US08354593B2
One method of fabricating hybrid conductors includes complexing conductive metal elements (e.g., silver, gold, copper), transition metal elements, alloys, wires, or combinations thereof, with carbon nanotube materials. In the alternative, the hybrid conductors may be formed by doping the carbon nanotube materials in salt solutions.
US08354591B2
Provided is a superconducting cable capable of maintaining a predetermined thermal insulation property without having a vacuum thermal insulation structure. The superconducting cable of the present invention includes: a cable unit 100, in which a core having a superconductor layer and an electrical insulation layer is housed in a core-housing pipe; a thermal insulation member 200 which is provided outside the cable unit and maintained in a non-vacuum state; and a sealing member for preventing the permeation of moisture into the thermal insulation member. By equipping the outside of the cable unit with the thermal insulation member 200 which is maintained in a non-vacuum state, it is made possible to maintain the predetermined thermal insulation property without having a vacuum thermal insulation structure.
US08354587B2
The invention relates to a hermetically sealed housing with an electrical feed-in. A standard printed circuit board 120 seals against housing 100. The sealing is carried out on a flat side of printed circuit board 120. The printed circuit board contains electrically conducting tracks (130, 132, 134, 136) which make the electrical connection. By making the electrical connection so that at least part of it lies parallel with the surface of the printed circuit board, no gas can leak through the printed circuit board along the conductor. The inside of the hermetically sealed space 102 may be a gas-filled space, but may also be a vacuum space, for example.
US08354584B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an enlarged dye sensitized solar cell which has a short-circuit preventing structure while a distance between a transparent conductive oxide and a counter electrode, that is, a cell gap is shortened.The dye sensitized solar cell includes a transparent conductive oxide which includes a transparent substrate and a conductive metal oxide having a light transmission property; a metal grid which is formed on the transparent conductive oxide; a protective film with which the metal grid is coated; a dye-adsorbed semiconductor thin film which is formed on the transparent conductive oxide in which the metal grid is not formed; and a counter electrode substrate, wherein a short-circuit preventing layer is provided in the counter electrode substrate facing the metal grid, and a width formed by a short side of the short-circuit preventing layer is larger than a width formed by the metal grid and protective layer.
US08354583B2
A solar energy conversion system is presented. The system comprises at least one waveguide arrangement having at least one light input respectively. The waveguide arrangement comprises a core unit for passing input solar radiation therethrough and a cladding material arrangement interfacing with the core therealong. The cladding material arrangement is configured as an array of spaced-apart solar cells arranged along the core unit and having different optical absorption ranges, such that an interface between the waveguide core and the cladding arrangement spectrally splits the photons of the input solar radiation by causing the photons of different wavelengths, while passing through the core unit, to be successively absorbed and thereby converted into electricity by the successive solar cells of said array.
US08354573B1
A novel maize variety designated X05A913 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X05A913 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X05A913 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X05A913, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X05A913. This invention further is relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X05A913.
US08354562B2
Methods and systems for preparing alkylene glycols are described herein. The methods and systems incorporate the novel use of a high shear device to promote dispersion and solubility of alkylene oxides with water. The high shear device may allow for lower reaction temperatures and pressures and may also reduce reaction time.
US08354561B2
The present invention provides a process for improving the color of trimethylolpropane which comprises the steps of a) supplying a crude, aqueous base solution of trimethylolpropane, containing color causing impurities, and having a pH of less than about 9; b) contacting said base solution with an alkaline material for a period of time sufficient to increase the pH of said base solution to greater than 11 and at a sufficient temperature to allow the color causing impurities to react with said alkaline material; c) cooling the resulting solution from step (b) for a sufficient period of time; d) contacting said base solution of step (c) with an organic acid for a sufficient period of time to lower the pH thereof to less than about 9.5; e) extracting the trimethylolpropane from said base solution of step (d) with an organic solvent; f) separating the trimethylolpropane from said organic solvent; and g) purifying said trimethylolpropane from step f) to form a trimethylolpropane having a phthalic color of less than 0.20 and an acid wash color of less than 8.
US08354559B2
A polyether is synthesized by ring opening polymerization of an alkylene oxide with an initiator having at least one hydroxyl group, in the presence of a double metal cyanide complex catalyst, then a powder of an inorganic adsorbent containing at least 50 vol % of fine particles having a particle size of at most 26 μm and further containing at least 90 vol % of fine particles having a particle size of at most 44 μm, is added to the crude polyether, and a metal derived from the above double metal cyanide complex catalyst is adsorbed on the powder, followed by separating the powder from the crude polyether.
US08354555B2
This invention provides a method for increasing the activity of catalysts. The method requires the introduction of the catalyst into nano-structured surfaces. The catalysts are introduced as functional groups in molecules forming a monolayer on a surface. A mixed monolayer of catalyst and inert molecules generates ordered domains of molecules on the surface. The catalyst is confined in regions of 0.5 nm to 3 nm in size and is surrounded by an inert material. The presence of such ordered domains that commensurate in size with the reactants, enhance the performance of the catalyst and increase the rate of the reaction.
US08354554B2
Disclosed are a process for preparing organometalloids functionalized with an unsymmetrical 1,1-disubstituted alkene, and compounds prepared therewith.
US08354551B1
Highly pure esterified propoxylated glycerin suitable for use as a fat substitute in various foodstuffs may be efficiently manufactured using a process involving direct esterification of propoxylated glycerin with excess fatty acid, bleaching, deacidification/deodorization, and treatment with activated carbon.
US08354547B2
The present invention provides novel β-amino podophyllotoxin congeners of general formula (A); R=CH3, or H; R1=(a) or (b) or (c) or (d) or (e) or (f). The present invention also provides a process for the preparation of 4β-amino podophyllotoxin congeners useful as antitumour agents.
US08354543B2
The invention relates to a process for preparing an optionally substituted 4-benzimidazol-2-ylmethylamino)-benzamidine, characterized in that (a) an optionally correspondingly substituted diaminobenzene is condensed with 2-[4-(1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-on-3-yl)-phenylamino]-acetic acid, (b) i) the product thus obtained is hydrogenated and ii) optionally the amidino group is carbonylated, without isolating the intermediate product of the hydrogenation beforehand; as well as a process for preparing a salt of an optionally substituted 4-(benzimidazol-2-ylmethylamino)-benzamidine, wherein (a) an optionally correspondingly substituted diaminobenzene is condensed with 2-[4-(1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-on-3-yl)-phenylamino]-acetic acid, (b) the product thus obtained is hydrogenated, and (c) i) optionally the amidino group is carbonylated and ii) without prior isolation of the intermediate product of the carbonylation the desired salt is isolated.
US08354541B2
The present invention relates to process for optical purification of esomeprazole or a salt thereof. Thus, esomeprazole sodium having 20 to 1% R-omeprazole by weight of the sum of the contents of esomeprazole and R-omeprazole is precipitated from a solvent selected from an alcohol or a mixture of alcohols and the precipitated solid is collected to obtain optically pure esomeprazole sodium.
US08354534B2
The present invention relates to compounds of Formula I or II, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters, or prodrugs thereof: which relates to morphinan compounds useful as μ, δ, and/or κ receptor opioid compounds and pharmaceuticals containing same that may be useful for mediating analgesia, combating drug addiction, alcohol addiction, drug overdose, mental illness, bladder dysfunctions, neurogenic bladder, interstitial cystitis, urinary incontinence, premature ejaculation, inflammatory pain, peripherally mediated and neuropathic pain, cough, lung edema, diarrhea, cardiac disorders, cardioprotection, depression, and cognitive, respiratory, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and gastro-intestinal disorders, immunomodulation, and anti-tumor agents.
US08354531B2
Dihydrothienopyrimidines of formula 1 and the pharmacologically acceptable salts, enantiomers, racemates, hydrates, or solvates thereof, which are suitable for the treatment of respiratory or gastrointestinal complaints or diseases, inflammatory diseases of the joints, skin, or eyes, diseases of the peripheral or central nervous system or cancers, as well as pharmaceutical compositions which contain these compounds.
US08354529B2
A novel polyamine derivative, or polyol derivative, having a piperidylaminotriazine skeleton; salts of such compounds; a process for producing them; an organic material stabilizer comprising any of such compounds; a method of stabilizing an organic material; and a stabilized organinc material. Compounds of the general formula: (1) (wherein X is N(R4) or an oxygen atom; R1 is an n-valent hydrocarbon group; R2 is an hydrogen atom or an alkyl; R3 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, an alkoxy or an acyl; R4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl; and n is an integer of 3 to 16) are effective in the stabilization of an organic material against deterioration by light, heat, oxygen, ozone and electromagnetic waves, such as X-rays and γ-rays.
US08354521B2
This invention relates generally to compositions and methods which utilization nuclear receptors for regulating adipogenesis in cells. Specifically, the invention is directed to compositions which regulate transcription factor PPARγ, and enhance or inhibit the transcription of genes responsible for directing cell differentiation towards a pathway of adipogenesis. More specifically, disclosed herein is a novel polypeptide coactivator of PPARγ, and fragments thereof, which possess coactivator or corepressor activity. Also related are nucleotide sequences which express these polypeptides. Also disclosed is an interfering RNA that may be used to inhibit adipogenesis.
US08354519B2
A novel transgenic corn event designated MIR604, is disclosed. The invention relates to DNA sequences of the recombinant constructs inserted into the corn genome and of genomic sequences flanking the insertion site that resulted in the MIR604 event. The invention further relates to assays for detecting the presence of the DNA sequences of MIR604, to corn plants and corn seeds comprising the genotype of MIR604 and to methods for producing a corn plant by crossing a corn plant comprising the MIR604 genotype with itself or another corn variety.
US08354517B2
Isolated and/or purified polypeptides and nucleic acid sequences encoding polypeptides from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius are provided. Further provided are methods for transporting sugars across cell membranes using isolated and/or purified polypeptides and nucleic acid sequences from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius.
US08354510B2
The present invention relates to an immunoglobulin-binding protein, wherein at least one asparagine residue has been mutated to an amino acid other than glutamine or aspartic acid, which mutation confers an increased chemical stability at pH-values of up to about 13-14 compared to the parental molecule. The protein can for example be derived from a protein capable of binding to other regions of the immunoglobulin molecule than the complementarity determining regions (CDR), such as protein A, and preferably the B-domain of Staphylococcal protein A. The invention also relates to a matrix for affinity separation, which comprises an immunoglobulin-binding protein as ligand coupled to a solid support, in which protein ligand at least one asparagine residue has been mutated to an amino acid other than glutamine.
US08354508B2
The invention provides isolated anti-Pro115 antibodies that bind to Pro115. The invention also encompasses compositions comprising an anti-Pro115 antibody and a carrier. These compositions can be provided in an article of manufacture or a kit. Another aspect of the invention is an isolated nucleic acid encoding an anti-Pro115 antibody, as well as an expression vector comprising the isolated nucleic acid. Also provided are cells that produce the anti-Pro115 antibodies. The invention encompasses a method of producing the anti-Pro115 antibodies. Other aspects of the invention are a method of killing an Pro115-expressing cancer cell, comprising contacting the cancer cell with an anti-Pro115 antibody and a method of alleviating or treating an Pro115-expressing cancer in a mammal, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the anti-Pro115 antibody to the mammal.
US08354506B2
The present invention provides an immunodiagnostic method for determining procalcitonin and procalcitonin derivatives in a biological sample of a patient for diagnostic purposes, in particular in the monitoring and control of treatment and the monitoring of the progression of a local or systemic bacterial infection, inflammation, sepsis or neurodegenerative disease. In particular, the method detects molecular forms of procalcitonin, or procalcitonin partial peptides derived therefrom, having the amino acids alanine and proline (Ala-Pro, AP) in positions 1 and 2 of the amino terminus of the complete procalcitonin 1-116 (SEQ ID NO: 1.) Also disclosed are antibodies and kits for carrying out such a method.
US08354505B2
A concentrate of Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) or a complex of Factor VIII/VWF is prepared by creating a solution of VWF or a complex of Factor VIII/VWF containing VWF at a concentration of up to 12 IU VWF:RCo/ml and a VWF/Factor VIII ratio of 0.4 or more; and nanofiltering that starting solution through a filter of pore size of 35 nanometers or smaller. The resulting VWF retains high molecular weight multimers.
US08354456B2
In a so-called GTL process for producing liquid hydrocarbons containing fuel oil by producing synthesis gas from natural gas, subsequently producing Fischer-Tropsch oil from the obtained synthesis gas by way of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and upgrading the produced Fischer-Tropsch oil, the synthesis gas produced from a synthesis gas production step is partly branched at a stage prior to getting to a Fischer-Tropsch oil production step and high-purity hydrogen is separated and produced from the synthesis gas entering the branch line. All the separated high-purity hydrogen is supplied to an upgrading reaction step and consumed as hydrogen for an upgrading reaction. Additionally, the synthesis gas entering the branch line is subjected to a water gas shift reaction to raise the hydrogen concentration before the step of separating and producing high-purity hydrogen and the residual gas left after the separation may be circulated to the synthesis gas production step as raw material for producing synthesis gas.
US08354455B2
The invention provides the compounds of formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more compounds of formula I or intermediates thereof and one more of pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, vehicles or diluents. The invention further provides methods of preparation and methods of use of prodrugs including NO-releasing prodrugs, double prodrugs and mutual prodrugs comprising the compounds of formula I.
US08354452B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating diabetes mellitus, neuropsychological and neurological disorders in a particular group of patient. More specifically, the invention relates to methods of treating diabetes mellitus, neuropsychological and neurological disorders in patients having defective potassium channels. The invention may be used in human subjects, particularly adults or children, and is appropriate to treat various neurological disorders.
US08354450B2
The present invention is directed to a third generation form of creatine, specifically a creatine hydrochloride salt, that drives significant improvements in muscle development and recovery due to its enhanced bio-availability, while causing fewer negative side effects compared to previous forms of creatine.
US08354446B2
Provided herein are compounds of formulae I to II that bind to androgen receptors and/or modulate activity of androgen receptors; and to methods for making and using such compounds. Also provided are compositions including such compounds and methods for making and using such compositions.
US08354439B2
The present invention provides an agent for inhibiting cytokine production or cell adhesion, comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of thiazole derivatives represented by the following general formula: [wherein R1 is a phenyl group which may have a lower alkoxy group(s) as a substituent(s) on the phenyl ring, and R2 is a group represented by the following general formula: (wherein R3's, which may be the same or different, are each a carboxyl group, a lower alkoxy group or the like) or the like] and salts thereof.
US08354438B2
The present invention relates to materials and methods for treating neurological diseases and disorders including but not limited to epilepsy and autism, as well as general cognitive problems.
US08354435B2
The present invention provides compounds that function as modulators of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity; and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds. The present invention provides therapeutic methods involving administering a subject compound, or a subject pharmaceutical composition.
US08354428B2
Provided herein is a novel crystalline form of laquinimod, process for the preparation, pharmaceutical compositions, and method of treating thereof. Provided also herein are novel amorphous and polymorphic forms of laquinimod sodium, process for the preparation, pharmaceutical compositions, and method of treating thereof.
US08354426B2
Disclosed is 1-(2-(4-((2,3-dihydro(1,4)dioxino(2,3-c)pyridin-7-ylmethyl)amino)piperidin-1-yl)ethyl)-7-fluoro-1,5-naphthyridin-2(1H)-one monohydrate, which has strong antibacterial activity. The compound is highly safe and useful as an original drug for pharmaceutical preparations. Also disclosed is a method which is useful for producing 1-(2-(4-((2,3-dihydro(1,4)dioxino(2,3-c)pyridin-7-ylmethyl)amino)piperidin-1-yl)ethyl)-7-fluoro-1,5-naphthyridin-2(1H)-one monohydrate.
US08354425B2
The disclosure relates to compounds of formula (I): wherein X1, X2, X3, X4, Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Ra, Rb, n, Y, and W are as defined in the disclosure, or a salt thereof, or a hydrate or solvate thereof, and to processes for the preparation of these compounds and the therapeutic use thereof.
US08354424B2
A method of treating actinic keratosis including applying topically to an actinic keratosis lesion twice per week for a duration of 8 weeks a formulation comprising 2-methyl-1-(2-methylpropyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-c][1,5]naphthyridin-4-amine.
US08354417B2
Provided herein are solid forms comprising 3-(2,5-dimethyl-4-oxo-4H-quinazolin-3-yl)-piperidine-2,6-dione. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the solid forms and methods for treating, preventing and managing various disorders are also disclosed.
US08354414B2
The present invention is related to chemical compositions, processes for the preparation thereof and uses of the composition. Particularly, the present invention relates to compositions that include substituted heterobicyclic pyrimidines of Formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, X, W, and ring A are as defined herein; pharmaceutical compositions of substituted heterobicyclic pyrimidines of Formula (I); and their use in the treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, neurotraumatic diseases, depression and/or diabetes. More particularly, the present invention relates to substituted pyrazolopyrimidines of Formula (I).
US08354406B2
The invention is directed to novel indole carboxamide derivatives. Specifically, the invention is directed to compounds according to formula I: where R1, R2, R3, U and V are defined below and to pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The compounds of the invention are inhibitors of IKK2 and can be useful in the treatment of disorders associated with inappropriate IKK2 (also known as IKKβ) activity, such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Accordingly, the invention is further directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of the invention. The invention is still further directed to methods of inhibiting IKK2 activity and treatment of disorders associated therewith using a compound of the invention or a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the invention.
US08354396B2
The invention relates to methods to identify compounds that can treat autoimmune conditions and treat specified clinical disorders such as multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis or arthritis. Compounds include 17α-ethynylandrost-5-ene-3β,11β,7α,17β-tetrol, 4α-acetoxy-17α-ethynylandrost-5-ene-3β,7β,17β-triol, 17α-ethynylandrost-5-ene-3β,4β,7α,17β-tetrol, 17α-ethynylandrost-5-ene-3α,4β,7α,17β-tetrol and 17α-ethynylandrost-5-ene-3α,4β,17β-triol-7-one.
US08354387B2
Complex comprising a peptide carrier of SEQ ID NO:1 GALFLGFLGAAGSTMGAWSQPKR1KRKVR2 and an appropriate siRNA, wherein R1 represents any amino acid residue and more preferably K or S, R2 is null or represents one of the following groups: cysteamide, cysteine, thiol, amide, linear or ramified C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted, primary or secondary amine, osidic derivative, lipid, phospholipid or cholesterol and said siRNA is selected to silence a target mRNA.
US08354386B2
A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of malignant tumors comprising a human p31comet gene encoding protein represented by SEQ ID NO: 3 or 4 as an effective component is provided. The pharmaceutical composition can suppress cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis and kill cells by overexpressing p31comet in the solid malignant tumor cells. Therefore, the pharmaceutical composition can be effectively used for gene therapy.
US08354381B2
Oral care compositions, oral care systems, oral surface-binding peptides, and a method for applying particles to an oral surface are provided. The oral care system comprises at least one peptidic component comprising a first binding element having affinity for an oral surface and a second binding element having affinity for a ligand property of a particle.
US08354372B2
This invention relates to an oral or enteral pharmaceutical preparation comprising at least one synthetically cyclised alpha-conotoxin peptide having an amide cyclised backbone such that the peptide has no free N- or C-terminus, said peptide having the ability to inhibit a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and comprising four cysteine residues bonded in pairs to form two disulfide bonds, wherein the N-terminus of the corresponding linear/non-cyclised conotoxin peptide is linked to the C-terminus by a peptide linker, in a vehicle which is pharmaceutically suitable for oral or enteral administration.
US08354371B2
Disclosed is a novel cadherin peptide that enhances the toxicity of Cry proteins. A novel insecticide composition comprising an effective amount of cadherin peptide having SEQ. ID. NO:2 and an effective amount of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry protein wherein the cadherin peptide comprises a Cry3Aa toxin binding region from the full-length T. molitor cadherin and has synergistic characteristics of a binary toxin potentiating Cry3 and Cry1 toxins against coleopterans and lepidopteran species, respectively.
US08354369B2
An alcoholic perfume solution with an improved tenacity when applied onto a surface is described. The solution contains an effective amount of a single polymer capable of extending the diffusion of perfuming ingredients in the air.
US08354368B2
Disclosed is the use of water-soluble graft copolymers prepared by free-radically initiated graft polymerization of 40 to 90% by weight of component (A), selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides and derivatives thereof, with 5 to 40% by weight of monomers (B), selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated C3-C10 monocarboxylic acids or the alkali or ammonium salts thereof, and 10 to 50% by weight of monomers (C), selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated N-containing monomers and/or ethylenically unsaturated monomers containing sulfo-groups, in cleaning compositions which, as well as the graft polymer, comprise at least one surfactant component, for hydrophilization and/or improvement of shine retention of hard surfaces which have been brought into contact with these cleaning compositions.
US08354361B2
Corrosion of metallic tubulars in an oil, gas or geothermal well may be inhibited by introducing into the well a dithiazine derivative of the formula: wherein R14 is a C1-C24 straight chain or branched alkyl group; or a C6-C24 aryl or arylalkyl group; R15 is a C1-C6 alkyl or a C6-C30 aryl or alkylaryl group; and X is chlorine, bromine or iodine. The dithiazine may be isolated from a whole spent fluid (WSF) formed by reaction of hydrogen sulfide and a triazine. Alternately, the whole spent fluid containing dithiazine or dithiazine derivative and a corrosion inhibiting formulation may be used to inhibit corrosion in the well.
US08354358B2
Titanium dioxide having a ratio Dtop/D50 of 1 to 3, between the maximum particle diameter Dtop and the average particle diameter D50, as determined based on observing the primary particles by a field emission-type scanning electron microscope. A production process of the titanium dioxide comprises performing a vapor phase process of reacting a titanium tetrachloride-containing gas with an oxidative gas to produce titanium dioxide, wherein when the titanium tetrachloride-containing gas and the oxidative gas are reacted by introducing each gas into a reaction tube, the temperature in the reaction tube is from 1,050 to less than 1,300° C.
US08354357B2
The present invention provides methods and compositions for the chemical conversion of syngas to alcohols. The invention includes catalyst compositions, methods of making the catalysts, and methods of using the catalysts including techniques to maintain catalyst stability. Certain embodiments teach compositions for catalyzing the conversion of syngas into products comprising at least one C1-C4 alcohol, such as ethanol. These compositions generally include cobalt, molybdenum, and sulfur, and avoid metal carbides both initially and during reactor operation.
US08354342B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of bodies that are each isolated from another by a trench and each include a diffusion barrier region with a sidewall exposed to the trench, forming a doped layer gap-filling the trench, forming a sidewall junction at the exposed sidewall of the diffusion barrier region by annealing the doped layer, and forming a conductive line coupled with the sidewall junction to fill the trench.
US08354341B2
A method for forming an interconnect structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a barrier layer, a low dielectric constant (Low K) inter-dielectric layer and a cap dielectric layer sequentially formed thereon; etching the cap dielectric layer and the Low K inter-dielectric layer sequentially until the barrier layer is exposed and a groove is formed; removing the cap dielectric layer until the Low K inter-dielectric layer is exposed; and doping a carbon element into the Low K inter-dielectric layer. The advantages of the method includes a decrease of the dielectric constant of the Low K inter-dielectric layer, thus, reduces the resistive-capacitive (RC) delay of interconnect layers of a semiconductor device and improve its operating speed and performance.
US08354338B2
A circuit board structure with an embedded semiconductor chip and a fabrication method thereof are provided, including the steps of providing a semiconductor wafer having an active surface with a plurality of electrode pads, a connection metal layer formed on the electrode pads: forming a protective layer on the connection metal layer and the semiconductor wafer, performing a cutting process to form a plurality of semiconductor dies, providing a carrier board having at least one cavity for receiving the semiconductor chip; and forming sequentially on the protective layer covering the semiconductor chip and the carrier board a dielectric layer and a circuit layer electrically connected to the connection metal layer of the semiconductor chip. The present invention is a simple, in process and low in process cost, due to the connection metal layer covered by the protective layer formed on the semiconductor chip protected from oxidation and contamination.
US08354334B2
A method is disclosed for forming a patterned thick metallization atop a semiconductor chip wafer. The method includes fabricating a nearly complete semiconductor chip wafer ready for metallization; depositing a bottom metal layer of sub-thickness TK1 together with its built-in alignment mark using a hot metal process; depositing a top metal layer of sub-thickness TK2 using a cold metal process thus forming a stacked thick metallization of total thickness TK=TK1+TK2; then, use the built-in alignment mark as reference, patterning the stacked thick metallization. A patterned thick metallization is thus formed with the advantages of better metal step coverage owing to the superior step coverage nature of the hot metal process as compared to the cold metal process; and lower alignment error rate owing to the lower alignment signal noise nature of the cold metal process as compared to the hot metal process.
US08354327B2
Generally, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to conductive via elements, such as through-silicon vias (TSV's), and methods for forming the same. One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a layer of isolation material above a via opening formed in a semiconductor device, the via opening extending into a substrate of the semiconductor device. The method also includes performing a first planarization process to remove at least an upper portion of the layer of isolation material formed outside of the via opening, and forming a conductive via element inside of the via opening after performing the first planarization process.
US08354311B2
One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a method for forming a transistor. According to an embodiment, a fin is formed from a crystalline substrate. A first source/drain region is formed in the substrate beneath the fin. A surrounding gate insulator is formed around the fin. A surrounding gate is formed around the fin and separated from the fin by the surrounding gate insulator. A second source/drain region is formed in a top portion of the fin. Various embodiments etch a hole in a layer over the substrate, form sidewall spacers in the hole, form a fin pattern from the sidewall spacers, and etch into the crystalline substrate to form the fin from the substrate using a mask corresponding to the fin pattern. Other aspects are provided herein.
US08354306B2
A method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display device includes: sequentially forming a thin film transistor (TFT) array, a first electrode, a bank pattern, a spacer, and a first relevant layer on an acceptor substrate; sequentially forming a metal pattern and an organic light emission material layer on a doner substrate; aligning and attaching the acceptor substrate and the doner substrate, and forming the light emission layer by transferring the organic light emission material onto the acceptor substrate by applying power to the metal pattern; and sequentially forming the second relevant layer and the second electrode on the light emission layer-formed acceptor substrate.
US08354303B2
A method and structure for a dual heat dissipating semiconductor device. A method includes attaching a drain region on a first side of a die, such as a power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) to a first leadframe subassembly. A source region and a gate region on a second side of the die are attached to a second leadframe subassembly. The first leadframe subassembly is attached to a third leadframe subassembly, then the device is encapsulated or otherwise packaged. An exposed portion of the first leadframe subassembly provides an external heat sink for the drain region, and the second leadframe subassembly provides external heat sinks for the source region and the gate region, as well as output leads for the gate region. The third leadframe subassembly provides output leads for the drain region.
US08354298B2
A semiconductor device of the present invention comprises a substrate and a first semiconductor element. The substrate comprises an inner layer conductor and a cavity comprising the bottom surface on which a part of the inner layer conductor is exposed. The first semiconductor element contacts, in the cavity, the inner layer conductor directly or via a good heat conductor material.
US08354288B2
An etchant includes about 0.1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of ammonium persulfate (NH4)2S2O8, about 0.1 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight of an inorganic acid, about 0.1 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight of an acetate salt, about 0.01 percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a fluorine-containing compound, about 0.01 percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a sulfonic acid compound, about 0.01 percent by weight to about 2 percent by weight of an azole compound, and a remainder of water. Accordingly, the etchant may have high stability to maintain etching ability. Thus, manufacturing margins may be improved so that manufacturing costs may be reduced.
US08354287B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an organic EL device. When an organic EL element which is composed of a pair of electrodes in which at least one of the electrodes is transparent or translucent, and an organic EL layer which comprises a light-emitting layer held between the electrodes, and a sealing layer which includes at least one layer of inorganic film being in contact with the organic EL element and which seals the organic EL element are formed on a substrate, a first sealing film which is included in the sealing layer and in contact with the organic EL element is formed by the facing target sputtering method, and the other inorganic film which is included in the sealing layer is formed by any method other than the facing target sputtering method.
US08354285B2
Disclosed is a light emitting panel including: a light blocking section formed above a substrate, the light blocking section including an opening; a first electrode formed above the opening of the light blocking section; a dividing wall including an opening so that at least a portion of the first electrode is exposed, the opening corresponding to a shape of the opening of the light blocking section; a second electrode formed above the first electrode; and a carrier transport layer composed of at least one layer formed between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US08354284B2
An exemplary LED module includes a base, an anisotropic conductive film on the base, multiple LED dies on the anisotropic conductive film, multiple first electrodes between the base and the anisotropic conductive film, and multiple second electrodes on the LED dies. The LED dies are arranged in multiple rows by multiple columns. The first electrodes each are elongated and parallel to each other. The second electrodes each are elongated and parallel to each other. The LED dies of each column are connected to one of the first electrodes electrically. Each second electrode is electrically coupled to the LED dies of one row.
US08354282B2
An advanced, very high transmittance, back-illuminated, silicon-on-sapphire wafer substrate design is presented for enabling high quantum efficiency and high resolution, silicon or silicon-germanium avalanche photodiode detector arrays. The wafer substrate incorporates a stacked antireflective bilayer between the sapphire and silicon layers, comprised of single crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) and non-stoichiometric, silicon rich, amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNX<1.33), that provides optimal refractive index matching between sapphire and silicon. A one quarter wavelength, magnesium fluoride (λ/4-MgF2) antireflective layer deposited on the back surface of the thinned sapphire provides refractive index matching at the air-sapphire interface. Selecting a composition of x=0.62 for a-SiNX, tunes an optimal refractive index for the layer. Selecting design thicknesses of 52 nm for single crystal AlN, 30 nm for a-SiN0.62, and 120 nm for λ/4-MgF2 yields a back-illuminated optical transmittance T>50% for 250-300 nm, T>70% for 300-400 nm and T>90% for 400-1100 nm.
US08354279B2
Compositions and methods for determining the source of treatment fluids being produced from a production formation having multiple zones by introducing a treatment composition having a tracking material into a zone in the subterranean formation, and detecting the tracking material in treatment composition that flows back from the subterranean formation.
US08354273B2
The present invention concerns two human nucleic acids comprising sequences which code two novel isoforms of human somatostatin receptor type 5 produced by alternative adjustment, called sst5B and sst5C and with possible uses in tumoral processes. Additionally, the invention concerns oligonucleotide pairs used for the differential detection of said isoforms by means of the PCR technique in different tissues.
US08354258B2
Diatom devices are disclosed including devices for biocompatible implantation. The diatom structures are useful for providing living cells and tissues as well as biologically active molecules to subjects.
US08354252B2
Labeled reactant compositions, and particularly labeled nucleic acid reaction compositions, that include structural components that maintain potentially damaging labeling components sufficiently distal from the reactant portion of the molecule such that damaging effects of the label group on other reaction components, such as enzymes, are reduced, minimized and/or eliminated.
US08354235B2
The invention concerns a method for increasing the dynamic measuring range of especially immunological test elements in particular immunological chromatography test strips that can be evaluated optically that are based on specific binding reactions. The invention enables the dynamic measuring range of test elements based on specific binding reagents, especially of immunological test elements to be shifted towards higher analyte concentrations without impairing the lower detection limit. For this purpose it is proposed according to the invention that at least two zones are provided in or on the test element which contain reagents that generate detectable signals of different strengths due to different affinities for the analyte (for example in the case of antibodies that have different affinities for the analyte) or due to different principles of interaction with the analyte or with other reagents involved in the analyte detection (for example antibodies directed against the analyte in one zone and an analyte analogue in another zone). The signals in the at least two zones are used to evaluate the analyte concentration-signal strength relationship and are used to determine the analyte by means of a suitable method (correlation).
US08354230B2
The present invention generally relates to a molecular test of Influenza A, Influenza B, Respiratory Syncytial Virus A, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus B in order to identify patients with a viral infection. Accordingly methods and compositions are disclosed to determine the presence or absence of a viral pathogen in a sample containing one or more target nucleic acids from the M gene of Influenza A, Influenza B, Respiratory Syncytial Virus A, and/or Respiratory Syncytial Virus B.
US08354225B1
This invention relates to nucleoside, nucleotide, and oligonucleotide analogs that incorporate non-standard nucleobase analogs, defined to be those that present a pattern of hydrogen bonds to a paired nucleobase analog in a complementary strand that is different from the pattern presented by adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Most specifically, this invention discloses and claims processes for amplifying nucleic acid analogs containing non-standard nucleobases using polymerase chain reactions, and enzymes that perform this amplification.
US08354219B2
The present invention relates to a photosensitive resin composition which is developable with an alkaline aqueous solution and does not need a high temperature for curing and the like, and has all the properties suitable for use in a cover film of a printed circuit board or a laminated body for a semiconductor, and a dry film comprising the same. The photosensitive resin composition comprises (A) a polyamic acid comprising a polymer of at least one diamine compound and at least one acid dianhydride; (B) a photopolymerizable compound having at least one polymerizable ethylenic unsaturated bond in its molecule; and (C) a photoinitiator.
US08354208B2
A colored curable composition including at least (A-1) a complex including a compound represented by the following formula (I) and a metal atom or a metal compound, (A-2) a phthalocyanine pigment, (B) a dispersing agent, (C) a polymerizable compound, (D) a photopolymerization initiator, and (E) an organic solvent: wherein R1 to R6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent, but R1 and R6 do not bond to each other to form a ring structure; and R7 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group.
US08354207B2
A stencil for character projection (CP) charged particle beam lithography and a method for manufacturing the stencil is disclosed, where the stencil contains two circular characters, where each character is capable of forming patterns on a surface in a range of sizes by using different dosages, and where the size ranges for the two characters is continuous. A method for forming circular patterns on a surface using variable-shaped beam (VSB) shots of different dosages is also disclosed. A method for forming circular patterns on a surface using a set of shots, where all of the shots comprise dosages, is also disclosed.
US08354202B2
A fuel cell includes a ceramic component and a sealing component. The sealing component includes a first glass-ceramic layer over the ceramic component and a second glass-ceramic layer over the first glass-ceramic layer, each of the first and the second glass-ceramic layers independently including between about 0.5% and about 50% glass phase content by volume. The first glass-ceramic layer includes a higher glass phase content than the second glass-ceramic layer, and between about 0.5% and about 10% glass stabilizer component by weight.
US08354200B2
A method of adjusting a fuel distribution includes: adjusting a distribution of a fuel supply amount to a membrane electrode assembly so that a temperature distribution in the membrane electrode assembly becomes substantially uniform by a membrane provided in a fuel supply side of the membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell. A membrane adjusts a fuel distribution, which is provided in a fuel supply side of a membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell. The membrane is provided with openings so that a temperature distribution in the membrane electrode assembly becomes substantially uniform.
US08354198B2
The present invention provides an electrochemical device including electrodes of an electrochemical cell and conductive connection members, wherein sufficient bonding strength is achieved between each of the electrodes and the corresponding conductive connection member through thermal treatment carried out at a temperature lower than 1,000° C. The electrochemical cell includes a solid electrolyte membrane and a pair of electrodes provided on the electrolyte membrane. The conductive connection members are electrically connected to the respective electrodes by means of a bonding layer. The bonding layer contains a transition metal oxide having a spinel-type crystal structure.
US08354194B2
A negative electrode active material characterized in that carbonaceous matter essentially consisting of carbon adheres to the surface of a tin particle essentially consisting of tin, with a mixture phase, in which tin and carbon are mixed, interposed between the carbonaceous matter and the tin particle.
US08354185B2
The present invention relates to a microporous polyethylene film for use as battery separator. The microporous polyethylene film according to the present invention is characterized by having a film thickness of 5-40 μm, a porosity of 35-55%, a permeability from 2.5×10−5 to 10.0 10−5 Darcy, a puncture strength of at least 0.10 N/μm at 90° C., a puncture angle of at least 30° at 90° C., and a permeability from 2.0 10−5 to 8.0 10−5 Darcy after shrinking freely at 120° C. for 1 hour. The microporous polyethylene film in accordance with the present invention has very superior puncture strength and thermal stability at high temperature and takes place of less decrease of permeability due to low thermal shrinkage at high temperature, as well as superior permeability. Therefore, it can be usefully applied in a high-capacity, high-power battery to improve thermal stability and long-term stability of the battery.
US08354184B2
Flowing electrolyte batteries capable of being selectively neutralized chemically; processes of selectively neutralizing flowing electrolyte batteries chemically; and processes of selectively restoring the electrical potential of flowing electrolyte batteries are disclosed herein.
US08354181B2
Provided is a battery capable of providing both fixing durability of a protective film during normal use and peeling easiness of the protective film during operation of a safety valve. A lithium ion secondary battery (100) includes a protective film (140) fixed to a battery case (110) while covering a safety valve part (125) including a breakable portion (126). This protective film (140) has a first fixed portion (145) located around a valve-corresponding unfixed portion (144) and fixed to the battery case (110) and a second fixed portion (147) located more outside than the first fixed portion and fixed to the battery case (110) through an intermediate unfixed portion (146). They are configured such that the first fixed portion (145) first peels off when the safety valve part (125) operates, prompting peeling of the second fixed portion (147), thus releasing gas to the outside.
US08354180B2
An electrode plate (20) for storage batteries is immersed into an aqueous solution (18) containing phosphoric acid, an ethoxy alcohol, ammonium bifluoride, sulfonic acid and sodium xylenesulfonate, and the aqueous solution (18) is stirred by a screw stirrer (22). The aqueous solution (18) is kept at about 30° C. by a heater (14), and the active material of the electrode (20) is separated therefrom. The aqueous solution (18) contains the respective solutes in the following mass ratios: 15-20 parts by mass of the phosphoric acid; 3-7 parts by mass of the ethoxy alcohol; 2-6 parts by mass of the ammonium bifluoride; 4-8 parts by mass of the sulfonic acid; and 1-3 parts by mass of the sodium xylenesulfonate.
US08354177B2
This invention provides a surface-coated cutting tool which exhibits excellent fracture resistance and wear resistance in high-speed cutting, such as high-speed gear cutting, high-speed milling, and high-speed drilling. The surface-coated cutting tool includes a hard coating layer composed of an alternately laminated layer structure of at least a thin layer A and a thin layer B formed on the surface of a tool substrate, such as a cemented carbide substrate, a cermet substrate, and a high-speed tool steel substrate. The thin layer A is an (Al, Cr, Si)N layer which satisfies a compositional formula: [AlXCrYSiZ]N (0.2≦X≦0.45, 0.4≦Y≦0.75, 0.01≦Z≦0.2, and X+Y+Z=1 in terms of atomic ratio). The thin layer B is an (Al, Ti, Si)N layer which satisfies a compositional formula: [AlUTiVSiW]N (0.05≦U≦0.75, 0.15≦V≦0.94, 0.01≦W≦0.1, and U+V+W=1 in terms of atomic ratio).
US08354176B2
A metallic coating for protecting a substrate from high temperature oxidation and hot corrosion environments comprising about 2.5 to about 13.5 wt. % cobalt, about 12 to about 27 wt. % chromium, about 5 to about 7 wt. % aluminum, about 0.0 to about 1.0 wt. % yttrium, about 0.0 to about 1.0 wt. % hafnium, about 1.0 to about 3.0 wt. % silicon, about 0.0 to about 4.5 wt. % tantalum, about 0.0 to about 6.5 wt. % tungsten, about 0.0 to about 2.0 wt. % rhenium, about 0.0 to about 1.0 wt. % molybdenum and the balance nickel.
US08354168B2
Disclosed is an epoxy anticorrosive coating composition used for forming an epoxy anticorrosive coating film in an antifouling composite coating film comprising an epoxy anticorrosive coating film and an organopolysiloxane antifouling coating film which are laminated in order on a surface of a base, said epoxy anticorrosive coating composition comprising (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a curing agent for epoxy resins, and (C) a modifier which is either (i) a modifier comprising a hydroxyl group-containing petroleum resin (c1) or a hydroxyl group-containing terpenephenol resin (c2), or (ii) a modifier comprising a hydroxyl group-containing petroleum resin (c1) or a hydroxyl group-containing terpenephenol resin (c2) and a coumarone resin (c3).
US08354163B2
To provide a resin substrate provided with a coating layer having excellent weather resistance and thereby capable of maintaining properties of the resin such as transparency and fracture resistance over a long period of time.A resin substrate provided with a coating layer, which comprises a substrate made of a resin containing an aromatic ring and a coating layer containing an acrylic polymer having an acid value of at most 1 mg KOH/g, a glass transition point of from 60° C. to 150° C. and a mass average molecular weight of from 90,000 to 1,000,000, and an ultraviolet light absorbing component selected from a polymer having ultraviolet light absorbing groups and an ultraviolet light absorber, having an average of absorption coefficients of from 3.5 g/(mg·cm) to 100 g/(mg·cm) to light in a wavelength region of from 350 nm to 380 nm, formed on at least one surface of the substrate.
US08354147B2
The purpose of the invention is to provide a polymerizable liquid crystal compound that has a liquid crystal phase with a wide temperature range, has an excellent compatibility with another polymerizable liquid crystal compound, has an excellent solubility in organic solvent and is polymerizable in air by heat or light.Means for Solving the SubjectA polymerizable liquid crystal compound represented by formula (1) wherein A1 and A2 are a ring such as 1,4-cyclohexylene and 1,4-phenylene; Z1 to Z3 are a bonding group such as a single bond and —O—, m is an integer of 1 to 5; Q1 and/or Q2 are —O(C2H4O)n1(C3H6O)n2— or —O(C3H6O)n2(C2H4O)n1—, where n1 and n2 are integer of 0 to 5 and the sum of n1 and n2 is 2 to 5; one of Q1 and Q2 may be alkylene; P1 and P2 are a polymerizable group represented by any one of formula (2-1) to formula (2-3) and R is hydrogen, halogen or alkylene having 1 to 5 carbons.
US08354142B2
A method for coating a polyimide layer includes, placing a substrate on a print table; jetting polyimide liquid onto the substrate from a jetting surface provided over the print table; and wiping the jetting surface by moving a wiper from one side of the jetting surface to another side of the jetting surface while the wiper contacts the jetting surface, wherein the wiper is made of one of a perfluoro-based polymer.
US08354138B2
A preparing method for coating polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles with silicon dioxide is disclosed and includes the following steps of: preparing a silicon dioxide solution by mixing a silicon dioxide powder and a solvent; adding a dispersant-and-interface-modifier agent into the silicon dioxide solution; performing a wet grinding to the silicon dioxide solution with the dispersant-and-interface-modifier agent so as to obtain a plurality of nano-sized silicon dioxide particles with negative charge; performing an interface modification to a plurality of PMMA particles to be charged with positive charge; adding the PMMA particles into the silicon dioxide solution; making the PMMA particles adsorb the nano-sized silicon dioxide particles; and performing a solid-liquid separation process to the silicon dioxide solution so as to obtain the chemical composite particles.
US08354134B2
The present invention is a high fiber blend which includes a stiffening agent and a plasiticizing agent. The blend replaces part of the flour in a dough without substantially affecting the dough's rheological properties. High fiber food products can then be made from the dough, using conventional commercial manufacturing equipment and processes. The blend can be used to produce food products that meet FDA requirements for fiber-related health claims. The present invention is also a method of making the high fiber blend. This method involves measuring a rheological property of the stiffening agent and the plasticizing agent. The stiffening agent and plasticizing agent are then combined, in amounts that will allow the resulting blend to provide a high level of fiber to a food product without substantially affecting the rheological properties of the dough.
US08354133B2
Provided are a modifying agent for a plastic fat to be used in a plastic fat comprising palm oil, which inhibits changes in physical properties of the plastic fat such as hardness or crude crystal formation and gives an air-containing plastic fat; and a plastic fat using the same. A plastic fat is prepared by using, as modifying agent, an appropriate amount of a fat composition which comprised triglycerides comprising, as constituting fatty acids, a saturated fatty acid (A) having a melting point of 60° C. or higher and a saturated fatty acid (B) having a melting point of 40° C. or lower, wherein the fat composition contains 40-85 wt %, relative to the total fat composition, of ABB type triglycerides, and the weight ratio (ABB/AAB) of said ABB type triglycerides o AAB type triglycerides is 2-15.
US08354115B2
The present invention provides methods and adjuvants for enhancing an immune response to RSV in a host, wherein the methods and adjuvants comprise a source of a CD40 binding protein. Preferably, the CD40 binding protein is CD40L and the source is a vector comprising a promoter operatively linked to a CD40L coding region. The enhanced immune response produced by the adjuvants and methods of the current invention includes both increased expression of Th1 cytokines and increased production of antibody.
US08354113B2
According to the present invention, there is provided a means of expressing and displaying a protein on the cell surface of a bifidobacterium. In the gene for expressing a protein on the surface of a bifidobacterium of the present invention, a gene coding for a bifidobacterium-derived GNB/LNB substrate-binding membrane protein and a gene coding for the target protein or peptide are linked in this order from the 5′ end side. Thus, a bifidobacterium transformed by introducing the gene for expressing a protein on the surface of a bifidobacterium of the present invention expresses the target protein or peptide on the surface thereof. When the target protein or peptide is an antigen protein or an antigen peptide, the transformed bifidobacterium of the present invention is useful as an oral vaccine.
US08354112B2
A fusion protein of pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQGDH) and a cytochrome is disclosed. PQQGDH is, for example, a water-soluble PQQGDH derived from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. The cytochrome is, for example, an electron transfer domain of quinohemoprotein ethanol dehydrogenase from Comamonas testosteroni. The fusion protein of the present invention shows intramolecular electron transfer from PQQ, a redox center, to the cytochrome, which allow construction of a direct electron transfer-type glucose sensor which requires no electron mediators.
US08354109B2
A soluble multimeric protein or polypeptide is disclosed that is able to inhibit interaction of leukocyte Fcγ receptors (FcγR) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). The protein or polypeptide comprises two or more linked Fc binding regions, at least one of which is derived from an FcγR type receptor and, particularly, FcγRIIa. Also described are polynucleotide molecules encoding the protein or polypeptide and the use thereof in methods of treating a subject for an immune-complex (IC)-mediated inflammatory disease.
US08354108B2
The present invention relates to the discovery and improvement of proteins that can specifically bind with human TNFa (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha), the proteins are full human anti human TNFa monoclonal antibodies derived from human B cells. This invention disclosed the anti human TNFa monoclonal antibodies, their amino acid sequence of light chain comprising SEQ ID NO:8, and that of heavy chain comprising SEQ ID NO:16 or SEQ ID NO:18. This invention disclosed the coding genes of these antibodies, their Fab molecules, and their potential application to treat clinically the diseases related to TNFa, such as inflammation diseases.
US08354105B2
The present invention relates to methods of modulating (e.g., reducing) the mannose content, particularly high-mannose content of recombinant glycoproteins.
US08354100B2
Systems and methods for modifying the environment of target cell using genetically altered chondrocytes are provided. The genetically engineered chondrocytes can be used to express a therapeutic agent in a subject, including in an environment typically associated with chondrocytes and in an environment not typically associated with chondrocytes.
US08354094B1
The invention discloses a pharmaceutical composition of bioactive nanoparticles composed of chitosan, poly-glutamic acid, and a bioactive agent for oral delivery. The chitosan-based nanoparticles are characterized with a positive surface charge and enhanced permeability for oral drug delivery.
US08354093B2
A functional biologically active particle conjugate useful for diagnosis and treating cancer as a bioportal comprises a nanoscale particle having associated therewith an intracellular targeting ligand comprising a PNA, or another nuclease resistant oligonucleotide analog such as MOE-mRNA (2′-methoxyethyl mRNA) or LNA (locked nucleic acid), having a sequence that binds selectively to an uniquely expressed or overexpressed mRNA specific to the cancer or disease state in a living mammal. In one aspect the uniquely overexpressed target specific to the cancer or disease state is the unr mRNA which can be targeted by the antisense sequence PNA50.
US08354086B2
A CO2 control device and method for capturing CO2 from fluid flow, including: a flow-through apparatus and an CO2 absorbing filter treated with an alkaline material which is housed within the flow-through apparatus. The flow-through apparatus receives fluid flow and the CO2 from the fluid flow is absorbed by the CO2 absorbing filter. The absorbed CO2 is converted into CaCO3 which is combined with volcanic ash to form a useful cement material.
US08354082B2
In an embodiment, a system includes a methanation section generally including a fuel inlet configured to receive a first fuel, a fuel outlet configured to output methane, and a first fuel path configured to route a first flow of the first fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet. The first fuel path includes a first methanator configured to generate the methane from the first fuel in an exothermic methanation region. The system also includes a second fuel path configured to route a second flow of a second fuel without conversion to methane. The second fuel path is also configured to receive heat from the exothermic methanation region.
US08354076B2
A fluidic system and method includes a channel reservoir which holds 1.5 milliliters or less of fluid. The agitation mechanism, which is partially integrated with the channel or reservoir, includes a fiber or rod at least partially situated within the channel or reservoir, and which acts to move or vibrate to stir and/or agitate fluid within the channel or reservoir. The fluid is then extracted from an extraction area following the agitation or stirring operation.
US08354074B2
A test module for biochemical processing and analysis, the test module having an outer casing dimensioned for hand-held portability, the outer casing having a receptacle for receiving biochemical liquid, and, a reagent reservoir containing a reagent for addition to the biochemical liquid for use in chemical analysis of the biochemical liquid, wherein, the reagent reservoir has a volume less than 1000,000,000 cubic microns.
US08354070B2
A moving disk type tube reactor for continuously pyrolyzing waste tire chips and preventing accumulation of remainders produced by pyrolysis, includes: a heating tube having at the ends thereof inflow and outflow ports for allowing high-temperature gas to flow; a first transfer tube penetrating the heating tube and having an input port for inputting the chips at one end thereof; a second transfer tube disposed parallel to the first transfer tube; a driving part disposed at the other end of the first and second transfer tubes, having a driving sprocket driven by a driving motor, and having a discharge port discharging oil vapor; a driven part disposed at one end of the transfer tubes, having a driven sprocket and a discharge port discharging pyrolyzed carbon black to the outside; a chain penetrating the transfer tubes and wound on the sprockets to circulate; and a plurality of disks along the chain.
US08354069B2
Devices and methods for extraction, identification, authentication, and quantification of one or more covert markers in a material are disclosed. An extraction system includes a first plug flow mixer for mixing a first fluid bearing a marker and transfer agent into a plug flow. The mixing and flowing of the immiscible liquids causes transfer of the marker from the fluid to the transfer agent. A splitter having filters of different surface energies separates the two immiscible liquids, the transfer agent bearing the marker. A second plug flow can be used to transfer the marker to a second transfer agent. The transferred marker is detected to authenticate the original fluid. The marker can be further isolated, activated, or reacted to perform detection, identification or authentication. With the device, a number of independent processing and analytic steps are combined onto a single, portable unit.
US08354067B2
Embodiments of a method and a system for recovering energy, materials or both from asphaltene-containing tailings are disclosed. The asphaltene-containing tailings can be generated, for example, from a process for recovering hydrocarbons from oil sand. Embodiments of the method can include a flotation separation and a hydrophobic agglomeration separation. Flotation can be used to separate the asphaltene-containing tailings into an asphaltene-rich froth and an asphaltene-depleted aqueous phase. The asphaltene-rich froth, or an asphaltene-rich slurry formed from the asphaltene-rich froth, then can be separated into a heavy mineral concentrate and a light tailings. Hydrophobic agglomeration can be used to recover an asphaltene concentrate from the light tailings. Another flotation separation can be included to remove sulfur-containing minerals from the heavy mineral concentrate. Oxygen-containing minerals also can be recovered from the heavy mineral concentrate. Water removed by the various separation steps can be recycled and its heat energy recovered.
US08354064B2
Disclosed herein are an apparatus for producing liposomes and a method of producing liposomes by which it is made possible to produce liposomes under sterile conditions during the manufacturing process while monitoring in line the particle diameter of liposomes. The apparatus for producing liposomes includes a unit for regulating the particle diameter of liposomes, a supply flow channel for supplying the particle diameter regulating unit with a solution under processing containing a liposome-forming lipid, and a discharge flow channel for discharging from the particle diameter regulating unit a solution under processing containing liposomes, the supply flow channel having an input port through which the solution under processing containing the liposome-forming lipid is put into the supply flow channel, wherein the discharge flow channel has a first light transmitting part at least a portion of which is made of material transparent to light, and also has at least a first light transmittance measuring unit which measures the light transmittance of the solution under processing containing liposomes by directing light to the first light-transmitting part from the outside of the first light-transmitting part. A method of producing liposomes by use of the apparatus.
US08354057B2
A method of sterilizing a closed environment is provided in which a disinfection apparatus is placed into the closed environment; it then generates ozone to a predetermined ozone concentration, following which the humidity of the closed environment is rapidly increased. A catalytic converter then reduces the ozone concentration to safe levels. When the ozone concentration is reduced to a predetermined safe level, the disinfection apparatus signals.
US08354055B2
The present invention relates to extrudable ceramic masses and other masses which set as a result of baking or sintering, which masses comprise specific additives based on water-soluble cellulose ethers, an extrusion process, the extrudates and their use.
US08354053B2
An apparatus for molding plastic preforms into plastic containers having at least one blow mold, within which the plastic preforms may be expanded into plastic containers is described. The blow mold has at least two blow mold parts which are movable relative to each other, including an application device which is movable relative to the blow mold, in order to apply pressure onto the plastic preform for the expansion thereof; wherein at least one area of the blow mold may be tempered. The apparatus has a tempering body which may be separated from the blow mold in its entirety for tempering the area of the blow mold.
US08354051B2
The invention relates to a method of producing a container from a thermoplastic blank (2), comprising: a step in which the blank (2) is heated using at least one beam (22) of coherent electromagnetic radiation, and a step in which the container is formed from the blank (2) thus heated. The invention also relates to an installation (1) which is used to produce containers (2) and which comprises a unit (16) for heating the blanks (2) in order to form containers from the blanks (2) thus heated. The inventive installation (1) defines a path (23) along which the blanks (2) travel inside the heating unit (16). In addition, the heating unit (16) comprises at least one coherent electromagnetic radiation source (26) which is directed towards a zone (25) that is located on the aforementioned path (23).
US08354040B1
Phase change materials that include oleochemical carbonates absorb and release latent heat upon changing phases from solid to liquid (melting) or from liquid to solid (solidifying). The oleochemical carbonates are prepared from oleochemical alcohols derived from animal fats and vegetable oils or other bio-based substances. These oleochemical carbonates have melting temperatures with a relatively high heat of fusion and are non-corrosive. Oleochemical carbonates can be mixed together in various proportions to adjust melting/solidification temperature ranges as required by a particular application.
US08354037B2
To provide a high-frequency magnetic material having a superior radio wave absorption property in a high frequency region and a method of manufacturing the same. The high-frequency magnetic material and the method of manufacturing the same includes a magnetic substance containing metal nanoparticles, the metal nanoparticles are magnetic metals containing at least one kind of Fe, Co, and Ni, an average particle diameter of the metal nanoparticles is equal to or less than 200 nm, first clusters having network-like structures with continuous metal nanoparticles and the average diameter equal to or less than 10 μm are formed, second clusters having network-like structures with the continuous first clusters and the average diameter equal to or less than 100 μm are formed, and the entire magnetic substance has a network-like structure with the continuous second clusters.
US08354026B2
A center tube is disclosed which allows a draw solution to flow through all membrane elements in a membrane system in parallel. The center tube may include a cylindrical wall with two open ends and a barrier element there between separating an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber within the cylindrical wall. At least one non-perforated bypass tube may be located substantially within the cylindrical wall, which extends a length of the downstream chamber and/or the upstream chamber so that the upstream chamber is configured to communicate with a second upstream chamber of a second center tube and/or the downstream chamber is configured to communicate with a second downstream chamber of the second center tube.
US08354023B2
A tank is proposed for appliances which use water, in particular domestic appliances or appliances for preparation of foodstuffs and/or drinks, such as automatic drinks machines, in particular automatic coffee machines, drinking water dispensers, cooking and baking appliances, steam appliances, in particular steam irons, steam cleaners, high-pressure cleaners, air cleaners and conditioners or the like, wherein a suction connection is provided on the tank in order to suck in water from the tank by means for production of a reduced pressure, and a filter connection is provided for connection of a filter cartridge in the interior of the tank, while ensuring that only one permissible filter type is used. A tank according to the invention is distinguished by mechanical coding structures on the filter connecting element, in order to prevent the use of a filter cartridge which does not correspond to the tank.
US08354021B2
A system of water collecting, cleaning, and storing comprises a top-opened water storing container (1), with the wall of which a watertight structure; a collecting well (2) provided in the water storing container (1), which has a lid (6) and has a wall of permeable structure through which water exchange between the water storing container (1) and the collecting well (2) is achieved; filling elements (4) filled between the collecting well (2) and the water storing container (1), on top of which a pervious surface layer (5) is paved.
US08354019B2
The present invention is related with the application of an adsorbent material of microporous carbon (MCA), prepared from the direct pyrolysis of copolymers generically known as Saran, in adsorption processes to reduce the benzene content in naphtha boiling range hydrocarbon streams, between 27 and 191° C., in which is preferable to perform a first separation by distillation of the C6's fraction, and a further separation of Benzene by adsorption through an adsorbent material bed, obtaining the fraction of C6's free of Benzene and an adsorbent with Benzene, which is further regenerated by pressure or temperature swing desorption or by displacement using a desorbent such as an inert gas at high temperature or by passing a desorbent which after the process, the desorbent and Benzene are separated by distillation. The fraction of C6's free of Benzene is reintegrated to the hydrocarbon stream and providing a gasoline with a Benzene content less than 1 volume %. Besides, the application of the MCA in this type of process allows obtaining Benzene with a minimum purity of 99.8 weight % and a maximum toluene content of 0.1 weight %, satisfying the specifications of ASTM D-2359-02 for Refined Benzene-535.
US08354017B2
Method for measuring the global ion concentration of a body fluid that comprises application of a stable DC voltage between first and second electrodes of a cell for measuring the global ion concentration of a body fluid so as to cause electrochemical hydrolysis reactions of the body fluid water to occur at the level of said first and second electrodes, measurement of a hydrolysis current generated by said electrochemical hydrolysis reactions of the water and determination of the global ion concentration of the body fluid by comparison with a previously defined calibration curve. The measuring cell comprises a fluid channel having an internal cross-section smaller than or equal to 1.5 mm.
US08354012B2
An electrochemical cell for detection and quantification of analytes in a liquid sample, particularly a liquid sample having a small volume. In a preferred embodiment, the electrochemical cell comprises an assembly of conducting layers and insulating layers. The electrochemical cell can be formed by depositing conducting materials and insulating materials in alternating layers on an insulating substrate. It is preferred that the layer furthest from the insulating substrate be an insulating layer to minimize the damage of the conducting layers during handling of the electrochemical cell. In another embodiment, the assembly of conducting layers and insulating layers can be formed on both major surfaces of the insulating substrate. The assembly can comprise at least one working electrode and at least one other electrode, e.g., a dual-purpose reference/counter electrode.
US08354006B1
A device for pyrolysis of a material has a horizontal receiving chamber, a horizontally moving compressing element compressing the material in the receiving chamber to form a compact body, a horizontal pyrolysis chamber communicating with the receiving chamber and subjecting the compact body to a heat treatment, a separating partition separating the chambers, and a cylinder-piston unit with a compressing plate which, with the closed partition, first compresses the material in the receiving chamber, then after vertically withdrawing the partition, moves the compressed material from the receiving chamber into pyrolysis chamber and is heated there to produce pyrolysis gas.
US08354005B2
Apparatus for the destructive reclamation of materials and energy from municipal wastes and other raw materials through the use of Microwave induced Gasification and Pyrolysis, where the waste or raw material may be circulated once or several times through the process thus enabling the programming of different processes to differing materials and desired end products. The form employed being linear, circulating conveyors or rotating carousels that may carry trays or crucibles, some of which may be equipped with linings that absorb microwaves to enable the early charring of materials that do not initially absorb microwaves and thus will not heat up on their own.
US08354004B2
A novel filler treatment comprising the preparation of swollen starch compositions, prepared in the presence or absence of co-additives, and the addition of the said composition to a filler suspension, has been developed. Use of the treated filler during papermaking improves filler retention and produces filled papers where addition of the filler has only a minimal negative effect on strength properties. The swollen starch compositions can be prepared in a batch or jet cooker, or by mixing with hot water under controlled conditions (i.e., temperature, pH, mixing, mixing time) in order to make the starch granules swell sufficiently to improve their properties as a filler additive but avoiding excess swelling leading to their rupture. The swollen starch composition is then rapidly mixed with the filler slurry, preferably in a static mixer, and added to the papermaking furnish at a point prior to the headbox of the paper machine.
US08354002B2
Mixtures containing high boiling and low boiling components, at least one component being dissociatable into ions, are separated effectively by heating by passing an alternating electrical current through the mixture. The process is particularly effective in the workup of crude alkylchlorosilanes from the direct synthesis.
US08354001B2
There is described a wafer processing system for thinned wafers that are easily broken during handling. The system protects against breakage during handling and provides for temperature controls during processing.
US08353998B1
Auto-applied packing list and upper label methods. A carrier material with an upper label and a lower label removably adhered thereto is provided. The lower label and upper label are dispensed in sequence onto a label applicator apparatus. The label applicator apparatus applies the upper label and the lower label to a surface simultaneously, whereby after application the underside of the lower label is in contact with the surface and the undersurface of the upper label is in contact with the top side of the lower label.
US08353989B2
A biomass cooking device including: a treatment vessel having an biomass inlet adapted to receive biomass material to a processing chamber of the vessel, a biomass outlet adapted to discharge from the processing chamber the biomass material processed in the vessel, an extraction region of the vessel and a liquids outlet to the extraction region to discharge dissolved hemi-cellulosic material extracted from the biomass material in the processing chamber; a piston press in the cooking vessel defining a moveable wall of the processing chamber, wherein the piston press moves to reduce the processing chamber and thereby compress the biomass material; and a screen plate in the vessel forming a barrier between the processing chamber and an extraction region of the vessel, the screen plate having apertures to pass the dissolved hemi-cellulosic material through the screen plate from the processing chamber to the extraction region.
US08353977B2
A hydrogen separator exhibits excellent hydrogen separation performance and durability and prevents scattering of an iron-containing substance that causes defects of a selective hydrogen permeable metal membrane in a first passage by covering an iron-containing metal surface that is exposed in the first passage and forms at least part of the first passage and a member disposed in the first passage with an iron component scattering prevention film at least in an area positioned on an upstream side with respect to a downstream end of a permeable section of the selective hydrogen permeable metal membrane in a flow direction of a fluid that flows through the first passage.
US08353966B2
A mammalian tissue scaffold and method for making a tissue scaffold including a rigid scaffold body of biocompatible glass fibers bonded together and in special alignment to define open channels within the scaffold to allow fluid flow into and within the scaffold.
US08353965B2
A technique to manufacture small joint orthopedic implants includes the steps of taking standard radiographs of a pathologic joint and the corresponding non-pathologic joint. In order to provide an accurate frame of reference, a specialized marker is placed in the radiographic field. By inspection of the radiographs and by comparison with the marker, the dimensions of the cortical bone and the cancellous bone can be quickly and accurately determined. These dimensions can be used to manufacture a suitable implant and installation tool. Typically, the implant will include a stem from which a post projects. A radially extending collar is located at the intersection between the stem and the post. A mating head is attached to the post. The head closely approximates the size and shape of the natural head being replaced. The stem will be non-round in cross-section to prevent rotation of the stem in the bone. For many applications, the head will not be fixedly attached to the post, but will be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the post. One or more spacers that fit about the stem also can be provided in order to adjust the distance that the head projects from the bone.
US08353956B2
Apparatus is provided, including a locking mechanism, an implant, and a flexible strip within the implant having a plurality of recesses. A perimeter of the strip shortens and expands when the first end of the strip is advanced bidirectionally with respect to a second end of the strip. The locking mechanism includes a moveable recess-engaging portion, a mechanical support removably coupled to the recess-engaging portion, and a force applicator which maintains the recess-engaging portion in a position in which the recess-engaging portion is not disposed in any of the recesses. Upon decoupling of the mechanical support from the recess-engaging portion, the force applicator restricts motion of the plurality of recesses of the strip with respect to the second end of the strip, by facilitating positioning of the recess-engaging portion in one of the plurality of recesses. Other embodiments are also described.
US08353949B2
Medical devices, such as endoprostheses, and methods of making the devices are described. In one embodiment, a medical device having a body of interconnected bands and connectors forming an elongated tubular structure having an inner luminal wall surface, an outer abluminal wall surface and a side wall surface, and defining a central lumen or passageway, wherein said inner luminal wall surface and side wall surface of the bands and connectors form transverse passageways through the elongated tubular structure is described. One or more wall surfaces of the tubular structure can bear a coating whose selected regions define at least one depression. The coating can further include at least one biologically active substance.
US08353945B2
Delivery catheters and systems are adapted for delivering multiple discreet prostheses in body lumens. An exemplary delivery catheter comprises a sheath, a pusher for moving the prostheses relative to the sheath, and a valve member for selectively retaining the prostheses in the sheath. For balloon expandable stents, an elongated shaft and an expandable member are slidably disposed in the sheath, and the prostheses are positionable on the expandable member for deployment in the body lumen. The valve member allows a selected number of prostheses to be deployed from the sheath while retaining other prostheses within the sheath.
US08353942B2
A catheter apparatus configured to provide a delivery system for standard intervention devices typically used during emergency angioplasty and to provide rapid localized cooling to organs at risk of ischemic and reperfusion injury. The catheter apparatus including a catheter shaft having an inner core defining at least two coolant flow lumens adjacent to a blood conveyance lumen. Each coolant flow lumen in thermal contact with the blood conveyance lumen and thermally insulated from each other and the exterior surfaces of the catheter shaft.
US08353932B2
A medical implant assembly includes a polyaxial bone anchor having a shank, a receiver, a lower compression insert with planar surfaces for closely receiving an elongate connecting member with planar surfaces and a one-piece closure structure. The connecting member is made from a polymer. The closure structure engages both the connecting member and the insert with the engagement between the closure structure and the insert securely locking the polyaxial mechanism even if the connecting member exhibits creep.
US08353931B2
Barbed surgical sutures and a method of forming a barbed surgical suture from a degradable material are provided having degradation rates tailored to provide the suture with a desired mass loss profile.
US08353925B2
Methods, devices, tools and assemblies for treating a patient to effect weight loss. One method embodiment involves passing a device including an expandable member in a collapsed configuration and a buoyancy member through an opening in the skin of a patient and into the abdominal cavity of the patient, and anchoring at least a portion of the expandable member, relative to at least one structure in the abdominal cavity. Devices including at least one expandable member and at least one buoyancy member are provided.
US08353922B2
Systems and methods for crossing stenosis, partial occlusions, or complete occlusions within a body lumen. The systems generally include an elongate member such as a hollow guidewire that houses a rotatable and translatable drive shaft. The drive shaft typically has a distal portion that is advanced to create a path in the occlusive material that is large enough to allow the hollow guidewire to cross the occlusive material.
US08353919B2
Provided is a wound closure assisting and maintaining apparatus that can be attached to a wide open wound of a patient and can stretch skin around the wound gradually to achieve the wound closure and maintain the wound closure during most critical postoperative period. The apparatus includes: a loop suture being threaded through skin; a tightening member for gathering both ends of the threaded loop suture at one point and for exerting a pressure of wound tightening force evenly on skin; a pulling member for pulling the loop suture in order to tighten the threaded loop suture; a housing member for housing the pulling member and making the loop suture tightened by transformation of a pulling force to a wound tightening force when pulling member pulls the loop suture out of skin; and a locking member for fixing a position of the pulling member to maintain the tightened status.
US08353918B2
Method of using a disposable neonatal circumcision device that secures the foreskin of the penis in a precise location, applies radially circumferential clamping, and delivers a longitudinal circumferential cutting device along the path precisely controlled by the device itself, not the operator, ensuring the incision to the clamped foreskin is made in the precise location, independent of the operator.
US08353917B2
Provided are methods and apparatus including an injector system adapted for injecting a microchip comprising: an inserter comprising a rod or tube having a proximal and distal end and having a point at the distal end that defines a skin-piercing side of the inserter; a means for engaging the microchip near the distal end of the inserter, but removed in the proximal direction from the distal tip of the inserter, which means prevents rotation of an engaged microchip in two or three axes of rotation; and means for releasing the microchip from the inserter once the inserter has been inserted into a perforatable substrate.
US08353915B2
An AMZ tibial tuberosity transfer system and method of treatment of patellofemoral joints. The AMZ system includes 1) a retractor with a better conformation to anatomy and more curve (not just a bend), and also with a larger radius on the front of the retractor to allow for easier insertion; 2) a cutting block that can fully accept a collared pin; 3) a rod preferably formed of stainless steel; 4) a tuberosity pin guide; 5) an exit indicator that engages tightly the cutting block so there is no slope on exit indication; and 6) a horizontal bar provided with markings to measure the medial shift.
US08353913B2
A self-drilling bone fusion screw apparatus is disclosed which includes at least first and second sliding boxes. A first screw member having a tapered end and a threaded body is disposed within the first sliding box, and a second screw member having a tapered end and a threaded body disposed within the second sliding box. An adjuster adjusts the height of the sliding boxes. The screw members are screwed into vertebral bodies in order to fuse the vertebral bodies together. A plurality of the self-drilling bone fusion screw apparatuses may be attached together and/or integrated via a plate or cage. Also disclosed is a cervical facet staple that includes a curved staple base and at least two prongs attached to the bottom surface of the curved staple base.
US08353910B2
An intramedullary osteosynthetic device includes an intramedullary nail, a hip helical implant, a sliding sleeve, a lateral set screw, and a distal locking screw. The intramedullary nail includes an oblique slotted bore that receives the sliding sleeve and in communication with a cannulation that is partially threaded to receive a coaxial set screw and a threaded notch compatible with the lateral set screw. The hip helical implant includes a frontal helical portion, at least two helical twisted blades attached to the frontal helical portion, and a rear smooth shaft having an external flat surface. The sliding sleeve includes a tube having an internal flat corresponding to the external flat and has external threads at the rear of the sleeve engaging the lateral set screw. The coaxial set screw fixes the sliding sleeve to the intramedullary nail by tightening the sliding sleeve inside the oblique bore.
US08353909B2
Apparatus and a method of inserting spinal implants is disclosed in which an intervertebral space is first distracted, a hollow sleeve having teeth at one end is then driven into the vertebrae adjacent that disc space. A drill is then passed through the hollow sleeve removing disc and bone in preparation for receiving the spinal implant which is then inserted through the sleeve. Apparatus and a method of inserting spinal implants is disclosed in which an intervertebral space is first distracted to restore the normal angular relationship of the vertebrae adjacent to that disc space. An extended outer sleeve having extended portions capable of maintaining the vertebrae distracted in their normal angular relationship is then driven into the vertebrae adjacent that disc space. A drill is then passed through the hollow sleeve removing disc and bone in preparation for receiving the spinal implant which is then inserted through the sleeve.
US08353908B2
The invention comprises a method and apparatus for treatment of a body part. More particularly, a method and apparatus for heat treatment of tissue using a catheter inserted into a body part is described along with means for positioning the catheter and means for positioning a set of electrodes relative to a tissue sample for treatment. Still more particularly, radio frequency energy at about 400 to 500 kilohertz is used to provide heat for the tissue treatment.
US08353907B2
An electrosurgical end effector for ablating tissue is provided that comprises at least one electrically-conductive ablation member adapted to be connected to a source of RF energy, with the ablation member having a tissue engaging surface and defining an internal fluid passageway. Preferably, the end effector includes two electrically conductive ablation members that are electrically isolated from one another and have their fluid passageways in fluid communication. Alternatively, the end effector may comprise four electrically conductive ablation members arranged as two pairs of ablation members, all of the ablation members having internal fluid passageways that are electrically isolated from each other, with the fluid passageways of each of the four ablation members being in fluid communication with each other.
US08353903B2
Disclosed is a system for generating and delivery electrosurgical energy, the system including a microwave generator and a power-stage device. The microwave generator further including a microwave signal generator configured to generate a microwave frequency signal at a first power level and a DC power supply configured to generate a DC power signal. The power-stage device connects to the microwave signal generator by a transmission line and is configured to receive the microwave frequency signal and the DC power signal from the transmission line. The power-stage device further including a power-stage microwave signal amplifier configured to amplify the microwave frequency signal from the first power level to at least one second power level and a microwave antenna configured to transmit the microwave frequency signal.
US08353901B2
A conduit assembly for transmitting energy between an electrosurgical energy generator and an energy delivering device comprises a first cable sub-assembly including a cable having a flexibility and an energy attenuation; a second cable sub-assembly including a cable having a flexibility and an energy attenuation; wherein the flexibility of the cable of the first cable sub-assembly is less than the flexibility of the cable of the second cable sub-assembly; and wherein the energy attenuation of the cable of the first cable sub-assembly is less than the energy attenuation of the cable of the second cable sub-assembly.
US08353897B2
A tool kit for interchanging tools within an at least partially closed area is provided. The tool kit includes at least one tool, each tool being preferably provided within a tubular housing, and adapted to pivot out from the tool kit so that they can be attached to a receiving tool. The tool is designed to be returned to the tool kit after use, and if desired, switched with a different tool. In one embodiment, a surgical system permitting surgical tools to be interchanged within a patient's body is provided. A method of interchanging surgical tools within a patient's body is also provided.
US08353894B2
A catheter shaft design facilitates allows for simultaneous stringing of wires and maintains a desired spacing and separation of the wires. In one implementation, a catheter shaft (504) and a core structure (500) are formed in separate manufacturing sequences. The core structure (500) includes a number of receptacles (506) formed in an external surface thereof and may further include a central lumen (508). Wires (501a,b, and 502a,b) are placed into the receptacles (506) and the core structure (500) with wires (501a,b and 502a,b) are inserted into the lumen of the catheter shaft (504). The wires (501a,b, and 502a,b,) can then be connected to electrodes or attached to a catheter tip so as to permit steering of the tip. The design can serve as a platform for various types of catheter.
US08353880B1
A method for reducing the risk of contamination of a sterile biopsy system, via a sterile sheath with an exterior structure to aid in opening the sheath, and further having a self-sealing target disposed at an opposing closed end of said sheath.
US08353874B2
An access apparatus for use in surgical procedures is provided. The access apparatus includes a zero-closure valve disposed within a housing associated with the access apparatus and adjacent a longitudinal passage defined by an access member operably associated with the access apparatus. The zero-closure valve is configured to provide a substantially fluid-tight seal in the absence of the surgical instrument inserted therethrough. A check-valve is operably associated with the zero-closure valve and is in fluid communication with the longitudinal passage and an insufflation port operably associated with the access member. The check-valve is configured to provide a fluid-tight seal when a pressure inside the access apparatus is greater than a pressure external thereof.
US08353872B2
Infusion pumps according to the present invention maximize fluid throughput while minimizing vaporization of gas by employing specific flow path architecture, flow path dimensional ranges, and voltage and frequency ranges for activation of piezoelectric bodies.
US08353871B2
A delivery device including a roller rotatably mounted on an axle, a reservoir, and at least one hollow needle positioned in the roller are in fluid communication with the reservoir, wherein as the roller rotates about the axle, contents of the reservoir pass through the at least one hollow needle.
US08353865B2
A breast receiving funnel (5) for a breast pump (1) comprising an expandable layer (18) formed from a hydrogel which is configured to expand such that an inner surface of the breast receiving funnel (5), against which a user's breast is locatable, swells towards said user's breast to apply a positive pressure thereto and aid the expression of milk therefrom.
US08353864B2
Disclosed is a low cost, disposable, infusion pump. The infusion pump can include an integrated occlusion detector that detects both upstream and downstream occlusions in an infusion tube. In addition, the infusion pump can easily monitor flow rates through the infusion tube, and be quickly set to infuse at a pre-determined rate. An armature within the infusion pump works in concert with a pair of tubing pinchers to precisely control the movement of fluid within the tubing. Sensors mounted within the device detect the position of the armature and can determine if an occlusion has occurred in the tubing.
US08353861B2
An applicator for applying functional substances, such as cosmetic powder, food color marking, India ink effect marks, or drugs into human skin, having a base, a plurality of microneedles fixed to and projecting from the base a distance only sufficient to penetrate into the stratum corneum or dermis, with the microneedles being of a material that is capable of disintegration and dispersion into the stratum corneum or dermis, such as maltose. The needles contain the functional substance for delivery into the stratum corneum or dermis. The microneedles are of a length approximately 0.5 to 500 μm when used to apply a functional substance to the stratum corneum, or are of a length of approximately 500 to 5,000 μm when used to apply a functional substance to the dermis.
US08353859B2
A syringe system having a syringe with a body and a hollow barrel chamber, and a plunger shaft slidable therein, and a needle body. The syringe system includes a valve housing having a valve guide chamber with an input port fluidly connectable to a fluid pressurizing means, a storage port in fluid communication with the barrel chamber, and a discharge port in fluid communication with the needle body. A valve body is contained in the valve housing with a valve plunger slidable in the valve guide chamber. The valve plunger is slidable to a first position, where the dispensing port and storage empty port is closed and the input port and storage fill port are opened, and a second position where the input port and storage fill port is closed and the storage empty port and discharge port are opened.
US08353856B2
Glaucoma treatments utilizing an implanted shunt having an elastomeric plate and a non-valved elastomeric drainage tube. The plate is positioned over a sclera of the eye with an outflow end of the elastomeric drainage tube open to an outer surface of the plate. An inflow end of the drainage tube tunnels through tissue to the anterior chamber of the eye. The drainage tube collapses upon insertion within an incision in the sclera and cornea, or at a kink on the outside of the incision, but has sufficient resiliency to restore its patency over time. Delayed fluid communication between the outflow and inflow ends of the drainage tube permits a scar tissue bleb to form around the plate. The plate desirably has a peripheral ridge and fenestrations, and a longer suturing tab extending from one side of the plate to enhance visibility and accessibility when suturing the shunt to the sclera.
US08353844B2
Spirometry-based method for continuous monitoring of work of breathing and monitoring device thereof
A spirometry-based device for continuous monitoring of work of breathing (WOB) includes a flow sensor and a respiratory mechanics module connected with the flow sensor. The flow sensor may sample an airway gas flow and an airway pressure when a patient is in a state of inspiration. The respiratory mechanics module may calculate an incremental amount of a gas volume that flows to the patient side in a sampling period, calculate a product of the airway pressure and the incremental amount of the gas volume in the sampling period, and accumulate the product into the WOB.
US08353838B2
An ultrasound probe includes a transducer which is pivotally mounted inside a fluid chamber for scanning a region outside the probe as the transducer is oscillated. A volume compensation balloon is attached to the fluid chamber and is partially filled with acoustic fluid at nominal (room) temperatures. The balloon is made of a high performance thermoplastic which enables the balloon to have a very thin wall. The thin wall is highly compliant as the volume of the fluid inside the balloon changes, and remains so at low temperatures of transport and use. The thin wall exhibits a low permeability to the acoustic fluid. The balloon is formed of a non elastic material and exhibits good thermal stability and high burst strength.
US08353836B2
The present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus realizing improved visibility of a contour shape of signal components in an ultrasonic blood flow spectrum display image. The apparatus includes a gray-level correction unit for correcting intensity of an output result of a Doppler processing unit. The Doppler processing unit calculates a Doppler frequency shift in a reception signal output from a receiver and calculates blood flow velocity of a subject on the basis of the Doppler frequency shift. The gray-level correction unit has: a filtering unit for separating a signal and a noise from each other, which are included in a time-varying waveform of the blood flow velocity of the subject obtained by the Doppler processing unit on the basis of continuity on a space defined by the blood flow velocity and time; and a gray-level corrector for performing a gray level correction using, as a parameter, a boundary value between signal intensity and noise intensity obtained by the filtering unit.
US08353826B2
Methods and devices for retracting tissue in a surgical procedure to allow access to the surgical site. Retractor systems and methods that comprise a retractor frame comprising rotatable arms and a linearly translatable arm, the rotatable arms and the linearly translatable arm each coupled to blades that can angulate.
US08353820B2
A medical apparatus according to the present invention includes: an image pickup section including an observation window, the image pickup section being led into a body; a holding section that holds the image pickup section inside the body; a covering section that is connected to the holding section and covers the observation window to set the image pickup section in a non-photographable state; and a field-of-view control section that variably controls the covering of the observation window by the covering section and sets the image pickup section in a photographable state to allow the image pickup section to photograph a subject inside the body.
US08353815B2
An instrument for an endoscope includes an insertion portion inserted into an instrument insertion channel of the endoscope, and a pair of biopsy cups provided at the distal end of the insertion portion so as to be able to be openable and closable. Also, an operation portion for operating the paired biopsy cups is provided at the proximal end of the insertion portion. The operation portion is provided with a hook, and an engaged member engageable with the hook is attached to a part protruding out from the endoscope, of the insertion portion.
US08353812B2
A handheld radiation delivery system is disclosed that includes a two-part delivery module comprising a reusable portion that contains a radioactive source wire and a disposable portion that includes a drive assembly for moving the radioactive source wire between storage and treatment positions. A disposable applicator tip is provided that includes a cannula for receiving the radioactive source wire when in the treatment position and a mechanism for limiting the number of uses of the device. A handheld cable actuator is operatively connected to the disposable portion of the handpiece to impart motion to the source wire.
US08353807B2
A method for compensating functional disabilities of the foot of a wearer including the steps of placing a shoe on a wearer; attaching a first attachment member about a lower leg of the wearer such that the first attachment member has a first connecting member flexibly extending from the first attachment member and directed toward the foot; attaching a second attachment member in engagement with a shoe placed over the wearer's foot such that the second attachment has a second attachment member flexibly extending therefrom and directed toward the lower leg of the wearer. The first and second connecting members are coupled such that the flexible connecting member extends at an acute angle from the lower leg of the wearer at a point above the joint of a leg and foot to a point forward of the leg at the instep of the foot.
US08353804B2
A hybrid transmission for a vehicle and its method of use are described. The transmission may have an internal combustion engine and an electric device. A torque converter is connected between the internal combustion engine and a set of direction clutches. The direction clutches are also connected to an intermediate gear set. The electric device is also connected to the intermediate gear set for providing rotational energy to the intermediate gear set or absorbing energy from the intermediate gear set. The electric device is connected to at least one super capacitor.
US08353802B2
A front wheel drive transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes a sun gear member, a planet carrier member, and a ring gear member. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and a brake arranged within a transmission housing. Each of the clutches and the brake are located within specific areas defined by the planetary gear sets and the housing walls.
US08353798B2
A gear transmission comprises an internal gear member, a carrier, an external gear and a first shaft. An internal gear is formed on an inner circumference of the internal gear member. The carrier is positioned coaxially with an axis of the internal gear and is rotatably supported on the internal gear member. The external gear meshes with the internal gear and is supported on the carrier in an eccentrically rotatable manner. The first shaft extends through the carrier along the axis of the internal gear, is rotatably supported on the carrier and transmits torque inputted at one end to the other end thereof.
US08353797B2
A planetary gear set for a transmission, the planetary gear set having a sun gear, a ring gear and a carrier assembly. The carrier assembly includes an annular first carrier member, at least one pinion pin, and at least one planet gear assembly. The first carrier member has at least one radial groove connecting a step surface to an inner surface of a pinion pin bore. A pinion pin has a bearing surface and a bore. The bore has a first and a second open end, the first open end in communication with the bearing surface the second open end in communication with the radial groove of the carrier member.
US08353773B2
A communication game system includes a plurality of game apparatuses which are able to wirelessly communicate with each other. Each game apparatus registers identifying information of an opponent obtained by a short-distance wireless communication or by user's manual input in a friend list. Thereafter, the game apparatus connects to the Internet, and inquiries whether it is possible to communicate with an opponent in the friend list over the network. If it is possible to communicate, the game apparatus obtains an address of the opponent to make a network communication. Even if a user makes a short distance wireless communication with a friend to exchange and register the identifying information or registers the friend by hand and then is parted from the friend, the user can safely communicate with the friend across the network without being exposed to unknown players. In a case that an additional opponent is to be added to the multiplayer game session, one of the participants transmits identifying information to introduce the communicating opponents to each other. The game apparatuses introduced to each other make a communication over the network, and add the identifying information of the opponents to the friend list, if necessary.
US08353772B2
The present invention embodiments pertain to conducting fantasy sports or other competitions, where users select or draft an entirely new team of professional players each week (or at other suitable time interval). The competition types (including playoffs) include fee based and free. Each fee based competition has a pre-determined entry fee, and prizes are awarded to the winner of that competition each week. The free competitions similarly include weekly prizes and further provide for a grand prize. Within each of the free and fee based types of competitions, users may compete in a “private” competition or a randomly composed “open” competition. Users within the free and fee based competitions may accumulate points that qualify for redemption to obtain prizes. These points are accumulated based upon the statistical performance of the drafted players for each team. The present invention embodiments further provide mechanisms for information sharing and interaction between users.
US08353768B2
A method of managing a card game, a computer implementation thereof, and a card game kit are disclosed. In the method, a plurality of cards are dealt in one or more rounds to a plurality of players, each player receiving one or more cards in each round, with each card bearing a designated value and suit. The values and suits of the cards dealt are recorded in each round. Those values and suits are then revealed to the players during one or more of the rounds to enable the players to wager or withdraw from the game.
US08353763B2
A method of managing bets includes receiving first types of bets and second types of bets. Each first type of bet comprises a bet that the number of units earned by a participant in a plurality of events will fall within a first range of numbers. Each second type of bet comprises a bet that the number of units earned by the participant over a course of a plurality of events will fall within a second range of numbers. The total number of units earned by the participant is determined based on the positioning of the participant in each event. The method includes determining whether the first or second type of bets are winning bets. A betting pool is determined based on the total amounts associated with the first and second types of bets. A payout is determined based on the betting pool and the total amounts of the winning bets.
US08353760B2
Systems and methods for embedding and tracking revenue from fully operational games into third party websites are disclosed.
US08353754B2
A gaming system comprising: a display; a symbol selector arranged to select a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for display in a display area on the display; a plural special symbol determiner arranged to determine whether a plural special symbol representing a number (N) of special symbols is to be activated; a symbol modifier arranged to operate in response to a determination that a plural special symbol is to be activated so as to modify display of at least one symbol selected by the symbol selector so that the symbols displayed in the display area after modification include N singular special symbols; and an outcome generator arranged to determine a game outcome based on the displayed symbols as modified by the symbol modifier.
US08353749B2
The “Vehicle Tracking System and Game” integrates a GPS navigation system with invention specific hardware and software. A user installs a mobile unit on his race vehicle which features software allowing a processor connected to the electronics of the user's vehicle to communicate with an inertial navigation system which collects racing information, with a remote database which features software for various interactive real-time or virtual GPS Racing Games and processing the racing information of all users, and with a GPS system in real time. The mobile unit collects, processes, saves and transmits user specific racing information continuously throughout the game. This racing information is data of racing performance parameters specific to the game subscribed for by the user. The database processes and evaluates the received racing information, offsets this information with the users' basic input data and compares the information of all users.
US08353747B2
A method of operating a set of devices comprises receiving a real-world description (30) in the form of an instruction set of a markup language, selecting a source of assets (32) for use by the set of devices, and operating the devices (34) according to the description. The source of assets can be a local store or a broadcast channel, or a combination of the two.
US08353744B2
A method for processing a carcass part of slaughtered poultry including making two incisions on the back side of the carcass part, and detaching at least a part of the back meat that is naturally present on the carcass part using a scraper, the scraper having a cutting edge with a curved shape in a plane that substantially extends perpendicular to the direction of the spine, the curved shape substantially matching the side of the back of the contour of the bone parts of the carcass part from which the back meat must be detached, as seen in the direction of the spine, wherein detachment of the back meat by the scraper starts from the incisions along the spine, and the carcass part and the scraper move relative to each other while the meat is being detached.
US08353742B1
A machine utilizing gravity to reduce costs when rolling a food dough casing around a sausage. The machine includes first, second, and third conveyors, a carrier, and a pusher block. The third conveyor is disposed to one side of the carrier, and is rotatably affixed to a horizontal surface. The second conveyor is rotatably affixed above the third conveyor. The pusher block is disposed to the other side of the carrier, is slidably affixed to the horizontal surface, and pushes the sausage towards the carrier, initially. The first conveyor is rotatably affixed above the pusher block, and conveys the food dough casing initially, and thereafter, the food dough casing falls downwardly by the gravity. The carrier is disposed between the pusher block and the third conveyor, is rotatably affixed to the horizontal surface, and relays a partially food dough cased sausage to between the second conveyor and the third conveyor.
US08353741B2
A system and a method for removing a coating from a substrate. The system provides a compressed air source, a heated water source, a particulate cleaning medium source, and a mixing valve including an air input, a water input, and a particulate cleaning medium input. The inputs are positioned on the valve so that the water input is positioned downstream of the compressed air input, and the particulate cleaning medium input is positioned downstream of both the compressed air and water inputs. The method of mixing the air, water, and particulate cleaning medium provides a coating removal mixture having a volumetric ratio of air to water of at least 100:1 and a volumetric ratio of air to particulate cleaning medium of at least 70:1.
US08353737B2
A toy system includes a drivable surface that includes location encoding markings. A toy vehicle or mobile agent is provided that includes a drive motor, an imaging system for taking images of the markings, a vehicle wireless transceiver, and a microcontroller operatively coupled to the motor, the imaging system, and the vehicle wireless transceiver. A basestation is provided that includes a controller operatively coupled to a basestation wireless transceiver. Via wireless communication between the wireless transceivers of the toy vehicle and the basestation, an action to be implemented by the toy vehicle can be determined by the basestation and communicated to the toy vehicle, whereupon the microcontroller of the toy vehicle controls detailed movement of the toy vehicle on the drivable surface based on images taken of the markings of the drivable surface by the imaging system to cause the toy vehicle to implement the action on the drivable surface.
US08353732B2
A connector in which terminal extraction work using an extraction jig can surely be done when necessary and also at the normal time, a terminal of the other connector can be connected to a terminal of the inside of a terminal receiving chamber without any mistakes and fear of a poor fit can be removed is provided. In the connector having two connector housings 20, 10 attached with the connector housings stacked mutually, a connector front wall 17 with which the front ends of terminal receiving chambers 21 of the first connector housing 20 are covered is formed integrally to the second connector housing 10, and a terminal insertion opening 18 opened in the connector front wall 17 is provided so as to deviate from the front of a first terminal 70 and be positioned in the front of a first lance 22 for locking the first terminal when both the connector housings are held in a temporary locking position.
US08353725B2
A contact which makes it possible to make a connection unit compact in size. A pair of supporting portions opposed to each other in a predetermined direction are provided on opposite side edges of a plate-shaped base portion with which an associated one of electrodes of a photovoltaic unit is brought into contact, such that the supporting portions rise from the opposite side edges, respectively. The pair of supporting portions are each formed with a slit for supporting a terminal portion of a diode.
US08353722B1
An electrical connector includes an insulating housing having a front surface concaved rearward to define a receiving chamber with a tongue board therein. Electrical terminals are disposed in the tongue board and elastically stretch into the receiving chamber. A frame-shaped holding shell is mounted in the receiving chamber. A shielding cover adapted for being connected to ground and punched from a metal board has a base board with a window being opened therein and a plurality of contact strips being formed and apart arranged to periphery edges of the base board. The base board is covered onto the front surface of the insulating housing with the window being communicated with the receiving chamber. The contact strips stretch freely outside the insulating housing. A shielding shell is put around the insulating housing and electrically connected with the shielding cover.
US08353720B2
A cable connector assembly includes a first cable connector, a second cable connector, a locking element, and a retaining frame. The first cable connector includes a first base portion. The second cable connector includes a second base portion. The retaining frame includes a front wall. The front wall defines a mounting hole. The mounting hole includes a pair of lengthwise sides and a pair of widthwise sides. The first base portion and the second base portion are slidably received in the mounting hole. The first base portion contacts one of the widthwise sides. The second base portion contacts the first base portion. The locking element is mounted in the mounting hole and squeezed between the second base portion and the other widthwise side to push the second base portion to press on the first base portion.
US08353715B1
An electronic device includes a chassis and an assisting apparatus for unplugging a Registered Jack-45 (RJ-45) connector. The chassis includes a sidewall defining an opening, and a connector installed in the chassis and exposed through the opening. The assisting apparatus includes a press member fixed to the chassis, and an operation member slidably connected to the press member. The press member includes a resilient arm, a press portion protruding up from the resilient arm, and a block protruding down from the resilient arm. The operation member includes a push wall facing the block. When the operation member is slid, the push wall abuts against the block and pushes the resilient arm upwards, the press portion of the resilient arm is moved upwards, for disengaging the resilient plate of the RJ-45 connector from the connector of the chassis.
US08353712B2
A housing (20) is formed with pairs of projections (31A, 31B) at opposite sides in a width direction perpendicular to a connecting direction and supporting shafts (29) located between the projections (31A, 31B) at the opposite widthwise sides and behind the projections (31A, 31B) in the connecting direction and adapted to rotatably support a lever (60). The lever (60) is formed with stoppers for preventing a rotation of the lever (60) by being engaged with the projections (31A) on one widthwise side at a connection start position. Further, the lever (60) is formed with pressing portions (72) for correcting a connection posture of the housing (20) by pressing the projections (31B) on the other widthwise side in the connecting direction when the housing (20) is inclined from a proper connection posture with respect to a mating housing (80) in a process reaching a connection position.
US08353708B2
An electrical connector assembly comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a plurality of cable connectors soldered on the CPU and a CPU socket for electrical connecting the CPU to a printed circuit board (PCB). Each cable connector includes a base having a plurality of first terminals received therein, for contacting with conductive points of the cable. The CPU socket includes an insulating housing having a plurality of second terminals received therein and a loading mechanism attached to the insulating housing. The loading mechanism can simultaneously pressing the cables against the cable connectors and the CPU toward the CPU socket for electrically connecting the CPU with the cables and the PCB.
US08353706B2
A breathing apparatus simulator unit (BASU) comprises a mouthpiece/noseclip subassembly and a cartridge subassembly. The mouthpiece/noseclip subassembly includes the same mouthpiece/noseclip subassembly that is utilized in an actual self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) device. The cartridge subassembly comprises a container containing a reactionary material. The reactionary material reacts with at least one product of a user's exhalation to generate heat and resistance, thereby providing sensations to simulate the use of an actual SCSR.
US08353701B2
A saliva control device for controlling saliva flow from a salivary duct without damaging the salivary duct and surrounding soft oral tissue includes an elastic body, a constriction hole formed through the elastic body, and an interior wall defining the constriction hole. The interior wall is substantially smooth and the elastic body sufficiently stretchable that the constriction hole expands during placement around a salivary duct and the wall constricts around the salivary duct to prevent flow of saliva without substantially cutting off blood flow to and damaging the salivary duct and soft oral tissue surrounding the salivary duct.
US08353699B2
An orthodontic brace system includes brackets having a diamond-shaped tie-wing configuration that defines two parallel, horizontal slots, each of which is adapted to receive an archwire. Each slot is angled with respect to the base of the bracket to produce a specific, maximum torque value, and generally, the maximum torque value of the gingival slot is less than the maximum torque value of the incisal slot. The brackets provide multiple force vectors in different directions simultaneously, which decreases the amount of time required for a patient to wear braces, reduces the number of costly and time consuming visits to an orthodontist, and reduces time and effort required of an orthodontist for installation and adjustment of the braces on a per visit basis.
US08353698B2
A coaxial injection device for injecting and dispersing reagents into a reactor, including an exterior duct for high-velocity gas injection; an outer-middle injector with at least one nozzle for liquid injection; an inner-middle duct for low-velocity gas injection; and an interior injector with nozzle for liquid injection; wherein, the exterior duct is formed by the internal wall of an insert and the external wall of the outer-middle injector; and is located externally to and circumferentially surrounds all other injectors and ducts; the outer-middle injector is formed by two concentric cylinders with end plate and injector nozzles; the inner-middle duct is formed by interior wall of the outer-middle injector and the exterior wall of the interior injector; the interior injector is formed by a cylinder with an endplate, the endplate having a nozzle; thereby ensuring the mixing and dispersion of the liquids and gases into the reactor to increase reaction homogeneity, reaction efficiency, reactor efficiency and reduced byproduct formation. A multiple coaxial injection device system and a method for operating the system are also described.
US08353681B2
A compressor, such as an air-conditioning compressor for motor vehicles, particularly with a drive which has an adjustable swept volume, for the intake and compression of a refrigerant and a lubricant separator, which separates lubricant from the refrigerant, in particular, in the discharge pressure region of the compressor. The lubricant is introduced to the drive by a partial flow branching off from the high pressure refrigerant flow.
US08353680B2
A stroke-adjustable air conditioning compressor, in particular for motor vehicles, including a drive mechanism for pistons that move back and forth, the pistons being driven by an adjusting plate, such as a pivoting plate, pivoting ring or swash plate at an adjustable pivoting angle. The position of the pivoting angle is influenced inter alia by compressive forces, inertial forces and elastic forces that are active in the drive mechanism.
US08353673B2
A main rotor blade assembly includes a main spar with an integral cuff. The main spar is directly to a rotor hub assembly through the integral cuff.
US08353666B2
A turbocharger for internal combustion engines, having a heat shield disposed between a turbine housing and center housing of the turbocharger for shielding the center housing from exhaust gases passing through the turbine. The heat shield in one embodiment is centered on a generally conical surface of the center housing, by engagement between the conical surface and a centering portion of the heat shield. In another embodiment, the heat shield has a generally conical portion that is non-axisymmetric, having a plurality of radially enlarged lobes that engage a radially inwardly facing surface of the turbine housing for centering the heat shield.
US08353652B2
An anchor assembly (A) for hollow walls comprises an anchor body (400) and a toggle member (231) that is displaceable between a first position wherein the toggle member (231) is substantially aligned with the anchor body (400) such that the anchor assembly (A) can be inserted in the wall (W) via a cutting distal end (325) of the toggle member (231), and a second position wherein the toggle member (231) extends behind the wall (W) at an angle relative to the anchor body (400) which extends through the wall (W). The toggle member (231) is held captive in the first position but is released and then rotated to the second position by a fastener (218) introduced in the anchor body (400). The fastener (218) threadably engages the toggle member (231) thereby drawing the toggle member (231) against a hidden side of the wall (W).
US08353645B1
A counterbore bit having a blade with paired cutting edges along the distal end of the blade and a circular pilot with a serrated cutting edge positioned medially between the paired cutting edges can be positioned over an embedded nail or fastener and activated to free or clear the embedded nail by creating a pair of concentric bores around and about the nail thus facilitating its extraction by conventional means.
US08353643B2
A method of elevating the deck area of a marine platform (e.g., oil and gas well drilling or production platform) utilizes a specially configured sleeve support to support the platform legs so that they can be cut. Once cut, rams or jacks elevate the platform above the cuts. The sleeve support is then connected (e.g., welded) to the platform leg and becomes part of the structural support for the platform. In one embodiment, two sleeves are employed. In another embodiment, the jacks or rams elevate in two stages including a first stage wherein one sleeve elevates and the other sleeve does not elevate and a second stage wherein both sleeves elevate together.
US08353637B2
Disclosed is an improved toggling dispenser for dispensing substances.
US08353632B2
The fluid dynamic bearing system has at least one stationary part, and at least one rotating part that is supported rotatable about a rotational axis with respect to the stationary part. A bearing gap filled with bearing fluid is formed between mutually opposing surfaces of the stationary and of the rotating part. The bearing system includes at least one fluid dynamic radial bearing and at least one fluid dynamic axial bearing that are disposed along sections of the bearing gap. In one aspect of the invention, an annular sealing gap for sealing open ends of the bearing gap has one end connected to the bearing gap and one end connected to an annular reservoir, the outside radius of the reservoir measured from the rotational axis being larger than the outside radius of the sealing gap.
US08353631B2
A journal foil air bearing 5000 according to the present invention is provided with one top foil 300 along an inner periphery of a hole 18 of a bearing housing 10. Bump foils 20c and 20d are installed at the inner periphery of the hole 18 of the bearing housing 10 where they are distanced from each other. Both ends of the top foil 300 form bent portions 308a and 308b and the bent portions 308a and 308b are mounted in a slot 414 of a slot body 40 mounted in a slot 140 provided in the inner periphery of the hole 18 in the bearing housing 10 and the top foil 300 is elastically movable therein.
US08353627B2
A temperature sensor for a burner comprises two metal wires implementing a thermocouple, a protection sheath receiving the two metal wires, and a head in metal material having a front side intended to be facing the environment, the temperature of which is intended to be measured, and a rear side opposite the front side, in which the two metal wires are connected in a thermal exchange relationship to the head rear side, and the head comprises a front portion connectable to a burner wall of the burner so that the thermocouple is connectable to the burner by means of said metal head.
US08353623B2
The timepiece movement includes a barrel, an escapement that has an escape wheel and pinion (27, 25), a balance (19) and a gear train for transmitting energy stored in the barrel to the escape wheel. This gear train has an intermediary wheel (23), kinematically connected to the barrel by a first part of the gear train, and kinematically connected to the escape wheel (27) by a second part of the gear train, the second part of the gear train, and the escapement and balance are mounted in a rotating carriage (16) kinematically connected to the movement and arranged for rotating coaxially about the intermediary wheel (23) at a different speed from the speed of the intermediary wheel. The timepiece movement is characterized in that it imposes a speed of one revolution per minute on the carriage (16).
US08353621B2
A cooling jacket for use with mixing bowls typically incorporated into industrial mixers is provided. This cooling jacket includes plurality of substantially parallel coolant channels formed from the material of the jacket, wherein each of the plurality of channels further includes a least one vertical portion and at least one horizontal portion, and wherein each horizontal portion further includes a plurality of parallel ridges and parallel valleys formed therein and running lengthwise therethrough.
US08353617B2
A backlight is provided for illuminating an at least partially transmissive display. The backlight includes a light source. A light guide receives the light from an edge surface and guides the light by total internal reflection. The light extracted from the lightguide has an angular emission profile such that when incident on a prism film, collimated light is produced.
US08353616B2
The invention relates to an illumination device (10) for illuminating a surface (101), with at least one lighting element (20) and an illuminating body (30), wherein the lighting element (20) emits an artificial light (21,21), a housing element (40) comprises the lighting element (20) and supports the illuminating body (30), the illuminating body (30) comprises a transparent light conductive material suitable to illuminate the surface (101) lying subjacent. The invention discloses, that the illuminating body (30) comprises a surface pattern (80), forming a Fresnel-type lens to optically magnify the surface (101).
US08353611B2
A fastener includes a main body having a front portion and a rear portion, a securing member engageable with the rear portion of the main body, and a light source unit securable between the securing member and the front portion of the main body, for providing light to illuminate the front portion of the main body.
US08353608B2
A holding hole of a holding body has an edge portion and an inner peripheral surface which is a concavely curved surface connected to the edge portion. In a light source unit which supports a light source, projections are formed at three locations, and each of front surfaces thereof has a convexly curved line having a curvature radius longer than that of the inner peripheral surface. When the light source unit is inserted into the holding hole, the front surfaces of the projections at the three locations are brought into point contact with the edge portion at contact portions on the convexly curved lines.
US08353589B2
Disclosed is a method for forming an image with an ink-jet recoding method which forms the image on a coated printing paper by employing an ink containing water in an amount of 20 to 90% weight based on the total weight of the ink, a pigment and a resin, the method containing the sequential steps of: applying an aqueous processing solution on the coated printing paper; drying the aqueous processing solution applied on the coated printing paper; and ejecting droplets of the ink on the coated printing paper, wherein the aqueous processing solution is capable of aggregating the ink or increasing a viscosity of the ink, and the coated printing paper is heated from 40 to 60° C. during the step of ejecting the droplets of the ink.
US08353586B2
The present invention provides an ink jet printer having storage for storing ink, a recording head including a nozzle for ejecting ink, and a passage between the storage and the recording head for conducting the ink. At least one of these components comprising an ink-contacting member that comprises an antioxidant of the following formula (1) of a concentration of 100 ppm or less: Further, an ink jet recording method using the ink jet printer causes such printer to eject droplets of an ink composition and attach the droplets to a recording medium.
US08353579B2
A first piezoelectric layer is formed with independent electrodes separated from one another and arranged at positions corresponding to openings of pressure chambers. The first layer has independent active portions at positions where the independent electrodes are located. The independent active portions can displace selectively. A second piezoelectric layer is formed with individual electrodes connected by connection electrodes and arranged at positions corresponding to the openings. The second layer has individual active portions at positions where the individual electrodes are located. The individual active portions cannot displace selectively. Each opening has a shape that is longer in one direction than in another direction intersecting the one direction. Each individual electrode has a shape that is longer in the one direction than in the another direction. The connection electrodes connect one-direction ends of the individual electrodes with one another, the one-direction ends being ends in the one direction.
US08353571B2
A printer apparatus includes a drive circuit and a flexible board on which the drive circuit is mounted. A first input line and a second input line for inputting a driving signal respectively to the drive circuit and an actuator are provided on the flexible board. A thermistor that has a high resistance value with terminals provided therein being in an electrically disconnected state at a temperature not less than a predetermined temperature and has a low resistance value with the terminals being in an electrically connected state at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature is provided between the first input line and the second input line.
US08353563B2
A roller pull-out guide pulls out a furniture part from a furniture body in a pull-out direction and slides the furniture part into the furniture body in a slide-in direction. The guide includes at least one guide rail and at least one roller guided in this guide rail as well as a self-retraction device with a spring-loaded, tiltably and displaceably supported tilt slide for retracting the furniture part in the slide-in direction. The tilt slide includes a claw which engages on the roller for the retraction of the furniture part in the slide-in direction.
US08353562B2
The invention relates to an axle body, particularly for a commercial vehicle, wherein the body is configured substantially as an axle pipe, which comprises a center section and at least one receiving section connected thereto for receiving an axle guide, wherein the axle body in the center section has a substantially constant wall thickness, and wherein the axle body in the receiving section, at least in some regions, has a wall thickness that is greater than the wall thickness of the center section.
US08353558B2
A vehicle seat lifter includes front and rear links with upper ends pivoted to a side frame of the seat and lower ends pivoted to front and rear floor brackets. A front hitting segment is in a front portion of the side frame spaced from a front catch in the front bracket, and a rear hitting segment is in a rear portion of the side frame spaced from a rear catch in the rear bracket. The front hitting segment is stopped by the front catch when the side frame is displaced frontward along with a deformation of the front and rear links due to forces during a frontal collision. The rear hitting segment is stopped by the rear catch when the side frame is displaced rearward along with a deformation of the front and rear links due to forces during a rear collision.
US08353556B2
The invention relates to a seat carrier arrangement for a vehicle seat (48) of a utility vehicle, especially a bus, said arrangement comprising a seat carrier (36) supported towards the rear on an energy-absorbing deformation element (52). The seat carrier (36) is embodied as a carrier part of a vehicle structure (10) on the front end of the utility vehicle. The invention also relates to a construction for a utility vehicle, especially a bus, comprising a vehicle structure (10) on the front end, with an upper and a lower absorber plane (12, 14). The invention also relates to at least one front axial bridge (58) of a base frame or a substructure (18) in the region of a front axle formed as a longitudinal deformation element.
US08353551B2
A linear latch interconnecting a pivotally adjustable seatback with a frame location of a vehicle interior. A bracket supported housing pivotally secures to a surface of the frame. An elongated member is supported in linearly displaceable fashion to the bracket and exhibits a plurality of spaced apart apertures. A forward extending end of the member connects to the seatback. A coil spring influences seats over the elongated member and biases the same in a first lineal direction away from the housing. A pair of pins are anchored to an inner support member within the housing and which is biased in a first lateral direction to cause the pins to seat through aligning apertures in the elongated member. A cable retracting mechanism displaces the inner support member in a second opposite direction, causing the pins to outwardly displace from the elongated member and to permit adjustment relative to the housing in order to define a range of seatback motion between upright design and rear recline positions.
US08353548B2
A coupling between a reinforcing rib component and an underbelly component of a vehicle is provided. The coupling comprises a tooth projecting from a first of the components through a second of the components, an aperture formed in the second component and receiving therethrough the tooth, and one or more coupling elements attached to the tooth and bearing against the second component. The tooth urges the coupling elements toward the second component, thereby increasing the contact pressure between the components.
US08353536B2
A flip-book for educating a user is which employs two book components; a first book component and a second book component is described in this invention. An initial portion of the first book component includes a first cover and an initial portion of the second book component includes a second cover. The cover is positioned on the opposite side of the flip-book. The first component and the second component share a book spine. At least one page of ancient religious text is associated with the first book component. At least one page of modern day text is associated with the second book component.
US08353534B2
A vehicle includes a vehicular frame, a utility bed, and a passenger restraint assembly. The utility bed is coupled with the vehicular frame and includes a bed floor, a side wall, and a rear scat. The passenger restraint assembly includes a securing member, a belt and a retractor. The securing member is coupled with the utility bed adjacent to the rear seat. The belt includes a first end; a second end, and a securing portion. The securing portion is configured for selective engagement with the securing member. The retractor is coupled with the side wall. The retractor includes a carrier that is coupled with the first end of the belt and is configured to facilitate selective dispensation of the belt.
US08353528B2
A pressure reducing portion is formed by joining two fabric portions at a position corresponding to an occupant's arm. The pressure reducing portion limits the thickness of the airbag in the widthwise direction of a vehicle and prevents the arm from being pressed inward in the widthwise direction. A support joint portion joins the fabric portions at a position below the lower end of the pressure reducing portion and behind the front end of the pressure reducing portion when the airbag is arranged in such a manner that a linear portion of the airbag extends vertically. The support joint portion projects toward the pressure reducing portion beyond the line including the lower end of the airbag and the lower end of the linear portion. The end of the support joint portion located close to the pressure reducing portion is located below the lower end of the pressure reducing portion.
US08353510B2
A print media feed system for media of variable thickness having a slanted loading platform with drive wheels to direct print media to a feed zone having a belt system and hanging friction wheels to draw out single print medium of varying thickness and feed the medium to a print zone for a ink jet, laser or other printer wherein the print zone includes a floating deck to maintain a constant clearance distance between the printhead and the print medium.
US08353493B2
Various apparatuses to attach a first medical device to a second medical device are described that allow the physician to grasp only a single device while the other device remains securely attached to the one being grasped. The apparatuses, once they are attached to the first medical device, are designed to be easily and quickly attached and detached to a second medical device, normally only requiring the use of one hand. Furthermore, the apparatuses oftentimes include a base that can easily couple and decouple from the portion that is attached to the second medical device so that if the need arises to separately use the second medical device, it can be decoupled from the first medical device without completely removing the apparatus from the second medical device.
US08353478B1
Apparatus and methods provide for a blended wing passenger or cargo aircraft. Aspects of the disclosure provide an aircraft having wings with spars having a thickness at the wing root corresponding to a height of the payload space within the fuselage to which the wings are attached. The wing spars within the wings on each side of the aircraft may each be spliced into an aircraft frame that is part of the fuselage. The wing thickness provides mounting locations for aircraft engines and other components within the wing and passing through the wing spars. With this mid-wing configuration, the fuselage provides support for the various loads experienced by the wings without the use of a conventional structural wing box.
US08353474B2
Apparatuses, systems, and methods for processing system foodstuff are shown and described. Food processing systems can hold and prepare food for consumption. The disclosed embodiments can be quickly and conveniently used to dry, grind, mill, dispense, or otherwise process foodstuff.
US08353473B2
A scrap material recycling apparatus includes a feeder, a shredder and a separator, the feeder and the shredder mutually coupled, and the shredder and separator mutually coupled. The feeder includes a means for compressing a quantity of scrap material and means for advancing the scrap material to the shredder. The shredder includes a grate assembly and a rotor, the rotor having a plurality of cutting means, the rotor mechanically rotated to reduce the scrap material. The separator separates the reduced scrap material by fractional composition. The recycling apparatus may be configured so as to be a transportable system, thereby allowing such system to be relocated at or near scrap material stockpile locations.
US08353471B2
A method of producing a foundation bed (1) for a granulator mill includes the steps that the foundation bed is cast from a plastic- or concrete based casting material in a mold (13) manufactured from thin sheet metal, the mold being given surfaces (16) for cooperation with a granulator mill housing (2) with high precision. In order to avoid after-treatment of the surfaces (16) of the mold intended for cooperation with the granulator mill housing, these surfaces are clamped during the casting process against a common, configurationally stable clamping member.
US08353468B2
The present invention may be embodied as a device for selectively opening or closing an anesthetic reservoir, the device having a first component adaptable to a reservoir and a second component adaptable to a vaporizer. The first component may have a base, a nozzle, and a through-hole. The second component may have a support member with a knob for engaging the through-hole of the first component and preventing liquid from flowing from the through-hole. The first and second components may be threaded to engage with each other such that when the components are twisted relative to each other, the knob may move toward or away from the through-hole to prevent or allow liquid flow.
US08353450B2
A banking system operates to cause financial transfers responsive to card data read from data bearing records by a card reader. The system includes at least one automated banking machine comprising a cash dispenser. The system is operative during a cash dispense transaction request to receive through an automated banking machine, user input of data corresponding to a mobile phone number. The system is operative to generate a security code for the requested cash dispense transaction. The system uses the phone number to send the generated security code to the mobile phone. The cash dispense transaction is allowed to proceed only if the system receives machine user input of the sent security code within a predetermined amount of time.
US08353443B2
A device for cooling a rail weld zone according to the invention includes a first cooler cooling a head portion of the rail weld zone, a second cooler cooling a rail web portion of the rail weld zone, and a control section controlling the first and second coolers. The first cooler includes a first temperature detecting section that detects the temperature of the head portion, and a first ejection section that ejects a first cooling fluid to the head portion. The second cooler includes a second temperature detecting section that detects the temperature of the rail web portion, and a second ejection section that ejects a second cooling fluid to the rail web portion. The control section individually changes the kinds, the flow rates, and the flow velocities of the first and second cooling fluids while cooling the head portion and the rail web portion.
US08353440B2
A surgical device is provided that includes a jaw portion, having a first jaw in opposed correspondence with a second jaw, the second jaw including a surgical member. The surgical device may include a shaft portion coupled to a proximal end of the jaw portion and at least one motor configured to rotate the jaw portion relative to the shaft portion, to move the jaw portion relative to the shaft portion, move the first jaw relative to the second jaw and move the surgical member within the second jaw. The surgical member may be prevented from moving within the second jaw unless the first jaw is in a closed position relative to the second jaw. Advantageously, the surgical member may be, e.g., a cutting element and/or a stapling element, disposed within one of the jaws.
US08353436B2
A surgical instrument having a handle portion, an elongated portion defining a longitudinal axis therethrough, an end effector, and a pin. The elongated portion extends distally from the handle portion. The end effector is disposed adjacent the elongated portion and includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The pin is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the first jaw member and includes an engaging section. In operation, the pin moves between a first position and a second position. While in the first position, the engaging portion of the pin is spaced from the second jaw member. In the second position, the engaging portion of the pin engages the second jaw member. The second jaw member includes a locking structure configured to maintain the position of the second jaw member with respect to the first jaw member during actuation of the end effector.
US08353427B2
An automatic dispensing apparatus for dispensing hand-sanitizer lotion, which is powered using a rechargeable battery pack rechargeable via solar cells, which battery pack is pivotally mounted in the upper interior section of the main frame of the dispenser, above the liquid-storage bag, whereby as the liquid storage bag is depleted after continual use, the weight of the battery pack serves to compress the storage bag to thereby increase the pressure therein, so that the delay of the dispensing of the liquid does not increase over time as the bag becomes depleted. Also provided is a lower, pivotal tray located below the dispensing nozzle of the dispensing apparatus by which drippings and excess dispensed amounts are caught by the tray and do not fall upon the floor therebelow. A front cover is rotatable to an upper position such that it does not rotate back down by itself in order to allow unencumbered access to the interior of the apparatus for changing storage bags and batteries. The apparatus also contains an aerosol spray canister for spraying a sanitizing mist into the ambient surroundings after the apparatus has dispensed sanitizing fluid onto the hands.
US08353425B2
A system for controlled advancement of product. Systems of this invention includes a pushing system having a track, a pusher, and an optional resistance mechanism. The resistance mechanism couples to the track and the pusher, controlling forward movement of the pusher along the track and thereby controlling the speed at which product is advanced for access by the consumer. Certain embodiments of the invention include additional mechanisms to further limit the forward progression of the pusher along the track, such as a stop mechanism or an indexing mechanism.
US08353417B1
A multi-purpose floatable container includes a casing, a cap, at least one linkage disc, and at least one buckling bolt. The casing has four corners and each corner has a linking groove, an upper hole, an upper enlarged hole, and a lower hole. The at least one linkage disc is partially and respectively inserted into at least one of the linking grooves. Each one of the at least one linkage disc has four connecting orifices longitudinally defined through the linkage disc. Each one of the at least one buckling bolt is inserted into the top hole of one of the corners, the upper hole, the connecting orifice, and the lower hole for fixing the cap on the casing. The container can be utilized as a single unit for storing objects in the casing. Multiple containers can also be assembled to form a floating platform for diversified purposes.
US08353404B2
The present invention discloses a pod which includes a lower cover member, an upper cover member and a guiding locking piece. The guiding locking piece deployed on one side of the upper cover member of pod, the overall structure of which is formed by a flat base linking to a first slope that links to a second slope, two openings deployed on two side areas of the overall structure, and an upper locking piece and a lower locking piece deployed in each of two openings. When the mask is placed into the lower cover member of pod and is covered by the upper cover member, the mask is pushed to certain position and supported and locked by the upper locking piece and the lower locking piece.
US08353402B2
A tray for storing and transporting bottles includes a plurality of spaced apart base walls each for supporting a bottle thereon. A plurality of interior columns extend upwardly between the base walls. Longitudinal dividers connect the interior columns. Lateral dividers connect the interior columns to side columns along side edges of the tray. The side columns have tapered mid-portions, such that upwardly-opening windows between side columns are contoured convexly.
US08353397B2
A fastener system includes a toy product, a support platform, and a plug that engages a keyhole formed into the product. The plug includes a base and a pronged key extending from the base. The support platform includes a through-hole that permits the passage of the key into the packaging. One or more integrally-formed biasing members are located on the base of the plug to draw the key toward the product and create a secure connection. The pronged key may be formed from a plastic material and configured such that it plastically deforms but remains attached to the key when and predetermined force is applied to the key to pull the key from a misaligned position with respect to the key hole. The key may also be formed as two prongs, each of the prongs including a first portion positioned transversely with respect to the shaft and a second, canted, portion extending between the first portion of the prong and the distal end of the shaft, the canted portions of the prongs intersecting at a line proximate the distal end of the shaft, such that the prongs deform or move towards one another along the intersecting line but remain attached to the plug when and force of at least about 20 pounds is applied to the plug to pull the plug and prongs from a misaligned position with respect to the keyhole.
US08353394B2
A continuous constant-rate feeding system includes at least one storage unit, a scratching unit and a water-cooled screw feeding unit. The storage unit includes a tank and an agitator. The tank stores material and includes upper and lower chambers. The agitator is rotationally located in the upper chamber for agitating the material. The scratching unit includes upper and lower scratchers and a material divider. The upper scratcher is located in the upper chamber and can spin to convey the material from the upper chamber into the lower chamber. The lower scratcher is located in the lower chamber and can spin to convey the material from the lower chamber into the water-cooled screw feeding unit. The material divider locates between the upper and lower chambers and spin automatically or manually to fall the material from the upper chamber into the lower chamber through a specific aperture alternately.
US08353388B2
A 3-point suspension forklift scale adapted for quick and easy attachment/detachment to/from a forklift—without the need for leveling or other pre-operation setup procedures. Further, due to the single lower reaction point of the forklift scale, there is no concern that the initially installed position of the forklift scale will change during use as a result of a loose adjuster, repositioning due to impact, etc. The forklift scale is designed to accurately determine the weight of a load placed on the forks or other lifting elements of the forklift, regardless of the position of the load thereon. Preferably, a forklift scale of the present invention includes a central viewing window that allows an operator see through the forklift scale when operating an associated forklift.
US08353386B2
An improved safety harness and method of using same that allows for self-rescue and suspension trauma relief from either a vertical or horizontal anchor, such as a tree or an overhead beam, the safety harness having an adjustable front tie-in assembly whereby the distance between the waist strap and the thigh straps can be adjusted. The wearer is able to change from rear suspension to front suspension after a fall without the necessity of completely detaching from a safety line.
US08353377B2
A windrower having an adjustable axle to vary a width of steerable caster-mounted rear wheels operably connected by right and left steering cylinders mounted to right and left reaction arms pivoted to respective rods coupled to steering arms fixed to respective spindles mounted within a cylindrical receptacle at outer ends of the adjustable axle. One embodiment each reaction arm has a bracket coupled to a fixed portion of the rear axle when telescopic end sections of the axle are in a narrow width position, and selectively mounted to outer ends of the telescopic end sections of the axle when in a wide width position. A second embodiment has the reaction arms mounted to spindle receptacles at outer ends of the axle sections to provide the reaction arms with an infinite number of angular positions about the spindle receptacles for different tread widths of the steered rear wheels.
US08353366B2
A particle impact drilling system and method are described. In several exemplary embodiments, the system and method may be a part of, and/or used with, an apparatus or system, methods, to excavate a subterranean formation. The system can including, for example, removing near-borehole damage, casing, window milling, fishing, drilling with casing, under reaming, coring, perforating, effective circulatory density management, assisted annular flow, and directional control. Embodiments of associated systems and methods are also included.
US08353363B2
The invention is based on a device for handheld power tool for detecting a torque, having at least one sensor unit. It is proposed that the sensor unit is intended for detecting a deformation parameter. The sensor unit has at least one sensor element that is embodied as a strain gauge. A gearbox is provided which has a bearing location for receiving a deformation element of the sensor unit. An electronic unit evaluates detected data from the at least one sensor unit.
US08353361B2
A pneumatic tool which can be easily assembled. This pneumatic tool includes a tool housing and an air supply pipe. The tool housing includes a motor housing having a tubular wall, and a tubular air supply/exhaust portion connected to the side surface of the tubular wall and extending rearwardly of the pneumatic tool. The air supply pipe has a valve unit, and is inserted into and set in the air supply/exhaust portion. The air supply/exhaust portion has an air supply passage extending from the motor housing. When the air supply pipe is inserted into and fixed to the air supply/exhaust portion, the forward end portion of the air supply pipe is communicated with a rear end opening of the air supply passage of the air supply/exhaust portion, whereby a compressed air supply passage to an air motor is formed.
US08353359B2
A connecting apparatus and method of using the apparatus provide for attaching an implement to a utility vehicle that has a 3-point hitch including lower lift arms and connecting arms attached to rockshaft arms. The attachment apparatus and corresponding method include a lift support attached to the lower lift arms of the 3-point hitch. This combination of the lift support and lower lift arms provides for the hydraulic positioning of the implement, so that the implement (and/or brackets attached to the implement) may be attached to the utility vehicle (and/or brackets attached to the utility vehicle) without removing the lower lift arms and connecting arms.
US08353352B2
A switch mechanism is provided for inclusion in a downhole production string located in a wellbore. The switch mechanism includes an electrical power input and at least two electrical power outputs. In addition, the switch mechanism includes an actuator mechanism which is capable of being actuated from a position remote from the wellbore to selectively move between at least two positions. The movement thereby provides a selective electrical connection between the input and one of the outputs when the actuator is in one of the at least two positions.
US08353348B2
Method and required apparatus to provide the closed-loop feedback control of a remote electric motor that has specific required operating parameters which is used to turn a rotary drill bit to drill a borehole in the earth that receives electrical energy through a long umbilical possessing insulated electrical conduits that includes the steps of measuring a set of electrical parameters with a multiplicity of sensors located near the electric motor, sending that measured information to a computer on the surface of the earth, comparing the measured information with the required operating parameters within the computer, adjusting an uphole power generator system to adjust its electrical output parameters to provide electrical energy to a portion of the umbilical located on the surface of the earth, repeating the measurements and adjustments to provide the closed-loop feedback control of the electric motor having specific required operating parameters.
US08353342B2
Methods and apparatus relate to both generating steam for injection into a wellbore and capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) produced when generating the steam. A direct steam generator (DSG) makes the steam by contacting water with a combustion area for hydrogen and oxygen. Quantity of the steam made exceeds quantity of water input into the steam generator since the steam includes vaporized water resulting from combustion of the hydrogen and oxygen mixed with the water inputted and heated. Steam-methane-reforming or autothermal-reforming produces the hydrogen stripped of the CO2 prior to introduction into the steam generator. Further, an air separation unit supplies the oxygen to the steam generator.
US08353340B2
Methods and apparatus relate to in situ combustion. Configurations of the injection and production wells facilitate the in situ combustion. Utilizing wet combustion for some embodiments promotes heat displacement for hydrocarbon recovery with procedures in which one or more of the production and injection wells are configured with lengths deviated from vertical. In some embodiments for either dry or wet combustion, at least the production wells define intake lengths deviated from vertical and that are disposed at staged levels within a formation. Each of the productions wells during the in situ combustion allow for recovery of hydrocarbons through gravity drainage. Vertical separation between the intake lengths of the production wells enables differentiated and efficient removal of combustion gasses and the hydrocarbons.
US08353332B2
An integrated electronics cooling device including a substrate having a first surface for mounting one or more electronic components and a second surface, a cooling assembly including a cooling chamber bounded on one side by the second surface of the substrate, and a vacuum insulated coolant conduit for providing a coolant to and removing the coolant from the cooling assembly.
US08353330B2
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger and, more particularly, to a heat exchanger which is provided with a discharge part formed by opening of some portion of a partition wall, thereby capable of facilitating discharge of oil, air and foreign substances.
US08353327B2
A canvas stretching assembly has adjustable stretching bars connecting in an end-to-end configuration that allow for the stretching of a canvas, even after the canvas is mounted thereon, with the degree of stretching being adjustable in multiple directions. The canvas stretching assembly, when disassembled, may be compactly stored, which is especially appreciated for shipment purposes.
US08353326B2
A three-dimensional fabric with three-layered structure is provided. The three-dimensional fabric comprises a surface layer, a backing layer, an intermediate layer, a first interconnection portion for connecting the surface layer and the backing layer, and a second interconnection portion for connecting the intermediate layer and the backing layer. The three-dimensional fabric with three-layered structure can be woven on a single loom in a batch operation and undergo transformation between two-dimensional shape and three-dimensional shape. This fabric is applicable as materials for blinds with high light-shielding rate because intermediate portions have a multi-layered structure.
US08353320B2
Apparatus for filling containers with liquids and in particular with beverages, includes a reservoir for the liquid to be bottled and a connecting line for transporting the liquid from the reservoir to a filling device. The filling device has a first valve device for controlling a liquid flow into the container. The apparatus has a second valve device arranged in the connecting line in series with the first valve device, wherein the quantity of liquid flowing past the second valve device and the quantity of liquid reaching the filling device are essentially identical.
US08353318B2
A medical liquid filling system and associated methods are provided, the system comprising a disposable and a drive system. The disposable includes a tubular member and a piston slidably disposed within the tubular member for retraction and advancement within at least a first portion of the tubular member. The disposable may include a seal member for sealing the first portion of the tubular member and may be interconnected to the piston for co-movement therewith. The drive system may include a piston drive member selectively interconnectable to the piston for driven advancement and retraction of the piston within the tubular member. The drive system may be interconnected to a controller, which may be operable to automate or semi-automate various filling operations. A user interface may be interconnected to the controller for providing input of various system operation parameters, which may be communicated to the controller to facilitate automated or semi-automated operation of the filing system.
US08353314B2
A modular coupling system allows a combined gas canister and integral regulator to be used with a wide range of different utilizer devices such as flow meter, conservor or delivery apparatus. A first coupling part is secured to the pressurized gas canister permanently, and carries a combined main delivery valve and venting valve to allow connection of the gas utilizer to the canister by means of a second coupling part formed integrally with or attached to the gas utilizer device by a simple push and twist action which, upon fitting, closes the venting valve; and opens the main delivery valve in sequence.
US08353310B2
Internal valve apparatus are described. An example internal valve includes a body having a valve seat disposed between an inlet and an outlet. A flow control member operatively coupled to the body moves between a first position in which the flow control member engages the valve seat to restrict the flow of fluid through the valve and a second position in which the flow control member is spaced from the valve seat to allow the flow of fluid through the valve. The example internal valve further includes a removable actuation member disposed within the body and responsive to a fluid pressure to cause the flow control member to move between the first and second positions.
US08353307B2
A hose wagon wherein the hose wagon frame assembly is structured to rotatably support a hose reel so that the hose reel may rotate freely about a generally vertical axis and a generally horizontal axis. This is accomplished by providing a water supply assembly having two rotational interfaces; one allowing rotation about a vertical axis, the other allowing rotation about a horizontal axis. Further, the hose wagon is free of frame members that extend vertically into the possible path of travel of a hose disposed on the hose reel. The frame assembly includes a handle member that is structured to move between an upper, first position, wherein the handle is disposed on the upper side of the hose wagon, and a second position, wherein the handle is disposed at a location lower than the path of travel of the hose coming off the hose reel.
US08353303B2
Disclosed herein is a portable folding type hairstyling tool. The hairstyling tool includes a casing unit which also serves as a handle, and a hairstyling unit which is inserted into or unfolded from the casing unit to be used by pivoting. The hairstyling unit includes an electric heating part for applying heat to the hair, and the casing unit includes a power source. The hairstyling unit has a rotary switch around a hinge part, thus allowing power to be supplied to the electric heating part by a power source only when the hairstyling unit is unfolded from the casing unit.
US08353302B2
Provided is a smoking article including a smokeable filler with a high aerosol former content and a filter. Preferably, the smokeable filler includes about 4 wt % glycerin to about 35 wt % glycerin. The filter includes a cylindrical tube attached to the tobacco rod with tipping paper, a first filter segment at a location along said cylindrical tube adjacent and in a downstream relation to said tobacco rod, and a flow restricting filter segment at a location adjacent and in a downstream relation to the first filter segment. In an embodiment, the filter also includes a cavity adjacent and in a downstream relation to the flow restricting filter segment, and a ventilation zone at a location along the cavity including perforations that extend through the tipping paper and the cylindrical tube. Preferably, the ventilation zone is in a downstream relation to the flow restricting filter segment.
US08353292B2
A breathing assistance apparatus operates in alternating inhalation and expiratory phases wherein a) the control means of the apparatus include selection means capable of selecting a pressure parameter or a flow rate parameter to define; b) the reference value for the gas source, the selection means are controlled by an automatic control unit being: I) connected to pressure and flow rate sensors situated on the inhalation duct to form a direct closed regulation loop for selecting a reference value parameter, II) associated to a program allowing the selection to be made in real time from a pressure or flow rate signal, so that the association of a direct closed regulation circuit for the selection of a reference value parameter with a valve permitting proportional operation, allows real time control of barometric and volumetric operating modes, between and during the inhalation and expiratory phases. The invention also concerns associated operating processes.
US08353290B2
A compact continuous positive airway pressure apparatus and method provide a flatter profile and more compact thickness, including a larger lateral dimension in order to be accommodated in conventional luggage designed to stow laptop computers having a smaller aspect ratio of thickness to length or thickness to width. Air tubing may be coiled within a case or coiled as about a spool-like configuration in the base unit of the device.
US08353288B2
A patient care unit (1) with a reclining surface has one or more docking devices designed as inductive coupling sites (7) for medical technical devices (10, 11, 12), which consume electrical energy and can be connected to the patient care unit. The inductive coupling sites (7) also supply the patient care unit (1) with electrical energy by means of an external line connection, which is likewise coupled inductively with the patient care unit (1).
US08353287B1
A nebulizer includes a piezoelectric transducer for aerosolizing a drug solution in a disposable cup module disposed above the transducer. Acoustic waves generated by the transducer propagate sequentially through transmitting medium, a first barrier, coupling medium, and a second barrier that forms part of the cup module, and into the interior of the cup module. The transducer at least partially comprises silver. The silver fluidly contacts the transmitting medium to discourage bacteria growth in the transmitting medium. The device includes electronics components that drive the transducer and measure an electrical characteristic associated with the transducer during operation. The electronics components measure changes in the electrical characteristic to determine when the drug solution level falls below a predetermined threshold, and deactivates the device accordingly.
US08353284B1
A solar water-heating apparatus comprises an outer container sized and configured to receive a smaller inner container. The inner container includes an opening formed in an upright wall and an opening formed in a floor. A gap is located between the two containers. Once the device has been filled with a liquid, the liquid present within the gap may be heated by solar energy. The device may include a valve to prevent unintended flow of the liquid.
US08353281B2
A control arrangement for a gas stove, wherein the control arrangement includes a gas burner; a control element to switch the gas burner on and off; a signal transducer to generate a first signal that depends on a position of the control element; a first control apparatus to control, depending on the first signal of the signal transducer, igniting or extinguishing a flame on the gas burner; and a second control apparatus that is arranged between the signal transducer and the first control apparatus. In at least one position of the control element, a second signal is fed to the first control apparatus that simulates continuous switching on and off of the gas burner.
US08353279B2
A grill comprising a front, a rear, a grill base, a first grill door and a second grill door. The first grill door comprises an opening and is in hinged communication with the grill base. The second grill door is in communication with the first grill door via a hinge, which is disposed at a rear portion of the opening. When the second grill door is in a closed position, the second grill door seals the opening in the first grill door. A method of grilling comprising the steps of opening the first grill door, placing food on the grill base and closing the first grill door to cook food. The method further comprises the steps of opening the first and the second grill door during the cooking process, thereby creating a flue that urges smoke away from the front of the grill and towards the rear of the grill.
US08353276B2
A system and method for improving processing of gases contained within the crankcase of an internal combustion engine is presented. The system is especially suited for single boiling point fuels because it allows the storage of such fuels until the fuel can be opportunistically combusted.
US08353275B2
A method for providing intake air to an engine in a vehicle includes forming a mixture of fresh air and treated exhaust, and compressing the mixture upstream of a first throttle valve coupled to an intake manifold of the engine. The method further includes, during a higher engine-load condition, admitting the mixture to the intake manifold via the first throttle valve, and, during a lower engine-load condition, admitting fresh air to the intake manifold via a second throttle valve.
US08353273B2
A control module and method for operating the same includes a diurnal control valve module that opens a diurnal control valve (DCV) and an evaporative leak check module (ELCM) diverter valve control module that switches on an ELCM diverter valve. The control module includes a correlation module performs a correlation of a ELCM pressure signal and a fuel tank pressure signal and that generates a fault signal in response to the correlation when the DCV valve is open and the ELCM diverter valve is on.
US08353272B2
The present invention relates to a fuel injection system for the direct injection of fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. At least one fuel injection valve is arranged on a cylinder head in a receiving bore in order to inject fuel into the combustion chamber. A fuel distribution line is provided for feeding the fuel to the fuel injection valve. A compensation element for a position compensation and/or tolerance compensation, is arranged in the radial direction between the fuel injection valve and the cylinder head and is arranged in the axial direction of the fuel injection valve between a first sealing element, sealing between the fuel injection valve and the cylinder head on a side facing the combustion chamber of the fuel injection valve, and a second sealing element, sealing between the fuel injection valve and the fuel distribution line. Further provided is a support ring, which is arranged between the fuel injection valve and the cylinder head and which provides support for the fuel injection valve in the axial direction on a step of the receiving bore and which has a clearance in the radial direction.
US08353264B2
In a valve drive device, especially for an internal combustion engine including a camshaft with a cam element which is axially movably supported on the camshaft but in a rotationally fixed manner, the cam element includes a gate structure and an actuation device is provided with at least one shift element for engagement with the gate arrangement for axially displacing the cam element and the shift element has a rotationally asymmetrical basic shape in order to follow the gate structure when placed in engagement therewith.
US08353259B2
A masking fixture for use in a coating process includes a first fixture plate for supporting a first work piece, a second fixture plate spaced from the first fixture plate for supporting a second work piece, and at least one spacer secured between the first fixture plate and the second fixture plate.
US08353250B2
The disclosure is directed to a quilt blank, a quilt kit including a quilt blank and method of making a quilt using a quilt blank. The disclosure describes a quilt blank including a partially completed quilt having a quilt top, backing and batting material interposed between the quilt top and the backing, all of which are secured together via a sewing or quilting pattern. The quilt top of the quilt blank includes at least one predetermined blank portion sized to receive a fabric swatch or other material selected by a user. Alternatively, the quilt blank may simply be a quilt top having a predetermined blank area to be filled with a fabric swatch or other material. The disclosure also describes a quilt kit including a quilt blank and a method of making a quilt using a quilt blank.
US08353247B2
An inflator has an elongate outer housing (110) which has at least one discharge opening (126) and which contains a compressed gas container (112) and an igniting unit (116) provided at a first axial end (114) of the compressed gas container (112). The igniting of said igniting unit generates a shock wave which, in a shock wave direction (S), enters the compressed gas container (112) at the first axial end thereof and which passes at least through some sections of the compressed gas container (112). The discharge opening (126) is arranged away from the first axial end of the compressed gas container (112) and is closed by a bursting membrane (128) which can be destroyed by the shock wave, wherein the bursting membrane (128) is not oriented perpendicularly to the shock wave direction (S). The compressed gas container (112) has a deflecting device (138; 338; 438) which deflects the shock wave running through the compressed gas container (112) from the shock wave direction (S) in the direction of the bursting membrane (128).
US08353242B2
A fryer has an oil container, a rotatable cooking basket therein, and a body of oil in the container. The body of oil and a stream of air are heated, and the basket is positioned with the food therein at least partially above the body of oil so the heated air stream can circulate through the basket and air-cook the food. Cyclically the basket is at least partially immersed in the heated oil to also cook the food with the oil.
US08353237B2
The present invention relates to the field of store ejection from aircraft. More specifically it relates to cartridges used in ejector release units for stores. The invention aims to provide a cartridge that can be used in existing ejector release units that overcomes some of the problems (such as; only a one-time use, the need for cleaning of ejector units, the erosion of ejector units and the need for a holder to be used) of pyrotechnic or hot gas cartridges but without compromising performance. The present invention provides a cartridge for use in an ejector release unit, the cartridge comprising a gas chamber for containing gas under pressure, an outlet of the gas chamber for releasing the compressed gas to drive a release mechanism in the ejector release unit, and a release valve associated with the outlet and arranged to be operable to open the outlet upon activation of a firing pin of an ejector release unit. An ejector release unit containing such a cartridge or pair of cartridges is also provided.
US08353230B2
A wrench head having a jaw with jaw members having interior side faces and throat support surfaces defining an interior for mateably receiving a nut or bolt head. Extending from the top side of each jaw member and the top side of a handle connection portion and overhanging the interior defined by the interior side faces of the jaw members and throat support surfaces is a wrench head overhang, that, when placed over a nut or bolt head, is in contact with the top side of the bolt head or top side of the nut. The wrench head overhang serves to retain the wrench head over the nut or bolt head so that the wrench head cannot slip down off of the nut or bolt head. The overhang is dimensioned so as to that when the wrench of the present invention is used to rotate a nut that has been threaded on a bolt shaft, the bolt shaft will clear the sides of the overhang.
US08353226B2
A shift lever assembly for a vehicle transmission can include an escutcheon body having a first guide rail and a second guide rail where the first and second guide rails are spaced apart from each other and are substantially parallel to each other. A slider body can be provided and can be movable with respect to the escutcheon body and include at least one spring member. The at least one spring member can include a contact structure, and a compression force can be applied via the contact structure to maintain the contact structure in compression with the guide rails.
US08353221B2
A mass flow meter comprising a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The housing defines a chamber and a rotatable member is arranged in the chamber so as to be rotatable about an axis. A momentum device is also arranged in the chamber and connected to the rotatable member via a biasing element so as to be rotatable about the axis and rotatable relative to the rotatable member. A fluid path in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is provided. The fluid path passes through both the rotatable member and the momentum device. The fluid path enters the momentum device at a radial distance r1 from the axis and exits the momentum device at a different radial distance r2 from the axis. A torque provider may be coupled to the rotatable member via a shaft or gear member.
US08353204B2
Methods and systems providing for characterizing turbine blades, including characterizing the dynamics of one or more turbine blades or stages of a stage in terms of natural frequencies, normalized response intensity, and/or stage modal shape or nodal configuration. Such methods and systems comprise fluid (e.g., oil) excitation of bladed disks and quantitative modeling of the fluid excitation. Additionally or alternatively, such methods and systems may provide for analyzing modal shape or nodal configuration of a bladed disk (e.g., a turbine stage) based on a phase analysis of strain signals acquired from a bladed disk subjected to a fluid excitation, wherein the modal shape or nodal configuration corresponds to modes of blades coupled through a disc or shrouding.
US08353184B2
A travel padlock for securing an article comprises a housing having a shackle, a key lock and a combination lock. An indicator having at least first and second positions is moved from the first position to the second position upon insertion of an object longitudinally into a key hole of the key lock. In at least one embodiment, at least a portion of the indicator extends beyond the exterior of the housing when in the second position. In addition, in at least one embodiment of the present invention the shackle may be rotated to reset the indicator from the second position back to the first position. Furthermore, in at least one embodiment of the present invention the indicator may be reset from the second position back to the first position without rotating the shackle or unlocking the combination lock. Methods of making and using the padlock are also provided.
US08353180B2
An on-off valve (70) is provided in an oil feed path (43). When liquid refrigerant enters the oil feed pipe (43) from the oil separator (22), the temperature of the liquid refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the on-off valve (70) dramatically decreases. When the amount of such a decrease in temperature detected by a temperature sensor (73) exceeds a specified amount, it is determined that the liquid refrigerant enters the oil feed pipe (43), and the on-off valve (70) is closed.
US08353179B2
A refrigerator is provided. A water supply passage unit of the refrigerator is installed going around a freezing compartment but via an outer side of the main body. Therefore, the water supply passage unit is not frozen.
US08353173B2
In a refrigerating cycle apparatus and control method thereof, a controller sets a high-pressure pressure target value from thermal load and temperature conditions based on refrigerant information that has been obtained from detectors, and controls at least one of a rotational frequency of a compressor, a degree of opening of an electronic expansion valve, a rotational frequency of an outdoor fan, or a rotational frequency of an indoor fan to match a high-pressure pressure to the high-pressure pressure target value that has been set. Here, a threshold value is set when the high-pressure pressure target value is set, and a method for setting the high-pressure pressure target value is modified depending on whether the high-pressure pressure is greater than or equal to the threshold value or less than the threshold value when the high-pressure pressure target value is decided.
US08353153B2
A system for controlling the temperature of an exhaust stream includes a main exhaust passageway adapted to receive the exhaust stream from an engine. A bypass passage includes an inlet and an outlet in communication with the main exhaust passageway. The outlet is located downstream from the inlet. A burner is positioned within the bypass passage for treating the exhaust passing through the bypass passage. A valve is positioned within the main exhaust passageway downstream from the inlet and upstream from the outlet. The valve is operable to vary the exhaust flow through the burner. A controller selectively operates the burner to maintain a desired exhaust temperature downstream of the outlet.
US08353140B2
Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system on long and short edges allowing installation with vertical snap folding that could be accomplished automatically without tools and where the short edge locking system has a tongue made in one piece with the panel.
US08353137B2
A compression mounted window assembly is disclosed that includes a circular window having opposed front and rear planar surfaces and an outer periphery having forward and rearward chamfered edge surfaces, a compressible gasket circumscribing the outer periphery of the window, a housing with a portal having an annular seat for accommodating the window circumscribed by the gasket, wherein the annular seat has a first chamfered abutment surface corresponding to the forward chamfered edge surface of the window, an annular bezel operatively associated with the housing for compressively retaining the window assembly within the annular seat of the portal, and structure for securing the bezel to the housing, wherein the bezel has a second chamfered abutment surface corresponding to the rearward chamfered edge surface of the window.
US08353133B2
An anchor for construction elements, such as concrete panels, and including at least one flat part, an upper part for hanging on a handling engine and extending along a principal plane and a lower part for anchoring in the construction element. The lower part has two arms diverging in the direction of the lower end of the anchor, extending outside the principal plane, and forming, between them, an angle.
US08353127B2
A flower pot in combination with a retaining medium for holding and retaining a floral grouping is disclosed. The flower pot includes a base portion defining a receiving space for receiving at least a portion of the retaining medium so as to hold and retain the retaining medium. The base portion is constructed of a thermoformed plastic material, and has an upper end, a lower end, and a sidewall extending between the upper end and the lower end. The sidewall is substantially devoid of overlapping folds and has decorative ornamentation associated with at least a portion of the sidewall.
US08353126B2
An improved bee smoker is provided for producing smoke on demand for use in controlling bees that includes a housing, a power source, a heating element, a fan, and switches.
US08353124B1
A barrel for a firearm is formed of a tube surrounded by a shroud. The shroud is formed of a thixotropic alloy injection molded over the tube using a thixotropic molding process. The tube defines the firearm's bore and may be rifled.
US08353119B2
An iron holder is provided allowing for fixation of an iron, such that the iron holder, and thereby also the iron housed therein, may be moved in all directions without the iron falling off the iron holder, while simultaneously keeping the heating surface of the iron in a covered position, such that said heating surface will not pose a threat to the health of the user or pose a risk for setting fire to flammable materials.
US08353111B2
A handle control provided with: a supporting body, which is provided with a central through hole and is adapted to be fitted about a handlebar to be rigidly fixed to the handlebar; a twist grip, which has a tubular shape, is rotationally carried by the supporting body and is centrally perforated to be fitted about the handlebar so as to rotate with respect to the handlebar; and an angular position sensor, which is adapted to read the angular position of the twist grip; the angular position sensor has at least one rotor, which is supported by the twist grip to rotate along with the twist grip and is adapted to influence an electric field; and at least one reader, which is carried in a stationary position by the supporting body, is arranged close to the rotor, and is suitable for a contactless and remote reading of the orientation of the rotor.
US08353105B2
With rotor wheel drums with integrally formed-on and/or separately attached blading (3, 8) blade tip machining is performed for the completely mounted drum assembly (1, 5) connected to a driven auxiliary turbomachine shaft acting as workpiece carrier (13) in a single apparatus by dry machining the separably assembled blades (8) and by wet machining the integrally formed-on blades (3), with the rotational speed of the workpiece carrier being lower in the wet machining process than in the dry machining process. The area for dry machining is protected by a shield (19) adjustable in the respective separating position against the matter generated in wet machining. Notwithstanding the fact that drums with integrally formed-on blades can be machined without being damaged, optimum gap conditions and correspondingly higher efficiency can be obtained.
US08353104B2
A method of manufacturing a conducting wire terminal includes the steps of: preparing a strip tube of a predetermined length; boring both ends of the strip tube separately, such that a body is formed between both ends of the strip tube and has a diameter smaller than both ends of the strip tube, and the copper sleeve is accommodated in the body; and compressing an intersection of both ends of the strip tube and the body, such that a circular tapered neck is formed at the intersection of both ends of the strip tube and the body, and a circular slanting guide surface is formed separately on opposite internal surface of each tapered neck of the strip tube.
US08353090B2
A press tool and method for attaching a seal to a surface are described. The seal attach press tool comprises a contact member having a curved contact surface, e.g., an arced surface. In a process of attaching a seal over an opening on a surface, the curved contact surface of the contact member is rolled over and in contact with the surface of the seal, thereby facilitating bonding the seal to the surface. According to an embodiment, the curved contact surface of the contact member comprises an elastomer and/or is covered with an elastomer pad.
US08353089B2
According to the present method, a paste-type electrode of lead-acid battery in which a space in the lower surface side of an electrode is favorably filled with a paste-like active material so that inner ribs of a current collector forming a grid shape does not remain exposed. The current collector is filled with a paste-like active material to obtain an electrode when the current collector passes below a filler including a hopper for containing the paste-like active material. An electrode surface is pressed during transfer of the electrode before the fed paste-like active material is hardened. The pressing step includes: a first pressing step of intensively pressing a first area of the electrode surface located on one side in a width direction that is perpendicular to a transfer direction in which the electrode is transferred and a thickness direction of the electrode; a second pressing step of intensively pressing a second area of the electrode surface located on the other side in the width direction; and a third pressing step of pressing the first and second areas of the electrode surface over the entire width of the electrode. The first to third pressing steps are each performed at least once. The pressing step is terminated by the third pressing step.
US08353085B2
Provided is a sanitary handle cover configured to store and dispense sanitary fluid in response to pressure being applied to the handle cover, such as when an individual grabs the handle cover to open the door. The handle cover may additionally be adapted to be quickly and easily placed over the handle and substantially conform to the shape of the handle to remain on the handle during use.
US08353075B2
An oral care implement or toothbrush includes a head, tooth cleaning elements and tissue cleansing elements. The tooth cleaning elements may be provided on a first face of the toothbrush head while the tissue cleansing elements may be disposed on a second face of the head. The head may further include one or more splits that provide flexible and non-flexible regions. Various configurations of splits may be used to create different effects such as more responsive flexion, regions of differing flexibility and/or different degree of flexion.
US08353071B2
A patient support apparatus is convertible between a conventional bed position, having a generally horizontal sleeping surface upon which a person lies in a supine position, and a chair egress position, allowing a person to exit the support from a sitting position. The patient support comprises a deck and a foot panel removably coupled to the deck. The foot panel may allow a low seated height while the bed is in the chair egress position.
US08353067B2
An umpire chest protector for use in a baseball game is disclosed to include a body member, a sternum plate, first left and right side plates, second left and right side plates, two shoulder plates, a shoulder strap assembly and a rear padding system. The rear padding system has an air channel defined therein, saving material, reducing the weight and enhancing wearing comfort. The left and right paddings, upper padding, outer left padding and outer right padding of the rear padding system are detachable, easy on and off and washable, material-saving and capable of dispersing impact force. The sternum plate is attached to one side of each of the shoulder plates and affixed thereto with rivets, and side flaps and bottom flaps of the sternum plate are respectively affixed to the upper portions and lower portions of the first left and right side plates with rivets, providing warp around feel and making the protector still and strong.
US08353065B1
A body armor system has a left vest section connected to a right vest section and has a front plate carrier which is alternatively mounted with a buckle at either the right shoulder or the left shoulder. The front plate carrier has identical straps terminated by patches of hook and loop fastener material. One strap is passed through a loop on the rear of the front plate carrier and mounts one part of a buckle, the other part of the buckle is mounted on a hook and loop fastener strap which is affixed to a shoulder element, thus permitting the system to be reconfigured for left- or right-handed users. U-shaped ballistic inserts are received in mating pockets in each vest section. A laced cord which joins the rear segments of the vest sections is held in place by a cord restraint member which defines a loop for each cord crossing.
US08356355B2
A record carrier for storing at least one stream of linked content cells thereon, which linking is performed based on navigation data. The record carrier includes modified navigation data and/or a stream arrangement of at least one stream of linked content cells, so that an access of the at least one stream of linked content cells on the record carrier under consideration of the navigation data is not disturbed, whereas a generally linear access of the at least one stream of linked content cells on the record carrier is disturbed.
US08356354B2
Method and computer program product for signature testing used in anti-malware processing. Silent signatures, after being tested, are not updated into a white list and are sent directly to users instead. If the silent signature coincides with malware signature, a user is not informed. A checksum (e.g., hash value) of a suspected file is sent to a server, where statistics are kept and analyzed. Based on collected false positive statistics of the silent-signature, the silent-signature is either valid or invalid. Use of the silent signatures provides for effective signature testing and reduces response time to new malware-related threats. The silent signature method is used for turning off a signature upon first false positive occurrence. Use of silent signatures allows improving heuristic algorithms for detection of unknown malware.
US08356353B2
The present invention provides a system and method for providing computer network attack simulation. The method includes the steps of: receiving a network configuration and setup description; simulating the network configuration based on the received network configuration; receiving at least one confirmed vulnerability of at least one computer, machine, or network device in the simulated network; receiving a method for compromising the confirmed vulnerability of the at least one computer, machine, or network device; and virtually installing a network agent on the at least one computer, machine, or network device, wherein the network agent allows a penetration tester to execute arbitrary operating system calls on the at least one computer, machine, or network device.
US08356334B2
An apparatus and methods for securely forwarding data packets at a data switching node in a data transport network is provided. The data switching node maintains a switching database of switching entries. Each switching entry has a modification protection feature preventing its modification when activated. Dynamic topology discovery of data network nodes can be disabled via topology discovery control flags associated with individual physical communications ports of the data switching node. Unknown destination flood data traffic is not replicated to physical communications ports having topology discovery disabled or specifying the suppression of replication of such unknown destination data traffic thereto. The advantages are derived from a data switching node being enabled to operate concurrently in friendly and hostile environments while detecting, preventing and reporting incidences of hostile MAC ADDR attacks.
US08356333B2
A system and method for indicating to a user that a networked site is authentic includes a verification application configured to send a request to verify the authenticity of the networked site together with identity information about the site to a verification server. The verification application has access to encrypted user-customized information that was previously selected by a user and is encrypted and stored focally on the end-user device. The verification server verifies whether the networked site is authentic and is further configured to enable decryption of the encrypted user-customized information when a networked site is verified as authentic, so that the user-customized information can be presented to the user.
US08356331B2
A packet structure for a Mobile Display Digital Interface (MDDI) includes a flexible sub-frame length to efficiently transmit large packets. A windowless video stream packet avoids repetitive transmissions of video packets when some parameters are unchanged, saving bandwidth. An enhanced reverse encapsulation packet combines the feature of a separate round trip delay packet with a separate reverse encapsulation packet. A link freeze is used to halt a transmission of a data stream at any point in the transmission and resume the transmission by a host.
US08356329B2
A system and method for adding hyperlinked information to a television broadcast in which an interactive content icon is used. The broadcast material is analyzed and one or more regions within a frame are identified. Additional information can be associated with a region, and can be transmitted in encoded form, using timing information to identify the frame with which the information is associated. A receiver displays the annotation information associated with the video signal in response to a viewer request on a frame by frame basis. The interactive content icon can be used to inform a viewer of the presence of hyperlinked information, for teaching the viewer how to use the system, and for informing the viewer about the hyperlinked information.
US08356328B2
Methods and systems for selecting content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device location information. In one aspect, the methods and systems seamlessly select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device location information and program break markers. In another aspect, the methods and systems select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device trajectory information. In yet another aspect, the methods and systems select using mobile device location information cohabitation content for sharing a display screen on a mobile device with program content in an Internet television stream.
US08356324B2
A video program is streamed in a normal mode to a digital media rendering system on a first connection to the rendering system. Then, while streaming the video program over the first connection, a control signal is received from the rendering system over a second connection with the rendering system. In response to receipt of the control signal, the normal mode of streaming the video program is switched to a trick mode of streaming the video program over the first connection. This is done without closing the first connection. In response to receipt of the control signal, a resynchronization signal is sent to the rendering system over the first connection. The resynchronization signal causes the rendering system to resynchronize the processing of video program data packets after the trick mode of streaming has begun.
US08356315B2
A television device is provided which is configured so that it will automatically cause a first predetermined television channel to be displayed on a television monitor when a television viewer sends a request signal to the television device to turn the television monitor off. The television device may be configured so that it will cause the television monitor to shut off after the first predetermined channel has been on for a dwell period of time after the request signal has been received. The dwell period of time may be approximately two seconds.
US08356313B2
A disc drive apparatus includes: an apparatus body to which a disc is inserted and from which the disc is ejected; a disc recording and reproducing unit having a disc loading unit configured to load the disc inserted into the apparatus body, a disc rotation drive mechanism configured to rotate the disc loaded onto the disc loading unit, an optical pickup configured to record and/or reproduce a data signal with respect to the disc, and a pickup feeding mechanism configured to convey the optical pickup in a radial direction of the disc; a disc conveying mechanism configured to insert the disc into the apparatus body and eject the disc from the apparatus body; and a conveyance drive mechanism provided in the apparatus body and configured to drive the disc conveying mechanism; wherein the apparatus body includes a shoulder which is reduced in thickness in the vicinity of an insertion end of the disc.
US08356306B2
A computer system comprises a workload management controller that detects and tracks resource consumption volatility patterns and automatically and dynamically adjusts resource headroom according to the volatility patterns. The controller can be hardware or a combination of software and hardware for executing the software. Also, a computer-implemented workload management method includes a computer detecting and tracking resource consumption volatility patters. The computer automatically and dynamically adjusts resource headroom according to the volatility patterns.
US08356303B2
A method for scheduling a plurality of computation jobs to a plurality of data processing units (DPUs) in a grid computing system 100. The method includes receiving a first computation job by a scheduling DPU from the plurality of computation jobs. Further, the method includes scheduling the first computation job at a first set of DPUs in the grid computing system based on first scheduling criteria. Furthermore, the method includes scheduling the first computation job at a first DPU from the first set of DPUs based on second scheduling criteria. The method also includes storing information about the first computation job and the first set of DPUs in a history table at the scheduling DPU. The method further includes storing information about the first DPU in a demand matrix of the first set of DPUs.
US08356299B2
A method for interrupt processing includes setting a buffer for buffering data packets received by a front-end or back-end of the virtual machine and setting a timer for timing data buffering time; determining, after receiving the data packets from the front-end or the back-end, whether the received data packets are interacting data packets and determining whether to enable or postpone the timer, and buffering the received data packets by the buffer and enabling the timer in the case that the data packets are not the interacting data packets; and sending the buffered data packets through a virtual machine manager to the back-end or the front-end of the virtual machine for processing in the case that the buffer reaches a maximum capacity limit or the timer reaches a predetermined time.
US08356294B2
In an embodiment, a computer apparatus comprises a network interface; a processor; a packet forwarding unit; and instructions which when executed cause storing a first executable software module in computer storage; receiving and storing, in association with the first software module, a first human-readable declaration of one or more available extension points within the first software module; receiving and storing an extension software module that implements a particular one or more of the extension points; installing and executing the first software module and the extension software module; and invoking the extension software module when the particular extension point is reached during execution of the first software module. In an embodiment, a declaration of extension points enables extending a software module while running in a host, by registering an extension matching the extension points, yet the author of the extension does not need to access any code of the extended module.
US08356290B2
System and method for converting a class oriented data flow program to a structure oriented data flow program. A first data flow program is received, where the first data flow program is an object oriented program comprising instances of one or more classes, and wherein the first data flow program is executable to perform a first function. The first data flow program is automatically converted to a second data flow program, where the second data flow program does not include the instances of the one or more classes, and where the second data flow program is executable to perform the first function. The second data flow program is stored on a computer memory, where the second data flow program is configured to be deployed to a device, e.g., a programmable hardware element, and where the second data flow program is executable on the device to perform the first function.
US08356289B2
A mechanism for encoding and reporting instrumented data is disclosed that requires less storage space and incurs less processor overhead than other methods of the prior art. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a bit vector in shared memory corresponds to nodes of a program's control-flow graph that have been instrumented, and the contents of the vector indicate which of these nodes have executed; in addition, character strings in shared memory indicate what file, class, and method each node belongs to. A process that executes concurrently with those of the program under test transmits instrumented data from the shared memory to a database. The illustrative embodiment enables efficient, rapid reporting and storage of instrumented data, and is therefore especially well-suited for run-time analysis of real-time concurrent systems.
US08356284B2
A method and computer program product for detecting an attempt by a first thread to engage a synchronization object. A determination is made as to whether an earlier thread has already engaged the synchronization object. In response to determining that the earlier thread has already engaged the synchronization object, a determination is made as to whether the number of threads waiting to engage the synchronization object is greater than a highwater mark.
US08356282B1
Integrated application of specific CASE tools that allow a user to accomplish instrument programming and control when generating, capturing and/or analyzing electronic signals, and in doing so automatically generate automation code to replicate a desired instrument setup, acquisition, analysis and sequence control. The CASE tools include, but are not limited to, GUI instrument programming tools, an electronic signal redisplay tool, a waveform analyzer tool, automated code generation tools, macro generation tools, macro and sequence playback tools, a test creation tool, a test sequencer tool, a decision engine that may be part of the test sequencer tool, and test result data logger. A method for analyzing electronic signals that enables multiple tests to be performed after a single signal acquisition, and enables results from the multiple tests to be analyzed is also disclosed.
US08356279B2
A program generating device configured to be capable of reducing an operation burden on the user who has conventionally been required to extract portions to be changed from a script. A script acquiring section acquires script information for execution of a predetermined process. An attribute information-acquiring section acquires attribute information representing conditions for operation of a control target of the program generating device. A difference extracting section extracts difference. A script correcting section changes the script information based on difference between the attribute information and the script information.
US08356278B2
Under the present invention, a best practice violation (BPV) engine resource is first built. This typically occurs by: receiving sets of source code from a plurality of sources; detecting a programming language of each of the sets of source code; extracting code patterns from the sets of source code; defining meta data for each code pattern that indicates a quality thereof, classifying each code pattern; and assigning a rank to each of the code pattern based on it's corresponding meta data as well as a skill level and an experience level of the developer thereof. Once the BPV engine resource is built, it will be used to detect best practice violations in other sets of source code.
US08356262B1
A method includes selecting a cell stored in a non-transient computer readable storage medium, arranging a plurality of the cells on a model of a semiconductor device, and creating a mask for the semiconductor device based on the model of the semiconductor device. The cell is designed according to a design rule in which a first power-supply-connection via satisfies a criterion from the group consisting of: i) the first power-supply-connection via is spaced apart from a second power-supply-connection via by a distance that is greater than a threshold distance such that the cell can be fabricated by a single-photolithography single-etch process, or ii) the first power-supply-connection via is coupled to first and second substantially parallel conductive lines that extend along directly adjacent tracks.
US08356261B1
The Hessian (second derivative) of the image log slope (ILS) can be quickly and accurately calculated without the need to use approximate methods from the gradient of the ILS with respect to mask transmission and source intensity. The Hessian has been traditionally calculated using a finite-difference approach. Calculating the Hessian through a finite-difference approach is slow and is an approximate method. The gradient of the ILS improves the speed of calculation of the Hessian, and thus accelerated SMO operation is realized. The results of ILS evaluation can be used in design for manufacturing (DFM) to suggest changes in the design rules to improve imaging. For a fixed illumination, this information can help remove forbidden pitches and help select design rules for 1-D and 2-D patterns on a mask design layout.
US08356255B2
Methods and apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. Source data representing one or more input images of a geographic area including the dig area is electronically received at a first user location, which may be remote from the dig area. The source data is processed so as to display at least a portion of the input image(s) on a display device. One or more indicators are added to the displayed input image(s), via a user input device associated with the display device, to provide at least one indication of the dig area and thereby generate a marked-up digital image. In the case of a staged excavation project, the input image, or a plurality of associated images, may include indicia of multiple dig areas corresponding to multiple stages of the staged excavation project.
US08356253B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for creating, editing, sharing and distributing high-quality, media-rich web-based communications. The communications are created in a layered fashion that integrates user-selected text, colors, background patterns, images, sound, music, video, or other media. The systems and methods are used to generate, edit, broadcast, and track electronic presentations, brochures, advertisements (such as banner advertisements on highly trafficked media websites), announcements, and interactive web pages, without the need for the user to understand complex programming languages.
US08356247B2
A system and method for controlling of rendering of content via electronic networks, whereby content is rendered at a content page only when and to the extent that a pre-defined area of the content page is within the viewer's browser window dimensions and scrolling position, or within a pre-defined distance outside of said browser window dimensions and scrolling position. When a viewer accesses a content page and as the viewer scrolls up or down or left or right on the page, or increases or decreases the dimensions of the viewer's browser window, content that has been designated to render in the content page area corresponding to the viewer's then current browser window dimensions and scrolling position is rendered. Content relating to areas of the content page that are not within (or within such pre-defined distance from) the viewer's browser window dimensions and scrolling position is not rendered unless or until such area is within such browser window dimensions and scrolling position or said pre-defined distance outside of same.
US08356233B2
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for inserting pseudo-noise in a data stream based on an unacceptable input data sequence in an optical network thereby preventing unnecessary loss of frame in SONET/SDH or Optical Transport Network (OTN) systems. The present disclosure includes a SONET/SDH or OTN framer, a transceiver, and a method for detecting an unacceptable data sequence or pattern and inserting a keep-alive or pseudo-noise sequence in the data sequence to maintaining framing on subsequent network elements, framers, transceivers, etc. For example, the present invention, upon receiving an unacceptable pattern of zeros or low ones density caused by a loss of signal condition or the like, may insert a pseudorandom noise pattern into the transmitted frame. This allows the downstream network element to continue a frame lock on the incoming signal, and thus keep the frame overhead and data communications channels from being lost.
US08356229B2
A method and apparatus for encoding and decoding high speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH) data are disclosed. For part 1 data encoding, a mask may be generated using a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) identity (ID) and a generator matrix with a maximum minimum Hamming distance. For part 2 data encoding, cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits are generated based on part 1 data and part 2 data. The number of CRC bits is less than the WTRU ID. The CRC bits and/or the part 2 data are masked with a mask. The mask may be a WTRU ID or a punctured WTRU ID of length equal to the CRC bits. The mask may be generated using the WTRU ID and a generator matrix with a maximum minimum Hamming distance. The masking may be performed after encoding or rate matching.
US08356226B2
An approach is provided for efficient retransmissions by allocating a transmission resource for transmitting data and allocating a retransmission resource for retransmitting the data according to a transmission scheme that specifies relationship between the transmitted data and the retransmitted data for providing communication over a radio network.
US08356211B2
Embodiments are configured to improve the stability of a Web browser by identifying plug-in modules that cause failures. Data in memory at the time of a failure is analyzed, and a failure signature is generated. The failure signature is compared to a database of known failure signatures so that the source of the failure may be identified. If a plug-in module to a Web browser is identified as the source of a failure, options are presented to the user who may update the plug-in module with code that does not produce a failure or disable the plug-in module altogether.
US08356207B2
A system for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis includes a data collection function that acquires time histories of selected variables for one or more of the components, a pre-processing function that calculates specified characteristics of the time histories, an analysis function for evaluating the characteristics to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components, and a reasoning function for determining the condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses.
US08356206B2
The present principles include methods and apparatus for repairing corrupted files systems of storage devices. In accordance with aspects of the present principles, a listing of sectors to which data is most recently written is retrieved upon interruption of writing operations on a storage medium. The listing is employed to implement a targeted search for sectors that are most likely to be corrupted. The sectors providing in the listing are examined and sectors including errors are identified. Thereafter, the errors are corrected.
US08356191B2
A method and apparatus are provided for determining resistive power loss through a channel between Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) and a Powered Device (PD). The method includes (1) receiving indication that a PSE signal measurement is available from the PSE or a PD signal measurement is available from the PD, (2) selecting, as an input parameter to a processing operation, at least one of the PSE signal measurement or the PD signal measurement, (3) performing the processing operation to calculate a resistance value indicative of the resistive power loss through the channel between the PSE and PD based on the input parameter, and (4) outputting the resistive power loss value as a result of carrying out the processing operation.
US08356190B2
Network devices coupled via serial and/or parallel interfaces may determine a power level mode of operation according to an energy efficient network communication control policy and may configure one or more of the interfaces for the lower power mode. The network devices may comprise a PHY, a MAC and/or higher layer devices. The interfaces may comprise a XGMII extender, a XAUI and/or a XFI device. The interfaces may comprise a backplane PHY, for example, a 10 GBASE-KR, a 10 GBASE-KX4 and/or a 1 GBASE-KX PHY which may perform FEC. The interfaces may comprise direct attach copper such as SFP+ and/or InfiniBand and/or 10 GBASE-CX4 PHYs. The interfaces may comprise a pluggable transceiver module. Energy efficient network control data may be communicated to and/or from the network devices which may enter and/or exit a lower power mode of operation.
US08356182B2
A key creating device creates a first public key and a first secret key of the electronic signature method satisfying the noncounterfeitability and a second public key and the first secret key of the chameleon commitment method. The signature device generates a commitment, a first random number according to the Com algorithm, and a first signature by using the first secret key. The signature device further generates a second random number according to the Cam algorithm by using the message written by adding a first signature to an object message, and creates an electronic signature by combining the first signature and the second random number. A verifying device receives the signed message written by adding the first signature included in the electronic signature to the object message, creates a commitment according to the ComVer algorithm, and performs verification by using the commitment and the first signature.
US08356176B2
A system and method for authenticating a peer device onto a network using Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). The key lifetime associated with the keying material generated in the peer device and the authentication server is communicated from the authenticator to the peer device within the EAP Success message. The peer device, having been provided with the key lifetime, can anticipate the termination of its authenticated session and initiate re-authentication prior to expiry of the key lifetime.
US08356170B2
The management-apparatus card capable of being attached to a management apparatus receives, from the measuring apparatus, first unique information indicating the measuring apparatus, and identification information indentifying a user of the measuring apparatus; stores second unique information indicating the management-apparatus card; generates a decryption key corresponding to an encryption key, using the first unique information, the second unique information, and the identification information; stores the generated decryption key; receives encrypted vital sign data from the measuring apparatus; decrypts the received vital sign data using the stored decryption key; and obtains the decrypted vital sign data.
US08356165B2
An approach to region selection which extends beyond traces and selects super-regions. A super-region (SR) contains arbitrary control flow, such as interprocedural nested loops, that provides a larger scope for transformation (e.g. optimization) than traces. Hardware samples are used to identify SRs that contain the hot code of a client process without requiring any static program information.
US08356163B2
A disclosed SIMD microprocessor includes plural processor elements each having n arithmetic circuits and n registers configured to temporarily store data pieces to be input to the arithmetic circuits, n being a natural number equal to or greater than 2, and; a control circuit configured to determine an arrangement order of the processor elements and an arrangement order of the arithmetic circuits in the processor elements and determine whether to use the n arithmetic circuits as a single arithmetic circuit or as n arithmetic circuits. Each processor element further includes n shifter pairs each including a PE shifter and a bit shifter; and n shift data selection circuits configured to select arbitrary data pieces from the data pieces in the shifter pairs, perform bit extension on the data pieces, and transfer the data pieces to the arithmetic circuits.
US08356161B2
The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred IC embodiment includes a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The plurality of heterogeneous computational elements include corresponding computational elements having fixed and differing architectures, such as fixed architectures for different functions such as memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations. The various fixed architectures are selected to comparatively minimize power consumption and increase performance of the adaptive computing integrated circuit, particularly suitable for mobile, hand-held or other battery-powered computing applications.
US08356160B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus for executing a multiple operand minimum or maximum instructions. Executing the multiple operand minimum or maximum instruction comprises transferring more than two operands to one or more processing lanes of a vector unit. A first compare operation may be performed in at least one processing lane of the vector unit to determine a greater or smaller of a first operand and a second operand. The greater (or smaller) operand may be transferred to a dot product unit, wherein, in a second compare operation, the transferred operand is compared to at least a third operand to determine one of the greater and smaller of the more than two operands.
US08356158B2
One or more methods and systems of improving performance and reducing the size of a translation lookaside buffer are presented. In one embodiment, the method comprises using a bit obtained from a virtual page number to store even and odd page frame numbers into a single page frame number field of a miniature translation lookaside buffer (mini-TLB). In one embodiment, even and odd page frame number fields are consolidated into a single page frame number field. In one embodiment, the mini-TLB facilitates the use of a buffer or memory of reduced size. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, aspects of the invention may be found in a system and method that easily incorporates and adapts the use of existing control processor instruction sets or commands of a typical translation lookaside buffer.
US08356157B2
A virtualization system, upon judging that a write operation from a higher-level device is an operation to write in the format of the virtual volume, even when the write position of the write operation is in a virtual area different from a virtual area to which an allocated actual area has been allocated, if there is an unused area in the allocated actual area, writes management information to the unused area according to the write operation, and if there is no unused area in the allocated actual area, newly allocates an unallocated actual area, and writes management information to the newly allocated actual area according to the write operation.
US08356150B2
In one embodiment, systems and methods are provided for nonlinear journaling. In one embodiment, groups of data designated for storage in a data storage unit are journaled into persistent storage. In one embodiment, the journal data is recorded nonlinearly. In one embodiment, a linked data structure records data and data descriptors in persistent storage.
US08356147B2
A system comprises a first storage system including a first storage controller, which receives input/output commands from host computers and provides first storage volumes to the host computers; and a second storage system including a second storage controller which receives input/output commands from host computers and provides second storage volumes to the host computers. A first data storing region of one of the first storage volumes is allocated from a first pool by the first storage controller. A second data storing region of another one of the first storage volumes is allocated from a second pool by the first storage controller. A third data storing region of one of the second storage volumes is allocated from the first pool by the second storage controller. A fourth data storing region of another one of the second storage volumes is allocated from the second pool by the second storage controller.
US08356140B2
A system comprises a plurality of storage systems, which provides different storage functions, and is controlled by a management server. The management server determines whether to change the control of the storage controller between the storage systems, or to mount the target volume as an external volume and keep the storage controller under control so that the storage function provided to the source volume is maintained even after the configuration change between the storage systems. After the determination, the management server instructs the storage system to perform according to the determination.
US08356138B1
Methods for implementing programmable memory controller for distributed DRAM system-in-package (SiP)
A multi-port memory controller (MPMC) can be parameterized to selectively connect to different memory configurations. In particular, a programmable device that is combined with a DRAM in a die-stacked distributed memory in a single chip is provided with the programmable device forming the MPMC. The programmable device is parameterized to form a memory controller that can either aggregate or segment memory controller components to control different DRAM memory banks either together or separately. The aggregation or segmentation of the memory devices can be configured dynamically during operation of the programmable device.
US08356133B2
A touch module switch circuit includes a universal serial bus (USB) display circuit, a touch module, a first resistor, a second resistor, a first diode, a second diode, a USB switch chip, and a USB interface. The touch module selectively communicates with one of the USB display circuits and the USB interface by control of the USB switch chip together with the first resistor, the second resistor, the first diode, and the second diode.
US08356121B2
A communication control device in an audio visual device system has disconnection detection unit for detecting that an audio visual device is disconnected from the audio visual device system, device detection unit for detecting an audio visual device which has not acquired a logical address according to a device type, and control unit for performing control for causing the audio visual device without a logical address to acquire a logical address, when disconnection of a audio visual device is detected by the disconnection detection unit. With this configuration, in an audio visual device system in which an upper limit is set to the number of logical addresses according to a device type, it is possible to cause an audio visual device which cannot acquire a logical address according to the device type to acquire a logical address when it is made available.
US08356119B2
A data processing apparatus is disclosed that is configured to communicate via an output port with a plurality of devices and to issue a stream of transaction requests to the output port, the stream of transaction requests comprising at least some device transaction requests destined for the plurality of devices. Device transactions are transactions that may affect each other and therefore should be completed in an order in which they are received at the output port in. The output port is configured to output the received transaction requests as a single serial stream of transaction requests. The data processing apparatus comprises: a destination device detector for monitoring the device transaction requests and for determining which of the plurality of devices each of the device transaction requests are destined for; the output port comprises ordering circuitry configured to treat the plurality of devices as at least two subsets of devices, at least one of the subsets comprising at least two devices; the ordering circuitry being configured to receive the stream of transaction requests and to classify each of the device transaction requests into one of the at least two subsets in response to determination of a destination device by said destination device detector, and to maintain said order that said device transaction requests within each subset are received in, such that device transaction requests within each subset are output by the output port and executed by their respective destination devices in the received order, while device transaction requests within different subsets may be output in an order that is different to the received order.
US08356117B2
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer readable media for controlling one or more electronic devices are described. According to one described aspect, an embodiment of a method includes providing a plurality of schemes, each scheme defining features that are operable on an electronic device and which features each of the features in the scheme can use, and receiving data for identifying the type of the electronic device, and selecting, based on the type, one of the schemes, and controlling the electronic device based on the selected scheme.
US08356101B2
Methods for establishing an SSL/VPN session on behalf of a user of a client where the user has a previously existing session are described. Methods include receiving, by an appliance, a request from a first client operated by a user to establish a virtual private network session; creating, by the appliance, a temporary virtual private network session with the client; identifying, by the appliance, an existing virtual private network session previously established on behalf of the user; terminating the previous session; and creating a new virtual private network session with the client using the temporary session. Other methods may further include transmitting a request to a user corresponding to whether to terminate one or more previous sessions, and transferring session data from a previously existing session to a current session. Corresponding systems are also described.
US08356100B2
Systems and methods for reducing the cost but increasing the performance caused in streaming data between a client and a server are described herein. Embodiments of the present invention relate to reducing the cost but increasing the performance by the traditional data streaming where two TCP connections, one for each direction of traffic is used. Further embodiments allow a server in communication with one or more clients using a RPC based communication protocol to bi-directional stream not on two TCP connections but a single TCP connection. In one embodiment, this is achieved, by transmitting from the client to the server an initial handshake. If the server receives the handshake, then the client streams a request stream to the server and the server streams a response stream to the client simultaneously over the same single TCP connection establishing full-duplex streaming.
US08356097B2
Site metrics are presented in association with search results. The site metrics are derived from site analytics that uses clickstream data collected from a panel of internet users to generate and present internet activity metrics. Data collected from a community of internet users may be augmented by clickstream data store content, third party content, search results, and other sources to form estimates of internet activity that is structured and analyzed to produce metrics of nearly any internet web site or domain. The data may be further augmented with ratings, retail deals, and analysis of web site content to form a comprehensive set of data that is mined to formulate various metrics of internet activity about web sites. Metrics of internet activity, provides analysis that represents aspects of internet user access to a web site. Such aspects may include activity related to visitors, engagement, growth, trust, deals, and the like.
US08356096B2
The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A REAL-TIME MULTI-HOP ROUTE REPORTER (“REPORTER”) facilitates generation and provision of relevant and descriptive network performance reports that are efficient, economical and useful to executives, managers and other non-IT professionals and/or personnel. The REPORTER may be implemented as a multi-tiered web application that may collect, analyze and update database records which facilitate generation of the descriptive report. The REPORTER may include facilities for establishing correlations between various devices in the same network in order to evaluate and report the network performance.
US08356095B2
A method for transferring context information on a web server that contains a context pool. The method includes: in response to the web server receiving a message, obtaining context information from the message, generating a unique identifier according to a thread for processing the message, associating the context information with the generated unique identifier, and storing the context information and the associated unique identifier in context pool of web server correlatively. In response to a web server obtaining the context information, generating an identifier according to a thread that is executed currently in the web server, and extracting context information for which an associated unique identifier is matched with the generated identifier from the context pool.
US08356091B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network element having a controller to obtain network information associated with establishing a network among a group of communication devices, and provide the network information to a plurality of network set-up devices removably connected to the network element, where each of the plurality of network set-up devices is connectable with a communication device of the group of communication devices to provide at least a portion of the network information to the communication device, and where the network is established based at least in part on the at least a portion of the network information. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08356079B2
The challenge of communicating document caching policies from document servers to client processes in the most generally applicable manner is solved by enabling the application of caching policies to classes of documents, rather than single instances of documents. Caching policies are applied to a given class of documents by specifying caching policies in metadata that describes the structure of the class of documents that conform to the metadata. In the context of XML data documents and document fragments, an XML schema can be annotated to include a representation of a caching policy, thereby specifying the caching policy for XML data documents and fragments that conform to the corresponding XML schema.
US08356077B2
A system and method that uses interne content and/or content metadata as a means to establish social networks. Examples include linking internet users, searchers, viewers and/or listeners of the same and/or similar internet content to each other via a platform that enables any of the following in n-dimensional environments: social networking, communications, sharing, e-commerce, advertising, search, hosting and registry services, push and pull applications, anonymous communications, and rich presence.
US08356076B1
A system and method are described for using different types of image fingerprints to detect spam. Specifically, one embodiment of the invention dynamically calculates both an image-specific signature (e.g., MD5 checksum) and a generic signature for each image and, if a specified number of images have the same generic signature but different image-specific signatures, then a feature is fired within a spam engine to indicate that the images are spam. By way of example, a computer-implemented method is described for detecting spam images within a stream of messages comprising: generating generic signatures and image-specific signatures for images within the stream of messages; determining if two or more images with matching generic signatures have different image-specific signatures; and updating a spam filtering engine to include the matching generic signatures if the number of images with matching generic signatures but different image-specific signatures reach a specified threshold value.
US08356074B1
A system and method for accelerating web page delivery is disclosed in one embodiment. Web content requests are made to an edge server of a first point of presence (POP) of a content delivery network (CDN). The web content has embedded resource links. The first POP can rewrite the embedded resource links to route requests for the embedded resource links to any POP in the CDN or even the origin server. In some embodiments, the first POP can decide if the first POP and/or another POP referenced in a rewritten embedded resource link should cache and/or accelerate the resource referenced in the embedded resource link.
US08356065B2
The similar sentence search system which ensures sufficient search accuracy in a search for similar sentences is provided, the system includes a similarity calculation unit having an input string storage unit which stores an input sentence and an example sentence, a local distance calculation unit which calculates local distances based on the strings stored by the input string storage unit, a local distance storage unit which stores local distances, a path determination unit which controls the calculation performed by the cumulative distance calculation unit based on the information on strings stored by the input string storage unit, a cumulative distance calculation unit which calculates a new cumulative distance based on the local distances and the cumulative distance stored by the cumulative distance storage unit and a cumulative distance storage unit which stores the cumulative distance.
US08356063B2
A digital filter is provided for radio communication processing capable of dynamically modifying the characteristic and simultaneously processing a plurality of systems. In the digital filter, calculation core groups capable of modifying function are arranged and connected to one another by an input interface unit and an output interface unit. When the communication mode is modified, the number of calculation resources to be used and setting contents are decided according to the setting candidate of the filter characteristic required and the calculation resource empty state. According to the decision, functions of the respective parts are modified to perform a predetermined operation control, so as to flexibly modify the limited multiplication/addition calculation resource calculation tap quantity, the operation clock, and the connection relationship, thereby enabling simultaneous and parallel execution of a plurality of different finite impulse response (FIR) filter processes and simultaneous and parallel execution of a plurality of filter processes.
US08356062B2
A memory system is constituted of a file storage flash memory storing a control program required for a control portion and a large amount of data, and a random access memory storing a program used by the control portion and functioning as a buffer memory for received data. Thus, a memory system for a portable telephone capable of storing a large amount of received data at high-speed and allowing reading of the stored data at high-speed is provided.
US08356061B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that executes a garbage collector in a computing system. During operation, the system obtains a throughput model for the garbage collector and estimates a set of characteristics associated with the garbage collector. Next, the system applies the characteristics to the throughput model to estimate a throughput of the garbage collector. The system then determines a level of performance for the garbage collector based on the estimated throughput. Finally, the system adjusts a tunable parameter for the garbage collector based on the level of performance to increase the throughput of the garbage collector.
US08356057B2
A method, system, and computer program product for gap filling in a social network are provided. The method includes providing details of one or more current online users in a game in which users are scored for their input. A person is selected from candidates for whom additional information is required in a social network, including: weighting candidates who have a strong relationship with a current online user in the game; and weighting candidates for whom there is little existing data in the social network. The method includes identifying the selected person to a current online user; receiving information input by a current online user relating to the selected person; and scoring the information input by a current online user.
US08356047B2
A method, system and computer program product is disclosed for intelligent data mining. The method comprises receiving an event from an application, assigning property weights to properties of the event, and building a query from these properties based on the property weights. The method further comprises assigning search engine weights to a group of search engines, selecting at least some of the search engines based on the search engine weights, and sending the built query to the selected search engines. Results from the selected search engines are stored in a knowledge repository and used to adjust the property weights and the search engine weights. The invention may be used to provide an analysis with information about a problem, and to manage a solutions database which can be used for problem determination. The invention provides a low cost solution for collecting relevant information from online sources.
US08356043B2
There is provided a technique for facilitating file marking by adding attribute information to the file according to read of biometric information. Biometric information is read from a living body moving and attribute information abased on the biometric information is added to the file. According to the biometric information which has been read, the direction of the movement of the living body is judged. When the movement direction coincides with a predetermined direction, the file is searched according to the biometric information.
US08356028B2
An information system having a computer readable medium including a flexible data structure is provided. The data structure allows information entered into the data structure to be embellished or qualified. The flexible data structure increases the ability of the data structure to record exceptional information pertinent to specific circumstances. The flexible data structure also enables database access software to respond to user queries in a more effective and informative manner.
US08356014B2
A method and apparatus for referencing a partition of a data storage space in a request to perform an operation with relation to the partition are disclosed. The techniques disclosed do not rely on knowing the partition's name, thus simplifying the process of requesting a database to perform an operation on a partition when that partition's name is unknown. Data such as a DDL statement is received. The data indicates a value in a FOR clause in lieu of the partition name. The data also indicates an operation to be performed with respect to a particular partition of the partitioned space. The particular partition is not named in the received data. Based on the value, it is determined that the particular partition is a first partition. The operation is performed with respect to the first partition.
US08356012B2
Disclosed are method and apparatus for managing multimedia content. The uniform resource locators of multimedia content accessed via the Internet are saved in collections stored in the database of a multimedia access system, which is shared by multiple users via individual user accounts. Collections may be copied from one user account to another user account, e-mailed, and posted on a website. Collections in the database may be searched by keywords associated with the collections.
US08356011B2
A method and system for managing presence information based on collections of publications is provided. The presence system creates collections of publications for a publisher. A publication includes a type and value. A publisher may define one collection of publications that is to be made available to certain subscribers and another collection of publications that is to be made available to other subscribers. The presence system may allow a publisher to update individual publications within a collection. Moreover, the presence system may identify subscribers of a collection at the time of subscription.
US08356007B2
The subject disclosure relates to a distributed transaction management technique that ensures synchronization between participating nodes in a global or distributed database transaction. The technique leverages a commit protocol that uses local clocks at the respective participating nodes. Participants in a global transaction are configured to utilize the same commit timestamp and logical read time and can advance their respective local clocks to establish this synchronization. In one embodiment, distributed commit utilizes a modified version of two-phase commit that includes an extra phase to collect commit timestamp votes from participants. Additionally, a heartbeat mechanism can be used to establish loose synchronization between nodes. In another embodiment, a node can respond to a remote transaction request by returning a list of nodes involved in generating the result of the transaction and the types of access used by such nodes in addition to the transaction result itself.
US08356005B2
Events may be identified by storing information in response to activating an event stamp function. As a result of activating the event function, the information collected may immediately be compared to event information in a database. Alternatively, the information collected may later be compared to event information in a database. One or more candidates for the event of interest may be automatically or manually retrieved, and the user may decide whether a candidate event of the one or more candidates correspond to the event of interest. Alternatively, a purchase of an item related to the event may be automatically made in response to activating the event stamp.
US08355994B2
A system for sorting composite waste is provided. In some embodiments, the composite waste comprises two or more drugs, or two or more components. Composite waste is sorted efficiently and effectively using information regarding the different components in said waste, thus enabling proper disposal.
US08355988B2
A cardholder-initiated financial transaction using a cardholder controlled input device in communication with a payment card network and a database is disclosed. The cardholder uses a payment card issued to the cardholder by an issuer bank. An exemplary method includes the steps of storing merchant data within the database including data identifying the merchants registered to utilize the card network and receiving from the input device transaction data relating to the financial transaction. The transaction data includes an authorization request and merchant identifying data that identifies the merchant involved in the transaction. The method further includes determining that the identified merchant is registered to utilize the card network by comparing the transaction data with the merchant data stored in the database, forwarding the authorization request to the issuer bank, receiving a response to the request from the issuer bank, and automatically forwarding the response to the input device.
US08355972B2
Enhanced methods, systems, and techniques for displaying information about financial markets are provided. Example embodiments provide a Market Performance Indicator System (“MPIS”), which generates and provides indicators of market performance, based on obtained market information. In some embodiments, a performance indicator may include a directional indicator, such as an arrow or vector, indicating the value and/or change in value of one or more attributes of performance of an aspect of a financial market. Aspects of a financial market may include individual financial instruments, such as stocks and bonds, as well as aggregate information about a particular market, such as a market index. Attributes of performance may include price, volume of trading, and price variability. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US08355971B2
A computer process for determining an insurance premium comprises: validating username/passwords; receiving payroll data asynchronously or scheduled in real time; extracting payroll data required for premium determination; detecting the presence or absence of fraud related to the payroll data; applying state jurisdictional inclusion and exclusion rules applicable to workers' compensation premiums; transferring premium to a billing system for debiting the customer account. The structural elements to the system are: a payroll system configured with an accounting/bookkeeping software where regular payroll data resides; a utility that permits reading payroll accounts residing in the accounting/bookkeeping software; an Internet connection having a browser; a filter to allow extraction of payroll data exclusive of other payroll deductions; a rules engine customized to a particular remote payroll system that includes a mechanism to separate different occupations and a billing system.
US08355969B2
A system and method of providing heightened debit and/or credit card security is presented. The debit and/or credit card may be void of any information printed on the card that may provide identification of the user, an account number associated with the card, an expiration date for the card, and the like. In some examples, a portion of this information may be provided, but not all pieces of information, in order to reduce the likelihood of unauthorized use, such as during an online transaction where a user must input information generally found on the face of or rear of the card itself.
US08355965B2
There is provided a service system that allows a user to charge and repeatedly use a secondary battery and exchanges a battery pack for a charged battery pack. There is provided a battery exchange service system in which a terminal is connected to a management server. The terminal includes an information obtaining unit that obtains battery information and user information; a charging and discharging unit that charges and discharges a battery pack; and a power information generation unit that generates information on an amount of electricity based on the charging and discharging by the charging and discharging unit. The management server includes a battery information database that stores battery information distributed in the battery exchange service system; a contractor information database that stores contractor information for the battery exchange service system; a battery information verification unit that verifies the battery information by the battery information stored in the battery information database; a user information verification unit that verifies the user information by the contractor information stored in the contractor information database; and a charge calculation unit that calculates a charge based on the information on the amount of electricity.
US08355962B2
A system for easily locating goods stored in a storage area including a computer coupled with a radio frequency transmitter or transceivers and goods placed in containers that are coupled to hangers that each has distinct electronic addresses. The hangers each have a hook that allows the hangers to be stored on rails coupled to racks in a storage area. The identifications of the goods and the electronic addresses for the corresponding hangers are associated with each other and stored on a computer database. When a user wants to pick up goods stored in the containers, the user inputs the identification for the goods and the computer will cause the radio frequency transmitter to emit a data packet that includes a search address and illumination data. The hangers each compare the search address to the electronic address and if there is a match, the hanger illuminates the light according to the illumination data. The system notifies the user of the color and flash pattern and the goods can then be easily found by locating the hanger having the corresponding illumination.
US08355961B1
A system is provided for determining an item location in a distribution center. The system includes an audio device, a transparent display, and a mobile device in communication with the audio device and the transparent display. The mobile device receives a request to determine item location from the audio device, determines a location of the mobile device, and determines an item location. The mobile device also outputs item location information to the transparent display and outputs additional information to the transparent display in response to a change of the location of the mobile device.
US08355957B2
A system and method for personalizing an article in real-time is provided. A selection of an article for personalization is accepted from a user. A model of the selected article is displayed. At least one personalization attribute is accepted from the user. The model is modified and displayed, based on the at least one accepted personalization attribute, as the at least one personalization attribute is accepted, thereby enabling the user to personalize the article in real-time. The article may be an article of jewelry, such as a ring, a necklace, or a watch.
US08355956B2
Disclosed herein are techniques to market products and services by enabling a potential consumer to access information about a product or service by simply scanning a bar code. Consistent with some embodiments, a computer system stores in a database data records that include bar code information. The computer system is operable to receive requests for information that include bar code information. Upon receiving such a request, the computer system identifies a data record in the database with bar code information that matches the bar code information received in the request, and then processes the request by communicating relevant information to the requestor.
US08355939B2
Among other disclosed subject matter, a method for managing supply and demand for a ware includes obtaining requirement information for a ware, the requirement information representing a forecasted demand for the ware at a specified time. The method includes generating supply information for the ware, generating pegging information, obtaining order information for the ware, modifying the requirement information and updating the pegging information. Any remainder of the forecasted demand of the requirement information that is not consumed by the order remains associated with the supply information in the pegging information.
US08355928B2
A medical user interface and workflow management system for use in X-ray imaging related procedures includes at least one repository. The at least one repository stores data indicating X-ray imaging related characteristics of a current medical procedure being performed including data identifying a type of procedure, comprising at least one of, (a) a current medical procedure is a cardiac related procedure and (b) a current medical procedure is an Angiography procedure. A workflow processor manages and tracks tasks being performed in a current medical procedure and adaptively selects a next task for performance following completion of a current task by selecting the next task based on the current task and in response to the X-ray imaging related characteristics. A user interface generates data representing at least one display image for presentation to a user. The at least one display image includes image elements associated with the selected next task enabling performance of the selected next task.
US08355914B2
A method for selecting text created in a mobile terminal by word and correcting it or changing it to another word, and a mobile terminal implementing the same are disclosed. The mobile terminal includes: a display unit to display one or more words of text, and to display tags for each of the one or more words; an input unit to select at least one of the tagged one or more words as selected one word; and a controller to display candidate words having a similar pronunciation to that of the word selected via the input unit, select one of the candidate words as selected one candidate word, and change the selected one word from the text to the selected one candidate word.
US08355913B2
Input of dictated information in an information processing apparatus is controlled. Utterances of speech are detected and interpreted as words. Word by word confirmation of the interpreted words is detected, the confirmation being associated with an adjustable timeout period. The timeout period may be adjusted according to a number of different measures, including an average time needed for confirmation, an average success rate of dictation, by the pace of dictation as performed by a user, and by a user's history based on statistics from previously performed dictation procedures.
US08355889B2
An electronic balance 1 having a switching function for selecting and setting one measurement mode from among a number of measurement modes corresponding to the type of object to be measured and/or the type of measuring work and/or the situation in terms of the work environment, an applied function for selecting and setting one display method from among a number of display methods for the weight of an object to be measured, and a basic function for gaining results of measurement of an object to be measured on the basis of the set measurement mode and display method is provided with: a number of menu operation keys 72a to 72e with which an input operation for selecting and setting one measurement mode from among a number of measurement modes and an input operation for selecting and setting one display method from among a number of display methods are carried out; and a number of basic operation keys 71a to 71d with which an input operation for gaining results of measurement for an object to be measured on the basis of the set measurement mode and display method is carried out, characterized in that the location where the above described number of basic operation keys 71a to 71d are arranged and the location where the above described number of menu operation keys 72a to 72e are arranged are at a distance from each other.
US08355887B1
A device may include a plurality of sensors substantially coplanar with one another in a sensor plane, each sensor generating a sense value that varies according to a physical distance between the sensor and an object without contacting the object; and control circuits that generates at least first position values, second position values and third position values in response to the sensor values, the first and second position values identifying a position in a space adjacent to the sensor plane.
US08355881B2
A device for machine diagnostics, with a vibration sensor (12) for detecting vibration signals on the machine (10), a unit (14) for conditioning the vibration signals, an A/D converter (16) for digitizing the conditioned vibration signals, a data processing unit (20) for splitting the digital signals into at least two frequency ranges, the data processing unit being made to scale the signal for each frequency range to an amplitude resolution which is less than the amplitude resolution of the A/D converter, and an evaluation unit (30) for further evaluation of the split signals.
US08355880B2
In one exemplary embodiment, the state of engine oil degradation is monitored and determined using the size of viscosity hysteresis during heating-cooling cycles. In another exemplary embodiment, the state of engine oil degradation is monitored and determined using the sign of viscosity hysteresis during heating-cooling cycles. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the state of engine oil degradation is monitored and determined using relative viscosity changes hysteresis during heating-cooling cycles.
US08355877B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products using TRL V6 as a biomarker for the modulation of triglyceride and/or lipoprotein metabolism in a mammal induced by an investigational weight loss pharmaceutical agent. The biomarker may be used for predetermining if an individual patient will likely respond favorably to a given weight loss pharmaceutical agent and/or for testing a pharmaceutical agent's ability to modulate triglyceride and/or lipoprotein metabolism in a mammal.
US08355874B2
The invention relates to a method for developing a biomarker for the prognosis of the result of a therapeutical treatment based on data obtained in clinical studies, data remaining unchanged by therapy being subdivided into diagnostic and genomic parameters and the marker being defined by a combination of parameters. The method according to the invention is characterized by specifying the maximum number of parameters for defining the marker and thus the maximum complexity of the system from the beginning and by carrying out the search for defining parameters by sequential combination of clinical parameters (=z parameters) and/or genomic parameters (=x parameters).
US08355871B2
An efficient route-defining method includes determining a route to a destination. The exemplary method also includes determining a wireless device to server connection type and assigning a tolerance in accordance with a connection type. The tolerance is usable to determine if a vehicle is off-route, and the tolerance is increased or decreased inversely corresponding to the speed of the connection type. According to the illustrative method, the assigned tolerance is used to determine points defining the route, such that the roads comprising the route are within a bounded area. The bounded area may be defined by the tolerance in conjunction with a plurality of lines connecting successive points along the route. Finally, the method includes delivering the determined points to a vehicle computing system in communication with the server.
US08355867B2
According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling the navigation system of a carrier (P) receiving signals from a plurality of transmitters (T1-T3) and capable of measuring a pseudo-distance to each transmitter, wherein the elevation of each of the transmitters (T1-T3) is controlled relative to the horizontal (H) of the carrier (P), and a navigation solution is developed from the pseudo-distances (Pd-a) for which the elevation of the corresponding transmitter is higher than a minimum elevation (Em), characterized in that it comprises carrying out a discrimination of the multiple routes from the pseudo-distances (formula I) measured for the transmitters (T3) having an elevation lower than the minimum elevation (Em), and further retaining, during the development of the navigation solution, the pseudo-distances (Pd-ad) authorized after said discrimination. The invention also relates to a navigation system capable of implementing the method according to the first aspect of the invention.
US08355856B2
An engine control system of a vehicle comprises a reserves module and a fault diagnostic module. The reserves module controls airflow into an engine based on a driver torque request, increases the airflow into the engine when a reserve torque request is received, and outputs a torque output command for the engine based on the driver torque request. The fault diagnostic module selectively diagnoses a fault in the reserves module when the torque output command is greater than a sum of the driver torque request, a predetermined torque, and a load applied to the engine.
US08355849B2
A procedure for monitoring a clutch position of a clutch which is arranged in a double clutch transmission of an automotive vehicle, wherein the clutch position is determined to be a safe position or a non-safe position.
US08355848B2
There is provided a hydraulic control device for controlling a hydraulic pressure supplied to a vehicle start-up engagement element in an automatic transmission when a shift lever is moved from a non-drive range position to a drive range position. The hydraulic control device has a target pressure setting section that sets, based on an input torque of the automatic transmission, a target value of hydraulic pressure supplied to the vehicle start-up engagement element at the completion of engagement of the vehicle start-up engagement element and corrects the target value periodically based on the transmission input torque until the completion of engagement of the vehicle start-up engagement element and a hydraulic pressure control section that controls the hydraulic pressure in such a manner that the hydraulic pressure supplied to the vehicle start-up engagement element reaches the corrected target value at the completion of engagement of the vehicle start-up engagement element.
US08355844B2
The vehicle motion control apparatus includes a control unit 37A and sensors 2, 3, 4, 30, 31, 32, 33, etc. The actual state quantity obtaining unit 52 calculates a vehicle body actual slip angle βz_act, etc. The reference dynamic-characteristic model calculating unit 54 calculates a reference vehicle body slip angle βz_d, etc. by using a dynamic characteristic model. The vehicle motion control apparatus also includes a first anti-spin target yaw moment FB unit 68 which calculates a first anti-spin•target yaw moment Mc1_asp based on the vehicle body actual slip angle βz_act and a second anti-spin target yaw moment FB unit 82 which calculates a second anti-spin•target yaw moment Mc2_asp based on a lateral acceleration Gs, a vehicle speed Vact and an actual yaw rate γact.
US08355837B2
A system and method for testing the integrity of a vehicle testing/diagnostic system is provided. Examples of vehicle testing/diagnostic systems may include any equipment (portable or stationary) found in an automotive maintenance and/or testing environment (or other environment) that is capable of communicating with vehicle on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems. Prior to conducting an OBD test on one or more vehicles, an integrity testing system interfaces with a vehicle testing/diagnostic system to determine whether the vehicle testing/diagnostic system is capable of communicating via one or more predetermined communications protocols.
US08355833B2
A vehicular system including an electrical sub-system, an engine generating a first torque to drive a crankshaft, an electric machine applying a second torque to the crankshaft, and a mechanical accessory sub-system applying a third torque to the crankshaft. The vehicular system also includes a control sub-system having a processor and a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to (i) during idle operation of the vehicle, select a mode operation, of a plurality of system modes including a charge mode and a discharge mode, to stabilize a net torque being a sum of the first, second, and third torques, and (ii) control operation of at least one of the electric machine and the engine according to the selected mode.
US08355827B2
System and method include precisely modeling of a facility's energy usage over time based on historic data, and precisely predicting or measuring its actual, reduced energy usage over time after a redesign, retrofit, or renovation, or other positive change to the facility. The energy cost savings, whether over a time point of view (POV) of predicted, real-time, or historic, are creditable to the intervening remediation or renovation of the facility's energy footprint. In accordance with one embodiment, multiple-variable inputs are modeled using arithmetic regression and steepest-descent convergence arithmetic solutions based in large part on building-science (construction) data versus outside average temperature (t) that simplifies the modeling and measurements. Additionality is thus addressed along with a system and method that is more accurate, more repeatable, more reliable, and thus more credible and more readily monetized.
US08355824B2
In a case where a request for changing a maximum value of active power and a newly defined maximum value of active power are received from the utility grid side, a maximum value of an active power demand value set to a rated value is changed to the newly defined maximum value of active power at a predetermined change rate or less.
US08355811B2
A clothing simulation apparatus precisely determines clothing pressure for bringing a clothing into tight contact with a human body. A fitting part 22 divides a paper pattern model into a plurality of elements, imparts dynamic characteristics shown by a fabric model to each element, deforms the paper pattern model by solving the motion equation of each element using a finite element method, and then fits the clothing virtually to a human body model. The fitting part 22 sets a temporary model to cover a predetermined section of the human body model, deforms the paper pattern model to bring the paper pattern model into contact with the temporary model, and thereafter deforms the paper pattern model to bring the paper pattern model into contact with the human body model.
US08355805B2
Systems and methods are provided for an appliance system. The system includes an appliance, and a processor connected to the appliance such that the processor places the appliance in one of an enabled state and a disabled state. The processor is configured to track usage of the appliance and to place the appliance in a disabled state when the usage of the appliance exceeds a threshold amount. The system also includes a data receiving device configured to receive a code, wherein upon receipt of a valid code, the processor is configured to adjust the threshold amount to allow additional usage of the appliance.
US08355800B2
The present invention is an implantable electronic device formed within a biocompatible hermetic package. Preferably the implantable electronic device is used for a visual prosthesis for the restoration of sight in patients with lost or degraded visual function. The package is formed from a thin film of hermetic biocompatible material to minimize the size of the implanted device.
US08355797B2
Therapy systems for treating a patient are disclosed. Representative therapy systems include an implantable pulse generator, a signal delivery device electrically coupled to the pulse generator, and a remote control in electrical communication with the implantable pulse generator. The pulse generator can have a computer-readable medium containing instructions for performing a process that comprises collecting the patient status and stimulation parameter; analyzing the collected patient status and stimulation parameter; and establishing a preference baseline containing a preferred stimulation parameter corresponding to a particular patient status.
US08355794B2
Apparatus and method for at least partially fitting a medical implant system to a recipient is described. The medical implant system is configured to provide electrical stimulation and at least one other mode of stimulation to the recipient. These apparatuses and methods comprise executing a genetic algorithm to select a set of parameter values for the medical implant system. This genetic algorithm may comprise generating successive generations of child populations and then providing a determined set of parameter values to the medical implant system for use in providing stimulation to the recipient.
US08355787B2
An implantable connector comprises an electrically insulative housing including an outer wall, an interior cavity surrounded by the outer wall, a port through which the lead body portion can be introduced into the interior cavity, and a pair of first apertures disposed through the outer wall on a first side of the housing. The connector further comprises an electrical spring clip contact mounted to the housing. The contact includes a common portion and a pair of legs extending from opposite ends of the common portion. The legs respectively extend through the first apertures into the interior cavity, such that the legs firmly engage the electrical terminal therebetween when the lead body portion is introduced into the interior cavity.
US08355786B2
A connector and adapter engage leads with each other or with an implantable medical device when a wedge is removed from the spring-loaded connector or adapter assembly, thereby permitting the connector or adapter to compress around the lead connector. The connector and adapter assembly may include a body with at least one lumen, at least one contact exposed within the at least one lumen of the body, at least one wire electrically connected to the at least one contact, at least one clamp ring capable of compressing around the body, and at least one wedge or similar tool capable of opening and closing the at least one clamp ring.
US08355785B1
An implantable pulse generator is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the implantable pulse generator includes a housing, a feedthru, and a header. The housing includes an electronic component housed within the housing. The feedthru is mounted on the housing and includes an electrical insulator and a lead connector block. The electrical insulator includes a header face and a housing face opposite the header face. The lead connector block extends from the header face of the electrical insulator. The housing face faces in the general direction of the electronic component. The lead connector block is in electrical communication with the electronic component. The header includes an electrically insulative barrier and an outer covering. The electrically insulative barrier includes a feedthru face and a cavity. The feedthru face abuts the header face and the lead connector block resides in the cavity. The outer covering extends over the electrically insulative barrier.
US08355773B2
A localization device display method and apparatus for recording positional parameters associated with a tool being navigated with the localization device. The localization device monitors the position of a tool and automatically records positional parameters associated with the tool when the positional parameters conform to an area of interest and the tool is stable.
US08355771B2
The invention relates to a method of determining a spatial distribution of magnetic particles in an examination zone, in which a magnetic field is generated that has a first sub-zone of lower magnetic field strength and a second sub-zone of higher magnetic field strength. The positions of the two sub-zones are changed, as a result of which the magnetization in the examination zone changes. Measured values that depend on the change in magnetization are acquired. A reference response function by means of which measured values can be determined mathematically from a spatial distribution of magnetic particles is then determined by means of at least extensive magnetic specimen distribution. Finally, the spatial distribution of magnetic particles is reconstructed from the measured values by means of the reference response function.
US08355764B2
A sliding module for a slide-type portable communication apparatus including a main body and a sliding body which slides on the main body along a sliding distance provided from a start position to an end position. The sliding module includes a fixed plate engaged with the main body, a moving plate being engaged with the sliding body and sliding along the sliding distance. A sliding module is provided between the fixed plate and the moving plate and provides a dead point position between the start position and a center position of the sliding distance, or closer to the start position to slide the moving plate. The dead position prevents the accidental closing of the sliding body and loss of communication if a user's hand slips during the opening of the sliding body to expose a portion of the main body.
US08355763B2
An overlapping type portable radiotelephone includes a first housing having at least a display section and speakers, and a second housing having at least a main operation section and a microphone. The first and second housings are coupled each other so as to be opened and closed. The main operation section is covered with the first housing in a closed state and exposed outside in an opened state. A display screen in the display section and the speakers are exposed outside both in the closed state and in the opened state. With this overlapping type portable radiotelephone, conversation can be effected even in the closed state, and there is further provided a communication control section for enabling the conversation to be continued, even though the portable radiotelephone is brought into the opened state from the closed state while the conversation is in progress.
US08355755B2
Disclosed is a mobile terminal including, first and second bodies rotatably coupled to each other, and a driving unit configured to allow a relative rotation of the first and second bodies between a closed configuration and an open configuration, the first and second bodies being overlaid by each other in the closed configuration and rotated away from each other in the open configuration, wherein the driving unit includes rotation motion units connected to each of the first and second bodies and configured to generate the relative rotation, and slide motion units cooperatively operating with the rotation motion unit and configured to relatively slide the first and second bodies with respect to the driving unit between the closed configuration and the open configuration.
US08355751B2
A system and method for speed measurement of a mobile device, using an speed sensor such as a satellite navigation system or an accelerometer, does not need such speed sensor to be continually activated. The system and method make use of a monitor for monitoring at least one motion indicium for indicating that the speed of the mobile device is above an initial threshold, including but not limited to: monitoring the Doppler shift measurements of a timing signal; monitoring the timing advance of a cellular radio signal; monitoring the number of base stations visible to the mobile device; monitoring the frequency of base station handover, however determined; monitoring the level crossings and/or the autocorrelation of an RSSI signal; and/or triangulation of the position of the mobile device. When the monitor determines that the mobile device may be travelling in excess of a threshold speed, a speed sensor is activated to confirm the indication. If the speed sensor determines that the mobile device is travelling at a speed below a second threshold, the speed sensor is deactivated.
US08355742B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate employing distributed frequency planning and reuse factor optimization based upon forward link and/or reverse link interference management techniques. An optimal reuse factor for a base station can be determined based upon a metric that evaluates levels of service associated with neighboring base stations. Moreover, a subset of available resource sets can be selected for use by the base station; thus, a base station specific collection of resource sets can be formed through such selection. Further, mappings of each resource set to a set of physical resources can be disseminated in a network or portion thereof. According to another example, frequency hopping can be constrained to use of resources within a resource set (rather than across more than one resource set) as provided in a base station specific hopping pattern.
US08355735B2
Base station apparatus (1) is provided for improving bandwidth usage in a cellular communication network serving at least one mobile terminal. The network is capable of supporting at least a first radio access technology (i.e. GSM) and a second radio access technology (LTE) and uses a predefined bandwidth range. The apparatus comprises a base band unit (3) including a counting means for determining the number of mobile terminals within a cell of the first radio access technology supporting the second radio access technology and a measuring means for determining the level of traffic carried by the first radio access technology cell; and a bandwidth assignment means for dynamically assigning a first portion of the bandwidth range to the first radio access technology and a second portion of the bandwidth range to the second radio access technology on the basis of the number of supportive mobile terminals and the level of first radio access technology traffic.In this way, the bandwidth assigned to GSM and LTE can be configured to take account of changes in the traffic levels and device capabilities in either RAT.
US08355732B2
The present invention provides a method of dimensioning a transport network for a radio access network of a mobile radio network, said method including dynamic adaptation of the transport configuration as a function of transport traffic capacity requirements.
US08355722B1
First and second indicators that indicate the availability of an air link resource are received from a first base station and second base station, respectively, that are in communication with a wireless device. A third indicator and a fourth indicator that indicate the availability of an access network resource are received from the first base station and the second base station, respectively. A core network resource indicator is received. The first base station is selected based on the first indicator, the second indicator, the third indicator, and the fourth indicator. A path resource indicator is determined based on the first indicator, the third indicator, and the core network resource indicator. The path resource indicator is communicated to the wireless device. A response to the path resource indicator is received from the wireless device.
US08355721B2
A method in a mobile communications apparatus, the mobile communications apparatus operable to communicate with a wireless communications network using a plurality of frequency bands, the mobile communications apparatus being capable of performing a measurement of one frequency band while using another or the same frequency band, the method comprising sending a measurement capability message to the wireless communications network, the measurement capability message including an information element designating the requirement for compressed mode for more than one of a plurality of combinations of a particular frequency band being used when another or the same frequency band is measured.
US08355710B2
A System and Method of initiating user notification for a wireless device is provided for allowing a user to locate the wireless device when it has been accidentally misplaced. Notification settings of a wireless device indicate whether incoming communication triggers user notification. If the wireless device has been configured to not ring, then calling the wireless device will not help the user to locate the wireless device. A message (e.g. email, SMS) configured for prompting user notification notwithstanding the notification settings is sent to the wireless device. The message is routed through a wireless network and received by the wireless device. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, in response to the message, the wireless device executes a user notification notwithstanding the notification settings. In some implementations, the user notification includes audible ringing, which might help the user to locate the wireless device based on the audible ringing.
US08355709B2
A utility program executing on a mobile communication device decides whether to launch an application remotely as a Webapp or whether to launch the application locally on the mobile communication device. The decision is based at least in part on an estimate of how much of a resource the application would consume were the application to be launched and executed on the mobile communication device. Examples of resources include battery capacity, memory capacity, and processing power capacity. If the total amount of a resource consumed by currently executing applications and the application to be launched would exceed a threshold amount, then the utility uses a browser on the mobile communication device to launch the application remotely as a Webapp, otherwise the utility program causes the application to be launched locally. The utility program has a graphical user interface (GUI) whereby utility program operation can be configured and customized.
US08355707B2
Methods and systems for providing information regarding monitored computer systems to wireless devices are provided. Information may be requested by a wireless device and displayed on the wireless device in a browser. The web server application may detect the wireless device, and may also then specially format the response, including the requested information formatted for optimized delivery and/or display on a wireless device. The web server application may also send a message to a wireless device about events associated with the monitored computer systems.
US08355695B2
A solution for providing a data security service in a wireless communications system (S) is disclosed. In the solution, a first security association (SA1) is established between an anchor node (LMA1) located in a home operator network (N1) and a concentrator node (Ha) located in an interconnecting operator network (GRXa). In addition, a second security association (SA2, SA3, SA4, SA5) is established between an access node (MAG1, MAG2, MAG3, MAG4, MAG5) located in a roaming operator network (N2, N3, N4, N5) and the concentrator node (Ha, Hb) located in the interconnecting operator network (GRXa, GRXb). A user terminal (UE1-2, UE1-3, UE1-4, UE1-5) roaming in the roaming operator network (N2, N3, N4, N5) can then access external network services (E) by utilizing the first security association (SA1) and the second security association (SA2, SA3, SA4, SA5), respectively.
US08355684B2
A channel determination apparatus and method for a broadcast receiver are provided. The method includes estimating, when the broadcast receiver operates in a sleep state over a preset time period, inter-modulation distortion interference of a plurality of channels by scanning the channels, and receiving, when the sleep state is transitioned to an active state, broadcast data on a channel having the least inter-modulation distortion interference. Accordingly, the inter-modulation distortion interference of individual channels is taken into account to select an optimum channel, thereby resulting in improvement of channel determination accuracy.
US08355683B2
A disclosed method tunes a signal from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing. A signal of interest having a predetermined maximum bandwidth is mixed with a local oscillator signal, which has a frequency that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing or one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing. The local oscillator signal is selected to frequency translate the signal of interest to within a near-baseband passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by at least about the maximum bandwidth of the signal of interest. Problems associated with 1/f noise, DC offsets, and self-mixing products are avoided or substantially diminished. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08355677B1
A wireless device comprises an interference sensing module, a modulation and coding schemes (MCS) selection module, and a transmit module. The interference sensing module selectively receives an interference signal over a channel. The interference signal is modulated using P MCSs, where P is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The MCS selection module selects an MCS based on the P MCSs. The transmit module transmits a transmit signal over the channel using the MCS.
US08355669B2
A method and an apparatus for operating a moving network in a mobile communication system are provided. A method of a Base Station (BS) for operating a Moving Network (MN) includes determining an operation mode of the MN in a cell by collecting information of the cell, and transmitting the determined operation mode to the MN. The operation mode includes at least one of an Operation ON mode in which the MN maintains links to Mobile Stations (MSs) in a service coverage area of the MN, and an Operation OFF mode in which the MN turns off the links to the MSs in the service coverage area of the MN.
US08355663B2
A photosensitive cartridge includes a frame; a photosensitive drum; a drum gear; a cleaning roller; and a cleaning gear, which is provided at one end portion of the cleaning roller, which meshes with the drum gear, and which rotates integrally with the cleaning roller by a force from the drum gear. The cleaning roller is swingable around a swing axis extending parallel to a rotation axis of the cleaning roller. The swing axis is provided at a side that is opposite to the photosensitive drum with respect to a straight line extending in an input direction of a force from a tooth surface of the drum gear through a meshing position between the cleaning gear and the drum gear. The frame includes a restricting face, which extends in a direction perpendicular to the input direction, and which restricts movement of the cleaning gear in the input direction.
US08355661B2
A fusing device includes; a heating member having a resistive heating layer constituting an outermost portion of the heating member, a nip forming member facing the heating member to form a fusing nip therewith, and a plurality of current supplying electrodes which contact an outer circumference of the resistive heating layer to supply electrical current to the resistive heating layer.
US08355658B2
A circumferential length of a belt is measured within a short period of time. A plurality of marks is provided on a belt. Distances between the marks are set to be all different from each other. The distance between the marks is set to allow the mark to be identified by measuring a period of time between the detection of one mark and that of the next mark even if the length of the belt is changed to some degree by the expansion of the belt or the like. Then, a period of time between the identified mark and the next mark is accurately measured. The total circumferential length of the belt is measured based on the results of measurement.
US08355650B2
A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of cartridges is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, includes a cartridge supporting member movable between an inside position which is inside the main assembly and an outside position which is outside the main assembly, supporting the cartridges, wherein the cartridges are mounted to and dismounted from the cartridge supporting member placed in the outside position; an opening which is provided in the main assembly and through which the cartridge supporting member is passed when the cartridge supporting member moves between the inside position and the outside position; a receiving member for receiving developed images from photosensitive members provided on the cartridge supporting member in the state that cartridge supporting member is placed in the inside position, the receiving member is rotatable along below the photosensitive members; a transfer member for transferring the developed images transferred on the receiving member onto a recording material at a transfer position; a fixing member for fixing the developed images transferred onto the recording material on the recording material; and a feeding path for feeding the recording material to a removing position by way of the transfer position, the inside of the opening and the fixing member from a stacking portion for stacking the recording material, wherein the cartridge supporting member is movable between the inside position and the outside position intersecting the feeding path.
US08355649B2
Disclosed herein is a developing device. The developing device includes a housing having a toner containing unit and a developing unit, a partition member, having a toner supply window, coupled to the housing to partition the toner containing unit and the developing unit, a barrier film attached to the partition member to close the toner supply window, the barrier film having one end exposed out of the housing through a discharge port provided at a side wall of the housing, and a sheet member to guide and discharge the barrier film out of the housing.
US08355647B2
An electronic device includes: a display that displays at least a status of the device; a controller that is provided on a back surface of the display and controls a display on the display; a heat source; a shield that shields the controller from the heat source; and an opening that is connected to a space formed by the controller and the shield and allows air outside the device to flow in and out of the controller.
US08355641B2
A paper wrinkle sign monitoring device includes: at least one timing detecting unit that is set on a transport path of a printing medium, and that detects transport timing of the printing medium; and a sign output unit that detects a sign of paper wrinkle generation in the transporting time of the printing medium based on the transport timing of the printing medium detected by the timing detecting unit, and that outputs the sign.
US08355633B2
A communication network management system including a node apparatus 10 provided with a wavelength detecting part 110 which detects the wavelength of an optical wave transmitted through a path, a destination node detecting part which detects a node apparatus connected to a transmission path, a connection information storage part 112 which stores connection information, a connection information sending part 113 which sends connection information to an NMS terminal, and a path setting part 114 which sets path based on path setting data received from the NMS terminal 20; and an NMS terminal provided with a connection information detecting part 220 which receives connection information from the node apparatus 10, a path setting data generating part 221 which generates path setting data of the node apparatus 10 based on the connection information and a path setting data sending part 222 which sends path setting data to the node apparatus 10.
US08355631B2
A system for transmitting a plurality of data channels and an optical service channel through an optical fiber link of a Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) optical communications system. The system comprises a first transmitter at a first end of the optical fiber link, for transmitting the data channels as a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal through the optical fiber link in a first direction. A second transmitter is connected at a second end of the optical fiber link, for transmitting the optical service channel through the optical fiber link in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
US08355623B2
Certain embodiments provide a heater. The heater includes a ferromagnetic member. The heater also includes an electrical conductor electrically coupled to the ferromagnetic member. The electrical conductor is configured to conduct a majority of time-varying electrical current passing through the heater at about 25° C. The heater is configured to provide a first heat output below the Curie temperature of the ferromagnetic member. The heater is configured to automatically provide a second heat output approximately at and above the Curie temperature of the ferromagnetic member. The second heat output is reduced compared to the first heat output.
US08355621B2
A high definition television video content management and/or copy protection method and apparatus are achieved by modifying portions of one or more channels of an HDTV (high definition television) signal. These modifications are generally in the blanking intervals but can extend into the overscanned portions. In one version, the signal modification defines tags or trigger bits for a content control system. This modification may follow the HDTV tri-level sync (synchronization) pulses for example, and it may occur in at least one of the HDTV video channels. In another version, portions of the tri-level sync pulse are modified to cause a reference sensing circuit such an AGC system (in a receiving device such as a video recorder) to produce an erroneous output. Optionally, a signal may be added or inserted following the modified tri-level sync pulses. In another version, tri-level pseudo sync pulses are added in blanking or overscanned intervals. These tri-level pseudo sync pulses may be asymmetrical and may be followed by a signal. Further, any of the above modifications or signals or sync signals may be modulated (e.g., amplitude, position, pulse-width). Also these modifications may be provided to a generic television system.
US08355619B2
In DVRVolume( ), there is stated the information pertinent to the totality of the information recorded in a disc. The information recorded in the disc can be confirmed on the basis of this description. In TableOfPlayList( ), there is stated the information usable in reproducing the information recorded in the disc. Using this description, the desired information can be retrieved extremely readily. So, the information recorded in the disc or desired information can be confirmed extremely readily.
US08355610B2
A primary waveguide and a coupling waveguide are arranged so a user can view light from a forward scene through the primary waveguide. An image source generates an image which is diffractively coupled into the primary waveguide and internally reflected to an exit area for diffraction towards the user. Light from the forward looking scene is diffracted into the primary waveguide to be internally reflected and coupled to a image intensifier tube assembly. The image intensifier tube assembly enhances light from the forward looking scene and drives the image source such that an image of the enhanced light is overlaid on light from a forward scene at exit area.
US08355606B2
Electrical control of the emitter of a coupled quantum emitter-resonant cavity structure is provided. Electrodes are disposed near a semiconductor quantum dot coupled to a semiconductor optical cavity such that varying an applied bias at the electrodes alters an electric field at the quantum dot. Optical input and output ports are coupled to the cavity, and an optical response of the device relates light emitted from the output port to light provided to the input port. Altering the applied bias at the electrodes is capable of altering the optical response. Preferably, the closest electrode to the cavity is disposed between or away from angular lobes of the cavity mode, to reduce loss caused by the proximity of electrode to cavity. The present approach is applicable to both waveguide-coupled devices and non-waveguide devices.
US08355604B2
A silicon-on-insulator device has a waveguide having a carrier wafer layer, a buffer layer, a guiding layer, and a cladding layer. The silicon-on-insulator is additionally provided with a polarizing arrangement deposited on a predetermined portion of the waveguide, the polarizing arrangement being provided with a bottom metal layer, a dielectric gap, and a top metal layer, the bottom metal layer being deposited on the cladding layer. A protection layer formed of SiO2 overlies the top metal layer. The polarizing arrangement attenuates preferentially the electromagnetic energy that is propagated in the waveguide in the TM transmission mode. There is formed a gap plasmon-polariton (GPP) confined to the dielectric gap, the dielectric gap having a high optical loss characteristic. In accordance with a method aspect, there are provided the steps of forming a silicon-on-insulator waveguide arrangement and depositing a polarizer structure that absorbs the electromagnetic energy in the TM transmission mode.
US08355599B2
The invention relates to a device and method for detecting changes in background of successive images. More particularly, the invention relates to a device and method for detecting changes in background of successive images by obtaining vertically accumulated values and horizontally accumulated values from multiple binary images of previous image and current image, obtaining pairs of rows and pairs of columns based on the vertically accumulated values and horizontally accumulated values, and transforming pairs of rows and pairs of columns using Hough transformation.Also, the invention relates to an interface system including background changes detecting device and display device connected to the background changes detecting device.
US08355595B2
Image contrast enhancement includes (i) computing a contrast measure incorporating an adjustable tone transformation function and one or more statistical measures of selected spatial arrangements of pixel or voxel intensities in an analysis image or image portion, (ii) adjusting the adjustable tone transformation function to increase contrast as indicated by the contrast measure, and (iii) enhancing contrast of a target image or image portion using the adjusted tone transformation function.
US08355593B2
Disclosed is an image restoring apparatus and a method thereof, which sets a restoration image area to establish a portion of a target image area to be restored as a restoration image area to be restored with priority according to a request for an image restoration; sets a search area to establish an area with a predetermined size including the restoration image area as a search area; detects a similar image area to search for the most similar image area to the restoration image area within the search area; and reconstructs the deteriorated image in a natural manner by copying the image of the detected similar image area and attaching the same to the restoration image area.
US08355577B2
The operability of a user when reusing a vectorized illustration is improved. An image processing apparatus of the present invention comprises an illustration region specifying component configured to specify an illustration region within an input image, a color region extracting component configured to extract a color region from the specified illustration region, a contour line extracting component configured to extract a contour line from the extracted color region, a vector data generating component configured to generate vector data from image data of the illustration region, a kind discriminating component configured to discriminate a kind of the generated vector data, and a circumscribed rectangle coordinate deriving component configured to derive circumscribed rectangle coordinates in accordance with the kind discriminated by the kind discriminating component.
US08355572B2
What is disclosed is a system and method for mapping an out of gamut RGB color to a surface of a color gamut in RGB space. A point xc having {Rc Gc Bc} values in RGB space is identified which is outside a surface of a color gamut of a target device. A lightness value γ and a chroma vector {right arrow over (C)}=[Cr, Cg, Cb] are determined from the {Rc Gc Bc} values of the identified point. A minimum and a maximum saturation are determined for point xc. A new lightness value γ′ and a new chroma vector {right arrow over (C)} are calculated based on the minimum and maximum saturation values, in a manner as is described herein in detail. The new lightness γ′ and the new chroma vector {right arrow over (C)} are converted back into {R′c G′c B′c} values. The {R′c G′c B′c} values are provided to a gamut mapping function.
US08355570B2
A raster to block converter and equivalently a block to raster converter can be implemented using enough memory to contain a single image band, that is a band of pixels of height equal to a single block but spanning the entire width of an image. The raster to block converter can operate at full rate so that as soon as a pixel is read out from the memory a new pixel can be stored in its place. The location of a pixel can be tracked using a mapping involving basic modular arithmetic. This raster to block converter is scalable so that it can work with any size image and block size.
US08355563B2
A photovoltaic devices inspection apparatus and method of determining defects in photovoltaic devices that uses electroluminescence can find both the quality of the photovoltaic devices from the state of electroluminescence and the possibility of the photovoltaic devices becoming defective in the future by applying constant electric current to the photovoltaic devices causing electroluminescence of the photovoltaic devices (S7), photographing the light emitted from each photovoltaic cell of the photovoltaic devices (S10), dividing the photographed image of the photovoltaic cell into a bright region and dark region by using a threshold value and displayed as an enhanced image by binarization, analyzing as classifying each photovoltaic cell defect according to defect types and comparing a shape of the dark region with the defect types (S50), determining the existence of the defect to perform a positive-negative quality judgment on the photovoltaic devices, and displaying images of the problematic regions for visual inspection (S16).
US08355560B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a pattern evaluation system includes an image acquisition unit, a plurality of image processing units, and a control unit which controls the plurality of image processing units. The image acquisition unit loads a series of images of a pattern to be evaluated. The images are acquired at a first speed. The plurality of image processing units process the series of images at a second speed and then output a result of the evaluation of the pattern to be evaluated. The control unit acquires the first and second speeds, estimates the number of the image processing units which allow the time for acquiring the series of images to be substantially the same as the time for processing the series of images, and allocates the estimated image processing units to the processing of the series of images.
US08355558B2
A money handling system includes: a sort pattern setting unit 107 configured to set a sort pattern showing one or more denominations of the banknotes to be sorted into the stacking units 103; a storage unit 109 configured to store the sort pattern set by the sort pattern setting unit 107, and to store a recognition result and a count result by the recognition unit 102 on the banknotes stacked in the stacking units 103; and a control unit 108 configured to control the transport unit 105 so as to transport the banknotes respectively to the stacking units 103 and the reject unit 104, based on the recognition result by the recognition unit 102 and the sort pattern stored in the storage unit 109.
US08355553B2
A system and process for analyzing multidimensional data characterizing a least a portion of a subject is described. An input module accepts at least one multidimensional dataset which is derived from any of several types of data sources. A registration module accepts the dataset from the input module and registers the dataset from the input module to a selected anatomical model to provide a registered dataset. A processing module is coupled to the registration module and uses this in determining a core region and associated core region information, and computes threshold characteristics of the registered dataset. A segmentation module accepts the registered dataset and the core region information from the processing module, and segments the registered dataset to provide a segmented description of an organ from the registered dataset and core region information, where the segmented, registered dataset describes characteristics of the organ of the subject.
US08355552B2
Techniques include automatically detecting a lymph node in a scanned image of a body without human intervention, using one or more of three approaches. First, a subset of scanned images is determined, which belongs to one anatomical domain. A search region for lymph tissue is in a particular spatial relationship outside an anatomical object in the domain. Second, scanned images are segmented without human intervention to determine a boundary of a particular lymph node. The scanned images and outline data are received. Some of these embodiments automatically segment by determining an external marker, based on the outline data, and an internal marker, based on a geometric center of the outline data or thresholds determined automatically inside detected edges, or both, for a marker-controlled watershed algorithm. Third, based on lymph node data at a particular time, a second scanned image at a different time is segmented automatically, without human intervention.
US08355543B2
A method for identifying a person based on their tongue is provided in which an image of a tongue of a person is compared to recorded details of tongues in a database. If a match is found, the person is identified.
US08355533B2
System for providing a mobile user, object related information related to an object visible thereto, the system including a camera directable toward the object, a local interest points and semi global geometry (LIPSGG) extraction processor, and a remote LIPSGG identifier, the camera acquiring an image of at least a portion of the object, the LIPSGG extraction processor being coupled with the camera, the LIPSGG extraction processor extracting an LIPSGG model of the object from the image, remote LIPSGG identifier being coupled with the LIPSGG extraction processor via a network, the remote LIPSGG identifier receiving the LIPSGG model from the LIPSGG extraction processor, via the network, the remote LIPSGG identifier identifying the object according to the LIPSGG model, the remote LIPSGG identifier retrieving the object related information, the remote LIPSGG identifier providing the object related information to the mobile user operating the camera.
US08355531B2
Indices allocated or set on an object are detected from sensed images of frames, which are time-serially sensed by an image sensing device. In association with each index detected from the sensed image of the frame of interest, a detection condition from frames before the frame of interest is acquired. According to the acquired detection condition of the index, the reliability of this index is calculated. The position and orientation of the object or the image sensing device are calculated using at least information associated with the image coordinates of the detected indices and the reliabilities of the indices.
US08355528B2
One embodiment of the present invention envisions providing requester with a computer program for a remote computer equipped with a digital photo camera. The computer program controls the camera and prevents alterations to an image taken with the camera. The unaltered image of a photo ID is transmitted from the remote computer to the verifier's server computer. The image of the photo ID may further be used to verify the requester by comparing the image to photographs from other sources.
US08355525B2
A method of segmenting a media signal for parallel watermarking operations sub-divides the media signal into segments, distributes the segments to parallel processors, and performs parallel digital watermark operations on the segments in the parallel processors. These parallel processors may comprise separate threads of execution on a processing unit, or several execution threads distributed to several processing units. In one enhancement, the method prioritizes the segments for watermarking operations. This enables finite processing resources to be allocated to segments in order of their priority. Further, processing resources are devoted to segments where the digital watermark is more likely to be imperceptible and/or readable. A system for distributed watermark embedding operations includes a watermark signal generator, a perceptual analyzer and a watermark applicator. The system supports operation-level parallelism in the concurrent operation of watermark embedder modules, and data parallelism in the concurrent operation of these modules on segments of a media signal to be embedded with an imperceptible digital watermark.
US08355524B2
A magnetic circuit includes a cylindrical yoke member having an inner circumferential surface and a collar formed at one end thereof and turned back substantially at right angles, and a plurality of permanent magnet segments of a partially circular arc in cross section. Each of the permanent magnets has an outer surface attracted magnetically to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical yoke member, and one end face attracted magnetically to the collar of the cylindrical yoke member. The magnetic circuit is applied to an actuator or a speaker.
US08355521B2
A vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an accessory, a reflective element and a bezel. The mirror assembly may define portions of a pocket that at least partially receives and secures the accessory therebetween when the reflective element is at least partially received in the bezel. The mirror assembly may include a microphone and an acoustic cover positioned at least partially over one or more inlet ports of the microphone. The acoustic cover may include an outer air flow limiting layer that substantially limits air flow therethrough and a diffusing material that may space and support the outer layer from the inlet ports to substantially diffuse air flow that penetrates the outer layer. An acoustic barrier may be positioned between a pair of inlet ports of the microphone to enhance the directivity of the microphone.
US08355512B2
A method for determining leakage factors or adaptation rates, or both, for adaptive filters in an active noise reduction system. The leakage factor or adaptation rate, or both, may vary depending on a parameter of an input reference signal. The parameter may include one or more of reference signal input frequency, rate of change of reference input signal frequency, if a predetermined triggering condition exits, or if a predetermined event has occurred.
US08355510B2
A frequency equalization system is provided that substantially equalizes the room frequency responses generated by at least one loudspeaker within a listening area so that the frequency responses in the listening area are substantially constant and flat within a desired frequency range with minimum signal latency. The frequency equalization system may use multiple microphones to measure the audio signals of one or more subwoofers to achieve an improved bass response that is flat across the relevant frequency range. The system employs an algorithm that is a closed-form, non-iterative, mathematical solution and features short computation time with reduced delays.
US08355509B2
The following coding scenario is addressed: A number of audio source signals need to be transmitted or stored for the purpose of mixing wave field synthesis, multi-channel surround, or stereo signals after decoding the source signals. The proposed technique offers significant coding gain when jointly coding the source signals, compared to separately coding them, even when no redundancy is present between the source signals. This is possible by considering statistical properties of the source signals, the properties of mixing techniques, and spatial hearing. The sum of the source signals is transmitted plus the statistical properties of the source signals which mostly determine the perceptually important spatial cues of the final mixed audio channels. Source signals are recovered at the receiver such that their statistical properties approximate the corresponding properties of the original source signals. Subjective evaluations indicate that high audio quality is achieved by the proposed scheme.
US08355503B2
A mobile communication device is provided with an integral transducer used to refresh a random data pool without connection to an external source of new random data.
US08355500B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for encrypting and decrypting digital information while imparting a high level of security on the encrypted digital information. A mixed-mode digital-analogue encryption and decryption technique is proposed, which minimizes the probability of an unintended recipient of the thus encrypted information being able to decrypt the information using known reverse engineering techniques.
US08355496B2
Systems, methods and computer program products for generating and displaying various user interfaces for configuring one or more call handling rules associated with managing virtual PBX services rendered at an extension are described. The user interfaces can be used to configure virtual PBX services for a single- or multi-extension environment. The virtual PBX services can provide, for example, a main number, and calls made to the main number can be managed according to one or more sets of call handling rules associated with the virtual PBX services and which can be configured through the user interfaces. The user interfaces can be web-based interfaces accessible through a browser, and can be accessed only after a user or administrator has setup and activated the virtual PBX services.
US08355495B2
An architecture and accompanying method and apparatus for providing multi vendor administration of telephone numbers being ported from one service provider to another.
US08355487B2
Communication networks and associated methods and systems are disclosed that provide dynamically-configurable maximum durations for sessions over a communication network. For a session, the communication network determines the traditional static maximum duration and the calculated maximum duration (for prepaid sessions). In addition to these maximum durations, the communication network also determines a dynamic maximum duration for the session based on duration criteria. The communication network then selects one of the maximum durations based on the duration criteria, and monitors the session based on the selected maximum duration. By defining the duration criteria in a particular manner, a new dynamically-configured maximum duration for sessions may be used instead of relying only on the static maximum duration and the calculated maximum duration (for prepaid sessions).
US08355483B2
A system and method to assist an emergency medical dispatcher in responding to emergency calls. A computer implemented emergency dispatch protocol includes interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an appropriate response. A diagnostic tool is provided to diagnosis as to whether a patient has likely suffered a stroke. The diagnostic tool determines whether the patient has likely suffered a stroke based on caller-relayed information about the patient. The diagnostic tool can be launched automatically by the emergency dispatch protocol, or manually by a dispatcher. The diagnostic tool presents a user interface that provides, among other things, instructions, questions, and input fields.
US08355481B2
Provided is a sliding support and a system using the sliding support unit. The sliding support unit may include a fulcrum capture configured to attach to a support flange, a fulcrum support configured to attach to the fulcrum capture, and a baseplate block configured to support the fulcrum support. The system using the sliding support unit may include a pressure vessel, a pedestal bracket, and a plurality of sliding support units.
US08355475B2
A simple block coding arrangement is created with symbols transmitted over a plurality of transmit channels, in connection with coding that comprises only simple arithmetic operations, such as negation and conjugation. The diversity created by the transmitter utilizes space diversity and either time or frequency diversity. Space diversity is effected by redundantly transmitting over a plurality of antennas, time diversity is effected by redundantly transmitting at different times, and frequency diversity is effected by redundantly transmitting at different frequencies:
US08355453B2
An ultra-wideband (UWB) dual impulse transmitter is made up of a trigger edge selection circuit actuated by a single trigger input pulse; a first step recovery diode (SRD) based pulser connected to the trigger edge selection circuit to generate a first impulse output; and a second step recovery diode (SRD) based pulser connected to the trigger edge selection circuit in parallel to the first pulser to generate a second impulse output having a selected delay from the first impulse output.
US08355444B2
A device for encoding a plurality of information signals using a joint computing power includes a plurality of encoders for encoding a respectively different one of the information signals using the joint computing power, wherein each encoder is controllable via at least one respective encoding parameter with regard to its encoding complexity/encoding distortion performance. A provider for providing, for each of the encoders, signal-dependent information dependent on the respective information signal and indicating an encoding distortion of the respective encoder, and a setter for setting the encoding parameters depending on the signal-dependent information considering the joint computing power such that a combination of encoding complexities of the encoders does not exceed a value dependent on the joint computing power are also provided, wherein the setter for setting and the plurality of encoders cooperates such that, with regard to subsequent time intervals, a distribution of the joint computing power depends on the encoding parameters or an encoding complexity of the individual encoders.
US08355437B2
The invention provides a method that reduces degradation in the perceived quality of images in a video sequence due to data loss. This effect is achieved by effectively delaying the insertion of an INTRA coded frame after a periodic INTRA frame refresh, INTRA update request, or scene cut. Frames associated with INTRA frame requests are not themselves coded in INTRA format, but instead a frame occurring later in the video sequence is chosen for coding in INTRA format. Preferably, the actual INTRA frame is selected such that it lies approximately mid-way between periodic INTRA requests. Frames occurring prior to the actual INTRA coded frame are encoded using temporal prediction, in reverse order, starting from the actual INTRA frame, while those frames occurring after the INTRA coded frame are encoded using temporal prediction in the forward direction.
US08355433B2
One embodiment of the invention sets forth an encoding server including components configured to encode a video stream associated with a content title for adaptive streaming. The video stream is first processed by a VC1 encoder to generate an encoded video stream comprising a multiple GOPs, each GOP including a key frame and having a different playback offset. The encoded video stream is then packaged such that the GOPs are stored in data packets of the packaged encoded stream. An SHI generator generates an SHI associated with the packaged encoded stream that includes a switch point associated with each GOP. Each switch point includes the playback offset associated with the corresponding GOP and the data packet storing the key frame of the corresponding GOP. The SHI associated with multiple packaged encoded video streams associated with the same content title and encoded to different playback bit rates have corresponding switch points.
US08355432B2
An image-processing apparatus is configured to read encoded video data from a recording medium, decode the encoded video data, and re-encode the decoded video data. Further, the image-processing apparatus is configured to record information about a viewing-operation-history relating to the encoded video data and determine a target bit rate of the re-encoding based on the information about the viewing-operation-history. An image-processing method includes reading encoded video data from a recording medium, decoding the encoded video data, detecting information about a viewing-operation history relating to the encoded video data, re-encoding decoded video data obtained at the decoding step, and determining a target bit rate of the re-encoding performed at the encoding step based on the information about the viewing-operation-history.
US08355426B2
Examples are disclosed for determining a bit error rate (BER) associated with decoding data transmitted using space-time spreading (STS) in a wireless communication system.
US08355425B2
The present invention relates to an ultra-wideband signal receiver comprising: at least a first set of sampling cells for sampling the waveform of a received signal; at least a second set of sampling cells for sampling the waveform of the received signal, with a predefined delay δ; and at least one correlator for delivering information depending on the correlation between the waveforms thus sampled.
US08355417B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a VCSEL having both a high beam quality or a low M2-factor, respectively, and a reduced mirror thickness which improves the heat dissipation due to the reduced thickness and the production cost. It is suggested to employ a Bragg-reflector in combination with a metal reflector terminating the distal side of the Bragg-reflector as seen from the laser cavity, wherein the metal reflector layer is localized at the center around the optical axis.
US08355415B2
In a method for operating an ignition device for an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, having a laser device which includes a laser-active solid having a passive Q-switching system as well as an optical amplifier connected downstream from the passive Q-switching system (46), the laser device generates a laser pulse for radiating into a combustion chamber, and the ignition device having a pump light source which provides a pump light for the laser-active solid and the optical amplifier (70) of the laser device. The energy of the laser pulse is controlled by varying a wavelength of the pump light.
US08355405B2
A method for intercepting data of a network session passing between a first node and a second node on a data network, comprising the steps of: (i) providing an interceptor on a third node of the network; (ii) monitoring data passing between the first node and the second node; (iii) synchronizing the network data between the interceptor and the first and second nodes; (iv) creating a first socket on the interceptor for communicating with the first node and a second socket on the interceptor for communicating with the second node, and (v) intercepting the data so that data flowing between first and second nodes passes through the interceptor.
US08355401B2
Access to a device is controlled in a data processing network by receiving a first request from a client to connect to a device where the device is limited to a fixed number of client connections and connecting the client to an available client connection of the device if the fixed number of client connections on the device would not be exceeded by connecting the client. Access is further controlled by testing liveness of a current client connection on the device if the fixed number of client connections on the device would be exceeded by connecting the client and dropping the current client connection if the liveness testing indicates that the current client connection is not live.
US08355388B2
A user agent (UA) in a wireless communication system. The UA is configured to transmit a preamble on a random access channel (RACH) to an access node in order to attach to the access node. The UA transmits a message to the access node, wherein the message contains an identity of one or more relay nodes to which the UA can be transferred. The UA requests the access node to hand-over the UA to one relay node of the one or more relay nodes.
US08355376B2
A base station for use in an OFDM/OFDMA wireless network. The base station transmits system-specific broadcast control channel (BCCH) information in a first group of time-frequency slots and transmits cell-specific BCCH information in a second group of time-frequency slots. The time-frequency slots in the first group are orthogonal to the time-frequency slots in the second group. The base station transmits the system-specific BCCH information in the same time-frequency slots as a neighboring base station. The neighboring base station transmits cell-specific BCCH information in a third group of time-frequency slots that may or may not be orthogonal to the time-frequency slots in the second group.
US08355356B2
A communication method of a mobile station through a relay and a communication method of a relay system are disclosed. The communication method of a mobile station through a relay station comprises adding candidate relay information to channel status information periodically transmitted to a base station if a downlink signal quality value between the mobile station and the base station is less than a threshold value and a downlink signal quality value between at least one candidate relay station and the mobile station is higher than the downlink signal quality value between the mobile station and the base station; receiving information of a relay station selected among the at least one candidate relay station by the base station in accordance with the candidate relay information from the base station through a relay path indicator; and receiving data from the selected relay station at a time when the relay path indicator indicates. It is advantageous in that service delay of the mobile station is minimized and resources are efficiently used as the mobile station requests relay through the relay station in accordance with the channel status.
US08355353B2
The invention relates to a method for efficiently setting up a bidirectional multicast service in a mobile communication system. The bidirectional service is provided to a user equipment located in a radio cell controlled by a control entity. For the downlink data of the bidirectional service a downlink multicast service framework is utilized. In case the control entity decides for a point-to-point radio link to the UE, the system resources of the downlink framework are configured so as to re-use the configured system resources of the bidirectional service. This includes radio resources in the radio access network and may include tunnels in the core network. The invention further relates to a network entity in the CN or in the RAN for configuring system resources and for forwarding the multicast service data to the UE. The invention also relates to a mobile terminal for receiving the bidirectional multicast service.
