Document Document Title
US08615808B2 Method of processing data to enable external storage thereof with minimized risk of information leakage
A method is provided to process data so that the data can be externally stored with minimized risk of information leakage. A framework (virtual execution framework) based on virtual machines (VMs) is utilized as a substitute for a trusted institution. Encryption of consolidated data can reduce risk of information leakage and enhance security. Since the virtual execution framework can control connection and direction of communication, financial institutions are allowed to apply encryption to data on their own, which makes the data further appropriate for external storage. By allowing financial institutions to apply their own decryption, it is possible to prevent one of two financial institutions from retrieving externally stored data into the external execution framework without intervention of the other. Additionally, associated acting subjects can be provided with freedom depending on the degree of information leakage risk.
US08615781B2 Method of processing channel information and receiver
A method of processing channel information of a transmitter/receiver, and a receiver are disclosed. The method of processing channel information in the receiver receives at least two of provider identification information, region identification information, content source identification information, content genre identification information, content data characteristic identification information, channel level identification information and content existing channel number identification information, forms multi-part channel information using the received identification information according to a preset channel information format, and connects to a content service server providing content service corresponding to the multi-part channel information.
US08615774B2 Abstracting data acquisition and management
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for abstracting data acquisition and management. One or more aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in one or more methods including: providing a cross-platform application program interface for a software application that runs in an application execution environment running on a computing platform; receiving a request, through the cross-platform application program interface, from the software application for access to a real-time sensor device; and in response to the request, identifying which of multiple predetermined sensor devices is currently available, the identified sensor device being configured to provide real-time data, determining an interval based on information associated with the software application, and providing data derived from the identified sensor device to the software application in accordance with the interval.
US08615770B1 System and method for dynamically spawning thread blocks within multi-threaded processing systems
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for partitioning a predecessor thread program into sub-programs and dynamically spawning a thread grid of the sub-programs based on the outcome of a conditional statement in the predecessor thread program. The programming instructions for the predecessor thread program are analyzed to assess the benefit of partitioning the thread program at a conditional statement into sub-programs. If the predecessor thread program is partitioned, then each branch of the conditional statement may be used to form a separate sub-program. Predicate tables are populated at the predecessor thread program run-time to establish which possible instances of the thread sub-programs should be spawned in subsequent execution phases.
US08615744B2 Methods and system for managing assets in programming code translation
Managing assets during translation of source application to a target application may involve analyzing the source application to generate a database of characteristics of source assets. Thereafter, performance metrics for a target platform may be determined based on the characteristics of the source assets. Subsequently, the source assets may be processed based on the performance metrics to generate target assets.
US08615742B2 Autonomic hotspot profiling using paired performance sampling
A processor performance profiler is enabled to for identify specific instructions causing performance issues within a program being executed by a microprocessor through random sampling to find the worst-case offenders of a particular event type such as a cache miss or a branch mis-prediction. Tracking all instructions causing a particular event generates large data logs, creates performance penalties, and makes code analysis more difficult. However, by identifying and tracking the worst offenders within a random sample of events without having to hash all events results in smaller memory requirements for the performance profiler, lower performance impact while profiling, and decreased complexity to analyze the program to identify major performance issues, which, in turn, enables better optimization of the program in shorter developer time.
US08615739B2 Resource monitoring
Monitoring resources of a computing device during testing of software applications provides useful feedback to developers and implementers of the software application. By periodically collecting system counter data during automated testing of the software application, and correlating the collected data to a state of the test, the actions of the test causing any undesirable resource issues can be readily identified.
US08615729B2 Extending existing model-to-model transformations
A method, system and apparatus for extending an existing model-to-model transformation. A method for extending a model-to-model transformation can include merging an extension to the model-to-model transformation with the model-to-model transformation to produce an extended model-to-model transformation. Specifically, the merging step can include identifying insertion points for specified transform elements in the model-to-model transformation and inserting the specified transform elements at the identified insertion points in the model-to-model transformation to produce an extended model-to-model transformation. Subsequently, the extended model-to-model transformation can be dynamically applied to a source model in order to produce a target model.
US08615721B2 Information display system, information display method, and computer program product
A thumbnail image generating unit generates thumbnail images from a plurality of images having a sequential relation. A thumbnail image displaying unit displays the thumbnail images generated according to the sequential relation. A thumbnail image designating unit receives a designation of a thumbnail image from among the thumbnail images. An enlarging unit generates an enlarged image of a designated thumbnail image. An enlarged image displaying unit displays the enlarged image. A forward-advance designating unit designates a forward advance of the enlarged image displayed by the enlarged image displaying unit according to the sequential relation.
US08615720B2 Handheld electronic device and associated method employing a graphical user interface to output on a display virtually stacked groups of selectable objects
A handheld electronic device and an improved method employ a GUI to depict a plurality of selectable objects on a display. The selectable objects are arranged in groups, with at least one of the groups being depicted on the display at any given time. The groups are arranged in rings, and the rings are in a virtually stacked arrangement, which enables the user to progressively depict one group of selectable objects after the next. An indicator and a large background, individually or in combination, indicate to the user which ring of selectable objects from the plurality of stacked rings is currently active.
US08615714B2 System and method for performing multiple, simultaneous, independent simulations in a motion capture environment
A motion capture environment includes a plurality of sensor-trackers for tracking physical locations of a plurality of tracked objects relating to a first simulation within the motion capture environment and for tracking physical locations of a plurality of tracked objects relating to a second simulation, which is different from the first simulation, within the motion capture environment and one or more computers collectively operable to generate a first virtual reality environment corresponding to the first simulation and a second virtual reality environment corresponding to the second simulation.
US08615712B2 Executing a populated code template to generate a browser-executable software program to present a web page as a mobile application
A browser-executable software program for presenting a web page that provides the “look and feel” and functionality of a mobile application can be automatically generated from a mobile application specification. The mobile application specification identifies one or more predetermined content component types and one or more associated content sources. For each content component type, a copy of a corresponding code generation template is populated with a URL for each corresponding content source and executed to produce browser-executable program code. The browser-executable program code is then embedded into a populated copy of a navigation container code template to form a complete browser-executable software program, which is integrated into an HTML page. The HTML page can be returned in response to a request from a browser executing on a networked mobile wireless telecommunication computing device and the HTML page carries the browser-executable software program to the browser.
US08615709B2 Initiating font subsets
A computer-implemented method includes analyzing content of a received electronic document in an autonomous manner to identify each unique character of one or more fonts included in the content of the electronic document. The method also includes initiating a request for a subset of one or more of the fonts included in the content of the electronic document, wherein the request includes each identified unique character of the respective one or more fonts.
US08615707B2 Adding new attributes to a structured presentation
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs stored on computer storage media, for retrieval and display of information from an electronic document collection. One aspect can be embodied in machine-implemented methods that include the actions of receiving description data describing a preexisting structured presentation, comparing characteristics of the preexisting structured presentation with content of electronic documents in an unstructured collection of electronic documents to locate electronic documents that identify a new attribute that is relevant to the preexisting structured presentation, adding an identifier of the new attribute to the preexisting structured presentation to form an expanded structured presentation, and outputting instructions for presenting the expanded structured presentation.
US08615703B2 Advanced bitwise operations and apparatus in a multi-level system with nonvolatile memory
A digital system, components and method are configured with nonvolatile memory for storing digital data using codewords. The data is stored in the memory using multiple bits per memory cell of the memory. A code efficiency, for purposes of write operations and read operations relating to the memory, can be changed on a codeword to codeword basis based on input parameters. The code efficiency can change based on changing any one of the input parameters including bit density that is stored by the memory. Storing and reading fractional bit densities can be performed.
US08615693B2 Scan test circuitry comprising scan cells with multiple scan inputs
An integrated circuit comprises scan test circuitry and additional circuitry subject to testing utilizing the scan test circuitry. The scan test circuitry comprises scan cells configured to form scan chains. At least a given one of the scan cells is a multiple scan input scan cell having at least first and second scan inputs. In a first scan shift mode of operation, the given scan cell is configured with a first plurality of other scan cells into a scan chain of a first type using the first scan input. In a second scan shift mode of operation, the given scan cell is configured with a second plurality of other scan cells different than the first plurality of other scan cells into a scan chain of a second type using the second scan input.
US08615691B2 Process for improving design-limited yield by localizing potential faults from production test data
A process for improving design-limited yield by collecting test fail data, converting to electrical faults, and localizing to physical area on semiconductor die. The steps of identifying an area on a wafer containing a fault to enable the analysis of specific defects, accumulating data suitable for yield monitoring analysis based on pattern test failures logged on scan cells in scan chains on automatic test equipment, and translating scan cell and scan chain failure reports to geometric locations of electrical structures on wafers.
US08615689B2 Correcting errors in longitudinal position (LPOS) words
A method for longitudinal position (LPOS) detection in a magnetic tape storage system for storing data upon linear tape open (LTO) magnetic storage tape, which data includes odd and even 36-bit LPOS words with error correcting ability. The method includes first encoding positional information onto the tape within the 36-bit LPOS words using each LPOS word's 8-bit sync mark field, and six of each LPOS word's 4-bit symbol fields, wherein 6 of 24 total bits comprise the encoded 8-bit sync mark field: Sy, and six 4-bit symbol fields are utilized as parity bits. The magnetic tape storage system passes the LTO magnetic storage tape encoded with the odd and even LPOS words with error correcting ability longitudinally across a servo reader/writer at a known speed, decoding the encoded positional information and detecting and correcting both ambiguous bits and single erroneous bit errors.
US08615688B2 Method and system for iteratively testing and repairing an array of memory cells
A memory system includes an array of memory cells and a repair module. Multiple memory cells in the array are redundant to other memory cells in the array. The repair module iteratively tests the array. During the iterative testing of the array, the repair module, during each test of the array, (i) identifies one or more defective memory cells in the array, if any, and (ii) in response to one or more defective memory cells being identified during the test, respectively replaces the one or more defective memory cells with one or more memory cells that are redundant to other memory cells in the array. The repair module performs the iterative testing of the array until (i) the repair module does not detect a defective memory cell or (ii) no memory cells of the memory cells that are redundant remain available for replacement of a defective memory cell.
US08615684B2 High reliability processor system
A method of testing the integrity of microprogramming within a computer processor employs a test calculation designed to exercise instructions and to reveal errors in those instructions. The problem of testing instructions using the very instructions which may possibly be corrupt is addressed by developing a signature passed from instruction to instruction providing a low likelihood of a false positive outcome. A time-out system is used in the evaluation of the test calculation to capture a wide variety of other pathological operating conditions.
US08615678B1 Auto-adapting multi-tier cache
A method, computer program product, and storage network system for detecting a failure of a highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system included within a storage network. The highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system includes cache data. The cache data is replicated onto a non-volatile, solid-state, cache memory system included within the storage network. At least one data request concerning the highly-available, volatile, solid state cache memory system is redirected to the non-volatile, solid-state, cache memory system.
US08615676B2 Providing first field data capture in a virtual input/output server (VIOS) cluster environment with cluster-aware vioses
A first virtual I/O server (VIOS) provides a cluster aware (CA) operating system (OS) executing on a processor resource of the first VIOS to register the first VIOS within a VIOS cluster. The first VIOS comprises a first field/failure data capture (FFDC) module that executes within the first VIOS and performs the functions of: receiving from an event listener a signal indicating that an FFFDC event/condition has been detected by the first VIOS; and automatically transmitting FFDC data to the shared storage repository for storage of the FFDC data within the shared storage repository. The FFDC module further performs the functions of: transmitting to one or more second VIOSes within the VIOS cluster, one or more messages to inform the one or more second VIOSes of an occurrence of the FFDC event/condition that was detected by the first VIOS.
US08615655B2 Methods and devices for packet tagging using IP indexing via dynamic-length prefix code
Methods including the steps of: upon sending an IP packet, obtaining, by a sender, a sender identity for a sender of the packet; securely tagging, by a sender, the packet with the sender identity, the packet having a plurality of fixed-length fields concatenated into a single fixed-length virtual field shared between a cryptographic hash and an identity index for supporting multiple distinct identities residing on an IP endpoint; determining, by a receiver, the sender identity by extracting it from the packet; checking, by the receiver, the packet to ensure the packet has been appropriately tagged; and enforcing a security policy, by the receiver, according to the sender identity. Preferably, the step of obtaining includes: accessing, by the sender, a server for obtaining the sender identity; and associating, by the server, the sender identity with the endpoint. Most preferably, the associating is performed using a prefix code for encoding the identities.
US08615640B2 System and method to efficiently schedule and/or commit write data to flash based SSDs attached to an array controller
An apparatus comprising a controller and an array. The controller may be configured to generate control signals in response to one or more input requests. The array may comprise a plurality of solid state devices. The solid state devices may be configured to (i) read and/or write data in response to the control signals received from the controller and (ii) distribute writes across the plurality of solid state devices such that each of said solid state devices has a similar number of writes.
US08615638B2 Memory controllers, systems and methods for applying page management policies based on stream transaction information
Memory controllers, systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for applying a page management policy(ies) based on stream transaction information are disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory controller is provided and configured to receive memory access requests for stream transactions. The memory controller is configured to perform a memory access to a memory page(s) in memory included in the stream transaction. The controller is further configured to apply a page management policy(ies) to the memory page(s) in memory based on information related to the stream transactions. In this manner, the page management policy(ies) can be configured to utilize page open policies for efficiency that stream transactions may facilitate, but while also recognizing and taking into consideration in the page management policy latency issues that can arise when the memory controller is handling memory access requests from different devices.
US08615632B2 Co-storage of data storage page linkage, size, and mapping
A logical page identity for a logical page containing data storage application data can be mapped to a physical storage page location in a storage where the data of the logical page are stored. The mapping as well as additional page data can be retained within a persistence layer accessible to the data storage application. The additional page data can include at least one of a size of the page and a next page linkage indicating a second page that follows the page in a page sequence of related pages. The retained mapping and additional page data can be retrieved from the persistence layer to initiate a page operation on the related pages, and the page operation can be executed on the related pages based on the retrieved mapping and additional page data. Related methods, systems, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.
US08615630B2 Systems and methods for managing data storage
This invention is directed to a system by which data received by an electronic device from a server may be selectively stored in cache. The electronic device may define an anchor that is related to the current position of a playhead reading data stored in cache. The electronic device may then dynamically assign values to each data block of the received file based on the position of the anchor. As the anchor moves, the value of data blocks changes, and new incoming data may replace less valuable data previously stored in cache.
US08615629B2 Access scheduler
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for scheduling memory accesses for one or more memory devices. This system includes a set of queues configured to store memory access requests, wherein each queue is associated with at least one memory bank or memory device in the one or more memory devices. The system also includes a set of hierarchical levels configured to select memory access requests from the set of queues to send to the one or more memory devices, wherein each level in the set of hierarchical levels is configured to perform a different selection operation.
US08615627B2 Raid system based on calculated average of mechanical loads and solder joint damage and controlling method of the same
A RAID system to transfer data to and from host equipment includes a semiconductor storage unit, a semiconductor-memory selector, and a memory controller. The semiconductor storage unit includes two or more semiconductor memories, a mounting board, and solder joints. The semiconductor memories are mounted on the mounting board. The solder joints are between the semiconductor memories and the mounting board. The semiconductor-memory selector selects a combination of the semiconductor memories to dispersively record the data in the semiconductor storage unit. The memory controller accesses the combination in response to a request of the host equipment. In addition, the selector selects the combination so that mechanical loads received by the semiconductor memories are averaged.
US08615611B2 Devices and methods for transmitting USB data over DisplayPort transmission media
Devices and methods for communicating DisplayPort information and non-DisplayPort information over a DisplayPort cable are provided. In some embodiments, an integration device includes a main link switching circuit configured to selectively couple lanes of the DisplayPort main link to a DisplayPort source when configured to operate in a first mode, and to a non-DisplayPort source when configured to operate in a second mode. In some embodiments, the integration device may be configured to hot swap between the first mode and the second mode after an initial connection has been established.
US08615600B2 Communication between a host operating system and a guest operating system
In an embodiment, a guest operating system receives first host network information that identifies a host virtual network adapter. The first host network information uniquely identifies the host virtual network adapter. The guest operating system sends a first frame that comprises the first host network information to a guest virtual network adapter. The guest virtual network adapter sends the first frame to the host virtual network adapter. The guest operating system receives second host network information that identifies the host virtual network adapter. The second host network information uniquely identifies the host virtual network adapter. The guest operating system sends a second frame that comprises the second host network information to the guest virtual network adapter. The guest virtual network adapter sends the second frame to the host virtual network adapter identified by the second host network information in the second frame.
US08615595B2 Automatic protocol switching
A method comprises automatically determining whether a network device is local or remote to a client access device. If the network device is local to the client access device, the method comprises using a first access protocol to access the network device. If the network device is remote to the client access device, the method comprises using a second access protocol to access the network device.
US08615585B2 Ontology based resource provisioning and management for services
Techniques are disclosed for integration, provisioning and management of entities and processes in a computing system such as, by way of example only, business entities and business processes. In particular, techniques are disclosed for ontology based resource provisioning and management for services. For example, such an ontology based approach can be utilized in conjunction with a business support system which may be employed in conjunction with a cloud computing environment.
US08615584B2 Reserving services within a cloud computing environment
The present invention provides a solution for reserving Cloud services within a Cloud computing environment. Under the present invention, a customer/user can select a service for use sometime in the future. By scheduling in the future, the user can guarantee the service will be available for a specific price and set of service levels. One factor is that advanced reservation affects the cost of the service and the bounds by which the service levels of the service may change. The further in advance the job is scheduled, the tighter the bounds of the service level may be for a specific price. Advanced reservation may also guarantee execution on a preferred provider rather than being moved to a partner Cloud.
US08615582B2 System and method for network vulnerability detection and reporting
A system and method provide comprehensive and highly automated testing of vulnerabilities to intrusion on a target network, including identification of operating system, identification of target network topology and target computers, identification of open target ports, assessment of vulnerabilities on target ports, active assessment of vulnerabilities based on information acquired from target computers, quantitative assessment of target network security and vulnerability, and hierarchical graphical representation of the target network, target computers, and vulnerabilities in a test report. The system and method employ minimally obtrusive techniques to avoid interference with or damage to the target network during or after testing.
US08615579B1 Managing virtual machine migration
Systems and method for the management of migrations of virtual machine instances are provided. A migration manager monitors the resource usage of a virtual machine instance over time in order to create a migration profile. When migration of a virtual machine instance is desired, the migration manager schedules the migration to occur such that the migration conforms to the migration profile.
US08615558B2 E-mail reception control system, e-mail reception control method, mobile terminal and storage medium
An e-mail reception control system is provided for improving a convenience during international roaming and reducing unnecessary communication charges. The e-mail reception control system includes an e-mail reception control system including a mobile terminal which transmits filter information which is set in an own terminal and is referred to for determining whether to permit or reject a reception of an e-mail to a server in response to detecting international roaming and a server which controls a distribution of the e-mail to the mobile terminal based on the filter information.
US08615543B1 Saturation and rounding in multiply-accumulate blocks
Saturation and rounding capabilities are implemented in MAC blocks to provide rounded and saturated outputs of multipliers and of add-subtract-accumulate circuitrs implemented using DSP. These features support any suitable format of value representation, including the x.15 format. Circuitry within the multipliers and the add-subtract-accumulate circuits implement the rounding and saturation features of the present invention.
US08615539B2 Coefficient control for filter in magnetic media read channel
A read channel of a magnetic data storage device includes a filter to provide equalization of the signal being detected from the magnetic media. The filter utilizes coefficients for the filter response. The filter coefficients may drift sideways over time. The drift is detected and a correction is implemented by imposing a leakage on the coefficients to re-center the filter response. The leakage sign differs depending on the direction of drift detected.
US08615537B2 Method for encoding information using non linear evenly distributed functions and computer software for implementing said method
The invention related to a method for encoding information using non-linear evenly distributed functions, that comprises the following steps for building such a function: selecting a first natural integer n, a first set En of cardinal n, a group G operating on said first set En, a second natural integer q and a second set Eq of cardinal q; defining a set OG of the orbits of the group G operating on vectors of n elements in the set Eq, a function II that, for each vector of the n elements of the set Eq, associates the corresponding orbit and a second function Φ allocating to each orbit of the group G a value of the set Eq; evenly distributing into a number q of sections the sums of the cardinals of the orbits of the group; defining a third function F comprising the first and second functions ΦoII.
US08615532B2 System and method for electronically managing medical data files
A network server arrangement including a processor with a machine readable storage encoded with software for execution by the processor. The network server arrangement is responsive to requests to access a medical record of an individual and generates summary medical record data including summary information having a plurality of data elements associated with the individual, at least one of the data elements conveying medical information about the individual, and a pointers component including at least one pointer pointing to a network location containing importable medical information in connection with the individual that is not contained in the summary information component. The pointer includes a machine readable address part for processing by the client, allowing the client to import the medical information from the network location, and a label part for displaying to a user the nature of the medical information residing at the network location.
US08615530B1 Method and/or system for tree transformation
Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices and/or systems for manipulating hierarchical sets of data are disclosed. In one particular example, such methods, apparatuses, devices and/or systems may be directed to transforming between labeled and unlabeled trees which are elementary equivalents.
US08615525B2 Searching device, searching method and computer-readable storage medium permitting efficient presentation and selection of search term attribute information
A searching device including a data storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of data, each of which prescribes search terms respectively corresponding to a plurality of attributes of the piece of data; a character input unit that is configured to input characters that constitute an input search term one by one; and an attribute specifying screen display unit that, when a next character is input subsequently to a input character that has been input by the character input unit, displays an attribute specifying screen, including a corresponding attribute corresponding to at least one candidate of the input search term to be extracted from among the search terms by inputting the next character, configured such that the corresponding attribute is specified by a user.
US08615514B1 Evaluating website properties by partitioning user feedback
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for evaluating website properties by partitioning user feedback data are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a plurality of document query pairs (D-Qs) associated with a website, partitioning the plurality of D-Qs into one or more groups according to values for a partition parameter associated with the plurality of D-Qs, evaluating a property parameter of the website based on aggregated user feedback data of the D-Qs included within at least one of the one or more groups, and providing the evaluated property parameter as an input for ranking documents from the website as result documents for searches.
US08615510B2 Quick applications for search
A system and method for search, including steps of: receiving one or more search terms; searching an index for the one or more search terms to generate search results; retrieving the search results, wherein some of the search results include web pages associated with application programs; preparing a search results page for presentation to the user, wherein said search results page comprises at least a partial listing of the search results; presenting a search tool pod located on a portion of the search results page without obscuring the search results, wherein said search tool pod includes a list of application modules for executing the application programs associated with the search results that are presented; receiving a selection of a first application module; and presenting the first application module for user interaction in an area of the search results page that is smaller than the entire search results page.
US08615509B2 Abstracting information from a device
Requesting from a device to a source. In a device comprising a datastore, the datastore comprising a plurality of records, each record comprising a plurality of fields, retrieving a common set of fields from each of the plurality of records. The technology abstracts at least one of the retrieved fields across the plurality of records, resulting in abstracted information. The technology sends, to the source, the abstracted information from the device in place of the retrieved fields.
US08615506B2 Methods and systems for monitoring and tracking videos on the internet
Method and system for discovering and identifying a video object. The method includes crawling at least one predetermined website, discovering at least one video link at the predetermined website, processing information associated with a first database for storing one or more video links, and determining whether the discovered video link was already discovered before based on at least information associated with the first database. Additionally, the method includes, if the discovered video link is determined not to have been discovered before, updating the first database based on at least information associated with the discovered video link, downloading at least one video object based on at least information associated with the discovered video link, and processing information associated with the downloaded video object.
US08615504B2 Action alignment for event planning, project management and process structuring
An action alignment system for event planning and execution searches out web sites relating to event planning and, based on web site content, constructs a database of various tasks that might be desired for different events (tasks can also be manually added to the database). The tasks have associated tags which allow a task search engine to match a user query representing a proposed event to potential tasks. This list of potential tasks is presented to the user who may then select the tasks as desired to customize the event plan. Vendors can provide pre-packaged deals for the tasks, and this information can be included with the task database, selected by the user, and added to the event plan. A scheduler and alert engine then inserts appropriate entries into the user's calendar, and sends timely alerts to the user which include links that simplify event management.
US08615496B2 File system reliability using journaling on a storage medium
Improving file system reliability in storage mediums after a data corrupting event using file system journaling is described. In one embodiment, a method, which includes scanning beyond an active transactions region within the file system journal to locate additional valid transactions for replay to bring the storage medium into a consistent state; the scanning performed until an invalid transaction is reached.
US08615493B2 Data mining systems and methods for heterogeneous data sources
Systems and methods integrate disparate backup devices with a unified interface. In certain examples, a management console manages data from various backup devices, while retaining such data in its native format. The management console can display a hierarchical view the client devices and/or their data and can further provide utilities for processing the various data formats. A data structure including fields for storing both metadata common to the client device data and value-added metadata can be used to mine or process the data of the disparate client devices. The unified single platform and interface reduces the need for multiple data management products and/or customized data utilities for each individual client device and provides a single pane of glass view into data management operations. Integrating the various types of storage formats and media allows a user to retain existing storage infrastructures and further facilitates scaling to meet long-term management needs.
US08615483B2 Content transfer
The present invention provides a method of transferring content from a file and a database. In this case, the file includes content instances, each content instance being associated with a respective field, and each field having a respective type. The transfer is achieved by determining the type of each field, and then storing each content instance in a store in accordance with the determined field type of the associated field. Each content instance can then be transferred to the database in accordance with the determined field type. A similar procedure is provided for creating XML files based on content within the database.
US08615476B2 Protecting military perimeters from approaching human and vehicle using biologically realistic neural network
An approaching human threat or vehicle, such as a suicide bomber nearing a secured zone such as a military base, may be detected and classified. A vibration recognition system may detect a systematic vibration event. The entity might be a medium, human, animal, or a passenger vehicle. The system may discriminate between such an event and a background or other vibration event, such as a falling tree limb. A seismic sensor may be employed to detect vibrations generated by footsteps and a vehicle. Seismic waves may be processed locally where the sensor is located. The system may wirelessly communicate with a remote command center. Temporal features of the vibration signals may be modeled by a biologically realistic neural network with good false recognition rates. The models may reject quadrupedal animal footsteps.
US08615473B2 Method and system for anticipatory package shipping
A method and system for anticipatory package shipping are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method may include packaging one or more items as a package for eventual shipment to a delivery address, selecting a destination geographical area to which to ship the package, shipping the package to the destination geographical area without completely specifying the delivery address at time of shipment, and while the package is in transit, completely specifying the delivery address for the package.
US08615466B2 Method and system for downloading information into a secure element of an electronic device
A method for downloading information from a remote server. The method includes receiving, at a portable device, banking card information for an account and storing the banking card information into a secure memory within the portable device. Responsive to the receiving, a first moblet software module automatically sends a wireless message to the remote server to inform the remote server of the banking card information being received at the portable device. The portable device may receive a second moblet software module associated with the banking card information. The portable device may subsequently execute the second moblet software module which utilizes the banking card information, wherein the first and second moblet software modules comprise device independent commands of a generic syntax and wherein further the commands are executed by a device dependent software module also resident on the portable device.
US08615463B2 System and method for displaying a view of market depth on a graphical user interface
A graphical interface and method are provided for displaying market information corresponding to a tradeable object. According to one example embodiment, a market depth indicator is displayed in relation to a value axis in a market overview interface. Then, detailed market depth is displayed in a market depth interface, and a plurality of market depth prices displayed in the market depth interface are adjustable based on a position of the market depth indicator in relation to the value axis.
US08615461B2 System and methods for processing open-end mutual fund purchase and redemption orders at centralized securities exchanges and other securities trading and processing platforms
A system for processing traditional open-end mutual fund purchase and redemption orders at a server at designated Exchange(s) for receiving order messages from at least one of a plurality of Brokers and Member Firms, the server having at least one processor and memory for storing routines operable to process individual or aggregated order messages, preferably based on a prioritized set of business rules, and/or match the purchase and redemption orders, reformat the orders, and transmit the reformatted orders to at least one of a plurality of Fund/Securities Clearing Agents, Funds/Transfer Agents and Depositaries for confirmation, and clearing and settlement of issuance and redemption orders for mutual fund shares, as well as payment of mutual fund dividends.
US08615458B2 Industry size of wallet
Consumer spend by industry is modeled based on the industry sizes of wallet of consumers having a high share of wallet with a financial institution. A size of wallet is calculated for each consumer in a plurality of consumers. A share of wallet for each consumer is also calculated. A subset of the plurality of consumers whose share of wallet is above a given percentage of their size of wallet is then determined. For each consumer in the subset, an industry size of wallet is determined. A correlation between the industry size of wallet of a given consumer and one or more characteristics of the given consumer is then derived using the industry size of wallet for the consumers in the subset.
US08615451B1 Consistent interface for goods and activity confirmation
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a goods and activity confirmation business object.
US08615449B2 System and method for gifting virtual items within a virtual space of a social network
Gifting of virtual items between users of a virtual space may be facilitated. A purchase interface may be presented to a first user. The purchase interface may be configured to receive selection from the first user of (i) a virtual item for purchase, and (ii) one or more users with which the first user has established a virtual space relationship. Responsive to selection by the first user through the purchase interface of a first virtual item and a second user with which the first user has established a virtual space relationship, the first virtual item may be distributed to the second user in the virtual space.
US08615448B1 System, method, and computer readable medium for facilitating stylist provided recommendations
Disclosed are various embodiments relating to generating profile-based item suggestions from a stylist when purchasing items through an electronic commerce system. A network page is rendered in a client computing device comprising an input field to input descriptions of items the user wishes to purchase and a stylist profile selection mechanism to select a suggested stylist profile. The user inputs descriptions of items and selects the suggested stylist profile. An item suggestions request comprising the item descriptions and the selected stylist profile is sent from the client computing device to a server computing device.
US08615441B1 Automated order routing
Technologies described herein relate to automated order routing. A consumer can place an order for a product with a first retailer, wherein the first retailer is the preferred retailer of the consumer. If the first retailer fails to commit to fulfilling the order within a threshold amount of time, at least one other retailer is selected, and the order for the product is automatically routed to the at least one other retailer. The first retailer that commits to fulfilling the order acquires the sale.
US08615437B2 Transaction authentication with a non-MSISDN ID and authorization by communicating with a consumer device
A computer-based method of managing electronic transactions is described. A plurality of consumer accounts is stored in a data store, each consumer account having a first consumer account identifier. A second consumer account identifier is received in a point-of-sale device. A charge request including an amount and a second consumer account identifier is received, wherein the second consumer account identifier is not an MSISDN. A selected one of the consumer accounts is identified by associating one of the first consumer account identifiers with the second consumer account identifier. An authorization request is transmitted to a consumer device. An response to the authorization request is received from the consumer device, and the charge request is processed based on an account detail of the selected consumer account, wherein the charge request is processed if the response is the authorization response.
US08615436B2 Advertising inventory allocation
A simultaneous ascending price auction (“SAA”) can be used to allocate advertising inventory to bidders. The advertising inventory can be, for example, radio or television advertisement spots (“spots”). The bidders can be advertisers that can provide advertisements for presentation in the spots. Two or more contiguous spots can define an advertising block. Spots or advertising blocks can be allocated to advertisers by the SAA mechanism based on bid criteria. The SAA can perform simultaneous advertisement scheduling and pricing. The auction allocation can be optimized to facilitate efficient allocation of advertisements to spots or blocks.
US08615435B2 Short-range communication enabled location service
In some examples, aspects of the present disclosure may include techniques to identify a physical location of an item with potentially enhanced precision. In one example, a method includes, receiving an item descriptor that describes one or more physical items. The method also includes receiving a data payload from a peripheral device using short-range wireless communication that includes information usable to locate at least one of the one or more physical items. The further includes selecting physical location data based on the item descriptor and the data payload, wherein the physical location data includes a representation of a physical location of the at least one of the one or more physical items; and outputting the physical location data that is usable to locate the at least one of the one or more physical items.
US08615432B2 Background process for providing targeted content within a third-party application
The present technology presents targeted content, such as a targeted application, within a primary application, in such a fashion that the targeted application is a separate process from the primary application. The targeted application is targeted to a specific user by compiling targeting data, generally describing aspects related to the user and information about the primary application for use by an application server, which processes the targeting data to determine suitable content. The present technology further achieves a balance between the need to protect a user's information and sharing some of this information with trusted sources for selecting targeted content to be displayed within a primary application by providing an operating system process to accept requests and compile targeting data for determined targeted content from the primary application without sharing the targeting data with the primary application.
US08615422B1 Airline pricing system and method
An airline pricing system and method according to which prices, such as airline ticket prices or fares, are automatically set based on selected pricing strategies and patterns detected within airline fare data.
US08615421B2 Methods of identifying environmentally friendly businesses or individuals
This disclosure relates to techniques for a computer-implemented method which receives user input that specifies values for predetermined questions provided in an environmental questionnaire, identifies environmentally friendly businesses or individuals by analyzing the user input values and determining those businesses or individuals that meet predetermined minimum requirements, and stores a list of the identified businesses or individuals within a database.
US08615418B1 System and method for managing transportation transactions
A system for managing transportation transactions is described. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more diverted transportation transactions, such as, for example, one or more diverted airline flights, are managed.
US08615416B2 Method for avoiding or limiting early build due to yield decreases
Disclosed are embodiments of an improved production planning method that avoids or limits early builds. The method comprises running a conventional production planning program using standard inputs (e.g., date effective yields). The outputs of the program (e.g., a plan including planned inventory overstocks at given times) are evaluated to determine if the program plans an early build and if the planned early build may have been triggered by a predicted decrease in yield. If an early build is planned and if a correlation exists between the decrease in yield and the early build, then, optionally, new constraints are added into the program and the program is re-run so that the early build is either avoided or limited to that of the proper yield. Thus, the method can be used to reduce early builds due to an incorrect, nominally higher, yield without requiring the user to provide any special additional input data.
US08615402B2 Method and system for distributing disaster information
A system and method to distribute disaster information to a customer. An information distribution apparatus for distributing disaster information to a customer terminal includes a disaster information storage for storing disaster-occurred district information for identifying a disaster-occurred district in which a disaster has occurred and a real disaster level corresponding to the disaster selected from a plurality of preset disaster levels; a customer information registration unit for registering customer district information; a distribution information management unit for deciding whether the disaster information is distributed to the customer by collating the disaster-occurred district with the customer district with respect to the disaster level; and an information distribution unit for distributing disaster information to the terminal according to a decision of the distribution information management unit.
US08615399B2 Tool for evaluation of business services
A tool for evaluating support services may correlate those services with an array of factors that define a business environment and then identify the business services that are most directly correlated to those factors. In exemplary embodiments, a tool may prompt a user for input concerning business issues and objectives; correlate those issues and objectives to a plurality of available software support services such as maintenance, optimization, architecture planning, implementation, administration and systems integration services; select the services that most directly address the particular needs and objectives identified by the user; and calculate a return on investment (ROI) associated with satisfaction of identified business objectives through implementation of the selected support services.
US08615397B2 Identifying audio content using distorted target patterns
Embodiments of a system for identifying audio content are described. During operation, the system receives a data stream from an electronic device via a communication network. Then, the system distorts a set of target patterns which are used to identify the audio content based on characteristics of the electronic device and/or the communication network. Next, the system identifies the audio content in the data stream based on the set of distorted target patterns.
US08615392B1 Systems and methods for producing an acoustic field having a target spatial pattern
The present technology provides a sophisticated level of control of the spatial pattern of an acoustic field which can overcome or substantially alleviate problems associated with transmitting an acoustic signal within the near-end acoustic environment. The spatial pattern is produced by utilizing an array of audio transducers which generate a plurality of acoustic waves forming an acoustic interference pattern, such that the resultant acoustic energy is constrained (e.g. limited to an acoustic energy level at or below a predetermined threshold level) in one or more regions of the spatial pattern. In doing so, listeners in these region(s) may not receive sufficient acoustic energy to hear the associated acoustic signal, while listeners in other regions can. Similarly, these techniques can suppress echo paths within those region(s).
US08615389B1 Generation and exploitation of an approximate language model
A system, method, and computer program for generating and exploiting an approximate language model are provided. The method comprises generating a language model according to an approximate hashing technique. The language model comprises a plurality of event sequences in a target language, and each member of the plurality of the event sequences is associated with at least one count. The language model is queried for a member of the plurality of event sequences. A probability associated with the member of the plurality of event sequences is determined based on results of the query.
US08615387B2 Dynamic simulation of fluid filled vessels
A system is provided. The system comprises a computer system comprising at least one processor, a thermodynamic state solver application, and a thermodynamic system solver application. When executed by the at least one processor, the thermodynamic state solver application computes a flash equilibrium state solution for each of a plurality of nodes in a thermodynamic network and determines for each of the plurality of nodes at least one sensitivity of a first thermodynamic property with reference to at least one second thermodynamic property. When executed by the at least one processor, the thermodynamic system solver computes a pressure at each of the nodes and flows between the nodes based at least in part on the sensitivities, wherein a result based on the pressures and flows is determined.
US08615380B2 System and method for diagnosing home appliance
A system and method for diagnosing a home appliance are disclosed. The home appliance outputs product information as a predetermined sound signal, and transmits the sound signal to a service center of a remote site over a communication network, such that a service technician of the service center can easily check a current status of the home appliance. The diagnostic system effectively detects data using multiple synchronous signals having a time difference, quickly diagnoses a current status or fault of the home appliance, provides a service for more correctly diagnosing a faulty operation of the home appliance, and increases user satisfaction and reliability.
US08615378B2 Systems, methods, and logic for generating statistical research information
In one embodiment, a system for generating a statistical analysis output is disclosed. The system receives and processes input from a user to perform statistical analysis and generate an output. The input includes at least one statistical variable from a plurality of statistical variables in a dataset, statistical modules adopted for analysis, and output formats. The system includes a processing unit configured to: automatically identify statistical variables in the dataset; automatically generate a program code for obtaining a variable distribution; select at least one statistical variable for statistical analysis; select one or more of the at least one statistical variable and automatically generate programs that implement the statistical functions for manipulating the variables; automatically perform statistical analysis based on the statistical modules by executing program codes associated with the modules; and automatically generate a program code for organizing outcomes of the statistical analysis into the user selected output formats.
US08615375B2 Motion determination apparatus and motion determination method
According to an aspect of the invention, a motion determination apparatus, acquires, at regular intervals, detection information indicating a change in a position of and/or a posture of a motion sensor and/or a device including the motion sensor, and stores the detection information with time information of acquisition time of the detection information mapped thereto; calculates from the detection information a plurality of feature quantities indicating features at a plurality of different time points; and determines a motion applied to the motion sensor and/or the device including the motion sensor in response to a feature quantity.
US08615370B2 Sand detection using magnetic resonance flow meter
A method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for estimating a mass of silicates in a fluid flowing in a member is disclosed. A magnetic field is induced in the fluid to align nuclei of the fluid along a direction of the magnetic field. A radio frequency signal is transmitted into the fluid from a transmitter to excite silicon nuclei present in the fluid. A signal is received from the silicon nuclei responsive to the transmitted radio frequency signal at a receiver. A processor estimates the mass of silicates in the fluid directly from the received signal.
US08615369B2 Method of improving the resolution of compounds eluted from a chromatography device
A method of and apparatus for improving the resolution of compounds eluted from a separation device are disclosed, particularly suited for use in the fields of gas or liquid chromatography. Embodiments of the invention provide that spectroscopic data are measured from an effluent eluted from a chromatography device as a function of elution time; peaks in intensity are identified to form a first set of identified peaks; peaks not due to an eluting compound are discarded from the first set of identified peaks thereby forming a second set of identified peaks from those retained; each peak in the second set of peaks is transformed into a first model peak centered on the elution time of each peak in the second set of peaks; some or all the model peaks created are added together to create a new chromatogram; and all identified peaks in intensity in the second set of peaks having elution times within a given time period of identified peaks in intensity in the new chromatogram are grouped together and assigned to a single eluted compound thereby forming a processed data set.
US08615362B2 Near-surface geomorphological characterization based on remote sensing data
A technique includes receiving first data belonging to a first type of remote sensing data for a region of interest and receiving second data belonging to a different second type of remote sensing data for the region of interest. The technique includes determining at least one geomorphological feature of the region of interest based at least in part on the first and second data.
US08615360B2 Navigation system with single selection mileage single capture mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: generating a travel route having a business location for displaying on a device; calculating a current location along the travel route; identifying a travel segment with the current location; calculating a travel distance for the travel segment; and verifying the travel distance based on where the business location is within the travel segment.
US08615359B2 Map navigation with suppression of off-route feedback near route terminus
A terminus buffer area (e.g., an end-of-route buffer area) is provided in a map navigation tool to allow suppression of off-route feedback (e.g., audio or visual warnings or alerts) in some circumstances, such as when a mobile computing device (e.g., a smart phone) that implements the tool enters the buffer area. The map navigation tool can output off-route feedback when the user strays from a route, but also can suppress the off-route feedback when the user is within the buffer area. In addition to suppression of off-route feedback, a map navigation tool also can disable off-route feedback when a user crosses an arrival threshold and enters an arrival area, such that the tool does not output off-route feedback regardless of the user's location or movements once the user has entered the arrival area. The arrival area can be within an end-of-route buffer area.
US08615355B2 Multifactor charging for electric vehicles
The described method and system improve electric-power driving range for electric vehicles, i.e., electric-only, hybrid electric, and other vehicles that draw electrical power from an on-board storage system for propulsion. The described system uses synergy among selected data sources to provide charging prompts and route assistance to allow the vehicle user to operate his or her vehicle in a more economical fashion by ensuring timely and cost effective charging.
US08615352B2 Driving support apparatus for vehicle
A cruise control unit, configured to permit starting when an inter-vehicle distance to a front vehicle exceeds a determination threshold before a preset amount of time passes from a driver's operational input during a stopped state, calculates a first threshold that is updated to be larger according to a change in the inter-vehicle distance in the stopped state when the distance changes to be larger and a second threshold that is changed to be larger as a speed of the front vehicle is higher, and variably sets the determination threshold based on the larger of the two thresholds. It cancels the permission if a time passing from the operational input is determined longer than a cancel determination time for determining whether it is immediately after the driver's operational input and if the front vehicle is determined to stop or substantially stop at a speed lower than a preset vehicle speed.
US08615350B2 Guidance device, guidance method, and guidance program
Guidance devices, methods, and programs acquire a current speed of a vehicle and calculate a regeneration upper limit operation amount of the regenerative brake based on the current speed of the vehicle. The devices, methods, and programs acquire a deceleration target speed, acquire a deceleration target position, calculate a distance to the deceleration target position, and calculate a deceleration required operation amount of the brake pedal required for reducing the current speed of the vehicle to the deceleration target speed at the deceleration target position based on the acquired current speed of the vehicle, the acquired deceleration target speed, and the calculated distance to the deceleration target position. The devices, methods, and programs communicate guidance regarding the operation amount of the brake pedal based on the calculated regeneration upper limit operation amount and the calculated deceleration required operation amount.
US08615345B2 Method and apparatus for vehicle system calibration
A computer-implemented method includes requesting weather data from a remote location. The illustrative embodiment further includes determining if one or more vehicle systems should be adjusted, based at least in part on the requested weather data. The illustrative embodiment additionally includes adjusting one or more vehicle systems contingent at least in part on the determining. The illustrative embodiment further includes repeating the determining and adjusting until no weather data remains for processing.
US08615342B2 Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle includes a road condition acquisition portion (40, 41) that acquires information on an actual road condition; a storage portion (42) where road data is stored; a route setting portion (40) that sets a route to a destination, based on the road data stored in the storage portion (42); a travel pattern setting portion (30) that sets a travel pattern on the route set by the route setting portion (40), based on the road data stored in the storage portion (42); an operation schedule setting portion (30) that sets an operation schedule that is a schedule of operations of the engine and the motor, based on the travel pattern set by the travel pattern setting portion (30); and a control portion (30) that controls the operations of the engine and the motor based on the information on the actual road condition acquired by the road condition acquisition portion (40, 41) and the operation schedule set by the operation schedule setting portion (30).
US08615339B2 Control device of electric vehicles
An electric vehicle control device comprises: a smoothing capacitor to be charged from a DC power supply via a charging resistor; an inverter converting a DC power having been charged in the smoothing capacitor to an AC power to supply it to a load; and a discharging switch causing a voltage having been charged in the smoothing capacitor to discharge via a discharging resistor, and in which a resistor is used as both charging resistor and discharging resistor to simplify a circuit arrangement. In the electric vehicle control device, there are provided a main switch inserted into a main circuit to which a DC power is supplied from the DC power supply, and an auxiliary switch that is connected in parallel to the discharging switch, and is in inverted switching states with respect to the main switch.
US08615337B1 System supporting flight operations under instrument meteorological conditions using precision course guidance
The present examples provide circuits, systems, processes, and the like for providing precision course guidance, typically for improved positive course guidance below published minimum descent altitude or decision altitude, including just in time calculations of obstacle free flight paths. The calculated flight path may be presented in the context of a synthetic scene of the environment surrounding the aircraft. To provide precision course guidance, exemplary avionics systems, processes and the like, as described below may be utilized.
US08615330B2 Method and apparatus for processing power system topology structure information
A topology structure of a power system is acquired. At least one unification set in the power system is identified based on the topology structure. Devices belonging to the same unification set have the same outage state. The at least one unification set is recorded, so as to concurrently maintain devices belonging to the same unification set. Advantageously, one or more embodiments reduce number of outages caused by power system device maintenance.
US08615320B2 Machine tool monitoring device
The invention relates to a machine tool monitoring device with an identification unit for identifying the operating situation of a machine tool. According to the invention, the identification unit is designed to identify an operating situation using at least one distance variable.
US08615318B2 Process control of tolerance rings
A method of process control including constraining a tolerance ring relative to one of an inner and an outer component. The tolerance ring including an annular band of resilient material having a plurality of projections projecting radially therefrom. Additionally, the method includes moving the other of the inner or outer component with respect to the constrained tolerance ring so as to compress the projections of the tolerance ring between the inner and outer components, and continuing movement of the inner or outer component, respectively, beyond the projections. The method further including measuring a force required for continuing movement, and using the force for process control.
US08615311B2 Microelectorode array, methods for preparing the same and uses thereof
A microelectrode array having a substrate with a plurality of grooves and a plurality of electrical contact pads, the grooves each with at least one electrode electrically connected to at least one of the electrical contact pads, each of the grooves containing at least one myotube that overlays the at least one electrode.
US08615304B2 Data-driven pattern detection of implantable medical device data
Detecting patterns in sensed implantable medical device (IMD) data is described. One implementation involves an IMD that includes a data-driven pattern detection network embodied on the IMD to detect a pattern from sensed patient data. The IMD also includes one or more algorithms embodied on the IMD to utilize the pattern to effect patient therapy.
US08615295B2 External defibrillator
A variety of arrangements and methods relating to a defibrillator are described. In one aspect of the invention, a defibrillator includes two paddles that each include a defibrillator electrode covered in a protective housing. The two paddles are sealed together using a releasable seal to form a paddle module such that the housings of the paddles form the exterior of the paddle module. An electrical system including at least a battery and a capacitor is electrically coupled with the paddles. The battery is arranged to charge the capacitor. The capacitor is arranged to apply a voltage at the defibrillator electrodes, which generates an electrical shock for arresting a cardiac arrhythmia.
US08615294B2 Electrode devices for nerve stimulation and cardiac sensing
Apparatus is provided for application to a nerve of a subject, the apparatus comprising an electrode device, which comprises a housing, which is configured to be placed at least partially around the nerve, so as to define an outer surface of the electrode device and an inner surface that faces the nerve. The electrode device further comprises one or more first electrode contact surfaces, fixed to the inner surface of the housing, and one or more second electrode contact surfaces, fixed to the outer surface of the housing. Other embodiments are also described.
US08615291B2 Method, system and computer program method for detection of pathological fluctuations of physiological signals to diagnose human illness
Method, system, and computer program method for detecting pathological fluctuations of physiological signals to diagnose human illness. The method comprises performing a sliding window analysis to find sequences in physiological signal data that match amplitude- and duration-adjusted versions of a template function to within a specified tolerance.
US08615289B2 Drug application during a CT scan
Controlled local application of drugs to a certain part of a body of a patient may be of major importance during a cardiac CT scan. By transporting the drugs in containers which prevent an application of the drugs and by rupturing only those containers which are located in the vicinity of the part of the body of a patient to which the drugs have to be applied, a local application of the drugs may be performed. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rupturing and therefore the application of the drugs may be triggered by a monitoring algorithm which evaluates changes in the heart beat rate of the patient. Advantageously, the method allows for a local delivery of the drugs on a fine time scale and therefore for a fast control of the heart beat rate during the CT scan.
US08615286B2 In vivo sensor for detecting bone surface
A device and a method are described for finding the location of a bone surface in patients or living animals by using a thin probe equipped with bone contacting detection functionality for a minimally invasive procedure.
US08615280B2 Error correction for DTMF corruption on uplink
Aspects relate to provision of enterprise call capabilities to mobile devices. For example, a mobile device can indicate, over a data channel, that a PBX is to make a call on its behalf to a called party. The PBX can call back the mobile device, call the called party, and bridge those call legs to establish the call. The mobile device can employ mechanisms that a particular incoming call is made by the PBX. These mechanisms can include using ANI information, sending, and receiving audible verification codes over the voice channel established after answering the incoming call. The verification codes can be selected based different behaviors of the mobile devices.
US08615259B2 Wireless communication method and radio network controller for coordinating paging occasions on a common paging channel
A method of paging a plurality of users by synchronizing user equipment (UE) specific paging and Point-to-Multipoint (PtM) user group paging to reduce power consumption when the UE is in a discontinuous reception state. The UE identities are defined such that paging occasions and common paging channels are synchronized for multiple users within a PtM user group.
US08615251B2 System and method of communicating position data
Systems, methods and devices for communicating position data are disclosed. A method includes receiving a position query at a communication device. The method also includes determining a position of the communication device in response to the position query. The method also includes transmitting data related to the position from the communication device to a remote communication device of another party to a call when the position query is received while the communication device is connected to the call.
US08615250B2 Centralized control of coexistence of multiple network operators
A first wireless network collects profiles of user equipments operating under the first wireless network associated with a first core network or operator; profiles of user equipments operating under a second wireless network associated with a second core network or operator; and measurement information of an unlicensed band. Based on the collected profiles and measurement information, allocating to the first wireless network and to the second wireless network resources on the unlicensed band. In various specific embodiments, there is also collected a pre-defined agreement which sets forth relative shares of the unlicensed band for the first wireless network and for the second wireless network; and the profiles of the user equipments each includes authentication and security information, and the respective profiles are utilized to control admission of the respective user equipments to the respective first and second wireless networks.
US08615246B2 Method for receiving information on network configuration
The present invention provides a method for receiving information on a network configuration. The present invention is to allow a terminal to acquire accurate information on a neighbor cell. Furthermore, the present invention is to remove duplicated information from the information message on a neighbor cell, for instance, Neighboring Cell Information, thereby allowing an effective configuration thereof and preventing from using network resources wastefully.
US08615239B2 Radio base station and communication control method
An LTE base station (10-1) sets another LTE base station, which has an X2 connection established with the LTE base station (10-1), as a handover destination when at least one other LTE base station which has an X2 connection established with the LTE base station (10-1) is present among other LTE base stations that have been determined as handover destination candidates.
US08615234B2 Automatic profile updating for a wireless communication device
A wireless communication system receives a registration request transferred by a first wireless communication device associated with a user account. The wireless communication system determines if registration data in the registration request is invalid. If the registration data is invalid, then the wireless communication system determines if a user profile in the first wireless communication device is out-of-date. If the user profile in the first wireless communication device is out-of-date, then the wireless communication system determines if a second wireless communication device is associated with the user account. If a second wireless communication device is associated with the user account, then the wireless communication system transfers an updated user profile for delivery to the second wireless communication device.
US08615230B2 Method of reporting radio access technology capability and related apparatus
A method of reporting RAT capability for a mobile device of a wireless communication system includes including capability information only associated with a first RAT in a capability reporting message of the first RAT, and transmitting the capability reporting message to a network of a second RAT via the second RAT.
US08615225B2 Calendar-based power reserve
Implementing calendar-based power reserve includes identifying a new calendar entry scheduled into a calendar application of a mobile communications device. The new calendar entry specifies a telephone call. Upon determining a priority indicator has been set for the new calendar entry in the calendar application, the calendar-based power reserve also includes directing a power management component of the mobile communications device to reserve an amount of power for the telephone call, and updating a battery power indicator on the mobile communications device to reflect a capacity of a battery of the mobile communications device. The capacity reflects a current amount of available power for the battery minus the amount of power to reserve.
US08615218B2 Method for requesting, generating and distributing service-specific traffic encryption key in wireless portable internet system, apparatus for the same, and protocol configuration method for the same
Disclosed are a method for requesting, generating and distributing a service-specific traffic encryption key in a wireless portable Internet system, an apparatus for the same, and a protocol configuration method for the same. In the present invention, a subscriber station sends a Key Request message for requesting a service-specific traffic encryption key to the base station using a PKM-REQ MAC message, and a base station analyzes the Key Request message to generate the requested service-specific traffic encryption key. Subsequently, the base station sends a Key Reply message, including the generated service-specific traffic encryption key, to the subscriber station using a PKM-RSP MAC message. If the base station fails to generate the key, the base station sends a Key Reject message, including a reason for the failure, to the subscriber station.
US08615217B2 Methods, systems, and computer readable media for detecting and mitigating fraud in a distributed monitoring system that includes fixed-location monitoring devices
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for detecting and mitigating fraud in a distributed monitoring system which includes fixed-location monitoring and communication devices. According to one aspect, a method for detecting and mitigating fraud includes receiving a signaling message that originates or appears to originate from a wireless communication device that is associated with a fixed-location management system that performs at least one of monitoring and control of a resource, wherein the wireless communication device is responsible for communicating information generated by the management system over a network. The method further includes determining whether the signaling message indicates an expected location of the wireless communication device and in response to a determination that the signaling message does not indicate an expected location of the wireless communication device, initiating a mitigating action.
US08615213B2 Reducing power consumption of a filter
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a system that having a low noise amplifier (LNA) to receive and amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal, a mixer to receive and downconvert the RF signal to a second frequency signal, a filter to receive and filter the second frequency signal, a demodulator to receive and demodulate the filtered second frequency signal to output demodulated data, and a quality detector to detect a quality of the demodulated data and output a quality indicator based on the data quality. In addition, the system can include a controller coupled to the filter to cause a state of the filter to be stored into a storage responsive to the quality indicator.
US08615204B2 Adaptive interference cancellation for transmitter distortion calibration in multi-antenna transmitters
A wireless communication device includes a core logic, first and second transceiver chains, first and second antennas, and an interference processor. The core logic is coupled to both the first and second transceiver chains, which in turn are coupled to the first and second antennas, respectively. The interference processor is coupled between the first and second transceiver chains. To calibrate circuitry within the first transceiver chain using first signals generated in the first transceiver chain while the second transceiver chain is transmitting second signals via the second antenna, the interference processor connects the transmit circuit of the second transceiver chain to the receive circuitry of the first transceiver chain to form an interference feedback path that can be used to compensate for unwanted components of the second signal undesirably picked up by the first antenna.
US08615197B2 Method and apparatus for connecting to network in a short-range mobile communication terminal
A method and apparatus are provided for reconnecting from a serving coordinator of a serving WPAN to a coordinator of another WPAN. The method includes broadcasting a neighbor terminal information request message periodically to neighbor terminals; receiving a neighbor information response message, having neighbor terminal information and LQI, from at least one neighbor terminal, responding to the neighbor terminal information request message; storing a neighbor table having the LQI and the neighbor terminal information included in the neighbor information response message, the neighbor terminal information including the LQI, a PAN ID of a WPAN to which the at least one neighbor terminal belongs and neighbor router information about the at least one neighbor terminal; and reconnecting to the coordinator of the another WPAN using the LQI and the neighbor terminal information and communicating with the coordinator of the other WPAN.
US08615195B2 Mobile wireless communications device having touch activated near field communications (NFC) circuit
A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and a circuit board carried by the housing and including Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor carried by the housing and operative with each other. A Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit is positioned on the circuit board and operative with the processor for communicating in accordance with the NFC communication protocol. A touch activated sensor is supported by the housing and operative for enabling operation of the NFC circuit when touched to establish NFC communications from the communications device.
US08615190B2 System and method for allocating jamming energy based on three-dimensional geolocation of emitters
According to an embodiment of the present invention jamming energy is allocated to a plurality of emitters based on a three-dimensional (3-D) emitter geolocation technique that determines the geolocation of radio frequency (RF) emitters based on energy or received signal strength (RSS) and/or time differences of arrival (TDOAs) of transmitted signals. The three-dimensional (3-D) emitter geolocations are used to rank emitters of interest according to distance and available radio frequency (RF) jamming energy is allocated to the emitters in rank order. The techniques may be employed with small unmanned air vehicles (UAV), and obtains efficient use of jamming energy when applied to radio frequency (RF) emitters of interest.
US08615172B2 Relay station arrangement method and relay station arrangement device
A method for arranging relay stations in an optical transmission system including relay stations arranged so that optical signals at a first transmission speed can be transmitted from a transmission end to a reception end, includes: judging whether a transmission of optical signals at a second transmission speed different from the first transmission speed in a section connecting arbitrary two of the relay stations where a regenerative repeater station capable of regenerating optical signals can be arranged is possible; determining a combination of sections judged to be capable of performing transmission that enables a transmission of optical signals from the transmission end to the reception end; and making both ends of respective sections of the determined combination be the relay stations where the regenerative repeater station is arranged, wherein the judging includes a judgment condition which is satisfied in a section including sections but unsatisfied in one of the sections.
US08615163B2 Framework, system and method for rapid deployment of interactive applications
Systems and methods are disclosed that provide a framework, e.g., a Java®-based toolkit, that provides various levels of abstraction according to the needs of the designer. The abstraction levels are each associated with a set of packages that provide functionality suitable to the level. A user or designer accesses the level packages within the framework and employs the same to create a desired computer-readable media, e.g., a Blu-ray® disc or “BD”. Other aspects may provide corresponding or complementary functionality. For example, the framework abstracts drawing or graphics primitives to higher-level entities, allowing the same to be easily employed in the creation of arbitrary graphical elements. In another example, a business logic module may be employed which can be customized by using settings files.
US08615162B2 Content reproduction device
Provided is a content playback apparatus that generates a GUI corresponding to various pieces of restriction information to restrict playback of a content when displaying the GUI for causing a user to select a content to be played back, and that can respond to a new piece of restriction information. The content playback apparatus generates content lists for the various pieces of restriction, and generates a GUI which can display each content list for each piece of restriction information by switching. When a content to which the new piece of restriction information has been attached is added, setting information for the new piece of restriction information is obtained from a content distribution server and the like by referring to an ID attached to the content, or an ID of the restriction information having been attached to the content, and a content list for the newly obtained restriction information is generated and displayed.
US08615161B2 Optimizing recording space in digital video recording of television programs containing commercials
Recording television programs for future playback by enabling the user to record a plurality of programs that have sequential units of commercial content. There is sequential sensing for commercial content units. When a commercial content unit is reached, it is removed for separate storage. A determination is made as to whether the removed commercial content unit is the same as a previous commercial content unit that has been removed. Any previous commercial unit that has been removed has been stored in a file and a pointer to the file inserted in place of the commercial in the sequential stream of the television program being recorded. Thus, if the removed commercial unit has the same content, i.e. is a repeat of a previous commercial, the inserted pointer will point to the file of the previous commercial.
US08615148B2 Optical coupler between planar multimode waveguides
Various exemplary embodiments relate to an optical waveguide coupler including: a first optical waveguide including a first area and a tapered area having a tapered width; a second optical waveguide including a first area and a tapered area having a tapered width; wherein the first area of the of the second optical waveguide overlaps the tapered area of the first optical wave guide, and wherein the tapered area of the second optical waveguide overlaps the first area of the first optical waveguide.
US08615147B2 Optical switch device and method of manufacturing the same
Provided are an optical switch device having a simple light path and capable of achieving high speed switching, and a method of manufacturing the optical switch device. The optical switch device comprises one or more first optical waveguides extending in a first direction, one or more second optical waveguides connected to the first optical waveguides in a second direction crossing the first direction, and one or more switching parts configured to control light transmitted in the first direction within the first optical waveguide connected with the second waveguide, to selectively reflect the light to the second waveguide extending in the second direction.
US08615132B2 Device and method for processing digital images captured by a binary image sensor
A method for processing image data comprises determining a set of parameters based on a binary digital image) such that said set of parameters comprises information about the density of white and/or black pixels of a first group of pixels of said binary digital image), and information about the density of white and/or black pixels of a second group of pixels of said binary digital image.
US08615127B2 System and method for point-based rigid registration with anisotropic weighting
Systems and methods for performing computer-assisted procedures are provided. In the systems and methods, a current rigid transformation is applied to a first set of points with respect to a second set of points to obtain a current transformed set of points. Thereafter, a linearized transformation is determined that minimizes a weighted fiducial registration error between the current transformed set and the second set. An updated rigid transformation is then obtained based on the current rigid transformation, the translation vector of the linearized transformation, and a rotation matrix that is closest to the linearized matrix of the linearized transformation, followed by applying the updated rigid transformation to the first set to obtain an updated transformed set of points. Finally, if motion associated with such updating fails to meet some criterion, the determining, obtaining, and applying are iteratively repeated using the updated rigid transformation and the updated transformed set.
US08615126B2 Method for performing pattern decomposition based on feature pitch
The present invention discloses a method for decomposing a target pattern containing features to be printed on a wafer, into multiple patterns, the features having a plurality of patterns within a minimum pitch for processes utilized to image the target pattern. The method includes superposing a predefined kernel over a pixel, and moving the kernel from one pixel to another, the pixels representing the sub-patterns of the target pattern. Polarity of the kernel may be reversed when the pixel has a stored intensity value that is negative.
US08615115B2 Medical diagnosis output device, method, and storage medium therefor
An output device that outputs a schematic view showing a position of a diseased part of a human body, comprises: a read-out unit adapted to read out a plurality of schematic views output from a storage unit adapted to store the schematic views, and a control unit adapted to output the plurality of schematic views read out by the read-out unit to an output unit, wherein the read-out unit selects a schematic view to be read out based on an output format that has been set by a user.
US08615114B2 Image reading apparatus and image reading method
An image reading apparatus is disclosed that includes a light emitting unit that illuminates light on an object; an image capturing device that receives incident light from the object and generates an electrical signal according to the intensity of the received incident light; an object detecting unit that detects the object being positioned close to the image capturing device; a disturbance light intensity determining unit that turns off the light emitting unit when the object detecting unit detects the object being positioned close to the image capturing device, controls the image capturing device to acquire pixel data of a predetermined number of pixels by imaging the object, and determines a disturbance light intensity based on the acquired pixel data; and a light accumulating time setting unit that sets a light accumulating time of the image capturing device based on the disturbance light intensity determined by the disturbance light intensity determining unit.
US08615111B2 Method and apparatus for image detection with undesired object removal
A method and image detection device are provided for removal of undesired objects from image data. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting image data for a first frame, detecting image data for a second frame, and detecting motion of an undesired object based, at least in part, on image data for the first and second frames. Image data of the first frame may be replaced with image data of the second frame to generate corrected image data, wherein the undesired object is removed from the corrected image data. The corrected image data may be stored.
US08615099B2 Transparent speaker and display module integrating the same
A transparent speaker is suitable for being disposed on a display panel. The transparent speaker includes a transparent membrane, a transparent electrode plate, and spacers. Each transparent electrode plate has a plurality of openings. The display panel includes a plurality of pixels. The pixels emit optical signals. A Moire spatial period of the optical signals is less than 600 μm after the optical signals pass through the transparent speaker. When the transparent speaker is disposed on the display panel, a user is able to watch an image on the display panel through the transparent speaker without being interfered by a Moire.
US08615098B2 Loudspeaker box and mobile terminal device
The present disclosure discloses a loudspeaker box, including a foam, a loudspeaker and a box having an opening of the box. The loudspeaker is internally placed inside the box through the opening of the box, an outer surface of the loudspeaker is aligned to an edge of the opening of the box, a gap is set between the loudspeaker and the opening of the box, and a bottom portion of the loudspeaker abuts against the bottom portion of the box; and the foam is annularly covered on the gap between the loudspeaker and the opening of the box, such that the integral thickness of the loudspeaker box is reduced.
US08615097B2 Waveguide electroacoustical transducing
A loudspeaker assembly, including an acoustic waveguide; an acoustic driver mounted in the waveguide so that a first surface radiates sound waves into the waveguide so that the sound waves are radiated from the waveguide; and an acoustic volume acoustically coupled to the acoustic waveguide for increasing the amplitude of the sound waves radiated from the acoustic waveguide.
US08615092B2 Sound processing device, correcting device, correcting method and recording medium
A sound processing device includes: a plurality of sound input units; a detecting unit for detecting a frequency component of each sound input to the plurality of sound signal unit, the each sound arriving from a direction approximately perpendicular to a line determined by arrangement positions of two sound input units among the plurality of sound input units; a correction coefficient unit for obtaining a correction coefficient for correcting a level of at least one of the sound signals generated from the input sounds by the two sound input units so as to match the levels of the sound signals with each other based on the sound of the detected frequency component; a correcting unit for correcting the level of at least one of the sound signals using the obtained correction coefficient; and a processing unit for performing a sound process based on the sound signal with the corrected level.
US08615087B2 OCDM-based photonic encryption system with provable security
In an OCDM-based photonic encryption system by applying random noise on unused channels and varying the inter-code phases on realistic framing repetition, an OCDM-based encryption system with provable security guarantees results.
US08615079B2 Cryptography circuit protected against observation attacks, in particular of a high order
A cryptography circuit protected against observation attacks comprises at least one register R providing a variable x masked by the mask m, the masked variable being encrypted by a first substitution box S -in a cyclic manner. The circuit also comprises a mask register M delivering at each cycle a mask mt, the transformation of m, the mask m being extracted from mt before being encrypted by a second substitution box S′, the new mask m′ obtained on output from this box S′ is transformed into a mask m′t before being stored in the mask register M. The transformation consists of a bijection or a composition law making it possible to reduce or indeed to cancel any high-order attack in accordance with a model of activity of the registers R and M. Cryptography circuits are protected against high-order observation attacks on installations based on masking.
US08615073B2 Image display apparatus, communications control method of the same, and communications control system
According to one embodiment, an image display apparatus includes a communication module, an acquisition module, an identification module, and a determination module. The communications module receives and transmits call information with communications equipment connected to the communications module through a network, the call information indicating information to communicate with the communications equipment. The acquisition module acquires environmental information representing an external environment of the image display apparatus. The identification module identifies personal information indicating a person existing in the environment or age information indicating an age of a person existing in the environment from the environmental information. The determination module determines, when the communications module receives the call information from the communications equipment, whether to permit the communications module to receive and transmit the call information with respect to the communications equipment that transmits the call information based on the identified personal information or the identified age information.
US08615072B2 System and methods for establishing a telephony session from a remote dialing unit
A user-operated system for causing a land-line telephone to dial a destination includes a mobile telephony device having a speaker and an internal dual tone multiple frequency (DTMF) dialer, and a dialer extension integrated with a microphone on the land line telephone for capturing a DTMF telephone number sequence. A telephone number is selected on the mobile telephony device, which generates an audible DTMF for the telephone number over the speaker, and the DTMF is captured by the microphone, and the land-line telephone dials the destination.
US08615065B2 Modular radial neutron reflector
A lower internals nuclear reactor structure having a tubular core barrel with an upper and lower open end, coaxially supported therein. A reflector having an outside curvature that substantially matches the curvature of the inside surface of the core barrel and substantially contacts the inside surface substantially over an axial length of the core, is fixedly connected to the inside surface of the core barrel at a plurality of axial and circumferential locations to be substantially supported by the inside surface of the core barrel.
US08615064B2 Phase locked loop circuit and receiver using the same
A phase locked loop circuit which obtains an output signal coincident in frequency and phase with a target signal which is acquired by multiplying the frequency of a reference signal by a ratio represented by the sum of a first fraction and a second fraction, the circuit includes a controlled oscillator including the same number of stages of annularly connected amplifiers as a number which is obtained by dividing, by 2, a least common multiple of a denominator of the first fraction, a denominator of the second fraction and 2, the same number of multiphase signals as the least common multiple being extractable from the controlled oscillator, the frequency of the multiphase signals being controlled by a digital control signal and an analog control signal, one of the multiphase signals being output as the output signal.
US08615063B2 Level transition determination circuit and method for using the same
A level transition determination circuit includes a multi-phase clock generator, an oversampling unit, and a state detection circuit. The multi-phase clock generator is used for receiving an input clock signal and generating S×N clock signals, in which S and N are integers. Each clock signal is synchronized to the input clock signal and has a different delay time. The oversampling unit is used for performing N-times oversampling on M bit periods of the serial input data according to the clock signals, so as to generate M×N sampled values in parallel during the M bit periods. The state detection circuit is used for receiving (M×N)+1 sampled values and generating N detection signals by detecting level transitions between adjacent sampled values of the (M×N)+1 sampled values and the level transition results.
US08615060B2 Reception apparatus, reception method, and program
Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including a calculation section and a storage section. The calculation section calculates correlation values between a data sequence included in a known signal and a received signal at a given point in time. The storage section has at least an area sufficient for storing the correlation values calculated for one frame using the received signal which is one frame long and to which the known signal is added.
US08615054B2 Close-loop power amplifier pre-distortion correction
Attenuation is provided at the output of a power amplifier that provides transmitted signals or packets. The attenuation particularly provides separation of linear and non linear behavior of the signals. A reference packet is transmitted during attenuation. A normal packet is delivered without attenuation. Feedback from the reference packet can be extracted using the normal packet to calculate a loop-back response that is extracted and sent to a power amplifier pre-distortion correction algorithm.
US08615050B2 Multi-resolution beamforming based on codebooks in MIMO systems
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for beamforming that achieve beamforming optimality criterions. Some proposed beamforming techniques are based on antenna directions with multiple resolutions.
US08615048B2 Channel estimation method and an associated apparatus
A channel estimation method, applied to an orthogonal frequency comprises performing a first number of sampling points inverse fast Fourier transformation (IFFT) operation on a preliminary frequency-domain channel response having a second number of response values to generate a first time-domain channel impulse response (CIR), the second number being greater than the first number; performing a time-domain windowing operation on the first time-domain CIR to generate a second time-domain CIR; performing a smoothing operation on a plurality of second time-domain CIRs of successive time points to generate a smooth time-domain CIR; and performing FFT operation on the smooth time-domain CIR to generate a frequency-domain channel response.
US08615046B2 Mobile communication system, transmission apparatus, receiving apparatus and method
A transmission apparatus for transmitting an uplink control signal by using a predetermined number of basic frequency blocks in a plurality of basic frequency blocks, wherein a system band is divided into a plurality of bands by a basic frequency block having a predetermined bandwidth, includes: a mapping unit configured to map control information to subcarriers in a basic frequency block in a given subframe; an inverse Fourier transform unit configured to perform inverse Fourier transform on a signal to which the control information is mapped; and a radio transmission unit configured to transmit a transmission signal, to a receiving apparatus by radio, including a signal on which inverse Fourier transform has been performed. In a subframe subsequent to the given subframe, the mapping unit maps the control information to subcarriers in a basic frequency block of a band different from a band of the basic frequency block in the given subframe.
US08615041B1 Quantization control for variable bit depth
The quantization parameter QP is well-known in digital video compression as an indication of picture quality. Digital symbols representing a moving image are quantized with a quantizing step that is a function QSN of the quantization parameter QP, which function QSN has been normalized to the most significant bit of the bit depth of the digital symbols. As a result, the effect of a given QP is essentially independent of bit depth a particular QP value has a standard effect on image quality, regardless of bit depth. The invention is useful, for example, in encoding and decoding at different bit depths, to generate compatible, bitstreams having different bit depths, and to allow different bit depths for different components of a video signal by compressing each with the same fidelity (i.e., the same QP).
US08615036B2 Generating interpolated frame of video signal with enhancement filter
In a video signal processing device that generates an interpolated frame between original-image frames formed by an existing video signal, a frame interpolation unit generates pixel interpolation information indicating for each pixel a process in which a pixel forming the interpolated frame is generated. Next, an enhancement-filter-coefficient adjusting unit determines for each pixel a level of enhancement to be applied to the pixel forming the interpolated frame by using pixel interpolation information, and adjusts for each pixel a coefficient of an enhancement filter according to a determined level. An enhancement-filter applying unit then applies the enhancement filter of which coefficient is adjusted for each pixel, to each pixel forming the interpolated frame.
US08615013B2 Packet scheduling with guaranteed minimum rate in a traffic manager of a network processor
Described embodiments provide rate setting for nodes of a scheduling hierarchy of a network processor. The scheduling hierarchy is a tree structure having a root scheduler and N scheduler levels. The network processor generates tasks corresponding to received packets. A traffic manager queues received tasks in a queue of the scheduling hierarchy associated with a data flow of the task. The queue has a parent scheduler at each level of the hierarchy up to the root scheduler. A scheduler selects a child node for transmission based on a number of arbitration credits in an arbitration credit bucket of each child. An arbitration credit value is determined for each child by maintaining a time stamp value corresponding to a time value of a previous selection of the child node and determining an elapsed time value based on the time stamp value and a current time value, scaled by a scaling factor.
US08615011B2 Method of routing a packet
The invention concerns a method of routing a packet in a packet switching network, and a corresponding router (50). A new or an obsolete entry in a routing table is detected. A timer is started. A packet filter is configured having a pass probability which is an increasing or decreasing function of the timer whereby said function is increasing if the detected entry is a new entry and decreasing if the detected entry is an obsolete entry. An incoming packet which matches the detected entry is detected. The detected packet is filtered with the packet filter. If the detected packet passes the packet filter, the detected packet is routed in accordance with the detected entry. If the detected packet does not pass the packet filter, the detected packet is routed in accordance with another entry of the routing table.
US08615010B1 System and method for managing traffic to a probe
A system and method is directed to routing a packet over a network to a probe. The system includes a replicator and a distributor. The replicator receives a packet from a client and replicates the packet. The distributor is either out-of-band or in-band to a flow of traffic between the client and a server. In the out-of-band configuration, the distributor forwards the replicate packet to at least one probe in a plurality of probes. The distributor receives a response to the replicate packet and transforms a source MAC address in the response to a MAC address of the distributor. The distributor forwards the transformed packet. The replicator forwards the original packet. In the in-band configuration, the distributor selects and forwards the original packet to a server using a first forwarding mechanism, and selects and forwards the replicate packet to a probe using a second forwarding mechanism.
US08615007B2 Network switching system with asynchronous and isochronous interface
To provide a switching system with telephone switching function mainly on the basis of hardware processing by using isochronous channel which is a real time communication channel. The switching system comprises a gateway node connected with ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), and one or more extension nodes, and a serial bus such as IEEE 1394 bus. The gateway node transforms data rate of outside line into data rate of extension node, and the other way around, and secure a seamless communication channel. Concretely, the gateway node secures an isochronous channel, according to a request from the extension nodes or the outside line, and executes switching such as transfer or reservation. A resource manager holds a table for managing the gateway node and extension node.
US08615000B2 Method of signal multiplexing and transmitter in radio communication system
A transmitter time-division-multiplexes, in time domain, to assign at least a part of a second signal stream of a second channel being relatively high error-resilient compared to a first signal stream of a first channel between a boundary of the blocks and the first signal stream of the first channel of a time-division-multiplexing signal.
US08614999B2 Communication terminal device, TFC selection method, and program
A communication terminal device is operable to multiplex a plurality of channel signals based on TFC (Transport Format Combination) selected by performing a TFC selection and transmit it. The communication terminal device includes a storage unit operable to store a plurality of combination of classifications to which the gain factors belong, as a combination of gain factors for weighting each of the plurality of channel signals, and to store a quantity of reduction of a maximum transmission power when the plurality of channel signals in association with each combination of the plurality of classifications are multiplexed and transmitted, and a TFC selection unit operable to select the TFC by reading out the quantity of reduction in association with the combination of the classification corresponding to the combination of the gain factors in each TFC from the storage unit when the TFC selection is performed.
US08614994B2 Method and system for implementing multiple timing domains for primary and secondary synchronization detection in EUTRA/LTE
A mobile device receives a signal, from a base station, comprising a primary synchronization sequence (PSS) and a secondary synchronization sequence (SSS). The mobile device utilizes two different sampling rates to perform the PSS synchronization and the SSS detection individually. For example, the mobile device synchronizes to the received PSS at a first sampling rate such as 0.96 MHz, which is determined based on the PSS transmission rate and/or the length of the received PSS. The mobile device detects the received SSS at a second sampling rate such as 1.92 MHz, which equals to the sampling rate for an analog-to-digital conversion at the mobile device. The received PSS and associated symbol timing are detected through the PSS synchronization to support the SSS detection. The detected SSS is used to acquire cell-specific parameters such as cell ID. The acquired cell-specific parameters ensure proper communications between the mobile device and the base station.
US08614993B2 User terminal apparatus and base station apparatus
A user terminal apparatus that transmits to a base station apparatus a pilot channel at least in uplink by a single carrier method is provided with a mapping portion that maps transmission data to a long block of a sub-frame composed of plural short blocks and plural of the long blocks, and maps a pilot channel for demodulating a data channel and a pilot channel for measuring a CQI to the short blocks in accordance with a transmission band and a transmission method provided by notification from the base station.
US08614991B2 Wireless communication apparatus and communication apparatus
There is a problem that, if a silent period is generated to a real-time application such as VoIP due to handover using BBM method, a user has a sense of anxiety and misunderstands that communication is completely disconnected. If the silent period is generated to the real-time application such as VoIP due to packet loss at handover, a terminal activates handover alarm (beep sound, for example), indicating that handover is in progress, during the silent period. Thereby, it notifies the user that the silent period is caused by handover and prevents user's misunderstanding that communication is completely disconnected.
US08614989B2 Predictive roaming between subnets
A network device of a subnet determines predictive roaming information for a wireless client. Predictive roaming information can identify the wireless client and a home network subnet of the wireless client. The network device provides predictive roaming information associated with a wireless client to neighboring subnets. Neighboring subnets store received predictive roaming information, and use the predictive roaming information if the wireless client roams to them.
US08614985B2 Method and apparatus for sharing a group resource in a wireless SDMA system
A method and apparatus of signaling radio resource allocation in a wireless communication system includes establishing groups of mobile stations which monitor a shared group scheduling bitmap; transmitting a group scheduling bitmap to the mobile stations, wherein the group scheduling bitmap contains a mobile station presence bitmap and an SDMA bitmap, wherein the SDMA bitmap is used to divide the group members into two or more subgroups; and transmitting packets to the mobile stations or receiving packets from the mobile stations using the radio resource which is derived from the value indicated in the group scheduling bitmap.
US08614983B2 Resource allocation method, network device, and wireless system
A resource allocation method, a network device and a wireless system are disclosed. The method includes: sorting Resource Blocks (RBs) used by a terminal of a first system and a terminal of a second system according to a use situation of the RBs used by the terminal of the first system and the terminal of the second system; and allocating the sorted RBs. When some RBs are available to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) terminal, coexistence of an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) terminal and the LTE terminal is enabled, and compatibility between the LTE-A terminal and the LTE terminal is ensured.
US08614975B2 Synchronizing a base station in a wireless communication system
A method for synchronizing a wireless communication system is disclosed. A silence duration for a base station is determined based on the time required for a neighbor base station to obtain or maintain synchronization. All transmissions from the base station are ceased for the silence duration. Multiple base stations level may cease transmissions at the same time, thus mitigating interference.
US08614965B2 Packet loss frequency measuring system, packet loss frequency measuring method, and program
In a system, there is provided a packet information registration section for selecting one of the plurality of packet information storage areas upon receiving a packet and storing, in the selected packet information storing area, information corresponding to the field values including at least the acknowledgment number in the received packet, and a counting section for counting the number of pieces of information commonly stored in packet information storage areas equal in number two or more than a predetermined number.
US08614962B2 Communication device, communication method, and program
There is provided a communication device including a communication state determination section which determines a communication state corresponding to a transmission rate demanded from a simulation engine based on a transmission rate and a state of communication at the transmission rate between a first communication state measurement device and a second communication state measurement device via a real network, a traffic generation section which generates traffic by creating data based on the communication state determined by the communication state determination section, a protocol processing section which creates a packet including the data created by the traffic generation section, and a communication section which transmits the packet created by the protocol processing section to another communication device.
US08614960B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving data by using time slicing
Provided is a data transmission method using time slicing, the method includes: generating a plurality of transmission frames by realigning a plurality of pieces of data of a same layer among data of a plurality of original frames classified in a hierarchical structure based on a resolution; and transmitting the plurality of transmission frames according to a transmission order based on the hierarchical structure.
US08614957B2 Extension connection method and route selection device
When receiving an extension connection request from a first mobile terminal, a first route selection device selects a first extension connection route from among a plurality of extension connection routes and transmits the type of the first extension connection route and calling-side address information used on the first extension connection route to a second route selection device. The second route selection device selects a second extension connection route from among the plurality of extension connection routes and transmits the type of the second extension connection route and called-side address information used on the second extension connection route to the first route selection device. If the second extension connection route coincides with the first extension connection route, an extension connection is established between the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal via the first extension connection route.
US08614950B2 Load balancing hash computation for network switches
Techniques to load balance traffic in a communication network include a network switch or device having an interface to receive a data unit or packet. The network device includes a hash value generator configured to generate a symmetric key from an initial key that is based on the packet, and configured to generate a hash value based on the symmetric key and the packet. The hash value may be optionally modified to load balance egress traffic of the network device. The network device selects an egress link or port, such as by determining an index into an egress table based on the (modified) hash value. The techniques described herein allow packets or data units of a particular flow to travel in both directions along a same path through the communication network.
US08614948B2 Data transmission method, data reception method and apparatuses thereof
Disclosed is a data transmission method, data reception method and apparatus. The data transmission method comprises steps of: determining whether a plurality of PDCP PDUs are consecutive; mapping the plurality of PDCP PDUs to one RLC PDU when the plurality of PDCP PDUs are consecutive, wherein a PDCP SN of a first PDCP PDU among the plurality of PDCP PDUs is reserved, while PDCP SNs of the remaining PDCP PDUs are removed; and setting a flag bit in a RLC PDU's header as a first preset value to indicate that the plurality of PDCP PDUs are consecutive. With the methods and apparatus according to the present invention, radio resource in the mobile wireless communication systems can be saved since transmission of redundant information may be reduced.
US08614945B2 Dynamic service level allocation system and method
A dynamic service level allocation system and method is disclosed in which a host, who has been allocated a bandwidth in which it can communicate with a satellite, shares this bandwidth with a user at the intermediate frequency level. The system includes a control module and a synchronization module that interact with the network operation center (NOC) of the host to adjust bandwidth and service level requirements of the host and user so that the bandwidth required by the user can be granted while maintaining the service level required by the host. The allocation of bandwidth between the user and host is done dynamically to accommodate the changing requirements of the user and the host.
US08614942B2 Packet switching system and method
A packet switching system capable of ensuring the sequence and continuity of packets and further compensating for delays in transmission is disclosed. Each of two redundant switch sections has a high-priority queue and a low-priority queue for each of output ports. A high-priority output selector selects one of two high-priority queues corresponding to respective ones of the two switch sections to store an output of the selected one into a high-priority output queue. A low-priority output selector selects one of two low-priority queues corresponding to respective ones of the two switch sections to store an output of the selected one into a low-priority output queue. The high-priority and low-priority output selectors are controlled depending on a system switching signal and a packet storing status of each of the high-priority and low-priority queues.
US08614938B2 Objective lens unit, optical pickup, and optical information apparatus
An objective lens unit according to the present invention includes a first objective lens 41; and a first lens holder 2 for supporting the first objective lens 41. The first lens holder 2 is formed of a material which transmits ultraviolet. Preferably, the first lens holder 2 includes a through-hole, having first and second openings 2a and 2b, through which light incident on the first objective lens 41 passes, and an opening limiting section 3 provided along a circumferential direction of the through-hole and projecting toward a central axis of the through-hole. The first objective lens 41 is supported so as to block the first opening 2b. The opening limiting section 3 guides light incident thereon from the second opening 2a in a direction away from an optical axis of the first objective lens.
US08614937B2 Optical information recording device and method
In an optical information recording device and optical information recording method for angularly multiplexing and recording data on pages on the same recording region on a hologram disk, data on each page is sequentially generated by sequentially dividing input data in predetermined units, the pages to be recorded on the same recording region are divided into page groups so that pages to be recorded adjacently by the angular multiplexing may not belong to the same group, each page group is individually subjected to inter-page coding processing for computing an error-correcting code and adding the computed error-correcting code, and data on the pages subjected to the inter-page coding processing is angularly multiplexed and recorded on the hologram disk.
US08614931B2 Timepiece movement comprising a module fitted with a wheel set meshing with another wheel set pivoting in a base on which the module is mounted
Timepiece movement including a module fitted with a first wheel set meshing with a second wheel set, which pivots on a base on which the module is mounted. The movement includes a means of positioning the module formed by a cam, at least most of the periphery of which forms an Archimedes' spiral. The cam is arranged so as to allow the distance of centers between the first and second wheel sets to be adjusted, when the cam is rotated on itself about the center of the Archimedes' spiral. The cam is preferably calibrated. The invention also concerns a method of adjusting the distance of centers between the two wheel sets using said cam to optimise the gearing efficiency of the two wheel sets.
US08614914B2 Memory system, program method thereof, and computing system including the same
Disclosed is a memory system and a method of programming a multi-bit flash memory device which includes memory cells configured to store multi-bit data, where the method includes and the system is configured for determining whether data to be stored in a selected memory cell is an LSB data; and if data to be stored in a selected memory cell is not an LSB data, backing up lower data stored in the selected memory cell to a backup memory block of the multi-bit flash memory device.
US08614913B2 Method and apparatus for controlling page buffer of non-volatile memory device
A method of managing a page buffer of a non-volatile memory device comprises programming least significant bit (LSB) page data from an LSB page buffer into a page of memory cells, and retaining the LSB page data in the LSB page buffer until most significant bit (MSB) page data corresponding to the LSB page data is programmed in the page.
US08614911B2 Energy-efficient row driver for programming phase change memory
A drive circuit and method for parallel programming a plurality of phase change memory (PCM) cells includes a first signal generator device for generating a slow ramping signal; an adiabatic computing element receives the slow ramping signal and responsively generates an output slow ramping signal in adiabatic fashion, the output slow ramping signal applied to the single wordline conductor associated with each PCM cell of the plurality of cells being programmed in a time interval. Each PCM cell of the plurality being programmed is connected to a respective bitline conductor. A second signal generator generates, during the time interval, one or more bitline signals for input to a respective bitline conductor of a respective PCM cell. A state of the applied slow ramping output signal and the one or more bitline signals during the time interval governs a programmed state of the PCM cell.
US08614908B2 Bit line sense amplifier layout array, layout method, and apparatus having the same
A bit line sense amplifier layout array includes N sense amplifier layout regions, which are arranged adjacent each other and have a sense amplifier, respectively. (N+1−i) bit lines and i complementary bit lines are arranged in an ith sense amplifier layout region among the sense amplifier layout regions. An ith bit line among the (N+1−i) bit lines and an ith complementary bit line among the i complementary bit lines are connected to a sense amplifier formed in the ith sense amplifier layout region. The values N and i are natural numbers and i>=1 and <=N.
US08614904B2 Voltage source converter with switching cell bypass arrangement
A Voltage Source Converter having at least one phase leg connected to opposite poles of a direct voltage side of the converter and including a series connection of switching cells has an arrangement configured to apply a pressure to opposite ends of stacks of semiconductor assemblies for pressing the assemblies towards each other so as to obtain electric contact between semiconductor assemblies in the stack while ensuring that the semiconductor assemblies of a first path of each switching cell of the converter go into a permanently closed circuit state in case of a failure of the respective switching cell. A second path of each switching cell has a member configured to keep the second path including an energy storing capacitor non-conducting upon occurrence of the failure.
US08614900B2 Grounded lid for micro-electronic assemblies
An apparatus for reducing EMI at the micro-electronic-component level includes a substrate having a ground conductor integrated therein. A micro-electronic component such as an integrated circuit is mounted to the substrate. An electrically conductive lid is mounted to the substrate, thereby forming a physical interface with the substrate. The electrically conductive lid substantially covers the micro-electronic component. A conductive link is provided to create an electrical connection between the electrically conductive lid and the ground conductor at the physical interface.
US08614883B2 Assembly of a hand held computer terminal housing
A bottom cap of a housing of a hand held computer terminal is provided. The bottom cap comprises a strap mount and a releasable fastener. The releasable fastener can releasably fasten the bottom cap to a main body of the housing. The strap mount comprises an electrical connector opening for mounting an electrical connector to the bottom cap.
US08614882B2 Card connector with a servomechanical device for repositioning an expansion card
A card connector having a housing with a receiving slot and connector pins are provided. An expansion card having docking well regions, contact pads, and backup contact pads is inserted in the receiving slot. The connector pins are connected to the docking well regions on the expansion card. The expansion card is coupled to a servomechanical device that can slide the expansion card to connect the connector pins with the contact pads. Connector pins and contact pads are coated with an interface material that is subject to wearing. Worn interface material can cause weak electrical connections between connector pins and contact pads. Thus, a card connector with a servomechanical device is provided to slide an expansion card within a receiving slot of the card connector for an improved electrical connection between connector pins and contact pads.
US08614873B1 Varying electrical current and/or conductivity in electrical current channels
Electrical current and/or conductivity in an electrical current channel varies in response to spatiotemporal magnetic flux pattern and/or to variation in electromotive force (EMF). For example, a channel with time-varying electrical conductivity can have induced electrical current variation due to flux pattern resulting from electrical current in another channel or set of channels; the current variation can increase magnetic flux density. The electrical currents can be transient electrical currents, and can cascade to amplify a resulting electromagnetic waveform. A channel can include the channel of a zener or zener-like diode or of a transistor, as well as an extended conductive channel. Channels can be configured in electrical current loops and in various orientations and combinations to obtain current and/or conductivity variation. A transient electrical current can be triggered in a channel, e.g. by an EMF peak, and circuitry with a combination of EMF triggering components can perform logical and timing operation.
US08614869B1 Apparatus, method, and system for integrating ground fault circuit interrupters in equipment-grounded high voltage systems
An apparatus, method, and system for providing ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)-type functionality for electrical systems that may experience leakage current, such as those used in outdoor sports lighting applications, and may benefit from mitigation of electrical shock hazards. The resulting system is such that an equipment-grounded electrical system, where the grounding system is actively monitored, in conjunction with the envisioned GFCI functionality, may comprise an electrical protection system whereby personal injury is minimized.
US08614866B2 Hybrid switch circuit
A hybrid switch circuit includes a hybrid switch that couples an input conductor connected to an AC power supply to an output conductor connected to a load. The hybrid switch includes a power semiconductor in parallel with an electromagnetic relay. A control circuit turns on the hybrid switch by turning on the power semiconductor at a zero-voltage crossing of the AC voltage to provide a conductive path and then closing the relay to provide a conductive bypass path that bypasses the power semiconductor. The control circuit turns off the hybrid switch by opening the relay and subsequently turning off the power semiconductor at a zero crossing of the load current. The control circuit operates in response to at least one switch control signal that indicates whether an operating fault condition exists.
US08614862B1 Perpendicular magnetic recording media having a cap layer above a granular layer
In one general embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a ferromagnetic granular layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and having a granular structure; and a cap layer above said granular layer, the cap layer being a ferromagnetic continuous layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, wherein, near a first side of said granular layer nearest the cap layer. Surfaces of the ferromagnetic grains of said granular layer facing the cap layer each have a domed shape defining undulations along the first side. Indentations in said ferromagnetic grains are filled by the oxide of the grain boundary in a vicinity of the first side of said granular layer. Undulations on a granular layer side of said cap layer are flatter than the undulations of the ferromagnetic grains on the first side of said granular layer.
US08614847B2 Vehicular rearview mirror elements and assemblies incorporating these elements
The present invention relates to improved electro-optic rearview mirror elements and assemblies incorporating the same.
US08614844B2 Optical scanning apparatus and optical reflection device used therefor
An optical scanning apparatus is configured to include a light source that emits a beam of light, and a scanning device that scans the beam of light in two axial directions that are mutually substantially perpendicular at a first frequency fH and a second frequency fL. The scanning device calculates the first frequency fH and the second frequency fL by using predetermined mathematical formulas, and scans the beam of light at the calculated first frequency fH and second frequency fL.
US08614843B2 Correction of optical elements by correction light irradiated in a flat manner
The disclosure relates to a correction light device for the irradiation of optical elements of an optical arrangement, in particular a lens, such a microlithography lens having a correction light, which include at least one correction light source and at least one mirror arrangement that deflects the light from the correction light source in the beam path to the optical element such that at least part of at least one surface of at least one optical element of the optical arrangement are irradiated in a locally and/or temporally variable fashion. The correction light strikes the surface of the optical element at a flat angle such that the obtuse angle between the optical axis of the optical arrangement at the location of the optical element and the correction light beam is less than or equal to 105°.
US08614837B2 Image scanning device, image forming apparatus, and image scanning method
An image scanning device includes an image sensor obtaining an analog image signal; a variable gain amplifier amplifying the analog image signal; an analog-to-digital converter converting the amplified analog image signal into digital image data; a highest value detection unit detecting the highest value in the digital image data; and an amplifier gain setting unit setting an amplifier gain of the variable gain amplifier. The amplifier gain setting unit initially sets the amplifier gain of the variable gain amplifier such that the highest value in first digital image data of a reference image falls within a predetermined range, and if the highest value in second digital image data of the reference image obtained with the initially-set amplifier gain exceeds the predetermined range, the amplifier gain setting unit decreases the amplifier gain of the variable gain amplifier.
US08614827B2 Image processing method
An image processing method determines a number of smoothing times Stime so that the number of times, at which the corrected tone values will be modified, increases as the amount of modification, by which the corrected tone values are required to be modified, increases; and modifies the corrected tone values by dividing the modification amount by the number of smoothing times Stime so that the actual printing characteristics R[i] predicted to be actually obtained approach the ideal characteristics T[i] in steps of the smoothing times Stime. Therefore, the image processing method can prevent an abrupt change in the characteristics of printed color density levels before and after the corrected tone values are modified, even when the modification amount of the corrected tone values is large.
US08614814B2 Image processing apparatus for controlling plural image outputting parts
An image processing apparatus includes plural image outputting parts, an image processing part configured to process image data to be output by the plural image outputting parts, plural software control parts configured to selectively control the plural image outputting parts, a user service selecting part configured to share the image processing part in a case of processing the image data to be output from the plural image outputting parts and select plural user services that selectively use the plural software control parts, and a request executing part configured to sequentially receive plural image process requests and plural output requests from the plural software control parts and execute the plural image process requests and the plural image output requests in an order in which the plural image process requests and the plural output requests are sequentially received.
US08614808B2 Printed document identification
Techniques for printed document identification allow a user to more readily identify a printed document. The techniques may include receiving document data for printing a document and accessing information to identify the document for printing. Document data may relate to printed document properties, such as, for example, document appearance and document content. The document data and the accessed identifying information may be formatted to appropriately meet the requirements of the printer. Formatting the document data and the accessed identifying information for printing may include formatting a page for printing such that the page includes at least a portion of the document data and the accessed identifying information, and the accessed identifying information is between document margins and printer allowable margins.
US08614804B2 Document management system, document management method and computer readable medium
According to an aspect of the invention, a document management system includes a document state storage unit, a manipulation control unit, a stamp image storage unit, and a state change unit. The document state storage unit stores document state information representing states concerning document validity of electronic documents stored in a document storage unit. The manipulation control unit refuses a request from a user for manipulating one of the electronic documents when the document state information corresponding to the one of the electronic documents indicates that the one of the electronic documents is invalid at present. The stamp image storage unit stores a plurality of stamp images each corresponding to any one of possible states represented by the document state information.
US08614803B2 User interface of image forming apparatus with restricted editing function
A user interface which displays information regarding a job registered in an image forming apparatus includes a job information acquisition unit which acquires information regarding the job, an editing function selection unit which acquires selection of an editing function to the information regarding the job by a user, a job information editing unit which carries out the selected editing function to the information regarding the job, limiting the editing of a predetermined item of the information regarding the job, and a job information display unit which displays the edited job information.
US08614800B2 Image processing device displaying jobs in two areas of display
An image processing device is capable of executing a job that outputs image information to a destination. The image processing device includes a display, a first memory, a second memory, and a first display control unit. The first memory stores, as an uncompleted job, a job before execution. The second memory stores, as a completed job, the job after the uncompleted job has been executed. The first display control unit displays both the uncompleted job stored in the first memory and the completed job stored in the second memory on the display simultaneously.
US08614798B2 Pattern generators, calibration systems and methods for patterning workpieces
A pattern generator includes: a writing tool and a calibration system. The writing tool is configured to generate a pattern on a workpiece arranged on a stage. The calibration system is configured to determine a correlation between a coordinate system of the writing tool and a coordinate system of a calibration plate on one of the stage and the workpiece. The calibration system is also configured to determine the correlation at least partly based on an optical correlation signal, or pattern, in a form of at least one optical beam being reflected from at least one reflective pattern on the surface of the calibration plate.
US08614795B2 System and method of distributed fiber optic sensing including integrated reference path
An apparatus for estimating a parameter includes: an optical fiber including at least one core configured to transmit an interrogation signal and including a plurality of sensing locations distributed along a measurement length of the optical fiber and configured to reflect light; a reference optical path configured to transmit a reference signal, the reference optical path disposed in a fixed relationship to the at least one core and extending at least substantially parallel to the at least one core, the reference optical path including a reference reflector that defines a cavity length corresponding to the measurement length; a detector configured to receive a reflected return signal; a reference interferometer configured to receive at least a reference signal and generate an interferometric reference signal; and a processor configured to apply the interferometric reference signal to the reflected return signal to compensate for one or more environmental parameters.
US08614793B2 Flow chamber for online fluorometer
A fluorescence analysis system may include a sensor head that has a light source configured to emit light into a flow of fluid, a detector configured to detect fluorescent emissions from the flow of fluid, and a temperature sensor. The system may also include a flow chamber that includes a housing defining a cavity into which the sensor head can be inserted. In some examples, the housing is configured such that, when a flow of fluid enters the housing, the flow of fluid divides into at least a major stream passing adjacent the light source and the detector and a minor stream passing adjacent the temperature sensor. Such a flow chamber may direct fluid past different sensors components while inhibiting a build-up of solids particles, the generation of air locks, or other flow issues attendant with continuous or semi-continuous online operation.
US08614791B2 Spectroscope
Provided is a spectroscope that can be manufactured easily, can be reduced in size, and can provide high wavelength resolution of a specific spectral band. Specifically, provided is a spectroscope with a diffraction grating 331 that deflects and separates incident light in different directions depending on to an element of the incident light, at least one optical element 332a, diffusing a light that has passed through this diffraction grating 331 and has entered the optical element 332a, a line sensor 333, which receives the light that has passed through the optical element 332a, thereby only light that has a specific deflection angle within a specific range of wavelengths from among all the light that entered said optical element 332a is selectively expanded and received.
US08614787B2 High throughput quantum efficiency combinatorial characterization tool and method for combinatorial solar test substrates
Simultaneous measurement of an internal quantum efficiency and an external quantum efficiency of a solar cell using an emitter that emits light; a three-way beam splitter that splits the light into solar cell light and reference light, wherein the solar cell light strikes the solar cell; a reference detector that detects the reference light; a reflectance detector that detects reflectance light, wherein the reflectance light comprises a portion of the solar cell light reflected off the solar cell; a source meter operatively coupled to the solar cell; a multiplexer operatively coupled to the solar cell, the reference detector, and the reflectance detector; and a computing device that simultaneously computes the internal quantum efficiency and the external quantum efficiency of the solar cell.
US08614784B2 Fluid handling structure, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method, involving gas supply
A fluid handling structure is provided for a lithographic apparatus having at a boundary between a space containing immersion fluid and a region external to the fluid handling structure, a plurality of openings arranged in a first line, a first gas knife device having an aperture in a second line, one or more openings in a third line and a second gas knife device having an aperture in a fourth line.
US08614783B2 Encoder-type measurement system, lithographic apparatus and method to detect an error on or in a grid or grating of an encoder-type measurement system
An encoder-type measurement system is configured to measure a position dependent signal of a movable object. The measurement system includes a light source and a sensor. The light source and the sensor are mounted on one of the movable object or a substantially stationary frame. The measurement system also includes a reference object that includes a grating or grid mounted on the other of the movable object or the substantially stationary frame. The light source is configured to emit a light beam towards the reference object. The sensor is configured to detect light of the light source reflected by the reference object. The measurement system also includes an error detector capable of detecting errors in or on the grating or grid of the sensor target object during a continuous production process.
US08614773B2 Liquid crystal display device having a pixel region with two TFT elements and two pixel electrodes each having slits extending in two directions wherein each of the two TFT elements is connected to a different video signal line
A liquid crystal display device having an active matrix display panel with pixel regions having two pixel electrodes and two TFT elements thereon. The two pixel electrodes are formed in each of the pixel regions, the two pixel electrodes are connected to different ones of the two TFT elements and one counter electrode is formed in each of the pixel regions, the counter electrode being formed between a layer of the pixel electrode and a first substrate. Each pixel electrode in the pixel regions has plural slits, the slits in each pixel electrode extending in two directions, and the slits extend in a direction which is not parallel to an extending direction of either of a video signal line or a scanning signal line formed on the first substrate. The two pixel electrodes in the pixel region have adjacent pixel electrode sides which are parallel to each other.
US08614770B2 Digital broadcast receiver and receiving method
An unreceivability detector (6) that, based on various information obtained from a signal received from a broadcasting station of a digital broadcast program being viewed/listened to, detects that the received signal of that broadcasting station is currently unreceivable and outputs an unreceivability notification, an affiliated station memory (8) that stores channel information of the program being viewed/listened to and channel information of a station affiliated with that broadcasting station, and a tuning control unit (7) that, when it receives an unreceivability notification from the unreceivability detector, retrieves the channel information of the affiliated station from the affiliated station memory (8) and permits the program of the affiliated station to be viewed/listened to, if it is currently in a receivable state, and outputs an instruction to make a channel search for an affiliated station if no affiliated station is stored in the affiliated station memory are provided. When the program being viewed/listened to becomes unviewable/unlistenable, the time during which program viewing/listening is interrupted can be shortened.
US08614769B2 Intermediate frequency processing device for processing both analogue and digital television intermediate frequency signals
Disclosed is an intermediate frequency processing device for processing both analogue and digital television intermediate frequency signals including vision and sound intermediate frequency signal components, comprising an intermediate frequency signal input for receiving digital or analogue intermediate frequency signals, a processing section, coupled to said intermediate frequency signal input means, for processing intermediate frequency signals, and an output for outputting signals processed in said processing section. The processing section comprises a first band pass filter (1,2,3) connected to said intermediate frequency signal input, and at least two parallel processing portions (4,6a,7,19-22,30-40,42-45;5,6b,8,18,23-29,46) coupled in parallel to said band pass filter (1,2,3), wherein each of said processing portions includes an inphase quadrature processing means (18,23;19,22).
US08614768B2 Miniaturized imaging device including GRIN lens optically coupled to SSID
A miniaturized imaging device and method of viewing small luminal cavities are described. The imaging device can be used as part of a catheter, and can include a solid state imaging device (SSID) including an imaging array, and a graduated refractive index (GRIN) lens optically coupled to the imaging array of the SSID.
US08614767B2 Preview image display compensation based on environmental lighting conditions
An image capture device includes an image sensor for capturing image data of a scene, and a display screen for displaying a preview of the captured image of the scene. Additionally, the image capture device includes a photovoltaic solar cell for outputting electrical energy responsive to environmental lighting conditions. A control section determines whether the image capture device is or is not currently being used in a bright environment. Responsive to a determination that the image capture device is currently being used in a bright environment, the control section increases brightness of the display screen, and switches electrical energy outputted from the photovoltaic cell for use by the display screen.
US08614761B2 Image capturing apparatus that records captured image and location information in association with each other
An image capturing apparatus including a location information acquiring unit 31, an image capturing unit 13, a storage control unit 32, a predictable location calculation unit 37 that predicts, in a case of failure to acquire location information at a time of image capturing, a range of locations predictable at the time of image capturing based on the location information acquired earlier than the time of image capturing, a display control unit 33 that displays a predictable range of locations on a display unit based on the acquired earlier location information and the range of locations thus predicted, a designation reception unit 34 that receives a location designated by a user from within the predictable range of locations, and a captured location setting unit 38 that sets location information of the received location as the location information at the time of image capturing.
US08614760B2 Device and method for inserting captured image data into a document
A mobile device with an integrated camera responsive to signals from a camera activator. The mobile device includes application programs capable of editing documents. The user triggers the device operating system to switch from an active application program in which the user is editing a document to a camera application by activating the camera activator. The user then captures an image by again triggering the camera activator, whereupon the active application is restored and the image data is inserted within the document. The captured image is directly inserted into an input field within the open document in the active application.
US08614758B2 Solid-state imaging device, method for manufacturing the same, method for driving the same, and electronic apparatus
A solid-state imaging device including: a substrate; a substrate voltage supply that applies a first potential to the substrate during a light receiving period and applies a second potential to the substrate during a no-light receiving period; and a plurality of pixels including a light receiving portion that generates signal charges in response to received light, a storage capacitor that stores and holds the signal charges, a dark current suppressing portion, an electronic shutter adjusting layer that adjusts potential distribution in a substrate so that the signal charges are swept to the rear surface side of the substrate, a readout gate portion that reads out the signal charges stored in the storage capacitor, and a vertical transfer register that transfers the signal charges read out by the readout gate portion in a vertical direction.
US08614741B2 Method and apparatus for intelligent and automatic sensor control using multimedia database system
Techniques for intelligent and automatic control of sensors for capturing data associated with real time events. Preferably, the sensors are associated with a multimedia database system. For example, a technique for controlling one or more sensors used to capture data associated with an event comprises the following steps/operations. First, sensor data captured in accordance with the event is processed. Then, the one or more sensors are automatically controlled based on information pertaining to the continual activity of at least one of one or more objects and one or more persons associated with the event in real time obtained using at least a portion of the processed data captured in accordance with the event.
US08614740B2 Device and method for inspecting a tire, in particular using an interferometric measuring method
A device for inspecting a tire (10), in particular by means of an interferometric measuring method, is provided with a measuring head, which is used to scan the tire in order to produce a measured result. The device is also equipped with a location element, which allows the measuring head to be located and aligned in a monitoring position. In addition, the device is provided with a control and display unit, which allows the location element to be controlled and the measured result to be displayed. To achieve the simple control of the measuring head and a reliable evaluation of the measured result, the control and display unit has at least one display field for displaying the monitoring position or the monitoring direction of the measuring head in relation to the tire.
US08614735B2 Video conferencing
A video conferencing system is provided, in which at least two cameras are used to capture images of people at a first location participating in a video conference. One or more active speakers are identified among the people at the location, and one of the at least two cameras is automatically selected based on a position or positions of the one or more active speakers. Images from the selected camera are provided to a person at a second location participating the video conference.
US08614733B2 Apparatus, system, and method of preventing leakage of information
When a communication terminal determines that restriction processing is to be applied based on a sound input through the communication terminal or a user instruction, the communication terminal restricts output of conference information received from a counterpart terminal.
US08614732B2 System and method for performing distributed multipoint video conferencing
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for performing video conferencing is provided that includes an I-frame injector element operable to intercept I-frame requests from one or more end points and to attempt to service the I-frame requests such that at least a portion of the requests are prevented from propagating back to an originating sender. In more specific embodiments, when a receiver endpoint sends a fast video update (FVU) request upstream, it is intercepted by the I-frame injector element and rather than passing the FVU request to the sender the I-frame injector element replaces a next P-frame from the sender with an I-frame, whereby the I-frame is constructed so that when decoded, it matches the P-frame that it replaced. In still more detailed embodiments, the I-frame injector element operates in one of three modes that are associated with bandwidth parameters.
US08614731B2 System and method for testing the reception and play of media on mobile devices
A system and method of determining the quality of audio-visual services of a mobile telephone is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes wirelessly receiving streaming audio-video content at the mobile telephone and wherein the audio-video content comprises video content and audio content. The video content is formed of a plurality of video frames with each encoded with one or more video symbols. The audio content is formed of a plurality of audio segments with each encoded with a sequence of tones. The method further includes outputting the audio content with the mobile telephone and displaying the video content with the mobile telephone. A computer processes the video symbols of each video frame of the displayed video content to determine a video quality of the displayed video content and processes the sequences of tones of the outputted audio content to determine an audio quality of the outputted audio content. The determined audio and video quality is then output by the computer.
US08614730B2 Method of conveying emotion in video telephone mode and wireless terminal implementing the same
Provided is a method and wireless terminal for enabling the user of the wireless terminal to transmit an emoticon representing an emotion to another party. The method and terminal are provided where at least one emoticon may be displayed in a video telephone mode and a selected emoticon may be displayed and transmitted to the other party.
US08614725B2 Rewritable printer
In a rewritable printer of one embodiment which reprints information on a rewritable paper with a thermal print system after erasing by heat information printed on the rewritable paper and discharges it to the outside of the printer through a paper issue port, the printer includes an auxiliary guide having a smooth surface, provided at the paper issue port, to guide the rewritable paper, on which information is reprinted, discharged to the outside.
US08614722B2 Display device and driving method of the same
In a display using a time gradation method, as the number of the subframes in one frame period increases, the number of writings of video data to a pixel and the operating quantity of a driver circuit of the display increase so that power consumption increases. In a display device of the invention, one frame period is divided into n subframe periods using a display controller, the subframe periods are made to emit light or not, to express m-bit gradation by the total sum of lighting time in one frame period, and the number of subframe periods n provided in one frame period and the number of gradations m capable of being expressed are changed corresponding to each row arranged in matrix.
US08614721B2 Liquid crystal display device and potential setting method for the same
A liquid crystal display device includes source bus lines, gate bus lines intersecting with the source bus lines, pixels arranged in a matrix to correspond to intersections between the gate bus lines and the source bus lines, each of the pixels including a TFT, a pixel electrode, a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer, and a potential control section for controlling the potential of the common electrode. The potential control section sets a voltage, obtained by reducing potential Vcenf255 of the common electrode at which flicker is minimum in display of gray level as black display and gray level as white display alternately every pixel by a predetermined voltage, as center voltage Vcen255 of the potential of the common electrode in display of gray level for all the pixels.
US08614715B2 Moving image file producing method, computer program product and electronic camera
A moving image file producing method includes: inputting an image material; inputting a scenario information; and producing a moving image file that contains the image material based on the scenario information.
US08614713B1 Computer implemented method to create a near real time well log
A computer implemented method to create a well log by forming an editable well log template, importing user information, continuously importing well sensor information, well event based observation data; well fluid testing data, scaling the imported data, forming scaled values, computing a microview log plot and a macroview log plot simultaneously using the scaled values; creating an executive dashboard, inserting real time well logging information into the executive dashboard as the well logging information is detected forming an executive dashboard, monitoring the well drilling using the executive dashboard while viewing both the macroview log plot and the microview log plot simultaneously on a real time basis enabling safety interpretations for drilling, geological interpretations for drilling, operational interpretations for drilling, and combinations of these interpretations, in real time.
US08614708B2 System and method for scalable rendering of diffusion curves
The systems and methods described herein may allow diffusion curve images to be displayed by a variety of applications without requiring specialized graphics hardware to render the images. The system may provide mechanisms to convert a diffusion curve representation to an alternate representation in a scalable, portable format. The conversion may include a tessellation operation, and may produce a mesh of shapes (e.g., triangles) for which diffusible attribute values (e.g. color and blur) are assigned to each node. Tessellating an image may include generating a piecewise linear approximation of the diffusion curves and triangulating the image to generate the mesh. Color values for each channel may be assigned by solving a sparse linear system in the triangle domain. The alternate representation may be displayed by another application using various interpolation techniques. The alternate representation may be resolution-independent and compact, as compared to other representations used to display diffusion curve images.
US08614707B2 3D and real time electrical capacitance volume-tomography sensor design and image reconstruction
Dynamic three-dimensional image electrical capacitance tomography sensor system is disclosed. The technique generates, from the measured capacitance, a whole volume image of the region enclosed by the a geometrically three-dimensional capacitance sensor. A real time, three-dimensional imaging of a moving object or a real time volume imaging (i.e., four-dimensional (4D)) allows for a total interrogation scheme of the whole volume within the domain of an arbitrary shape of geometry to be implemented. The system comprises a 3D capacitance sensor, data acquisition electronics and the image reconstruction algorithm which enables the volume-image reconstruction. The electrode shape of the capacitance sensor can be rectangular, triangular, trapezium, or any shape to enclose a 3D section of the measuring domain and to distribute the electrical field intensity in three directions with equal sensitivity strength. The image reconstruction algorithm reconstructs simultaneously the image voxels in a three-dimensional array. The tomography sensor system may be multimodal.
US08614706B2 Lightweight three-dimensional display
A computer-implemented imaging process method includes generating a progression of images of a three-dimensional model and saving the images at a determined location, generating mark-up code for displaying image manipulation controls and for permitting display of the progression of images in response to user interaction with the image manipulation controls, and providing the images and mark-up code for use by a third-party application.
US08614703B1 Automatic border alignment of objects in map data
A map editing system for processing map data in order to reduce discrepancies between geometric objects in the map data through the use of a cost function. The system selects a polygon shaped object (e.g., a park) for processing. The polygon may be located close to several polyline objects (e.g., streets) or other polygon objects so that discrepancies, such as open spaces, appear between the objects when displayed together in a map. To eliminate these discrepancies while maintaining the overall appearance of the polygon, the system repeatedly adjusts the border of the polygon until the attributes of the polygon minimize a cost function.
US08614702B2 Display control/drive device and display system
A display control/drive device (a liquid crystal controller driver and a semiconductor integrated circuit for driving liquid crystals) which can serve to reduce peak currents and thereby restrain the occurrence of EMI is to be provided. In a liquid crystal display control/drive device in which image signals to be applied to signal lines of a color liquid crystal panel are generated in response to display image data that are received, image signals for pixels of the same color are divided into a plurality of groups. And during a period in which the substantial frame frequency can be reduced, the period of a line clock matching one horizontal period is extended to slightly stagger the output timing of image signals from one to another of the groups and the sequence of outputs from the different groups is periodically varied.
US08614690B2 Touch sensor panel using dummy ground conductors
Methods and apparatus for correcting electrical noise coupling from a liquid crystal module to a plurality of sense elements disposed within a touch sensor panel, and for reducing errors in touch detection algorithms. Erroneous signal values detected by the sense elements may be corrected by utilizing a set of reference elements for detecting noise common to both the sense elements and the reference elements, and a correction module for effectively subtracting out the noise from the sensed values. Errors in touch detection algorithms may be reduced by providing a more uniform spacing between successive sense elements. In some embodiments, one or more dummy ground elements may be inserted between adjacent sense elements in order to reduce signal interference.
US08614689B2 Lead wire connection method for touch panel
In a method for connecting lead wires to a touch panel, the method includes the steps of: providing through holes 9a to 9d the number of which corresponds to the number of electrode ends by perforation in a lower electrode plate 3; using a metal-pin 11 having a pin-shaft 11b and a disk shaped pin-head 11a with a diameter larger than an outer diameter of the pin-shaft; inserting the pin-shaft 11b into a metal-pin fixing hole formed corresponding to the through hole 9a at a circuit 10c in a connector tail of a lead wire 10, whereby the pin-shaft 11b is erectly provided on the connector tail of the lead wire 10; and inserting the pin-shafts 11b to 14b into the through holes 9a to 9d, and in addition, electrically connecting the pin-shaft inserted into a lower electrode plate 3 through a conductive adhesive 15 to electrode ends 6c, 7c, 6d, 7d.
US08614685B2 Capacitive touch screen
The present invention provides a mutual capacitive multi-touch screen, which includes a guarding pattern and a conductive strip pattern exposed from each other. The conductive strip pattern includes a plurality of first conductive strips provided with a driving signal and a plurality of second conductive strips for providing mutual capacitive coupling signals, and the guarding pattern is provided with a DC signal.
US08614674B2 System and method for control based on face or hand gesture detection
System and method for control using face detection or hand gesture detection algorithms in a captured image. Based on the existence of a detected human face or a hand gesture in an image captured by a digital camera (still or video), a control signal is generated and provided to a device. The control may provide power or disconnect power supply to the device (or part of the device circuits). Further, the location of the detected face in the image may be used to rotate a display screen horizontally, vertically or both, to achieve a better line of sight with a viewing person. If two or more faces are detected, the average location is calculated and used for line of sight correction. A linear feedback control loop is implemented wherein detected face deviation from the optimum is the error to be corrected by rotating the display to the required angular position. A hand gesture detection can be used as a replacement to a remote control wherein the various hand gestures control the various function of the controlled unit, such as a television set.
US08614672B2 Information processing apparatus, storage medium having information processing program stored therein, information processing system, and display range control method
An information processing apparatus inputs an angular rate detected by a gyroscope included in an input device and displays an image on a display device. The information processing apparatus initially calculates an orientation of the input device based on the angular rate. Then, the information processing apparatus calculates a coordinate point at an intersection between a line extending from a predetermined position in a predetermined space toward a vector representing the orientation and a predetermined plane within the predetermined space. A display range of a display target that is to be displayed on the display device is controlled based on the coordinate point.
US08614665B2 Touch screen
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a mobile computing device comprising processing components, memory components, a wireless receiver/transmitter, and an electronic display. The electronic display is adapted to detect a location of a touch and comprises a first icon adapted to toggle the mobile computing device between a mobile computing device browsing mode and a mobile computing device editing mode, wherein the mobile computing device editing mode comprises a second icon comprising a first element and a second element. The first element is adapted to select one or more objects displayed on the electronic display and display a menu. The second element is adapted to move the second icon, change editing mode functions, establish an editing start position, and establish an editing end position.
US08614657B2 Organic light emitting display device having two power drivers for supplying different powers, and driving method thereof
An organic light emitting display device operating in a concurrent (e.g., simultaneous) emission method, which includes a first power driver configured to apply first power, which changes between a first low level and a first high level, to pixels of the display unit, and a second power driver configured to apply second power, which changes between a second low level and a second high level, to the pixels, wherein each of the pixels includes an organic light emitting diode, a driving transistor configured to control an amount of current supplied to the organic light emitting diode, and an initializing transistor coupled to an anode electrode of the organic light emitting diode and configured to be turned on during a reset period in one frame to supply a reset voltage, which is lower than the first high level of the first power, to the anode electrode of the organic light emitting diode.
US08614649B2 Antenna and communication device including the same
An antenna includes a dielectric substrate and an antenna element. The antenna element includes a power feeding element and a reference potential element. The power feeding element includes a first conductive layer formed over the dielectric substrate, the first conductive layer extending in a first direction and having a first length along the first direction. The reference potential element includes a second conductive layer formed over the dielectric substrate, the second conductive layer extending in a second direction opposed to the first direction from a second position, the second point being apart by a first distance from a first position on an end of the first conductive layer, and a third conductive layer formed over the dielectric substrate, the third conductive element extending from the second point in the first direction apart by a second distance from the first conductive layer and having a third length along the first direction.
US08614647B2 Antenna device and electronic device including antenna device
According to one embodiment, an antenna device includes a first element, a stub, and an open end element. The first element has a folded monopole structure in which a conductor is folded at a folding portion to form a forward portion and a backward portion. A base end of the forward portion is connected to a feeding point, and a distal end of the backward portion is connected to a ground via a first lumped parameter. The stub is provided between the forward portion and the backward portion of the first element so as to shunt the forward portion and the backward portion. The open end element includes a conductor placed in parallel to the first lumped parameter. A base end of the conductor is connected between the stub of the backward portion of the first element and the ground, and the distal end of the conductor is open.
US08614637B2 Semiconductor device having oscillators, counters and comparator
An AD converter includes a first oscillator outputting a first frequency in accordance with a reference voltage; a second oscillator outputting a second frequency in accordance with an input voltage; a first counter measuring the first frequency; a second counter measuring the second frequency; and a comparator comparing a measurement result of the first frequency and a measurement result of the second frequency and outputting a digital value in accordance with the input voltage.
US08614631B2 Flood data collection and warning mechanism
Techniques for automatically providing flood warnings to individuals are provided. The techniques include receiving a message regarding a water level observed in connection with a totem display at a geographic area, using the message and one or more items of available data to generate a flood level prediction for the geographic area, and sending a flood warning to one or more registered individuals if the flood level prediction for the geographic area exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08614622B2 Method and system for enabling an authorized vehicle driveaway
Various embodiments may include methods and system for enabling an authorized vehicle driveaway. A vehicle driveaway authorization code for authorizing a vehicle to be driven and a user authorization code that corresponds to the vehicle driveaway authorization code may be generated. The codes may be generated by, for example, at least one server configured to generate the authorization codes. The at least one server may be communicating with a nomadic device and a vehicle driveaway authorization system. A vehicle driveaway request signal may be received. In response to a receipt of the vehicle driveaway request signal, the vehicle driveaway authorization code may be transmitted to the vehicle driveaway authorization system and the user authorization code may be transmitted to the nomadic device for input to the vehicle driveaway authorization system in order to enable the vehicle to be driven.
US08614618B2 Fusible switching disconnect modules and devices with multi-functional trip mechanism
A fusible switch disconnect device includes a housing adapted to receive at least one fuse therein, and a switchable contact for connecting the fuse to circuitry. A tripping mechanism and control circuitry are provided to displace the switchable contact, as well as multiple other components in the device, in response to a predetermined electrical condition.
US08614616B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacture thereof
A semiconductor device, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a method for transmitting a signal are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the semiconductor device comprises a first semiconductor chip comprising a first coil, a second semiconductor chip comprising a second coil inductively coupled to the first coil, and an isolating intermediate layer between the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip.
US08614613B2 Transformer
A transformer includes a tank that is attached under a floor of a vehicle, the tank being for housing an iron core, a coil, and an insulating liquid, thereby immersing the iron core and the coil in the insulating liquid; and a cooling unit for air-cooling the insulating liquid that has flowed from tank and returning the insulating liquid to tank, the cooling unit including a plurality of pipes arranged to be spaced from one another such that a spacing in a region relatively closer to floor of the vehicle is greater than a spacing in a region relatively away from floor of the vehicle.
US08614606B2 Delay-line self-oscillator
An electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic delay line self oscillator is described with a delay line arrangement, an oscillator control circuitry, and a frequency selection impedance connecting the delay line arrangement and the oscillator control circuitry and presenting an impedance to the delay line arrangement. The oscillator control circuitry includes an amplifier, a non linear amplitude control element (N-LACE) such as an active device with a negative differential conductance that provides an output amplitude has a negative second derivative with respect to an input signal, and a driver. The modal characteristics of electromagnetic delay lines can thus be exploited across a wide range of instrumentation applications, and a means is provided to enhance the achievable functionality and/or performance of the instrumentation without the need for expensive additional electrical hardware or electronics.
US08614593B2 Differential current signal circuit
A differential current signal circuit is described which includes a voltage to differential current converter circuit that generates a differential pair of current output signals in response to receiving a voltage input signal, where the differential pair of current output signals are linearly proportional to the voltage input signal within a voltage operating range from a minimum operating voltage to a maximum operating voltage. The differential pair of current output signals are linear over a wide range of voltage input signals. A correction circuit is included which eliminates voltage offsets in the voltage operating range due to process and temperature variations. The correction circuit also provides the capability to adjust the minimum operating voltage, and eliminates variations in the minimum operating voltage due to process and temperature variations.
US08614586B1 Method and apparatus for measuring peanut moisture content
The moisture measuring method and apparatus determines the moisture content of post-harvest in-shell peanuts. A crystal oscillator generates a high frequency signal that is directed through a selected sample of in-shell peanuts. Capacitance, impedance, and phase change data associated with the sample are generated at (at least) two frequencies. The data is then substituted into a semi-empirical equation to determine the moisture content of the in-shell peanuts.
US08614573B2 Estimating porosity and fluid volume
The present disclosure relates to a method to estimate a subsurface formation property. A downhole logging tool is provided and disposed in a wellbore. Multiple measurements of various measurement types are obtained at various depths of investigation using the downhole logging tool. The multiple measurements may include natural gamma ray measurements, density measurements, resistivity measurements, nuclear measurements, and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. The signal-to-noise ratio of the measured signals is increased using, for example, lateral stacking and multi-shell inversion. The subsurface formation property is estimated using the increased signal-to-noise ratio signals. The subsurface formation property may include porosity, adsorbed gas volume, free gas volume, bound water volume, free water volume, oil volume, and kerogen volume. A fluid analysis may be performed using a multi-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance technique. Fluids such as water, oil, gas, and oil-based mud in the wellbore may be identified and/or evaluated.
US08614567B2 Voltage regulator structures and methods with bootstrapped bias capacitor
Voltage regulator structures and methods embodiments are provided which employ a high-side N-type switching transistor to thereby enhance system efficiency and also reduce the die area required by these regulator structures. This structure and its advantages, however, require a gate drive signal higher than the input voltage of the voltage regulator. The embodiments resolve this need with a bias capacitor in a bootstrapped arrangement and a control loop arranged to maintain a bias voltage across the capacitor sufficient to always insure rapid switching of the high-side switching transistor during a pulse-width modulation (PWM) operational mode. The embodiments further include a second control loop arranged to insure sufficient voltage across the capacitor during a pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) operational mode.
US08614559B2 Programmable robot and user interface
A programmable robot system includes a robot provided with a number of individual arm sections, where adjacent sections are interconnected by a joint. The system furthermore includes a controllable drive mechanism provided in at least some of the joints and a control system for controlling the drive. The robot system is furthermore provided with user a interface mechanism including a mechanism for programming the robot system, the user interface mechanism being either provided externally to the robot, as an integral part of the robot or as a combination hereof, and a storage mechanism co-operating with the user interface mechanism and the control system for storing information related to the movement and further operations of the robot and optionally for storing information relating to the surroundings.
US08614550B2 Supervision for a light display device
A device and method may include, in a display device, emitting visible light in a humanly imperceptible manner and sensing said light to verify operation of the display device.
US08614549B2 Emergency illumination system based on LED combined LED lamps
The present invention is providing an emergency illumination system based on combined LED lamps, comprising: combined LED lamps, a power driver of the lamps, an electromagnetic sensors, an emergency controller, a storage battery and an emergency charger; said external power supply, electromagnetic sensors, power driver of the lamps and conventional illumination LED lamps are in turn connected to form a conventional illumination load circuit; said external power supply, electromagnetic sensors, emergency charger, storage battery are in turn connected to form an emergency illumination charging circuit; magnetic catheter in said electromagnetic sensors serving as a start switch connects with said emergency controller; said emergency controller connects to the storage battery and emergency illumination LED lamps respectively thereby forming an emergency illumination load circuit; It is an uninterrupted illumination system, which comprise a dual-use lamp consisting of conventional illumination, and emergency illumination.
US08614546B2 Electroluminescence apparatus, method for manufacturing electroluminescence apparatus, and electronic apparatus
An electroluminescence apparatus includes: a plurality of electroluminescence elements each of which includes a first electrode, a second electrode that is provided opposite the first electrode, and a light-emitting function layer that is sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode and includes at least an electroluminescence material layer, the electroluminescence element emitting light produced in the electroluminescence material layer through the second electrode; a separation area; a display area and auxiliary wiring being electrically connected to the second electrode, the auxiliary wiring including first auxiliary wiring and second auxiliary wiring, wherein the first auxiliary wiring extends in the first direction without any break, and the second auxiliary wiring has a gap that is formed between the first auxiliary wiring and the second auxiliary wiring.
US08614538B2 Electric machine cooling system and method
Embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module and a method for cooling an electric machine. The electric machine module contains an electric machine including a stator with stator end turns and a housing with at least two removably-coupled frame members. Each of the at least two removably-coupled frame members include an inner wall, an outer wall, and a coolant cavity defined between the inner wall and the outer wall. The coolant cavity can be positioned substantially around one of the stator end turns radially and substantially beside the one stator end turn axially.
US08614537B2 Quartz crystal unit, quartz crystal oscillator and electronic apparatus
In a quartz crystal unit, the unit comprising a quartz crystal resonator having a base portion, and first and second vibrational arms connected to the base portion, at least one groove being formed in at least one of opposite main surfaces of each of the first and second vibrational arms, a length of the base portion being less than 0.5 mm and an overall length of the quartz crystal resonator being less than 2.1 mm, at least one mounting arm protruding from the base portion and being formed between the first and second vibrational arms, the at least one mounting arm extending in a common direction with the first and second vibrational arms.
US08614531B2 Stator core and motor device including the same
Disclosed is a stator core including a core back fixedly inserted onto an outer surface of a stationary member, a plurality of teeth protruding from the core back in an outer diameter direction, wherein a coil is wound around the plurality of teeth so as to allow magnetic flux from a magnet to flow to the teeth, front end portions defining outer edges of the teeth, respectively, and body portions defining a length of the teeth and having a width increasing from the core back toward the front end portions, respectively.
US08614525B2 Methods and systems for operating a power generation system
A photovoltaic (PV) power generation system is described. The system includes a plurality of PV collector units that include at least one PV cell and a collector-side single-phase inverter. The plurality of PV collector units are configured for coupling with a symmetric poly-phase alternating current (AC) load. The system also includes a system controller configured to control operation of the plurality of PV collector units.
US08614522B2 Energy converting device
An energy converting device, particularly for converting mechanical energy to hydraulic energy and from it into electrical energy, uses as an energy transport medium, a control fluid guided in two different control circuits. The control circuits have an operative connection to each other by a coupling device (32). One control circuit (28) serves for feeding in energy, particularly in the form of mechanical energy. The other control circuit serves for discharging energy in the form of converted energy, particularly electrical energy.
US08614515B2 Wiring method for semiconductor integrated circuit, semiconductor-circuit wiring apparatus and semiconductor integrated circuit
A wiring method for a semiconductor integrated circuit has the steps of, separately from a first layer on which a first signal wiring pattern is mainly formed, laying out a first power-supply wiring pattern on a second layer so that a plurality of rows of the first power-supply wiring pattern are regularly arranged with vacant areas each interposed between the rows and making narrower a width of each vacant area than a narrowest width of a row among the rows of the first power-supply wiring pattern, and laying out a second signal wiring pattern electrically conductive to the first layer in two or more rows of the vacant areas on the second layer so that the second signal wiring pattern is not in contact with adjacent rows of the first power-supply wiring pattern on both sides.
US08614510B2 Semiconductor device including a metal wiring with a metal cap
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an insulating film including silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen above a semiconductor substrate, forming a wiring trench in the insulating film, forming a metal film to be a metal wiring on the insulating film such that the metal film is provided in the wiring trench, forming the metal wiring by removing the metal film outside the wiring trench, performing a hydrophobic treatment to the surface of the insulating film after the forming the metal wiring, and forming a metal cap selectively on an upper surface of the metal wiring by plating after the performing the hydrophobic treatment.
US08614509B2 Semiconductor device having a multi-layered line and manufacturing method of the same
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed, which reduces a step difference between a peripheral region and a cell region. In the semiconductor device, a metal contact of the peripheral region is configured in a multi-layered structure. Prior to forming a bit line and a storage node contact in the cell region, a contact and a line are formed in the peripheral region, such that a step difference between the cell region and the peripheral region is reduced, resulting in a reduction in parasitic capacitance between lines.
US08614505B2 Semiconductor device with heat spreader
A BGA type semiconductor device includes: a substrate having wirings and electrodes; a semiconductor element disposed on the substrate, having a rectangular plan shape, and a plurality of electrodes disposed along each side of the semiconductor element; a plurality of wires connecting the electrodes on the semiconductor element with the electrodes on the substrate; a heat dissipation member disposed on the substrate, covering the semiconductor element, and having openings formed in areas facing apex portions of the plurality of wires connected to the electrodes formed along each side of the semiconductor element; and a sealing resin member for covering and sealing the semiconductor element and heat dissipation member.
US08614501B2 Method of producing a layer of cavities
A method of producing a layer of cavities in a structure comprises at least one substrate formed from a material that can be oxidized or nitrided, the method comprising the following steps: implanting ions into the substrate in order to form an implanted ion concentration zone at a predetermined mean depth; heat treating the implanted substrate to form a layer of cavities at the implanted ion concentration zone; and forming an insulating layer in the substrate by thermochemical treatment from one surface of the substrate, the insulating layer that is formed extending at least partially into the layer of cavities.
US08614497B2 Method for fabricating a MIM capacitor using gate metal for electrode and related structure
According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for fabricating a MIM capacitor in a semiconductor die includes forming a dielectric one segment over a substrate and a metal one segment over the dielectric one segment, where the metal one segment forms a lower electrode of the MIM capacitor. The method further includes forming a dielectric two segment over the dielectric one segment and a metal two segment over the dielectric two segment, where a portion of the metal two segment forms an upper electrode of the MIM capacitor. The metal one segment comprises a first gate metal. The metal two segment can comprise a second gate metal.
US08614488B2 Chip package and method for forming the same
A chip package includes: a substrate; a drain and a source regions located in the substrate; a gate located on or buried in the substrate; a drain conducting structure, a source conducting structure, and a gate conducting structure, disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the drain region, the source region, and the gate, respectively; a second substrate disposed beside the substrate; a second drain and a second source region located in the second substrate, wherein the second drain region is electrically connected to the source region; a second gate located on or buried in the second substrate; and a second source and a second gate conducting structure disposed on the second substrate and electrically connected to the second source region and the second gate, respectively, wherein terminal points of the drain, the source, the gate, the second source, and the second gate conducting structures are substantially coplanar.
US08614485B2 Process for fabrication of FINFETs
A method of fabricating a plurality of FinFETs on a semiconductor substrate in which the gate width of each individual FinFET is defined utilizing only a single etching process, instead of two or more, is provided. The inventive method results in improved gate width control and less variation of the gate width of each individual gate across the entire surface of the substrate. The inventive method achieves the above by utilizing a modified sidewall image transfer (SIT) process in which an insulating spacer that is later replaced by a gate conductor is employed and a high-density bottom up oxide fill is used to isolate the gate from the substrate.
US08614483B2 Insulated gate semiconductor device
An insulated gate semiconductor device includes a first conductivity-type semiconductor substrate, a second conductivity-type base layer on a first surface side of the substrate, a trench dividing the base layer into channel and floating layers, and a first conductivity-type emitter region that is formed in the channel layer and in contact with the trench. The semiconductor device includes a gate insulation layer in the trench, a gate electrode on the insulation layer, an emitter electrode electrically connected to the emitter region and the floating layer, a second conductivity-type collector layer in the substrate, and a collector electrode on the collector layer. The floating layer has a lower impurity concentration than the channel layer. The floating layer has a first conductivity-type hole stopper layer located at a predetermined depth from the first surface of the substrate and at least partially spaced from the insulation layer.
US08614468B2 Mask-less and implant free formation of complementary tunnel field effect transistors
A device includes a first source/drain region of a first conductivity type over a silicon substrate, wherein the first source/drain region is at a higher step of a two-step profile. The first source/drain region includes a germanium-containing region. A second source/drain region is of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type, wherein the second source/drain region is at a lower step of the two-step profile. A gate dielectric includes a vertical portion in contact with a side edge the silicon substrate, and a horizontal portion in contact with a top surface of the silicon substrate at the lower step. The horizontal portion is connected to a lower end of the vertical portion. A gate electrode is directly over the horizontal portion, wherein a sidewall of the gate electrode is in contact with the vertical portion of the gate dielectric.
US08614462B2 Array substrate for organic electroluminescent device and method of fabricating the same
A method of fabricating an array substrate for an organic electroluminescent device includes forming a semiconductor layer of polysilicon in an element region, and a semiconductor pattern of polysilicon in a storage region on a substrate; forming a multiple-layered gate electrode corresponding to a center portion of the semiconductor layer and a first storage electrode corresponding to the semiconductor pattern; performing an impurity-doping to make a portion of the semiconductor layer not covered by the gate electrode into an ohmic contact layer and make the semiconductor pattern into a second storage electrode; forming source and drain electrodes and a third storage electrode corresponding to the first storage electrode; forming a first electrode contacting the drain electrode and a fourth storage electrode corresponding to the third storage electrode.
US08614449B1 Protection for the epitaxial structure of metal devices
Techniques for fabricating metal devices, such as vertical light-emitting diode (VLED) devices, power devices, laser diodes, and vertical cavity surface emitting laser devices, are provided. Devices produced accordingly may benefit from greater yields and enhanced performance over conventional metal devices, such as higher brightness of the light-emitting diode and increased thermal conductivity. Moreover, the invention discloses techniques in the fabrication arts that are applicable to GaN-based electronic devices in cases where there is a high heat dissipation rate of the metal devices that have an original non- (or low) thermally conductive and/or non- (or low) electrically conductive carrier substrate that has been removed.
US08614446B2 Semiconductor device and method of producing same
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer (1) containing GaN and an electrode. The electrode includes an electrode main body (6), a connection-use electrode (8) containing Al and formed at a position farther from the semiconductor layer (1) than the electrode main body (6), and a barrier layer (7) formed between the electrode main body (6) and the connection-use electrode (8), the barrier layer (7) containing at least one selected from the group consisting of W, TiW, WN, TiN, Ta, and TaN. A surface roughness RMS of the barrier layer (7) is 3.0 nm or less.
US08614437B2 Organic underlayers that improve the performance of organic semiconductors
A process for producing high performance organic thin film transistors in which the molecules in the organic thin film are highly ordered and oriented to maximize the mobility of current charge carriers. The uniform monolayer surface over various substrate materials so formed, result in a more reproducible and readily manufacturable process for higher performance organic field effect transistors that can be used to create large area circuits using a range of materials.
US08614435B2 Utilization of organic buffer layer to fabricate high performance carbon nanoelectronic devices
A fabrication process for a nanoelectronic device and a device are provided. Channel material is deposited on a substrate to form a channel. A source metal contact and a drain metal contact are deposited on the channel material, and the source metal contact and the drain metal contact are on opposing ends of the channel material. A polyhydroxystyrene derivative is deposited on the channel material. A top gate oxide is deposited on the polymer layer. A top gate metal is deposited on the top gate oxide.
US08614430B2 Reset circuit for electronic devices having photoelectric coupler
A reset circuit includes a power supply, a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) that has a gate, a drain, and a source, a capacitor, a Schmitt trigger; and an inverter. When a voltage of the power supply is applied to the gate and turns on the MOSFET, the power supply charges the capacitor. After a predetermined delay time, a voltage of the capacitor reaches a threshold voltage of the Schmitt trigger and turns on the Schmitt trigger, and the capacitor discharges through the Schmitt trigger to correspondingly generate a reset signal output by the inverter to reset an electronic device.
US08614429B2 Multi-axis/multi-field charged particle cancer therapy method and apparatus
The invention relates to method and apparatus for treatment of solid cancer. More particularly, the invention comprises a multi-axis and/or multi-field charged particle cancer therapy system. The system independently controls patient translation position, patient rotation position, two-dimensional beam trajectory, delivered beam energy, delivered beam intensity, timing of charged particle delivery, and/or distribution of radiation striking healthy tissue. The system operates in conjunction with a negative ion beam source, synchrotron, patient positioning, imaging, and/or targeting method and apparatus to deliver an effective and uniform dose of radiation to a tumor while distributing radiation striking healthy tissue.
US08614424B2 Device comprising means for guiding fluid from an inlet to an outlet
A device including a housing having an interior space for containing fluid, an inlet for letting in fluid to the housing, an outlet for letting out fluid from the housing, an element which is arranged inside the housing, and fluid guiding components which are arranged in the housing as well and which serve for guiding the fluid from the inlet side of the housing to the outlet side of the housing, around the element. The fluid guiding components may be zigzag-shaped extending along at least a portion of the element and, as a combination, providing complete coverage of the element in a circumferential direction.
US08614415B2 Defect inspection method of fine structure object and defect inspection apparatus
A method for forming an image of an object includes: illuminating sequentially a surface of the object arranged in the same shooting area using each of N (N is natural number equal to or more than two) polarized light beams, each of which has different property; scanning the surface using the each of N polarized light beams; and outputting the each of N polarized light beams reflected by the surface, the each of N polarized light beams passed-through the object or the each of N polarized light beams scattered by the surface, as an image signal.
US08614414B2 Proximity sensor
A proximity sensor is disclosed. The proximity sensor may be incorporated as part of a water delivery device. A holder which aligns an optical source and sensor of the proximity sensor is disclosed.
US08614408B2 Heating cooking appliance
A heating cooking appliance includes a heating chamber for items to be cooked, a circulation duct connecting an inlet port and an outlet port both of which open into the heating chamber, an air blower located in the circulation duct, and a heating device in the upper part of the heating chamber. Gas in the heating chamber is taken into the circulation duct from the inlet port by the blower. The gas temperature is raised by the heating device, and subsequently, the gas is blown into the heating chamber from the inlet port. The circulation duct is provided with first and second paths which branch off upstream of the heating device. The first and second paths guide gas to the area upstream and downstream of the heating device, respectively.
US08614403B2 Electrostatic capacitance type input device
An electrostatic capacitance type input device is provided which has a structure in which translucent electrodes are aligned on the same layer in two axial directions, and has features that jumpers for connecting among the translucent electrodes in one of the two axial directions can be prevented from becoming conspicuous, and disconnection is less likely to occur. Jumpers 8 formed of an electrically conductive material are formed on a surface of a substrate 2, and thereafter an insulating film 6 is provided so as to cover the jumpers 8 and the substrate 2, and first translucent electrodes 3 and second translucent electrodes 4 are provided on the insulating film 6 so as to form a matrix. The first translucent electrodes 3 aligned in the leftward/rightward direction in the drawings are electrically connected to each other by the jumpers 8 via through holes 7 formed in the insulating film 6. On the other hand, the second translucent electrodes 4 aligned in the direction orthogonal to the surface of a sheet are connected to each other by connecting portions 5 which are formed by patterning so as to be integrated with the second translucent electrodes 4. Since the jumpers 8 for connecting among the first translucent electrodes 3 are formed on the substrate 2, the jumper 8 can be prevented from becoming conspicuous as viewed from the surface side.
US08614401B2 Keyswitch and keyboard
A keyswitch includes a base, a circuit board, a resilient support member and a key cap. The circuit board is disposed on the base and has a switch. The resilient support member is disposed on the circuit board. The resilient support member includes a trigger portion, a resilient portion and a support portion, wherein the resilient portion connects the trigger portion and the support portion, and the trigger portion faces the switch on the circuit board. The key cap is disposed on the resilient support member. The support portion of the resilient support member supports the key cap over the base. When the key cap is pressed, the trigger portion of the resilient support member triggers the switch and the resilient portion provides an elastic force for the key cap.
US08614400B2 Damming device for cable sealing
A damming device for a conductor in a cable gland connector is described herein. The damming device can include a first portion having a first thickness of a flexible elastomeric material disposed between a first diameter and a second diameter. The damming device can also include a second portion having a second thickness of the flexible elastomeric material disposed between a third diameter and the second diameter. The damming device can also include a hole having the third diameter. The first diameter is greater than the second diameter, and the second diameter is greater than the third diameter. Further, the first thickness is greater than the second thickness. The damming device can be disposed, under tension, within a slot formed between a top portion of a compound chamber and a bottom portion of a union body.
US08614392B1 Micro-combustion power system with dual path counter-flow system
A micro-combustion power system is disclosed. The invention is comprised of a housing that further comprises two flow path volumes, each having generally opposing flow path directions and each generally having opposing configurations.Each flow path volume comprises a pre-heating volume having at least one pre-heating heat exchange structure. Each flow path volume further comprises a combustion volume having a combustion means or structure such as a catalytic material disposed therein Further, each flow path volume comprise a post-combustion volume having at least one post-combustion heat exchange structure.One or more thermoelectric generator means is in thermal communication with at least one of the combustion volumes whereby thermal energy generated by an air/fuel catalytic reaction in the combustion volume is transferred to the thermoelectric generator to convert same to electrical energy for use by an external circuit.A novel element of the invention relates to the opposing configuration and opposing flow path directions of the respective flow path volumes. The pre-heating heat exchange structure in the first flow path volume and the opposing post-combustion heat exchange structure are comprised of a shared, thermally conductive structure and material. In this embodiment, waste heat from the exhaust gas in the post-combustion chamber is thermally transferred to the opposing pre-heating volume to heat the air/fuel mixture therein to a suitable pre-combustion temperature to take advantage of waste heat while better managing thermal/cooling issues of the device during operation.
US08614385B2 Musical effects pedal retaining device and pedal board
A pedal board is provided that has an attachment mechanism, mounting member, and musical effects pedal retaining device. The attachment mechanism is carried by the musical effects pedal retaining device and functions to attach a musical effects pedal to the musical effects pedal retaining device. At least a portion of the musical effects pedal retaining device is releasably attachable to the mounting member to function to assist making the musical effects pedal releasably attachable to the mounting member. At least a portion of the musical effects pedal retaining device is releasably attachable to the mounting member through a mechanical engagement that is not a hook and loop type fastener.
US08614374B2 Soybean variety A1026390
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1026390. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1026390. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1026390 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1026390 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08614369B2 Enzymes involved in triterpene synthesis
This invention relates to isolated polynucleotides encoding enzymes consisting of a carboxypeptidase-like protein, a methyltransferase and a glucosyltransferase, involved in the biosynthesis of β-amyrin-derived triterpenes in plants and seeds. The invention also relates to the construction of recombinant DNA constructs comprising all or a portion of the isolated polynucleotides of the invention, in sense or antisense orientation, operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence.
US08614365B2 Absorbent article
An absorbent article having a topsheet having a first portion and a second portion. The topsheet has a longitudinal centerline and a transverse centerline. The topsheet has an area. The second portion can differ in structure from the first portion. The second portion can have a structurally modified zone. The structurally modified zone has a periphery, a length, and a long axis. The length is the maximum straight-line dimension between two points on the periphery. The long axis extends between two points on the periphery separated by the length. The long axis of the structurally modified zone can be asymmetric to the longitudinal centerline. The structurally modified zone can make up more than about 5% of the area of the topsheet. The topsheet can have a lotion zone, the long axis of which is asymmetric to the longitudinal centerline and the transverse centerline.
US08614361B2 Process for preparation of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene
The present invention provides an effective, selective, and industrially applicable process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene. Specifically, the present invention provides a process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene including reacting 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of oxygen and a catalyst comprising chromium oxide represented by the composition formula: CrOm (1.5
US08614357B2 Oligomeric derivatives of spirobifluorene, their preparation and use
SBF derivatives, represented with the following formula: SBF-X wherein: with m=0, 1, 2 or 3; p=positive integer,; n=positive integer; L: is the same or different and independently represents C, PR, AsR, SbR, BiR, S, Se, Te, S═Y, Se═Y or Te═Y; Y: is the same or different and independently represents O, S, Se or Te; K: is the same or different and independently represents a chemical bond or a group selected from O, S, BR(2−p), N, NR(2−p), R(2−p)P═O, B3O3, (PR)3N3, CR(3−p), CR(3−p)(C6H4)(p+1), SiR(3−p)(C6H4)(p+1) alkyne, substituted alkyne, alkyne, substituted alkyne, aromatic or R substituted aromatic, heteroaromatic-or a combination of two, three or four of the above mentioned groups; SBF: spiro-compound of formula (I): R, A, B, C, D: is the same or different and independently represents H, deuterium, F, Cl, Br, I, CN, a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl, alkoxy or thioalkoxy chain, or a combination from two, three or four of these systems; two or more substituents R can form a further monocyclic or polycyclic aliphatic or aromatic ring system with each other.
US08614355B2 Catalyst and process for hydrogenating organic compounds
The invention relates to a catalyst and to a process for hydrogenating organic compounds. In particular, the invention is directed to a process and catalyst for hydrogenating organic compounds with hydrogen. The organic compounds are subjected to hydrogenation in the presence of a catalyst comprising nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as a catalytically active component, wherein the proportion of nitrogen in the nanotubes is in the range of from about 0.05 to 20 wt. %.
US08614354B2 Process for the synthesis of cinacalcet hydrochloride
There is described a process for the preparation of cinacalcet hydrochloride (I) which includes the steps of: a) reacting (R)-(+)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine (II) with 3-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]propenaldehyde (III) to afford the non isolated intermediate (R)—N-[3-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-propenylimino-N-[1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine (IV); b) reducing the non isolated intermediate (R)—N-[3-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-propenylimino-N-[-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine (IV) with a sequential addition of:—a solution of sodium borohydride, methanol and a base,—oxalic acid and—a base to obtain (R)—N-[3-[3-(tifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-propenyl]-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine (V) by passing through the precipitation of the oxalate salt of compound (V) after the addition of oxalic acid; c) hydrogenating (R)—N-[3-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-propenyl]-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine (V) thus obtaining (R)—N-(3-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]propyl]-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine cinacalcet base (VI), which is retaken in ethyl acetate; and d) treating the solution of cinacalcet base (VI) in ethyl acetate with hydrochloric acid to afford cinacalcet hydrochloride (I).
US08614352B2 Method for producing color-stable MDA and MDI
The invention relates to a process for preparing methylenediphenyldiamine (MDA) by reacting formaldehyde and aniline in the presence of an acidic catalyst, wherein the oxygen content in the process for preparing MDA is <10 000 ppm, based on all compounds present in the process.The invention further relates to the phosgenation of MDA to methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).
US08614349B2 Oxidation catalyst and oxidation method
The present invention provides a method for oxidizing a hydrocarbon, an alcohol or an aldehyde, which comprises: oxidizing a hydrocarbon, an alcohol or an aldehyde to an alcohol, an aldehyde, a carboxylic acid or a carboxylate ester corresponding thereto, in a liquid phase having: a region in which oxygen is substantially present; and a region in which oxygen is substantially absent, in the presence of a catalyst containing a palladium, wherein the region in which oxygen is substantially absent is 0.1 to 10% by volume with respect to a total of the region in which oxygen is substantially present and the region in which oxygen is substantially absent.
US08614342B2 Process for preparing epoxycarboxylic esters
Process for preparing epoxides of the formula I where R is an organic group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, by reacting compounds of the formula II with an oxidant, wherein the preparation is carried out continuously in a tube reactor.
US08614336B2 Process for preparing N-methyl-N-hydroxyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine derivative
The present invention provides a process for preparing a N-methyl-N-hydroxyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine compound. The present invention also provides a process for preparing (S)-(+)-N-methyl-3-methyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine with higher yield and low treatment cost, which includes the preparation of the N-methyl-N-hydroxyl-3-(1-naphthyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine compound.
US08614330B2 Substituted benz-azoles and methods of their use as inhibitors of RAF kinase
New substituted benz-azole compounds, compositions and methods of inhibition of Raf kinase activity in a human or animal subject are provided. The new compounds compositions may be used either alone or in combination with at least one additional agent for the treatment of a Raf kinase mediated disorder, such as cancer.
US08614325B2 Modulators of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator
This invention relates to a compound of Formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R is COOH or CH2OH.
US08614324B2 Filamin A binding anti-inflammatory and analgesic
A compound or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, optionally including both individual enantiomeric forms, a racemate, diastereomers and mixtures thereof, composition and method are disclosed that can provide analgesia and reduce inflammation. A contemplated compound has a structure that corresponds to Formula A, wherein the R group substituents, d, e, f, k, n, m, D, E, F, K, G, P, Q, W, and Z are defined within.
US08614314B2 Saccharide structures and methods of making and using such structures
Described are oligosaccharides having a protecting group at two, a plurality, a majority of, or each position in the oligosaccharide which is amenable to derivatization. Collections, libraries and methods of making and using such oligosaccharides are also described.
US08614313B2 Pharmaceutical compositions comprising forms of 5-azacytidine
The invention provides novel polymorphic and pseudopolymorphic crystalline forms of 5-azacytidine, along with methods for preparing said forms, wherein 5-azacytidine is represented by the formula: The invention also includes pharmaceutical compositions comprising said forms.
US08614311B2 RTP801L siRNA compounds and methods of use thereof
The invention provides chemically modified siRNA oligonucleotides that target RTP801L, compositions comprising same and to the use of such molecules to treat, inter alia, respiratory diseases including acute and chronic pulmonary disorders, eye diseases including glaucoma and ION, microvascular disorders, angiogenesis- and apoptosis-related conditions, and hearing impairments.
US08614307B2 Nucleic acids encoding human anti-kir antibodies
Compositions and methods for regulating an immune response in a subject are described. More particularly, described are human antibodies that regulate the activity of NK cells and allow a potentiation of NK cell cytotoxicity in mammalian subjects, and antibodies having antigen-binding properties similar to those of human monoclonal antibody 1-7F9 or 1-4F1. Described also are also fragments and derivatives of such antibodies, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same and their uses, particularly for use in therapy, to increase NK cell activity or cytotoxicity in subjects.
US08614301B2 Methods of treating cancer using anti CD24 antibodies
Anti-CD24 antibodies and adjuvant combinations thereof with chemotherapeutic agents or toxins, which can be used to inhibit growth of CD24-expressing cancer cells and prevent and treat cancer are provided.
US08614291B2 Phosphorylated polymers and conjugates thereof
The present invention is directed to absorbable polyesters comprising one or more monophosphate functionality; a conjugate comprising the foregoing polyester and a peptide and/or a bioactive agent; microparticles comprising an absorbable polyester; a conjugate comprising the microparticles and a peptide and/or a bioactive agent; an acylated or alkylated polysaccharide having one or more monophosphate functionality; a conjugate comprising the acylated or alkylated polysaccharide and a peptide and/or a bioactive agent; and pharmaceutical compositions thereof.
US08614290B2 Cancer imaging and treatment
A compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof, comprises the structure: [(P1-S1j)p-L-(S2q-P2)r]t wherein: P1 and P2, which may be the same or different, are cyclic oligopeptide moieties, at least one of P1 and P2 having the motif B-Arg or B-(Me) Arg within the cyclic moiety, wherein B is a basic amino acid, a derivative thereof, or phenylalanine or a derivative thereof; S1 and S2 are spacer groups, which may be the same or different; L is a linker moiety containing at least two functional groups for attachment of the cyclic oligopeptides or spacer groups; n and q are independently 0 or 1; p and r are independently integers of 1 or more; and t is an integer of 1 or more, provided that, when t, p or r is greater than 1, the cyclic oligopeptide moiety, spacer group and/or the value of j or q may be the same or different between the multiple (P1-S1j) moieties or multiple (S2q-P2) moieties.
US08614275B2 Cationic polymeric fluorinated ether silane compositions and methods of use
A composition comprises a polymer having a first pendant group selected from at least one perfluorinated ether group or perfluoroalkanesulfonamido group, a second pendant group comprising an ammonium group, wherein the second pendant group is free of silicon, and a third pendant group comprising an ammonium group and a reactive silicon-containing group. The polymer and composition are useful for protecting a substrate, for example, to render the substrate oil repellent, water repellent, or both, or to provide stain repellency to the substrate.
US08614273B2 Seal member
A seal member includes a hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (HNBR) and carbon nanofibers. The seal member has a number of cycles to fracture of 7000 or more when subjected to a tensile fatigue test at a temperature of 70° C., a maximum tensile stress of 4 N/mm, and a frequency of 1 Hz. The seal member exhibits excellent abrasion resistance.
US08614269B2 Water-, solvent- and plasticizer-free, silane-modified, one-component parquet adhesive and use thereof for gluing parquet, wooden floor coverings and wood-based material boards to all sub-floors which are common in interior fitment, even those which are problematic
The present subject matter relates to a one-component, silane-modified water-, solvent- and plasticizer-free parquet adhesive and also to the use thereof for gluing parquet, wooden floor coverings and wood-based material boards to all sub-floors which are used in interior fitment, even those which are problematic.
US08614249B2 Medicaments containing pantothenic acid
This invention relates to medicaments and their use in the alleviation of inflammation and pain in joints.
US08614233B2 Cinnamoyl inhibitors of transglutaminase
A compound of Formula, (I) or Formula: (II).
US08614230B2 Derivatives of the aminated hydroxyquinoline class for treating cancers
The invention relates to compounds of the aminated hydroxyquinoline type capable of preventing the migration of metastases or tumoral cells. Such compounds are useful for treating cancers.
US08614228B2 Quinone prodrug compositions and methods of use
The present invention relates to quinone prodrug compositions and therapeutic methods using such prodrug compositions. Preferably, the quinone compounds of the invention are napthoquinone compounds such as β-lapachone or β-lapachone analogs. The quinone prodrug compositions of the invention exhibit improved solubility, stability, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetic properties, as well as improved plasma half-life in vivo.
US08614222B2 Methods of preventing and treating low bone mass diseases
The present invention provides methods and therapeutic agents for lowering or increasing serum serotonin levels in a patient in order to increase or decrease bone mass, respectively. In preferred embodiments, the patient is known to have, or to be at risk for, a low bone mass disease such as osteoporosis and the agents are TPH1 inhibitors or serotonin receptor antagonists.
US08614221B2 Inhibitors of Akt activity
The instant invention provides for substituted fused naphthyridine derivatives that inhibit Akt activity. In particular, the compounds disclosed selectively inhibit one or two of the Akt isoforms. The invention also provides for compositions comprising such inhibitory compounds and methods of inhibiting Akt activity by administering the compound to a patient in need of treatment of cancer.
US08614214B2 Pyrazole amide compounds and uses thereof
Disclosed is a pyrazole amide compound having fungicidal activity, with a structure shown by the general formula (I): Each of the substituents of the compound being defined as in the description. The compound of the present invention has fungicidal activity, and excellent prevention and controlling effects on diseases, such as cucumber downy mildew, corn rust, wheat powdery mildew, rice blast, etc., and in particular, a better prevention and controlling effect on cucumber downy mildew and corn rust. Also disclosed is a process for preparing the compound, a fungicidal composition containing the compound of general formula (I) and the use thereof in preventing and controlling disease in crops.
US08614206B2 Pyrazol-4-yl-heterocyclyl-carboxamide compounds and methods of use
Pyrazol-4-yl-heterocyclyl-carboxamide compounds of Formula I, including stereoisomers, geometric isomers, tautomers, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein X is thiazolyl, pyrazinyl, pyridinyl, or pyrimidinyl, are useful for inhibiting Pim kinase, and for treating disorders such as cancer mediated by Pim kinase. Methods of using compounds of Formula I for in vitro, in situ, and in vivo diagnosis, prevention or treatment of such disorders in mammalian cells, or associated pathological conditions, are disclosed.
US08614201B2 Heterocyclic amides as modulators of TRPA1
Certain heterocyclic amide compounds are described. The compounds may be used in pharmaceutical compositions and methods for treating disease states, disorders, and conditions mediated by TRPA1 activity, such as pain, arthritis, itch, cough, asthma, or inflammatory bowel disease.
US08614195B2 Glycoside derivatives and uses thereof
The present invention provides a compound of formula I; a method for manufacturing the compounds of the invention, and its therapeutic uses. The present invention further provides a combination of pharmacologically active agents and a pharmaceutical composition.
US08614194B1 Anionic cell penetrating peptide and its use for intracellular delivery
The disclosure provides a cell penetrating peptide. The cell penetrating peptide includes an amino acid sequence of Dn, in which D represents an aspartate residue and 2≦n≦15.
US08614192B2 Method for treating ocular cancer
It has now been found that the p53 pathway is inactivated in ocular cancers such as retinoblastoma. As such, the present invention is a method for inducing ocular cancer cell death using a p53 activator. In particular embodiments, the p53 activator blocks the interaction between DM2 or DMX and p53. As the p53 activator induces ocular cancer cell death, a method for preventing or treating ocular cancer is also provided.
US08614189B2 Carbon nanotube composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
The present invention provides biocompatible composite materials that can be fabricated into a scaffold having properties suitable for bone repair and regeneration. These scaffolds have sufficient mechanical strength to be useful for the repair and regeneration of cortical bone.
US08614187B2 Peptides, compositions and uses thereof
Described is an N-terminal hexapeptide fragment of maximakinin, QUB 698.8, which exhibits potent tissue selective actions on smooth muscle. It demonstrates a high degree of selectivity for arterial smooth muscle over small intestinal smooth muscle, causing potent relaxation of arterial smooth muscle, while causing less potent contraction of ileal smooth muscle. It may be used treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system and in promotion of angiogenesis.
US08614181B2 Stabilized pharmaceutical peptide compositions
Method for increasing the shelf-life of a pharmaceutical composition for parenteral administration comprising a glucagon-like peptide which is prepared from a peptide product that has been subjected to treatment at a pH above neutral pH.
US08614180B2 4-amino-4-oxobutanoyl peptides as inhibitors of viral replication
The invention provides 4-amino-4-oxobutanoyl peptides of Formula I and the pharmaceutically salts and hydrates thereof. The variables R, R1, R6-R8, R16, R18, R19, M, n, T, Y, and Z are defined herein. Certain compounds of Formula I are useful as antiviral agents. The 4-amino-4-oxobutanoyl peptides disclosed herein are potent and/or selective inhibitors of viral replication, particularly Hepatitis C virus replication. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing one or more 4-amino-4-oxobutanoyl peptides and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers. Such pharmaceutical compositions may contain a 4-amino-4-oxobutanoyl peptides as the only active agent or may contain a combination of a 4-amino-4-oxobutanoyl peptides and one or more other pharmaceutically active agents. The invention also provides methods for treating viral infections, including Hepatitis C infections.
US08614171B2 Compositions for stimulating liquid-sensitive subterranean formations
A method comprising: A subterranean formation stimulation fluid comprising a stimulation gas and a consolidating agent. Suitable consolidating agents include aqueous tackifying agents, curable compositions, and noncurable and nonaqueous consolidating compositions.
US08614159B2 Methods of re-using a spent FCC Catalyst
A method of re-using a spent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst, previously used in an FCC process, in an additional FCC process, where the method includes the steps of: providing FCC catalyst that has been utilized in an FCC process, defined as spent FCC catalyst, wherein the spent FCC catalyst includes both aluminum and at least one rare earth element therein; and reacting the spent FCC catalyst with an extracting agent to extract at least a portion of the at least one rare earth element from the spent FCC catalyst, while extracting no more than half of the aluminum from the spent FCC catalyst. After performing the reacting step, the reacted spent FCC catalyst can be used in an additional FCC process.
US08614149B2 Critical dimension reduction and roughness control
A method for forming a feature in an etch layer is provided. A photoresist layer is formed over the etch layer. The photoresist layer is patterned to form photoresist features with photoresist sidewalls. A control layer is formed over the photoresist layer and bottoms of the photoresist features. A conformal layer is deposited over the sidewalls of the photoresist features and control layer to reduce the critical dimensions of the photoresist features. Openings in the control layer are opened with a control layer breakthrough chemistry. Features are etched into the etch layer with an etch chemistry, which is different from the control layer break through chemistry, wherein the control layer is more etch resistant to the etch with the etch chemistry than the conformal layer.
US08614137B2 Dual contact trench resistor in shallow trench isolation (STI) and methods of manufacture
The invention relates to a semiconductor structures and methods of manufacture and, more particularly, to a dual contact trench resistor in shallow trench isolation (STI) and methods of manufacture. In a first aspect of the invention, a method comprises forming a trench in a substrate; forming a first insulator layer within the trench; forming a first electrode within the trench, on the first insulator layer, and isolated from the substrate by the first insulator layer; forming a second insulator layer within the trench and on the first electrode; and forming a second electrode within the trench, on the second insulator layer, and isolated from the substrate by the first insulator layer and the second insulator layer.
US08614130B2 Integrated circuit guard rings
Integrated circuits with guard rings are provided. Integrated circuits may include internal circuitry that is sensitive to external noise sources. A guard ring may surround the functional circuitry to isolate the circuitry from the noise sources. The guard ring may include first, second, and third regions. The first and third regions may include p-wells. The second region may include an n-well. Stripes of diffusion regions may be formed at the surface of a substrate in the three regions. Areas in the guard ring that are not occupied by the diffusion regions are occupied by shallow trench isolation (STI) structures. Stripes of dummy structures may be formed over respective STI structures and may not overlap the diffusion regions. The diffusion regions in the first and third regions may be biased to a ground voltage. The diffusion regions in the second section may be biased to a positive power supply voltage.
US08614123B2 Method of forming a semiconductor device by using sacrificial gate electrodes and sacrificial self-aligned contact structures
Disclosed herein are various methods of forming a semiconductor device using sacrificial gate electrodes and sacrificial self-aligned contacts. In one example, the method includes forming two spaced-apart sacrificial gate electrodes comprised of a first material, forming a sacrificial contact structure comprised of a second material, wherein the second material is selectively etchable with respect to said first material, and performing an etching process on the two spaced-apart sacrificial gate electrodes and the sacrificial contact structure to selectively remove the two spaced-apart sacrificial gate electrode structures selectively relative to the sacrificial contact structure.
US08614121B2 Method of manufacturing back gate triggered silicon controlled rectifiers
Back gate triggered silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR) and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a first diffusion type and a second diffusion type in a semiconductor layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate. The method further includes forming a back gate of a first diffusion type in a substrate under an insulator layer of the SOI substrate. The method further includes forming raised diffusion regions of a first dopant type and a second dopant type, adjacent to the second diffusion type and the first diffusion type, respectively. The back gate is formed to cover the second diffusion type, the first diffusion type and the second dopant type of the raised diffusion regions.
US08614109B2 Semiconductor light-emitting apparatus and method of fabricating the same
A light-emitting apparatus has a light-emitting device and a supporting board. The light-emitting device has a pair of n-electrodes with a p-electrode therebetween, on the same plane. The supporting board includes an insulating substrate on which positive and negative electrodes are formed, opposing to the p- and n-electrodes of the light-emitting device, respectively. Bonding members bond the p- and n-electrodes with the positive and negative electrodes, respectively. The positive electrode on the supporting board is formed within the width region of the p-electrode and narrower in width than the width of the p-electrode, in a cross-section along a line extending through the pair of n-electrodes. The negative electrodes oppose to the n-electrodes, respectively, with the same widths, or with that side face of each of the negative electrodes which faces the positive electrode being retracted outwardly from that side face of each of the n-electrodes which faces the p-electrode.
US08614106B2 Liner-free tungsten contact
A liner-less tungsten contact is formed on a nickel-tungsten silicide with a tungsten rich surface. A tungsten-containing layer is formed using tungsten-containing fluorine-free precursors. The tungsten-containing layer may act as a glue layer for a subsequent nucleation layer or as the nucleation layer. The tungsten plug is formed by standard processes. The result is a liner-less tungsten contact with low resistivity.
US08614104B2 Method for manufacturing semiconductor device
A ferroelectric capacitor is formed over a semiconductor substrate (10), and thereafter, interlayer insulating films (48, 50, 52) covering the ferroelectric capacitor are formed. Next, a contact hole (54) reaching a top electrode (40) is formed in the interlayer insulating films (48, 50, 52). Next, a wiring (58) electrically connected to the top electrode (40) through the contact hole (54) is formed on the interlayer insulating films (48, 50, 52). At the time of forming the top electrode (40), conductive oxide films (40a, 40b) are formed, and then a cap film (40c) composed of a noble metal exhibiting less catalytic action than Pt and having a thickness of 150 nm or less is formed on the conductive oxide films (40a, 40b).
US08614102B2 Device for detection of molecules in biological fluids
Disclosed is a test device and a method for qualitatively and/or quantitatively measuring the concentration of an analyte in a biological fluid sample. The test device includes a housing defining a sample port, a test well containing a stirrer and a conjugate, and a test strip disposed within the housing. The test well is also defined by being located between the sample port and the test strip. Fluid flows from the test well onto the test strip, which has a trapping zone which binds the analyte and allows for its detection. A control zone may also be included. The test device is generally adapted to use a sandwich assay. Also disclosed is a system comprising the test device and a signal sensing device; and a method for using the test device.
US08614098B2 Urine gender test
A solid composition for determining the gender of an unborn fetus, comprising a first layer comprising a basic salt, a second layer comprising a transition metal, and a third layer comprising a neutral filler separating the first and second layers.
US08614097B2 Method and assembly for determining the temperature of a test sensor
An assembly determines an analyte concentration in a sample of body fluid. The assembly includes a test sensor having a fluid-receiving area for receiving a sample of body fluid, where the fluid-receiving area contains a reagent that produces a measurable reaction with an analyte in the sample. The assembly also includes a meter having a port or opening configured to receive the test sensor; a measurement system configured to determine a measurement of the reaction between the reagent and the analyte; and a temperature-measuring system configured to determine a measurement of the test-sensor temperature when the test sensor is received into the opening. The meter determines a concentration of the analyte in the sample according to the measurement of the reaction and the measurement of the test-sensor temperature.
US08614096B2 Humidity and temperature corrections to improve accuracy of HF ambient air monitors based on tunable diode laser IR absorption measurements
Method of determining a total HF concentration metric in an environment including measuring an uncorrected HF concentration metric in the environment based on a first infrared absorption measurement at a wavelength corresponding to a vibrational frequency of a non-hydrogen bonded gas phase HF molecule; determining an ambient H2O concentration metric in the environment available for reaction with the non-hydrogen bonded gas phase HF molecules at or about the time of obtaining the first infrared absorption measurement; calculating a HF hydrate concentration metric in the environment based on the uncorrected HF concentration metric, the ambient H2O concentration metric and a reaction equilibrium relationship between the non-hydrogen bonded gas phase HF molecule and the HF hydrate; and determining the total HF concentration metric in the environment based on the uncorrected HF concentration metric and an amount of HF determined by the HF hydrate concentration metric.
US08614089B2 Centromere sequences and minichromosomes
The invention is generally related to methods of generating plants transformed with novel autonomous mini-chromosomes. Mini-chromosomes with novel compositions and structures are used to transform plants cells which are in turn used to generate the plant. Methods for generating the plant include methods for delivering the mini-chromosome into plant cell to transform the cell, methods for selecting the transformed cell, and methods for isolating plants transformed with the mini-chromosome. Plants generated in the present invention contain novel genes introduced into their genome by integration into existing chromosomes.
US08614088B2 System and method for large-scale infiltration of plants
The present invention relates to a system and method for the infiltration of plants in a continuous or quasi-continuous operation mode. The system and method of the present invention combine mechanical (automatic and manual) movable and manipulable units and/or containers with vacuum infiltration chambers to enable large-scale infiltration of plants.
US08614086B2 Quality control methods for the manufacture of polymer arrays
Described are quality control methods and devices for the reproducible manufacturing and integrity monitoring of polymers on electrochemical synthesis and detection chips. The devices and methods allow for simultaneous manufacturing and synthesis of polymers.
US08614081B2 Nitrilase biocatalysts
The present disclosure relates to polypeptides having nitrilase activity, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, and methods of using the polypeptides.
US08614078B2 Contaminant reducing amide functionalized ordered mesoporous carbon composition
The present invention is directed to compositions and methods related to delivering degradative enzymes to remove/remedy environmental pollutants. The inventive material comprises a series of amide-functionalized ordered mesoporous carbon (AFOMC), which utilizes chemical conjugation techniques for the tethering of enzymes to the surface of the synthesized AFOMC. The delivery mechanism may be utilized to express a wide variety of toxin-degrading enzymes for removal/remediation of organic pollutants.
US08614077B2 Recovery of higher alcohols from dilute aqueous solutions
This invention is directed to methods for recovery of C3-C6 alcohols from dilute aqueous solutions, such as fermentation broths. Such methods provide improved volumetric productivity for the fermentation and allows recovery of the alcohol. Such methods also allow for reduced energy use in the production and drying of spent fermentation broth due to increased effective concentration of the alcohol product by the simultaneous fermentation and recovery process which increases the quantity of alcohol produced and recovered per quantity of fermentation broth dried. Thus, the invention allows for production and recovery of C3-C6 alcohols at low capital and reduced operating costs.
US08614076B2 Bacterium capable of producing lactic acid, and method for producing lactic acid
The present invention provides: a lactic acid-producing Escherichia coli including an enzymatic activity of at least one NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenase and an enzymatic activity of at least one NAD-independent lactate oxidoreductase, both of which are enhanced so as to decompose one of D-lactic acid or L-lactic acid and to produce the other one of D-lactic acid or L-lactic acid; and a lactic acid production method using the lactic acid-producing Escherichia coli.
US08614064B2 Methods of diagnosing atherosclerosis by measuring ApoCI
The present invention provides methods and compositions for identifying compounds which inhibit ApoCI and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis, plaque rupture, apoptosis, or myocardial infarction. The invention further provides methods for treating subjects suffering from or at risk of developing atherosclerosis, plaque rupture, apoptosis, or myocardial infarction. The invention further provides methods for diagnosing subjects at suffering from or at risk of developing treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis, plaque rupture, apoptosis, or myocardial infarction.
US08614063B2 Methods for screening for compounds for treating cancer
The methods described herein provide nucleic acid constructs and screening methods for identifying and validating compounds for use in the treatment of cancer, wherein the compounds down-regulate the post-transcriptional expression of Bmi-1.
US08614059B2 Purification and concentration of proteins and DNA from a complex sample using isotachophoresis and a device to perform the purification
A method of simultaneously co-purifying and concentrating nucleic acid and protein targets into a single volume is described. The method includes automation of the entire sample preparation process, performed by having an analyst add a sample into a device that performs all of the steps necessary to prepare a sample for analysis. The method provides for samples are not split during the sample preparation process and where common purification methods can be used for purifying multiple analytes.
US08614057B2 Methods for collecting and detecting oligonucleotides
Methods, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits are provided which includes accurately sampling a RNA from a tissue of an animal and analyzing RNA in the tissue of the animal as an indicator of physiological state, infectious disease, neoplastic disease, autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerotic disease, or neurological disease in the animal. A method is provided which includes administering at least one compound to an animal wherein the at least one compound is configured to prevent the cleavage of at least one tissue RNA by a ribonuclease. The method further includes collecting a sample of at least a portion of tissue from the animal.
US08614056B2 Microfluidic method for measurement or detection involving cells or biomolecules
Embodiments of the invention are related to microfluidic devices for detecting or determining the concentration of biomolecules in an analyte comprising: a channel, wherein a surface of said channel is fabricated to be functionalized with at least one molecule selected to interact with a biomolecule, said channel being configured to interact with a microsphere, wherein a surface of said microsphere is fabricated to be functionalized with at least one same or different molecule selected to interact with said biomolecule; a second channel in fluid communication with said first channel; a system to move fluid containing said microsphere through said first and second channels; and a system to measure a change in electrical impedance or optical microscopy across said second channel as said microsphere moves through said second channel. Other embodiments concern related devices, and methods of making and using.
US08614045B2 Liquid developer and method for producing liquid developer
A liquid developer is provided. The liquid developer includes a liquid insulator and toner particles. The liquid insulator toner particles include a resin material, a colorant, a substance A, a substance B, and a substance C. The substance A is an acrylic-modified silicone. The substance B is at least one selected from the group consisting a quaternary cationic silicone, an aminophenyl-modified silicone, and a phenyl-modified silicone. The substance C is at least one of a silanol-containing polysiloxane and a fluorine-modified silicone. The average degree of roundness R1 of the toner particles is 0.890 or greater, if the degree of roundness is expressed as L0/L1, where L1 (μm) is a circumference of a profile view of a measured particle and L0 (μm) is the circumference of a perfect circle of a circumference of a profile view corresponding to the profile view of the measured particle.
US08614043B2 Toner
A toner including a core particle, an inner shell layer covering the core, and an outer shell layer covering the inner shell layer is provided. The core particle includes a resin P. The inner shell layer includes fine particles of a resin A. The outer shell layer includes fine particles of a resin B. The toner satisfies the following formulae (1) to (3): 4.5≦T½(P)−Tfb(P)≦14  (1) 20≦T½(A)−Tfb(A)≦40  (2) 23.5≦T½(B)−Tfb(B)≦40  (3) wherein T½(P), T½(A), and T½(B) represent ½ method temperatures of the resins P, A, and B, respectively, and Tfb(P), Tfb(A), and Tfb(B) represent flow beginning temperatures of the resins P, A, and B, respectively, and wherein the ½ method temperatures and the flow beginning temperatures are measured by a flowtester.
US08614042B2 Electrophotographic toner
A polyester resin for a toner, obtained by polycondensing a carboxylic acid component and an alcohol component, wherein the carboxylic acid component and/or the alcohol component contains an aromatic compound represented by the formula (Ia): wherein R1a is a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, or a methoxy group; and Xa is a hydrogen atom, an aldehyde group, an allyl group, a vinyl group, a methoxy group, or a hydroxyl group or carboxyl group which may have a linking group. The toner for electrophotography containing a polyester resin for a toner of the present invention is suitably used for a resin binder of a toner used in developing and the like of latent images formed in electrophotography, electrostatic recording method, electrostatic printing method or the like.
US08614028B2 Membrane and electrode assembly and method of producing the same, and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell
[Problem]To provide a membrane and electrode assembly comprising a catalyst layer that improves water holding properties and exhibits high power generation characteristics even in low humidified conditions without inhibiting removal of the water generated by the electrode reaction, etc. and its manufacturing method.[Solution]The membrane and electrode assembly produced by sandwiching a polymer electrolyte membrane between a pair of catalyst layers is provided, in which the catalyst layer comprises a polymer electrolyte and particles carrying a catalyst material, and in which the proportion of the polymer electrolyte expressed by {(mass of polymer electrolyte)/(mass of particles in particles carrying catalyst material)} in the catalyst layer is decreased toward the polymer electrolyte membrane (the inside) from the surface of the catalyst layer (the outside).
US08614027B2 Membrane-electrode assembly with integrated sealing material
The invention relates to a catalyst-coated ion-conducting membrane and a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) for electrochemical devices, in particular for fuel cells. The catalyst-coated, ion-conducting membrane is provided with a sealing material which is applied in the edge region to one side of the membrane and has a thickness which corresponds to at least the total thickness of the catalyst-coated membrane. Owing to their simple, material-conserving construction, the catalyst-coated ion-conducting membranes and the membrane-electrode assemblies produced therefrom can be manufactured inexpensively. They are used in PEM fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), electrolysers and other electrochemical devices.
US08614010B2 Aromatic amine derivative, and organic electroluminescent element
Provided are an organic electroluminescence device that not only provides high efficiency but also has a long lifetime, and an aromatic amine derivative that realizes the device. The organic electroluminescence device includes an aromatic amine derivative, including at least one substituent A having dibenzofuran and at least one substituent B selected from groups each having dibenzofuran or carbazole, in a molecule thereof, in which the substituent A and the substituent B include groups different from each other, and the substituent A and the substituent B are bonded to the same nitrogen atom, or different nitrogen atoms, in the molecule. The molecules of the aromatic amine derivative hardly crystallize, which improves a yield in the production of the organic electroluminescence device. In the organic electroluminescence device, including an organic thin film layer formed of one or more layers including at least a light emitting layer, the organic thin film layer being interposed between a cathode and an anode, the aromatic amine derivative is contained in at least one layer, particularly a hole transport layer, in the organic thin film layer.
US08614009B2 Aromatic amine derivative and organic electroluminescent element using the same
The present invention provides an aromatic amine derivative having a specific structure including a substituted diphenylamino group attached to a naphthalene structure. This aromatic amine derivative can realize an organic electroluminescent element having high emission luminance and luminous efficiency and having a prolonged lifetime. The organic electroluminescent element includes an organic thin film layer provided between a cathode and an anode. The organic thin film layer has a single layer or multilayer structure including at least a light emitting layer. At least one layer in the organic thin film layer contains the aromatic amine derivative either solely or as a component of a mixture.
US08614006B2 Cationically curable compositions and a primer therefor
The present invention relates to one-part cationically curable compositions with storage stability, wherein cure is independent of external stimuli such as heat and UV irradiation. In particular, the present invention provides for compositions with a long shelf life that will cure only upon application of the composition to the target surface, i.e. the surface is involved in initiating cure of the cationically curable component. Suitable compositions comprise those for curing on a surface comprising carbon-halogen covalent bonds comprising a cationically curable component and a non-halide silver salt. The present invention also relates to a primer capable of promoting cure of cationically curable non-halide silver salt compositions.
US08614001B2 Sintered product based on alumina and zirconia
A sintered particle has the following chemical analysis, as percentages by weight: ZrO2 partially stabilized with CeO2 and Y2O3: complement to 100%; Al2 10%-60%; additive selected from CaO, a manganese oxide, La2O3, SrO, BaO, and mixtures thereof: 0.2%-6; the quantity of CaO being less than 2%; impurities: <2%; the zirconia being stabilized with CeO2 and Y2O3 present in quantities such that, as molar percentages based on the sum of ZrO2, CeO2 and Y2O3: CeO2: 6 mol %-11 mol %; and Y2O3: 0.5 mol %-2 mol %; the particle being obtained by sintering at a sintering temperature higher than 1300° C., the sintering temperature being higher than 1400° C. if the additive is CaO or if the molar CeO2 content is in the range 10% to 11%.
US08614000B2 Coated article and method of making the same
A coated article includes a bonding layer, a chromium oxynitride layer a boron nitride layer formed on a substrate in that order. The boron nitride layer is made of hexagonal structure boron nitride.
US08613999B2 Laser-engraveable compositions and flexographic printing precursors comprising organic porous particles
A laser-engraveable composition comprises a laser-engraveable resin having dispersed therein non-crosslinked organic porous particles. These non-crosslinked organic porous particles have a non-crosslinked organic solid phase including an external particle surface and at least one set of discrete pores that are dispersed within the non-crosslinked organic solid phase. The laser-engraveable composition further comprises an infrared radiation absorber within at least some of the non-crosslinked organic porous particles.
US08613996B2 Polymeric edge seal for bonded substrates
A layer of polymer material is applied on a peripheral region of at least one of the two substrates to be bonded prior to bonding. The bonded structure formed thereby includes a first substrate, a second substrate in direct contact with the first substrate, and a ring of the polymer material in direct contact with the first substrate at a first interface and in direct contact with the second substrate. The ring of polymer material laterally surrounds and seals the interface at which the first substrate contacts the second substrate. A ring-shaped cavity can be formed within the polymeric ring. Alternately, the first interface and the second interface can be contiguous without a ring-shaped cavity between the first and second substrates.
US08613990B2 Elastic longitudinal net of a closed periphery, in particular for wrapping up sausage and food products
An elastic longitudinal net (1) for longitudinal food products, especially cold meat products, is formed as a sleeve having at least one longitudinal main warp (21) of a tightening chain weave having at least one substantially inextensible thread (213, 214), and at least one weft (3) having at least one elastic fiber and circumferential sections (31), the ends of which are interweaved substantially perpendicularly between the substantially inextensible fiber and longitudinal sections (32) existing between neighboring circumferential sections (31) and running in a concurrent manner relative to and weaved with at least one main warp (21). The longitudinal sections are interweaved through at least one main warp (21) substantially perpendicularly relative to its longitudinal axis, passing through loops (215, 216) of the at least one substantially inextensible thread (213, 214) of the main warp, forming a serpentine run having at least two external loops (321).
US08613988B2 Image transfer material and polymer composition
Provided is an image transfer material, comprising a support, optionally at least one barrier layer, a melt transfer layer, and an image receiving layer. Also provided is a process for preparing the image transfer material. Further provided is a heat transfer process using the disclosed material. In the heat transfer process, after imaging, the image receiving layer and melt transfer layer are peeled away from the optionally barrier-coated support material and placed, preferably image side up, on top of a receptor element. A non-stick sheet is then optionally placed over the imaged peeled material and heat is applied to the top of the optional non stick sheet. The melt transfer layer then melts and adheres the image to the receptor element. A composition comprising: at least one self-crosslinking polymer, and at least one dye retention aid.
US08613973B2 Photovoltaic device with solution-processed chalcogenide absorber layer
The present invention provides a photovoltaic device, such as, a solar cell, having a substrate and an absorber layer disposed on the substrate. The absorber layer includes a doped or undoped composition represented by the formula: Cu1-yIn1-xGaxSe2-zSz wherein 0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦0.15 and 0≦z≦2; wherein the absorber layer is formed by a solution-based deposition process which includes the steps of contacting hydrazine and a source of Cu, a source of In, a source of Ga, a source of Se, and optionally a source of S, and further optionally a source of a dopant, under conditions sufficient to produce a homogeneous solution; coating the solution on the substrate to produce a coated substrate; and heating the coated substrate to produce the photovoltaic device. A photovoltaic device and a process for making same based on a hydrazinium-based chalcogenide precursor are also provided.
US08613969B2 Low pressure deoiling of fried food product
Disclosed is an improved process and system for producing low oil fried food products. The process discloses frying food products at atmospheric pressure, and deoiling the fried food products using a centrifuge under vacuum pressure.
US08613967B2 Heat-stable concentrated milk product
The invention provides a stable concentrated dairy liquid, such as concentrated milk, with improved flavor, color, and mouthfeel, and a method of production thereof. The method utilizes specific thermal treatments to produce the stable concentrated dairy liquid to which a stabilizer and mouthfeel enhancer are added. The resulting products have a sterilization value Fo of at least 5 that is also resistant to gelling and browning during high temperature sterilization and is also resistant to gelling and browning during storage for greater than six months. The method balances such thermal treatments with addition of stabilizer and enhancer to achieve the desired flavor/mouthfeel and sterilization and to achieve reduced level of soluble protein in the concentrated milk prior to concentration to resist gelation and minimize browning. Moreover, such processing may be utilized in a milk that is concentrated to a factor of 2.7 fold or higher and contains at least 8.5 percent protein.
US08613966B2 Wafer
A rippled wafer (90) formed of a convoluted wafer ribbon (80), the rippled wafer (90) having an average of at least 12 turns/cm2, wherein a turn is a change in direction of the wafer ribbon (80) of at least 45°, and a confectionery product comprising such a wafer. Also a confectionery product comprising a rippled wafer (90) formed of a convoluted wafer ribbon (80), wherein the turns are substantially uniformly distributed across the cross section of the rippled wafer, where a turn is a change in direction of the wafer ribbon of at least 45°, and a confectionery product comprising a three-dimensional rippled wafer (90) formed in a single step.
US08613954B2 Drug loaded polymeric nanoparticles and methods of making and using same
The present disclosure generally relates to nanoparticles having about 0.2 to about 35 weight percent of a therapeutic agent; and about 10 to about 99 weight percent of biocompatible polymer such as a diblock poly(lactic) acid-poly(ethylene)glycol. Other aspects of the invention include methods of making such nanoparticles.
US08613947B2 Bromocriptine formulations
The present application describes pharmaceutical formulations of bromocriptine mesylate and methods of manufacturing and using such formulations. The formulations are useful for improving glycemic control in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
US08613941B1 Synergistic antimicrobial composition
A synergistic antimicrobial composition comprising: (a) a hydroxymethyl-substituted phosphorus compound selected from the group consisting of tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium salts and tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine; and (b) tris(hydroxymethyl)nitromethane.
US08613939B2 Leave-on nonsolid skin conditioning compositions containing 12-hydroxystearic acid and ethoxylated hydrogenated castor oil
Leave-on non-solid skin conditioning compositions comprising 12-hydroxy stearic acid. Compositions contain 12HSA, yet have a relatively low viscosity, so are suitable for spreading on the skin, and are stable on storage and structurally reversible through temperature cycling.
US08613938B2 Bone void fillers
A bone void filler composition is described containing an acidic mineral component that contains a calcium source and a phosphate source or a lower alkyl carboxylate source; an osteoinductive component that contains demineralized bone; and a three-dimensional, osteoconductive biologically acceptable carrier component that contains a collagenous material. The bone void filler composition may be in the form of a sponge or in the form of a paste or putty used to form a sponge or is obtained from particulated sponge, or that forms after a sponge is rehydrated. A pre-mixed bone void filler composition is described containing the acidic mineral component or the lower alkyl carboxylate source; the osteoinductive component; and a biologically acceptable carrier component that contains a liquid carrier. Methods of making and using the compositions are also described. The ratio of demineralized bone component to acidic mineral component may range from about 0.5:1 to about 80:1.
US08613935B2 Influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants
Polypeptides, polynucleotides, reassortant viruses, immunogenic compositions and vaccines comprising influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants and method using thereof are provided.
US08613934B2 Cellular and viral inactivation
The invention involves inactivation of viral populations by treating the viral populations with a compound to crosslink proteins in the viral membrane, UV irradiation and further inactivation of the viruses using detergent(s). According to the invention, this method preserves the native structure of viral epitopes so that the inactivated viral preparations can be used in immunological compositions that will inhibit and/or prevent viral infection when administered to an animal.
US08613919B1 High concentration antibody and protein formulations
Provided are high concentration, salt-free antibody and other protein formulations that are substantially isosmotic and of low viscosity. Also provided are methods for the treatment of diseases using the disclosed formulations.
US08613917B2 Combination bacteriolytic therapy for the treatment of tumors
Current approaches for treating cancer are limited, in part, by the inability of drugs to affect the poorly vascularized regions of tumors. We have found that spores of anaerobic bacteria in combination with agents which interact with microtubules can cause the destruction of both the vascular and avascular compartments of tumors. Two classes of microtubule inhibitors were found to exert markedly different effects. Some agents that inhibited microtubule synthesis, such as vinorelbine, caused rapid, massive hemorrhagic necrosis when used in combination with spores. In contrast, agents that stabilized microtubules, such as the taxane, docetaxel, resulted in slow tumor regressions that killed most neoplastic cells. Remaining cells in the poorly perfused regions of tumors could be eradicated by sporulated bacteria. Mechanistic studies showed that the microtubule destabilizers, but not the microtubule stabilizers, radically reduced blood flow to tumors, thereby enlarging the hypoxic niche in which spores could germinate. A single intravenous injection of spores plus selected microtubule-interacting agents was able to cause regressions of several tumors in the absence of excessive toxicity.
US08613912B1 Silicone organo polyesters
The present invention is directed toward a series of silicone/organic polymers with tunable ascetics, solubility, film formation and performance in cosmetic formulation. These novel polymers are designed with the three different hydroxyl containing monomers in the polyester. One is a siliphillic (silicone loving) and the other a oleophillic (oil loving) and the last hydrophilic (water loving). It is critical for there to be all three types of monomers linked together in a single polymer in order to make polymers in which solubility, spreadability, surface tension and film hardness can be altered for different cosmetic applications. When these groups are present a polymer there is a wide range of variation possible, making these polymers formulator friendly. The physical and chemical properties, including but not limited to: film formation of the current invention can be tuned rapidly by controlling the fatty group used, the degree of polymerization of the polymer, the molecular weight of the silicone polymer, the presence of ethylene oxide in the polymer backbone and the ratio of monomers to one another.
US08613911B2 Compositions having a plurality of discrete emulsions
A cosmetic composition comprising a first emulsion and a second emulsion and optionally one or more additional emulsions, each of the two or more emulsions being discretely contained within the composition and comprising an inner phase and an outer phase, each of the two or more emulsions being independently a water-in-oil emulsion, an oil-in-water emulsion, an oil-in-oil emulsion, a polyol-in-oil emulsion, a water-in-silicone emulsion, a silicone-in-water emulsion, or a polyol-in-silicone emulsion in physical contact with at least one other emulsion, at least one of the two or more emulsions being visually distinct from the others, and each of the two or more emulsions as well as the composition being independently both physically and visually stable within the composition for at least six months at ambient temperature.
US08613899B2 Apparatus and method for producing free-standing materials
An apparatus includes a manifold with a chamber for mixing multiple reactants. Gases are jetted into the manifold by a plurality of inlet injectors. The inlet injectors are arranged such that the gases passing into the manifold impinge on each other at a common point to form a mixture. The mixture passes through a plurality of holes in one side of the manifold into a deposition chamber where the mixture of gases impinges on additional gases at a common point to provide a reaction resulting in deposition of solid materials in the deposition chamber. The solid materials are free-standing.
US08613893B2 Sealing member, cap for reagent container, and reagent container
A sealing member includes a sealing portion that is used for a cap attached to a reagent container and covers an opening of the cap with an open-close movement by flapping around a predetermined point. The sealing portion has, on an outer circumference in the predetermined point side, an extending portion that extends outward of the opening. The extending portion contacts with an upper edge of the opening when the sealing portion covers the opening.
US08613888B2 Nanowire preparation methods, compositions, and articles
Nanowire preparation methods, compositions, and articles are disclosed. Such nanowires may be thicker than other nanowires and may be useful in devices requiring high electrical current densities.
US08613884B2 Launder transfer insert and system
An insert and system for removing molten metal from a vessel is disclosed. The insert defines an enclosed cavity, and includes a first opening in its side through which molten metal can enter the cavity, and a second opening at its top through which molten metal can exit the cavity. A trough at the top of the insert directs molten metal exiting the second opening out of the vessel. The system includes the insert and a molten metal pump that forces molten metal through the first opening and into the cavity.
US08613880B2 Post electron beam conditioning of polymeric medical devices
Methods are disclosed for conditioning a polymeric stent after sterilization, and/or after crimping and before packaging, such that the properties of the polymeric stent fall within a narrower range of values. The stent is exposed to a controlled temperature at or above ambient for a period of time after radiation sterilization and/or after crimping and before sterilization. As a result, the polymeric stent properties, particularly radial strength and number-average molecular weight of the polymer of the polymeric stent, fall within a narrower range.
US08613877B2 Methods for fabricating polymer-bioceramic composite implantable medical devices
Methods relating to polymer-bioceramic composite implantable medical devices are disclosed.
US08613873B2 Anode, battery, and methods of manufacturing them
A battery capable of improving the cycle characteristics and the swollenness characteristics is provided. The battery includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution is impregnated in a separator provided between the cathode and the anode. The anode has a coat on an anode active material layer provided on an anode current collector. The coat contains a metal salt. The metal salt has a hydroxyl group and at least one of a sulfonic acid group and a carboxylic acid group. Thereby, lithium ions are easily inserted in the anode and extracted from the anode, and decomposition of the electrolytic solution is prevented.
US08613872B2 Charge-carrier transport layer for an electro-optical component, method for its production and electro-optical component
A charge-carrier transport layer for an electro-optical component includes an organic charge-carrier transport material. A plurality of first particles having a diameter ranging from 1 nm to 100 nm is incorporated in the organic charge-carrier transport material and contains a first transparent oxide. A plurality of second particles having a diameter between 100 nm and 1000 nm is also incorporated into the organic charge-carrier transport material and contains a second transparent oxide. The index of refraction of the plurality of second particles differs from the index of refraction of the organic charge-transport material.
US08613860B2 Group III-nitride layers with patterned surfaces
A fabrication method produces a mechanically patterned layer of group III-nitride. The method includes providing a crystalline substrate and forming a first layer of a first group III-nitride on a planar surface of the substrate. The first layer has a single polarity and also has a pattern of holes or trenches that expose a portion of the substrate. The method includes then, epitaxially growing a second layer of a second group III-nitride over the first layer and the exposed portion of substrate. The first and second group III-nitrides have different alloy compositions. The method also includes subjecting the second layer to an aqueous solution of base to mechanically pattern the second layer.
US08613853B2 Fuel filter system, especially for diesel engines
A fuel filter system, especially for Diesel engines includes filter housing (1) having a fuel inlet (27) and a fuel outlet (29) and a dehydrating filter medium (23) between the inlet and the outlet for the fuel to pass through. The filter housing (1) has a collection chamber (35) for the water trapped by the filter medium from which collection chamber the water can be supplied to a water absorbing and evaporating device (49) via a controlled dispenser (45). The components of the evaporating steam are releasable into the environment through the evaporating steam outlet (51). The water absorbing and evaporating device (49) has a valve arrangement (59, 61) by which the evaporating water outlet (51) can be closed depending on an inadmissible amount of non-evaporated water (55) collected in the evaporating device (49).
US08613845B2 Self contained capillary electrophoresis system for interfacing with mass spectrometry
A complete capillary electrophoresis (CE) system that is capable of providing a continuous flow of effluent at the exit of the flow-through outlet vial is provided. A self-contained capillary electrophoresis system with a flow-through outlet vial for interfacing with mass spectrometry includes a capillary having an upstream inlet end and a downstream terminus end; an electrically conductive hollow needle having an inner wall defining an internal tapered chamber, the internal tapered chamber dimensioned and configured to slidably accept the terminus end of the capillary, the capillary longitudinally inserted into and mounted within the internal tapered chamber to a distance whereby the terminus end of the capillary abuts the inner wall of the needle at the taper; and wherein a micro-reservoir is formed between the terminus end of the capillary and the downstream exit orifice.
US08613844B2 Gas sensor having a laminate comprising solid electrolyte layers and alumina substrate
A gas sensor (1a) having a laminate including an alumina substrate (11) having a heating resister (115) embedded in the alumina substrate (11); a first oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (131) containing zirconia and alumina and partly constituting an oxygen-detecting cell (13) and the first solid electrolyte layer (131) being laminated with said alumina substrate (11); a second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (121) containing zirconia and alumina and partly constituting an oxygen-pumping cell (12); an ion-leakage preventing ceramic spacer (143) for preventing oxygen-ions from leaking from the second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (121) to the first oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (131), the spacer (143) being laminated between the first and second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layers (131, 121); and a gas-diffusion space (141) formed between an electrode (133) of the oxygen-detecting cell (13) and an electrodes (126) of the oxygen-pumping cell (12). Furthermore, the laminate (1a) is co-fired. Preferably, the zirconia contained at least in the second solid electrolyte layer is made of partially stabilized zirconia, the phase formed in the zirconia consisting essentially of tetragonal and cubic phases. Additionally, an ionic migration-preventing electrode (117) is optionally embedded in the alumina substrate (11) for preventing metal ion migration.
US08613839B2 Water distillation method and apparatus
Apparatus for distilling a fluid such as water includes a vessel and heat transfer plates within the vessel structures to form at least one each cooling channel, evaporative channel, and condensing channel. Air enters the vessel and passes through the cooling channel, where it is cooled due to evaporation taking place in an adjacent evaporative channel. In the evaporative channel, input fluid is supplied to the walls of the heat transfer plates facing into the evaporative channel and evaporation forms vapor. The vapor is condensed in a condensing channel. In some versions of the apparatus, an evaporation channel forms a vacuum chamber and a condensing channel forms a compression chamber.
US08613825B2 Method for fixing glass substrates and method for preparing flexible display device
Embodiments of the disclosed technology disclose a method for fixing glass substrates and a method for preparing a flexible display device. The method for fixing glass substrates comprises coating an edge portion of a first glass substrate corresponding to a second glass substrate with epoxy resin and screeding the coated epoxy resin layer, adhering the second glass substrate to the first glass substrate, and annealing the two glass substrates. With the technical solution of this disclosed technology, the time period for fixing the adhered glass substrates can be reduced with an improved productivity.
US08613823B2 Method of manufacturing bonded member and bonded member manufacturing apparatus
It can prevent extension of the time required for bonding, even when relatively large members are bonded. a bonded member manufacturing apparatus comprises a first holder 11 for holding a first member D, a second holder 12 for holding a second member E, an application device 40 for applying the intermediate substance G to a first bonded surface Df, a moving device 20 for moving the first holder 11 and/or the second holder 12, and a controller. The controller controls the first holder 11, the second holder 12 and the moving device 20 so that a first extended plane De and a second extended plane Ee are arranged such that the first extended plane De and the second extended plane Ee oppose each other in parallel and such that a range where the first bonded surface Df overlaps with the second bonded surface Ef is equal or smaller than a predetermined range when viewed in a direction of the thickness, and then so that the first member D is moved relatively to the second member E in a direction that the range where the first bonded surface Df overlaps with the second bonded surface Ef gradually increases when viewed in the direction of the thickness while maintaining a distance between the first extended plane De and the second extended plane Ee.
US08613819B2 Method for producing quenched components consisting of sheet steel
The invention relates to a method for producing quenched components consisting of sheet steel, comprising the following steps: a) shaped parts are formed from sheet steel; b) the end of the shaped part is cut and the sheet steel is optionally punched or provided with a desired hole pattern prior to, during, or after the forming of the shaped part; c) at least some sections of the shaped part are subsequently heated to a temperature that permits the steel material to austenitize; and d) the component is then transferred to a quenching die, where it is subjected to a quenching process, during which the component is cooled and thus quenched by the contact of the quenching die with some sections of the component and the compression of said sections. The invention is characterized in that the component is supported by the quenching die in the vicinity of the positive radii and that some sections of said component are clamped in a secure manner without distortion in the vicinity of the cut edges. In the sections of the component that are not clamped, the latter is separated from a quenching-die half by a gap.
US08613795B2 Electret webs with charge-enhancing additives
Electret webs are presented which include a blend of a thermoplastic resin and a charge-enhancing additive. The charge-enhancing additives include N-substituted amino carbocyclic aromatic materials. The webs prepared from the blends may be in the form of films or non-woven fibrous webs. Non-woven microfiber webs are useful as filtration media.
US08613784B2 Filter element with percussion band
A filter element has a reinforcement band or ring along at least a portion of the perimeter thereof and performing a support function thereat preventing or minimizing damage upon attempted percussive cleaning of the filter element by service personnel striking the perimeter against an impact surface. Alternatively, a failure band or ring is provided along at least a portion of the perimeter and performs a designated failure function to a failure condition thereat upon attempted percussive cleaning, with the failure condition providing at least one of: a) an indication to service personnel that the filter element has been damaged and should not be re-installed; and b) a deformed condition preventing re-installation.
US08613780B2 Process for producing mixed esters of fatty acids as biofuels
A process for producing mixed esters of fatty acids as biofuel or additive to a petroleum fuel for use in a compression ignition (CI) engine. The process preferably provides a partial transesterification of a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters with at least one alkyl alcohol containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst to produce a mixture of the fatty acid methyl esters and alkyl alcohol esters of the fatty acids.
US08613777B2 Method for performing intravascular cardiac surgery
For the treatment of an insufficient cardiac valve or a cardiac valve with a stenosis, a device is provided that comprises a micro axial pump (40). The pump portion (14) of the micro axial pump carries a dilating device (18) suitable for pushing open a stenosis in a valve. The dilating device is designed as a high-pressure balloon. During dilation, the micro axial pump (40) operates so that the heart is relieved. With insufficient cardiac valves, a stent (21) is fastened to the dilating device (17), the stent surrounding a flexible cardiac valve prosthesis (20). By dilation, the stent (21) is pressed against the insufficient cardiac valve and the same is passivated. The cardiac valve of the cardiac valve prosthesis is unfolded to assume the function of the natural cardiac valve.
US08613771B2 Artificial disc
An intervertebral artificial disc is provided with a first endplate having a plurality of protrusions for attaching to an adjacent vertebrae and an extension portion extending towards a second adjacent vertebrae. A second endplate is provided with a plurality of protrusions for attaching to a second adjacent vertebrae and an extension portion extending towards the first adjacent vertebrae. A flexible member having an upper portion and a lower portion and a slider plate positioned within the upper portion of the flexible member is also provided. The extension portion of the first endplate is adapted to fit within a first cavity in the upper portion of the flexible member and the extension portion of the second endplate is adapted to fit within a second cavity in the lower portion of the flexible member.
US08613768B2 Space keeper for vertebrae or intervertebral disks
A space keeper for vertebrae or intervertebral disks is provided, which has a tubular section and teeth on the respective ends of the space keeper. On at least one end of the tubular section an element is provided, which has a top plate which is tiltable about an angle to the longitudinal axis of the tubular section.
US08613767B2 Laryngeal implant for treating glottic insufficiency
A laryngeal implant for treating glottic insufficiency includes a displacement member positionable in a larynx such that at least a portion of the displacement member is disposed between thyroid cartilage and a vocal fold of the larynx. The displacement member is at least one of selectively adjustable in volume and selectively adjustable in compressibility when the displacement member is positioned in the larynx to selectively position the vocal fold in a medial displacement position.
US08613765B2 Prosthetic heart valve systems
A heart valve that can be expanded following its implantation in a patient, such as to accommodate the growth of a patient and the corresponding growth of the area where the valve is implanted, and to minimize paravalvular leakage. In one aspect, the invention may maximize the orifice size of the surgical valve. The invention includes expandable implantable conduits and expandable bioprosthetic stented valves. In one aspect of the invention, the valve may be adapted to accommodate growth of a patient to address limitation on bioprosthetic valve lifespans.
US08613764B2 Method and apparatus for treating vulnerable plaque
An apparatus and method to treat vulnerable plaque. In one embodiment, the apparatus has a medical device to treat an occlusive plaque, and is also adapted to release a biologically active agent to treat vulnerable plaque located downstream from the occlusive plaque. In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus has an expandable tube attached to the inner surface of a stent, and a layer of endothelial cells seeded on the inner surface of the expandable tube. The expandable tube shields a vulnerable plaque from a body lumen.
US08613761B2 Surgical implant with an anti-backout feature
The present application is directed to an implant maintained within the patient by a fastener. The implant includes an aperture sized to receive the fastener. A locking member extends across the aperture in a first position. The locking member is constructed of a resilient material that is movable to a second position during insertion of the fastener. Once the fastener is inserted within the aperture below a level of the locking member, the locking member rebounds towards the first position and extends over the fastener. The locking member prevents the fastener from backing out of the implant.
US08613755B1 Knotless dynamic suture tensioning device and methods
Two spaced bodily tissues are approximated with a surgical tensioning device comprising a resilient member and a pressure locking device. The method comprises a step of routing one end of a length of suture through both spaced bodily tissues and inserting the suture end into and through the pressure locking device. The suture is then tensioned by pulling on the suture end passing through the pressure locking device. Responsive to tension changes in the suture, the pressure locking device is actuated by moving at least one surface in the pressure locking device to clamp the suture in position.
US08613748B2 Apparatus and method for stabilizing a needle
Apparatus and methods for use in an image-guided interventional procedure are described herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a base configured to be releasably coupled to a patient's skin. A support portion extends from the base at an angle transverse to a longitudinal axis defined by the base. The support portion has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is disposed adjacent the base. A holder portion extends from the second end portion of the support portion. The holder portion defines an opening and is configured to be moved between a first configuration in which the opening defined by the holder portion has a first size and is configured to movably receive an interventional tool therethrough, and a second configuration in which the opening defined by the holder portion has a second size different than the first size.
US08613730B2 Apparatus and methods for fluid pressurizing units of injection systems
An injection system includes a syringe, which preferably includes larger and smaller inner diameters, and a plunger. A wiper sidewall of the plunger defines a cavity, into which a plunger shaft of the system is inserted, for moving the plunger, within the syringe, for fluid injection. The plunger includes a feature for engaging the shaft, and the sidewall preferably includes a expandable-contractible portion, in which the feature is formed. When the plunger is initially mounted within the larger inner diameter of the syringe, the portion of the sidewall is expanded and the feature of the plunger does not operably engage the inserted shaft. When the shaft moves the plunger into the smaller inner diameter of the syringe, the portion of the sidewall contracts and the feature operably engages the shaft. An optional deformable end wall of the plunger may be spaced apart from a distal terminal end of the inserted shaft.
US08613728B2 Removable adapter for a splittable introducer and method of use thereof
A securing device for preventing the splitting of a splittable sheath in the body of a treated subject, for facilitating the insertion of a splittable introducer and the splitting of said splittable sheath during removal of said introducer from the body of the subject, and optionally for interfacing said splittable introducer with other devices, comprising a “U”-like shaped portion having a distal arm and one or two proximal arms connected by a base, wherein said distal arm comprises an aperture accessible via a vertical slit passing from its upper side and terminating in said aperture, and wherein the gap defined between said distal arm and proximal arms is suitable for fitting a splittable introducer therebetween such that its splittable sheath is retained in the aperture provided in the distal arm.
US08613724B2 Infusion pump assembly
A wearable infusion pump assembly. The wearable infusion pump assembly includes a reservoir for receiving an infusible fluid and a fluid delivery system configured to deliver the infusible fluid from the reservoir to an external infusion set. The fluid delivery system includes a controller, a pump assembly for extracting a quantity of infusible fluid from the reservoir and providing the quantity of infusible fluid to the external infusion set, the pump assembly comprising a pump plunger, the pump plunger having distance of travel, the distance of travel having a starting position and an ending position, at least one optical sensor assembly for sensing the starting position and ending position of the pump plunger distance of travel and sending sensor output to the controller, and a first valve assembly configured to selectively isolate the pump assembly from the reservoir, wherein the controller receives the sensor output and determines the total displacement of the pump plunger.
US08613706B2 Coaxial dual lumen pigtail catheter
A method of measuring differential pressure between a left ventricle and an aorta across an aortic valve for diagnosis of aortic stenosis using a coaxial dual lumen pigtail catheter that utilizes coaxial construction incorporating a thin wall guiding catheter technology for the outer lumen and using a strong braided diagnostic technology for the central lumen to accommodate high-pressure injections. The catheter includes a manifold body to provide for connection to each of the dual lumens. The distal end of the coaxial dual lumen pigtail catheter tapers to a more flexible portion that is perforated by spiral side holes to provide for more undistorted pressure readings in the left ventricle. The coaxial dual lumen pigtail catheter also utilizes proximal straight sideholes at the end of the dual lumen portion and a taper between the dual lumen portion and the single lumen portion.
US08613702B2 Device, apparatus and method for obtaining physiological signals by way of a feeding tube
A neonatal feeding tube (10) includes electronics and instrumentation for monitoring a neonate and for provides nourishment to the neonate. The tube (10) includes electrodes (20) for sensing ECG signals of the neonate. Thermistors (22, 24, 28, 30) are placed at various points along the tube (10) to measure the neonate's temperature at those points. Breathing effort is measured by calculating a pressure differential at two pressure ports (32, 34). Pulse and SpO2 are measured at a fiber optic window (35). The electrodes (20), a distal electrode (64) and a light source (66) aid in helping a caregiver position the tip (12) of the tube (10) correctly in the stomach of the neonate.
US08613693B2 Holistic repetitive exercise and exercise belt for overactive bladder urine normalization
An holistic exercise method for enhancing urine retention in a person having reduced urine retention and exercise belt therefore. The method includes: a) providing an elastic resistance exercise belt of a size sufficient to encircle a users abdominopelvic region; b) removably mounting the belt around the abdominopelvic region of the user; c) expanding the abdominopelvic region outward as far as possible by the user against the resistive force of the belt; and then d) pulling the abdominopelvic region back into the body as far as possible with the resistance belt elastically retained in a snug position against the exterior of the abdominopelvic region; e) repeating a cycle comprising the expanding step c) and the pulling step d) for a sufficient number of cycles per day for a sufficient number of days to enhance the urine retention of the person.
US08613691B2 Dynamic lower limb rehabilitation robotic apparatus and method of rehabilitating human gait
A robotic rehabilitation apparatus and method provide subjects with lower limb gait impairment, gait therapy before subjects are able to walk independently, or are able to control their legs or stand unaided. The apparatus is constructed and arranged to take advantage of natural gravitational force and musculo-skeletal dynamics of therapy subjects, and to replicate gait in subjects without manual or mechanical intervention to lift subjects' legs and feet. The apparatus and method provide the appropriate dynamic and sensory inputs to muscle groups occurring during normal gait that are critical to gait rehabilitation.
US08613685B1 Differential with active torque vectoring
A differential with torque vectoring comprises a differential, a motor, and a clutch. The pinion gears are constantly coupled to the motor shaft. Energizing the motor provides torque vectoring. Energizing the clutch provides differential lock. The differential with torque vectoring can also functions as conventional open differential.
US08613677B2 Golf stance indicator
A device for improving a golf stance and swing has a clip, an arm, a mount, and an indicator block. The clip allows the device to be secured to a golf club, while the arm allows the mount and connected indicator block to be centered with respect to the golf club. The mount has a carriage which slides along a corresponding track on the arm, and a perpendicular rod about which the indicator block can rotate. The indicator block has three faces, two lateral faces and a top face. When the indicator block is centered on a head of a golf club, it can be used to gauge the correct distance from the ball a golfer should stand. Only the top face of the indicator block will be visible when standing the correct distance from the ball. The faces of the indicator block are color coded to increase usability.
US08613671B2 Data transfer and control among multiple computer devices in a gaming environment
Various card devices and methods involving card devices are described. Other embodiments are also described.
US08613670B2 Mobile networked gaming system
A mobile networked gaming system wherein a downloadable game client application connects a player to at least one game server (or wireless network), wherein the at least one game table is hosted on said game server. The game server (or wireless network) provides game operations and displays for transmission to the game client application and a display including at least one screen display including at least one lobby screen display from which a player can manually request to be seated at one or more of a plurality of virtual game positions in one or more of a plurality of multi-player or single-player games. Furthermore, a selectable automated seating option is available for automatically seating a player at one or more of a plurality of virtual game positions, wherein a player is directly seated when the player logs-in to the mobile networked gaming system. Embodiments of the present invention are disclosed as a mobile poker client application and a mobile casino client application incorporating the above features.
US08613663B2 Multi-monitor support for gaming devices and related methods
Various embodiments are directed to gaming machines having multi-monitor support for controlling up to four monitors on a gaming device. According to one embodiment, the gaming device includes a first display for presenting a primary game. The gaming device also includes a second display and a third display where the second display is positioned above the third display. The second and third displays are used in combination to present a secondary game. The gaming device further includes a multi-core processor in communication with a first video chipset and a second video chipset, wherein the first and second video chipsets support the first, second and third monitors.
US08613662B2 Alterable storage media gaming machine
A system for verifying one or more downloaded components 54 of a gaming device 10 that includes the gaming device, which has an alterable hard drive 80 (or other persistent storage media 90), and the downloaded components that further include gaming-related content 92-96. A related method includes: enabling initiation of a game on the gaming device 10; downloading the gaming-related content 92-96 to the alterable hard drive 80 while the gaming device 10 is enabled for game play; reading an identifier associated with the gaming-related content 92-96; verifying that the identifier is valid (using verification software 70); and reconfiguring the gaming device 10 to utilize the newly-downloaded, gaming-related content 92-96 in response to an initiating event.
US08613650B2 Gaming system and method which enables multiple players to simultaneously play multiple individual games or group games on a central display
The present disclosure provides a gaming system including a central controller, a central display which includes a plurality of display segments and a plurality player stations. The display segments are configured to each separately display one of a plurality of games, to co-act to display a plurality of games, or to co-act to display one game. Each player station is configured to enable a player to play one or more of the games displayed by the display segments. The gaming system enables a plurality of players to play a group game on the central display, a plurality of players to simultaneously play multiple group games on the central display, and a plurality of players to each simultaneously play multiple individual games on the central display.
US08613647B2 Game with award based on sub-game outcomes and method
Disclosed are games, gaming machines, gaming systems and methods including a primary game award at least partially based on the outcomes of one or more sub-games. The outcomes are related according to a pay table associated with the primary game.
US08613639B2 Plush figure including multi-chamber storage system
One example includes a body formed of body fabric, the body defining a body pocket opening, a body pocket disposed in an interior of the body and coupled to the body pocket opening and body plush disposed in the interior of the body, between the body pocket and the body fabric. The example includes a head formed of head fabric, the head having a posterior portion of the head coupled to the body at an anterior portion of the body, the head defining a head pocket opening disposed on an anterior portion of the head, a head pocket disposed in an interior of the head and coupled to the head pocket opening and head plush disposed in the interior of the head, between the head pocket and the head fabric. The example includes at least one pair of legs formed of leg fabric and fastened to the body.
US08613638B2 Dismantling apparatus for flat-screen TV and dismantling method for flat-screen TV
A flat-screen TV dismantling apparatus comprises an inclined working bed having a tiltable placement surface on which a flat-screen TV can be placed, and a horizontal working bed having a horizontal placement surface. A flat-screen TV dismantling method comprises detaching a cabinet and a control circuit board while the flat-screen TV is inclined, and dismantling a flat-screen panel module while the flat-screen TV is in a horizontal position. Also, a flat-screen TV dismantling method comprises detaching a cabinet and a control circuit while a flat-screen TV is in a horizontal position, and dismantling a flat-screen panel module while evacuating. With the dismantling apparatus and dismantling methods, the dismantling operations can be effectively and safely performed in a recycling plant.
US08613631B2 Electrical connector
An electrical connector includes a first insertion hole and a second insertion hole made on the same straight line in both side faces facing each other in a base, a support contact piece of a first connecting terminal and a second connecting terminal laterally inserted into the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole respectively, and an operation lever rotatably attached to a side face on one side of the base while a front end portion of an FPC is inserted from an opening formed in a side face on the other side of the base. An inspection hole communicated with the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole is made in a bottom surface of the base such that a front end portion of the inserted first connecting terminal and a latch portion of the inserted second connecting terminal can visually be observed.
US08613630B2 Latch assembly for a pluggable electronic module
A latch assembly is provided for latching a pluggable electronic module to a receptacle assembly. The latch assembly includes a yoke assembly having an actuation end that is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. A lever is operatively connected to the yoke assembly to move the actuation end of the yoke assembly between the latched and unlatched positions. A latch element is operatively connected to the actuation end of the yoke assembly. The latch element is movable along a latch axis between an extended position and a retracted position as the actuation end is moved between the latched and unlatched positions, respectively. The actuation end of the yoke assembly is configured to float along the latch axis relative to the latch element.
US08613629B2 Locking mechanism for connector
A locking mechanism is used to prevent a connector coupled to an device from accidently disengaging from the device. A cable extends from the connector. The locking mechanism includes a supporting bracket fixed to the device, and a locking member mounted to the supporting bracket and slidable between a locking position and an unlocking position. The supporting bracket defines a retaining hole. The locking member includes a protrusion and a block. When the locking member slides to the locking position, the block abuts against the connector. The protrusion is engaged in the retaining hole to keep the locking member at the locking position. When the locking member slides to the unlocking position, the block is spaced from the connector to provide an operation space for removing the connector from the device.
US08613627B2 Universal connector socket
A universal connector socket for a surgical apparatus for the connection of different plug connectors of different surgical instruments for RF surgery. The universal connector socket has several plug contact openings for selectively connecting monopolar and bipolar surgical instruments and has several plug contact openings arranged in an overlapping manner for defining an unambiguous plug-in position of a plug connector and a shared reference plug contact opening.
US08613620B2 Method and system for providing web based interactive lessons with improved session playback
The system and method of the present invention provides for realistic, live on live with webcams, interactive, golf lessons from a golf professional who is located at a distance from the golfer. The lesson experience is enhanced by providing tools to the professional for annotating the lesson both verbally and visually, as well as by providing for the recording of the lesson and later playback of same, with enhanced synchronization of audio/visual data streams.
US08613617B2 Ultrasonic dental tool having a light source
An ultrasonic dental insert having at least one light source. A first transducer generates ultrasonic vibrations. A connecting body has a proximal end and a distal end having a tip attached thereto. The proximal end is attached to the first transducer so as to receive the ultrasonic vibrations therefrom and to transmit the ultrasonic vibrations toward the tip attached to the distal end. A second transducer is disposed substantially proximate to the connecting body for generating a voltage signal in response to movement of a portion of the connecting body according to the ultrasonic vibrations. A magnetic material including a source of a magnetic field is present in close proximity to the insert. At least one light source substantially proximate to the tip is connected to and receives the voltage signal from the second transducer to generate light. The ultrasonic dental insert may be inserted into a handpiece for providing electromagnetic energy to the first transducer to generate the ultrasonic vibrations.
US08613613B2 Apparatus and methods for modular preform mold system
Apparatus and methods for a preform mold system include multiple preform core side modules having preform mold cores, a core side clamp plate connectable to a moving platen of an injection mold machine and operable to receive the preform core modules, multiple preform cavity side modules having preform mold cavities, each of the preform cavity side modules operable to matingly engage a respective core side module to form multiple preform molds having a respective preform design, and multiple ejector housing assemblies for connecting the core side modules to an ejector platen of the mold machine, each of the ejector housing assemblies corresponding to a respective core side module. The preform mold system may also include a manifold and valve gate assembly connectable to a stationary platen of an injection mold machine and operable to receive the cavity side modules and place the mold cavities in fluid communication with an injector of the mold machine to control the injection of fluidized plastic in a uniform flow into the preform molds, simultaneously.
US08613604B2 Turbomolecular pump
The provision of the components requiring cooling on top of the cooling mechanism enables the cooling efficiency to be increased. Furthermore, a case of a control device is attached to the cooling mechanism whereon the components requiring cooling are disposed. The cooling mechanism fulfills the role of the contact surface of the case of the control device with the turbomolecular pump main unit, where the case does not have a case panel on the contact surface with the turbomolecular pump main unit. The cooling mechanism fulfills the role of one surface of the case for the control device, where the cooling mechanism is structured integrally with the control device. Additionally, the turbomolecular pump main unit, the cooling mechanism, and the control device are structured integrally by the turbomolecular pump main unit and the cooling mechanism being in contact.
US08613601B2 Fan assembly
A bladeless fan assembly includes a nozzle mounted on a base housing a motor and an impeller driven by the motor for creating an air flow. The nozzle includes an interior passage for receiving the air flow, a mouth for emitting the air flow, and a plurality of stationary guide vanes located within the interior passage and each for directing a portion of the air flow towards the mouth. The nozzle defines an opening through which air from outside the fan assembly is drawn by the air flow emitted from the mouth.
US08613599B2 Turbine blade assembly and seal strip
A turbine blade assembly, in particular for a gas turbine, is provided. The turbine blade assembly includes a disc with a rotation axis, turbine blades, each turbine blade including an airfoil, a blade root and a platform between the airfoil and the blade root by which it may be fixed to the disc, locking plates and bent seal strips. The turbine blades are arranged adjacent to each other on the disc, such that gaps are present between the platforms of adjacent turbine blades and root cavities are present between the portions of the roots of adjacent turbine blades. The turbine blades are secured axially to the disc by the locking plates. The seal strips are arranged in the gaps between the platforms of neighboring turbine blades to seal the gap and protrude axially over the blade root and over the locking plate.
US08613591B2 Fan case abradable drainage trench and slot
A fan case for a gas turbine engine is provided to prevent water from pooling and freezing inside the fan case when the gas turbine is not in operation, and potentially prevent the engine from starting and/or cause engine damage. The fan case is therefore adapted to provide a drainage system allowing water to freely escape the fan case without compromising the structural integrity of the fan case. The fan case comprises: a hollow body; an abradable liner disposed inside the hollow body; a flange on the hollow body defining a surface for mating to a forward part of the engine; and, a first radial slot extending across the mating surface of the hollow body. The abradable liner has an inside surface for circumscribing the fan blades wherein the first radial slot is in a free-draining relation with the inside surface of the abradable liner.
US08613586B2 Vortical wind energy apparatus
A vortical energy wind apparatus translates wind gusts to vertical air streams that disrupt the streams of air in the atmosphere that pose high tornado-risks. The apparatus comprises a lower half-spheroid part and an upper half-spheroid part both placed by their convexities to each other. A toroidal-shaped axial-symmetric core has a set of curved blades attached to the core. Streams of air penetrate a rotary wheel inside it, and the blades attached to the core rotate the wheel. Essentially, the upper part acts like an upside-down wing at streamlining the wind and an exit hole centered at a top of the upper part provides means for the vortical stream of air to leave the apparatus.
US08613585B2 Method and arrangement for the stacking in layers of timber packages
The invention concerns a method and an arrangement for stacking timber packages in layer that uses a transfer arrangement comprising mobile carrier planes. The carrier planes in turn form a direct continuation of an input transporter in order to receive layers fed from this transporter by being caused to lift from below a complete layer from the input transporter and displacing the layer in over the stacking table. After that, the carrier planes are withdrawn from the stacking table while the layer of timber is scraped off from the carrier plane or, the stacking table is arranged to move downwards. The transfer arrangement uses a first, a second and a third carrier plane which are arranged to move mutually in a cycle in such a manner that one pair of two consecutive carrier planes is located at the same time at a position above the stacking table.
US08613573B2 Telescopic shoring system
A telescopic shoring system for shoring open excavations comprises rail posts composed by at least an outer member and an inner member, and large shoring panels. Each outer and inner member of the rail post has laterally, on either side, at least one panel guide allowing the shoring panels to slide within. The outer member of the rail post has a frontal guide adapted to interlock the back guide provided to the inner member but sliding relatively to each other. The shoring panels are arranged on each side of the excavation while the rail posts are placed on each corner holding on either side the shoring panels, which create a multi-stepped shoring box. The outer members of the rail post with shoring panels create an outer or upper shoring box while the inner members of the rail post in combination with shoring panels create an inner or lower shoring box.
US08613572B2 Self-venting chemical anchoring assembly with splash guard
A chemical anchoring assembly useful for fast application of a driving tool into a borehole includes an elongated tube having a first end and a second end, a quantity of chemical anchoring material within the elongated tube, and a vent at the second end of the elongated tube. As an anchor pin is driven through the elongated tube and into the borehole, forcing the chemical anchoring material into the borehole, some of the pressure caused by compression of the chemical anchoring material is released into the vent, allowing easier driving of the anchor pin.
US08613568B2 Method and device for laying pipelines in the ground
In the case of a method for laying pipelines in the ground, a drill-hole is produced along a laying line, from a starting pit to a target pit, by a drilling head at the start of a pipeline, the drilling head being connected to a laying vehicle on the ground surface via a narrow vertical connecting device. The soil dislodged by the drilling head is removed from the drill-hole and conveyed to the surface. The force required for the drilling and laying operation is applied by the laying vehicle and/or by a feed device in the starting pit.
US08613565B2 Cushioned cover for traffic structures
The cushioned cover for traffic structures comprises various embodiments configured for installation over concrete traffic barriers (e.g., “Jersey walls,” etc.) or about vertical columns, posts, stanchions, etc., e.g., bridge support columns. The cover includes inner and outer layers formed of rubber, preferably using recycled tire material. A medial layer includes additional resilience. In one embodiment, the medial layer includes a plurality of closely spaced hemispherical elements, preferably formed of highly resilient polybutadiene material. In another embodiment, the center layer includes a plurality of closely spaced, pneumatically interconnected inflatable hemispheres. The traffic barrier covers may include planter box receptacles set into their upper surfaces when installed, and/or solar cells set into their upper surfaces to charge a storage battery for powering lighting set into the sides of the cover. Tread patterns may be provided in the outer surfaces of the traffic barrier covers.
US08613560B2 Optical connector plug
An optical connector plug is comprised of a pair of divided front and rear housings formed generally in a quadrilateral tubular shape for receiving a ferrule to hold an optical fiber. A housing, one of the housings is provided with engagement openings on at least opposite wall portions thereof, and the other housing is provided with engagement projections on its opposite wall portions to be engaged in the engagement openings. Furthermore, fitting projections are formed in the longitudinal direction on the wall portions in which the engagement openings are formed, and fitting recesses to be fitted with the fitting projections are formed in the wall portions on which the engagement projections are formed. The pair of housings are firmly joined to each other by engaging the engagement projections with the engagement openings and by fitting and engaging the fitting projections in the fitting recesses.
US08613559B2 Universal serial bus connector
A USB connector comprises a USB connector body and an optical module including an optical transmitter and an optical receiver engaging with the USB connector body. The USB connector body comprises a metal shell having a first opening adapted for connecting with an external plug; a second opening communicating with the first opening and adapted for accommodating the optical module; and a locking device adapted for locking the optical module within the USB connector body. The present invention can serve as an active optical transceiver, and simplify the structure and reduce manufacturing cost, further reduce the loss of optical signals and, in turn improve the transmission performance.
US08613549B2 Rail section that facilitates rail section alignment
A rail section comprises a body portion. The rail section has a profile that provides one or more roller contact areas extending a length of the rail section. The rail section further comprises an end portion that defines one or more slots that allow the one or more roller contact areas to deflect elastically relative to the body portion.
US08613547B2 Packages having bubble-shaped closures
A package having fluid-filled chambers that form a line of contact that seals the package. The package generally defines an interior cavity accessible through an opening. Opposing portions of the opening may include at least one fluid-filled chamber to seal the package. The chamber may be held in sealing contact with an opposing structure or with each other by fastening means that hold the opposing portions together. In another embodiment, opposing chambers themselves may interlock to maintain sealed contact. The package may include an auxiliary opening so that an end user can fill the package with articles of the user's choice. The auxiliary opening can be sealed at least over a portion of its length. In another embodiment, first and second compartments are isolated by the fluid-filled chamber seal, with the seal being selectively breachable to enable transfer of product from the first to the second compartment.
US08613542B2 Light guide films having reduced banding levels
The present invention provides a light guide plate comprising an input surface for receiving light from a light source, an output surface for emitting light, and a bottom surface opposing to the output surface, wherein at least one of the output surface and the bottom surface has a micro-pattern, the micro-pattern comprising a plurality of micro-lenses. The light guide plate further comprises micro-lens having a width w, a length l, a depth d, an orientation angle, a first base angle α1, a second base angle α2, a first entry angle β1, and a second entry angle β2 such that when depth change Δd is 0.1 μm, area change ratio, defined as ( l + Δ ⁢ ⁢ l ) · ( w + Δ ⁢ ⁢ w ) - l · w l · w , is less than or equal to 0.95% and the beginning number density of the micro-lenses is greater than or equal to 8 per mm2, Δw being width change and Δl being length change corresponding to depth change Δd.
US08613538B2 Illumination system for endoscopy or microscopy
An illumination system for producing light and for launching the light into a proximal end of an optical cable of an observation apparatus for endoscopy or microscopy has a light source having at least one LED. In addition, the illumination system has an optical light guiding element between the light source and the proximal end of the optical cable for introducing the light emitted by the light source into the proximal end of the optical cable, wherein a first end region of the optical light guiding element on a side facing the light source has a smaller cross-sectional area than a second end region of the optical light guiding element on a side facing the proximal end of the optical cable. Furthermore, the illumination system has a cooling apparatus which has at least one cooling body and which is thermally conductively connected to the light source in order to remove heat produced by the light source from the illumination system. The cooling body is arranged completely on a side of the light source which is remote from the optical light guiding element.
US08613530B2 Compact light-mixing LED light engine and white LED lamp with narrow beam and high CRI using same
A directional lamp comprises a light source, a beam forming optical system configured to form light from the light source into a light beam, and a light mixing diffuser arranged to diffuse the light beam. The light source, beam forming optical system, and light mixing diffuser are secured together as a unitary lamp. The beam forming optical system includes: a collecting reflector having an entrance aperture receiving light from the light source and an exit aperture that is larger than the entrance aperture, and a lens disposed at the exit aperture of the collecting reflector, the light source being positioned along an optical axis of the beam forming optical system at a distance from the lens that is within plus or minus ten percent of a focal length of the lens.
US08613526B1 LED aquarium lighting device
A lighting fixture comprising a housing, and a light engine mounted to the housing and having an LED array. The LED array comprises deep-blue LEDs having a perceived wavelength within a range of 450 to 465 nm, and a percentage of total luminous flux in a range of 1 to 7%; true-green LEDs having a perceived wavelength within a range of 523 to 527 nm, and a percentage of total luminous flux in a range of 53 to 70%; red-orange LEDs having a perceived wavelength within a range of 610 to 620 nm, and a percentage of total luminous flux in a range of 19 to 32%; and phosphor-based coolwhite LEDs having a percentage of total luminous flux in a range of 5 to 15%, wherein the light engine has a correlated color temperature (CCT) in a range of 4500 to 10000K.
US08613525B2 LED illumination unit, LED illumination device, and LED illumination system
The present invention provides an LED (Light Emitting Diode) illumination unit, an LED illumination device, and an LED illumination system with better visual effect. The LED illumination unit includes: a substrate, having a carrying surface with an x direction as a length direction and a y direction as a width direction and facing a z direction; a plurality of LED chips, supported by the carrying surface of the substrate; a casing, allowing the light emitted from the LED chips to penetrate and covering the LED chips; and a heat dissipation component, having a pair of outside surfaces being planar, and mounted with the substrate and the casing, wherein the pair of outside surfaces is configured opposite and parallel to each other in the y direction at an interval, and is longer than the substrate in the x direction.
US08613520B2 Process of forming a light beam path in a dielectric mirror
An optical mirror element includes an optically transmissive element having a first surface and a second surface, and a reflective coating layer on the first surface that defines a mirror surface. A first portion of the first surface does not include the reflective coating layer such that the first portion defines an optically transmissive window in the mirror surface. Q method of forming an optical mirror element having a window portion includes providing an optical element, masking a first portion of a first surface of the optical element, and thereafter applying a reflective coating to the first surface so as to define a reflective surface, wherein the masked portion defines a transmissive region in the reflective surface. The exposed portion of the first surface may be coated with an anti-reflective coating, either before or after the reflective coating is applied.
US08613502B2 System for reducing ink color mixing effects in printer
A system for reducing ink color mixing effects in a printer is provided having a printhead having multiple ink color channels mounted to a housing of the printer at a first level, and a plurality of ink supply cartridges mounted to the printer housing so as to be fluidically connected to the printhead and stacked in an array having a plurality of rows defining a plurality of levels which are lower than the first level. The plurality of ink supply cartridges include at least one black ink supply cartridge which supplies black colored ink to a black ink color channel of the printhead. The black ink supply cartridge is disposed at the lowest level defined by the array.
US08613496B2 Compact organic vapor jet printing print head
A first device is provided. The first device includes a print head, and a first gas source hermetically sealed to the print head. The print head further includes a first layer further comprising a plurality of apertures, each aperture having a smallest dimension of 0.5 to 500 microns. A second layer is bonded to the first layer. The second layer includes a first via in fluid communication with the first gas source and at least one of the apertures. The second layer is made of an insulating material.
US08613486B2 Bushing for a track-type undercarriage
A bushing for use in a tracked undercarriage of a track-type machine includes a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end. An outer surface extends between the first end and the second end and is shaped to engage a sprocket of the tracked undercarriage. The bushing also includes an annular inner surface disposed between the first end and the second end defining an internal cavity shaped to receive a track pin. An innermost portion of the inner surface forms a crown having a radius less than or equal to (PL2)/[(24EπDRBush4)(1−cos [(PL)/(16EπDRBush4))] where L is the length of the bushing, P is the weight of the track-type machine, E is the Modulus of Elasticity of the bushing, and RBush is a radius of the innermost portion of the annular internal cavity.
US08613485B2 Bicycle wheel rim
A bicycle wheel rim having a circular base portion including a proximal surface and a distal surface, and a pair of integral sidewalls extending generally radially outward from an intersection region of the proximal surface and the distal surface. The distal surface of the rim has a central hump, a trough contiguous with the central hump extending axially outward from the hump, and a flat shelf immediately adjacent, contiguous with, and extending axially outward from the trough. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a bicycle wheel including the embodied rim, a plurality a spokes engaged at respective ends thereof with the rim and a hub engaged with the plurality of spoke members at opposite ends thereof. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a bicycle wheel assembly comprising the embodied wheel and a tube and/or tire mounted on the rim.
US08613484B2 Detachable chair
A chair includes a base, a seat board, a frame unit, a backrest and two armrests. The base has a cylinder, legs, and casters. The seat board is connected to the top of the base and a support frame is connected to the base so as to be connected with the frame unit. The backrest and the two armrests are detachably connected to the frame unit. The backrest and the two armrests are made by durable Nylon so as to have proper curvatures that meet ergonomic requirements. The material of the backrest and the armrests can be detached and/or replaced.
US08613480B1 Child restraint system
A child restraint system for use in a vehicle having improved vehicle seat belt anchoring mechanisms and an improved reclining mechanism. The vehicle seat belt anchoring mechanisms include a lap belt anchoring rod that is pivotable to facilitate the routing of the lap belt independent of the shoulder belt of the vehicle restraint system. The shoulder belt anchor member is located higher on the seat, and includes an anchor member received in a channel in the seat back. The recline mechanism of the child restraint system includes a recline plate that is connected to the rigid latch members. Reclining of the seat body results in movement of the rigid latch members to allow room between the seat body and the vehicle seat, thereby allowing adjustment of the recline angle of the seat without necessitating removal of the seat from the vehicle.
US08613466B2 Side-impact airbag module
A side curtain air bag module includes an inflatable cushion and an inflator. The inflatable cushion includes a first panel coupled to a second panel. The inflator is configured to inflate the inflatable cushion. The first panel and the second panel are joined generally continuously at a peripheral edge to form a first inflatable chamber. The first panel and the second panel are joined at a central location to form a second inflatable chamber that is in fluidic communication with the first inflatable chamber. In a stored configuration, the first inflatable chamber is rolled in an outboard direction, and the second inflatable chamber is rolled in an inboard direction generally around the first inflatable chamber.
US08613458B2 Extensible two-wheeled vehicle
The vehicle includes a platform (2) made from two parts, a front part (10) and a rear part (11) that is movable in relation to the front part (10) between a folded position and an unfolded position. A steering column (20) includes a lower part (50) and at least one upper part (51) that can be unfolded and folded telescopically in relation to the lower part (50). A transmission (12) between the front part (10) of the platform and the upper part (51) of the steering column (20), arranged so that unfolding the rear part (11) of the platform causes the upper part (51) of the steering column (20) to unfold and, conversely.
US08613454B2 Under hood service tray
An under hood service tray is provided that includes a vertical member attached to a tray and a base. The base is rendered mobile through a plurality of castors and has first and second longitudinally extending legs and a laterally extending leg located between and attached to both the first and second longitudinally extending legs. The pair of longitudinally extending legs and the laterally extending leg define an opening capable of receiving at least a portion of a tire attached to an automobile therein.
US08613453B2 Wheel skate device with platform locking mechanism
A wheel skate device having a foot platform, a frame, and a ring-shaped wheel. The user operates a pair of the wheel skate devices while standing with one foot on each foot platform. The foot platform is movable between an in-use position and a stowage position. In the in-use position. the foot platform interlocks with the frame and can be secured with a locking pin. A pair of the wheel skate devices in stowage position can be connected together as a single unit using a connecting piece, which may have an attached strap for carrying or hanging. A mechanism which limits the wheel to rolling in only one direction, and an elastic band linking two wheel skate devices together to prevent the user's feet from accidentally moving too far apart, are useful learning aids.
US08613452B2 Electromechanical actuator, especially for an anti-roll of a motor vehicle
An electromechanical actuator, especially for an anti-roll bar of a motor vehicle, that has two actuator elements, which can be rotated relative to each other about a common rotational axis, for which purpose an electric motor and a gearbox coupled therewith are provided. The electric motor is arranged in an actuator element for transmitting a torque, and an output shaft of the gearbox is coupled to the other actuator element. A mechanical overload coupling is provided in the torque-transmitting load path from the electric motor to the gearbox output shaft.
US08613450B2 Pipe connecting mechanism for seal device and mechanical seal device
Disclosed is a completely nonmetallic pipe connection mechanism for a seal device. In the pipe connecting mechanism of the present invention, a metallic reinforcing pipe (60) is screwed in a through-bore (53) of a flange (50), and a resin connecting pipe (70) is inserted into a through-bore (67) and an expanding diameter portion (68) of the metallic reinforcing pipe (60). Also, a metallic cap (80) is installed in a head (63) of the metallic reinforcing pipe (60), and a large diameter portion (74) of the resin connecting pipe (70) is sandwiched between the metallic reinforcing pipe (60) and the metallic cap (80). Also, a tapered male screw (96) of a resin connector (90) is screwed in a tapered female screw (76) of the large diameter portion (74) of the resin connecting pipe (70) to connect a tube (98) with the resin connecting pipe (70). The tip portion of the resin connecting pipe (70) is provided with an O-ring (72), which is arranged on an expanding diameter portion (16) of the stationary ring (10) to seal between an outer circumference surface of the resin connecting pipe (70) and an inner circumference surface of the expanding diameter portion (16).
US08613439B2 Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus
The present invention is directed to a sheet feeding apparatus including a sheet feeding unit capable of feeding sheets stacked on a sheet stacking face of a sheet stack tray, wherein the sheet feeding unit includes a feeding roller configured to feed the sheets, a driving motor configured to rotate the feeding roller, a lifting member configured to move at least edges of the sheets in a direction of the feeding roller, a sheet-shaped member connected to a front end of the lifting member at the downstream side, and a counter member disposed opposite to the feeding roller to pinch the sheet-shaped member, wherein, when the feeding roller is rotated, the sheet-shaped member is moved to the downstream side to cause the lifting member to move, and when the sheets are brought into contact with the feeding roller, the contacted uppermost sheet is fed by the feeding roller.
US08613437B2 Sheet identification device, image forming apparatus, and computer readable medium
A sheet identification device includes plural detecting units, an estimating unit, and an output unit. The plural detecting units are provided along a transport path along which a sheet is transported by a transport unit, and detect passing of the sheet. The estimating unit estimates a length in a transport direction of the sheet as a detection target on the basis of individual detection results generated by the plural detecting units. The output unit outputs, if the length estimated by the estimating unit on the basis of at least one of the detection results is not a predetermined length, a signal indicating that a sheet having a length in the transport direction different from the predetermined length is being transported.
US08613434B2 Work pallet positioning and fixing device
A positioning and fixing device positions a work pallet in the vertical and horizontal directions relative to a base member via a ring member, and also restricts its rotation around the vertical axis. The base member has Z reference surfaces that can stop a lower end reference surface of the ring member and position it in the vertical direction, and a tapered male engagement portion whose horizontal cross section is formed as a regular polygon having a plurality of outwardly convex circular arcuate vertex portions and a plurality of side portions, and that reduces in diameter upwards. The ring member has a tapered female engagement portion that can engage with the tapered male engagement portion so that its lower end reference surface is in contact against the Z reference surfaces. A clamp mechanism for fixing the ring member to the base member is provided, and the side portions of at least one of the tapered female engagement portion and the tapered male engagement portion are adapted to engage in close contact with the other via elastic deformation.
US08613428B2 Lift assembly systems and methods
A lift assembly system and method can include: a funnel-shaped drum having a constant diameter portion and a gradually increasing diameter portion; a cable management system adapted to position a cable in a single layer in a tray; a beam clamp tube receiver adapted to allow a tube to slide relative to a beam and be secured to the beam; a cable keeper and a slack line detector adapted to maintain cables in position about a drum upon loss of cable tension; a horizontally oriented low profile cable adjuster adapted to adjust the length of a cable; an overspeed braking mechanism; a fleet pivot arm pivotable on the end of a tube so as to guide cables along a desired fleet angle; and/or a pull-type load sensor connected between a tube and a drum adapted to sense changes in a load force and adjust movement of a load.
US08613424B2 Disc valve with diversion hole
A disc valve with a diversion hole for a solid granule medium aims to solve the problem of material accumulation in a valve cavity and includes a valve body with a valve passage, the valve cavity communicated with the valve passage is formed in the valve body, a valve disc for closing and opening the passage is arranged in the valve cavity, the valve disc is fixedly connected with a valve rod through a valve rod connecting hole of an eyeglasses plate, and the eyeglasses plate is also provided with the diversion hole and a hole for placing the valve disc. The outer wall diameter of the diversion hole is greater than the diameter of the valve passage, and the height of the diversion hole is the same as the length of the valve passage passing through the valve cavity.
US08613423B2 Methods and apparatus to load a valve packing
Methods and apparatus to load a valve packing are described. An example apparatus to load a valve packing includes a load assembly having a biasing element disposed between a valve packing flange and a stop flange to provide a load to a seal assembly. The packing flange is adjustable relative to the stop flange to adjust the load to be applied to the seal. A first guide member coupled to the packing flange or the stop flange provides a first predetermined distance between the packing flange and the stop flange. The first guide member provides an indication of a first predetermined load to be provided by the load assembly when the packing flange and the stop flange are spaced at the first predetermined distance provided by the first guide member.
US08613420B2 Solenoid valve
A solenoid valve for controlling a hydraulic system having a coil which is composed of an electrical conductor, an armature which is situated at least partially inside the coil and is connected to a valve element for opening and closing a flow opening of the solenoid valve, and a hydraulic fluid-filled valve chamber that accommodates the armature and communicates fluidically with the hydraulic system. The armature is supported in movable fashion in the hydraulic fluid of the hydraulic system. In order to reduce the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid, the coil is situated so that a heating of the coil produced by a current flow produces a heating of the hydraulic fluid in the valve chamber.
US08613417B2 Coaster and drink cover
Embodiments include combination coaster drink covers which serve as an ordinary bar coaster and absorb moisture from the outside of a drink glass, protect the bar surface from moisture, and furthermore serve to cover and adhere to the top of the drink glass, thereby indicating the intention of the drink owner to resume possession and preventing adulteration of or tampering with the drink during the owner's temporary absence. Embodiments include an upper coaster layer, adhesive layer, release layer, and lower coaster layer. Other embodiments include an upper coaster layer, adhesive layer and release layer.
US08613405B2 Assembly for an aircraft comprising a turbomachine attachment strut of which the means for attachment to the wing are arranged in a T shape
An assembly for an aircraft including: a mechanism attaching a primary structure of an attachment strut to a wing, forming an isostatic system; an attachment housed in a leading edge of the wing and configured to only take up forces exerted along the transverse and longitudinal directions; and an attachment including a connecting rod extending rearwardly, of which one end is connected to the primary structure and the other end is connected to the wing element, the connecting rod being offset along the vertical direction of the attachment.
US08613398B2 Apparatus and methods for linear actuation of flow altering components of jet engine nozzle
A trans cowl for a jet engine includes a chevron coupled with a linear actuators. The chevron is movable by the linear actuator forward or aft to change a gas flow path formed by an core cowl and thrust reverser translating cowl. In a first position, the chevrons are disposed substantially parallel the gas flow path to attenuate drag and/or loss of engine thrust. In a second position, the chevrons are moved aft to project, or further project, into the gas flow path. In one embodiment, the linear actuator comprises a first component that is coupled with the outer cowl. A second component of the linear actuator is coupled with the chevron. When installed, the linear actuator can be coupled with a controller and an electrical power source. A position sensor coupled with the controller senses a position of the linear actuator and/or the chevron.
US08613393B2 Optical scanner with customer interface
An optical scanner (600) and method of operating same includes a housing (16) supporting first (34) and second scanning systems (202), the first scanning system for scanning indicia on a target object, the housing defining an interior region of the scanner. The first scanning system comprises one of an imaging camera (208/209) and a laser light source (38) disposed within the housing interior region defining a first field of view for reading indicia located on a target object. The second scanning system (202) comprises a separate imaging camera (602) disposed in the housing interior region for reading auxiliary data from an auxiliary object relating to one or more target objects being scanned, the second scanning system defining a second field of view (604). A locator platform (620) is recessed within the housing for positioning an auxiliary object within the second field of view during use of the scanner.
US08613383B2 Surgical instruments with electrodes
A surgical stapling assembly is configured to be used to form a tissue seal having an arcuate portion. The surgical stapling assembly comprises an end-effector extending from the distal end of the shaft. The end-effector comprises a first portion and a second portion. The first portion comprises a first face at least partially surrounding the aperture, a staple cavity defined in the first face, a staple removably positioned within the staple cavity, and a first electrode positioned one of on and proximate to the first face. The second portion comprises a second face, an anvil pocket defined in the second face, and a second electrode positioned one of on and proximate to the second face, and a second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode each comprise an arcuate portion. The first electrode has a different polarity than the second electrode.
US08613382B2 Stapling apparatus
Disclosed is a stapling apparatus having an improved structure capable of smoothly rotating a stapler at both lateral sides of the stapling apparatus. The stapling apparatus includes a base frame including a horizontal slot, branch slots branching from the horizontal slot, rotation restricting plates protruding from a branch portion between the branch slots and the horizontal slot, respectively, and a movement guide shaft provided in parallel to the horizontal slot, a movable frame movable to a left or a right on the base frame, and a bucket for rotating a stapler, in which a pair of first guide rollers fitted into the horizontal slot and a second guide roller protruding to an outside of the horizontal slot are fixed to a lower portion of the bucket, and one of the first guide rollers is guided to move to the branch slot from the horizontal slot.
US08613373B2 Tubing tray and method for using same for collecting fluids draining from drill pipe
A tubing tray is provided for use with a pipe mat tray for receiving, organizing and storing drill pipe tripped out of a drill string on a drilling rig, the tubing tray having a planar bottom member, an orthogonal sidewall extending upwardly from the perimeter of the bottom member to form a basin for receiving the pipe mat, a chamfered sidewall extending upwardly and outwardly from the sidewall to provide clearance for a tool joint on a drill pipe placed on the pipe mat, and a handle extending around a top edge of the chamfered sidewall, the handle having a downwardly extending lip forming a finder hold thereunder. The tray can further include spikes extending downwardly from a lower surface of the bottom member, and a slot disposed through opposing lips of the handle allowing two or more tubing trays to be fastened together in a side by side configuration.
US08613372B2 Dispensing cap for a container
A dispensing cap for a container includes a body portion and an integrally formed chamber for holding an additive substance. The body portion includes a closed top end and an inner wall that defines the chamber whose open end is sealed by a chamber closure member. The closed top end includes a diaphragm and a plunger extends axially from the diaphragm within the chamber for unsealing the chamber closure member. The body portion, the closed top end, the plunger, and the inner wall are integrally formed in one-piece.
US08613371B2 Waste disposal devices for storage of waste in an inner storage area and methods
Waste disposal devices and methods are provided. The device includes a housing, a lid, a bucket frame, a pair of members, and a foot pedal. The foot pedal is operatively associated with the lid and the pair of members so that the lid is in the closed position and the pair of members is in the non-use position when the foot pedal is in the upper position. Further, the foot pedal is operatively associated with the lid and the pair of members so that the lid is in the open position and the pair of members is in the use position when the foot pedal is in the lower position.
US08613369B2 Lid retainer for drinking bottle
The retainer includes a coupling pair with a lid portion and a bottle portion. The lid portion is anchored to a lid. The bottle portion is anchored to a bottle. The lid and bottle are removably attachable in a manner opening and closing access into an interior of the bottle. With the lid portion affixed to the lid and the bottle portion affixed to the bottle, the coupling pair can be utilized to secure the lid to the bottle in a position leaving the opening of the bottle clear. In one form the lid portion and bottle portion exhibit magnetic attraction thereto, such as by having one part of the coupling pair in the form of a magnet and the other part in the form of a ferromagnetic material. In one embodiment the entire outer surface of the bottle is formed of ferromagnetic material with the lid portion being a magnet.
US08613367B2 Sealing assembly and method of making such assembly
The disclosure is directed to a sealing assembly. The sealing assembly includes a cap having a top surface and a bottom surface, an adhesive layer adjacent the bottom surface of the cap, and a septum adjacent to the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer includes a self-bonding silicone composition and the septum includes at least one fluoropolymer layer. The disclosure is further directed to methods for making the aforementioned sealing assembly.
US08613365B2 Shelving system upright assembly
An upright assembly for a shelving system includes a tubular upper upright section having a bottom end portion, a rail assembly and a base assembly having a top end portion and a tubular lower upright section. The base assembly is adapted to stand on a surface and the top end portion of the lower upright section of the base assembly is connected to the bottom end portion of the upper upright section. An insert blade assembly connector including a blade and an alignment plate is positioned within the tubular upper and lower upright sections. The rail assembly is connected to the upper upright section and the lower upright section of the base assembly to strengthen the connection between the upper upright section and the base assembly.
US08613363B2 Integrated paper comprising fibrillated fibers and active agents immobilized therein
Disclosed is an integrated paper wherein the paper has capabilities and functionalities provided by both the fiber and the active agent ingredients, and a method of immobilizing the active agents within the integrated paper. The tight pore structure of the integrated paper of the present invention, a mean pore diameter of less than about 2 microns, provides short diffusion distances from a fluid to the surface of the paper ingredients by adsorption or diffusive interception making it an excellent medium for fluid filtration. The integrated paper of the present invention can further include a microbiological interception enhancing agent. The integrated paper can be formed using, preferably, wet laid paper-making processes for speed and efficiency. Also disclosed are devices utilizing the integrated paper useful in fluid filtration.
US08613356B1 Rimless tire cover
A rimless tire cover system for protecting a wheel-less tire including a first annular cover on one side of the tire and a second annular cover on the other side of the tire and a tubular central connector for pulling the first and second covers against the sides of the tire. Each of the covers has an annular seal portion that conforms in shape to and engages and seals directly against the tire bends.
US08613347B2 Arrangement of a brake disc on a wheel hub
An arrangement of a brake disc on a wheel hub, in particular a hub of a utility vehicle, having multiple support elements distributed on the inner circumference of the brake disc which correspond to drivers disposed on the outer circumference of the wheel hub. Securing elements which press against both the drivers and also adjacent support elements to axially secure the brake disc are provided. A rotor is disposed in the attachment area of the brake disc on the wheel hub, the rotor having attachment parts for axial and twist-locked fixing which each engage behind the securing elements.
US08613341B2 Protective device of automobile driver
A protective device of an automobile driver can prevent driver's legs from being injured by a brake pedal as the brake pedal forcibly rotates forward when a collision accident occurs.
US08613338B2 Flat plate front frame for a tractor having ballast, bumper, and tow cable connections
A flat plate nose frame design for a tractor in which a thick, flat structural plate is connected to and forwardly extends from the conventional frame rails of the tractor. The flat plate nose frame design increases vertical clearance under the hood without raising the hood height or reducing ground clearance. The nose plate is contoured to match the exterior contours of the tractor grill and hood eliminating the need for a separate aesthetic component covering the nose plate. The nose plate features a pair of vertically aligned short-height frame plates extending forwardly along the axis from the deep-section frame rails to increase strength in the flat nose plate without significantly increasing vertical height of the nose plate assembly. The flat plate nose frame is capable of withstanding operational loads as well as supporting a weight package or front-mounted implements. Additionally, a releasable connector for a tow cable common on large tractors may also be connected to and supported by the flat plate nose frame without adverse impact to its primary advantages.
US08613337B2 Air intake system for a vehicle
A utility vehicle is disclosed. The utility vehicle may include storage areas under the dash. The utility vehicle may include suspension systems for utility vehicles having shocks with both a fluidic stiffness adjustment and a mechanical stiffness adjustment. The utility vehicle may include an electrical power steering.
US08613334B2 Gas consuming system, fuel cell system and vehicle
In a fuel cell system, a compressor used for supply of a gas and a motor are arranged to be opposed to each other across a transmission mechanism, such that a motor driveshaft is placed to face rotating shafts of the compressor. Such opposed arrangement enables the motor and the compressor to be relatively close to each other across only a narrow distance required for the transmission mechanism. Additionally, a circulation pump used for supply of a coolant is placed, such that the motor driving force is transmitted from the motor driveshaft to the circulation pump directly or via the transmission mechanism.
US08613325B2 Compressed gas foam system
A compressed gas foam system is provided. The compressed gas foam system includes one or more optional fluid pumps, one or more mixing devices, one or more optional foam systems; one or more optional gas compressors, and a system controller. A method of using the compressed gas foam system is also provided.
US08613313B2 System and method for reservoir characterization
A method for determining flow distribution in a formation having a wellbore formed therein includes the steps of positioning a sensor within the wellbore, wherein the sensor generates a feedback signal representing at least one of a temperature and a pressure measured by the sensor, injecting a fluid into the wellbore and into at least a portion of the formation adjacent the sensor, shutting-in the wellbore for a pre-determined shut-in period, generating a simulated model representing at least one of simulated temperature characteristics and simulated pressure characteristics of the formation during the shut-in period, generating a data model representing at least one of actual temperature characteristics and actual pressure characteristics of the formation during the shut-in period, wherein the data model is derived from the feedback signal, comparing the data model to the simulated model, and adjusting parameters of the simulated model to substantially match the data model.
US08613311B2 Apparatus and methods for well completion design to avoid erosion and high friction loss for power cable deployed electric submersible pump systems
A method and apparatus for reducing erosion and friction losses in a wellbore using a power cabled deployed electric submersible pump (ESP). The apparatus can include an ESP disposed within production tubing, wherein a portion of the production tubing surrounding the ESP contains fluid openings that are operable to allow produced fluids to flow outward, thereby increasing the available volume for the produced fluids. The increased volume results in lower fluid velocities of the produced fluid, which advantageously reduces erosion and friction loss.
US08613300B2 Reinforced tire for heavy goods vehicle
Tire (10) comprising a radial carcass reinforcement (2) anchored in beads, the tire (10) comprising two sidewalls (1), each sidewall (1) extending between a bead (4) and a crown (3), the two sidewalls comprising a first additional reinforcement (6) positioned either between the carcass reinforcement and the internal cavity of the tire or axially on the outside of the carcass reinforcement and at least one of the sidewalls comprising a second additional reinforcement (5), this tire being characterized in that the first additional reinforcement comprises a plurality of reinforcing elements of textile nature oriented at an angle at least equal to 80° and at most equal to 90° to the circumferential direction, and in that the second additional reinforcement (5) comprises, in the circumferential direction and in an alternating manner, a plurality of first parts (51) and of second parts (52), these second parts (52), having a mean width at least equal to 20 mm, these first and second parts having ultimate tensile strengths, that is to say forces at break per unit width of reinforcement, which are such that the ultimate tensile strength of the second parts (52) is lower than the ultimate tensile strength of the first parts, and in that the first and second additional reinforcements are positioned one on each side of the carcass reinforcement.
US08613297B2 Fuel supply systems having operational resistance
Fuel supplies including multiple valve components and fuel cell systems having increased operational resistance to the insertion and/or removal of fuel supplies are disclosed. The increased operational resistance is provided by increased insertion or removal forces, multiple relative motions for insertion and/or removal, latches, actuators, ON/OFF switches, cognitive ability of the user, visual alignment, audio feedback, size of the user's hand, inter alia.
US08613296B2 Tire inflating station and method for inflating tires
In a tire inflating station for inflating a tubeless tire arranged on a rim with a pressurized gas, arranged on a stand are a conveyor for receiving and conveying a wheel consisting of a wheel rim and a tire mounted on the wheel rim, and an inflation device above the conveyor and having an inflation opening which can be connected to a gas supply. The lower side of the inflation device has a carrier plate that is mounted to move backwards and forwards along an axis between at least two positions in a straight-line mechanism. There are inflation rings attached in tandem in a gas-tight manner to the lower side of a carrier plate. Inside the inflation rings, the carrier plate has a respective continuous opening. In each of the different working positions of the carrier plate, another of the continuous openings is connected to the inflation opening of the inflation device, which inflation opening is arranged on the upper side of the carrier plate.
US08613287B2 Apparatus for preventing stiction of MEMS microstructure
An apparatus for preventing stiction of a three-dimensional MEMS (microelectromechanical system) microstructure, the apparatus including: a substrate; and a plurality of micro projections formed on a top surface of the substrate with a predetermined height in such a way that a cleaning solution flowing out from the microstructure disposed thereabove is discharged.
US08613281B2 Cushion for patient interface
A cushion for a patient interface that delivers breathable gas to a patient includes a base wall structured to be connected to a frame, an underlying support cushion extending away from the base wall towards the patient's face in use, and a membrane provided to substantially cover at least a portion of the underlying cushion. The membrane is adapted to form a continuous seal on the patient's face. The underlying cushion has a spring-like connection with the base wall. The underlying cushion and/or base wall define a spring constant that varies along a length of the seal.
US08613279B2 Breathing assistance apparatus
A CPAP system for supplying humidified gases to a user is disclosed in which various interfaces are described for gas delivery. A mask cushion including a deformable cushion and thin sheath is described.
US08613276B2 Dual fuel gas valve and gas grill
A duel fuel gas control valve controls the supply of gas (e.g., natural gas or liquid propane gas) to a gas grill. The duel fuel gas control valve is structured to control either natural or LP gas flow at the desired operating characteristics based on conventional gas supply characteristics and gas grill requirements. A restrictor mechanism, when in first and second configurations, respectively, restricts movement of the valve core to a first predetermined range for a first mode of operation (first type of gas supply) and to a second predetermined range for a second mode of operation (second type of gas supply).
US08613275B1 Golf ball launcher
The present invention comprises a golf ball launcher, the golf ball launcher comprising: a frame, a firing barrel, a firing slot, an air compressor, an accelerator housing and an acceleration mechanism comprising an upper belt mechanism and a lower belt mechanism.
US08613272B2 Spark-ignited gas engine
Conventional spark-ignited gas engines with a mechanically controlled fuel feed valve have several disadvantages in terms of operation, expensive control, irregular combustion or unstable and unreliable operation, which in turn can lead to operational and mechanical problems. In order to eliminate these disadvantages it is suggested, according to the invention, that a controlled valve is installed in the fuel line upstream of the fuel feed valve so that in the fuel line between fuel feed valve and controlled valve a defined intermediate volume is created and gaseous fuel is fed via the controlled valve into the intermediate volume.
US08613271B2 Engine including intake air flow control assembly
An intake air flow control assembly includes an actuator, a valve shaft, a first valve member and a drive member. The actuator includes a drive shaft defining a first rotational axis. The valve shaft defines a second rotational axis. The first valve member is fixed for rotation with the valve shaft and adjusts air flow from an intake manifold to an engine intake port. The drive member is engaged with the drive shaft and the valve shaft. The drive member extends around an outer circumference of the drive shaft and around an outer circumference of the valve shaft. The drive shaft is rotatable in first and second rotational directions opposite one another to rotate the valve shaft via the drive member and rotationally displace the first valve member.
US08613270B2 Rotary energy converter with retractable barrier
A rotary internal combustion engine includes an outer housing and an inner housing and an enclosure defined therebetween. At least one of the outer and inner housings is rotatable relative to the other and at least two barriers are disposed in the enclosure and divide the enclosure into a combustion chamber and an exhaust chamber. At least one barrier is rotatable relative to at least one other barrier and at least one barrier comprises a retractable barrier mounted along a pivot axis and is pivotable between an extended position and a retracted position. An intake port, exhaust port, and ignition source are also provided. A method of combusting a fuel comprises rotating a drive member to expand a combustion chamber and substantially isolate the combustion chamber from an exhaust chamber, and introducing and combusting a combustion fluid and a fuel in the combustion chamber as the combustion chamber is expanding.
US08613265B2 Detent structure for rocker shaft
A detent structure for a rocker shaft includes a camshaft, a rocker shaft, a shaft support, and a detent part. The camshaft is provided at a cylinder head of an engine. The shaft support is provided at the cylinder head to support the rocker shaft and has a support surface supporting the rocker shaft. The detent part is to prevent rotation of the rocker shaft. The detent part includes a bolt insertion hole and a detent bolt. The bolt insertion hole is displaced from a central axis of the rocker shaft and passes through the rocker shaft. The detent bolt is provided in the bolt insertion hole and is fastened to the shaft support to pass across the support surface.
US08613261B2 Method of making a degradable animal chew toy
A chew for a domestic animal comprises one or more sheets of a chewable bovine rawhide formed into a shape suitable for chewing by a domestic animal, wherein the one or more sheets has a mass loss of at least 45% as measured by the Degradability Standard Test Protocol. The bovine rawhide is made with a process that includes treatment with an enzyme. A process of making a pet chew from a split bovine hide comprises treating the split bovine hide with an enzyme solution.