mounting rim so as to encompass an entire width of a well and an entire width of a circumferential main groove positioned farthest to a shoulder side.
US08439081B2	High flow nozzle system for flow control in bladder surge tanks A surge tank is sized to retain a volume of fluid. A fluid inlet/outlet port is attached to the tank, and an elastomeric bladder is disposed within the tank and separates the fluid from a volume of gas. A nozzle system is disposed within the tank and has a nozzle member comprising a first plurality of axially elongate perforations, and a second plurality of perforations. The nozzle member can extend a partial or complete distance with tank. The tank body includes a throat that extends outwardly from a portion of the tank adjacent the port, and a portion of the nozzle member comprising the first plurality of perforations is disposed within the throat. An annular space exists adjacent the nozzle member in the neck to facilitate the flow of solid constituent within the fluid from the tank and into the nozzle member.
US08439078B2	Odour trap The present invention relates to an odor trap intended for installing in a pipe to a drain. The odor trap comprises a tubular element (1) and a blocking means (2). The blocking means (2) makes it possible to close the pipe but is shiftable by fluid flowing in the odor trap in order to allow said fluid to pass, and in order, when the fluid has passed, to return to the position which closes the pipe. To achieve an odor trap in which the blocking means is well protected against undesirable external influences and the configuration of the odor trap is such that it is easy to fit, the tubular element (1) is made of inelastic material and the separate blocking means (2) disposed in the tubular element is made of elastically deformable material, said blocking means comprising a fitting portion (6) removably connected to a fitting portion (7) of the tubular element, and a blocking portion (8) which is integral via a peripheral edge (9) with the fitting portion of the blocking means, and which, when in the position which closes the flow cross-section of the pipe, abuts, via the peripheral edge, fluidtightly against the inside of the tubular element and which, possibly with parts of the fitting portion of the blocking means, is to a varying degree shiftable by the fluid to allow the fluid to pass.
US08439070B2	Piston valve with built in filtration A control valve includes particle and moisture accumulation inhibiting features. The control valve includes a piston that provides for pressure communication to a back cavity through a tortuous path that settles out particle matter carried within the airflow. Moreover, the piston includes drainage openings that direct moisture out of piston and away from the sealing surfaces.
US08439069B2	Air release valve A valve assembly is provided that is suitable for use as an air release valve. The valve mechanism is actuated by liquid forced through an orifice by a diaphragm under pressure from the main discharge and is less prone to valve chatter under varying pressure conditions. The use of an externally adjustable orifice and/or regulator allows the valve assembly to operate satisfactorily in a wide range of pressures. The mode of operation of the valve mechanism is externally visible.
US08439065B2	Automotive air bleed valve for a closed hydraulic system An auto bleed valve and method of bleeding a hydraulic system of an aircraft is accomplished by illuminating a plenum of a bleed valve using an LED oriented to illuminate a phototransistor when air is present in the plenum. A comparator circuit is used on an output of the phototransistor such that a predetermined voltage output corresponds to air detected in the plenum. An integrating circuit and a second comparator in series with the first comparator circuit is used to determine when a predetermined time period is met in which air is continuously detected in the plenum. Thereafter an air bleed solenoid can be used to vent the air upon a signal from the aircraft computer logic system.
US08439064B2	Safety valve for a compressed gas reservior A safety valve for a compressed gas reservoir has an exhaust duct that is connected to the compressed gas reservoir, and a sealing element, which is arranged to move within the exhaust duct, and selectively opens the exhaust duct to the outside depending on an operating phase. The exhaust duct has a greater cross-sectional area on the side facing away from the compressed gas reservoir than on the side facing the compressed reservoir, and a constriction on the side of the sealing element facing away from the compressed reservoir.
US08439060B1	Attachable drain collar for plumbing system couplings A draining device for controlled drainage of internal water in plumbing systems comprises a semi-circular plastic collar that engages around a bottom of a pipe coupling. The collar covers the bottom of the coupling fitting and forms a watertight seal against sides of the pipe wall using an integral gasket. The collar is held in place around an upper side of the pipe using a pair of straps and strap fasteners. A hose connection fitting is provided on a bottom of the collar to provide a connection to a hose or other temporary plumbing, thereby providing drainage of water in a controlled manner.
US08439053B2	Paint caddy An apparatus for cleaning and storing painting tools is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a bucket member having a bottom wall and a side wall extending vertically from the bottom wall to an upper periphery wherein the side wall surrounds an open cavity. The apparatus also comprises a manifold nested within the bucket member. The manifold substantially bifurcates the open cavity into a first volume within the manifold and a second volume between the side wall and the manifold. The manifold extends vertically between an upper end disposed closer to the upper periphery than the bottom wall and a lower end disposed closer to the bottom wall than the upper periphery. The apparatus comprises at least one retaining member projecting into the second volume from one of the side wall and the manifold. The apparatus comprises at least one drain extending through one of the bottom wall and the side wall.
US08439052B2	Liquid-conducting electrical household appliance An electric household appliance has a chamber that is at least partially filled with liquid during operation of the appliance. A motor drives a pump for drawing liquid from the chamber. A monitoring device detects the rotational speed and the power of the motor, compares detected values for the rotational speed and power to a predefined characteristic, and signals an exceptional state if the comparison indicates that the detected values deviate significantly from the characteristic.
US08439048B2	Device for applying a cosmetic composition that includes magnetic particles, and an assembly including the device A device for applying a cosmetic composition including magnetic or magnetizable particles, said applicator device comprising handle means and an applicator head including an applicator surface and a magnetic device suitable for generating a magnetic field, and the applicator head further including a setback forming a reservoir suitable for containing said cosmetic composition, said reservoir being located in the applicator surface and having a bottom. The bottom of the reservoir is movable relative to the applicator surface by an adjuster device associated with the applicator head.
US08439044B2	Dental appliance for minimizing effects of bruxism A dental appliance for maintaining a separation between the occlusal plane surfaces of the posterior teeth in order to avoid or minimize the adverse effects of bruxism, especially while sleeping. The appliance comprises bitepad assemblies, side assemblies for adjustably receiving the bitepad assemblies, and a strap assembly for connecting the side assemblies. Bitepad cores are provided with solid projections and mechanical locks that enhance bonding with associated overmolds for improved durability. Side assembly flanges are divided to achieve independent flexibility and improved conformity for enhanced stability and comfort. A mesial area of the connecting strap assembly is thickened and rigidified to create a flare in the areas of the cuspid roots to minimize irritation and discomfort to the gum tissue.
US08439039B2	Connector for a respiratory mask and a respiratory mask A respiratory mask includes a mask shell defining an interior of the respiratory mask and a gas washout vent passage having an inlet forming part of the mask shell and in fluid communication with the interior and an outlet in fluid communication with atmosphere. The mask shell includes a tubular mask inlet adapted to connect to a breathable gas supply conduit. The outlet includes an interior surface that forms a smooth prolongation with an adjacent exterior surface of the mask shell, and the outlet is adapted to direct washout gas in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the mask inlet and away from the mask inlet. The mask shell includes a body portion and a cap portion.
US08439038B2	Collapse resistant respirator A respirator including a collapse-resistant means for resisting collapse of the respirator main body due to respiration of a user during use of such a respirator is disclosed. Specifically, in various embodiments, the collapse-resisting means may be a deflection member, a stiffening material, fastening components configured to apply an outward-facing deflection force when the respirator is worn, or any combination thereof. Additionally, a dual exhalation vent assembly adapted for use in a collapse resisting respirator is also disclosed.
US08439033B2	Inhalation device A dry inhaler system includes a vibrating mechanism. A supply of a dry powder is operatively coupled to the vibrating mechanism. A power source communicates with the vibrating mechanism. A sensor communicates with the vibrating mechanism. A feedback control communicates with the sensor and the power source. The feedback control controls power delivered to the vibrating mechanism relative to information provided by the sensor about the performance of the vibrating mechanism.
US08439029B2	Device for dispensing a fluid product A fluid dispenser device including a body (10); a reservoir (20) containing fluid; a dispenser member (30), such as a pump or a valve, for dispensing the fluid contained in the reservoir (20) through a dispenser orifice (45); and a cap (50) that is adapted to cover said dispenser orifice (45) in a closed position. The cap (50) is pivotally mounted on the body (10) to turn about an axis (A) between the closed position and an actuation position, the cap (50) including an actuator mechanism (55; 56, 57) adapted to actuate the dispenser member (30) directly, while the cap (50) is turning towards its actuation position.
US08439001B2	Actuator powered by fluid and method of forming the same A system for moving fluids includes a pump device having a housing and at least one piston movable in the housing to displace fluids thereby causing flow. An actuator device is connected to the at least one piston for moving the piston within the housing to displace fluids as the actuator device is moved. The actuator device includes a plurality of side portions connected to one another to form a vacuum therein and movable relative to one another as the actuator device moves reciprocally between first and second positions with one of the side portions being connected to at least one piston thereby moving the at least one piston within the housing.
US08439000B1	Pet diaper holder using disposable human diapers A pet diaper holder uses disposable human diapers. The diaper holder includes upper and lower flexible holder portions joined at one side. The upper holder portion overlays the rump of the animal, including the base of the animal's tail. The lower holder portion holds the diaper against the belly and groin area of the animal, and extends between the animal's rear legs to overlay the base of the animal's tail from below. The upper and lower holder portions define a rearward opening through which the tail of the animal protrudes and openings surrounding the rear legs of the animal. Snap-fitting male and female connectors join the holder portions at an openable side and at the opening surrounding the base of the tail, and fasten the waistbands associated with the diaper to the lower holder portion thereby avoiding shifting and balling of the diaper with movement of the animal.
US08438995B1	Collapsible animal run An animal run having first and second side panels operable to be pivotally mounted along a central plane. A front panel is pivotally coupled with one of the side panels and operable to be detachably coupled to the other side panel. The side panels are moveable between a stored position, in which each side panel is positioned parallel the central plane, and an operational position, in which they extend outward at an angle from the central plane. The front panel is moveable between a stored position, in which it is positioned parallel the central plane, and an operational position, in which it is positioned at an angle from the side panel to which it is coupled and is detachably coupled with the other side panel. The side panels and front panel define an interior space for housing an animal when in their operational position.
US08438994B2	Disposable litter device and system A disposable litter device comprising a liner layer including closure means; litter; and a litter enclosure region about a portion of the liner layer, wherein the litter enclosure region includes a closure layer and the liner layer such that the litter is retained between the closure layer and the liner layer, and wherein the enclosure region includes opening means.
US08438992B2	Milk collecting pieces with closable chambers The invention relates to a milk collecting piece comprising a housing upper part with at least two intake nozzles and a housing lower part with at least two chambers which are each flow-connected to an outtake nozzle via an outlet.
US08438990B2	Multi-electrode PECVD source Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and apparatus for plasma generation in plasma processes. The methods and apparatus generally include a plurality of electrodes. The electrodes are connected to a RF power source, which powers the electrodes out of phase from one another. Adjacent electrodes are electrically isolated from one another by electrically insulating members disposed between and coupled to the electrodes. Processing gas may be delivered and/or withdrawn through the electrodes and/or the electrically insulating members. The substrate may remain electrically floating because the plasma may be capacitively coupled to it through a differential RF source drive.
US08438985B2	Unitary twin pontoon hull float boat A “float boat” with a unitary twin pontoon hull comprising a pair of inflatable pontoons, each shaped, when inflated to have a fully curved rocker bottom surface and a substantially straight upper surface and with pontoons being interconnected at rigid ends by an inflatable transom that together with the pontoons forms a raised V-hull stern; a platform extending between the pontoons and adjacent to the transom and at least one foot rest for a user sitting on the platform.
US08438979B2	Medical instrument A medical instrument includes a main body including at least one of an operation part and a display part, and a detachable lever arranged on a rear portion of the main body, a cart including a desk on which the main body is positioned, a front detachable member disposed on the desk and adapted to attach and detach a front portion of the main body to/from the desk, and a rear detachable member disposed on the desk and adapted to attach and detach a rear portion of the main body to/from the desk and fix the main body to the desk by the detachable lever.
US08438977B2	Projectile having deployable fin A supercavitating projectile is disclosed that has deployable fins. The fins are pivotally coupled to the body of the projectile. The fins have two primary states: stowed within a recess at the surface of the projectile and deployed to a radially-extended position relative to the body of the projectile. The fins deploy as the projectile leaves its launch tube. The fins function as a control surface, interacting with the wall of the vapor cavity in which the supercavitating projectile travels.
US08438974B2	Electrohydraulic pressing device having removable hose A pressing device includes a work head having a work head body holding a tool and a mating end. The pressing device includes an actuator having an actuator body holding a hydraulic pump that is operable to drive the tool. The actuator has a mating end. The pressing device includes an interconnect assembly including a hydraulic hose having first and second couplings at both ends of the hydraulic hose for mating with the mating ends of the actuator and the work head, respectively. The interconnect assembly is removable and the work head is configured to be directly coupled to the actuator.
US08438966B2	Device and piston for segregating articles A device and a piston for segregating articles is being disclosed. The device encompasses a segregating element comprising at least one cylinder with a cylinder housing and a piston installed in the cylinder that has at least one valve. A medium can be fed into and discharged from the cylinder via at least one line. The at least one valve interacts with the at least one line so as to create a hard sealing, and a housing sealing element interacts with a piston sealing element so as to create a hard sealing. The piston can used in a device for segregating liquid containers.
US08438963B2	High density ceramic bodies and composite armor comprising the same An integrally formed high density ceramic pellet, for use in a ballistic armor plate, has a longitudinally extending body portion and an impact receiving end face. The impact receiving end face includes an impact receiving proximal segment that is convexly curved and a distal segment that merges with a top surface of the body portion. The distal segment has lateral surfaces that have a region including at least a portion which is concave in configuration or a region including a substantially smooth angled configuration. A cross-sectional area of the distal segment at the area of merger is greater than a cross-sectional area taken across a nominally designated base of the proximal segment. The length of the contour line of the outer surface of the distal segment is between 5 and 25% of that of the entire integrally formed impact receiving end face.
US08438953B2	Hammering tool with buffer design A hammering tool with buffer design includes: a hammering member, a protrusion block section extending from a lower side of the hammering member, a right side of upper section of the protrusion block section being notched to form a first receiving space; a handle member having a grip section, a first plate section, a second plate section and a third plate section being disposed at an upper end of the grip section to define a receiving chamber for inserting the protrusion block section therein; a pivot member for pivotally connecting the protrusion block section of the hammering member with the handle member; and a buffer assembly including a first compression spring received in the first receiving space. A right end face of the protrusion block section of the hammering member is spaced from a left face of the first plate section by a predetermined buffering distance.
US08438951B1	Pill bottle opener A pill bottle opener including a base, a utility ring, and a cap. The utility ring includes two tabs positioned in its inner portion. The cap has a hollow, cylindrical body open on one end and has a dome-shaped top on its other end. The utility ring and cap may be interlocked by a locking mechanism.
US08438943B2	Driver select paddle shift device and modes of operation A shift mode system and method of operating includes a switch assembly that selectively and alternately connects a shift selector to one of the steering column and the steering wheel. In an exemplary embodiment, the switch assembly has a first locking member to connect the shift selector to the steering column, and a second locking member for connecting the shift selector to the steering wheel. A lever has first and second operative positions to selectively engage the first and second locking members or pins from the shifter into operative engagement with one of first and second cable reels, respectively.
US08438942B2	Vehicle transmission gear locking mechanism A vehicle transmission comprises a locking mechanism selectively preventing an at least one shift drum disposed on a shift drum shaft from rotating. The locking mechanism is movable between a first position and a second position. When in the first position, the locking mechanism prevents the at least one shift drum from rotating in the first direction to engage a first locked position. When in the second position, the locking mechanism prevents the at least one shift drum from rotating in the second direction to engage a second locked position. The second locked position is sequentially before the first locked position in the first direction.
US08438941B2	Eight speed dual clutch transmission A transmission is connectable to an input member and includes an output transfer gear, first and second shaft members, first and second countershaft members, a plurality of co-planar gear sets, and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The torque transmitting devices include a plurality of gears, synchronizer assemblies and a dual clutch assembly. The transmission is operable to provide at least one reverse speed ratio and a plurality of forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.
US08438939B1	Sample introduction system with mixing A sample introduction system provides mixing of a sample and a diluent within the container via gas injection. In one or more implementations, the sample introduction system causes a probe of an autosampler to be inserted into a container containing a sample and a diluent so that an end of the probe is submerged beneath a surface of the diluent and the sample. Gas is then injected through the probe to mix the sample and the diluent within the container. An aliquot of the mixed sample and diluent is then withdrawn through the probe.
US08438936B2	Sensor assembly including a collar for mounting sensors to a pipeline A sensor assembly for use with a fluid transport system is provided. The sensor assembly includes at least two sensors that are configured to measure a rate of flow of a fluid channeled through a pipeline of the fluid transport system. Moreover, the sensor assembly includes an annular collar that is coupled to the two sensors. The collar includes at least a first opening and at least a second opening defined therein. The first opening and the second opening are each sized to receive the two sensors therein such that the two sensors are substantially coaxially aligned with each other. A first sensor of the two sensors is positioned downstream from a second sensor of the two sensors.
US08438932B2	Instrument for torsion moment test of single-pole cylindrical foundation The present invention relates to an instrument for measuring torsion moment per a single-pole cylindrical foundation, including: a force-applying means that applies horizontal force to structures protruding from the ground; a tension means that is connected with the force-applying means to apply tensile force to the structures; a measuring unit that is disposed inside the structures to measure strain per depth and portion due to force applied from the force-applying means and the tension means; and a controller that analyzes moment per depth of the structures from horizontal force measured by the measuring unit.
US08438927B2	Scanning near field thermoelastic acoustic holography (SNFTAH) A system and method for analyzing a sample is described. The system may include, for example, a light source and a scanning probe microscope probe. The light source may generate a coherent laser beam that is modulated by a waveform of a lower frequency. The modulated laser beam is absorbed by the sample causing thermally induced expansion and resulting in an excitation of acoustic waves. The probe is locally deployed near the sample and detects, in real time, perturbations in the excited acoustic waves to detect surface and buried structures of the sample.
US08438919B2	Systems and methods for liquid level sensing having a differentiating output A liquid level sensing system including a housing configured to hold a liquid, a first temperature sensor connected to the housing and configured to output a first signal representing a first temperature measured at the first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor connected to the housing and configured to output a second signal representing a second temperature measured at the second temperature sensor, and a circuit configured to receive the first and second signals as input and to provide an output signal proportional to the time rate of change of the difference between the first signal and the second signal.
US08438916B2	Meter apparatus A meter apparatus is mountable on a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine having an output shaft that rotates at a predetermined idling speed during idling of the engine. When the vehicle satisfies a predetermined stop condition during rotation of the output shaft at the idling speed, the rotation of the output shaft is stopped temporarily. The meter apparatus includes a pointer needle that moves according to a rotation speed of the output shaft to indicate the rotation speed. The amount of movement of the pointer needle with respect to a change in the rotation speed of the output shaft is less when the rotation speed is in a low speed range below the idling speed than when the rotation speed is in a high speed range above the idling speed.
US08438915B2	Insert assembly and method for fluid flow reverse engineering A fluid testing apparatus for performing fluid flow analysis on a gas turbine engine component having a plurality of fluid cooling circuits each defining one or more openings in the component includes a first sealing insert configured to create a seal at an interface of the first sealing insert to the component to seal off one or more openings of a first fluid cooling circuit of the component and a generic insert separable from the first sealing insert. The first sealing insert is configured as a substantially flat sheet having a shaped perimeter, and the component is clampable to the generic insert to hold the first sealing insert against the component.
US08438910B2	Shear valve with DLC comprising multi-layer coated member A shear valve for use in a high performance liquid chromatography system, the shear valve comprising a first shear valve member and a second shear valve member, wherein at least one of the first and second shear valve members is adapted to be moved with respect to the other, one of the first and second shear valve members comprises a plurality of ports, and the other comprises at least one fluid path for fluidly coupling respective ones of the ports in dependency on a relative movement position of the first and second shear valve members with respect to each other, wherein the first shear valve member is at least partially coated with an adhesion-promoting layer and a diamond like carbon layer on the adhesion-promoting layer.
US08438902B2	Method and apparatus for determining a vapor signature based upon frequency An apparatus for sensing analyte is provided. The apparatus may include a plurality of sensor array columns, each sensor array column including a plurality of sensors, each sensor being adapted for sensing one or more parameters in reaction to the presence of one or more analytes and output a current therefrom in accordance with level of the sensed parameter, a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) array including a plurality of VCOs, each VCO adapted to receive an output current from one of the plurality of sensors from each of the plurality of sensor arrays and for and generating an output oscillation frequency in accordance with the level of the received output current, and a counter array including a plurality of counters, each counter adapted to receive an output from a corresponding VCO and count a number of oscillations over a predetermined time.
US08438896B2	Endoscopic insertion portion and manufacturing method thereof A method of manufacturing an endoscopic insertion portion with high manufacturing efficiency is provided. The endoscopic insertion portion includes a plurality of bending parts provided side by side with each other, a protruding portion provided in one of each two adjacent ones of the bending parts, and a receiving portion provided in the other of each two adjacent ones of the bending parts and into which the protruding portion is inserted rotatably. The method includes forming, in at least one plate material, a first bending part preparation portion for the formation of the one bending part and a second bending part preparation portion for the formation of the other bending part, connecting the first bending part preparation portion and the second bending part preparation portion by press processing, and forming the first and second bending part preparation portion into a cylindrical shape by press processing.
US08438895B2	Apparatuses for crimping and loading of intraluminal medical devices Crimping apparatuses for reducing the diameter of an intraluminal medical device from a first diameter to a second diameter prior to loading the medical device into a catheter delivery system and loading apparatuses for introducing the medical device into a catheter delivery system, the devices constructed and arranged for matingly engaging one another, combinations thereof, and methods of using the devices.
US08438889B2	Shaped top pin for bump resistant cylinder The present invention provides a pin and tumbler cylinder lock and a retrofitted cylinder lock which minimizes unauthorized openings of the lock by bumping. The cylinder lock utilizes specially designed driver pins which are correlated in size to the largest possible stack height of the tumbler pins with a bump key inserted in the plug portion of the lock and the shear line height of the lock. All the driver pins are about the same height and preferably symmetrical with a lip on each end. The invention also provides a method for retrofitting existing locks by removing at least one of the driver pins and replacing the removed driver pin or pins with the driver pins of the invention.
US08438879B2	Household appliance The present invention relates to a household appliance (1), constituting a display (3) which enables the user to observe the performance state of the household appliance (1) and one or more input units (2) that enable the user to make visual or audio data entries.
US08438877B2	Knitting system with flattened guide channels A knitting device (10) comprising a needle bed (12) and knitting tools (16), wherein the needle bed (12) is designed so as to be without joints and seams in view of the configuration of its channel walls (18, 19) as well as perpendicularly to the floor (23) of the channel through the base body (20) of the needle bed (12). The channel depth of the individual guide channels (13, 14, 15) is preferably less than three times the channel width. Consequently, in particular in the case of extremely fine needle divisions, the resultant channel walls (18, 19) are robust and stable and can be subjected to a hardening or coating treatment. The reduced overall weight, the smaller friction surfaces, and the sturdier design of the knitting device enable the operation at greater knitting speeds and with greater rotational accelerations, in particular in reciprocating mode, and an overall savings of lubricants and energy.
US08438873B2	Methods for separating a fluid, and devices capable of separating a fluid Methods and apparatus for separating fluids are disclosed. We have discovered that, surprisingly, providing an open pore structure between a wick and an open flow channel resulted in superior separation performance. A novel and compact integrated device components for conducting separations are also described.
US08438860B2	Heating apparatus having at least two thermoelectric modules which are connected in series A heating apparatus including at least two thermoelectric modules connected in series, and at least one switching arrangement connected in parallel with one of the at least two thermoelectric modules such that electrical current flows via the at least one switching arrangement in an event of a failure of the one of the at least two thermoelectric modules.
US08438859B2	Integrated bypass engine structure One form of the present invention contemplates an apparatus including a gas turbine engine core, wherein a gearbox accessory is mounted to the engine core and is substantially enclosed by an inner fairing. The apparatus can further include a nacelle having a plurality of panels, wherein the nacelle panels substantially enclose and overlap at least a portion of the inner fairing. The apparatus can further include a bypass duct defined between an exterior surface of the inner fairing and an interior surface of at least some of the nacelle panels. In additional and/or alternative forms a number of frame rods can also be used internal to the nacelle or nacelle panel. In some forms the frame rods can be connected between a front and rear frame.
US08438840B2	Particulate filter regeneration in an engine Systems and methods for controlling regeneration of a particulate filter downstream of an engine having a plurality of cylinders are provided. One exemplary method includes, during first conditions, spinning down the engine to non-combusting engine rest, and regenerating the particulate filter at least during engine rest. The method also includes, during second conditions, regenerating the particulate filter during combustion of at least one cylinder of the engine. By regenerating the particulate filter during engine shutdown and/or engine rest in some conditions, it is possible to reduce engine running regeneration, which can thereby lead to reduced engine running emissions.
US08438836B2	Abnormality determination apparatus for electrically heated catalyst An abnormality determination apparatus for an electrically heated catalyst provided in a plug-in hybrid vehicle having a battery that is charged by connecting an external charging device to an external electric power supply is equipped with an abnormality determination portion that makes a determination on an abnormality in the electrically heated catalyst when the external charging device is connected to the external electric power supply.
US08438834B2	Helical cross flow (HCF) pulse detonation engine A helical cross flow pulse detonation engine.
US08438833B2	Partial filling of a pulse detonation combustor in a pulse detonation combustor based hybrid engine An engine contains at least one pulse detonation combustor having a combustion chamber and an exit nozzle coupled to and downstream of the combustion chamber. During operation of the at least one pulse detonation combustor a detonation occurs within the combustion chamber and at least one of a fuel fill fraction and purge fraction of the at least one pulse detonation combustor are utilized to offset a temperature peak of said detonation from a pressure peak of said detonation. The fuel fill fraction is defined as 1−purge fraction, and the purge fraction is the ratio of the purge time of the at least one pulse detonation combustor to a sum of the purge time of the at least one pulse detonation combustor and a fuel fill time of the at least one pulse detonation combustor.
US08438830B2	Primary manifold dual gas turbine fuel system The present application provides a dual gas fuel delivery system and a method of delivering two gas fuels. The dual gas fuel delivery system may include (a) a low energy gas delivery system comprising a low energy gas inlet, a gas split, a low energy gas primary manifold outlet, and a low energy gas secondary manifold outlet; (b) a high energy gas delivery system comprising a high energy gas inlet and a high energy gas primary manifold outlet; (c) a primary manifold; and (d) a secondary manifold, wherein the low energy gas primary manifold outlet and the high energy gas primary manifold outlet are coupled to the primary manifold, and wherein the low energy gas secondary manifold outlet is coupled to the secondary manifold.
US08438829B2	Turboprop propulsion unit with pusher propeller A turboprop propulsion unit includes at least one pusher propeller 5, 6 driven by an aircraft gas-turbine engine, with the aircraft gas-turbine engine being arranged in front of the pusher propeller 5, 6 in a direction of flight. A turbine outlet area 9 is arranged at the front in the direction of flight and a compressor area 14 faces towards the pusher propeller 5, 6.
US08438828B2	Flow divider having breaking points for a fan engine A flow divider (1) for a fan engine which forms an annular leading edge (4) simultaneously on the outer circumference of an annular core air duct and the inner circumference of an annular secondary air duct, protrudes into the fan airflow and has an aerodynamic profile. In order to avoid blockage of the core air and/or secondary air ducts in the event of destruction or detachment of the flow divider (1), the flow divider features separable parts (6) which, whatever their orientation, are capable of passing the vane passages of the core air duct and the secondary air duct.
US08438820B1	Flower handling apparatus and method A flower handling system includes loading, cutting, finishing, and boxing stations. Flowers are unloaded from dry-packed boxes at the cutting stations. Each cutting station includes a positioning arm that secures flower bundles and transports them from a first location adjacent a loading table to a second location above a conveyor. A bucket separating device deposits buckets one at a time onto the conveyor, and the buckets are filled with conditioning fluid. A cutting blade is positioned to cut flower stems as the positioning arm moves from the first to the second location. A clamping arm closes around the flowers and lifts them out of the positioning arm before lowering them into a fluid-filled bucket on the conveyor. The flower filled bucket is then transported through the finishing station to a boxing station where the bucket is deposited into a box for shipping to a wholesaler or retailer.
US08438817B2	Method for packaging of mass-fabricated custom items A system for packaging mass-customized items includes a computer system including a database containing item identification information unique to each item; (2) outer container identification apparatus that applies the item identification information received from the database to each outer container in a plurality of outer containers; (3) inner pack identification apparatus that applies the item identification information received from the database to each inner pack in a plurality of inner packs; and (4) inner pack filling apparatus that fills each inner pack with a specific item matched to that inner pack by the item identification information received from the database. Each item is associated with its unique item identification information and is inserted into an inner pack with matching item identification information, and each outer container is presented for loading with one or more inner packs matched to that outer container by the item identification information received from the database.
US08438813B2	Stone click floor coverings Floor covering (01) material, consisting of Natural Stones, i.e. Marble, Granite, Limestone, Onyx, Travertine and Sandstone, in format of tile slabs, in which the thickness is between 4 mm and 35 mm, in which at the two opposite edges or sides are jointed together and interlocked by mechanical locking means, by connecting or inserting (A6 to A5) and connecting or pressing downward (A8 to A9) using Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) couplings, connecting in the form of a tongue and a groove which will prevent shifting of two interlocked tiles and or slabs into the opposed direction of each section tile or slab, with an integrated backing layer consisting of cork and/or syntactic foam material, The invention relates to a natural stone core tile slab, allowing for an installation without the use of cement, adhesives or grout, provided with such a mechanical locking system jointed to the core (A4) according to the invention.
US08438807B1	Firestop drain assembly A firestop drain assembly for mounting in a partition to prevent fire on one side of the partition from moving through the firestop drain assembly to the other side of the partition. The firestop drain assembly can achieve an F-rating and a T-rating of at least one (1) hour.
US08438794B2	Columbarium construction and shutter mounting system A columbarium having a framework of a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical risers and a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal members defining a plurality of niches arranged in substantially horizontal rows and substantially vertical columns. Each of the horizontal members has a substantially planar web extending between a front rail and a back flange. A plurality of shutters is removably mounted over the plurality of niches by a concealed mounting system. The concealed mounting system permits the shutters to be movable about three axes of rotation as well as vertically and horizontally with respect to the horizontal members.
US08438789B2	Energy efficient scuttle cover kits Insulated scuttle covers configured for placement within a building scuttle opening are provided. The insulated scuttle cover includes a scuttle panel configured to cover the building scuttle opening and further configured to be supported when positioned within the building scuttle opening. An insulative assembly is attached to the scuttle panel. The insulative assembly includes insulation material encapsulated by a jacket. The insulated scuttle cover is configured to prevent or substantially retard the flow of air passing through the building scuttle opening.
US08438787B2	De-iced gutter debris preclusion system The invention includes a substantially rigid body providing underlying support for a filter screen. The invention further includes at least one heating wire disposed adjacent to the body, which is formed of heat conductive material. The body is configured with multiple ribs extending up from a floor so that heat transfer from the body to the screen can occur in a variety of different locations to keep the screen sufficiently heated. The body also includes a wing for interfacing with roofing and openings to allow water filtering through the screen to migrate down into the gutter. A cover overlies a channel, which contains one or more of the heating wires. The system includes a flange attached to the body and extends into the gutter enhancing the heat transfer from the body to within the gutter to keep the water flowing in gutter.
US08438785B2	Securable parapet cap roof mat In a first embodiment a safety mat for use with a parapet cap on a wall is disclosed. The cap extends over the top of the wall and partially down each side of the wall. The safety mat includes a durable flexible pad having a width greater than a width of the top wall; a first cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from an interior of the pad toward a first width end; and a second cinch down strap extending at a first end thereof from the interior of the pad toward a second width end.
US08438783B2	Opening mechanism for coplanar doors with combined movement An opening mechanism (1) includes a longitudinal guide (3) fixed to the frame of a furniture unit and, for each door (2), a first slide (4) sliding along the longitudinal guide (3), a second slide (5) which carries the door (2) and which slides transversally on the first slide (4) from a retracted position to an extracted position and vice versa and return elements to bring the second slide (5) back to the retracted position. The second slide (5) is able to rotate with respect to the first slide (4) and presents a curved space (8) in which guide elements (7), integral with the first slide (4). The first slide (4) further includes holding elements (10), controlled by a control surface (51) situated in the longitudinal guide (3), able to lock the second slide (5) in the extracted position when the door (2) is open to prevent the second slide (5) from being brought back to the retracted position by the return elements.
US08438781B2	Vertical planting module The invention includes a box, vertical and horizontal dividers, a plant-growth mat, and a mounting bar. The dividers are permanently linked to form an insert, which slides into insert grooves inside the box. Insert grooves have upper and lower rails. At the insert groove openings rail ends feature upward bends. The plant-growth mat is secured against the box inner-back by the insert which is prevented from sliding out by the upward bends of the lower rails. A support mount and a fastener on the back of the box and compatible groove surfaces on the mounting bar prevent box movement when mounted. The invention increases the rigidity of the dividers and reduces their deformability. It facilitates inserting the integrated dividers into the box with convenient insert grooves. The plant-growth mat can store water, prevent soil erosion, and provide aeration to plant roots. The mounting bar stabilizes the module for easy installation.
US08438768B2	Magazine disconnect mechanism for firearm A auto-loading firearm with magazine disconnect mechanism operable to disable the firing control mechanism of the firearm. The firearm may include a frame, a magazine adapted for holding a plurality of cartridges, and a pivotably mounted trigger movable for discharging the firearm. A magazine disconnect member is provided that is selectively engageable with the trigger and movable in response to removing and inserting the magazine. In one embodiment, the disconnect member may be slidably disposed in the frame proximate the trigger. In one position, the disconnect member engages the trigger when pulled to block or restrict movement of the trigger and disable the firing control mechanism to prevent discharging the firearm. A spring biases the disconnect member towards engagement with the trigger.
US08438767B2	Expanding projectile An improved projectile having a penetrator and a body is disclosed. The penetrator is secured to the body. Upon impacting a target, the penetrator travels into the body and deforms the body. The body optionally has one or more portions, such as slots in the body, to promote deformation of the body upon the penetrator impacting the target. The body optionally has a bore extending at least partially therethrough that permits attachment of the penetrator at a second end of the body opposite the first end.
US08438764B1	Bereavement artifact A bereavement artifact comprising a molded body of any desired shape simulating a religious ornament comprising an object in the form of a cross, rock or tablet or other configuration having a surface or opening therein upon or within which a degradable piece of paper including printed or written words of endearment is located such that when the artifact is exposed to the atmosphere the degradable paper will substantially dissolve or disintegrate upon contact with water over a relatively short time period.
US08438762B2	Feeding device for feeding a piece of linen to be ironed into an ironing unit, and ironing device provided with such a feeding device A feeding device for introducing a piece of linen to be ironed into an ironing unit by means of suction, the feeding device being provided with a suction shaft into which the piece of linen can be sucked and a top suction portion which is provided for sucking the piece of linen into the suction shaft, where the feeding device includes a blocking clamp which is provided to secure the item of linen in a clamping position, and which is arranged in the feeding device in such a way that there is located after the clamping of the item of linen a portion of this item of linen above this blocking clamp that can be sucked by the top suction portion into the suction shaft. An ironing device includes an ironing unit for ironing of linen and a feeding unit for feeding the linen to be ironed into the ironing unit.
US08438758B2	Interchangeable footwear restraint system An interchangeable footwear restraint system comprising: a sole having a top surface and a continuous bottom surface; at least one female slot clip receptacle extending into the sole, wherein the female slot clip receptacle is exposed from the top surface; and at least one male slot clip extension, wherein the male slot clip is attached to a first end of at least one strap and is received into the female slot clip connecting the strap to the sole.
US08438754B2	Apparatus and method for improving the detachment of paper from the drying cylinder of a paper machine The object of the invention is an apparatus and a method for improving the detachment of paper (1) from the cylinder of a paper machine in a drying section implemented with a single wire transfer, which drying section comprises means for heating the paper on the drying cylinder (3) and for transporting it onwards on the wire (2) via a hitch roll (8) to the next drying cylinder such that the paper together with the wire in the section between the cylinders is sucked against the wire by means of low pressure. What is essential to the invention is that in order to improve the detachment of the paper (1) an apparatus is installed on the opposite side of the drying wire (2) at the detachment point (7), which apparatus comprises a nozzle (14), with which an air jet (11) is blown against the direction of travel (15) of the drying wire, and a carrying surface (9) such that the air jet (11) ejects secondary air (17) along with it causing an air flow (18) between the planar carrying surface (9) and the drying wire (2).
US08438738B2	Safety folding knife The present invention is to provide a safety folding knife comprising a blade having an end pivotally coupled to an end of a handle, such that the other end of the blade can be rotated out of or into the handle. The handle includes an elastic stop plate therein, which has an end fixed onto the handle and the other end tilted and extended towards a side of the blade. When the blade is turned fully out of the handle, the other end of the elastic stop plate can be abutted against the end of the blade so as to maintain the blade in a fully opened state, and a resisting block installed inside the handle then moves and firmly blocks the elastic stop plate to avoid the blade from being accidentally turned backward to the handle.
US08438737B2	Fruit and vegetables slicing apparatus structure A handheld fruit and vegetables slicing apparatus having a plurality of linked together rotatable knives connected to a frame. One of the knives being attached to a rotatable adjustment element on the frame, such that when the adjustment element is rotated the plurality of knives rotate from an original upright state to a flat state for rinsing.
US08438736B2	Safety razor with improved guard A shaving blade unit has a plastic housing having a front portion and a rear portion and two side surfaces extending from the front portion to the rear portion. A shaving blade is disposed between the front portion and the rear portion and has a blade length extending along a blade axis. A guard is disposed at the front portion of the housing. The guard includes an elastomeric member forming at least one passage extending between an upper surface and a lower surface of the elastomeric member.
US08438735B2	Razor A razor which includes a head, at least two spaced apart razor blades mounted to the head, and structure for expelling a shaving composition from the head, at least between the blades, onto a surface to be shaved.
US08438731B2	Method of using step flange catch basin adaptor A method of mounting a grate adapter unit beneath a stormwater collection grate includes steps of providing a grate adapter unit having a plurality of outwardly extending mounting flanges, each mounting flange being adapted to fit a different size commercially common stormwater collection grate. The grate adapter unit is trimmed, either at the factory, at the contractor's facilities or at the installation site, at the desired location to select a desired one of the mounting flanges that is appropriate for the collection grate to which the grate adapter is being fit. The grate adapter unit is then mounted beneath the stormwater collection grate using the selected mounting flange. A stormwater remediation unit may be pre-mounted to a lower end of the grate adapter unit or mounted to the lower end after installation.
US08438718B2	Manufacturing method of combined sensor A movable device of acceleration sensors and a vibration device of a gyroscope are formed on the same sensor wafer spaced apart from each other by a wall. A cap wafer having gaps corresponding to the movable mechanical components of the acceleration sensors and gyroscope is provided for the wafer and an adsorbent divided into a plurality of divisional portions is disposed in the gap for the gyroscope. After the sensor wafer and the cap wafer have been bonded together at a temperature of inactivation of the adsorbent and in an atmospheric pressure ambience of noble gas and activated gas, the adsorbent divisional portions are activated in sequence to adsorb the activated gas so as to adjust the pressure inside the gyroscope, thus manufacturing a combined sensor wafer.
US08438713B2	Pin changing device and method A pin removal assembly for use with an upper block of a crane includes a sheave support and a pin support. The upper block includes a frame, a plurality of sheaves, and a removable sheave pin that defines and axis of rotation for the sheaves and supports the sheaves within the frame. The pin removal assembly includes a sheave support mountable to the frame of the upper block and a pin support mountable to the frame of the upper block. The pin support is configured to support the sheave pin when the sheave pin is removed from the upper block.
US08438704B2	Fiber air-laying process for fibrous structures suitable for use in absorbent articles The present invention refers to a process of making a fibrous structure, wherein roughly graded material is provided to rotating, apertured drums. The drums have at least one needle roll in their inside. The roughly graded material is agitated inside the drums, whereby fibers or small fiber clusters are separated from each other. These fibers and small fiber clusters are flung through the apertures to the outside of the drum, where they are directed onto a foraminous carrier to form a fibrous structure. The fibrous structures are especially useful in absorbent articles.
US08438698B2	Robot cleaner with improved dust collector A robot cleaner including a suction hole to suction dust, a blower to generate a suction force to suction the dust, a dust collector to receive the dust suctioned by said suction force through the suction hole, and a rotating brush to sweep up and collect the dust into the dust collector through the suction hole by a drive force of the rotating brush. The dust collector includes a backflow preventing member movable between an open position and a closed position. The backflow preventing member is pivotably rotatable in an air suction direction by the suction force of the blower to the open position and is adapted to return to the closed position to prevent the dust in the dust collector from being discharged through the suction hole upon stoppage of the blower.
US08438697B2	Vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner is provided. A vacuum cleaner includes a main body with a suction motor, a dust collecting unit, a main body frame, a locking member, a detaching button, and a pushing member. A suction port assembly is connected to the main body and an extension pipe assembly is detachably attached to the main body; each fluidly connects selectively with the dust collecting unit. The locking member selectively locks the extension pipe assembly to the main body frame, the detaching button selectively detaches the locking member from the extension pipe assembly, and the pushing member moves the extension pipe assembly according to the locking member being detached from the extension pipe assembly.
US08438691B1	Grill cleaning assembly A grill cleaning assembly for cleaning the bottom side of a grill includes an arm that has a first end and a second end. A blade has an attached end, a free end, a top side, a bottom side, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. The blade has a trapezoidal cross-section taken perpendicular to a line which extends through the attached and free ends such that the top side has a lesser width extending between the first and second lateral edges than the bottom side. Each of the first and second lateral edges slopes from a top end to a bottom end of the trapezoidal shape. The free end is configured to be inserted between a pair of bars of a grill and such that either the first or second lateral edges abuts and is moved across a lower side of the bars.
US08438674B1	Dishwashing pan A dish washing pan constructed of a housing having a bottom and multiple sidewalls integrally formed with the bottom to provide a washing chamber, a plurality of legs attached at the underside of the housing bottom to support the bottom over a sink surface and a plurality of holes provided in each of the sidewalls at a location spaced downwardly from a top rim of the sidewall. The plurality of holes is disposed closer to the top rim than the bottom of the housing. An outlet is provided in one of the sidewalls that can be closed to retain water in the washing chamber or opened to enable the water to be discharged from the washing chamber. The outlet is disposed closer to the bottom of the housing than the top rim.
US08438669B2	Apparel incorporating a protective element Protective components may include a plate element and a cushioning element that are secured together with a hook-and-loop fastening system. The cushioning element may include a pair of material layers and a plurality of pads located between the material layers. The plate element may include a polymer material and the pads may include a polymer foam material, with the polymer material of the plate element having greater rigidity and density than the polymer foam material of the pads.
US08438665B2	Hooded garment with adjustable hood side portions and method of adjusting the same A garment includes a hood that can be adjusted by its wearer. The hood has opposite side portions and a face opening. The wearer can use the hood's drawstring to scrunch the face opening around the wearer's face with the side portions of the hood covering the wearer's ears. The wearer can also adjust the hood of the garment by folding the side portions of the hood back over a portion of the remainder of the hood in a manner such that the wearer's ears are exposed.
US08443460B2	Method and structure for characterising an atomic force microscopy tip A method for characterizing an atomic force microscopy tip using a characterization structure having two inclined sidewalls opposite one another and of which at least one actual lateral distance separating the two inclined sidewalls corresponding to a given height is known, the method including scanning the surfaces of the inclined sidewalls by the tip, the scanning being carried out while the tip oscillates solely vertically; measuring, for the given height, the lateral distance separating the two inclined sidewalls, the measurement incorporating the convolution of the shape of the tip with the shape of the characterization structure; and determining a characteristic dimension of the tip as a function of the measured lateral distance, and of the actual lateral distance.
US08443459B2	Fast-scanning SPM scanner and method of operating same A high-bandwidth SPM tip scanner includes an objective that is vertically movable within the scan head to increase the depth of focus for the sensing light beam. Movable optics also are preferably provided to permit targeting of the sensing light beam on the SPM's probe and to permit the sensing light beam to track the probe during scanning. The targeting and tracking permit the impingement of a small sensing light beam spot on the probe under direct visual inspection of focused illumination beam of an optical microscope integrated into the SPM and, as a result, permits the use of a relatively small cantilever with a commensurately small resonant frequency. Images can be scanned on large samples having a largest dimension exceeding 7 mm with a resolution of less than 1 Angstrom and while scanning at rates exceeding 30 Hz.
US08443454B2	Method and apparatus for preventing illegal reuse of digital right management content in portable terminal A method and apparatus for preventing illegal reuse of Digital Right Management (DRM) content in a portable terminal is provided. The method includes performing user authentication when there is an attempt to restore a Right Object (RO) backup file, and identifying information on the RO backup file to be pre-restored in a terminal, and determining if the RO backup file can be restored according to the identified information.
US08443452B2	URL filtering based on user browser history A URL monitoring system may use a user's browsing history to generate a score for the user. The score may be used to permit or deny access to a URL. The score may be used to represent the user's intent when browsing, and based on that intent, the user may be allowed access to a URL with conflicting classifications. The score may be also be used as a trustworthiness score so that a user who browses responsibly may have their score increased over time, and a user who browses irresponsibly or inappropriately may have their score decreased. The scores may be calculated and maintained on a user's client device, edge device, or other device within a network.
US08443449B1	Silent detection of malware and feedback over a network Upon detection of a suspicious file, a client computer sends feedback data to an anti-malware service over the Internet. Files that are not suspicious or that are known clean are not reported; files that are known malware are acted upon immediately without needing to report them to the anti-malware service. Upon detection, no alert or warning is provided to the user of the client computer. The anti-malware service correlates data from other detection engines on the client computer or from other client computers and determines whether the file is malware or not. A new virus pattern is generated if the file is malware and includes the virus signature of the file; the new virus pattern is distributed back to the client computers. If not malware, no action need be taken, or, the virus signature of the file is removed from existing pattern files.
US08443447B1	Apparatus and method for detecting malware-infected electronic mail One embodiment relates to a computer-implemented method for detecting malware-infected electronic mail messages. A server computer monitors an email account which is associated with a unique email address for receipt of an email message, the unique email address being associated with a unique contact in an address book on a client computer. The server computer determines that an email message addressed to the unique email address has been received and performs automated analysis to confirm that the email message contains malware. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.
US08443442B2	Signature-free buffer overflow attack blocker A real-time, signature-free, blocker prevents buffer overflow attacks. The system and method, called SigFree, can filter out code injection buffer overflow attack packets targeting at various Internet services such as web services. Motivated by the observation that buffer overflow attacks typically contain executables whereas legitimate client requests never contain executables in most Internet services, SigFree blocks attacks by checking, without any preknowledge of the real attacks, if “executable” instruction sequences can be blindly disassembled and extracted from a packet. Being signature-free, the invention can block new and unknown buffer overflow attacks. It is immunized from almost every attack-side code obfuscation method, and transparent to the servers being protected. The approach is therefore suited to economical Internet-wide deployment with very low deployment and maintenance costs. SigFree can also handle encrypted SSL packets. An experimental study shows that SigFree can block all types of code-injection attack packets without yielding any false positives or false negatives. Moreover, SigFree causes negligible throughput degradation to normal client requests.
US08443437B2	Method and apparatus for enforcing logical access security policies using physical access control systems A method and apparatus for providing a security system. The method includes the steps of providing an identity card for use by a person entering a secured area of the security system, reading the identity card at an entry point to the secured area, randomly generating an alphanumeric key upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, writing the alphanumeric key into the identify card at the entry point, reading the card within the secured area as a request for access to a computer and granting access to the computer by the person, but only when an alphanumeric key is found on the card that matches the generated alphanumeric key.
US08443436B1	Systems and methods for diverting children from restricted computing activities A computer-implemented method for diverting children from restricted computing activities. The method may include maintaining a list of safe computing activities, maintaining a list of restricted computing activities, and detecting a child's attempt to perform a restricted computing activity identified in the list of restricted computing activities. The method may also include selecting a safe computing activity from the list of safe computing activities. The method may further include, in response to the child's attempt to perform the restricted computing activity, blocking the restricted computing activity and initializing the safe computing activity selected from the list of safe computing activities. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08443435B1	VPN resource connectivity in large-scale enterprise networks A VPN handler of a client device is described that provides VPN connectivity by automatically creating multiple split VPN tunnels that provide direct access to different VPN concentrators of an enterprise based on specific resources requested by the client device. A local VPN concentrator normally used by the client device may provide the VPN handler with a resource list that provides a mapping of the resources of the enterprise network to the multiple VPN concentrators that have been deployed to provide secure access to those resources. The local VPN concentrator may dynamically update the resource list on the client device so as to control the construction and use of the split VPN tunnels by the VPN handler based on changes to the enterprise network. The split tunnel approach may be transparent to applications executing on the client device and may be easily deployed to the client devices of the enterprise.
US08443432B2	Method for calibrating a temperature float of a one time password token and a one time password token thereof A method for calibrating a temperature float of a one time password token and a device thereof are provided in the invention relating to the information security field. The method includes steps: the one time password token measures a current ambient temperature at intervals of a first predetermined time, retrieves a data table for a characteristic value relating to the measured temperature, and calibrates a current time value inside the token according to the characteristic value at intervals of a second predetermined time. The one time password token includes a timer module, a measuring module, a retrieving module, a table storing module, a calibrating module, a triggering module, a generating module and a displaying module. The invention calibrates time differentiation of the one time password token caused by the temperature float.
US08443431B2	Authenticator relocation method for WiMAX system A method is provided for Authenticator Relocation in a communication system applying an Extensible Authentication Protocol, or the like, which provides replay protection and mitigates the rogue ASN-GW problem during relocation of the Anchor Authentication, and without conducting re-authentication of the MS. The method of the invention optionally allows secure refresh of the MSK.
US08443429B1	Integrated sign on A method of integrated signon is provided comprising receiving a login request to begin a desktop session, the login request comprising a first user identification and a first user password. The method comprises authenticating the first user identification and the first user password using data stored in a first authentication domain. The method comprises starting the desktop session and receiving a request from the desktop session to access an application associated with a second authentication domain. The method comprises retrieving authorization data associated with the second authentication domain from the first authentication domain based on the first user identification and the user password. The method comprises sending the request to access the application associated with the second authentication domain with the authorization data to the application associated with the second authentication domain. The method comprises the application associated with the second authentication domain authorizing the requested access.
US08443427B2	Method and apparatus for controlling access to a network resource According to one aspect, there is provided a method of controlling access to a network resource. The method comprises receiving a request to grant a user access to the network resource, the request including a user identifier, determining whether the received user identifier is stored in a local user data store associated with the resource, and where it is not so determined determining, from user details stored in a master user data store, whether the user is authorized to access the resource, and where it is so determined obtaining a password, and storing the obtained password and user details in the local data store associated with the network resource.
US08443424B2	Method and system for reducing the proliferation of electronic messages A method and system for reducing the proliferation of electronic messages is disclosed. An electronic message or a portion thereof is transmitted by the server system. A spam notification signal may be received related to the electronic message or the portion thereof. Access to said electronic message is restricted solely in response to receiving the spam notification signal.
US08443415B2	System and method of supporting transport and playback of signals A method and system of supporting transport and playback of signals, such as audio, video, and data signals. A reference model configured to support transport of signals according to a baseline, extended mode (1), and extended mode (2) architecture, and a subscriber video device (SVD) configured to support playback of the signals transported according to any of the architectures.
US08443395B2	Differentiated PSIP table update interval technology An apparatus, method and data structure for generating at least one table in a broadcast environment, are provided. The apparatus includes a generator to generate an event information table (EIT) and an extended text table (ETT). The ETT has program guide information for an n-hour span and has a transmission interval. The ETT has a transmission interval and program description information according to the EIT. The transmission interval of the EIT is shorter than the transmission interval of the ETT.
US08443390B2	Enhanced method and apparatus for enhancing support for service delivery A service distribution system supports creation of a personalized and virtual service broadcast that can be selectively clipped and cached based on content descriptors of popularity, freshness, etc. A method for selectively receiving broadcast of one or more content items associated with a service to provide a unicast or multicast user experience is described. The method may comprise: detecting a characteristic of a service, or detecting a characteristic of one or more content items, wherein the one or more content items are associated with the service, and wherein the characteristic is generated by a mobile operator and pertains to an objective measure of current user interest, selectively receiving by broadcast, to the mobile device, one or more content items associated with the service based on the characteristic, and storing the one or more content items associated with the service for access through a user interface of the mobile device.
US08443389B2	Intelligent system and methods of recommending media content items based on user preferences A system and method for making program recommendations to users of a network-based video recording system utilizes expressed preferences as inputs to collaborative filtering and Bayesian predictive algorithms to rate television programs using a graphical rating system. The predictive algorithms are adaptive, improving in accuracy as more programs are rated.
US08443385B1	System and method for delivering statistically scheduled advertisements A system and method for scheduling advertisements in a television service network environment. An ad scheduler prepares an ad insertion schedule based on channel change statistical information and avail time information. The scheduler evaluates the statistical information, time durations between adjacent avails in a presentation stream, and the relatedness of market segments assigned to a plurality of advertisements. It schedules the ads into presentation stream groups based on this evaluation. The statistical ad scheduling allows the system to eliminate “forced” switching between multiple presentation streams, whereby system wears and malfunctions can be decreased.
US08443380B2	Web services layer synchrony in relation to the business layer synchrony A web services system provides web services interfaces to applications having native interfaces with different types of synchrony. The web services interfaces can have the same or different type of synchrony than the underlying application. The web services layer translates a web services request from a client to corresponding function calls to applications. Upon receiving a response from an application, the web services layer translates the response back to a web services format and forwards it to the client. A naming convention is used to define the names of the data types and operations in the web services interface corresponding with data types and functions of the application. A function prefix can be used to specify a namespace in the web services interface unique to the application. A web services namespace is assigned to tokens so that requests for asynchronous web services are diverted to a general web services routine.
US08443363B1	Coordinated virtualization activities A computer includes a plurality of activity modules in multiple virtual machines. An activity module performs an activity, such as malware detection, in a virtual machine. A monitoring module receives virtualized infrastructure information of the computer comprising a hardware configuration of the computer and a virtual machine configuration of the computer. A scheduling module determines, based on the virtualized infrastructure information, scheduling instructions for an activity module. A supervisor communication module causes the activity module to execute based on the scheduling instructions. The scheduling instructions minimize hardware resource conflicts between the activity module and the other activity modules of the computer.
US08443358B1	Hot pluggable virtual machine An exemplary method for a hot pluggable virtual machine comprises authenticating a user within an active host environment on a host device, executing a virtual machine driver, configuring a guest environment, and activating the guest environment for the virtual machine on the host device.
US08443352B2	Processing strings based on whether the strings are short strings or long strings The specification of a string within source code written in a programming language is received. The source code is processed for ultimate execution of a computer program encompassing the source code, by at least performing the following. It is determined whether the string specified is a short string or a long string. The string is processed in accordance with a first manner where the string is a short string. The string is processed in accordance with a second manner where the string is a long string.
US08443350B2	System and method for scaling simulations and games A system and method for modeling simulation and game artificial intelligence as a data management problem are described. A scripting language provides game designers and players with a data-driven artificial intelligence scheme for customizing behavior for individual agents. Query processing and indexing techniques efficiently execute large numbers of agent scripts, thus providing a framework for games with a large number of agents.
US08443341B2	System for and method of capturing application characteristics data from a computer system and modeling target system A system for, method of and computer program product captures performance-characteristic data from the execution of a program and models system performance based on that data. Performance-characterization data based on easily captured reuse distance metrics is targeted, defined as the total number of memory references between two accesses to the same piece of data. Methods for efficiently capturing this kind of metrics are described. These data can be refined into easily interpreted performance metrics, such as performance data related to caches with LRU replacement and random replacement strategies in combination with fully associative as well as limited associativity cache organizations. Methods for assessing cache utilization as well as parallel execution are covered.
US08443338B2	Logical extensions to intermediate code An assembly aggregate comprising a virtual, logical view of an arbitrarily defined collection of intermediate code and metadata can be authored, factored, accessed, modified, and distributed. Multiple physical containers of assembly information can be aggregated to create a single logical assembly called an assembly aggregate. An assembly can thus be redefined as a logical view against (or projection over) the assembly aggregate. Such an assembly can be targeted to the requester: that is, an assembly can be redefined according to tool and/or execution context rather than conforming to explicit or implicit requirements enforced by the runtime.
US08443335B2	Apparatus and method for circuit design A word processing or spreadsheet application is augmented by a plug-in and templates for computer aided design of electronic hardware entities. The plug-in utilizes the application programming interface to provide a menu system and executable code which inserts templates, reads and validates data entered into the template, computes addresses, annotates addresses and error messages back to a word processing document for display in the editor of the word processing document, and upon selection and request, generates output files for target simulators or synthesis tools.
US08443334B1	Method and apparatus for generating graphical representations of slack potential for slack paths A method for designing a system to be implemented on a target device includes computing slack potential of paths between components on the target device after timing analysis. A graphical representation of the slack potential and slack for the paths is generated. The graphical representation identifies that a design change is required for a first portion of the system associated with a first path and that a change in placement is required for a second portion of the system associated with the second path.
US08443324B2	Routing and timing using layer ranges A method, system, and computer program product for improved routing using layer ranges in the design of an integrated circuit (IC) are provided in the illustrative embodiments. Using an application executing in a data processing system, a score is computed for a net in a set of nets routed using a set of layers in the design. The set of nets is sorted according to scores associated with nets in the set of nets. A layer range from a set of layer ranges is assigned to a net in the sorted list such that a net with a higher than threshold score is assigned a high layer range.
US08443310B2	Pattern correcting method, mask forming method, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device A pattern correcting method of an embodiment computes a distribution of pattern coverages on a design layout of a circuit pattern in the vicinity of a position that becomes an error pattern in a case where an on-substrate pattern is formed. Then, an area on the design layout in which a difference in the distribution of the pattern coverages becomes small by adding an addition pattern is set as an addition area. Next, addition pattern candidates to be added to the addition area are generated, an addition pattern to be added to the design layout is selected from the candidates on the basis of a predetermined selection criterion, and the addition pattern is added to the addition area.
US08443309B2	Multifeature test pattern for optical proximity correction model verification A method for optical proximity correction (OPC) model accuracy verification for a semiconductor product includes generating a multifeature test pattern, the multifeature test pattern comprising a plurality of features selected from the semiconductor product; exposing and printing the multifeature test pattern on a test wafer under a process condition; generating an OPC model of the semiconductor product for the process condition; and comparing the test wafer to the OPC model to verify the accuracy of the OPC model.
US08443302B2	Systems and methods of touchless interaction A contactless display system enables a user to interact with a displayed image by moving a finger, or pointer, toward a selected portion of the image. Images can be enlarged, or translated dynamically in response to detected movement. Operational methodology can be manually switched between contact-type and contactless operation to enhance flexibility.
US08443296B2	Progress displaying system and method thereof A progress displaying system and the method thereof are provided. The system and the method thereof are applicable to mileage calculating devices. By generating progress displaying graphs during mileage calculations according to the moving speeds and completed percentages at different time points, and continuously showing progress displaying graphs until the completed percentage is completely fulfilled, the system and the method thereof can achieve the goal of vividly reflecting user's current status during the progress display.
US08443295B1	Graphical representation of definitions of statistics Existing statistics reporting methods tend to be inflexible and difficult for operators to understand and use effectively. A graphical user interface is provided whereby operators are able to view a state/event model of an automated system and using that graphical user interface make changes to existing statistics, define new statistics and analyze existing statistics. As a result of user inputs made at this graphical user interface changes are effected in a statistics reporting application in order to generate actual values of the statistics. In some embodiments Unified Modeling Language (UML) is used to provide the state/event model and extensions to UML are described which improve the ability to create and modify definitions of statistics.
US08443289B2	Display instruction apparatus, display instruction method, and computer program product A display instruction apparatus transmits a display screen on which symbols representing network devices connected to a network are displayed to a client terminal connected to the network; and transmits, when a drag-and-drop operation between symbols of network devices is received from the client terminal, an instruction for executing a predetermined process between the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation to the network devices.
US08443281B2	Constructing a labeled treemap with balanced layout The present invention provides a method and system for constructing a labeled treemap with balanced layout. A range of possible densities of leaf nodes based on designated weights of the leaf nodes and a designated treemap region is determined. A range of possible densities is then searched for a density that could be fitted on and a labeled treemap that could fit on the density. The labeled treemap is presented on a specified display region. By introducing the concept of density into labeled treemap, the present invention ensures the area of region occupied by each leaf node in the constructed labeled treemap is approximately corresponding to the weight of the node, and avoids the case of invisible leaf node in a treemap.
US08443279B1	Voice-responsive annotation of video generated by an endoscopic camera An image capture device in an endoscopic imaging system receives a video stream generated by an endoscopic video camera. In response to automatic recognition of a spoken utterance while the video stream is being received from the endoscopic video camera, the image capture device associates with the video stream an annotation that corresponds to the spoken utterance. The image capture device provides the video stream to a display device for display, such that the annotation can be overlaid on one or more frames of the video stream displayed on the display device.
US08443271B1	Systems and methods for dual process data decoding Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, data processing systems are disclosed that include a data decoding system. The data decoding system includes a data decoder circuit and a simplified maximum likelihood value modification circuit. The data decoder circuit is operable to apply a data decode algorithm to a decoder input to yield a first decoded output and an indication of at least one point of failure of the first decoded output. The simplified maximum likelihood value modification circuit is operable to identify a symbol of the first decoded output associated with the point of failure, and to modify a subset of values associated with the identified symbol to yield a modified decoded output.
US08443268B2	Method of performing interleaving and data transmission apparatus A method of performing interleaving and a data transmission apparatus are disclosed, in which interleaving is performed for input data streams using bit reverse ordering (BRO) operation. A method of performing interleaving for input data streams comprises writing respective bits of the input data stream in a row direction of a memory matrix in accordance with the input order, performing row permutation for index of each row of the memory matrix using an R-bit (R is an integer) bit reverse ordering (BRO) operation, performing pruning for a row which satisfies a given condition, performing column permutation using BRO operation for index of each column of the memory matrix, and reading to output each bit in a column direction of the memory matrix where the column permutation has been performed.
US08443266B2	Data processing method and data processor A data processing method includes checking an error on a first header, and determining whether or not to correct the error on the first header based on an error correction count for an first error correction processing block including the first header.
US08443258B2	Memory device including memory controller A memory device includes a semiconductor memory including a plurality of memory cells, and a controller including a buffer which temporarily stores data, a data pattern check circuit which checks a predetermined data pattern of data that are stored in the buffer and are to be stored in a plurality of neighboring ones of the memory cells, and sends an address in accordance with a result of the check, and a data correction circuit which corrects a value of data at the address that is sent, and sends the corrected value to the semiconductor memory.
US08443254B2	Method of generating a parity check matrix for LDPC encoding and decoding A method of encoding input data using a low density parity check (LDPC) code or decoding the encoded data is disclosed. Each index of a model matrix is expanded to an index matrix which includes two or more indexes. Each index included in the index matrix indicates a specific sub-matrix, and can be replaced with a corresponding sub-matrix to generate a parity check matrix.
US08443253B2	Turbo decoding device and communication device A turbo decoding device includes a memory unit that stores data in an interleaving process performed in a process of decoding a coded signal encoded with a turbo code and an access unit that accesses the memory unit to read and write the data. The memory unit includes memory circuits and is formed as one memory space by coupling the memory circuits. Furthermore, the memory circuit functions as a first bank configuration by which a first capacity is assigned to each bank or a second bank configuration by which a second capacity is assigned to each bank in accordance with a combination of the memory circuits. Moreover, the access unit selects by which of the first bank configuration and the second bank configuration the memory unit functions in accordance with a communication method of a coded signal and accesses the memory unit in accordance with the selected bank configuration.
US08443240B2	Method in a gaming machine for providing data recovery Disclosed is a gaming machine capable of data restoration.
US08443235B2	Storage system and known problem information management method Proposed are a highly reliable storage system capable of inhibiting the problematic operation or change of state in the storage system, and a known problem information management method capable of improving the reliability of the storage system. The storage system is provided with a storage apparatus including a storage medium for storing data, and a management apparatus for managing the storage apparatus. The management apparatus includes an apparatus-side known problem information storage unit for storing known problem information as information concerning a problematic operation or a change of state, a maintenance management terminal operation controller for receiving a user's operation or change of state and creating history information according to the operation or change of state, and an apparatus-side known problem information search unit for searching, from the apparatus-side known problem information storage unit, known problem information corresponding to the history information, wherein the maintenance management terminal operation controller inhibits the operation of the searched known problem information.
US08443227B2	Processor and method for workaround trigger activated exceptions A processor includes a microarchitecture for working around a processing flaw, the microarchitecture including: at least one detector adapted for detecting a predetermined state associated with the processing flaw; and at least one mechanism to modify default processor processing behavior; and upon modification of processing behavior, the processing of an instruction involving the processing flaw can be completed by avoiding the processing flaw.
US08443226B2	Systems and methods for diagnosing and fixing electronic devices Systems and methods for reducing the cost and time required for diagnosing and fixing electronic devices are provided. A host electronic device may be configured to generate a log of events that it experiences. A help component may access the generated log and analyze the log to detect if the host device has experienced a problem. Data may then be exchanged between the help component and the host device in order to fix the detected problem.
US08443224B2	Apparatus and method for decoupling asynchronous clock domains A circuit and method for synchronizing signals between asynchronous clock domains within digital electronic circuits decouples asynchronous clocks. The timing of the slower clock is used to prevent read and write to counters so that write signals from the fast clock domain can be directly used in the slower clock domain when the counters are not toggling. This feature removes the need for sampling and holding the data on the fast clock, which would require consume additional power and require additional circuit area.
US08443212B2	Automated battery calibration A computing device executes a boot process. During boot process execution, the computing device initiates automatic calibration of a battery connected to the computing device.
US08443203B2	Secure boot method and semiconductor memory system using the method A semiconductor memory system includes an external memory, an internal memory, and a one-time programmable (OTP) memory. The external memory includes a kernel, a public key, first boot information used to authenticate the public key and generate a test secret key, and a second boot loader verifying integrity of the kernel. The internal memory includes a first boot loader that verifies integrity of the second boot loader and generates the test secret key. The OTP memory includes second boot information generated using the public key and a secret key. Since the secure boot method and the semiconductor memory system using the method do not need an additional OTP memory to store a secret key unlike conventional technology, the capacity and recording time of the OTP memory can be reduced to about half compared to the conventional technology.
US08443202B2	Methods and systems for authenticating users A method of authenticating users to reduce transaction risks includes indicating a desire to conduct a transaction and determining whether the transaction requires access to protected resources. Moreover, the method determines whether inputted information is known, determines a state of a communications device when the inputted information is known, and transmits a biometric authentication request from a server to an authentication system when the state of the communications device is enrolled. Additionally, the method includes validating the communications device, capturing biometric authentication data in accordance with a biometric authentication data capture request with the communications device, biometrically authenticating the user, generating a one-time pass-phrase and storing the one-time pass-phrase on the authentication system when the user is authenticated, comparing the transmitted one-time pass-phrase against the stored one-time pass-phrase, and granting access to the protected resources when the transmitted and stored one-time pass-phrases match.
US08443194B2	Method of authentication and session key agreement for secure data transmission, a method for securely transmitting data, and an electronic data transmission system The invention relates to a method of authentication and session key agreement for secure data transmission between a first and second data communication entity in an electronic data transmission system. Furthermore, the invention relates to an electronic transmission system to perform a method of authentication and session key agreement.
US08443190B2	Method for securing a two-way communications channel and device for implementing said method The present invention relates to a method for securing a two-way communications channel between at least a network N1 and a network N2 with a lower level of security than N1, and a device to implement the method. The method comprises at least the following steps: defining one or more types of data authorized to be transmitted from N1 to N2; routing a datum to an encryption/decryption module or to a filtering module, according to the datum type. The invention notably allows communications to be established between a plurality of networks with different levels of security.
US08443189B2	Trust event notification and actions based on thresholds and associated trust metadata scores An approach is provided for selecting one or more trust factors from trust factors included in a trust index repository. Thresholds are identified corresponding to one or more of the selected trust factors. Actions are identified to perform when the selected trust factors reach the corresponding threshold values. The identified thresholds, identified actions, and selected trust factors are stored in a data store. The selected trust factors are monitored by comparing one or more trust metadata scores with the stored identified thresholds. The stored identified actions that correspond to the selected trust factors are performed when one or more of the trust metadata scores reach the identified thresholds. At least one of the actions includes an event notification that is provided to a trust data consumer.
US08443183B2	Pre-boot loader for reducing system boot time A pre-boot loader reduces the boot time of an operating system (OS). An OS is typically loaded by its own OS loader. A pre-boot loader is typically a software module in the system firmware or the pre-boot environment that loads the OS loader, which in turn loads the OS. In one embodiment, the pre-boot loader bypasses part or all of the steps performed by the OS loader, which shortens the loading time of the OS loader and the OS. In another embodiment, bypassing the steps of the OS loader reduces dependency on the system firmware functions. The system firmware takes advantage of this to further reduce boot time, by executing the pre-boot loader earlier instead of waiting until the full completion of system initialization by the system firmware.
US08443180B2	Method for operation system startup A method for operation system startup includes steps of switching on hardware startup; determining whether there is a trigger signal; reading an initial parameter from a storage device, and loading the initial parameter into a startup program when there is no trigger signal, executing the startup program; and entering operational system.
US08443173B2	Method for instructing a data processor to process data A data processor which executes instructions described in first and second instruction formats. The first instruction format defines a register-addressing field of a predetermined size, while the second instruction format defines a register-addressing field of a size larger than that of the register-addressing field defined by the first instruction format. The data processor includes: instruction-type identifier, responsive to an instruction, for identifying the received instruction as being described in the first or second instruction format by the instruction itself; a first register file including a plurality of registers; and a second register file also including a plurality of registers, the number of the registers included in the second register file being larger than that of the registers included in the first register file.
US08443171B2	Run-time updating of prediction hint instructions The present invention provides a system and method for runtime updating of hints in program instructions. The invention also provides for programs of instructions that include hint performance data. Also, the invention provides an instruction cache that modifies hints and writes them back. As runtime hint updates are stored in instructions, the impact of the updates is not limited by the limited memory capacity local to a processor. Also, there is no conflict between hardware and software hints, as they can share a common encoding in the program instructions.
US08443163B1	Methods, systems, and computer readable medium for tier-based data storage resource allocation and data relocation in a data storage array According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for tier-based slice allocation and data relocation in a data storage array. The method is performed at a data storage array including physical data storage capacity being logically divided into one or more logical units (LUs) and each of the one or more LUs being further subdivided into one or more slices, where the data storage array includes a resource pool being divided into a plurality of resource groupings, where each resource grouping includes one or more resources of a common type. The method includes receiving a slice allocation request for allocating a slice from the data storage array, where the slice allocation request includes at least one constraint. In response to receiving the slice allocation request, a slice that honors the at least one constraint is allocated.
US08443159B1	Methods and systems for creating full backups A computer-implemented method may include creating a first full backup of a set of data units at a first time. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying one or more data units in the set of data units that have been modified since the first time. The computer-implemented method may further include creating a second full backup of the set of data units by providing copies of the one or more data units that have been modified since the first time and storing references to copies of one or more data units in the set of data units that have not been modified since the first time. The references may be configured such that the second full backup is a standalone backup that is independent of any other backups.
US08443154B2	Managing shared data objects to provide visibility to shared memory A system for sharing data between computer processes. The system includes a processor configured to implement a method that includes executing a plurality of independent processes on an application server, the processes including a first process and a second process. A shared memory utilized by the plurality of independent processes is provided. A single copy of the data and metadata are stored in the shared memory. The metadata includes an address of the data. The first process initiates the storing of the data in the shared memory. An address of the metadata is transferred from the first process to the second process to notify the second process about the data. The second process determines the address of the shared memory by reading the metadata. The data in the shared memory is accessed by the second process.
US08443153B1	Dynamic balancing of performance with block sharing in a storage system A storage system provides highly flexible data layouts that can be tailored to various different applications and use cases. The system dynamically balances performance with block sharing, based on service level objectives (SLOs). The system defines several types of data containers, including “regions”, “logical extents” and “slabs”. Each region includes one or more logical extents. Allocated to each logical extent is at least part of one or more slabs allocated to the region that includes the extent. Each slab is a set of blocks of storage from one or more physical storage devices. The slabs can be defined from a heterogeneous pool of physical storage. The system also maintains multiple “volumes” above the region layer. Each volume includes one or more logical extents from one or more regions. Layouts of the extents within the regions are not visible to any of the volumes.
US08443149B2	Evicting data from a cache via a batch file In an embodiment, a plurality of keys are evicted from a first cache at a primary server. A first key is evicted from the first cache because the first key satisfied a first evict policy during a first time range. A second key is evicted from the first cache because the second key satisfied the first evict policy during a second time range, but the second key did not satisfy the first evict policy during the first time range. The plurality of keys are added to a batch file. If the batch file is full, the batch file is sent to a replica server, and the batch file requests the replica server to evict the plurality of keys from a second cache at the replica server. If the batch file is not full, the batch file is not sent to the replica server.
US08443147B2	Memory interleave for heterogeneous computing A memory interleave system for providing memory interleave for a heterogeneous computing system is provided. The memory interleave system effectively interleaves memory that is accessed by heterogeneous compute elements in different ways, such as via cache-block accesses by certain compute elements and via non-cache-block accesses by certain other compute elements. The heterogeneous computing system may comprise one or more cache-block oriented compute elements and one or more non-cache-block oriented compute elements that share access to a common main memory. The cache-block oriented compute elements access the memory via cache-block accesses (e.g., 64 bytes, per access), while the non-cache-block oriented compute elements access memory via sub-cache-block accesses (e.g., 8 bytes, per access). A memory interleave system is provided to optimize the interleaving across the system's memory banks to minimize hot spots resulting from the cache-block oriented and non-cache-block oriented accesses of the heterogeneous computing system.
US08443146B2	Techniques for cache injection in a processor system responsive to a specific instruction sequence A technique for performing cache injection includes monitoring an instruction stream for a specific instruction sequence. Addresses on a bus are then monitored, at a cache, in response to detecting the specific instruction sequence a determined number of times. Ownership of input/output data on the bus is then acquired by the cache when an address on the bus (that is associated with the input/output data) corresponds to an address of a data block stored in the cache.
US08443124B2	Physical layer device having an analog SERDES pass through mode A physical layer device (PLD) includes a first serializer-deserializer (SERDES) device and a second SERDES device. Each SERDES device includes an analog portion with a serial port that is configured to communicate serial data with various network devices, and a digital portion that is configured to communicate parallel data with other various network devices. The PLD includes a first signal path that is configured to route serial data signals between the analog portions of the SERDES devices, bypassing the digital portions of the SERDES devices. Therefore, the SERDES devices can directly communicate serial data without performing parallel data conversion. A second signal path is configured to route recovered clock and data signals between the analog portions of the SERDES devices, but still bypassing the digital portions of the SERDES devices. The recovered clock and data signals are then regenerated before being transmitted over a network device.
US08443123B2	UPnP control point and UPnP device based on the UPnP network and connecting method using the same Disclosed herein are a UPnP control point and a UPnP device based on the UPnP network and a connecting method using the same, in which a service connection is performed. The service connection is restrictedly performed using a configuration file defined to allow or deny a connection with a specific device on the UPnP network, so that only devices specified by a user can be connected.
US08443117B2	Connection expansion device, storage system, connection expansion control program, and connection expansion control method A connection expansion device connected to devices includes a plurality of ports to which devices are connected, a storage unit configured to record device information obtained from each port, and a processing unit configured to specify, based on the device information, a port in which an abnormal device exists, invalidate device information belonging to the port, and cause the storage unit to hold device information of a normal device.
US08443113B2	Communication apparatus A communication apparatus is configured to execute testing of whether or not the responding module is correctly responding to the plurality of commands transmitted and received between a transmission module and a reception module, the testing being performed via a loop-back mode transmission and reception path configured such that the reception module receives the command transmitted by the transmission module; and during the testing, following procedure is performed, which includes: transmitting the specific command by the transmission module; receiving the specific command by the reception module via the transmission and reception path; deactivating reception of the specific command; and transmitting a command different from the specific command subsequent to transmitting the specific command by the transmission module.
US08443112B2	Input/output signal controller and input/output signal control system employing the input/output controller A transmitting section 7a outputs a transmission signal to the side of a transmission line 1. A first switching section Qa1 outputs the transmission signal to the transmission line 1. A second switching section Qa2 outputs the transmission signal from the transmission line 1. A receiving section 9a receives the transmission signal from the transmission line 1. A first detecting section 13a detects the transmission signal flowing through the first switching section Qa1. A second detecting section 19a detects the transmission signal flowing through the second switching section Qa2. When the transmission signal from the transmitting section 7a is not detected at both the first and second detecting sections 13a and 19a, a selecting section 15a selects the receiving section 9a and outputs a reception signal.
US08443099B2	Dynamic media asset delivery In embodiments of dynamic media asset delivery, a media asset can be requested from a content distributor for playback at a client device. The client device can receive the media asset over a communication network, and receive a request to playback the media asset for viewing as the media asset is being received. The client device can then playback the media asset for viewing in a display format, where a quality of the display format is based at least in part on a time duration between when the media asset is requested and when the request to playback the media asset for viewing is received.
US08443091B2	Method and arrangement for providing different services in a multimedia communication system A method and application server for providing different services and performing service changes in a multimedia communication system. When a first client invites a second client to join a multimedia session, the server learns which media types are supported by each client, including first and second media types supported by the server. The first client then sends the server a request on a media control channel to transmit media of the first and second types. The server verifies the requested media types are supported by the second client and sends the first client a grant for the requested media types. The server receives a first media burst of the first media type from the first client and retransmits the burst to the second client, and then receives a second media burst of the second media type from the first client and retransmits the burst to the second client.
US08443086B2	Decentralized structured peer-to-peer network and load balancing methods thereof An approach is provided for reassigning and sharing loads to peers with a same identity, which is based on a threshold. The peers are configured to store indexes of a key and to share the same loading (i.e., indexes) of the key to the peers with same secondary identities in different zones. The secondary identity is derived and has a modulo relationship with a first identity of the peer. The threshold indicates maximum number of indexes stored in each peer. Therefore, the loading are distributed evenly to peers in different zones, which achieves load balance to a decentralized structured peer-to-peer network.
US08443074B2	Constructing an inference graph for a network Constructing an inference graph relates to the creation of a graph that reflects dependencies within a network. In an example embodiment, a method includes determining dependencies among components of a network and constructing an inference graph for the network responsive to the dependencies. The components of the network include services and hardware components, and the inference graph reflects cross-layer components including the services and the hardware components. In another example embodiment, a system includes a service dependency analyzer and an inference graph constructor. The service dependency analyzer is to determine dependencies among components of a network, the components including services and hardware components. The inference graph constructor is to construct an inference graph for the network responsive to the dependencies, the inference graph reflecting cross-layer components including the services and the hardware components.
US08443068B2	Method and system for managing user preference profiles in a network A method includes creating a plurality of user preference profiles. Each user preference profile includes at least one of a profile format without active user preference profile indication, a profile format including an active user preference profile indication, and a profile format specific to each device of a user. The plurality of user preference profiles are stored in a shared server. One or more user preference profiles corresponding to a plurality of devices are activated. The one or more user preference profiles are provided to an application server. The application server implements preferences included in corresponding user preference profile. A system includes a plurality of devices of the user, a plurality of clients corresponding to the plurality of devices, an application server corresponding to the plurality of clients, and a shared server for storing a plurality of user preference profiles.
US08443065B1	System and method for locating, identifying and provisioning newly deployed network devices At least one existing neighboring network device is connected to a newly deployed network device in a communications network. A network manager is connected remotely. The newly deployed network device is configured to determine its physical network connectivity by propagating a discovery protocol frame to the at least one existing neighboring network device. The frame in an example includes a field having a query that solicits from the existing neighboring network device the physical network connectivity data of the newly deployed device. This device is also configured to receive in response to the query, its physical network connectivity data and network data address of the network manager in a response, transmit its physical network connectivity data to the remote network manager, which in turn is configured to transmit provisioning data to the newly deployed network device based on the received physical network connectivity data.
US08443060B2	Remote creation of printer instances on a workstation Remotely installing a new printer on a client workstation that communicates via a network with a control point terminal by, in the control point terminal, performing an operation to add the new printer on the client workstation, and in response to the operation being performed, the control point terminal transmitting identification information of the new printer being added to an agent in the client workstation, and in the client workstation, the agent receiving the identification information from the control point terminal, in response to receiving the identification information of the new printer, the agent automatically obtaining printer configuration information and print driver information based at least in part on the received identification information, the agent automatically configuring the printer and installing a print driver based on the obtained printer configuration information and print driver information, and the agent creating a locally managed instance of the printer.
US08443049B1	Call processing using trust scores based on messaging patterns of message source Messaging patterns for a plurality of subscribers are obtained and analyzed to determine a “trust score” that is an indication of the likelihood that a given message for a particular subscriber is of interest, as opposed to unwanted, e.g., spam or telemarketing phone calls. Subscribers establish or set trust score thresholds and call processing actions to take based on the thresholds and the trust score for a given incoming communication. For example, if a subscriber establishes a processing action of “block call” for calls with a “low” threshold trust score, and an incoming message (email, SMS, instant message, or phone call) has a trust score of “low” or “very low”, the message is blocked. Conversely, if the trust score for the message is “high” and the user has specified to pass through “high” trust score messages, the message is passed through. Various algorithms can be used compute trust scores based on messaging patterns.
US08443045B2	Storage of selected e-mails including attachments in document management system A computer-implemented method and system are provided for storing selected e-mails, including the content of the e-mail and attachments, in a document management system. A user initiates storage of the e-mail by a user-actuated control that is added to the interface of his e-mail application. The e-mail is then copied, indexed and stored in a separate document in the document management system, and attachments to the e-mail are embedded in the separate document. The font and graphics of the e-mail may be stored in the separate document as they as they appeared in the original document. The text of the e-mail may be stored in the binary format that is native to a word processor associated with the document management system.
US08443042B2	Information processing apparatus and method, program, and information processing system An information processing apparatus used by a first user, includes a generating unit adapted to generate recommendation information at least including an identifier for uniquely identifying a content recommended on the basis of preference information of the first user, and a sending unit adapted to send the generated recommendation information to another information processing apparatus which is used by a second user who is the same as or different from the first user and adapted to present the content recommended on the basis of the identifier included in the recommendation information.
US08443041B1	Chat preview A system and method allows a user to view communications exchanged between other participants within an online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. The online chat room enables ongoing exchanges of electronic communications between two or more participants whose participation within the chat room are mutually revealed to each other. A user is enabled to perceive the existence of the online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. Selection of the online chat room by the user is received. Responsive to user selection of the online chat room and without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, at least some of the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room are made perceivable to the user as the communications are exchanged.
US08443039B2	Method and apparatus for distributing virtual goods over the internet A Virtual Collectible Distribution Network generates and distributes Virtual Collectible objects, each potentially possessing unique properties, over a computer network such as the Internet, to a group of users. The Distribution Network utilizes a client-server system. The client software can be standalone or embedded in another application, such as a web browser or game. In one scenario, the client software observes certain behaviors of the user, and communicates such behavior to the server, which process is transparent to the user. The server, based on the communications from the client, predefined algorithm, and other factors, may decide to award the user with a Virtual Collectible.
US08443035B2	System and method for collaboration using web browsers One or more collaboration computers connected over the network may collaborate using their web browsers. Each collaboration computer may have one or more window locators that uniquely identify a web browser window on the browser. The web browser window can be a window where one or more events occur during the collaboration. One or more document locators may be derived from information describing a document path from the respective web browser window to a document within the respective web browser window. The document path can be a path in a hierarchical structure that includes the document and the respective web browser window. One or more transfer data structures may contain the window locator and the document locator and may be passed to and from the collaboration computer through a network connection to enable a collaboration session.
US08443029B2	Round for reround mode in a decimal floating point instruction A round-far-reround mode (preferably in a BID encoded Decimal format) of a floating point instruction prepares a result for later rounding to a variable number of digits by detecting that the least significant digit may be a 0, and if so changing it to 1 when the trailing digits are not all 0. A subsequent reround instruction is then able to round the result to any number of digits at least 2 fewer than the number of digits of the result. An optional embodiment saves a tag indicating the fact that the low order digit of the result is 0 or 5 if the trailing bits are non-zero in a tag field rather than modify the result. Another optional embodiment also saves a half-way-and-above indicator when the trailing digits represent a decimal with a most significant digit having a value of 5. An optional subsequent rewound instruction is able to round the result to any number of digits fewer or equal, to the number of digits of the result using the saved tags.
US08443025B2	Method and apparatus for selectively reducing noise in a digital signal Wavelet thresholding using discrete wavelet transforms is a sophisticated and effective approach for noise reduction. However, usage of integer arithmetic implies that not the full range of input values can be used. A method for selectively reducing noise in a digital signal having a first range of values comprises steps of decomposing the digital signal to a plurality of frequency sub-bands, wherein before, during or after the decomposing the digital signal or at least one sub-band is expanded by one or more bits to a second range of integer values, removing in at least one of the frequency sub-bands values that are below a threshold, re-combining the frequency sub-bands, after removing said values that are below a threshold, into an expanded output signal, and de-expanding the expanded output signal, wherein a signal having the first range of values is obtained.
US08443024B2	Time-domain gated filter for RF communication systems A time domain filter receives a double sideband (DSB) input in the frequency domain and compresses this input into a time domain signal filtered by a time gate for providing a time filtered signal that is then expanded back into the frequency domain as a single sideband (SSB) output with one sideband being filtered by the time gate for translating DSB signals into SSB signals well suited for communicating chirped modulated signals as SSB signals along an electrical line or optical fiber without dispersive nulling of the communicated signal.
US08443015B2	Apparatus and method for providing content and content analysis results An information processing apparatus acquires and transmits content identification information stored in the storage unit to the other apparatus, determines whether the information processing apparatus has received the content analysis results from the other apparatus and if it is determined that the content analysis result acquisition unit has received the content analysis results from the other apparatus, causes the storage unit to store the content analysis results and if it is determined that the information processing apparatus has not received the content analysis results from the other apparatus, perform processing to obtain content analysis results by analyzing the content data stored in the storage unit to cause the storage unit to store the content analysis results by associating with the content data stored in the storage unit and also perform processing to transmit the content analysis results to the other apparatus.
US08443014B2	Computer systems and data processing methods for using a web service Data processing systems and methods are disclosed that utilize the Home Banking Computer Interface (HBCI) protocol for secure communication with a web service. Usage of the HBCI protocol protects the communication of a requester with the web service against eavesdropping and tampering. Further, implementation of a dual control business procedure is facilitated.
US08442997B2	Method and apparatus for monitoring the distribution of electronic files A remote server is arranged to respond to a request from a user terminal for the download of a media file to cause a unique water-marked copy of a media file to be generated and sent to the user terminal. At the same time the remote server is arranged to access a seal server, which causes an electronically sealed record of the transaction to be generated and stored in a download database. Subsequently, if a suspect media file is identified the sealed record provides evidence of the original transaction which led to the water-marked copy of the media file being issued and hence the original source of the unauthorised copy of the file. Control of distributed media files can be enforced by imposing penalties in the event that unauthorised copies corresponding to the distributed water-marked media files are identified.
US08442988B2	Adaptive cell-specific dictionaries for frequency-partitioned multi-dimensional data A cell-specific dictionary is applied adaptively to adequate cells, where the cell-specific dictionary subsequently optimizes the handling of frequency-partitioned multi-dimensional data. This includes improved data partitioning with super cells or adjusting resulting cells by sub-dividing very large cells and merging multiple small cells, both of which avoid the highly skewed data distribution in cells and improve the query processing. In addition, more efficient encoding is taught within a cell in case the distinct values that actually appear in that cell are much smaller than the size of the column dictionary.
US08442986B2	Ranking importance of symbols in underlying grouped and differentiated files based on content Methods and apparatus identify groups of files based on symbols corresponding to an underlying data stream of original bits of data that are determined to be informationally important. The resulting symbols of a selected group are ordered according to how effectively each symbol characterizes the selected group of interest. The subset of symbols is used to find similar files from a general population of files to the files in the group of interest. Additionally, groups of common files can be identified from a general population of files and a group selected therefrom for use in identifying a subset of symbols which characterize the selected group for use as a filter to identify further like files.
US08442979B2	System for creating markup language documents at a receiving display station from multiple sources with markup for displaying the state of sets of content reviews Creating, i.e. rendering, markup language documents having multiple content portions, respectively, from multiple sources. A set of displayable non-alphanumeric visual indicators, e.g. colors, is associated with each content portion, each indicator respectively representing the status of one of said set of content reviews. Then an implementation is provided enabling a user at the receiving display station to sequentially and collectively proceed through said sets of content reviews to which the content portions in the multiple content displayed may have been subjected, and displaying at each content review step only the indicators representing the status of said content review for all of the content portions subjected to said content review step.
US08442978B2	Trust propagation through both explicit and implicit social networks The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for trust propagation. The method according to one embodiment comprises calculating a first feature vector for a first user, calculating a second feature for a second user and comparing the first feature vector with the second feature vector to calculate a similarity value. A determination is made as to whether the similarity value falls within a threshold. If the similarity value falls within the threshold, a relationship is recorded between the first user and the second user in a first user profile and a second user profile.
US08442977B2	Distance-space embedding for multi-descriptor matching and retrieval A process includes receiving an archive of video data comprising a plurality of archive descriptor types, and applying a query to the archive. The query includes a number of N query descriptor types for a query object. The process further includes determining a difference between each query descriptor type and corresponding descriptor types of the archive, and storing each difference as a point in an N dimensional space. The process further includes identifying an archive object that is similar to the query object as a function of proximities of the differences to an origin of the N dimensional space.
US08442975B2	Image management apparatus An image processing apparatus includes a designator which designates each of one or more characteristic images included in a scene image as a reference characteristic image. A searcher searches for a specific folder in which a dictionary image adapted to the reference characteristic image is associated with, from among one or more folders in which one or more dictionary images are respectively associated with. A first storage stores the scene image noticed by the designator into the specific folder discovered by the searcher. A first creator creates a folder in which a dictionary image equivalent to the reference characteristic image is associated with, corresponding to non-discovering the specific folder by the searcher. A second storage executes a process of storing the scene image noticed by the designator into the folder created by the first creator, in association with a creating process of the first creator.
US08442974B2	Method and system for ranking web pages in a search engine based on direct evidence of interest to end users A method and system for ranking Web pages in a Web search engine is described. One illustrative embodiment receives a Web search query from a particular user, the query including at least one keyword; identifies one or more Web pages that contain the at least one keyword; determines, for each of the one or more Web pages, a raw page ranking; adjusts the raw page ranking of each of at least one Web page among the one or more Web pages based on direct evidence of how interesting that Web page is to users to produce an adjusted page ranking, the direct evidence being derived from clickstream data collected from the users; and presents, as search results, the at least one Web page to the particular user in accordance with the adjusted page rankings.
US08442971B2	Execution plans with different driver sources in multiple threads In an embodiment, a first driver source specified by a first execution plan that implements a query is designated, and a second driver source specified by a second execution plan that implements the query is designated. A portion of the first execution plan and a portion of the second execution plan are executed. If a unique identifier of a first row returned by the executing the portion of the first execution plan does not match all unique identifiers of all rows from the second driver source that were saved to a result set by the executing the portion of the second execution plan, then the first row returned by the executing the portion of the first execution plan is added to the result set and the unique identifier of the first row that was returned by the executing the portion of the first execution plan is added to a unique identifier log.
US08442963B2	System and method for compiling geospatial data for on-line collaboration A system and method for compiling geospatial data for on-line collaboration is provided. A database of categories is maintained. Each category includes one or more waymarks and is associated with at least one variable having one or more attributes, which each specify a type of data storable under that variable. A search is performed and one of the categories is selected. A new waymark is formed under the selected category. First, geospatial data defining a location is received from a user. Second, metadata describing a physical object associated with a location is received. One or more of the attributes, which each specify the type of data in agreement with the metadata is defined. Third, the geospatial data is compiled with the metadata for the new waymark. The new waymark is stored under the selected category. The new waymark is published on-line.
US08442955B2	Virtual machine image co-migration Embodiments of the invention relate to co-migration in a shared pool of resources with similarity across data sets of a migrating application. The data sets are processed and profiled. Metadata is reviewed to remove duplicate elements and to distribute the processing load across available nodes. At the same time, a ranking may be assigned to select metadata to support a prioritized migration. Non-duplicate data chunks are migrated across the shared pool of resources responsive to the assigned prioritization.
US08442949B1	Systems and methods for using data archiving to expedite server migration A computer-implemented method for using data archiving to expedite server migration may include: 1) archiving data from at least one source computing system to an archiving system in accordance with an archiving policy, 2) altering metadata associated with the archived data on the archiving system so that the metadata references a desired target computing system instead of the source computing system, and then, upon bringing the target computing system online, 3) restoring at least a portion of the archived data from the archiving system to the target computing system. Various other methods, systems, and configured computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08442945B1	No touch synthetic full backup Example apparatus and methods concern no touch synthetic full backups where a new backup is created using information about previous backups but without reading data from the existing backups. The no touch synthetic backup can be created by correlating file system information, backup specification information, and dedupe system information. One example method includes accessing a set of target extents associated with a synthetic backup image overlay specification and accessing a set of source extents associated with a file stored in a previous backup image. The set of source extents are selected so that they can provide data sufficient to cover the data described in the set of target extents. The method includes creating a set of correlation extents that bridge the gap between the original specification and the final specification.
US08442944B2	System and method for generating and managing quick recovery volumes The invention relates to computer readable medium storing program code which when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a method for creating a quick recovery volume of a primary data set used by a first computer in a backup storage system, which includes identifying a snapshot image of the primary data set generated by a snapshot application, creating the quick recovery volume of the primary data set from the snapshot image of the primary data set and controlling transfer of data from the first computer to an archival storage unit. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for creating a quick recovery volume of a primary data set that includes creating a snapshot image of the primary data set and creating a quick recovery volume of the primary data set from the snapshot image of the primary data set.
US08442937B2	Access to line-of-business databases in declarative workflow A first database and a second database have different schemas. An activity in a workflow accesses a data item in a list by invoking a method in an interface of a list object. The list comprises a collection of data items. Each data item in the list comprises an item key field specifying an item key. No two data items in the data item collection have item key fields specifying a shared item key. In addition, each data item in the list comprises a set of additional fields. Each field in the set of additional fields has a value derived from the first database or each field in the set of additional fields has a value derived from the second database. In this way, the activity can be implemented without knowledge of the different schemas of the first database and the second database.
US08442932B2	System and method for making decisions Systems and methods are disclosed that assist in making decisions, valuing a choice or action, promoting creative solutions, and reducing risks. Among other situations, the systems and methods consider situations where the user or users are evaluating a possible single choice or several alternative choices. The criteria to evaluate the decisions are input into a grid, and the user or users rate the one or more alternatives against the different criteria. Given several alternative choices or options, the system and method provides the probability each alternative is the right selection. In one embodiment, the system implements a Bayesian approach. The systems and methods may estimate the value of an option or choice, where the value might be financial or other metric, and may estimate the value of a risk, opportunity or factor that might influence the result. The systems and methods may estimate the amount the chance of being surprised or missing some relevant consideration has been reduced by the analysis. The possibility of black or gray swans can also be estimated, in the phraseology of Nassim Taleb. Systems and methods so disclosed may be employed in financial analyzes, project or strategy selection, betting, resolution of disagreements, intelligence analysis, and so on.
US08442928B2	Method and apparatus for employing rules to filter streaming data Content filtering of data containers is based on defining content types, receiving identifiers of a set of rules applicable to each content type, and determining dependence of at least one rule on other rules. The identifiers are sorted into rule strata where rules within each rule stratum are independent of each other and rules within each rule stratum beyond a first stratum depend on at least one rule of at least one preceding rule stratum. Upon receiving a data container of multiple components from a network, a content type is determined for each component. Rules of rule strata specific to a content type of a component are applied starting with rules of a first rule stratum and proceeding sequentially to selected rules of succeeding rule strata. An apparatus for content filtering stores processor-executable instructions for arranging rules in rule strata and sequentially applies successive rules to data containers.
US08442926B2	Information filtering system, information filtering method and information filtering program A string matching unit 110 specifies a category of an input document 801 by string matching of the input document 801 and a classifying keyword shown by matching condition information 109. Learning data 209 shows statistic information of each category. A classifying unit 220 specifies the category of the input document 801 based on a correspondence ratio of the input document 801 and the statistic information shown by the learning data 209. A correct answer comparing unit 120 compares the category specified by the string matching unit 110 and a category of correct answer information 803. A learning unit 210 compares the category specified by the classifying unit 220 and the category of the correct answer information 803. An error rate calculating unit 310 calculates a classifying error rate of a string matching filter unit 100 and a learning filter unit 200 based on the comparison result of the correct answer comparing unit 120 and the comparison result of the learning unit 210. A result outputting unit 320 outputs the category specified by the filter having a smaller classifying error rate as a classified result 301 of a classifying target document 804.
US08442923B2	Temporal document trainer and method An electronic document sorter is trained to classify documents based on their temporal qualities. The invention can be used in environments such as automated news aggregators, search engines and other electronic systems which compile information having temporal qualities.
US08442922B2	Sporting event image capture, processing and publication Systems, methods and software are disclosed for capturing and/or importing and processing media items such as digital images or video (202) associated with a sporting event such as a marathon or bicycle race (FIG. 3). The media items are processed, including bib number or facial recognition if necessary (204, 206, 504), to associate them with an individual participant. Other input sources may include spectator uploads (506), external web sites and media sharing (508) or soda! networking (510) services. The system (500) aggregates, organizes and generates content, and distributes it (580) via various output channels, which may include event web sites (256), personal feeds (250), and other output channels (260, 254, 252, FIG. 4). Preferably, selected content is associated with at least one individual participant in the event, and that content is automatically distributed to channels that are associated with that individual participant.
US08442909B2	Transaction processing entity device support of an integrated offer network A method begins by generating, for each of a plurality of merchant devices, an offer data file to produce a plurality of offer data files. The method continues by: compiling, for one issuer device, an options data file for a group of credit cards based on at least one of the plurality of offer data files; transmitting the options data file to the issuer device; receiving, from the issuer device, at least one selection from the options data file to produce an options program file for the group of credit cards; receiving, from a card holder device associated with one of the group of credit cards, a selection of at least one option from the options program file to produce at least one selected option; and processing transactions of the one of the group of credit cards in accordance with the at least one selected option.
US08442908B2	Systems and methods for asset valuation Systems and methods for asset valuation, whole loan processing and inventory management is described. The systems and methods may include modules. An asset valuation tool may use multiple data sources for producing current and predicted future values and historical and intermediate data points on a requested timeline. A loan information pricing tool may perform unlimited volumes of loan program eligibility and multi-variable pricings on a user desktop. A workout activity tracking tool may capture, monitor, measure and report on a loan workout process including direct hosting and integration of the asset valuation tool and the loan information pricing tool. The present invention may offer diverse and competitive modular components as well as an integrated and innovative platform that does not exist in the market.
US08442906B1	Computerized process to, for example, automate the home sale, mortgage loan financing and settlement process, and the home mortgage loan refinancing and settlement processes In some embodiments, a comprehensive computer system and method (See FIGS. 1, 1a, 2) for automating and facilitating the performing and processing of tasks, information transfer, and information storage associated with the home sale (See FIG. 3a), mortgage origination (See FIG. 3b), and settlement process (See FIG. 3c), and the home mortgage refinancing origination and settlement process (See FIGS. 1b, 1c, 2a) (or performing other business processes), over a distributed computing network are disclosed.
US08442904B2	Determination of implied orders in a trade matching system A computer implemented method for determining implied orders in an electronic trading system is provided. The method comprises receiving a first set of one or more real orders, wherein the orders are not tradable against each other. One or more implied orders are identified within the first set of real orders. Market data corresponding to the implied orders can also be identified. At least one additional order is received and the tradability of the additional order is determined against the real or implied orders within the first set of real orders. A resting set of orders is determined from those real and implied orders within the first set of orders not affected by the tradability of the additional order. Implied orders are determined from within the set of resting orders.
US08442903B2	Method of collecting delinquent specialized debt An internet-based system for organization and collection of specialized debt that is delinquent; an example of specialized debt being healthcare debt.
US08442897B2	Securitization of sales participation certificates The invention relates to financial products that provide a return that is a function of future sales/revenues, preferably gross sales/revenue, over a specified period of time. One embodiment of a method for creating such a financial product includes providing standard forms to an issuer and underwriter and standard terms to an issuer and investors. The terms to the issuer include providing capital to the issuer in exchange for a return that is a function of future sales over a specified period of time. The process further includes creating instruments representing investment in the financial product. The process creates the instruments in sufficient numbers and in appropriate denominations to facilitate trading in the financial product.
US08442894B2	Guaranteed merchant payment in a card-not-present transaction Embodiments of the invention provide for systems, devices, apparatus, methods and computer program products for payment card-issuing entities to guarantee merchant payment in card-not-present-transactions and, more specifically, automatically guaranteeing merchant payment in card-not-present transactions based on the payment card-issuing entity authenticating the customer prior to the transactions. By guaranteeing merchant payment in card-not-present transactions, the merchant's risk associated with such transaction is greatly reduced.
US08442892B2	REIT-based pure property return indexes The present disclosure is directed to generating REIT-based pure property return indexes. First, REIT return data is compiled from each REIT of a plurality of REITs at a predetermined frequency. Then, the generated REIT return data is de-levered and processed according to exposures to each of a plurality of target characteristics to obtain coefficients reflecting each REIT's weight in an index. Finally, an index is generated according to the REITs, the obtained coefficients, and the weights.
US08442889B2	Asset allocation based system for individual investor portfolio selection A system for allocation asset based portfolio investment and management provides model portfolios which are selected by correlation to investor's responses to a questionnaire concerning time frames and risk tolerance. Recommended model portfolios are presented to investors by asset allocation class percentages only, without identification of any specific securities of fund holdings of the portfolio and without enabling the participating investor to choose or delete specific assets for inclusion in the recommended portfolio. The system enables the investor only to alter the asset allocation. The model portfolios are professionally overseen and managed for compliance with projected returns and conformance to the assigned asset class. The system can be executed on paper or in the form of computer software run locally or on a network.
US08442880B1	Systems, methods and computer readable medium providing automated third-party confirmations Systems and methods are defined for facilitating the audit process involving a business client, an auditor, and a third-party providing confirmations for the client upon the auditor's request. More specifically, an auditor receives an audit number from the audited client as evidence of authorization for requesting confirmation from a third-party, such as a bank or related business entity. The confirmation request submitted by the auditor will be stored in a network-based computer system and transmitted to the relevant third-party. The third-party then provides necessary confirmation data in response to the request and has the confirmation data transferred to the auditor through the computer system over the Internet. The involved third-party can be a bank or financial institution, another entity in business relationship with the client, or any other entity that ahs access to the requested data associated with the client.
US08442879B2	Methods and systems for processing packages Methods include, prior to arrival of the incoming shipment of packages at a distribution facility, automatically determining an unload score for the incoming shipment based on electronic shipment data, the electronic shipment data including and the unload score being at least partially based on at least two or more of: a total number of packages in the incoming shipment, a number of products in the incoming shipment, and a conveyability of the packages in the incoming shipment, automatically comparing the unload score to a threshold unload score, sending instruction for directing a truck carrying the incoming shipment to at least one automated or manual receiving door when the unload score is at least equal to the threshold unload score, and sending instruction directing a truck carrying the incoming shipment to the other of the automated or manual receiving door when the unload score is less than the threshold unload score.
US08442874B2	Flight selection method The present invention relates to a flight selection method using a computerized device. The method includes the step of processing flight data relating to flights to produce display data. The display data is displayed by a remote computer in accordance with a flight search query. The display data includes flight representations displayed relative to a timeline. At least one flight representation is associated with more than one fare indicator to provide for a more compact display of flight information.
US08442870B1	Systems and methods for selling or offering paper or electronic greeting cards on the internet A system and method for generating a greeting card selection interface is provided. In some embodiments, the greeting card selection interface may be used to electronically sell or offer paper greeting cards or electronic greeting cards. The greeting card selection interface may overcome design challenges and improve the shopping experience by allowing the user to shop for cards in a quicker and more intuitive fashion, reducing the time that the user needs to select one or more cards of interest while providing appropriate detail that consumers of greeting cards typically require before making a purchase. Various improvements to the shopping experience include sizing, formatting (including layout), positioning, obtaining appropriate images, and obtaining information related to greeting cards that optimize the electronic shopping experience.
US08442865B2	Ecommerce marketplace integration techniques Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for integrating ecommerce marketplaces. An ecommerce integration framework has definitions for common data entities that are commonly used by multiple ecommerce marketplaces for listing items. Definitions for common operations that can manipulate the common data entities are provided. An application programming interface is provided that uses the common data entities and common operations to enable enterprise resource planning systems to exchange data in a standardized format with ecommerce marketplaces. Catalogs of items to be sold in ecommerce marketplaces can be created and managed using a customizable structure. The customizable structure enables catalogs to be created in a hierarchical manner with at least one parent catalog and zero or more child catalogs. Data values specified in a respective child catalog override data values specified in the parent catalog. A method for communicating with a particular ecommerce marketplace using an ecommerce integration framework is described.
US08442864B2	Digital device advertising system and method A system and method for allowing users to download modified software applications for digital devices, such as mobile phones, computers, electronic devices and mobile devices capable of wireless communication by the provision by the user of an authentication code that is validated to determine that the user is permitted to download and use a modified software application for the digital device. The system authorizes the user to download and use a modified software application and provides advertisements, directly associated with the campaign's authentication code(s), to the modified software application as it runs on the digital device, where the modified software application has been modified to accept and display advertisements on the digital device. The invention further includes allocating credits to authentication codes and deducting credits based on a credit value assigned to each modified software application and/or digital product, such as a digital song. The invention further includes the capability to track the usage of such modified software applications based on the authentication codes.
US08442858B1	Subscriber data insertion into advertisement requests A method is provided for subscriber data insertion into advertisement requests. The method includes receiving a request for advertising content for a subscriber from a publisher. The request contains a unique subscriber identifier associated with the subscriber. The method further includes obtaining carrier controlled subscriber data related to the subscriber based on the unique subscriber identifier. The method additionally includes inserting the carrier controlled subscriber data into the request.
US08442856B2	Translation support apparatus and computer-readable storage medium A translation support apparatus manages a series of processes related to a translation work of an original text and a proofreading work of a translation. A payable translation fee may be calculated by subtracting a reduction fee calculated based on a proofread record and a reduction fee table from a prescribed translation fee calculated based on the translation and a prescribed translation fee table.
US08442816B2	Music-piece classification based on sustain regions Audio data representative of a music piece is converted into data components in respective different frequency bands for every unit time interval to generate time frequency data pieces assigned to the respective different frequency bands. From the generated time frequency data pieces, detection is made as to each sustain region in which an effective data component in one of the frequency bands continues to occur during a reference time interval or longer. A feature quantity is calculated from at least one of (1) a number of the detected sustain regions and (2) magnitudes of the effective data components in the detected sustain regions. The music piece is classified in response to the calculated feature quantity.
US08442815B2	Adaptive recognition dictionary update apparatus for use in mobile unit with a tuner An information apparatus for use in mobile unit, which is mounted on a mobile unit, includes a broadcast receiver receiving a signal containing a station name; a recognition dictionary registering the station name; and a recognition section that, referring to the dictionary, tunes to the station associated with the station name. The apparatus further includes a recognition dictionary update section updating the dictionary in response to signal reception; and a dictionary update deciding section that decides, based on the update mode of the dictionary during updating, if any change occurs between the station transmitting the signal and the update mode, and alters, if change occurs, an update frequency of the dictionary by the dictionary update section in response to a traveling condition of the mobile unit or to a receiving condition of the signal.
US08442809B2	Method for biologically monitoring the environment (variants) and a system for carrying out said method The invention relates to ecological environment monitoring based on native animals functional state control. The method includes exposure a test animal to IR radiation using an optical radiation source and a transmitting optical fiber; receiving the reflected IR radiation using a receiving optical fiber; converting the reflected IR radiation to an electrical signal; determining a sample of values of the signal periods and the sample dispersion; and forming a danger signal when the threshold value exceeds the sample dispersion. The system contains a cardiac activity sensor which includes a transmitting and receiving optical fibers, an optical radiation source and optical radiation receiver; an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter and a computer. The output end of transmitting fiber and the input end of receiving fiber have the same direction and are positioned at a distance R satisfying the inequality (πd2P)0.07−2.2(1/(πd2P))0.02≦R≦(πd2P)0.07+2.2(1/(πd2P))0.02.
US08442803B2	Method of measuring radiation doses on different directions The present disclosure measures radiation doses on different directions. A partition is used, which has a certain attenuation ratio. With the partition, radiation doses on different directions can be determined without knowing the thickness or material of the partition.
US08442802B2	Method of diagnosing air conditioner and mobile terminal equipment for performing method A method of diagnosing an air conditioner and mobile terminal equipment for performing the method are provided. The method of diagnosing the air conditioner using mobile terminal equipment includes beginning diagnosis of the air conditioner, displaying a diagnostic result of the air conditioner on a screen, and displaying a countermeasure for the diagnostic result.
US08442801B2	Wireless location-based system for detecting hazardous conditions A method and apparatus are provided for estimating the location of a portable device. The method includes providing a plurality of location anchor and enhanced location anchor transceivers within a region, each operating from respective predetermined locations, a portable transceiver measuring a signal parameter from the transceivers, a location engine determining a location of the portable transceiver based upon the signal measurements and the respective predetermined locations of the transceivers, each of the enhanced transceivers measuring a signal parameter from some of the location and other enhanced transceivers, the location engine calculating an estimated location for each of the plurality of enhanced transceivers and calculating a location error based upon the estimated location and predetermined location of the enhanced location anchor transceiver.
US08442799B2	Information processing system and information processing program A system for smoothly executing information processing in the case where information processing is executed to all of the information in relation to a target area, and at the same time other information processing is executed in parallel thereto. In information processing system 10, each of a plurality of mesh groups differing from one another is decided as a first mesh group through an n-th mesh group (n=2, 3, . . . ), respectively. A predetermined information processing is executed to the mesh information group in relation to each mesh group in the order from the first mesh group to the n-th mesh group. The load of the information processing system for the predetermined information processing is reduced by executing the predetermined information processing for each mesh information group.
US08442796B2	Method and system for simulating a proximity-based transaction device A system and method for testing and calibrating electronic contactless payment devices including reference payment cards and readers. The contactless payment devices transmit data by load modulating a subcarrier of an RF carrier signal. The system and method involve use of a common mode rejection (CMR) circuit to demodulate a received load-modulated data signal and to extract the data signal. The CMR circuit also generates a synchronous clock signal, a sample & hold signal and a sample & hold clock signal. Further, the input signal is feed to a zero-crossing detector and digital delay which in combination with an Analog-to-Digital Converter circuit is used to recreate the load (i.e. modulating) signal and to eliminate the large carrier portion of the selected input signal.
US08442790B2	Robotic heliostat calibration system and method A robotic controller for autonomous calibration and inspection of two or more solar surfaces wherein the robotic controller includes a drive system to position itself near a solar surface such that onboard sensors may be utilized to gather information about the solar surface. An onboard communication unit relays information to a central processing network, this processor combines new information with stored historical data to calibrate a solar surface and/or to determine its instantaneous health.
US08442775B2	System and method for monitoring dissolved gases in insulating oil of high voltage equipment A system and method for monitoring dissolved uses in insulating oil of power transformers and other high voltage equipment includes an orifice for accessing the insulating oil, and using a monitoring system to sample the oil and measure the concentration of different gases dissolved in the oil to determine what is going on inside the high voltage equipment.
US08442774B2	Diagnosing fetal chromosomal aneuploidy using paired end Embodiments of this invention provide methods, systems, and apparatus for determining whether a fetal chromosomal aneuploidy exists from a biological sample obtained from a pregnant female. Nucleic acid molecules of the biological sample are sequenced, such that a fraction of the genome is sequenced. Respective amounts of a clinically-relevant chromosome and of background chromosomes are determined from results of the sequencing. The determination of the relative amounts may count sequences of only certain length. A parameter derived from these amounts (e.g. a ratio) is compared to one or more cutoff values, thereby determining a classification of whether a fetal chromosomal aneuploidy exists. Prior to sequencing, the biological sample may be enriched for DNA fragments of a particular sizes.
US08442759B2	System and method for providing multiple portions of a route in a telematics system A method for communicating navigational information to a telematics unit. The method comprises receiving route requirements; calculating a plurality of portions of a route, each portion calculated according to different sets of criteria, the criteria determined from the route requirements; and sending the plurality of portions to the telematics unit. The portions of the route can be provided to the telematics unit sequentially, with non-final portions including a trigger for indicating to the telematics unit when to request the next portion. The portions can also be provided to the telematics unit as a complete route comprising concatenated route portions.
US08442757B2	Navigation device When setting a spot by designating a desired position on a map displayed on a display unit, a spot setting menu picture is displayed in the vicinity of the designated position, thereby improving the visibility of a positional relation to improve operability. A navigation device (1) is provided with an input unit (13) which designates a spot on the displayed map, a spot position detection unit (16) which identifies the spot designated by the input unit (13), a menu display position determination unit (17) which determines the display position of the menu picture (38) for selecting an item for setting the spot identified by the spot position detection unit (16), and a mark display unit (18) which displays a spot setting mark (36) which indicates a touch-operated position on a display screen. The menu display position determination unit (17) detects the display position of the spot setting mark (36) and determines the display position of the menu picture (38) in accordance with the display position of the spot setting mark (36).
US08442756B2	Navigation apparatus A navigation apparatus includes a base unit fastenable to a dashboard at a driver's seat of a vehicle, a front panel unit attachable to and detachable from the base unit and with a display displaying map data, and a microcomputer adapted to perform a navigation function to indicate a determined location of the vehicle on the map data. The navigation apparatus is configured such that a part of the front panel unit projects from a surface of the dashboard toward a user seated in the driver's seat, as viewed from side, when the front panel unit is attached to the base unit. With this, the degree of freedom of front panel unit attachment/detachment with respect to the base unit is improved without sacrificing the appearance of the navigation apparatus.
US08442754B2	Apparatus, method and medium detecting landmarks with a mobile device An apparatus, method and medium detecting landmarks with a mobile device. The apparatus includes a storage unit to store rules of landmarks that correspond to connection relations among items representing a user's living patterns, an analysis unit to statistically analyze the collected log information representing a current living pattern of the user, a landmark probability inferring unit to infer in probability the landmarks according to the analyzed log information based on the stored rules, and a landmark selection unit to select a final landmark by mutually analyzing the stored rules and the inferred landmarks.
US08442750B1	Remotely controlled traffic management system A traffic control system can include a remote control station and a plurality of traffic control assets. Each asset is networked to the control station with a radiofrequency (RF) transceiver and an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU can receive commands from the control station. In response, ECU can activate a light, or an audio device that is located on the traffic control asset. To move and position the traffic control asset can include at least two wheels and a corresponding motor for each wheel, which can be operated by the ECU to maneuver the traffic control asset according to the user's needs. The traffic asset can be a stop sign or a traffic cone. In some instances, the traffic control asset can have a flat configuration, for convenient storage and a deployed configuration, which can be established from the control station.
US08442747B2	Cylinder air mass prediction systems for stop-start and hybrid electric vehicles An engine system includes a first module that determines a cylinder of an engine to be in one of M prediction types and generates a distance from intake signal indicating a number of prediction steps the cylinder is away from an intake stroke. M is an integer greater than or equal to 3. A second module determines a cycle type of the cylinder. The cycle type indicates a number of combustion cycles the cylinder has experienced from a last restart of the engine. A cylinder air charge module estimates an air mass within the cylinder based on the distance from intake signal and the cycle type.
US08442745B2	Fuel supply apparatus for internal combustion engine and control method thereof In control executed by a fuel supply apparatus having a delivery passage that delivers fuel to a fuel injection valve, a fuel pump that pumps the fuel from a fuel tank to the delivery passage, and a check valve that allows the fuel to flow out of the delivery passage into the fuel tank, that opens when a first fuel pressure on the delivery passage is higher than a second fuel pressure on the fuel tank by at least a set pressure, when the first fuel pressure is lower than a lower limit pressure being higher than the set pressure in a case where fuel injection is to be stopped, the fuel pump is controlled so that the first fuel pressure rises to or above the lower limit pressure, and after the first fuel pressure has reached or exceeded the lower limit pressure, the abnormality diagnosis is executed on the check valve.
US08442741B2	Vehicle control apparatus Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. An ECU is operative to set a reduction speed threshold value to determine a driver's braking intention on the basis of the correlation in the depression amount of an accelerator pedal, the depression amount of a brake pedal, and a travel state of a vehicle caused by the depression amounts of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. The ECU is further operative to change the reduction speed threshold value on the basis of the detected drive state to compare the travel state calculated on the basis of the detected drive state with the changed reduction speed threshold value to determine the driver's braking intention, thereby making it possible to determine the driver's braking intention without detecting the operation amount of a driver and to accurately estimate the driver's braking intention. This makes it possible to change the reduction control between executed and not executed, and to improve the drivability.
US08442738B2	Speed control for patient handling device A patient handling device, such as a bed, stretcher, cot, or the like, includes a motor for driving one or more wheels to assist in the movement of the device. At least one proximity sensor is positioned on the device in order to detect the presence of one or more objects that may lie in the path of the device when it moves. A controller on the device determines the distance between itself and the object and automatically controls the speed of the device in a manner designed to reduce the likelihood of a collision and/or to mitigate the impact of a collision. The automatic speed control of the device may follow one or more predetermined profiles that correlate certain parameters, such as a distance to the object or relative velocity, with a maximum acceptable speed of the device.
US08442733B2	Method for detecting the performance of a skip shift device A skip shift device performance detecting method used to more accurately enable skip shift diagnostic execution in a manual transmission equipped vehicle where a skip shift has been requested and a transmission clutch remains engaged. Where a skip shift request ceases during clutch engagement, a timed loop is used to monitor if clutch disengagement occurs before the loop times out. Where clutch disengagement occurs before the loop times out, skip shift diagnostic execution is enabled. Where the loop times out before disengagement, skip shift diagnostic execution is disabled. Where the skip shift is requested and the clutch remains engaged, the skip shift request is monitored to determine whether it is withdrawn before clutch disengagement. If it is withdrawn before clutch disengagement, the aforementioned timed monitoring loop is executed. If it is not withdrawn before clutch disengagement, execution of the skip shift diagnostic is enabled.
US08442725B2	Occupant protection device for vehicle An occupant protection device includes: a controller; first and second bus lines; a first collision sensor arranged on a side of the vehicle, and transmitting a first signal to the controller via the first bus line; a second collision sensor arranged on a center of the vehicle, and transmitting a second signal to the controller via the second bus line; and a third collision sensor arranged on a front side from the first collision sensor, and transmitting a third signal to the controller via the second bus line. The controller determines the collision on the side of the vehicle based on the first and second signals. The controller determines the collision on a part of the vehicle based on the third signal, the part disposed on the front side from the first collision sensor. The controller activates an occupant protection element.
US08442708B2	System and method for pacing a powered system traveling along a route A system is provided for pacing a powered system traveling along a route separated into a plurality of block regions. Each block region has a respective signal. The system includes a controller configured to receive a status of the signal in an adjacent block region to a current block region of the powered system. The controller is configured to determine a time duration between a change in the status of the signal in an adjacent block region. The controller is further configured to determine an expected status of the signal to be experienced by the powered system in the plurality of block regions, based upon the time duration and a route parameter of the plurality of block regions.
US08442707B2	Implementing continuous descent approaches for maximum predictability in aircraft The present invention relates to continuous descent approaches that ensure the greatest certainty in arrival time. The continuous descent approach is flown by maintaining an aerodynamic flight path angle, thereby allowing a ground speed to be followed with greater accuracy. An improvement is described that accounts for turns made during continuous descent approaches that may otherwise cause a drift away from the desired ground speed, and hence arrival time. A correction to the aerodynamic flight path angle is used that produces a compensatory change in the potential energy of the aircraft upon completing the turn to balance the anticipated drift in kinetic energy.
US08442706B2	Module for integrated approach to an offshore facility A system and method to facilitate approach of a VTOL aircraft to an offshore facility includes inputting a waypoint for a landing platform of an offshore facility into an aircraft module, inputting an offset distance from the landing platform into the aircraft module, inputting a minimum descent height into an aircraft module, and inputting a final approach inbound course toward the landing platform into the aircraft module.
US08442696B2	Gas meter and gas safety system Setting safety function, as appropriate, according to a user environment is enabled, thereby enhancing safety function. According to selection information from a safety function selection unit 120, a function setting unit 116 sets arbitrary function among a plurality of functions as safety function pertaining to usage of a gas. When operating conditions for safety function are fulfilled, a monitoring unit 112 detects malfunction, which would arise during usage of a gas, and outputs a safety signal to a control unit 114 in accordance with the set safety function. In accordance with a safety signal from the monitoring unit 112, the control unit 114 cuts off a gas supply when an event fulfilling operating conditions for the set function has arisen. When an event fulfilling operating conditions for an unset function has arisen, a communication unit 124 reports occurrence of malfunction pertaining to unset function to the monitoring center 200.
US08442693B2	System and method of use for a user interface dashboard of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning network The disclosure provides systems and methods of use of an HVAC graphical interface dashboard. In various embodiments, the dashboard includes a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen. The dashboard also includes an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein the humidity screen interprets a percentage of humidity for a user. A programs tab and a home tab are also provided. At least one attribute of a presentation of the home screen is selectable by a user.
US08442692B2	Method for performing adaptive friction compensation in an actuator accounting for variation in friction characteristics of wave gear drive accompanying change in temperature According to a method for performing adaptive friction compensation of an actuator including a wave gear drive, there is used as a friction compensation current applied to a motor drive current a static friction compensation current is when a motor shaft stops with a deviation, and a Coulomb friction compensation current ic in other circumstances. The static friction compensation current is is obtained by adding a compensation amount isr of a monotonically increasing ramp function to a compensation amount iss of a step function, and a step-function compensation amount ics is used as the Coulomb friction compensation current ic. Since the amount of friction compensation can be changed adaptively based on the data during positioning-control response, a motor shaft can be stabilized at a target angle without prominent accompanying vibration, even if the ambient temperature changes and the friction characteristics of the wave gear drive fluctuate.
US08442686B2	Articulated arm robot, control method and control program An articulated arm robot includes a support part capable of extending and contracting upward and downward, a first arm part with one end joined to the support part through a first joint to be rotatable about a yaw axis and having a second joint rotatable about a roll axis between both ends, a second arm part with one end joined to the other end of the first arm part through a third joint to be rotatable about the yaw axis or a pitch axis, an end effector part joined to the other end of the second arm part through a fourth joint to be rotatable about the yaw axis or the pitch axis, and drivers that respectively cause the first to fourth joints to rotate and the support part to extend and contract, and a controller that performs drive control of the drivers of the first to fourth joints by switching the arm between a SCARA mode where the first, second and third arm parts rotate only in a horizontal plane and a perpendicular mode where the second and third arm parts rotate only in a vertical plane.
US08442685B2	Robot control apparatus In an embodiment of the present invention, with the purpose of more accurately calculating a disturbance torque generated by an external force acting on a robot, friction parameters contained in algorithms, such as a friction coefficient and a dead-zone threshold value, are dynamically changed based on the mode of operation, the operation speed, and the like. In this manner, a drive torque is estimated with high accuracy.
US08442681B2	Desired motion evaluation apparatus of legged mobile robot A desired motion evaluation apparatus of a legged mobile robot uses virtual surfaces (S3a, S2a, S2b) to approximate a plurality of surfaces to be contacted (FL, WL1, WL2) in an operating environment of the robot (1), and calculates translational forces (required virtual surface translational forces) to be applied from virtual surfaces (S3a, S2a, S2b) to the robot (1) in order to implement a translational motion of the desired motion of the entire robot (1). The desired motion evaluation apparatus evaluates the desired motion on the basis of the required virtual surface translational forces.
US08442677B2	Verification system for robot pose An apparatus and method for assuring effective backup for sensor failure in robots, by utilizing a single extra sensor attached between the end actuator and the base. The single extra sensor provides absolute back-up for any single encoder failure that may occur in the system, and statistically significant back-up for any double encoder failure. A single additional sensor effectively provides the robotic system with one redundant information input to the robot control algorithm, which can be used in order to determine whether any of the other control sensors, or even the additional sensor itself, has failed and is delivering an erroneous reading, and hence to warn the operator of the failure. A single additional sensor also provides useful warning of the simultaneous failure of two sensors, since the likelihood that two sensors fail simultaneously in a mode that makes the failures undetectable, can be regarded as statistically insignificant.
US08442672B2	Method and apparatus for monitoring the transport of an object A method and a device monitor the transport of an object, particularly of a piece of mail that is provided with a delivery point, to which the object is transported. A sorting system reads the delivery point and generates a first attribute vector differentiating the object from all other transported objects. The first attribute vector and the read delivery point are stored. At the conclusion of the transport a second attribute vector is generated for the object. The object is identified by the second attribute vector. A central computer determines from which of those objects, having run through the sorting system at a predetermined period, the information transmitted originates.
US08442662B2	Measurement parameter input control device and measurement parameter input control method A measurement parameter input control method and a measurement parameter input control device are provided which can intuitively change measurement parameters, which are set for a target device and are necessary for various measuring processes, with high operability. The measurement parameter input control device includes: a parameter processing section that acquires measurement parameter information including measurement parameters from a target device and that rewrites changed parameters which are measurement parameters after the changing to the target device; a parameter identifying section that identifies the types of the parameters in the acquired measurement parameter information and outputs soft key constructing information for constructing a parameter setting soft key based on the identified measurement parameter information, a display control section that includes a soft key controller displaying and controlling the parameter setting soft key based on the measurement parameter information on a display screen of a display unit on the basis of the soft key constructing information from the parameter identifying section; and an input unit that operates the parameter setting soft key displayed on the display unit.
US08442656B2	Cardiac lead having implantable stiffening structures for fixation A cardiac lead adapted for fixation at least partially within a cardiac vessel. The lead includes, in one embodiment, an elongate lead body defining a proximal region and a distal region including a distal end region having at least one electrode and a distal tip. The distal end region is configured such that the electrode and the distal tip can be implanted in the cardiac vessel. Stiffening structures in the distal region of the lead are adapted to stiffen selected portions of the lead for fixation of the electrode within the cardiac vessel. In some embodiments, the stiffening structures include an implantable member adapted to be implanted in a lumen of the lead. In other embodiments, the stiffening structures include a sheath adapted to be deployed over the lead body. In still other embodiments, the stiffening structures are integral to the lead and/or the lead body.
US08442654B2	Electrode array with electrodes having cutout portions and methods of making the same A lead for brain stimulation includes a lead body having a distal end. At least one cable extends within the lead body, each cable comprising at least one conductor. The lead further includes a plurality of electrodes coupled to the at least one cable. Each of the plurality of electrodes defines a cutout portion that receives and attaches to a one of the at least one cable.
US08442652B2	Medical implantable lead and method for connecting a medical implantable lead to an organ In a medical implantable lead of the type adapted to be implanted into a human or animal body for monitoring and/or controlling of an organ inside the body and a method for connecting such a lead to an organ in the human or animal body. The lead has a fixation arrangement at a distal end, and the fixation arrangement is adapted to penetrate into the tissue of the organ to fixate the lead to the organ. An electrode member is provided to receive and/or transmit electrical signals from or to the organ. The electrode member is resiliently pre-strained toward the distal end of the lead and is provided with an electrode surface such that the electrode surface will resiliently abut toward the outer surface of the organ when the fixation arrangement is fixed to the tissue.
US08442641B2	Retinal prosthesis techniques Apparatus for use with an external non-visible light source is provided. The apparatus comprises an intraocular device configured for implantation in a human eye, and comprising an energy receiver. The energy receiver is configured to receive light emitted from the external non-visible light source, and extract energy from the emitted light for powering the intraocular device. The intraocular device is configured to regulate a parameter of operation of the intraocular device based on a modulation of the light emitted by the external non-visible light source and received by the energy receiver. Other embodiments are also described.
US08442640B2	Neural stimulation modulation based on monitored cardiovascular parameter An aspect relates to a system for providing baroreflex stimulation. An embodiment of the system comprises a heart rate monitor to sense a heart rate and provide a signal indicative of the heart rate, and a baroreflex stimulator. The stimulator includes a pulse generator to intermittently generate a stimulation signal to provide baroreflex stimulation for a baroreflex therapy, and further includes a modulator to adjust the stimulation signal based on the signal indicative of the heart rate such that the stimulation signal provides a desired baroreflex stimulation corresponding to a desired heart rate.
US08442638B2	Adaptive baroreflex stimulation therapy for disordered breathing An approach to providing disordered breathing therapy includes delivering electrical stimulation therapy modifying a patient's baroreflex response. Disordered breathing therapy may be delivered in response to prediction or detection of disordered breathing events. Various conditions affecting the patient may be evaluated and the baroreflex therapy modified. The therapy may be modified to improve therapy efficacy, to reduce an impact to the patient and/or to mitigate therapy interactions.
US08442637B2	Self-sealing septum assembly Exemplary septum assemblies include first and second housing components each defined by at least an inner surface, at least one sealing strip disposed at least partially on at least one of the inner surfaces of the housing components, and a compression member at least partially surrounding the housing components.
US08442633B2	Cardiac cycle synchronized sampling of impedance signal A system comprising implantable device, the implantable medical device including an intrinsic cardiac signal sensor, an impedance measurement circuit configured to apply a specified current to a transthoracic region of a subject and to sample a transthoracic voltage resulting from the specified current, and a processor coupled to the intrinsic cardiac signal sensor and the impedance measurement circuit. The processor is configured to initiate sampling of a transthoracic voltage signal in a specified time relation to a fiducial marker in a sensed intrinsic cardiac signal, wherein the sampling attenuates or removes variation with cardiac stroke volume from the transthoracic voltage signal, and determine lung respiration using the sampled transthoracic voltage signal.
US08442628B2	Differential voltage sensing method A differential voltage sensing method for achieving input impedance matching comprises the steps of: providing a first bio-potential signal to a first variable resistor for generating a first signal; providing a second bio-potential signal to a second variable resistor for generating a second signal; differentially amplifying first and second signals for generating a third signal; selecting an operation band of the third signal for generating first and second logic signals; and dynamically adjusting one of the impedances of the first and second variable resistors according to the first and second logic signals, wherein each of the first and second bio-potential signals has a common signal voltage level and a differential signal voltage level.
US08442625B2	Determining and illustrating tracking system members A volume of a patient can be mapped with a system operable to identify a plurality of locations and save a plurality of locations of a mapping instrument. The mapping instrument can include one or more electrodes that can sense a voltage that can be correlated to a three dimensional location of the electrode at the time of the sensing or measurement. Therefore, a map of a volume can be determined based upon the sensing of the plurality of points without the use of other imaging devices. An implantable medical device can then be navigated relative to the mapping data.
US08442608B2	System and method for estimating physiological parameters by deconvolving artifacts There is disclosed a system and methods to estimate physiological parameters. In accordance with embodiments a method is disclosed which includes generating distribution data for a plurality of signals. The method may also include deconvolving one of the plurality of signals from the other plurality of signals to produce clean signals. The clean signals may then be used to calculate physiological parameters.
US08442596B2	Hearing assistive system with low power interface A communications interface provides for communications between a wireless communication device and a hearing assistive device. The communications interface converts a signal, including an audio signal, received from the wireless communication device into a format recognizable by a hearing assistive device. The communications interface generates a communication signal including the audio signal based on the converted signal and transmits the communication signal to the hearing assistive device using a low power radio frequency transmission protocol. The hearing assistive device converts the communication signal received from the communications interface into a usable format, extracts an audible signal from the communication signal, and manipulates the extracted audible signal according to a criterion associated with a user of the hearing assistive device.
US08442594B2	Communication device and method for processing incoming calls A communication device includes a receiving unit, a number obtaining unit, and a reminder unit. The incoming receiving unit receives an incoming call request from a caller. The number obtaining unit obtains a phone number of the caller from the incoming call request. The reminder unit includes a reminder state, and a non-reminder state which is default. The reminder unit generates a prompt to remind a callee to accept the incoming call when in the reminder state, and does not generate a prompt for the incoming call when in the non-reminder state. The reminder unit changes into the reminder state from the non-reminder state when the phone number of the caller is not listed in a phonebook of the communication device and request duration of the incoming call reaches a predetermined value.
US08442588B2	Systems having cables with wireless communications capabilities In a system that includes electronic equipment such as a computer or power adapter and that includes electronic devices such as cellular telephones, media players, and other devices, cables may be provided with wireless transceiver circuitry. Each cable may include a power path without including data lines. When a user desires to power a device, the cable may be used to connect the device to the electronic equipment. The power path in the cable may deliver power from the electronic equipment to the electronic device. Data may be conveyed between the electronic equipment and the electronic device wirelessly, using the wireless transceiver circuitry in the cable. The cable may have first and second connectors at respective ends of the cable. The wireless transceiver circuitry may be contained within the first connector or within the first and second connectors. The wireless transceiver circuitry may be identified using an identifier.
US08442586B2	Determining USB/ISO interface and power supply voltage in mobile device A system and method for automatically determining a type of electrical interface used by a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (“UICC”) card. In one embodiment, a wireless device includes a UICC card port, and UICC detector. The UICC detector determines which of a plurality of electrical interfaces are provided by a UICC card coupled to the UICC card port. The UICC detector configures the UICC card port in accordance with a provided electrical interface of the UICC card.
US08442583B1	Communication device The communication device comprising a voice communication implementer, a calculation implementer, an icon software implementer, a multiple language implementer, and a remote control implementer.

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