US08870198B2
An axle lift assembly includes a beam slidably coupled with and extending on a longitudinal extent of a vehicle frame. A trailing arm has a first end pivotably coupled with the beam. An axle is rotatably coupled with an intermediate portion of the trailing arm. An air spring is disposed between a second end of the trailing arm and the beam for absorbing an upward force from the axle. A support bracket extends down from the beam proximate the first end of the trailing arm. A pneumatic actuator is disposed between the support bracket and the trailing arm for raising the axle from a deployed position to a retracted position that substantially eliminates the upward force on the air spring from the axle.
US08870195B2
A computer cart has removable electrical connector management system which may be removed from the computer cart to install portable electronic device electrical transformers, and then reinserted into the computer cart to enable multiple electrical transformers to be installed into the cart as a group. An electrical charging system uses a staggered round robin approach to control distribution of power within the computer cart without requiring the amount of power used from each power strip to be individually monitored.
US08870192B2
The wheeled personal transportation device includes a frame member having opposed front and rear ends having front and rear wheels rotatably mounted thereto. An air cushion has upper and lower ends, the lower end being supported by the frame member. A foot platform is mounted on the upper end of the air cushion, the foot platform being adapted for supporting a foot of a user. A pneumatic motor is mounted on the front end of the frame member and is in communication with the front wheel for selectively driving rotation thereof. The pneumatic motor is in fluid communication with the air cushion such that compression of the air cushion by the user's foot drives the pneumatic motor to drive rotation of the front wheel. A pneumatic brake is further in communication with the rear wheel for selective braking thereof. Alternatively, the front wheel may be powered mechanically by spring-biased gears.
US08870187B2
A sealing apparatus for a downhole tool having a movable member (11) which moves relative to a housing, the sealing apparatus comprising: at least one sealing member having (10A) a first position in which the sealing member is spaced from the movable member and a second position in which the sealing member (10B) is in contact with the movable member (IB) to provide a sealing barrier; and switching means for switching the sealing member between the first and second positions.
US08870180B2
An apparatus includes a differential to receive a primary driving force, and provide a first driving force and a second driving force. A first pick wheel is to transfer the first driving force to a sheet. A second pick wheel is to transfer the second driving force to the sheet. The differential is to balance the first driving force and the second driving force to reduce skew in the sheet and feed the sheet along a feed path of a printer. The first pick wheel and the second pick wheel are aligned perpendicular to the feed path at an offset from the differential.
US08870170B2
A slide positioning device includes a main body and a slide member slidable relative to the main body along a axis. The main body defines a plurality of positioning holes along the axis, and the slide member defines a plurality of positioning grooves along the axis. A rough positioning member is selectively received in one positioning hole to roughly position the sliding member. A fine positioning assembly includes a latch member selectively received in one positioning groove to precisely position the sliding member. A biasing member biases the latch member toward the sliding member.
US08870165B2
This application is directed to a fragrance dispenser attachably connected to a fan comprising: a housing having openings defined in the housing; a fragrance reservoir included in the housing for receiving a fragrance medium containing a fragrance; a cover operably associated with the opening for restricting airflow into the fragrance reservoir; and, a cover actuator operably connected to the cover having an open position allowing airflow into and out of the fragrance reservoir for dispensing a fragrance and a closed position for restricting airflow into and out of the fragrance reservoir.
US08870162B2
A projectile is utilized to introduce an item into a conduit which already has a cable therein. The projectile includes a body member having a longitudinal opening therethrough. The body member is longitudinally split so that the cable may be received in the opening. The item is attached to the body member. When the projectile with a portion of the cable received therein is put into a conduit and air under pressure is introduced into the conduit, the projectile is pushed along the cable and if the cable is undulating in the conduit, it is straightened and positioned out of the way of the item being introduced.
US08870160B2
A solenoid valve for controlling fluids includes a pole core, an armature which is connected to a closing element, and a spring element which is arranged in a working gap between the pole core and the armature. The spring element includes a shaped spring of substantially disk-shaped design. The shaped spring has a curvature with at least one flank region and one dome region, a tangent to the dome region being parallel to an end surface of the pole core.
US08870157B2
A flap transfer valve is disclosed. An elongated first opening can be closed by elongated valve closure beam pivoted between a closed position and an open position. A shaft can be rotated about a shaft axis by a drive and is operatively connected to the valve closure beam to cause the valve closure beam to pivot. The valve closure beam, the pivoting bearing and the shaft are arranged on a valve cover in a gas-tight valve housing. The shaft, the pivoting bearing and the valve closure beam can be decoupled from the valve housing. The pivoting bearing is formed by at least three bearing elements which are distributed at a distance from one another along the shaft axis in the valve housing, and on which the valve closure beam and the shaft are mounted. The shaft axis is at a distance from the pivoting axis.
US08870149B2
A hold-down assembly for retaining a portable electronic unit within an avionics equipment mounting tray includes a shaft, a locking collar, and an actuator knob. The shaft is coupled to pivot with the mounting tray. The locking collar slides along the shaft to engage the portable electronic unit. The actuator knob includes a knob body, a ratchet plate having detent holes within the knob body, a ball bearing, and a compression spring within the knob body. As the actuator knob is rotated to move along the shaft, the knob body and the ball bearing rotate with respect to the ratchet plate, and the ball bearing is forced against a spring bias of the compression spring as the ball bearing travels between adjacent detent holes.
US08870147B2
A track assembly is provided and may include a track, at least one slide mechanism, and a lock mechanism. The at least one slide mechanism may be slidably attached to the track. The lock mechanism may be associated with the at least one slide mechanism and may operate between a locked state restricting movement of the at least one slide mechanism relative to the track and an unlocked state permitting movement of the at least one slide mechanism relative to the track. The lock mechanism may include a plurality of lock plates independently movable relative to one another between a first position engaging the track and a second position disengaged from the track.
US08870145B1
The invention is a clothes hanging assembly comprising a ceiling-mounted support structure and a height adjustable clothes hanging rod. The support structure includes a plurality of cords and pulleys which enable the rod to be raised or lowered. The rod and hanging clothes items may be hoisted to an elevated position adjacent to the ceiling for drying of clothes or storage of the assembly in a space-saving manner.
US08870141B2
An adjustable holding apparatus for an endoscope or other medical device having a proximal end and a distal end, the adjustable holding apparatus having a device for holding an endoscope or other medical device that includes a number of arm segments between the proximal end and the distal end, a number of lockable joints that each connect two of the number of arm segments with one another in jointed fashion, and a compensation device for at least partial compensation of the weight impact of the holding apparatus in a pivoting or sliding of at least one arm segment in the vertical direction.
US08870138B2
An attachment device which includes: a length of material which is fixed to a body portion of the attachment device at one end thereof via a loop, the other end of the length of material being capable, in use, of being passed around a frame or part thereof to which the bracket is to be attached; a gripping mechanism capable of receiving the free end of the length of material and holding the length of material received therein, in a set position, until the gripping mechanism is released; and wherein the looping of the length of material to the body portion positions the length of material between the body portion and the frame or part thereof to which the attachment device is attached in use.
US08870127B2
A lock bearing for a points setting arrangement has a lock bearing screw penetrating a foot of a setting tongue and a spring package arranged between the foot and the screw head of the screw. Therefore the lock bearing screw can be tightened with a relatively narrowly definable torque range and still has the rotation reserve to bring the position of the head of the lock bearing screw into line with a hole in a safety plate mapping the screw head which then, upon being inserted as previously known, latches in place over the head of the lock bearing screw. An alternative embodiment has a lock bearing with a lock bearing screw penetrating a foot of a setting tongue and an anti-rotation ring enclosing the head of the lock bearing screw in an annular, force-fitted manner with an outer toothing and a safety plate matching the outer toothing.
US08870123B2
A dual purpose deployment line for a parachute system is disclosed. The system includes a main line and a plurality of cascading release loops disposed proximate a first end of the main line. The plurality of cascading release loops are configured to be releasably secured to an aircraft anchor ring. The deployment line includes a release pin secured to a first end of the release line, where the release pin is in communication with the plurality of cascading release loops and adapted to pull free and release the cascading release loops from the anchor ring when a parachute is deployed. An optional locking pin is adapted to selectively secure the plurality of cascading release loops in place when desired to retain the deployment line to the anchor ring when the parachute is deployed and the release pin is pulled free.
US08870118B2
A fuselage assembly is provided. The fuselage assembly includes a first barrel section including a body that extends from a first end to a second end and a second barrel section coupled to said first barrel section. The second barrel section includes a body that extends from a first end to a second end, and the second end of the first barrel section is coupled to the second end of the second barrel section. At least one member maintains a coupling between the first barrel section and the second barrel section. The at least one member induces a compressive force to at least one of the first barrel section and the second barrel section.
US08870117B2
Composite aircraft frame (1) comprising two segments (10, 20), each of these segments (10, 20) being single unitary element made in composite material and comprising at least one web (2), a stiffening structure and a fitting (4), the two segments (10, 20) being joint by the fittings (4) using rivets, forming the aircraft frame (1). The invention also refers to a method for fabricating such an aircraft frame (1).
US08870115B2
A crash attenuation system has an airbag inflatable generally adjacent to an exterior of the aircraft. The system includes a gas generator in fluid communication with an interior of the airbag. The system also includes a vent system having a vent passage supported by the aircraft, the vent passage being configured to allow gas to escape from within the airbag during an impact. The vent system also includes an actuator door for sealing the vent passage, thereby preventing gas from leaving the airbag. The actuator door is actuated by an actuator, the actuator being in fluid communication with the gas generator through an actuator duct. The system operates such that deployment of gas from the gas generator causes the actuator to inflate, thereby causing the actuator door to seal the vent passage. The gas generator is configured to re-inflate the airbag after the actuator door seals the vent passage.
US08870114B2
The rotors of a helicopter are powered by electric motors. The electrical energy required for this purpose is produced by a motor-generator unit, which comprises one or more internal combustion engines. The motor-generator unit can be secured under the cabin floor. This yields a hybrid helicopter that can set the rotational frequency of the rotors within a large interval.
US08870109B2
A spare part for disc refiners with a stator and/or rotor used in a disc refiner for low consistency pulp and paper refining with a dry fiber residue between 2% and 6%. The stator and/or rotor each comprise a disc-shaped metallic element with a refining blade surface having alternating bars and grooves. The rotor is designed to be driven and rotated around its own axis of rotation which passes through the center of the disc-shaped element so that the rotor bars perform a rotary movement in front of the stator bars with a suitable air gap in between. The blade surfaces or pattern have a pre-set angle greater than 0° with respect to a plane perpendicular to the rotor axis of rotation. This enables advantages in terms of the quantity and the quality of the refined product, and the potential to reduce the energy consumed.
US08870101B2
A spreading apparatus for spreading material onto a target area is disclosed. The spreading apparatus includes a container for the material, a discharge unit which discharges the material, a deflector door disposed on a discharge port of the discharge unit, a positioning device which positions the deflector door and a controller configured to control the deflector door so that the deflector door is positioned between a first closed position and a second open position. The material is substantially prevented from exiting through the discharge port when the deflector door is in the first position. The deflector door may further be positioned at a position between the first closed position and second open position to control a distance of the material discharged from the discharge port.
US08870096B2
A pneumatic tool as an integral plastic part for blowing, the tool having a connecting nipple with a rigid connecting part for supplying a pressure medium, and a blow head with at least one nozzle opening for targeted release of the pressure medium. A flexibly deformable bending part is attached to the rigid connecting part with the associated connecting nipple. A non-bendable rigid upper part with the blow head is attached to the deformable bending part. Also included is a valve rod for the pneumatic tool, wherein the valve rod is formed as a pulling tool for pulling out and for reinserting an internal seal.
US08870094B2
A method of dispensing different concentrations of chemical concentrate from a concentrate container at different flow rates. The method includes providing a stream of water and a chemical concentrate adapted to be diluted in the stream of water between an inlet of a body member and an outlet of the body member to provide a fluid concentration dispensable from the outlet at one of a plurality of flow rates, rotating at least a portion of an eductor to vary one of a volume of chemical concentrate and the flow rate, sliding the eductor to vary the other of the volume of chemical concentrate and the flow rate, and selectively dispensing the fluid concentration through the outlet.
US08870083B2
A mattress age indicating device includes an enclosure, and an indicating assembly contained within the enclosure. The age indicating device may be configured to present an indication related to the mattress's age and may be coupled to the mattress or other bedding or seating product.
US08870080B2
An RFID chip (CM) is flip-chip mounted and connected to a surface of a substrate (MT), such as for a 6-pad ISO smart card antenna module (AM). A winding core (WC) for an antenna (MA) stiffens, stabilizes and planarizes substrate (MT) to enhance reliability of the connections. The flip-chip antenna module (FCAM) interfaces with a contactless reader. Contact pads (CP) on the opposite side of the substrate (MT) provide a contact interface. Also disclosed is first forming an antenna (MA) on an antenna substrate (AS), then joining it to the module substrate (MT). Such an antenna may be an embedded wire, or an etched metal layer.
US08870079B2
According to one embodiment, an IC card includes a storage unit, a receiving unit, and an executing unit. The storage unit is configured to store a file, store definition information to control the file, store a program designated by the definition information, and store command execution information to execute command processing corresponding to a command. The receiving unit is configured to receive the command. The executing unit is configured to interpret the command, execute the program on the basis of the definition information, and execute the command processing on the basis of the command execution information.
US08870078B2
Disclosed are various embodiments equipping a hand tool with an electronic identification device. The hand tool includes a handle having a cavity. A plug at least partially encapsulates the electronic device and inserts into the cavity in the handle. The plug may include one or more seals to prevent fluids or other debris from contacting the electronic identification device.
US08870077B2
A wireless IC device which functions as a non-contact RFID system even when the wireless IC device is attached to an article containing metal, water, salt or the like, without hindering reduction in size and thickness, and a method for manufacturing the same are obtained. The wireless IC device includes a wireless IC chip arranged to process a predetermined wireless signal, a feed circuit board on which the wireless IC chip is mounted, a loop-shaped electrode that is coupled to the wireless IC chip via the feed circuit board, and a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate that are coupled to the loop-shaped electrode. The loop-shaped electrode is sandwiched between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate and is arranged such that the loop surface thereof is perpendicular to or tilted with respect to the first and the second electrode plates. At least the first electrode plate out of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate is used for transmission and reception of the wireless signal.
US08870067B2
An identification device for identifying persons on an authenticated basis includes a support layer, an authentication device with a non-volatile, re-writeable semiconductor memory, a person-related feature, a communication system with a communication connector, and a first electronic key which is linked to the person-related feature and is stored in the memory. In a further aspect, an identification device for identifying persons on an authenticated basis includes an electronic data set in which an electronic image of a person-related feature and a first electronic key are stored, and the first electronic key is linked to the person-related feature. Also provided is a method of identifying and authenticating a person by an identification device.
US08870066B2
A banking system is controlled responsive to data read from data bearing records. The banking system includes an automated banking machine. The machine is operable to carry out a financial transaction for a person responsive to a determination that the person is an authorized user of the machine based on correspondence between identifying data read by a reader of the machine and data store information. The machine includes a check acceptor that is operative to receive checks from authorized machine users. The check acceptor is operable to continuously move a received check along its transport path while simultaneously rotationally orienting the check into alignment with the transport path. A check determined not to have at least one property of an acceptable check is returned to the machine user. Acceptable checks are processed and stored in the machine.
US08870059B1
A machine and methods for maintaining chain of custody during a sampling procedure is provided, the machine including a sample handling robot having an operation head and a verification head. The verification head can be one of a barcode reader, OCR scanner, of RFID tag reader. The verification head of the machine is adapted to read a sample container prior to sampling an aliquot of liquid, and transferring the aliquot to a testing vial. Each sample container and corresponding testing vial is read prior to performing an operation, such that a chain of custody is properly recorded. The machine can further comprise a lid-opening and closing device adapted for articulating the lid of one or more standard vial types. Additionally, the machine may comprise a manual vial staging area for non-standard vial types. The machine may be further adapted to prepare diluted testing samples or combined reagent samples.
US08870057B2
A system and method for configuring a communications interface between a monitoring apparatus and one or more equipment monitoring components is disclosed. The equipment monitoring components are designed to physically and/or electrically interface with each other while in proximity to equipment being monitored. Each of these components has a proximately disposed unique associated machine readable code. A set of configuration information is also associated with the machine readable code. The codes are scanned and mapped to the configuration information in order to automate configuration of communication between the monitoring apparatus and equipment monitoring components.
US08870040B2
A two part nozzle for use in expressing thick, viscous materials therethrough comprises a nozzle base and a nozzle tip, and screw means for mounting the tip to the base. The base projects within the tip, and is proportioned to interfere with the inside wall of the tip around a narrow, continuous path, thereby providing an internal seal with the interior wall surface of a pouch to which the nozzle is coupled to prevent the back-flow of material through the screw means. Preferably, the nozzle also provides a seal on the external wall surface of the pouch, thereby reducing the possibility of material leaking both from and into the pouch. Gripping ribs are provided to facilitate the application of a manual force to couple and decouple the nozzle parts.
US08870036B2
A dispensing apparatus for use with a pressurized container having a push valve. The dispensing apparatus includes an enclosure adapted to enclose at least a portion of the pressurized container. A pour actuator is movable between a released position and an actuated position, and controls a plunger. When the pour actuator is moved to the actuated position, the plunger depresses the push valve of the pressurized container to permit contents of the pressurized container to be dispensed out of the dispensing apparatus.
US08870035B2
A dispensing device having a housing capable of receiving a pre-packaged charge of pre-whipped topping or icing. The housing has an inner wall with a slot formed therein for receiving a rack that is capable of rotational and translational motion within the slot. The rack has a set of gear teeth that engage with a catch on a plunger. The piston moves in the axial direction to force the pre-whipped topping or icing through the outlet in its packaging. The catch on the piston is locked in one direction and pivots in the opposite direction such that the rack engages with the piston when it moves in a first direction and the rack disengages with the piston when it is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction.
US08870034B2
A material pressure feeding apparatus 10 includes a container 12 for receiving a bag 11, in which a viscous material M is contained, a press member 13 exerting a pressing force on the material, a pressure feeder 15 pressure-feeding, to the outside, the material M sucked by the pressing force by the press member 13, and an annular member 16 positioned on the outer peripheral side of the press member 13. The press member 13 has a supporting space S on the outer peripheral side thereof, and a ring portion 40 constituting an annular member 16 is supported in the supporting space S in a relatively movable state. Thus, even when the press member 13 is inclined, the annular member 16 is configured so as not to form a clearance between it and the inner peripheral surface of the container 12 without any influence of the inclination.
US08870028B2
A dispensing device is disclosed having an ampoule with at least four storage lumens extending axially along the length of an ampoule body, a mixing tip coupled to a distal end of the storage lumens, the mixing tip having at least four gasket seats formed therein, each gasket seat corresponding to one of the storage lumens, and an outlet lumen in fluid communication with the storage lumens.
US08870016B2
A thermal insulating packaging film which includes: a base material; and an open-cell layer disposed on one face of the base material and made of polyolefin. The open-cell layer in the thermal insulating packaging film preferably has an average bore diameter of 150 μm to 500 μm.
US08870010B2
Cup lid with integrated container(s) that couples with the top of a cup. The cup and cup lid form at least two containment volumes, Embodiments enable easy containment, inclusion of fresh food, transportation and access of solid or liquid in the container and cup without disengagement of the cup lid from the cup. Contents of the container may be accessed, partially consumed, replaced in the container and resealed at any time as desired by the user. Embodiments may employ a one-size-fits-all coupling element to couple any size container to the lower lid that couples with a cup. Simplifies eating and drinking from one unified container and cup in a theater or stadium having seats for example that provide one cup-holder per seat. Provides one free hand to hold a child's hand for safety while in stadiums and amusement parks.
US08870000B2
A vehicle wheel chock hanger for a vehicle restraint system for an auto-rack railroad car that is configured to hold various different chocks that are configured to secure vehicles in auto-rack railroad cars.
US08869994B2
A server rack includes a side plate and a tray. A pin is secured on the side plate. A tray includes a sidewall. A slit is defined in the sidewall. A locking member is pivotally mounted on the sidewall. The locking member includes a locking protrusion which is adapted to be slide in the slit to abut the pin. An elastic piece is secured on the sidewall. The locking member is pressed by the elastic piece. The locking member rotates on the sidewall to have the locking protrusion sliding out of the slit and moving away from the pin. The elastic piece is elastically deformed by the locking member when the locking member rotates on the sidewall, rebounds to rotate the locking member backward to have the locking protrusion sliding in the slit and abutting the shaft portion.
US08869992B2
The present invention is a method and material for using a sorbent material to capture and stabilize mercury. The method for using sorbent material to capture and stabilize mercury contains the following steps. First, the sorbent material is provided. The sorbent material, in one embodiment, is nano-particles. In a preferred embodiment, the nano-particles are unstabilized nano-Se. Next, the sorbent material is exposed to mercury in an environment. As a result, the sorbent material captures and stabilizes mercury from the environment. In the preferred embodiment, the environment is an indoor space in which a fluorescent has broken.
US08869991B2
A filter assembly that includes a filter body defining a mouth, a filter element disposed in the filter body, and a seal disposed on the mouth. The seal has a seal body defining a center axis. The seal body has an axial surface perpendicular to the center axis and an outer annular surface revolved about the center axis. A portion of the outer annular surface defines at least one of an arcuate and a substantially frustoconical shape.
US08869985B2
A packaging container has a lid (2) and a container (1) for keeping preferably hot, fillable foods, in particular food packaging made of plastic, having a tamper-evident closure, situated on a skirt (3) which extends next to a side wall (12), and which has a tamper-evident tab (6). The container (1) has a holding space which is delimited by the side wall (12), and the lid (2) which is designed as a clamp-on lid or snap-on lid being fixable at the top container edge, and the container (1) has an anti-twist lock (13) such that a plurality of the containers (1) may be fixed in a stack in the peripheral position before filling. At least one anti-twist lock (13) of the container (1) is formed by an offset which tapers downwardly in a side wall (12) in the direction of a contact surface (19), and which has two contact edges (35) in the circumferential direction.
US08869980B2
A container for snus comprising a compartment and a cover enclosing said compartment, the cover having a hinge line extending thereacross to divide said cover into a push section and a hinge section, wherein the hinge section is rotatable relative to the push section about the hinge line and the push section is pivotally mounted to the compartment such that, when a user urges the push section into the compartment, the hinge section acts on a fulcrum portion and is urged to rotate about the hinge line relative to the push section to move the hinge section from a closed position to an open position and allow access to the compartment.
US08869975B2
An apparatus for safely retaining an eye implant lens for transport and access for inspection and use in which a holding apparatus has a chamber for holding a lens. In one embodiment the chamber has aligned transparent portions and a lens can be placed in alignment with the transparent portions to enable inspection. Also, a system including the apparatus and a bottle assembly that will hold the apparatus in the bottle. A method for holding an eye implant lens in which a lens is placed in the apparatus which can then be placed in a bottle assembly.
US08869974B2
The present invention discloses an endless belt which is comprised of (1) a first reinforcement layer, wherein the first reinforcement layer is formed of a first fabric strip which is spirally wound forming a helix, and (2) a second reinforcement layer, wherein the second reinforcement layer is formed of a second fabric strip which is spirally wound forming a helix, wherein the second fabric strip is of essentially the same width as the first fabric strip, wherein the second fabric strip is parallel to the first fabric strip, and wherein the second fabric strip is offset from the first fabric strip.
US08869968B2
The method of control consists in altering the flow path by means of swing and/or slide shiftable movable elements, constituting a fragment of the opposite side walls of an angularly positioned channel, which after shifting stop the flow of rod-shaped articles with the possibility of restoring the flow after shifting the movable elements to previous position. The device is situated in the channel, the first side wall of which is provided with a first movable element, and a fragment of the opposite second side wall forms a second movable element, with the first movable element being mounted on a pivot together with a perpendicular plate, on which also the second movable element by means of an actuator is mounted. The second element has the shape of a cylinder sector. Below the movable elements, and above the horizontal conveyor, is situated a shutoff element.
US08869965B2
The present disclosure provides a roller and a conveying device. The roller includes an inner circle, an outer circle, and an inflatable cushion arranged between the inner circle and the outer circle with the volume thereof changing as air charge inflated thereinto changes. by adjusting the air charge of the inflatable cushion, the outer diameter of the roller is increased as the air charge inflated into the inflatable cushion increases, at the same time, the conveyor surrounding the exterior of the roller is tightened to increase the tension degree of the conveyor without disassembling other mechanisms of the conveying device, which is simply operated to be capable of saving labors and time.
US08869957B2
A damper 1 includes a vessel 4 for accommodating a viscous fluid 3 in its interior 2; hampering walls 5 and 6 for hampering the flow of the viscous fluid 3; a partitioning member 11 which partitions each of interior portions 7 and 8 into two chambers 9 and 10 and is provided rotatably; a communicating hole 13 formed in the partitioning member 11 so as to allow the two chambers 9 and 10 to communicate with each other via a variable passage 12 whose passage cross-sectional area changes; a flow limiting means 14 for limiting the flow of the viscous fluid 3 in the chamber 9 into the chamber 10 through the communicating hole 13, when the internal pressure of the viscous fluid 3 accommodated in the chamber 9 has exceeded a fixed value on the basis of the rotation of the partitioning member 11; and a resilient means 15 for resiliently urging the partitioning member 11 in an R2 direction with respect to the vessel 4.
US08869955B2
Anti-squeal shim (100) comprising a fiber reinforced vibration insulating layer (110) and a vibration absorbing layer (120), the fiber reinforced vibration insulating layer comprises reinforcement fibers, a filler material and a binder material. There is also provided a method of producing anti-squeal shims, and a method of preventing squeal noise from a disc brake.
US08869949B2
A rim brake with a synchronous link mechanism for synchronizing the movement of a pair of brake arms. The rim brake may be a hydraulic rim brake. The hydraulic rim brake may include a slave cylinder formed in one of the pair of brake arms including a piston, wherein the piston contacts the other of the pair of brake arms to impart movement thereto.
US08869945B2
The invention relates to a safety arrangement of an elevator system and to a method for ensuring safety in an elevator system. The safety arrangement comprises at least one mechanical stopping appliance and the control of the safety arrangement comprises at least one limit value that sets the speed, deceleration or permitted vertical distance from the door zone of the elevator car. In the method for ensuring safety in an elevator system at least one mechanical stopping appliance is fitted to the safety arrangement of the elevator system and at least one limit value that sets the speed, deceleration or permitted vertical distance from the door zone of the elevator car is set for the control of the safety arrangement.
US08869939B2
An extension ladder comprises a plurality of ladder sections, connection kits and transverse step beams. Each ladder section is a hollow rail, which can be interconnected by telescoping with each other. A snap-fit mechanism is provided between the upper ladder section and the lower ladder section to make them not slip when the ladder is extended. The upper end of each ladder section is provided with a connection kit. The upper end of the connection kit is provided with a fixed protuberant pin, an inside thereof is provided with a locking mechanism which is provided with a turning key. An outside of the connection kit is covered by the transverse step beam. When the upper and lower connection kits are close to each other, the protuberant pin of the lower connection kit pushes the turning key so that the locking mechanism of the upper connection kit can be unlocked.
US08869934B2
A shuttle member for a horizontal lifeline system having at least one elongate line attached between at least two anchorage points. The shuttle member includes: a body having: (i) an upper portion configured for attachment to the line by at least partially surrounding the line; (i) an intermediate portion that, together with the upper portion, defines at least one passage slit that is sized such that the elongate line cannot pass therethrough; and (iii) an attachment portion configured for attachment of at least a portion of a lanyard. A shuttle member arrangement and a passing method are also disclosed.
US08869930B2
A vehicle steering system includes: a steering mechanism that includes a steering member, a steering angle detecting unit and a direction detecting unit that detects a steering direction with reference to a neutral position of the steering member; a steered mechanism that includes a steered wheel and a turning actuator having a turning motor, and that is not mechanically coupled to the steering mechanism; and a control device that controls the turning motor and that, at the time of a failure of the steering angle detecting unit, controls the turning motor by determining a turning motor command value for controlling the turning motor on the basis of a detected signal from the direction detecting unit.
US08869927B2
A safety system for a vehicle, a vehicle provided therewith and a method for breaking a window. The safety system comprises a window breaker comprising a drive system and a pin driven by the drive system for breaking a window. A water sensor is operatively connected to the drive system for control thereof.
US08869922B1
The motorized wheelbarrow includes a motor and drive train to propel the wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow includes a wheel, a bucket, a stand, and handles. The motor is mounted underneath the bucket and provides mechanical power to the wheel via a drive train comprising a chain and sprocket configuration or a drive shaft and differential configuration. The motor is controlled with a throttle, push button start, and kill switch provided on the handles of the wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow also features a handbrake that operates a disk brake provided adjacent the wheel in order to stop the wheelbarrow as needed. The motorized wheelbarrow makes reduces the strain associated with use of a wheelbarrow.
US08869919B2
A drill bit may have a bit body, a plurality of cutting blades extending radially from the bit body and having cutting elements disposed thereon, the plurality of cutting blades forming a cutting blade gage pad diameter configured to contact a formation, and a plurality of raised volumes of material extending from the bit body and devoid of cutting elements, the plurality of raised volumes of material forming a gage pad diameter configured to contact the formation, wherein the plurality of cutting blades and the plurality of raised volume of material are circumferentially spaced having fluid courses that extend therebetween.
US08869918B2
Implementations of the present invention include a core barrel assembly including external fluid pathways extending generally axially long the outer surface of the core barrel assembly. The one or more external fluid pathways can allow for increased fluid flow around a latch mechanism. The increased fluid flow around the latch mechanism can allow the core barrel assembly to travel faster within the drill string, can allow drilling fluid to pass by the latch mechanism when engaged. Implementations of the present invention also include drilling systems including external fluid pathways, and methods of retrieving a core sample using such drilling systems.
US08869914B2
Workover and completion systems, devices and methods for utilizing 10 kW or more laser energy transmitted deep into the earth with the suppression of associated nonlinear phenomena. Systems and devices for the laser workover and completion of a borehole in the earth. These systems and devices can deliver high power laser energy down a deep borehole, while maintaining the high power to perform laser workover and completion operations in such boreholes deep within the earth.
US08869901B2
The offshore drilling system comprises a floating drilling vessel 1, a well drilled in the sea bottom 2, a tubular riser extending the well up to the floating vessel, well sealing elements fastened to the end of the riser at the level of floating vessel 1. The riser comprises tubular elements 12 connected to one another by connectors 13 designed to withstand the internal pressure of the well. Tubulars 12 comprise a metallic tubular body hooped by windings of fibers coated with a polymer matrix. The riser comprises several sections, each section consisting of tube elements whose hoop stress is determined as a function of the depth at which the section lies and of the mechanical strength of said metallic tubular body.
US08869897B2
A method for preventing the production and formation of loose sand particles during production of a production fluid includes converting in the production zone both a loose sand particle into a magnetized loose sand particle and a cemented sand particle into a magnetized cemented sand particle. The method includes introducing a magnetic source into a wellbore. The method includes operating the magnetic source such that a continuous magnetic field is generated and the continuous repulsive magnetic force is less than the mean cementation strength. The method includes producing the production fluid from the production zone to the wellbore at a production rate. The method includes maintaining the magnetic source and the production rate of the hydrocarbon fluid such that within the distance from the magnetic source the production fluid drag force is less than or equal to the continuous repulsive magnetic force.
US08869890B2
A method and system for processing produced fluids from a subterranean reservoir is disclosed. The system comprises: (a) a separator for separating produced fluids from a subterranean reservoir into associated gases, water and crude oil, (b) a membrane which receives at least a portion of the associated gases containing the hydrogen sulfide and separates the gas into a permeate stream enriched in hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide and a retentate stream depleted in hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide; (c) an amine unit for removing carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from the retentate stream; and (d) a sour gas injection unit for injecting at the permeate stream in an underground formation.
US08869883B2
An injector spool supports a plurality of ball injector assemblies having respective ball cartridges adapted to load one frac ball at a time into a ball chamber of a ball launcher of the respective ball injector assemblies to provide a horizontal frac ball injector adapted to be connected to a frac head by frac iron.
US08869877B2
A cold plate assembly includes a monolithic cold plate which defines a trough located to intersect a fluid path.
US08869873B2
A method for assembling anodes used in electro winning processes that increases corrosion resistance. The method includes pre-coating the copper bus bar, introducing the copper bar into a mold, peripherally coating the copper bar with a lead-antimony alloy, moving the copper bar to the assembly table, filling a slot in the copper bus bar with a lead-bismuth alloy, introducing the end of a plate into the slot while the lead-bismuth alloy is in a liquid state, and once the lead-bismuth alloy in the slot has solidified, applying reinforcement solder.
US08869865B2
There is provided a hanging partition. The hanging partition comprises at least one flexible, hanging panel having a plurality of pleats, each pleat having a hemmed portion. The hanging partition further comprises a plurality of magnets positioned within two or more of the hemmed portions. The hanging partition further comprises a plurality of hanging elements for suspending the hanging panel from a longitudinal hanging device. The magnets are aligned with respect to each other to cause a magnetic attraction between adjacent magnets in order to hold the hemmed portions together when the hemmed portions overlap when the hanging partition is in a retracted position.
US08869860B2
A label fitting device provided with a plurality of mounting bases which move along a transport path while target bodies for fitting are respectively mounted on the bases; a fitting head which is provided directly above each mounting base and moves together with the mounting base; and a label supply mechanism provided directly above the transport path to supply labels. Each fitting head includes a take-up member which receives a label held by a label supply unit when the head passes a supply position, and an opener mechanism which receives the label from the take-up member, and thereafter opens the label and fits the label on the target body mounted on the mounting base.
US08869858B2
The invention is directed to pneumatic tires for heavy vehicle service that include a carcass, a tread disposed radially outward of the carcass, a sidewall intersecting the tread at a shoulder, and a belt reinforcing structure positioned radially between the carcass and the tread. The belt reinforcing structure includes four belt layers, each layer reinforced by parallel cords the four belts characterized by their cord orientation and angles. A first radially inner belt layer, an adjacent second belt layer overlaying the first belt layer and a third belt layer overlaying the second belt layer are all oriented directionally extending right (R) relative to an equatorial center plane of the tire, a fourth radially outer belt layer overlaying the third belt layer has cords directionally extending left (L). The pneumatic tires of the invention containing these belt layers have improved crown durability and stiffness while maintaining the same overall tire weight.
US08869855B2
In order to improve ride quality and steering stability, the present invention provides a pneumatic tire having a sidewall made of a rubber composition for a sidewall comprising at least a natural rubber and a diene rubber comprising a syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene, wherein rubber sheets obtained by extruding at a thickness of at most 1.5 mm the rubber composition for a sidewall with a complex modulus E*a in a tire circumferential direction measured at a temperature of 70° C. and a dynamic distortion of 2% of 3 to 15 MPa are laminated.
US08869851B2
A metal cord (C-1) having two layers (Ci, Ce) of 3+N construction, rubberized in situ, comprising an inner layer (Ci) formed from three core wires (10) of diameter d1 wound together in a helix with a pitch p1 and an outer layer (Ce) of N wires (11) N varying from 6 to 12, of diameter d2, which are wound together in a helix with a pitch p2 around the inner layer (Ci), said cord being characterized in that it has the following characteristics (d1, d2, p1 and p2 being in mm): 0.08
US08869849B2
A pneumatic tire for improving uneven wear resistance of a tread is provided. A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass serving as a framework and toroidally extending between a pair of bead cores, a belt and a tread disposed on a radially outer side of the carcass, wherein the tread comprises a plurality of tread rubber layers, dynamic elasticity of the outer tread rubber layer located in a radially outermost side of the tire is higher than dynamic elasticity of the inner tread rubber layer located in a radially innermost side of the tire, and a thickness of the inner tread rubber layer in a tire equatorial plane is smaller than a thickness of the inner tread rubber layer in other regions.
US08869837B2
A compressor includes a discharge chamber, a compression chamber, a partition wall, and a discharge reed valve. The partition wall is arranged between the discharge chamber and the compression chamber and includes a fixing surface facing the discharge chamber. The partition wall includes a discharge port that communicates the discharge chamber and the compression chamber. The discharge reed valve includes a fixed portion, an intermediate portion, and a valve portion. The fixing surface includes a first groove portion, which extends around the discharge port, and a valve seat surface, which is arranged between the discharge port and the first groove portion. The first groove portion extends to a range overlapped with the intermediate portion. A part of the valve portion at a distal side does not close the first groove portion. The valve seat surface includes a receiving portion.
US08869836B2
A hydraulic damping apparatus comprising a conduit for a hydraulic fluid having a port in a wall of the conduit; a resonator having a chamber and a neck, the neck being arranged to provide fluid communication between the chamber and the port. The apparatus further comprises a first pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure in the conduit upstream of the port, a second pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure in the conduit downstream of the port, and a controller configured to determine the amplitude of a pressure fluctuation sensed by the first pressure sensor and the amplitude of a pressure fluctuation sensed by the second pressure sensor. The controller is further configured to vary a resonant frequency of the resonator in accordance with a difference between the amplitude of the pressure fluctuation sensed by the first pressure sensor and the amplitude of the pressure fluctuation sensed by the second pressure sensor.
US08869835B1
A dual valve construction partners first and second valve portions with a mechanical linkage such as gears to operably couple the control stems together. The gears need not be identical and in fact a first gear may have flats so that motion of the first gear need not always move the second gear proportionally. Furthermore, the gears may have differing gear ratios at different portion of the gears.
US08869824B2
A check valve assembly which in an open position allows liquid to flow in one direction through the assembly including a moving sealing member which engages a seal to prevent liquid flow in a second opposite direction. The sealing member may be moved into engagement with the seal by rotation of a stem with an eccentric to block flow in both directions. A check valve and shut-off device assembly which in an open position allows liquid to flow in one direction through the assembly until gas or foam is mixed with the liquid. The shut-off device includes a sealing member which engages a seal to block flow through the assembly when foam or gas is present in the liquid. The check valve includes a sealing member which can reset the shut-off device. The check valve sealing member also engages the same sealing member to prevent any flow through the assembly in a closed position. In an open position, the check valve sealing member may engage the seal to prevent reverse flow of liquid through the assembly.
US08869819B2
A bi-directional inflating device, comprising: a handle rod comprising an inner tube and an outer tube, an adapter tube communicating with the inner tube, two inflating fittings each having a passage communicating with the adapter tube, a bushing fixed with the outer tube and slidable in parallel to the passages, and two detent assemblies located between two step portions in the bushing and the adapter tube respectively. The inflating fittings each have two grooves formed with a through hole respectively. The detent assemblies each comprise two detents and an elastic piece. The detents each have a body disposed in a corresponding one of the grooves and two end portions extending outwards from the outer surface of the corresponding inflating fitting respectively. The body has an abutting portion that extends through the through hole of the corresponding inflating fitting and is located inside the corresponding passage.
US08869814B2
A tent structure with an improved ventilation system includes a pole assembly, a lower section defined by a plurality of walls and a floor, and an upper section having an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer includes a first set of openings covered by an air permeable material. A perimeter of the inner layer is fixedly attached to a top portion of the lower section to form an enclosure. The outer layer is disposed above the inner layer and a second set of openings is formed between a perimeter of the outer layer and the top portion of the lower section. A first set of connecting members connects the inner and outer layers, and forms a space therebetween. A second set of connecting members connects the outer layer and the pole assembly.
US08869809B2
A shaving system including a handle, a first head and a second head. The handle includes a power source and a head attachment member. The first head includes a rotating member. The first head is attachable to the handle by the head attachment member. The power source supplies power to the first head to rotate the rotating member. The second head includes a plurality of razor blades. The second head is attachable to the handle by the head attachment member.
US08869797B2
A full-face cushion for a patient interface that delivers breathable gas to a patient includes a frame connector adapted to attach the cushion to a mask frame and an interface provided to the frame connector. The interface is constructed of foam and defines a cushion cavity. The interface includes a foam contact surface adapted to interface or contact with surfaces of the patient's face in use.
US08869789B2
A heatable food serving assembly includes a stainless steel frame, an upper frame member fixed to the frame, a removable lower frame member, an intermediate frame member removeably fastened to the frame. A food container support member is supported on the upper frame member and includes a thin serpentine shaped aluminum heat transfer element for contacting the bottom of a food container and for transferring heat from one or two candles to the bottom of the food container or food containers. The food serving assembly also includes four foldable or pivotable legs and a height adjusting mechanism on three of the legs. A leveling device is also included in order to facilitate obtaining a horizontal disclosed stable platform for serving food.
US08869787B2
A hand-operated implement has a guide bar on which is fitted a cutting chain for cutting mineral and metal materials. The cutting chain is driven around the guide bar by a chain sprocket. The chain sprocket is arranged in a chain sprocket chamber which is delimited by a chain sprocket cover. A cutting element has an outer side facing a sidewall of the chain sprocket cover which lies in a first notional plane. The distance between the sidewall and the first notional plane measured perpendicular to the first notional plane and centrally between the top of the cutting element and the peripheral wall is less than approximately 0.8 cm over at least 30% of the section between a second notional plane containing the central axis of a fixing bolt on the guide bar and the exit opening at which the cutting chain leaves the chain sprocket chamber.
US08869775B2
A receiving portion of a heat releasing member made of metal holds a controller, which is installed to the receiving portion through an opening of the receiving portion. An embeddable portion of the heat releasing member is formed at least along a peripheral edge of the opening of the receiving portion and is embedded in a flange, which is made of resin and covers a hole of a fuel tank. A protective member made of resin may cover each connecting portion between a corresponding one of terminals of the controller and a corresponding one of conductive line members. A primer agent coating may be applied to the conductive line members.
US08869773B2
A variety of methods and arrangements for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine in a skip fire variable displacement mode are described. In general, a firing control unit determines working chamber firings during operation of the engine that are suitable for delivering a desired engine output. In one aspect, the firing control unit is arranged to isolate the generation of firing sequences having frequency components in a frequency range of concern and to alter the firing sequence in a manner that reduces the occurrence of frequency components in the frequency range of concern. In another aspect, a filter is arranged to filter a feedback signal to provide a filtered feedback signal that is used in the determination of the working chamber firings. In preferred embodiments, the frequency characteristics of the filter are variable.
US08869768B2
A piston for an internal combustion engine including a piston body (20). The piston body (20) defines a first cooling chamber (46) that is sealed closed and contains a first cooling medium (48) other than air. During operation of the piston, the first cooling medium (48) extracts heat from the surrounding regions of the piston body (20) to cool the piston body (20). The piston body (20) also defines a second cooling chamber (50) adjacent to the first cooling chamber (46). A cooling oil (51) is projected into the second cooling chamber (50) and against the portion of the piston body (20) separating the first and second cooling chambers (46, 50) to extract heat from the first cooling medium (48). The cooling oil (51) is redirected within the second cooling chamber (50) to extract additional heat from the first cooling medium (48) or directly from the piston body (20).
US08869767B2
A balancer housing (30) consists of an upper housing (32) and a lower housing (31), and receives a pair of rotatably supported balancer shafts (11, 21) therein. An oil strainer mounting portion (37) is formed as a cylindrical wall extending downward from a bottom wall of the lower housing, and an inlet passage (67) leading to an inlet end of an oil pump (60) extends along a length of the balancer shafts adjacent to the oil strainer mounting portion. A communication passage consisting of a pair of circular holes (66) arranged along an axial line of the inlet passage is passed through a wall separating an interior of the oil strainer mounting portion with the inlet passage. The two holes provides an adequate cross sectional area without increasing the height of the balancer housing.
US08869763B2
An internal combustion engine includes an engine housing defining a cylinder, and a first and a second gas exchange valve for the cylinder, positioned within the engine housing. The engine further includes a valve actuating mechanism having a first and a second valve lifter reciprocating within adjacent lifter bores to actuate the first and second gas exchange valves. Each of the first and second valve lifters includes an end cap having a misalignment limiting projection, limiting rotation of the valve lifter in response to dynamic perturbation.
US08869747B2
A system for monitoring a teat cleaning and disinfectant before a milking operation is started that comprises one or more controllers that are configured to monitor various operating parameters of the system. In an embodiment, the current supplied to a motor that drives scrubbing elements in an applicator in order to identify or determine when a teat of a cow is inserted and then removed from the applicator during a wash mode and dry mode. The controller is programmed to count each teat that is properly prepped for milking in order to determine the number of cows that have been properly prepped for milking. If certain thresholds, such as predetermined number of teats on a cow, have not been met a cow is not counted as having been properly prepped.
US08869745B1
A special bag or pad element containing Zeolite elements is placed under normal kitty litter or other animal waste containing materials. As the odor containing substances of the waste product are emitted, they are captured and eliminated by the Zeolite contained therein. It is possible to essentially eliminated cat and pet odors as well as to contain odors from barn animals. The results are amazing and the pets are healthier and the odors are gone. The waste products from this bag can be easily recycled in a garden since the contents are compatible with the soil and offer increased fertilization from the ammonium nitrate contained therein.
US08869742B2
An electrode is exposed to a plasma generation volume and is defined to transmit radiofrequency power to the plasma generation volume, and includes an upper surface for holding a substrate in exposure to the plasma generation volume. A gas distribution unit is disposed above the plasma generation volume and in a substantially parallel orientation to the electrode. The gas distribution unit includes an arrangement of gas supply ports for directing an input flow of a plasma process gas into the plasma generation volume in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the electrode. The gas distribution unit also includes an arrangement of through-holes that each extend through the gas distribution unit to fluidly connect the plasma generation volume to an exhaust region. Each of the through-holes directs an exhaust flow from the plasma generation volume in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the electrode.
US08869741B2
A plasma processing system having a plasma processing chamber configured for processing a substrate is provided. The plasma processing system includes at least an upper electrode and a lower electrode for processing the substrate. The substrate is disposed on the lower electrode during plasma processing, where the upper electrode and the substrate forms a first gap. The plasma processing system also includes an upper electrode peripheral extension (UE-PE). The UE-PE is mechanically coupled to a periphery of the upper electrode, where the UE-PE is configured to be non-coplanar with the upper electrode. The plasma processing system further includes a cover ring. The cover ring is configured to concentrically surround the lower electrode, where the UE-PE and the cover ring forms a second gap.
US08869738B2
A mask frame assembly using a plurality of stick-shaped split masks. The mask frame assembly includes a plurality of split masks, each of which includes a deposition pattern corresponding to a unit screen. Each of the split masks is formed of a plurality of partial masks to form the deposition pattern corresponding to a unit screen. Accordingly, the split masks accommodating a pattern corresponding to a large screen may be easily manufactured without an increase in the amount of etching errors.
US08869733B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an outrigger protection system for protecting an individual's foot from being crushed by a moving outrigger. The outrigger protection system includes a bottom plate and an outwardly extending protection element. The bottom plate is securable to the bottom of the conventional outrigger. The outwardly extending protection element can be integral with the either the bottom plate or the bottom of the outrigger and extends beyond the perimeter of the foot of the outrigger. If someone were standing in the way of the outrigger when the outrigger was being moved the protection element would strike the leg or shin. If, however, the outrigger protection system were to land on the foot, it would not crush the foot as it is non-weight-bearing.
US08869732B1
A diverter for diverting birds away from overhead lines includes a plastic plate substrate having an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is narrower than the lower portion such that a center of gravity is lower. The substrate includes a central portion and triangular-shaped left and right edge portions. The triangular portions are narrow to wide from top to bottom. The central portion includes an opening at an upper portion thereof for attachment to a ring. The central portion includes front and rear flat surfaces each having an upper area and a lower area. One of the front flat surface upper and lower areas includes a first fluorescent retroreflective sheet. One of the rear flat surface upper and lower areas includes a second fluorescent retroreflective sheet. The first and second fluorescent retroreflective sheets having respective contrasting colors. Another one of the front flat surface upper and lower areas and another one of the rear flat surface upper and lower areas includes a luminescent material.
US08869730B2
A method and apparatus for providing back support for a user seated on an inflated tube of an inflatable boat. A support element, which supports the user's back, is coupled to one or more anchor points within the boat via circum-tubular coupling elements that prevent the support element from rotating about the tube.
US08869729B2
An underwater personal mobility device is provided. The underwater personal mobility device can include a superstructure rotatably connected to a main body comprised of an observation chamber, a transport handle and at least one wheel. The superstructure may further comprise an air conduit and snorkel to provide breathable air to a user. The device may have at least two configurations, including a folded configuration, to enable ease of transport and storage of the device.
US08869719B2
A seed meter for a seeding machine has a housing and a seed metering member rotationally mounted to the housing. The metering member has a sidewall with a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface with the inner surface of the sidewall having an outwardly flared rim portion extending both radially outward and axially to an outer edge. The rim portion has a plurality of apertures extending through the sidewall. The metering member is oriented at an angle to the vertical such that an upper portion of the metering member extends beyond a lower portion of the metering member. This orientation allows a seed delivery system to extend into the interior of the metering member and cooperate with the overhanging inside thereof to remove seed therefrom.
US08869714B1
A wheeled mobile work bench which has an adjustable tabletop surface. The tabletop surface removably engages an adjustable rectangular frame which, in turn, is attached atop a pair of upright frame members, each upright frame member being attached to a respective bottom frame component. An electrical box attached to one of the right and left upright frame members is operationally connectable connected to a power cord having a plug. While the mobile work bench is in use, the plug is operationally connectable to a source of standard electrical current to permit use of a power tool plugged into the electrical box.
US08869713B2
A portable support system having a portable support having a first end and a second end. The first end includes a tapered portion, and the second end includes a footing structure. The system also includes a receiving member having a support cone configured to receive the tapered portion. The support cone has a tapered inner surface and a tapered outer surface. The inner surface and outer surface are engagable with mating tapered surfaces. The receiving member is capable of attachment to one or both of a frame and a panel for use as a platform.
US08869705B2
Apparatuses and methods for a trailer that hangs when not in use and on which material may be transported. The apparatuses include a trailer having a single wheel bracket attached to at least one wheel and a trailer body. The trailer body has a first end and a second end and is attached to the single wheel bracket near the first end. The trailer body has a first coupler at the first end and a second coupler at the second end, the first coupler to attach the trailer to a second trailer and the second coupler to attach the trailer to a third trailer such that the trailer hangs by only the single wheel bracket from the first rolling surface of the beam-type rail when the trailer is not attached to the third trailer.
US08869701B2
The present invention describes an improved cartridged projectile (100). The cartridged projectile (100) comprises a projectile (110) seating at a mouth of a cartridge case (130). The cartridge case (130) has a base (134) that houses a high pressure chamber (150). A side of the high pressure chamber (150) is capped by a pressure disc (170), which is secured onto the base of the cartridge case by a nozzle ring (160). The nozzle ring (160) has a tapered or conical surface that allows the pressure disc (170) to flex, and a surface (171) of the pressure disc (170) exterior of the high pressure chamber has intersecting V-shaped grooves (172). When propellant in the high pressure chamber (150) is burned efficiently, high pressure gases developing inside the high pressure chamber cause the pressure disc (170) to rupture at a predetermined pressure along the grooves (172) so that the gases propel the projectile (110) out of a barrel at a higher speed of about 100 m/s or more.
US08869695B2
An embodiment is a method and apparatus to meter ink for electrographic printing. An ink loading mechanism having an anilox roller fills ink from an ink supply into cells in the anilox roller having a plurality of valleys and lands that form the cells. The ink loading mechanism causes the valleys to be full or nearly full with the ink. The anilox roller rotates in a first direction. A blanket roller rotationally engaged with the anilox roller pulls the ink out of the cells and causes the valleys to be partially filled. The blanket roller rotates in a second direction. A first cleaning blade cleans tops of the lands of the cells.Another embodiment is a method and apparatus to meter ink for electrographic printing. An ink loading mechanism having an anilox roller fills ink from an ink supply into cells in the anilox roller having a plurality of valleys and lands forming the cells. The ink loading mechanism causes the valleys to be full or nearly full with the ink. The anilox roller rotates in a first direction. A soft blade positioned slightly below surface of the lands removes ink from the cells and causes the valleys the partially filled as the anilox roller rotates. A hard blade positioned at the surface of the lands to clean residue of ink on the surface of the lands as the anilox roller rotates.
US08869693B2
A panel for tensioning fabric such as a silkscreen mesh is described. The panel includes locking strips secured to the edges using stitching through the mesh and locking strips. A method for fabricating the panel and tensioning the panel on a frame is also described. Locking strips may be stitched to edges of the fabric or mesh.
US08869684B2
A conveyor oven is provided, which has an oven housing having a frame with a top wall and side walls downwardly dependent from the top wall, and a substantially open bottom portion of the frame. A heat source heats the baking chamber in excess of 7000 F. An endless conveyor is used for continuous transport of foodstuffs through the baking chamber. The oven uses access dollies to insulatingly cover the bottom of the oven below the conveyor. These dollies can be unsealed and slidably removed to access the baking chamber without turning off the heat source or cooling the oven.
US08869682B2
A food pan is configured for use with a serving station having wells within which to support the food pan. The food pan includes a bottom, a side wall, a rim, and four corner structures. The bottom has a substantially rectangular periphery. The side wall is connected to the bottom, and projects from the rectangular periphery of the bottom in an upward direction. Together, the bottom and side wall form a volume configured to support contents of the food pan. The rim is connected to the side wall on an end of the side wall opposite to the bottom, and extends from the side wall in an outward direction away from the volume formed by the side wall and the bottom. The cross-section of the rim further includes an ascending portion connected to the side wall, a top portion connected to the ascending portion, and a descending portion connected to the top portion. The ascending and descending portions are rounded. The four corner structures are located between the side wall and the rim, with each corner structure associated with one of the corners of the rectangular periphery of the bottom of the food pan. Each corner structure further includes a base side connected to the side wall and two ascending sides connected to the base side. The two ascending sides extend along both the side wall and the ascending portion of the cross-section of the rim. Additionally, the ascending sides extend from opposite ends of the base side and terminate in the top portion of the cross-section of the rim.
US08869667B2
An apparatus for singulating unit dose blisters from a blister card including at least two perforations separating unit dose blisters positioned adjacent to each other and extending along a longitudinal length of the blister card is provided. The apparatus may include a perforation determiner and a blister card cutter. The perforation determiner may be configured to generate information indicative of a distance between a first perforation location and a second perforation location of the blister card with respect to perforations extending along a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the blister card and separating unit dose blisters to be singulated. The blister card cutter may be configured to utilize the received information indicative of the distance and the total number of perforations to determine cutting locations for cutting at the first perforation location, the second perforation location and additional perforation locations and enable cutting of each perforation extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the blister card responsive to sequential cutting and repositioning operations based on determined cutting locations.
US08869663B2
A method, system and corresponding apparatus are provided for determining a perforation location on a blister card comprising at least one unit dose blister of medication. In particular, a data extraction operation with respect to a surface of the blister card may be performed and perforation location information defining a location of at least one perforation adjoining two unit dose blisters on the blister card may be determined based on the data extracted.
US08869661B2
A tool (1) for the handling by a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) of a protection device (4) provided to protect a subsea electrical or optical fiber connector. The main feature of a tool is that said tool (1) is attached to the ROV and comprises a ROV friendly handle (2).
US08869658B2
In a multi-function tool structure, a body and a work rod are pivotally connected together and can form a folded and retracted state. Moreover, an elastically movable press button is disposed on the body and can link up a positioning pin movably inserted into the work rod. Thus, pressing the press button can release a lock between the work rod and the positioning pin so that the work rod is swingable, while releasing the press button can lock the positioning pin and the work rod together again. Thus, the work rod and the body can be folded and retracted to facilitate the storage and carrying. After the work rod is developed, it can form multiple included angles with respect to the body so that the requirements of different operation angles can be satisfied.
US08869656B2
An automatic fastener driving tool, or an attachment, has a narrow front-end profile so that it is capable of driving screws that are in hard-to-reach positions, such as corners or channel members. The slide body subassembly has an extending mechanism, so that the fastener drive elements extend farther away from the main body structure of the tool/attachment, while still providing a stable and rugged overall tool structure to drive larger screws. The “lick-out” dimension is increased without also increasing the length and width of the feed tube.
US08869655B2
A light bulb changing tool comprising a holding structure configured to engage a light bulb, the holding structure configured along an axis, the motorized holding structure configured to actuate in a first direction and a second direction. The light bulb changing tool further includes a force generator configured to selectively force the light bulb against the holding structure and a control unit configured to remotely communicate with the holding structure and the force generator, wherein the electronic control unit sends control signals to drive the holding structure to selectively move in the first direction and the second direction and/or to activate the force generator. The tool further comprises an arm member for positioning the holding structure in a desired configuration to engage the light bulb, wherein the arm member is coupled to the holding structure. The holding structure further comprises a rotator mechanism configured to rotate the holding structure in the first direction about the axis.
US08869654B2
A combination dog collar and bottle opener device includes a two-ply strap and combination D-ring and bottle opener. The strap includes a first ply of rubber, preferably recycled from an inner tube. The second ply is mechanically stitched using an interwoven thread to the first ply. A plastic quick-release coupling device acts as a clasp system for selectively and releasably coupling a strap first end to a strap second end. The combination D-ring and bottle opener comprises a generally flat frame body having a first arm and a second arm, a first linking member connecting the first and second arms at a first end of the frame body and a second linking member at a second end of the frame body. An intermediate linking member arranged generally parallel to the first and second linking members and being located at an intermediate position includes a radius bottle pry and offset grooves.
US08869640B2
Provided is an engine starter wherein a torsional angle θ1 of a helical spline 4a of an output shaft 4 is set in such a way that a reactive force Fp1 of a plunger spring 33, which is operated to a clutch 5, is larger than a propulsive force F, which is operated so as to urge the clutch 5 by a rotational force of the motor 2 in a shaft direction along a helical spline 4a of an output shaft 4, before a pinion engaging solenoid 8 is operated. Thereby, it can be prevented that the clutch 5 is urged in the shaft direction, so that it can be prevented without upsizing the engine starter that the pinion 6 is protruded in the shaft direction.
US08869637B2
An electric generator (1) includes a casing (2) that envelops a stator (3) and a rotor (4). The casing (2) has an aperture (5) through which the generator casing inside (7) is inspectable during generator operation. A method includes inspecting during generator operation, through the aperture (5) of the casing (2), the casing inside (7).
US08869629B2
An agricultural product delivery system includes a conduit. The conduit of the agricultural product delivery system is configured to enable agricultural product to pass therethrough. The agricultural product delivery system also includes a first electrostatic sensor coupled to the conduit, and configured to detect the agricultural product passing through the conduit.
US08869621B2
A geometry compensating transducer attachment for ultrasonic inspection of a structure includes a geometry-compensating structure having at least one angled surface configured to engage the structure to be inspected, and the geometry-compensating structure having an acoustic velocity generally matching an acoustic velocity of the structure to be inspected.
US08869620B2
An airborne ultrasonic sensor is obtained in which a sensor body and a housing have an integrated structure, and which can reduce spurious waves which propagate through the housing to arrive at the sensor body. The sensor is provided with the sensor body that radiates ultrasonic waves into air and at the same time receives reflected waves from a reflection source which exists in the air, a transmission and reception device that drives the sensor body and at the same time obtains a distance to the reflection source or a propagation speed of sound based on the reflected waves, and the housing that has the sensor body fixedly secured thereto with an integrated structure. The housing has groove portions which are different in acoustic impedance from their surroundings. The groove portions are arranged obliquely regarding either one of a horizontal direction or a vertical direction of the sensor body.
US08869617B2
The invention relates to a method, to a device for electronic characterization, and to a measurement cell and support for monitoring a chemical or physical process with results that can be assessed in terms of the weight variation of a coating deposited on a piezoelectric sensor, exposed to a fluid medium with stable physical properties. The invention uses the deduction of an analytic expression establishing a simple connection between the phase variation of a fixed-frequency signal, which queries the piezoelectric resonator, and the variation in the bulk density of the coating. The invention is suitable for implementations that use piezoelectric resonators for characterizing biochemical and electrochemical processes, such as, inter alia: piezoelectric biosensors and immunosensors, process and material characterization by AC electrogravimetry, detection of dissolved chemical or biological substances.
US08869615B2
The present disclosure relates to a vibrating element which is planar parallelly to an electrical crystallographic axis of a piezoelectric material such as quartz. The element comprises a beam holding electrodes, a stationary portion rigidly connected to one end of the beam, and a solid portion rigidly connected to the other end of the beam. The structure with facets from the chemical machining of the element has an axis of symmetry parallel to the electrical axis, and the solid portion has a center of gravity on the axis of symmetry. The useful vibration modes of the vibrating element, according to which the solid portion is reciprocatingly rotated about the axis of symmetry and reciprocatingly moved parallel to the plane of the element, are uncoupled. The measurement of an angular speed by a rate gyroscope including said vibrating elements is more precise.
US08869607B2
An exhaust diagnostic system comprises a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) component testing module, an exhaust stream temperature management module, and a test enabling module. The component testing module executes an SCR component efficiency test. The exhaust stream temperature management module adjusts a temperature of the SCR component to a predetermined temperature range. The test enabling module executes a process for depleting a reductant load and subsequently initiates an SCR component efficiency test while the temperature of the SCR catalyst is within the predetermined temperature range. A method for diagnosing an exhaust system comprises determining an efficiency of an SCR component and selectively adjusting a temperature of the SCR component to a predetermined temperature range. The method also includes executing a process for depleting a reductant load and initiating an SCR component efficiency test while the temperature of the SCR component is within the predetermined temperature range.
US08869603B2
An exemplary debris detection method according to one example embodiment of the present disclosure includes, among other things, monitoring turbomachine performance, and initiating a debris warning when an actual rate of change in turbomachine performance varies from a predicted rate of change in the performance.
US08869600B2
A falling piston viscometer which includes a measuring bushing and a piston configured to be slidably receivable inside the measuring bushing is provided herein. More specifically, the circumferential edge of first section of the piston in the described falling piston assembly is modified to allow for decreased friction and sensitivity. A lifting mechanism, in communication with the piston and piston rod, raises the piston to an upper piston position within the measuring bushing, upon instruction from a controller. Upon the piston being lifted, fluid is drawn into the measuring bushing. The controller is configured to maintain the piston in a raised position for a pre-programmed time, after which, the controller allows the piston to fall, by the force of gravity.
US08869598B2
A method for monitoring functionality of a seal assembly within an injector feed assembly is described. The method includes providing a buffer fluid to the seal assembly, measuring at least one of a pressure and a flow rate of the buffer fluid, and determining a functionality of the seal assembly based at least partially on the at least one of a pressure and a flow rate of the buffer fluid.
US08869586B2
Methods and systems for calibrating a chemical sensing system are disclosed. Detection of a substance using a first chemical sensor in a chemical sensing system may be initiated at a first time. The first chemical sensor may output a first sensor value. Detection of the substance using a second chemical sensor in a chemical sensing system may be initiated at a second time that differs from the first time by a delta value. The second chemical sensor may output a second sensor value. The chemical sensing system may be calibrated based on the first and second sensor values at the second time and the first and second sensor values at a current time.
US08869582B2
A die apparatus for forging a steering rack having a toothed portion and an array of gear teeth. The die apparatus comprising first and second assemblies movable towards each other. The first assembly comprising a first bolster and a tooth die. The second assembly comprising a second bolster, first and second side dies, a center punch, and a third bolster. The third bolster being disposed between the first and second bolsters and being movable relative to the second bolster. The first and second side dies being supported by the third bolster, and the center punch being supported by the second bolster. As the die apparatus closes, the third bolster abuts the first assembly to form a closed forging cavity and then, as the die apparatus continues to close, the center punch penetrates the closed forging cavity to complete the forging of the steering rack.
US08869575B2
An antitheft steering lock device with an insertable bolt particularly for a motor vehicle, including an antitheft lock body including a first portion with a locking mechanism capable of immobilizing a movable steering element, and a second portion where a bolt is inserted and positively connected inside the second portion, and wherein the bolt is capable of controlling the use of the locking means, wherein the antitheft lock device further includes blocking means capable of inhibiting the use of the locking means when the bolt is removed after the bolt has been positively connected inside the second portion of the antitheft lock body.
US08869560B2
An apparatus and method for precision bending a glass sheet that includes an oven for heating the glass sheet to a temperature near the softening temperature of the glass sheet. A stage for supporting the glass sheet. A pair of reference surfaces on the stage for precisely locating the glass sheet on the stage. At least one bending mechanism on a pair of arms inside the oven for bending an edge portion of the glass sheet. Inward facing first stop surfaces on the arms that contact reference surfaces on the stage for precisely locating the bending mechanism on the arms relative to the stage and the glass sheet.
US08869541B2
A heat generator (1) having at least one thermal module (10) that has N adjacent magnetocaloric elements (2) arranged in a circle around a central axis (A) and is subjected to a varying magnetic field caused by magnetic devices (3). The magnetocaloric elements (2) are associated with N pistons (40) subjected to a reciprocating translation movement by an actuating cam (70) to circulate the heat transfer fluid, contained in the thermal module (10), in two opposite directions, at the same time, so that a first fraction of the heat transfer fluid circulates towards a hot exchange chamber (5), through the magnetocaloric elements (2) and is subjected to a heating cycle, and a second fraction of the heat transfer fluid circulates towards a cold exchange chamber (6), through the magnetocaloric elements (2), and is subjected to a cooling cycle, and inversely. The exchange chambers (5, 6) are coupled with external circuits that use calories and frigories for heating, air-conditioning, tempering systems, etc.
US08869537B2
A gas turbine engine and an apparatus for operating the gas turbine engine includes at least one microphone to detect the sound of impacts of particles, a recorder to record the sound of the impacts, an analyzer to analyze the sound of the impacts of the particles, and a store of sounds of impacts, the stored sounds of impacts correspond to unfavorable weather conditions. A comparator compares the sound of the impacts of particles with one or more sounds of impacts stored in the store 68 sounds of impacts and if the comparator determines that the sound of the impacts of particles matches one or more stored sounds of impacts, a signal is sent to a control system for the gas turbine engine to adjust the operation of the gas turbine engine such that it operates in a safe mode of operation.
US08869535B2
A turbine burner is provided. The turbine burner has a secondary feed unit and a primary feed unit. The primary feed unit has a primary mixing tube and a fuel nozzle that are arranged concentrically around the secondary feed unit. The primary mixing tube and the fuel nozzle have a fluid flow connection. The fuel nozzle has an annular wall that is radially spaced in the axial direction from the secondary feed unit such that a gap height is fainted by the annular wall and the secondary feed unit. The annular wall has an inside wall directed toward the secondary feed unit and having blades with a leading edge on the upstream side. The fuel nozzle has an inlet and the blades have an axial distance from the inlet. The ratio of the distance to the gap height is greater than 1 and less than the gap height.
US08869531B2
Systems and methods for recovering energy from waste heat are provided. The system includes a waste heat exchanger coupled to a source of waste heat to heat a first flow of a working fluid. The system also includes a first expansion device that receives the first flow from the waste heat exchanger and expands it to rotate a shaft. The system further includes a first recuperator coupled to the first expansion device and to receive the first flow therefrom and to transfer heat from the first flow to a second flow of the working fluid. The system also includes a second expansion device that receives the second flow from the first recuperator, and a second recuperator fluidly coupled to the second expansion device to receive the second flow therefrom and transfer heat from the second flow to a combined flow of the first and second flows.
US08869529B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus relating to the use of Stirling engine technology to convert heat, such as from solar radiation, to mechanical work or electricity. Apparatus, systems, components, and methods relating to energy converting apparatus are described herein. In one aspect, the invention relates to the field alignment of panels and the assembly of a concentrator. In another aspect, a passive balancer is used in combination with a ring frame and other moving masses to reduce engine forces and vibration on the structure of the energy converting apparatus while maintaining properly constrained alignment of various suspended masses. In yet another aspect, the invention relates to various over-insolation control and management strategy to prevent overheating of the energy converting apparatus or components and subsystems thereof.
US08869519B2
An electric power accumulating means (30) includes a DC bus connected to an electric power accumulator (19) and supplies a direct current, a smoothing capacitor provided to the DC bus, and a voltage detector (23) that detects a voltage of the DC bus. The generator (12) generates an induced voltage E by being rotationally driven by an engine (11) when starting the engine (11). Degaussing of a permanent magnet of the generator is determined by performing a comparison between the induced voltage E detected by the voltage detector (23) and a previously set reference induced voltage RE.
US08869516B2
A machine includes an internal combustion engine disposed within an engine compartment and supported on a machine frame. An exhaust stack has an inlet fluidly connected to an exhaust manifold of the internal combustion engine and an outlet in fluid communication with ambient air. A diesel particulate filter is disposed along the exhaust stack. A cooling package includes at least one heat exchanger and a blower fan. The blower fan is configured to blow cooling air from the engine compartment sequentially through the at least one heat exchanger and an outlet of the cooling package. Exhaust gas exiting the exhaust stack outlet is mixed with the cooling air exiting the cooling package outlet in a high temperature zone surrounding the exhaust stack outlet to form a fluid mixture, and a temperature of the fluid mixture at a perimeter of the high temperature zone is below 200 degrees Celsius.
US08869511B2
For reducing the NOx-emission of a large sized two stroke diesel engine having at least one combustion room (3), a reciprocating piston (4) and an exhaust opening (12) controlled by an exhaust valve (13) at each work cyclus a small volume of burnt gas is retained in the combustion room (3) and so added to the fresh air for the next combustion. For achieving this retention of burnt gas the underside of the valve disc (15) off the exhaust valve (13) is provided with a shallow concave face (17) building a basin-like collection room, whose depth is within a range of 2-10% of the outer diameter of the valve disc (15).
US08869509B2
An accessory flow recovery system includes an inlet that receives a first fluid flow, and a pump with a pump inlet and outlet. The pump inlet receives the first fluid flow from the inlet and discharges a second fluid flow from the outlet. The accessory flow recovery system has an actuation unit for supplying a third fluid flow to accessory components, a metering system to regulate the flow rate of the second fluid flow based on a flow demand, and an inlet pressurizing valve coupled between the outlet and the metering system. The inlet pressurizing valve regulates the second fluid flow between the pump and the metering unit. The accessory flow recovery system further includes a return switch valve to direct the third fluid flow to the metering system when the recovery system is operating in one mode, and to the inlet when the system is operating in another mode.
US08869508B2
A method of managing a gas turbine engine operating line includes detecting an air speed and a fan speed. A data table is referenced that includes a desired variable area fan nozzle position based upon air speed and fan speed. The detected air speed and detected fan speed are compared to the data table to determine a target variable area fan nozzle position. An actual variable area fan nozzle position is adjusted to the target variable area fan nozzle position.
US08869505B2
A nozzle for use in a gas turbine engine includes a nozzle door having a first end, a second end opposed from the first end, and a first pivot on the door between the first and second ends. A linkage connects to the nozzle door and to an actuator. The actuator is selectively operative to move the linkage about a second pivot to in turn move the nozzle door about the first pivot between a plurality of positions, such as stowed, intermediate, and thrust reverse positions to influence bypass airflow through a fan bypass passage. A lip extends from the nozzle door between the first pivot and one of the first end and second end.
US08869504B1
A three-spool turbofan engine (20) has a variable fan nozzle (35). The fan blades have a peak tip radius RT and an inboard leading edge radius RH at an inboard boundary of the flowpath. A ratio of RH to RT is less than about 0.40.
US08869502B2
A turbomachine system includes a compressor portion having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, a turbine portion operatively connected to the compressor portion, a combustor having a combustor inlet fluidly connected to the compressor outlet and a combustor outlet fluidly connected to the turbine portion; and a reformer having a reformer inlet fluidly connected to the compressor outlet and a reformer outlet fluidly connected to the combustor inlet. The reformer partially combusts air from the compressor portion and a fuel to form a hydrogen-rich syngas.
US08869501B2
A clamping assembly (2) adapted to clamp a component (4), the assembly comprising: first and second clamping members (10, 20), the first and second clamping members being movable with respect to one another in a first direction to selectively clamp the component therebetween; and a bearing element (30) positionable between the component and one of the first and second clamping members, the bearing element being configured to permit relative movement between the component and one of the first and second clamping members in a second direction.
US08869481B2
A flooring system including at least two sets of flooring panels. A first set of flooring panels having a first shape and recessed grooves on the opposite lateral sides. The first set of panels being constructed from a plurality of wood elements adhesively affixed together. A second set of flooring panels having a second shape and an integral tongue protruding from the opposite lateral sides. The second set of panels being constructed at least one wood element. The first set of panels and second set of panels are connected by mating the tongue and groove. The resulting connection between the panels forming a floor with substantially flush upper surface.
US08869476B2
The present invention relates to a sealing arrangement (202) for a building element comprising tension members. The sealing arrangement (202) is arranged to seal off an internal part of the building element. The sealing arrangement (202) comprises: (a) a first pressing element (500) of rigid material; (b) a transition pad (501) of deformable material; (c) a sealing pad (503) of elastic material; and (d) a second pressing element (505; 507) comprising a rigid layer (507) for pressing the transition pad (501) and the sealing pad (503) against the first pressing element (500). The transition pad (501), the sealing pad (503) and the second pressing element (505; 507) are provided with holes for the tension elements to pass through. When operationally in place, the first pressing element (500), the transition pad (501), the sealing pad (503) and the second pressing element (505; 507) are pressed together.
US08869475B2
A firestopping sleeve positionable usually in walls which is self-adjusting and includes a sleeve defining an access corridor extending longitudinally therewithin with at least one firestopping pad positioned therein. The pad defines an access corridor extending therethrough for receiving wall penetrating cables which are firestopped therearound by the pad. A supplemental construction band is positioned extending around the pad for enhancing firestopping adjacent the penetrating wire for facilitating preventing the flow of heat, smoke or fire therepast.
US08869472B2
A thermal compensation apparatus is disclosed including an elongated element extending from a proximal end to a distal end. A length of the elongated element from the proximal end to the distal end decreases in response to an increase in the temperature of the elongated element from a baseline temperature. The length of the elongated element increases in response to a decrease in the temperature of the elongated element from the baseline temperature. In various embodiments, the apparatus may be incorporated in solar module mounting systems.
US08869464B2
Utilizing the three different hyperbolic paraboloids which each divide a set of correlating tetrahedrons in half, new, unique interconnectable structural members and toys have been created. They include the n-fold hyperbolic paraboloids, the n-fold hyperbolic paraboloid lattice assemblies and many other cellular, lattice and labyrinthal structures. Some have stacking properties and all have interlocking characteristics and are inherently strong and rigid due to the use of hyperbolic paraboloids. The interlocking and stacking characteristics of these structural members result from the saddle shaped compound curvature of the hyperbolic paraboloids. These structural members can be combined in multiple ways to build aesthetic and utilitarian components such as beams, trusses, packaging foams, toys, as well as other repeating cellular, lattice and labyrinthal structures. The hyperbolic paraboloids of this application can be affixed to other structural members such as bars or spheres to enable connecting them in an interlocking fashion. These new structural members effectively harness material properties to result in inherent strength and rigidity.
US08869461B1
A stadium and arena seating system is provided which preferably utilizes pre-cast concrete tread surfaces and metallic or other non-concrete vertical risers therebetween. The pre-cast concrete treads have non-concrete front embeds embedded within the front of the treads respectively, and an integrally formed upwardly extending concrete lip portion for shedding water from the upper adjacent riser that eliminates the need for a non-concrete rear embed. The front embeds may comprise a metallic or other non-concrete material similar to the vertical risers. The vertical risers are arranged in a shingled fashion overlapping the upwardly extending concrete lip portion of the treads to provide water and debris shedding. In a further aspect, the upwardly extending concrete lip portion may optionally be formed with a plurality of pre-formed mounting holes through which fasteners for fastening a lower portion of the riser may be received.
US08869458B2
A molded access door assembly for an access opening in a wall or ceiling is provided including a molded frame having a frame channel to form the outside of the access door assembly, the frame channel having spaced apart exterior and interior walls joined at the top edge by a top wall and having a lip extending from the bottom edge of the inner wall into the interior of the molded access door assembly to define an opening. The lip provides a stop rest for the door in the closed position and has a means of attaching the access door assembly to the wall or ceiling. The assembly also includes a door having a top surface and a first part of a hinge assembly along one edge of the top surface which cooperates with a matching second part of the hinge assembly along one edge of the frame channel to allow the door to move between an open and a closed position.
US08869447B2
A plant growth array device includes an aerial growth chamber configured to receive aerial shoot portions of a plurality of plants and a root growth chamber configured to receive root portions of the plurality of plants. A dividing member is between the aerial growth chamber and the root chamber and has a plurality of apertures for receiving the plurality of plants therein. The plurality of apertures are configured so that the root portions grow substantially in a common orientation.
US08869446B2
A fishing lure has a body and a hook. The hook has a shank that extends from the body, a bend and a point. The hook is lying in a hook plane. A brush guard has bristles that extend from the head to a blocking position in front of the hook point. The bristles are spread apart to either side of the hook plane. An elastomeric band around the lure body retains the bristles in a spread apart configuration. The spread apart bristles create a laterally wider brush guard so as to prevent snagging of the hook point no matter what the orientation of the lure in the water might be.
US08869436B2
The present disclosure provides one embodiment of a method for operating a resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell. The method includes performing a forming operation to the RRAM cell with a forming voltage; performing a number of set/reset operation cycles to the RRAM cell; and performing a recreating process to the RRAM cell to recover RRAM resistance by applying a recreating voltage. Each of the number of set/reset operation cycles includes a set operation with a set voltage. The recreating voltage is greater than the set voltage.
US08869435B2
Golf shoes include one or more of the following: (a) a foot stabilizer system that interacts with a shoe securing system to securely engage and/or wrap around a foot of a wearer; (b) a natural motion sole, optionally including flex grooves that allow a weight transfer from back-to-front and/or from side-to-side; (c) a six cleat configuration (e.g., four cleats in a forefoot region, two cleats in a heel region, and no cleats located directly under a big toe); (d) a forefoot moderator plate positioned to moderate or reduce user feel of the forefoot cleats; (e) a lateral half heel counter extending from a rear heel area to a lateral midfoot or lateral forward heel area of the shoe; and/or (f) one or more medial, forefoot, sidewall traction elements at or near a big toe area of the sole.
US08869434B2
The invention is a boot (1; 100) comprising a shaped shell (2; 101) including a rear portion (3; 102) that surrounds the heel (T) of the user's foot (P) and a front portion (4; 103) that develops mainly along a longitudinal axis (X) and surrounds the distal region (D) and the top (S) of the foot (P) and is 5 telescopically associated with the rear portion (3; 102) to which it is connected through fixing means (5). One of the front (4; 103) and rear portions (3; 102) is provided with a plurality of first through holes (6; 104) defining longitudinal axes (Z1; Z′1) that are parallel to each other and separated by a predefined distance (L1; L′1) and are selectively arranged coaxially to second through 10 holes (7; 105) made in the other one of the rear (3; 102) and front portions (4; 103), where they house the fixing means (5), in such a way as to vary the length of the shaped shell (2; 101) by discrete values.
US08869429B1
A heated insole for a shoe has an insole body and a battery. The insole body has a battery-receiving portion. The battery is configured to be removable from and insertable into the battery-receiving portion while the insole is disposed within the shoe.
US08869427B2
A dryer having a drum, of high strength and which is easy to produce, is discussed such that the drum comprises a body formed b a rectangular metal sheet and a belt at the same length as the front side (K1) of the body, connected to said side through butt welding, and produced from a rectangular metal sheet with higher strength as compared with the body, said drum being constituted by bending and joining , so as to form a cylinder, the sides (K2, K3) that are perpendicular to the side (K1) connecting the body and the belt.
US08869426B2
A washing and/or drying appliance includes a heating circuit (140) for heating a washing liquid and/or a drying air flow, connected to voltage distribution lines (105a,105b) distributing power inside the appliance. The heating circuit includes at least one heating resistor (205) in series to switch means (210a,210b) controlled by an appliance control unit (125) for selectively energizing the heating resistor when required. The switch means of the heating circuit includes a first and a second switch (210a,210b) in series to the heating resistor, the heating resistor being interposed between the first and second switches. A monitoring circuit arrangement is provided, which includes a first resistor (R1) in shunt to the heating resistor and having a resistance substantially higher than that of the heating resistor, and a pull-up network connected between a first terminal (215b;215a) of the heating resistor and one of the voltage distribution lines. The control unit is configured for receiving a voltage corresponding to an electric potential at a second terminal (215a;215b) of the heating resistor.
US08869425B2
An apparatus (100) for processing waste material is provided which comprises a heat proof chamber (102), a hot gas inlet (106, 112) for heating the interior of the heat proof chamber (102), and a rotatable drum (118) for containing waste to be processed. The drum (118) has gaps (120) therein, is located within the heat proof chamber (102), and separated therefrom around its edge by a gap. The apparatus (100) is also provided with a drive (126, 128) for rotating the drum (118) at a speed such that, in use, waste material that is heat softened is centrifugally separated from the remainder of the waste and passes through the gaps (120) in the drum (118).
US08869400B2
A nozzle plate includes: a flow channel opening in a first surface of the nozzle plate; a liquid chamber communicating with the flow channel; and a nozzle hole communicating with the liquid chamber and opening in a second surface of the nozzle plate. The liquid chamber has a flat portion which is substantially parallel to the second surface. The nozzle hole communicates with the liquid chamber in the flat portion. A method for producing a nozzle plate includes: forming a liquid chamber which opens in a first surface of a plate-like body; forming a flat portion in a bottom of the liquid chamber; and forming a nozzle hole which communicates with the flat portion and opens in a second surface of the plate-like body.
US08869398B2
A method for manufacturing a heat exchanger includes joining a first conductive sheet to a second conductive sheet to define a plurality of separate volumes in a blank envelope, creating an aperture in each separate volume in the blank envelope, and heating the blank envelope. The method further includes pressurizing each separate volume through the apertures, hot plastic forming the blank envelope into a formed envelope, and assembling a plurality of formed envelopes into a heat exchanger core, wherein the heat exchanger core includes a fluid passage outside of the formed envelopes, wherein the fluid passage is defined by adjacent formed envelopes, and wherein the fluid passage extends across a dimension of the heat exchanger core.
US08869389B2
An electronic device package 100 comprising a lead frame 105 having at least one lead 110 with a notch 205. The notch includes at least one reentrant angle 210 of greater than 180 degrees and the notch is located distal to a cut end 1010 of the lead.
US08869386B2
A device includes a vacuum nozzle, a driver, a light source, a measuring unit, and a controller. The vacuum in the nozzle picks up and holds a light receiver. The driver drives the nozzle to press the light receiver onto a substrate such that the light receiver is electrically connected to the substrate. A light source in the nozzle illuminates the light receiver causing the generation of a first electrical signal. The measuring unit measures a second electrical signal that is a part of the first electrical signal, and the driver is controlled drive the nozzle to press harder until the second electrical signal stops increasing, the degree of conductivity between the light receiver and the substrate being then at the maximum.
US08869382B1
A method of manufacturing a suspension for a disk drive includes providing and assembling an actuator coupling plate, a bend region, a load beam, and a head receiving gimbal. The load beam has a first end and a second end and defines a longitudinal axis that bisects the first end and the second end. The load beam is coupled to the gimbal proximate the first end and includes a base region proximate the second end, the base region having a first lateral section to one side of the longitudinal axis and a second lateral section to another side of the longitudinal axis. The first and the second lateral sections define a gap therebetween, and the base region has a bridge extending across the gap. A constraint layer overlays the gap and the bridge.
US08869379B2
A method of producing a rotor includes crimping and stacking a plurality of core pieces through crimping connecting portions to form a rotor stacked core having a magnet-insertion hole and inserting a permanent-magnet pieces into the magnet-insertion hole.Further, the method also includes clamping the rotor stacked core between an upper die and a lower die, and filling a resin into the magnet-insertion hole from a resin reservoir pot which is formed in the upper die or the lower die. Also, the resin may be filled into the magnet-insertion hole while placing the crimping connecting portions at a center of the resin reservoir pot.
US08869367B2
A first lift stand is provided with a first supporting unit to support a first portion of a positioning object, and a first servo system to drive the first supporting unit in a vertical direction. A second lift stand is provided with a second supporting unit to support a second portion of the positioning object, and a second servo system to drive the second supporting unit in the vertical direction. A third lift stand is provided with a third supporting unit to support a third portion of the positioning object, and a third servo system to drive the third supporting unit in the vertical direction. A fourth lift stand is provided with a fourth supporting unit to support a fourth portion of the positioning object, and a fourth servo system to drive the fourth supporting unit in the vertical direction.
US08869360B1
A body bag is usually rectangular and has an open end, with the other sides being closed and secured, the material thereof being porous to water, being incapable absorbing or containing water, while preventing viewing of any contents therein. The body bag of this invention is formed of a porous material, which prevents viewing of the body contained therein, while permitting water to pass therethrough. The material may be plastic or fiber.
US08869351B2
A hanger for a sash of a window to detachably engage the sash with a rail of the window, and the hanger includes a pulley assembly and a restricting assembly. The pulley assembly has a base and a plurality of pulleys mounted on the base for rotation. The pulleys engage the rail so that the pulley assembly moves in the rail. The base is provided with a slot. The sash is provided with a rod. The rod engages the slot of the pulley assembly to engage the sash with the rail, and the rod leaves the slot via a lateral opening thereof while the covering rotates for a predetermined angle. At this time, the sash is disengaged with the rail to be moved off the window.
US08869345B2
A surface cleaning apparatus comprises an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. The surface cleaning apparatus includes a main body having a front end, a rear end, first and second opposed sidewalls. A cavity having an open upper end is positioned between the first and second opposed side walls. A suction motor provided in the air flow path. A cyclone bin assembly provided in the air flow path. The cyclone bin assembly may have opposed end walls and may be removably mounted in the cavity. The first and second opposed sidewalls can be sized to protect the cyclone bin assembly from a side impact.
US08869332B1
A mobile loading dock including a planar ramp member having a lower end terminating in a lower edge and an upper end including an upper edge, the lower edge having a slot substantially parallel to the length of the ramp member for engagement with a slot-engaging member. The slot-engaging member is connectable to a fork truck having a fork-engaging sleeve for positioning of the ramp member.
US08869331B2
The present invention relates to a device designed for the unloading of waste, which device consists of a raised platform (1) and of inclined access ramps (2), comprising a plurality of juxtaposed supporting elements (3) forming a raised horizontal surface (48), said supporting elements consisting of two vertical uprights (12) resting on a surface (8) having a deformation coefficient defined as a function of the use of the waste-disposal facility that is envisaged and allowing the movement of pedestrians and light or heavy vehicles and having a horizontal top cross member (13), a plurality of access elements (4) forming at least one continuous inclined surface from the bearing surface (8) to the raised horizontal surface (48), said access elements consisting of two vertical uprights (12) resting on the bearing surface (8) and of an inclined top cross member (13), and fastening means (17) between the supporting elements (3) and the access elements (4).
US08869326B2
A hammock design which provides increased lifting at its mid-length or medial portion through a combination of wide bands of fabric in a lengthwise X-shaped formation with a curved or bent spreader bar. In a preferred use, the spreader bar rises from a lower middle part toward higher raised ends. This hammock allows the user a comfortable positioning with nearly horizontal transverse support at the users shoulders and a nearly level position from head to toe.
US08869320B1
A spa nozzle has a fluidic oscillator for oscillating a jet of water back and forth through an outlet aperture and a pair of diverging sidewalls extending downstream of the outlet aperture for issuing a sweeping jet of water into the spa. An air entrainment port is formed in each diverging sidewall downstream of the outlet aperture. The top and bottom walls in the oscillator interaction region diverge sufficiently so as to provide a relatively large outlet aperture area but not so large as to cause the jet to roll as it exits the outlet aperture, and wherein the ratio of the depth D of the power nozzle to the width W thereof is from about 2.9 to about 3.1 and the ratio of the depth D of the outlet throat to the width W thereof is from about 4.4 to about 4.6.
US08869312B2
The present invention relates generally to the materials and methods for an improved baseball style cap, wherein the logo is detachable and interchangeable with other logos. Generally, the present invention is advantageous because it allows the wearer to have the option of using a single hat capable of displaying an array of different logos. The interchangeable logo can be attached to a hat using an attachment mechanism such as a seal. The logo can also comprise a looped tab that facilitates its removal and storage.
US08875309B1
A method of presenting content, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes receiving a request for an item of content and selectively verifying ownership of the requested content. If verification of ownership is not to be performed for the particular request, the item of content may be served. If ownership is substantiated for the particular request, the content may also be served. If ownership is not substantiated for the particular request, the content may be purged. Ownership verification may be by access to a physical copy of the content (e.g., DVD, CD or the like).
US08875308B1
A method of setting privacy level values for a user. The method includes receiving a designation of a relative privacy level for the user and receiving a selection of a group of other users for the user. Plural sets of privacy level values are associated with the group of other users. The method also includes setting privacy level values for the user based on the designation of the relative privacy level and the plural sets of privacy level values associated with the selected group of other users.
US08875306B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for customizing aspects of a metadata-driven software application. In particular, embodiments of the present invention provide (1) a self-contained metadata engine for generating customized metadata documents from base metadata documents and customizations; (2) a customization syntax for defining customizations; (3) a customization creation/update component for creating and updating customizations; (4) a customization restriction mechanism for restricting the creation of new customizations by specific users or groups of users; and (5) memory and caching optimizations for optimizing the storage and lookup of customized metadata documents.
US08875302B2
A computer receives an electronic document that includes a group of terms. The computer sends the electronic document to an information extraction program that extracts specific terms from the group of terms. Each of the specific terms that match to a certain extent with one of the attribute values in an electronic dictionary is identified. A value associated with the electronic document is generated based on the specific terms that match, and on an end-user that is attempting to access the electronic document.
US08875299B2
A digital rights management (DRM) system, device and method having an authorized domain (12) for managing digital media, wherein the authorized domain or entity such as a rights issuer utilizes user based content key encryption. In one aspect, the system includes plurality of interconnected devices (16) that comprise: a storage system for storing a user key (19) from a user belonging to the authorized domain; a system for downloading content (13) encrypted with a content key (32); a system for downloading a content key encrypted with the user key; a decryption system (28) for decrypting the encrypted content key with the user key; and a system (28) for decrypting the encrypted content with the decrypted content key.
US08875290B2
The present application is directed towards systems and methods for aggressively probing a client side connection to determine and counteract a malicious window size attack or similar behavior from a malfunctioning client. The solution described herein detects when a connection may be under malicious attach via improper or unusual window size settings. Responsive to the detection, the solution described herein will setup probes that determine whether or not the client is malicious and does so within an aggressive time period to avoid the tying up of processing cycles, transport layer sockets and buffers, and other resources of the sender.
US08875288B2
A system that includes a memory and processor is provided. The processor is programmed to receive input data, determine that the input data is tainted, store the tainted input data in a location in the memory, and based on storing the tainted input data in the location, label the location as a tainted location. The processor is further programmed to assign a triggering event to the tainted location such that an action is initiated when the triggering event has occurred.
US08875282B2
The invention relates to a method of controlling access to a processing device using an access token with a machine readable identity. The method comprises reading the identity of the access token at the location of the processing device and querying a database comprising valid identities of access tokens, wherein each identity is associated with an access permission level. If the identity is a valid identity, the method further comprises determining the associated level of access and allowing a level of access to the processing device according to the associated access permission level. In some embodiments, the processing device is an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).
US08875271B2
Mechanisms are disclosed that allow for execution of unsigned content and the securing of resources in a closed system when such unsigned content is executing on the system. For example, an access layer is used between an operating system layer of the closed system and the actual unsigned content. This access layer may contain various sub-layers, such as a graphics layer, an audio layer, an input layer, and a storage layer. These layers can control access that the unsigned content can have to the native operating system layers and the associated resources of the closed system. By providing such an access layer, unsigned content, e.g., video games, can run on the closed system that is typically designed to run only signed content.
US08875270B2
To prevent specification and tracking of a terminal across a plurality of service providers when a user uses a plurality of services. An ID authentication system according to the present invention is an ID authentication system including a terminal apparatus, a service providing apparatus, and an authentication server. A terminal apparatus 100 includes a one-time ID automatic generator 120 for generating a one-time ID, a one-time ID transmitter 130 for transmitting the one-time ID to the service providing apparatus, and a user ID transmitter 140 for transmitting to the authentication server the one-time ID and an ID to uniquely identify a user. An authentication server 200 includes an authentication information manager 220 that stores authentication information of the user used by a plurality of service providing apparatuses. The authentication server 200 transmits to the service providing apparatus 300 authentication information corresponding to the one-time ID to allow the user to log into a service providing apparatus 300.
US08875257B1
Methods, devices, and products provide for restricting access to mature content by individuals for whom access to the mature content is designated as inappropriate. A content filter receives a communication, determines that the communication includes an image, and extracts the image. The image is scanned for mature content. A content restrictor component restricts access by various classes of users to the mature content.
US08875253B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving data uniquely identifying a particular user to the verification authority and a request to access a shared device. The shared device being configured for use by at least a number of users. The method also includes accessing a social graph of the particular user to determine whether one or more users in the social graph have previously accessed the shared device; and displaying on a display of the mobile device information indicating which of the users in the social graph have previously accessed the shared device.
US08875247B2
A method and system for instant personalization security are provided. The system includes a platform for a user to open applications and/or access web sites. When an application is integrated with the platform, the identification of the application can be combined with the ID of the user and encrypted into a hashed ID. The application does not have access to the user's fully identifying profile (e.g., UID or other public information). Instead, the application only has access to a pseudonymous profile (e.g., the hashed ID, first name, last initial, small profile pictures, and/or other non-fully identifying profile information) of the user. One or more options are then provided for the user to authorize or reject the application to access the user's fully identifying profile. Upon the user's authorization, an access token is provided to the application to access a subset of the user's fully identifying profile.
US08875244B1
Access of a client device to a protected resource is controlled by issuing an authentication information request for a dynamic sub-set of client-side storage values previously stored on the client device by one or more servers. Authentication information is received from the client device based on the dynamic sub-set of client-side storage values. The client device is authenticated based upon verification of the received authentication information. The received authentication information from the client device is optionally encrypted. The client-side storage values comprise any value stored by one or more servers on the client device. The client-side storage values are substantially specific to the client device. The client-side storage values are optionally stored as a matrix. The requested dynamic sub-set of the client-side storage values may comprise one or more cells from a plurality of records in the matrix. The requested dynamic sub-set of the client-side storage values ensures that an authentication for two different login sessions do not request a same sub-set of the client-side storage values.
US08875239B2
Implementing security access includes receiving a request to perform an activity over a network and administering a cognitive test responsive to the request. The administering includes randomly selecting a set of related images from a database of images, randomly selecting one image that is unrelated to the set of related images, displaying the set of related images along with the image that is unrelated to the set of related images, and prompting a user to identify the image that is unrelated to the set of related images. Implementing the security access also includes processing results of the cognitive test, and executing the activity when it is determined from the processing that the cognitive test has been successfully completed.
US08875237B2
A connection to a private network may use an IPv6 tunneling client to connect to a corresponding IPv6 tunneling router at the edge of the private network. The client may be configured to automatically establish a tunneling connection and may have a routing table for routing IPv6 addresses for hosts within the private network through the tunneling connection. The client may be connected to an IPv4 or IPv6 connection outside the private network. The connection between the IPv6 tunneling client and IPv6 tunneling router may be an authenticated and secure connection.
US08875235B1
In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a central identification management computer system that includes at least: a computer programmed with software instructions that at least include: code to receive a user registration request from a user who desires to establish a user identification profile; code to independently verify profile information of the user; code to register the user identification profile with the central identification management computer system; code to receive an identification request; code to generate a timed unique alpha-numeric identifier where the at least one first timed unique alpha-numeric identifier is associated with the user identification profile stored in the database of the central identification management system; code to transmit the timed unique alpha-numeric identifier in response to identification request; and code to record, in a permanent identification usage log, the timed unique alpha-numeric identifier, and a timestamp related to the identification request.
US08875232B2
A method of authenticating access to a service comprises: a) receiving at a mobile terminal, over a bi-directional near-field communication channel between the mobile terminal and a browser, at least part of the identifier of a service; b) comparing, at the mobile terminal, at least part of the identifier received at the mobile terminal with a set of identifiers stored in the mobile device; and c) authenticating access to the service on the basis of whether at least part of the identifier received at the mobile terminal matches an identifier in the set. The mobile terminal may stored a set of URLs, and may compare a received URL (or part URL) with the set of stored URLs. It may generate an alert to the user if at least part of the URL received at the mobile terminal does not match a stored URL. User names and keys are not required to be stored on the web-browser, so the web-browser does not need to maintain a password database. This improves security, since a password database would be vulnerable to malicious code.
US08875228B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for performing content management operations. At least one memory stores data, and a central security domain manages instructions on behalf of one or more service provider security domains. The instructions are received, over a network, from a trusted service manager. The instructions are processed in at least one of the one or more determined service provider security domains, using the data stored in the at least one memory. The data includes one or more generic applications, each of which can be instantiated for one or more service providers.
US08875227B2
A computer-implemented process for privacy aware authenticated map-reduce processing receives data for a MapReduce operation to form received data, identifies a control point in a set of control points of the MapReduce operation to form an identified control point and identifies an applicable set of policies for the identified control point to form a selected set of policies. The selected set of policies is applied at the identified control point and responsive to a determination that application of the selected set of policies at the identified control point returned a positive result, the computer-implemented process continues operation to a next stage in the MapReduce operation.
US08875218B2
In an information management system, policies are deployed to targets and targets can evaluate the policies whether they are connected or disconnected to the system. The policies may be transferred to the target, which may be a device or user. Relevant policies may be transferred while not relevant policies are not. The policies may have policy abstractions.
US08875215B2
Systems and methods for navigating hypermedia using multiple coordinated input/output device sets. Disclosed systems and methods allow a user and/or an author to control what resources are presented on which device sets (whether they are integrated or not), and provide for coordinating browsing activities to enable such a user interface to be employed across multiple independent systems. Disclosed systems and methods also support new and enriched aspects and applications of hypermedia browsing and related business activities.
US08875205B2
A mobile video device includes a transceiver module that receives navigation data corresponding to a plurality of video programs including at least one unicast video program and at least one multicast video program, that transmits selection data and that receives a video signal in response thereto. An interface module receives interface data in response to actions of a user. A video display device generates a selection display based on selection display data in a video selection mode and that generates a video display in a video display mode based on the video signal. A video application module generates the selection display data based on navigation data, that generates selection data based on user interface data.
US08875202B2
In one embodiment, a method receives packets including video data that was encoded or decoded. The packets are dynamically routed through processing elements in different routes and some of the packets include signatures from processing elements that processed each respective packet. The method then determines a plurality of captures each including a set of packets and determines for each capture, a set of processing elements that processed the set of packets. The set of processing units inserted respective signatures into a user data section of the packets that is defined by a standard used to encode or decode the video data. The determined set of processing elements are analyzed for each capture to determine a processing element in the set of processing elements that is considered to be causing a performance degradation. Then, the method performs a remedial action associated with the processing element.
US08875201B2
A method, a device and a system for implementing seeking play of stream media are provided. The method for implementing seeking play of stream media includes: sending a seeking play request to a stream media server; receiving preview key frames for seeking play sent from the stream media server according to a predefined buffer capacity range and storing the preview key frames for seeking play; displaying the preview key frames for seeking play; and initiating a stream media play according to preview key frames selected by a seeking of a user. This invention can improve the seeking operation experience of the user, control the downloading time of the extracted program, and reduce requirements of storage capability of the stream media terminal.
US08875200B2
A method and apparatus for outputting video frames while changing channels using a digital broadcast receiver are provided. The method includes sequentially tuning to a plurality of channels and receiving a plurality of digital broadcast signals from the respective channels; extracting a plurality of video frames from the respective digital broadcast signals and storing the video frames; receiving a digital broadcast signal from a desired channel to be tuned upon receiving a channel-change command; and outputting at least one of the stored video frames before a digital broadcast signal of the desired channel is output.
US08875193B2
Methods and systems for a novel multi-media macro-network. A Picon media server is connected with variety of high data rate sources including high definition video and audio connections. Picon media server is configured to process the variety of data streams into lower data rate IP packets and dynamically transmit them wirelessly via plurality of channels and antennas to variety of Picon receivers which are configured to congregate the received data packets into the correct signal formats for specific displays.
US08875180B2
A method and device for displaying an electronic program guide on a handheld device. The guide includes a plurality of tiles, each tile associated with a television program. The device receives a related content request input through its touchscreen and, in response, sends a related content request message to a gateway server over a wireless network connection, the related content request message includes information identifying one of the plurality of programs. The device receives and displays related media content from the gateway server in reply to the related content request message.
US08875176B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box (STB) having a controller to communicate with a location server on an interactive TV network used by the STB to find a mobile communication device of a targeted party, receive information from the location server that monitors a communication network to find a location of the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device approaches or traverses a predetermined boundary or approaches a targeted location where the targeted party carries the mobile communication device operating on the communication network that has location determining functionality, and presents the location of the mobile communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08875167B2
Mechanisms are provided for implicitly determining user response to media content. User response may include satisfaction, interest, and engagement levels. User response is determined implicitly by measuring channel switching, channel switching frequency, duration of viewing time, content duration, etc. in a linear or non-linear manner. In one example, the viewing duration evaluated with the media content duration to generate an interest factor. A relative interest factor for the media content is generated by referencing interest factors for the user for other pieces of media content for the user. User responses can be analyzed to determine user attention span, make content recommendations, deliver selected versions of content, customize advertising for a user, etc.
US08875163B2
A computing device comprising an operating system comprising one or more operating system features, a plurality of applications and a background service. A first of the plurality of applications is adapted to create one or more privacy groups and associate a remainder of the plurality of applications with at least one of the one or more privacy groups. The background service is adapted to (i) communicate with the first of the plurality of applications and the one or more operating system features, and (ii) associate at least one of the remainder of the plurality of applications and one of the one or more privacy groups with the one or more operating system features.
US08875159B1
Methods and systems for defining the partitioning between operating system environments are provided. In this method, network resources, devices, and pseudo-filesystems, etc. can be partitioned. This method provides the capability to support services from native and foreign operating environments without colliding on fixed resources. This method simplifies the task of supporting multiple different operating environments. By assigning each operating environment to its own zone, multiple instances of a single operating environment or multiple different operating environments can be simultaneously supported on a single operating system kernel.
US08875157B2
A method of managing a triggerable task in a cluster environment is described. The method includes accessing a definition of a task, wherein the definition includes a triggering event, and an action to be performed when the triggering event occurs. The method further includes, accessing a cluster policy defining how triggering events are interpreted on a node task basis for a plurality of nodes in a cluster. Based on the cluster policy, the method includes determining that the triggering event has occurred. As a result of the determination that the triggering event has occurred, the method further includes attempting to perform the action.
US08875154B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a baseboard management controller (BMC). The BMC includes a processor and a memory storing firmware. The firmware, when executed by the processor, is configured to include a plurality of communication interfaces and a plurality of message handlers. The plurality of message handlers each are configured to process an IPMI request message that is received from, and that is to be associated with, a respective different communication interface of the plurality of communication interfaces; to perform a management function to a host computer of the BMC in accordance with the processed IPMI request message; and to be on a respective different thread.
US08875153B2
Mechanisms for distributing workload items to a plurality of dispatchers are provided. Each dispatcher is associated with a different computing system of a plurality of computing systems and workload items comprise workload items of a plurality of different workload types. A capacity value for each combination of workload type and computing system is obtained. For each combination of workload type and computing system, a queue length of a dispatcher associated with the corresponding computing system is obtained. For each combination of workload type and computing system, a dispatcher's relative share of incoming workloads is computed based on the queue length for the dispatcher associated with the computing system. In addition, incoming workload items are routed to a dispatcher, in the plurality of dispatchers, based on the calculated dispatcher's relative share for the dispatcher.
US08875152B2
Mechanisms and methods are provided for dynamically increasing resources utilized for processing tasks. These mechanisms and methods for dynamically increasing resources utilized for processing tasks can enable embodiments to adjust processing power utilized for task processing. Further, adjusting processing power can ensure that quality of service goals set for processing tasks are achieved.
US08875151B2
Provided are a load balancing method and a load balancing apparatus in a symmetric multi-processor system. The load balancing method includes selecting at least two processors based on a load between a plurality of processors, from among the plurality of processors, migrating a predetermined task stored in a run queue of a first processor to a migration queue of a second processor, and migrating the predetermined task stored in the migration queue of the second processor to a run queue of the second processor. Accordingly, a run queue of a processor is not blocked while migrating a task, an immediate response of the run queue is possible, and a waiting time of a scheduler is reduced. Consequently, the scheduler can speedily perform context switching, and thus performance of the entire operating system is improved.
US08875150B2
Techniques used to enhance the execution of long-running or complex software application instances and jobs on computing systems. In one embodiment, inadequate system resources and failure of a job execution on the computing system may be predicted. A determination may be made as to whether inadequate resources exist prior to execution of the job, and resource requirements may be monitored to detect in real time if inadequate resources will be encountered during the job execution for cases where, for example, resource availability has unexpectedly decreased. If a resource deficiency is predicted on the executing computer system, the job may be paused and corrective action may be taken or a user may be alerted. The job may resume after the resource deficiency is met. Additional embodiments may integrate resource monitoring with the adaptive selection of a computer system or application execution environment based on resource capability predictions and benchmarks.
US08875118B1
A business entity may operate a computing system having a plurality of computing environments. The computing system may help the business entity to perform one or more business functions. The computing system may have one or more software applications that may help to perform the business function within the computing system. Each software application may have one or more tasks that instruct components of the computing system on how to perform the business function or an aspect thereof. At some times, old software may need to be installed, updated, or replaced with new software. During that time, the software is configured to the computing system's unique characteristics to ensure proper integration. A software configuration management system may help automatically facilitate the new software configuration within the computing environment.
US08875108B2
A method of detecting a bottleneck in a data flow program includes executing the data flow program, wherein the data flow program comprises a kernel, determining a percentage of time the kernel spends on a computation, and determining the kernel to be a bottleneck upon comparing the percentage of time the kernel spends on the computation to a condition.
US08875106B2
A method, computer program product, and system for automating a test environment is provided. The method may include providing, at one or more computing devices, a superclass and a class-under-test, the superclass and the class-under-test having an inheritance chain therebetween. The method may further include inserting, via the computing device, an intermediate mock class between the superclass and the class-under-test. The method may also include automatically modifying, via the computing device, the class-under-test at runtime.
US08875099B2
A method of managing links can include inserting a universal resource identifier for a software asset within a link resolution file, wherein a symbolic link within a document that is independent of the link resolution file references the link resolution file. The method also can include publishing the document and the link resolution file and, responsive to a selection of the symbolic link within the document, resolving the symbolic link to the universal resource identifier using the link resolution file.
US08875098B2
A software-implemented workflow engine is described that executes a Web mashup within the context of a Web browser running on a computer. The workflow engine is configured to parse a Web mashup definition obtained from a remote server to identify distinct units of execution within the Web mashup, referred to as components. The workflow engine is further configured to obtain programming logic and metadata associated with each type of component identified in the Web mashup definition from the remote server and to use such information to generate executable versions of the identified components. Finally, the workflow engine is configured to run each of the executable components, thereby executing the Web mashup. The workflow engine is configured to manage the order of execution of each of the executable components so that the Web mashup runs in an optimized and reliable fashion.
US08875088B1
A computer-implemented method of performing project schedule forecasting based on stored project data includes receiving a first user input selecting a first plurality of work items in a project. Respective work items of the first plurality have respective work estimates. A second user input is received specifying one or more first work item attributes referencing historical work completion data. A first historical rate of work completion is determined in accordance with the historical work completion data referenced by the one or more first work item attributes. An estimated time of completion of the first plurality of work items is calculated in accordance with the first historical rate of work completion and provided for display.
US08875082B1
A system and method for expeditious operational timing signoff of a circuit design through a timing analysis and subsequent corrective or remedial optimization is performed with the goal of correlating timing between the physical implementation corrective optimizer module and the timing analysis module to reduce iterations therebetween. A physical optimizer in the correction module is imparted with knowledge of the physical implementation of the design to allow for legal, non-conflicting placement of corrective buffers or resizing of gates in accordance with the physical implementation data of the circuit design.
US08875075B2
A method and apparatus for improving physical synthesis of a circuit design is described. In one exemplary embodiment, post-route information of nets in the circuit design is analyzed. The post-route information includes, for each of the nets, a predicted route property, a post-route property, and a set of physical and/or timing attributes for that net. For each of the attributes, a set of attribute ranges is derived for the corresponding attribute to bin the nets into a Gaussian distribution for that attribute. Net routing constraints are generated for the circuit design based on the attribute ranges derived. The net routing constraints are applied to one or more of the nets during subsequent placement-based optimizations of the circuit design.
US08875070B2
A first MOS transistor has a channel length. Based on a parameter associated with the first MOS transistor, the first MOS transistor is selected to be simulated as at least a first transistor and a second transistor in series. The circuit is simulated with the first transistor and the second transistor in place of the first MOS transistor. Based on the results of the simulation, device degradations are calculated for the first transistor the second transistor. A degraded netlist is created. In the degraded netlist, the first transistor is degraded by a device degradation for the first transistor. The second transistor is degraded by a device degradation for the second transistor. The circuit is re-simulated with the first degraded transistor and the second degraded transistor in place of the first MOS transistor.
US08875068B2
An automated processor design tool uses a description of customized processor instruction set extensions in a standardized language to develop a configurable definition of a target instruction set, a Hardware Description Language description of circuitry necessary to implement the instruction set, and development tools such as a compiler, assembler, debugger and simulator which can be used to develop applications for the processor and to verify it. Implementation of the processor circuitry can be optimized for various criteria such as area, power consumption, speed and the like. Once a processor configuration is developed, it can be tested and inputs to the system modified to iteratively optimize the processor implementation. By providing a constrained domain of extensions and optimizations, the process can be automated to a high degree, thereby facilitating fast and reliable development.
US08875066B2
Computer-implemented techniques for pixel source optics calculations using spatial coherence are disclosed. Pixelated sources are used for source-mask co-optimization to enhance semiconductor lithography. Calculation of a partially coherent imaging system is used for optical-lithography simulation. The spatial coherence property of neighboring source points is used to reduce imaging calculation complexity. Two or more neighboring points are treated as one pseudo-spatially coherent area element.
US08875062B1
Service profiles for associating data services with applications are described, including receiving a first input from a user identifying a first service to include in a service profile; receiving a second input from the user identifying a second service to include in the service profile, the second service is associated with the user; receiving a third input from the user defining one or more boundaries of one or more of the first service and the second service; receiving a fourth input from the user indicating association of the service profile with one of the at least one application; storing the service profile with information of the first service, the second service, and the association with the one of the at least one application; and based on the service profile, determining whether to grant access to the first service and second service by the at least one application.
US08875060B2
According to some embodiments, a method and apparatus are provided to receive a first gesture registration associated a first application, receive a portal gesture registration associated with a web portal, and prioritize gestures associated with the web portal based on the first gesture registration and the portal gesture registration.
US08875057B2
Disclosed is a method, in a system (FIG. 5) comprising a user computer (509) (509) and a SharePoint server (506) (506), of enabling, using Outlook (514) running on the user computer (509), document management of files stored by the SharePoint server (506). The method comprises executing (1001) Outlook (514) (514) on the user computer (509) thereby creating an Outlook display window, invoking (1002), using a DMF client application (511) (511) running on the user computer (509), a software application (512) (512) (509) to create a DMF pane (516) (101) in the Outlook display window (102), and then retrieving displaying and updating a displayed tree view of the user's SharePoint environment, either from a DMF client side cache (510) (510) (509) or, if the DMF client side cache (510) is unavailable, from a DMF web service application (507) (507) running on the SharePoint server (506).
US08875053B2
There has been a problem of necessitating a complicated work for establishing a connection capable of intercommunication between a computer as server and a projector as client.When a connection is established between a server 20 and projectors 301 through 30n, a communication command is issued according to UDP-based broadcasting to retrieve connectable projectors 301 through 303. Thereafter, the projector 301 to be connected is selected and is assigned an IP address to establish the connection. In this manner, a user can easily obtain a connection environment capable of intercommunication between the server 20 and the projector 301. A TCP/IP communication command is used to input or output image data, ensuring reliable transmission. Since the authentication can be provided using a keyword projected during the connection establishment, it is possible to prevent an unauthorized access to the projector 301 by an outsider.
US08875051B2
A navigation bar is provided for switching between modules within an expanded communication service such as email, calendar, contacts, tasks, etc. and for presenting preview peeks associated with each module to a user. A temporary preview of a module may be provided upon a hover action over predefined navigation bar locations such as icons and/or textual identifiers without actually needing to switch to a module. The preview may also be docked or pinned to a location on the main user interface so that it is displayed within the main user interface. New or interesting activity within each module may be highlighted by displaying an information badge next to a module name, for example.
US08875049B1
The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a method that includes presenting a first window in a graphical user interface. The method includes presenting at least a portion of each secondary window. The method includes presenting one or more indicators indicating that additional windows exist. The method includes receiving a first user selection of a first one of the indicators. The method includes bringing at least one of the additional windows to the foreground, moving the at least one of the additional windows across the graphical user interface to be in view of the graphical user interface, sending the first window and the secondary windows behind the at least one of the additional windows, and moving at least one of the first window and the secondary windows across the graphical user interface to be out of view of the graphical user interface.
US08875046B2
A computer-implemented user interface method includes displaying content in a first window on a display of a computing device, receiving a dragging user input on an element at a periphery of the window, and in response to receiving the dragging input, generating and displaying a second window on the display of the computing device and displaying the first window simultaneously with the second window.
US08875043B1
Criterion-based feedback allows users to provide useful information in a quick and easy to understand fashion. When information for an item is relayed to a user, the user is provided with the ability to provide feedback for any criteria relating to the item. In some embodiments, this feedback takes the form of a submission of a response to a question or statement pertaining to a criterion for the item. The user is able to create new responses if the existing responses do not adequately convey the feedback that the users wishes to submit. Further, a user can also submit entirely new questions and/or statements, along with corresponding new responses, that correspond to a criterion relating to the item. Such an approach provides flexibility for users to quickly and easily provide feedback on specific criteria that might be useful for other users viewing information for that item.
US08875038B2
A computer-implemented method includes receiving from a web browser, by a server system via a network, an indication of dragging, by a user of the web browser, of an element displayed on a webpage displayed by the web browser, and dropping, by the user, of the element into a content area displayed on the webpage, the element selected from the group consisting of: a first content item displayed at a location on the webpage other than in the content area, and a graphical element displayed in association with the first content item. Responsively to the indication, the server system causes the web browser to display, in the content area, at least a portion of a set of one or more second content items related to the first content item. Other embodiments are also described.
US08875030B1
A method for rendering an e-mail item listing within a graphical user interface of an e-mail application on a display device is disclosed. The method includes identifying a field of the e-mail item listing having a displayed value that matches a pre-determined value, applying a color coding to the identified field so that the color coding is visually distinguishable from a background color of the e-mail item listing, receiving an input from an input device to select either an item of the e-mail item listing that includes a color coded field or an item related to the item that includes the color coded field, and applying a selection highlighting to the item that includes the color coded field so that the applied selection highlighting is visually distinguishable from the color coded field and the background color.
US08875021B2
A device may receive information that identifies a first attribute and a second attribute associated with media files, and the first and second attributes may specify a manner in which the media files are to be represented on a user interface. The device may present, on the user interface and based on the first attribute and the second attribute, a representation of the media files on a grid. A first dimension of the grid may be associated with the first attribute, and a second dimension on the grid may be associated with the second attribute. The device may receive a selection of a portion of the grid corresponding to a set of media files, and may create a playlist, based on receiving the selection, that includes the set of media files.
US08875013B2
A validation sequence for an XML document can be identified. The validation sequence can include a set of validation elements. At least one validation pass can be performed for the XML document. Each validation pass can correspond to one of the validation elements. Each validation pass can be configured to validate the XML document for at least one condition defined by the validation element. A validation element result can be produced for each performed validation pass. A validation element result that indicates the XML document is invalid can cause an immediate ending of activities related to the validation sequence, which determines the XML document in general to be invalid. A validation element result that indicates the XML document is valid causes a validation pass to be performed for another one of the validation elements unless each validation element in the validation sequence has been processed. A successful validation of the XML document requires a performance of a successful execution pass for each of the plurality the validation elements.
US08875011B2
A system and methodology for collaboration among a plurality of users at a plurality of computing appliances. A respective one computing appliance of the plurality of computing appliances is for use by each respective one user of the plurality of users. Each said respective one computing appliance is comprised of a processor, a display apparatus providing a display presentation, and a communications interface providing coupling of data between itself and at least one other of the plurality of computing appliances. A memory provides storage that is associatively structured as a plurality of data layers. Each of the data layers is associatively mapped to a respective at least one of said plurality of computing appliances, to provide mapped storage in each respective data layer of respective layer data representative of annotations originated from at least one respective one of said plurality of computing appliances, preferably for each of at least two of said plurality of the computing appliances. The display apparatus at at least one of said plurality of the computing appliances provides a display presentation generated responsive to said at least two of the plurality of the data layers. In one embodiment, the display apparatus for at least two of the computing appliances provide a same said display presentation. In a preferred embodiment, said same said display presentation is comprised of an underlying image which appears as an underlying display relative to which is aligned a display presentation of the annotations as made atop the respective underlying image.
US08875006B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatuses related to NVM devices with extended error correction protection. In some embodiments, a parity cache is used to store parity values of data values stored in a plurality of codewords of an NVM device. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08875005B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for media defect detection. For example, a media defect detection systems is disclosed that includes a data input derived from a medium, a fast envelope calculation circuit that receives the data input and provides a fast decay envelope value based on the data input, a slow envelope calculation circuit that receives the data input and provides a slow decay envelope value based on the data input, and a media defect detection circuit. The media defect detection circuit receives the slow decay envelope value and the fast decay envelope value, calculates a ratio value of the fast decay envelope value to the slow decay envelope value, and asserts a defect output based at least in part on the comparison of the ratio value to a defect threshold value.
US08875001B1
In one embodiment, a Chien search circuit includes a plurality of evaluation circuits, each configured to sequentially evaluate possible roots αi in a respective subset of possible roots of an error location polynomial (Λ(x)). Each evaluation circuit includes a respective sub-circuit for each of a plurality of coefficients λi (0≦i≦T) of the error location polynomial Λ(x) having T+1 coefficients. Each sub-circuit is configured to calculate one term of the error location polynomial for each possible root αi in the respective subset of possible roots. Each evaluation circuit is configured to evaluate the error location polynomial for each possible root in the respective subset of possible roots, as a sum of the terms calculated by the plurality of sub-circuits.
US08875000B2
Systems and methods for encoding and decoding for communications or storage systems utilizing coded modulation are provided. A first portion of data is encoded with a first at least one encoding scheme. A second portion of the data id encoded with a second encoding scheme. A coset is selected from a plurality of cosets based at least in part on the encoded first portion of the data, where the plurality of cosets corresponds to a partition of a signal constellation. A signal vector is selected within the selected coset based at least in part on the encoded second portion of the data.
US08874988B2
This invention relates to a receiver circuit which comprises an equalizer (27) and an error decorrelator (25). The error decorrelator being configured for changing (501; 601, 602) the position of symbols. The invention further relates to a corresponding method. This invention finally relates to an interleaving or deinterleaving method which comprises selecting a first number of symbols (204; 302) within a stream of digital data (13; 28) thereby obtaining selected symbols. The method further comprises exchanging (601, 602) the position of at least half of said first number of symbols of said selected symbols with the position of other symbols from said selected symbols. The invention further relates to an interleaving or deinterleaving circuit.
US08874987B2
Systems and methods for data transport, comprising encoding one or more streams of input data with one or more low density parity check (LDPC) encoders, corresponding to one or more polarization/spatial mode branches. One or more encoded data streams are mapped to symbols, wherein the mapper is configured to assign bits of the symbols to a signal constellation and to associate the bits of the symbols with signal constellation points. A signal constellation is formulated which minimizes a mean-square error of the signal constellation representing the source. The optimum signal constellation size is adjusted to improve transmission quality by adjusting the signal constellation an optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR), wherein the signal constellation is selected using a look-up table (LUT); and the symbols are modulated in accordance with the output of the mapper onto a transmission medium.
US08874985B2
A coding scheme selection unit outputs bits of a signal in a past reception to a second coding unit and outputs bits of a retransmission signal to a third coding unit. The second coding unit decodes bits. The third coding unit codes bits with a different constraint length from a constraint length in the second coding unit.
US08874976B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for handling a request received in an agent designed in accordance with a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) specification using PCI Express semantics. More specifically, responsive to determining that the agent does not support the request, an unsupported request detection register of the agent can be updated, and a response sent from the agent to indicate that the agent does not support the request. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08874972B2
In a storage system, when a recovered error occurred upon access to a storage apparatus, a data redundancy determination unit determines whether data to be accessed has redundancy. When the data is determined to have no redundancy, an anomaly-occurring portion determination unit determines that the storage apparatus is not an anomaly-occurring portion and at the same time, an error history determination unit determines whether a recovered error occurred at the time of the past access to the storage apparatus other than that of the access destination. The anomaly-occurring portion determination unit determines whether a common transmission path is the anomaly-occurring portion based on the determination result of the error history determination unit.
US08874955B2
Techniques are disclosed for reducing impact of a switch failure in a switch fabric. In one embodiment, a server system is provided that includes a midplane, one or more server cards and one or more switch cards. The midplane may include a fabric interconnect for a switch fabric. The one or more server cards may be coupled with the midplane, where each server card is hot-swappable from the midplane. The one or more switch cards may also be coupled with the midplane, where each switch card is also hot-swappable from the midplane. Each switch card includes one or more switch modules, and each switch module is configured to switch network traffic for at least one server card.
US08874953B2
In a method and system for cloud testing and remote monitoring of an IC component during validation of a computerized system connected to a cloud server via a wide area network, upon determining that a unique system code of a system platform and a unique component code of the IC component transmitted from the computerized system in response to execution of an identification operating system (OS) program and a driver from the cloud server match identification data, the cloud server transmits a corresponding test OS and a corresponding test program to the computerized system such that the computerized system produces test data corresponding to the corresponding test program in response to execution of the corresponding test OS and test program.
US08874952B2
High availability computer system and fault correction method. If a fault occurs in the current-system physical device allocated to the current-system virtual device of the virtual server, the virtualization mechanism of the physical server configures, for the standby-system virtual device of the virtual server, the standby-system physical device, as a physical device which is used at a high priority, and the virtualization mechanism distributes the request issued from the standby-system virtual device of another virtual server to a standby-system physical device, but, when such a standby-system physical device does not exist, the virtualization mechanism distributes the request to a standby-system physical device configured for high priority usage.
US08874951B1
Asset management systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, a system includes a computing resource associated with a project member. A project container is stored on the computing resource, wherein the project container comprises encrypted objects related to a project. The encrypted objects includes project metadata and one or more working objects associated with one or more sub-projects of which the project member is granted permissioned access. An encryption/decryption engine is included for encrypting and decrypting the encrypted objects. The system includes an archive file system for storing the encrypted objects and previous versions of the objects, and a façade file system for viewing and accessing and interacting with the one or more working objects. Other computing resources associated with other project members are similarly configured, wherein a plurality of project containers store distributed objects that are grouped within the project. An authentication server provides authenticated access to each of the plurality of project containers, and authenticated peer-to-peer communication between the plurality of project containers.
US08874937B2
A user interface for a fuel dispenser has a display, a display controller, and control circuitry. The control circuitry includes a processing device, memory, and at least one microswitch. The display controller and the control circuitry are positioned such that the microswitch connects the control circuitry to the display controller. The microswitch is activated if the control circuitry is separated from the display controller. Activation of the microswitch causes any sensitive information stored by the control circuitry to be erased. In one aspect, separation of the display controller from the control circuitry is the only manner by which the processing device and/or the memory may be accessed.
US08874936B2
The terminal device 600 comprises: a read unit configured to read encrypted content and a content signature from a regular region of a recording medium device 700, and to read a converted title key from an authorized region of the recording medium device 700, the converted title key having been converted from a title key with use of a content signature generated by an authorized signature device 500; a title key reconstruction unit configured to generate a reconstructed title key by reversely converting the converted title key with use of the content signature read by the read unit; and a playback unit configured to decrypt the encrypted content with use of the reconstructed title key to obtain decrypted content, and to play back the decrypted content.
US08874934B2
Disclosed is an operating method of a non-volatile memory device which comprises randomizing data to store the randomized data; erasing the randomized data; and outputting erase data according to information of a flag cell of the non-volatile memory device at a read operation.
US08874932B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for debugging a computer system is provided. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method includes encrypting data and query program instructions using correlated order invariant encrypting, the data and query program instructions operating in a customer computer system. The encrypted data and encrypted query program instructions are then transferred to a servicing entity having a test system. The encrypted data and encrypted query program instructions are run on the test system to generate a set of results. The set of results are then used to generate a diagnosis of a problem with the customer computer system. Thus the customer problem can be resolved without the servicing entity having access to the customer's data and query program instructions.
US08874927B2
An application execution system and a method for executing applications, at a terminal, with security check on the application package are provided. The system includes an application creator including an enabler, for creating an application package including a plurality of binary codes and content files, and for adding a checksum file generated by ciphering, at the enabler, information on a main binary of the application package, and a terminal storing the application, for determining a validity of the application package, and for executing an application according to the validity of the application package, and a subsystem including a checker, for ciphering the main binary of the application package using the checker added to the open function in response to the call, for notifying, when the result of the ciphering and the checksum file match with each other, the operating system of the successful validation.
US08874922B2
In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for multilayered authentication of trusted platform updates is described. The method may include storing first cryptographic data in a personality module of an information handling system, with the first cryptographic data corresponding to a verified firmware component. A second cryptographic data may also be determined, with the second cryptographic data corresponding to an unverified firmware component. The unverified firmware component may be stored in a memory element of the information handling system, and the second cryptographic data may be determined using a processor of the information handling system. The method may further include determining if the first cryptographic data matches the second cryptographic data and updating firmware in the information handling system with the unverified firmware component if the first cryptographic data matches the second cryptographic data, and the unverified firmware component includes a digital signature of a manufacturer.
US08874921B2
A method of generating a keyless digital multi-signature is provided. The method includes receiving multiple signature generation requests from one or more client computers, building subtrees based on the signature generation requests, and constructing a search tree including the subtrees. The method also includes assigning explicit length tags to leaf nodes of the search tree to balance the search tree and applying a hash function to each of the search tree nodes. The root hash value and the height of the search tree make up a generated aggregate signature request, followed by receiving an aggregate signature based on the aggregate signature request. The keyless digital multi-signature is generated based on the aggregate signature and contains an implicit length tag to verify that the number of signature generation requests is limited. The aggregate signature is generated if the height of the search tree does not exceed a predetermined height limitation.
US08874919B2
Provided is an apparatus and method of a portable terminal authenticating another portable terminal. The portable terminal may receive a seed generated by the other portable terminal, issue an authentication certificate generated using the seed to the other portable terminal, authenticate the other portable terminal based on the authentication certificate, and provide a secure communication.
US08874917B2
According to one embodiment, a storage system includes a host device and a secure storage. The host device and the secure storage produce a bus key which is shared only by the host device and the secure storage by authentication processing, and which is used for encoding processing. The host device produces a message authentication code including a message which can be stored in the secure storage based on the bus key, and sends the produced message authentication code to the secure storage. The secure storage stores the message included in the message authentication code in accordance with instructions of the host device. The host device verifies whether the message stored in the secure storage is intended contents.
US08874902B2
A method for distributing cryptographic data to authenticated recipients includes receiving, by an access control management system, from a first client device, information associated with an encrypted data object. The method includes receiving, by the access control management system, from a second client device, a request for the information associated with the encrypted data object. The method includes verifying, by the access control management system, that a user of the second client device is identified in the received information associated with the encrypted data object. The method includes authenticating, by the access control management system, with an identity provider, the user of the second client device. The method includes sending, by the access control management system, to the second client device, the received information associated with the encrypted data object.
US08874899B1
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for a processing an application-authentication request originating from a mobile device. In particular, an application-authentication request comprises user information that is analyzed by an authentication server. The authentication server generates a call to a subscription profile server to validate the user information as belonging to a user profile that is in good standing. In response to determining that the application-authentication request is valid, the authentication server generates an authentication cookie that is provided to the mobile device. Accordingly, the authentication cookie is used by the mobile device to access applications, such as premium services.
US08874898B2
Technologies for establishing and managing a connection with a power line communication network include establishing a communication connection between an electronic device and a security server. A default device encryption key associated with the electronic device is changed to correspond with a new device encryption key of the security server. Thereafter, the electronic device may only join a power line communication network of a particular security server using a network membership key, which is encrypted with the device encryption key that the particular security server associates to the electronic device. The electronic device contains a circuit interrupt to interrupt a circuit of the electronic device if the electronic device is not able to successfully decrypt the network membership key.
US08874893B2
Awareness of the relationships among the operating parameters for an individual core and among cores allows dynamic and intelligent management of the multi-core system. The relationships among operating parameters and cores, which can be somewhat opaque, are established with design-time simulations, and adapted with run time data collected from operation of the multi-core system. The relationships are expressed with functions that translate between operating parameters, between different cores, and between operating parameters of different cores. These functions are embodied in circuitry built into the multi-core system. The circuitry will be referred to hereinafter as a translator unit. The translator unit traverses the complex relational dependencies among multiple operating parameters and multiple cores, and determines an outcome with respect to one or more constraints corresponding to those operating parameters and cores.
US08874890B2
A server includes a number of first and second network cards, a buffer, a restart circuit, an AND gate, and a south bridge. Each of the first network cards includes a first signal pin to transmit a wake-up signal and a restart signal. Each of the second network cards includes a second signal pin to transmit a wake-up signal. The restart circuit is connected to each of the first signal pins through the buffer to receive the restart signal, and reboots the server according to the restart signal. The south bridge is connected to each of the first and second signal pins through the AND gate to receive the wake-up signal, and wakes up the server according to the wake-up signal.
US08874888B1
Techniques and systems for managed boot are described. A described technique includes creating, at a server system, a boot image based on one or more user-specified parameters associated with virtual machine booting, providing a first virtual drive that includes the boot image, booting a virtual machine using the boot image on the first virtual drive, and providing a second virtual drive to the virtual machine, where the virtual machine mounts the second virtual drive as a root file system.
US08874884B2
A method includes executing a branch instruction and determining if a branch is taken. The method further includes evaluating a number of instructions associated with the branch instruction. Upon determining that the branch is taken, the method includes selectively writing an entry into a branch target buffer that corresponds to the taken branch responsive to determining that the number of instructions is less than a threshold.
US08874880B2
Instructions are tracked in a processor. A completion unit in the processor receives an instruction group to add to a table to form a received instruction group. In response to receiving the received instruction group, the completion unit determines whether an entry is present that contains a previously stored instruction group in a first location and has space for storing the received instruction group. In response to the entry being present, the completion unit stores the received instruction group in a second location in the entry to form a stored instruction group.
US08874876B2
A method for performing packet lookups is provided. Packets (which each have a body and a header) are received and parsed to parsing headers. A hash function is applied to each header, and each hashed header is compared with a plurality of binary rules stored within a primary table, where each binary rule is a binary version of at least one ternary rule from a first set of ternary rules. For each match failure with the plurality of rules, a secondary table is searched using the header associated with each match failure, where the secondary table includes a second set of ternary rules.
US08874873B2
The presently disclosed subject matter includes a method, system and apparatus, for dynamically controlling resource allocation in a storage system, the storage system comprises at least one storage device and at least one processing unit, the resources being associated with the processing unit. Responsive to a request from a connection for processing data, information in respect of an Allocation state of the processing unit is obtained. The Allocation state is defined as a Limiting Allocation state if the quantity of free resources associated with the processing unit, is lower than a first threshold value. In case the Allocation state of the processing unit is Limiting Allocation state, information in respect of a Connection state of the connection is obtained. The required memory resources are dynamically allocated to the connection according to the current Allocation state of the processing unit and the current Connection state of the connection.
US08874868B2
A method begins by a processing module identifying a memory loading mismatch between a first memory device and a second memory device of a dispersed storage unit, wherein the first memory device is assigned a first range of slice names and the second memory device is assigned a second range of slice names. The method continues with the processing module determining an estimated impact to reduce the memory loading mismatch and when the estimated impact compares favorably to an impact threshold, modifying the first and second ranges of slices names to produce a first modified range of slice names for the first memory device and a second modified range of slice names for the second memory device based on the memory loading mismatch and transferring one or more encoded data slices between the first and second memory devices in accordance with the first and second modified ranges of slice names.
US08874864B2
An on-disk structure of a file system has the capability to maintain snapshot and file system metadata on a storage system. The on-disk structure arranges file system data sequentially on disk within regions, wherein each region comprises a predetermined amount of disk space represented by blocks. The snapshot and file system metadata is maintained within level 1 (L1) indirect blocks of the on-disk structure. Each L1 indirect block describes (i.e., represents) a corresponding region of the on-disk structure of the file system; in the case of an active region, e.g., an L1 indirect block represents an active file data portion of a large file. The L1 indirect block that references an active region also performs file block number-to-disk block number mapping for the region.
US08874857B1
A method, computer program product, and computing system for compartmentalizing a LUN into a plurality of portions that are each assigned to one or more hosts. An ownership tracking structure is maintained for the LUN, wherein the ownership tracking structure includes a data entry associated with each of the plurality of portions within the LUN. One or more properties of the ownership tracking structure are monitored to determine if the ownership tracking structure needs to be compressed. If the ownership tracking structure needs to be compressed, one or more actions are taken to reduce the size of the ownership tracking structure.
US08874847B2
In general, the present invention relates to data cache processing. Specifically, the present invention relates to a system that provides reconfigurable dynamic cache which varies the operation strategy of cache memory based on the demand from the applications originating from different external general processor cores, along with functions of a virtualized hybrid core system. The system includes receiving a data request, selecting an operational mode based on the data request and a predefined selection algorithm, and processing the data request based on the selected operational mode.
US08874843B2
A translating memory module is disclosed including a printed circuit board, at least one memory integrated circuit coupled to the printed board, and at least one support chip coupled to the printed circuit board and coupled between the edge connector and the at least one memory integrated circuit. The at least one support chip includes a bi-directional translator to translate between a first memory communication protocol for the at least one memory integrated circuit and a second memory communication protocol for a memory channel differing from the first memory communication protocol. The second memory communication protocol to communicate data, address, and control signals over the memory channel bus to read and write data into the memory of the translating memory module.
US08874842B1
In one embodiment, use of hashing in a file system metadata arrangement reduces an amount of metadata stored in a memory of a node in a cluster and reduces the amount of metadata needed to process an input/output (I/O) request at the node. Illustratively, cuckoo hashing may be modified and applied to construct the file system metadata arrangement. The file system metadata arrangement may be illustratively configured as a key-value extent store embodied as a data structure, e.g., a cuckoo hash table, wherein a value, such as a hash table index, may be configured as an index and applied to the cuckoo hash table to obtain a key, such as an extent key, configured to reference a location of an extent on one or more storage devices, such as solid state drives.
US08874837B2
An integrated circuit can include a programmable circuitry operable according to a first clock frequency and a block random access memory. The block random access memory can include a random access memory (RAM) element having at least one data port and a memory processor coupled to the data port of the RAM element and to the programmable circuitry. The memory processor can be operable according to a second clock frequency that is higher than the first clock frequency. Further, the memory processor can be hardwired and dedicated to perform operations in the RAM element of the block random access memory.
US08874835B1
A method for managing non-volatile memory is provided. The method includes determining at least one property of a data and determining to which type of a plurality of types of flash memory to write the data, based on the at least one property of the data. The plurality of types of flash memory includes at least two types having differing numbers of bits per cell. The method includes writing the data to a flash memory of the determined type. A flash manager and a flash storage device are provided.
US08874834B2
A method, device, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment method begins by incrementing a count of a total number of write operations to a non-volatile memory storage for each write operation to the non-volatile memory storage. The method then receives a request for the total count of lifetime write operations from a requestor. Finally, the method sends the total count of lifetime write operations to the requestor.
US08874831B2
A memory module that is couplable to a memory controller hub (MCH) of a host system includes a non-volatile memory subsystem, a data manager coupled to the non-volatile memory subsystem, a volatile memory subsystem coupled to the data manager and operable to exchange data with the non-volatile memory subsystem by way of the data manager, and a controller operable to receive read/write commands from the MCH and to direct transfer of data between any two or more of the MCH, the volatile memory subsystem, and the non-volatile memory subsystem based on the commands.
US08874830B2
A control method for a Flash memory array and a Flash memory is disclosed. The Flash memory array includes a plurality of blocks which are classified into groups and each group includes at least one block. The control method includes the steps of: recognizing an attribute of data transferred from a host, obtaining a storage group selected from the groups based on the attribute of the data, and storing the data into the blocks of the storage group and thereby the blocks of a same group store data of a same attribute; and performing a valid data collection, restricted to the blocks belonging to a same group, to release blocks of space.
US08874823B2
Systems and methods for managing data input/output operations are described. In one aspect, a device driver identifies a data read operation generated by a virtual machine in a virtual environment. The device driver is located in the virtual machine and the data read operation identifies a physical cache address associated with the data requested in the data read operation. A determination is made regarding whether data associated with the data read operation is available in a cache associated with the virtual machine.
US08874820B2
A mechanism for facilitating configuration of port-type Peripheral Component Interconnect Express/Serial Advanced Technology Attachment host controller architecture is described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a plurality of PHYs to be used as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) ports and Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) ports, and logic to facilitate swapping of one or more of the plurality of PHYs between being the PCIe ports and the SATA ports.
US08874807B2
Techniques are provided for managing, within a storage system, the sequence in which I/O requests are processed by the storage system based, at least in part, on one or more logical characteristics of the I/O requests. The logical characteristics may include, for example, the identity of the user for whom the I/O request was submitted, the service that submitted the I/O request, the database targeted by the I/O request, an indication of a consumer group to which the I/O request maps, the reason why the I/O request was issued, a priority category of the I/O request, etc. Techniques are also provided for automatically establishing a scheduling policy within a storage system, and for dynamically changing the scheduling policy in response to changes in workload.
US08874804B2
High performance computing (HPC) and grid computing processing for seismic and reservoir simulation are performed without impacting or losing processing time in case of failures. A Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard is implemented in High Performance Computing (HPC) and grid computing platforms, to avoid the shortcomings of current Message Passing Interface (MPI) communication between computing modules, and provide quality of service (QoS) for such applications. QoS properties of the processing can be controlled.
US08874798B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to mediation application in an ESB and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for aspect oriented application of a mediation in an ESB. In one embodiment, a method for aspect oriented application of a mediation in an ESB can be provided. The method can include installing an aspect in an ESB, the aspect referencing at least one mediation and associating the at least one mediation with at least one target in the ESB. The method further can include applying the at least one mediation in the aspect to each associated target in the ESB.
US08874794B2
A method and apparatus for compressing signal samples uses block floating point representations where the number of bits per mantissa is determined by the maximum magnitude sample in the group. The compressor defines groups of signal samples having a fixed number of samples per group. The maximum magnitude sample in the group determines an exponent value corresponding to the number of bits for representing the maximum sample value. The exponent values are encoded to form exponent tokens. Exponent differences between consecutive exponent values may be encoded individually or jointly. The samples in the group are mapped to corresponding mantissas, each mantissa having a number of bits based on the exponent value. Removing LSBs depending on the exponent value produces mantissas having fewer bits. Feedback control monitors the compressed bit rate and/or a quality metric. This abstract does not limit the scope of the invention as described in the claims.
US08874780B2
An interceptor program at a computer device intercepts certain externally initiated communications intended for the peer program before those communications are placed on the network stack. Further, the interceptor program stores the received communications in a buffer in application space, rather than kernel space. The interceptor program can then intercept polling requests from the peer program inquiring if data for the peer program is located at the network stack, and provide the buffered communications to the peer program in response. Because the communications are stored in application space, rather than kernel space, the data can be rapidly provided to the peer program, improving the speed with which the program can respond to the client communications.
US08874778B2
A live streaming system/method provides cross platform live streaming capabilities to mobile devices. The live streaming system includes a live streaming recorder operative to (1) capture a live media stream generated by a live media source and save the captured live media stream as a recorded stream in a recorded media file, and (2) transcode the recorded stream into a plurality of transcoded media files of respective different media encoding formats. The system further includes a stream distribution subsystem operative to generate a plurality of distributed media streams each generated from one or more of the transcoded media files, each distributed media stream being delivered to a corresponding set of the mobile endpoint devices.
US08874776B2
A virtual ad hoc network testbed provides the capability to instrument a testbed in order to support the execution of network-aware applications “as is.” Network aware applications are a special class of applications that interact with a network not only by using the network for communication purposes, but also configure or read the status of network devices. Local stack management provides the means to automatically construct standard APIs for accessing the information residing in a simulated or emulated network, and instantiate these APIs. The testbed is designed to bridge a standard management module (such as SNMP) and a simulation or emulation model, starting from a MIB module. The testbed uses CORBA as a communication means. The process is divided into two parts, agent side and model side.
US08874768B2
Methods for providing for secure communications across data networks, including untrusted networks. In one embodiment, the method comprises establishing security associations between devices on the network using a digital certificate and key exchange protocol. In one variant, the digital certificate comprises a public encryption key; the recipient of the certificate authenticates the sender using at least the signature, and then generates a cryptographic element (e.g., key), and initialization vector. The key is encrypted and sent back to the originator, where it is decrypted and used to encrypt datagrams sent between the devices. The initialization vector may be used to initialize the encryption algorithm on the receiving device.
US08874765B2
In one embodiment, a session is refreshed using a message that is simplified for refresh purposes. The refresh message that is used is a message used for another purpose in a protocol (e.g., SIP). For example, a reINVITE message may be used as a refresh message. If the reINVITE message is used for its intended purpose, the reINVITE message may be used to change the characteristics of a session. This reINVITE message includes an SDP and full header such that the parameters can be properly changed. However, the reINVITE message may be used to refresh a session. This may be referred to as a simple refresh message. But, the simple refresh message does not include an SDP or any other message body. The simple refresh message includes only a reduced header. This reduces time spent building and parsing the simple refresh message.
US08874762B2
A SIP adaptor modifies the format of a session initiation protocol (SIP) message. A SIP message in a first format is received by the SIP adaptor from a first SIP server that is based on the first message format. The SIP adaptor modifies the SIP message to a second format and forwards the modified SIP message to a second SIP server that is based on the second message format. By modifying SIP messages, the SIP adaptor allows communications sessions to be established between clients of SIP servers that utilize dissimilar SIP message formats.
US08874761B2
An architecture for optimizing signaling for arbitrary proprietary and non-proprietary protocols. In one embodiment, a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) stream is passed as a byte stream from an application to a local proxy over a first session, from the local proxy to a proxy server over a second TCP session, and from the proxy server to a content server over a third TCP session. The local proxy observes and identifies patterns within the byte stream, without being aware of the underlying protocol. Once a pattern is identified, the second TCP session is torn down such that the first TCP session replays the pattern to the application, and third TCP session replays the pattern to the content server. Once either side detects a change in the pattern, the second TCP session is re-established to deliver the changed content to the other end.
US08874759B2
In one embodiment, the present disclosure is a method and apparatus for programming session initiation protocol back-to-back user agents. In one embodiment, a method for programming a telecommunication feature as a session initiation protocol back-to-back user agent includes receiving source code defining the feature, the source code using at least one abstraction that hides session initiation protocol signaling details required by the feature and generating executable code that causes a session initiation protocol server to execute the feature, in accordance with the abstractions.
US08874755B1
Systems and methods are provided for provisioning a hosted computing environment in accordance with customer requirements relating to a service. In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes generating a graphical interface on a computing device and receiving input corresponding to an indication of one or more requirements, wherein the input is received using the graphical interface, and wherein the one or more requirements correspond to a hosted computing environment. The method further comprises converting each indication of the one or more requirements into one or more entries of a provisioning template, wherein the provisioning template includes multiple entries, and wherein the provisioning template is associated with the hosted computing environment. The method further comprises providing the provisioning template to a provisioning program to provision the hosted computing environment.
US08874754B2
Described systems and methods allow a biometric authentication system to process authentication requests, such as requests to authenticate handwritten signatures, received from a plurality of client systems, each covered by a service level agreement (SLA). The biometric authentication system includes a load balancer configured to distribute authentication tasks to a plurality of worker machines. In some embodiments, task distribution is performed according to an ability of each worker to process urgent tasks, to an ability of each worker to process non-urgent tasks, and further according to a relationship between a count of urgent requests and a count of non-urgent requests received by the biometric authentication system.
US08874753B2
A method, system and computer program product for optimized cooperation between resource list servers and presence servers. The method including receiving a subscription request from a watcher, where the subscription request identifies a resource list and is a request to receive presence information regarding each of a plurality of presentities listed on the resource list, and generating a subscription request to a presence server for presence information regarding any presentity listed on the resource list only if no other currently-active subscription request is known by the resource list server to exist for presence information regarding the presentity.
US08874749B1
A scalable cloud infrastructure serves two or more customers, where each customer is associated with at least one unit of virtual resources. The virtual resources are established by apportioning physical resources in the cloud infrastructure that are partitioned into pods within one or more zones in a scalable manner. Additionally, the cloud infrastructure establishes one or more management server clusters each comprising one or more management servers. The two or more customers create a number of virtual machines within pods in a zone. Due to the scalability of the cloud infrastructure, customer virtual machines may exist in non optimal locations within the zone. A method to migrate virtual machines and defragment customer networks is devised to optimally manage network traffic and data communication in a scaled cloud infrastructure.
US08874739B2
The present invention relates to the technical field of performance management for IT systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technology of performing monitoring on demand for a complex IT system. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of system monitoring that includes: monitoring a performance parameter of a client of the system, determining, based on the performance parameter of the client, whether to monitor a service endpoint directly called by the client, locating the service endpoint to be monitored in response to a determination to monitor the service endpoint directly called by the client, and monitoring a performance parameter of the service endpoint.
US08874738B2
A gateway apparatus for allowing a plurality of apparatuses on a first network to co-operate with each other includes: a message monitoring unit which monitors messages communicated on the first network, and detects an apparatus discovery message for discovering an apparatus that satisfies an arbitrary requirement; an activation state managing unit which checks whether at least one target apparatus among the apparatuses that satisfies the requirement indicated by the apparatus discovery message is in an activated state for communication on the first network; a predicted activation time determining unit which determines a predicted activation time predicted as required to activate the at least one target apparatus; and a proxy response unit which transmits, in proxy of the at least one target apparatus, a response message including information indicating the predicted activation time when the at least one target apparatus is not in an activated state.
US08874734B1
A system, apparatus, and method for managing energy conservation in a mesh network of smart container monitoring system is provided. The monitoring unit and the monitored devices within each smart container form a first-tier network, and the smart containers in vicinity are wirelessly connected to form a second-tier mesh network. Each tier of network awakens per a defined procedure to allow for establishment of communication for a short amount of time.
US08874731B1
Reading data for an eBook are used to generate interest information for the eBook. Timing reports are received from a plurality of clients used by a plurality of users to read the eBook. The timing reports describe behaviors of the users with respect to sections of the eBook. For example, the behaviors may include reading time intervals for sections of the eBook. The timing reports are analyzed to generate interest information for the eBook. The interest information indicates relative interest in the sections of the eBook expressed by the users. The interest information may indicate which pages of eBooks are attracting the most attention from users or which pages are being read at a speed indicating interest. The generated interest information for the eBook is stored.
US08874729B2
Aspects describe using a network element to facilitate scalability within a communication network and to provide policy as a network service in a mobile core network. The network element can be scalable and can be a primary policy access gateway for a first geographic region and can be a secondary policy access gateway for at least a second geographic region. The first geographic region and the second geographic region can have portions that overlap. Further, the network element can hide topology of the home network from roaming partners.
US08874725B1
Monitoring performance data associated with a content player is disclosed. Information relating to the state of a content player is obtained on a time driven basis. At least a portion of the obtained information is reported, via a communications interface, to a content distribution monitoring server.
US08874724B2
A content delivery network includes a plurality of cache servers. Each cache server is configured to receive a request for content from a client system and receive content and security data from a content server. Each cache server is further configured to provide the content to the client system and provide the security data to a monitoring system.
US08874719B1
This disclosure describes a context aware scalable dynamic network whereby network information concerning network elements in an untrusted (Black) network are gathered by network sensors, stored at a network sensor collector, and sent to another network sensor collector in a trusted (Red) network through a one-way guard. At the Red network, the network information from the Black network may be combined with network information from one or more Red networks. The combined network information may then be used to visualize a cross-domain network topology of both Red and Black networks, and to implement network management functions.
US08874714B2
Presented is an apparatus and methods for collecting the implemented data model and version information from an end user device. The apparatus is communicatively connected to the end user device and uses, for example, the Broadband Forum TR-069 protocol or another protocol for communications. The method interrogates the end user device to determine all parameters and their data types by traversing the end user device's data model level by level and instantiating any objects discovered that are instantiable but not yet instantiated. The method archives the data model and end user device version information for later use with like devices.
US08874702B2
A disclosed network apparatus is capable of being connected to one of a restricted area where a communication is restricted and a non-restricted area where a communication is not restricted via a DHCP server and a network based on a DHCP address assigned by the DHCP server. The network apparatus includes a communication unit configured to carry out communications including a broadcast communication and a multicast communication, and a reporting unit configured to generate a report containing apparatus own information of the network apparatus to be sent over the network. In network apparatus, when the network apparatus is connected to the non-restricted area based on the DHCP address, the communication unit sends the report containing the apparatus own information of the network apparatus via the broadcast communication in place of the multicast communication.
US08874700B2
Disclosed are systems, methods, and machine-readable storage mediums for managing storage of a computing device associated with a user. In at least some embodiments, a method includes receiving a request to synchronize a data file from a cloud storage system from a the computing device, determining a classification of the computing device and an access pattern associated with the file, determining a storage optimization operation to be performed on the data file based on the access pattern and the classification, transmitting the file to the device subsequent to execution of the storage optimization operation, and transmitting an updated file based on an updated access pattern. The storage optimization operation can include downsampling, lossy compression, lossless compression, or a combination thereof.
US08874698B2
Systems and methods are provided for selecting advertisements for display over a communications network and, more particularly, to systems and methods for selecting video advertisements for display within internet web pages based on relevance, bid price, past performance, or a combination thereof.
US08874691B2
A method of circumventing network obstacles to provide a peer-to-peer communication channel between peers utilizing hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) includes communicating a HTTP request from a peer device to a relay through a network including an obstacle where the HTTP request is intended for another peer device. The method further includes communicating a HTTP response from the relay to the peer device and establishing a communication channel between the peer device and the another peer device via the relay. The communication channel permits the peer device and the another peer device to send and receive data.
US08874689B2
The invention relates to a protocol for communications between networked devices. The devices are logically arranged as a hierarchy of device types including a controller device type from which no other device type depends and a basic device type from which a number of other device types depend. The devices implement a simple device description message of fixed length and format which includes the device type, and some devices further implement an extended device description message including additional information.
US08874687B2
Systems and methods for dynamically rendering content based on user expectations and user tolerance levels are disclosed. Content is delivered to a user in a way that maximizes user experience and minimizes frustration while accessing web content. Because every user's expectations and tolerance levels are different, embodiments of the invention exploit these two parameters to deliver optimized web content to users within an acceptable time frame, thus ensuring a better browsing experience. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes intercepting at a computing device a request for content from a server, determining a quality of service value based on user expectations and a user tolerance level from the content and a user profile, and delivering a modified version of the content to the user based on the quality of service value. The system is a computing device programmed with instructions to accomplish these functional steps.
US08874680B1
A method for enforcing data integrity in an RDMA data storage system includes flushing data write requests to a data storage device before sending an acknowledgment that the data write requests have been executed. An RDMA data storage system includes a node configured to flush data write requests to a data storage device before sending an acknowledgment that a data write request has been executed.
US08874672B2
The people a user is presumed to know or be associated with may be determined using a number of techniques. This information about people that the user knows is used in relation to the user's communications. For example access to a user's online presence may be restricted based on the known people such that access to presence is provided only to those people that the user knows.
US08874658B1
A method and system for simulating end user responses to spam email messages are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a probe email message indicative of spam and identifying a seeding component in the probe email message. The method further includes activating the seeding component utilizing a selected email address. The selected email address may then appear to the originator of the probe email message as an active email account.
US08874655B2
A system and method are provided for matching participants in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) recommendation network that is loosely coupled to a subscription music service. In general, the system includes a central server and a number of peer devices. For each of the peer devices, an associated user is either a subscriber to the subscription music service or a non-subscriber. When a user of a peer device desires to identify new friends with which to exchange recommendations in the P2P recommendation network, a friend recommendation function of the central server identifies new friends for the user of the peer device based on the user's status as either a subscriber or a non-subscriber to the subscription music service.
US08874652B1
Panel and census data representing accesses by sets of users with multiple types of media platforms to media content associated with multiple media entities is accessed. An overlap in the accessed panel data that represents users who have accessed media content associated with the media entity with more than one of the multiple types of media platforms is determined. Based on the accessed panel data, the determined overlap in the accessed panel data, and the accessed census data, an overlap function that estimates an overlap in the accessed census data is derived. The derived overlap function is applied to census data associated with a media entity to estimate an overlap in the census data associated with the media entity. The overlap in the census data represents users who have accessed media content associated with the media entity with more than one of the multiple types of media platforms.
US08874642B2
The present disclosure relates to a framework to improve the predictability of performance problems in an enterprise application. In one embodiment, the present disclosure produces accurate predictive analysis by taking into consideration all the factors including workload, historical performance, environments, configurations, and data volumes etc. which are significant for determining the future performance characteristics of the system. In addition, the present disclosure calculates the actual impact of the determined performance characteristics on the business.
US08874638B2
An end-to-end record, request, response token-based protocol is used to facilitate processing of client jobs. This allows the client to forward analytical tasks of a job directly to an analytics cluster and to record an indication of such at a server. The accelerators of the cluster to perform the tasks are specified in a token provided by the server to the client.
US08874635B2
Internet multimedia content delivery methods, devices and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for communicating internet multimedia data to a consumer electronic via a wireless network comprises receiving the internet multimedia data via the wireless network, converting the internet multimedia data to a data type associated with the consumer electronic device, and forwarding the internet multimedia data of the data type to the consumer electronic device, where the internet multimedia data via the wireless network is serviced by an internet multimedia data server.
US08874634B2
Data are received at a receiving device from a server, where the data are encoded into one of a plurality of different versions, each version having a different fidelity level. A data stream having a buffer with an initial maximum window size for buffering received data is requested from the server, wherein the data stream initially has a first fidelity level. The maximum window size is managed to prevent the current window size from falling below a threshold that might trigger an adjustment by the server in the fidelity level of the data stream sent by the server, unless and until the accumulation of data in the buffer due to a decrease in the present processing capabilities of the controller of the receiving device falls below a threshold of processing power necessary for processing the data stream at the higher fidelity level for more than a transitory period of time.
US08874632B2
An apparatus configured to generate random numbers is provided, the apparatus having high entropy and being capable of a reduced chip size. The apparatus includes a plurality of metastable state generation units configured to generate a metastable state signal, a plurality of amplification units configured to amplify the metastable state signal, a connection signal generation unit configured to generate a first connection signal, and a first commutation unit configured to connect at least one metastable state generation unit to at least one amplification unit according to the first connection signal. For example, the number of metastable state generation units and amplification units necessary to achieve are threshold number of commutation connections can be greatly reduced as compared to conventional apparatuses for generating random numbers.
US08874626B2
A server computer system identifies change operations for an object in a file system. The object can be a file or a directory. The change operations can include a change to a local copy of the object and one or more remote copies of the object. The server computer system determines that one of the change operations is unsuccessful and creates tracking data that identifies the object that is associated with at least one change operation that is unsuccessful.
US08874619B2
A method, an apparatus, and a system for configuring, designing, and/or implementing common metadata and common data is detailed as a new type of data relationship, within and between databases.
US08874617B2
Techniques, a system and an article of manufacture for determining potential enterprise partnerships. A method includes constructing an interaction graph for a set of multiple enterprises based on information pertaining to each of the enterprises and information pertaining to transactions conducted among the enterprises, and determining at least two candidate partnership teams among the set of enterprises based on at least one attribute of the graph, wherein each candidate partnership team comprises two or more of the enterprises. The method also includes computing a compatibility score for each pair of enterprises in each candidate partnership team based on at least one enterprise parameter, computing a compatibility score for each candidate partnership team based on an aggregation of the compatibility score for each pair of enterprises in each candidate partnership team, and outputting a suggested candidate partnership team based on selection of the highest compatibility score among the candidate partnership teams.
US08874616B1
Disclosed is a method for fusing interaction data, such as intelligence data, comprising, embodying collections of interaction data from different interaction data sources in interaction graphs, defining a plurality of mappings of identifiers to entities, associating each mapping with a fused interaction graph, and identifying an optimal mapping by evaluation of compatibility of identifier attributes, mutual information across interaction data sources, and/or fit with one or more behavior models. Edges in the fused graph can be collapsed. Also claimed are a computer system and a computer-readable medium for fusing interaction data.
US08874615B2
A method and apparatus for implementing a learning model for facilitating answering a query on a database. Example embodiments include processing logic to: receive access to a database having a plurality of rows; determine for each row in the plurality of rows which of a plurality of child nodes to associate with a row based on the row and current parameters, where the current parameters correspond to parameters of a probability distribution for the plurality of child nodes; determine new parameters for the plurality of child nodes based on associated rows of the plurality of rows; determine whether or not to return a result which indicates the new parameters based on the current parameters, the new parameters, and the plurality of rows; and return a result which indicates the new parameters.
US08874614B2
A method and apparatus for dynamically retrieving ontological context are described herein. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving pattern language code that includes definitions of business classes and field classes, wherein the field classes include ontological contexts. The method also includes generating high-level object-oriented code that includes the business classes and the field classes with ontological contexts.
US08874611B2
An apparatus, method and article of manufacture of the present invention detects the presence of references to the same concept in separate sections of text, and, with no input required from the reader, presents the reader with information concerning the detected references to the concept. The information provided may comprise information related to the location of the reference to the concept in other sections of text, and the reader also is provided the ability to move from one reference to a concept directly to another reference to the same concept.
US08874606B2
Information may be presented to a user by receiving a selection of one or more terms passively displayed in a document, loading the terms to a search configuration, generating first results responsive to a user's predicted interest as expressed in the search configuration, and enabling display of the first results.
US08874595B2
A system for data mining and providing business intelligence data including a source system having a computer readable database storing data aggregated from one or more data sources, and an analytics server in communication with the source system and including a computer readable medium having an intermediate data file stored thereon. The intermediate data file consisting of the data aggregated from the one or more data sources. The analytics server includes computer readable instructions for: importing the data aggregated from the one or more data sources for storing on the intermediate data file in the form of source data; normalizing the source data using predetermined scripts into normalized data stored in normalized data tables on the computer readable medium; generating one or more dimensions from the source data, wherein the one or more dimensions define categories into which portions of the normalized data can be grouped; generating one or more measures from the source data linked to the one or more dimensions; and, generating one or more formulae for calculating information from one or both of the dimensions and the measures.
US08874594B2
A method for incorporating information pertaining to geographic locations previously visited by a user into a search. The method includes: obtaining location information corresponding to a user account; determining, from the location information, one or more geographic locations that correspond to the location information; providing a user interface that includes a prompt that accepts search terms as input to a search query and an option to include a group of one or more geographic locations in the search query; and providing for display results related to the search terms and to one or more geographic locations in the group of one or more geographic locations when the option to include the group of one or more geographic locations is selected.
US08874591B2
The invention discloses a system and method for managing feedback data that will be used for ranking search results. The invention can aggregate a plurality of user feedback data from more than one user into a search index. The user feedback data can be associated with one or more documents within the index such that the one or more documents can be ranked based on the type of feedback data that is aggregated. Once the documents have been ranked, the ranked documents can be provided to a requester.
US08874590B2
A keyword input supporting apparatus includes a document acquisition unit that acquires a document having a plurality of components containing text data, a main component selection unit that selects a component having many characters in the text data as a main component, a part-of-speech analysis unit that analyzes the part-of-speech of the text data contained in the main component, and adds a semantic attribute to each of words of the text data, a specific name extraction unit that extracts as a specific name a word, having a predetermined semantic attribute or part of speech, from the words, a specific name storage that stores the specific name together with the corresponding semantic attribute, a keyword candidate classification unit that performs classification of the specific name from the storage as a keyword candidate based on the semantic attribute, and a keyword candidate presentation unit that presents the keyword candidate to a user.
US08874585B2
An approach is provided for enabling dynamic user based search within a distributed information space. A request for conducting a search over one or more information spaces is distributed to one or more autonomous agents. The autonomous agents process the request according to one or more functions specific to the one or more autonomous agents. Results are rendered to an interface of a user device in response to the search request.
US08874578B2
Methods and apparatus teach a digital spectrum of a data file. The digital spectrum is used to map a file's position in multi-dimensional space. This position relative to another file's position reveals closest neighbors. Certain of the closest neighbors are grouped together, while others are differentiated. Grouping ceases upon application of a stopping function so that rightly sized, optimum numbers of file groups are obtained. Embodiments of stopping functions relate to curve types in a mapping of numbers of groups per sequential rounds of grouping, recognizing whether groups have overlapping file members or not, and/or determining whether groups meet predetermined numbers of members, to name a few. Properly grouped files can then be further acted upon.
US08874571B2
Text analysis methods, text analysis apparatuses, and articles of manufacture are described according to some aspects. In one aspect, a text analysis method includes accessing information indicative of data content of a collection of text comprising a plurality of different topics, using a computing device, analyzing the information indicative of the data content, and using results of the analysis, identifying a presence of a new topic in the collection of text.
US08874570B1
In a method of generating a search boost vector, a first set of content location identifiers for first content are provided. A second set of content location identifiers for second content are identified. The second content is related to the first content in accordance with one or more predefined criteria. A search boost vector is generated by determining weights corresponding to content location identifiers in the second set of content location identifiers. The search boost vector may also be generated by determining weights corresponding to content location identifiers in the first set of content location identifiers. The predefined criteria may include one or more additional content location identifiers that are co-visited with one or more content location identifiers for the first set of content location identifiers. Co-visits are by a community of users during an interval of time.
US08874569B2
The systems and methods described herein generally relate to increasing user productivity in reviewing query results by visually depicting the presence/absence of a set of query terms in a set of paragraphs across a set of documents.
US08874567B2
A search engine provides personalized rankings of search results. A user interest profile identifies topics of interest to a user. Each topic is associated with one or more sites, and a boost value, which can be used to augment an information retrieval score of any document from the site. Search results from any search are provided to the user, with a variable control of the ranking of the results. The results can be ranked by their unboosted information retrieval score, thus reflecting no personalization, or by their fully or partially boosted information retrieval scores. This allows the user to selectively control how their interests affect the ranking of the documents.
US08874565B1
A system may identify a set of first documents associated with an organization, and identify clusters to which the first documents belong. Each of a number of the identified clusters may include a group of documents that includes one of the first documents and one or more second documents associated with one or more different organizations. The system may determine a quality score for each of the documents in each of the identified clusters, and determine, for each of the number of the identified clusters, whether the quality score of the one of the first documents in the identified cluster is higher than the quality score of the one or more second documents in the identified cluster. The system may generate a proxy pad score based on the determinations, and store the proxy pad score.
US08874564B2
A system and method for communicating search results. User input is received to perform a search of a communications network. The search is performed based on the user input to generate search results. The search results and multiple selection elements are displayed for communicating each of the search results to one or more receiving parties. A user selection of one or more of the multiple selection elements associated with one or more receiving parties is received. The search results are communicated to the one or more receiving parties in response to the user selection.
US08874563B1
Information associated with responses and requests that result from one or more selections of a webpage component is collected. The webpage component corresponds to at least one identifier. At least one set including the at least one identifier and the collected information associated with the responses and requests is determined. A destination webpage for the webpage component corresponding to the webpage component based at least on the information associated with the responses and requests is determined.
US08874562B2
A method of constructing a database for a database application, the method involving for each of a plurality of transactions, receiving input from a user via the database application; constructing a corresponding record that embodies the received input for that transaction; appending a time address to the corresponding record for that transaction, wherein the time address identifies when the corresponding transaction was completed; and storing the corresponding record for that transaction in a non-volatile data storage, wherein the time address for that corresponding record is permanently associated with that stored corresponding record and wherein the database application during normal operation prevents any overwriting of that stored corresponding record with any other record.
US08874560B2
Included are embodiments for determining sort order. At least one embodiment of a method includes determining a plurality of search results associated with at least one search criteria. Some embodiments of a method include determining a first distance between at least one of the search results and a home page associated with the at least one search result and determining a display order for the plurality of search results.
US08874559B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying a set of items that are displayed to a user of a social networking service, the items comprising digital content distributed using the social networking service and being associated with item features, the item features comprising item-dependent features and user-dependent features; receiving feature values that are associated with one of an item-dependent feature and a user-dependent feature; receiving probabilities that are associated with a group and reflecting a likelihood that the user is a type of user associated with the group, the groups including a set of weights; determining an item score based on the feature values and a set of weights to provide item scores, the set of weights being identified based on the probabilities; and determining a subset of items to be displayed to the user based on the item scores.
US08874556B2
Particular embodiments access a search query submitted by a first user of a social-networking system; identify one or more web pages in response to the search query; retrieve, from the social-networking system, social-networking information of the first user to identify one or more second users of the social-networking system who are connected to the first user within a predetermined degree of separation within the social-networking system; for each of the one or more web pages, determine a value indicating a number of times that the web page has been accessed by the one or more second users; rank the one or more web pages based on the value determined for each web page; and send a ranked set of hyperlinks for the one or more web pages to a second computing device associated with the first user.
US08874532B2
A chunk index has information on chunks in a storage space referenced in objects in the storage space. The chunk index includes a reference count for each chunk indicating a number of objects in which the chunk is referenced and a reference measurement representing a level of data object references to the chunk. One chunk is selected to remove from the storage space based on a criteria applied to the reference measurements of chunks having reference counts indicating that the chunks are not referenced in one object in the storage space.
US08874530B2
A method, computer readable medium and system are disclosed. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving one of a character and a string; determining a character string part space based on a remaining portion of a character string part capacity, of an existing array element, and a length of one of the character and the string; and one of (1) storing one of the character and the string in the existing array element if the length of one of the character and the string is less than or equal to the remaining character string part capacity of an existing array element and (2) adding a new array element and storing one of the character and the string in the new array element if the length of one of the character and the string is greater than the remaining character string part capacity of an existing array element.
US08874528B1
A computer-implemented method for detecting cloud-based data leaks may include (1) identifying a relational database stored on a third-party storage service, the relational database including a plurality of tuples related by an attribute designated for storing contact information, (2) adding at least one deceptive tuple representing an illegitimate contact and including known false contact information stored under the attribute to the relational database, (3) maintaining a data repository identifying the deceptive tuple as containing false contact information, (4) identifying a contact attempt performed by an attempted use of the known false contact information, and then, in response to identifying the contact attempt, and (5) determining, based on the data repository identifying the deceptive tuple as containing false contact information, that an originator of the contact attempt is implicated in a data leak. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08874526B2
Systems and methods of dynamically processing an event using an extensible data model are disclosed. One embodiment includes, specifying attributes of the event in a data model; the data model being extensible to add properties to the event as the dataset is streamed from the source to the sink.
US08874524B1
A technique performs a write operation. The technique involves receiving, after a snapshot of a file system is taken, a write instruction to write new data to a particular portion of the file system. The technique further involves includes reading, in response to the write instruction, metadata to determine whether the new data is a first update of the particular portion since the snapshot was taken. The metadata identifies portions of the file system which have changed since the snapshot was taken. The technique further involves, when the new data is a first update of the particular portion since the snapshot was taken, copying the original data from cache memory (i.e., from the file system buffer cache) to snapshot storage (i.e., to a dedicated save area) and, after the original data is copied, updating the original data in the cache memory with the new data.
US08874515B2
Data versioning in a non-volatile memory. An object key associated with a data object is created. An index into an object table is generated using the object key. A version number is stored in conjunction with the data object stored in the non-volatile memory. In an object linked-list, the object key and the location information of the data object in the non-volatile memory are stored. A record associated with the data object is created in an object table. The record includes an index, a reference to the object linked-list, and the version number. The index is generated based on the object key.
US08874513B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for providing non-disruptive transitioning of application replication configurations and proactive analysis of possible error scenarios. Specifically, under embodiments of the present invention, a common integration model (CIM)-compatible representation of a system replication plan is provided in a computer data structure. Based on the representation, a hierarchical tree data structure having a set of nodes is created. A set of system configuration updates pertaining to the set of nodes are then classified (e.g., based upon the type of configuration update). Once the set of nodes has been classified, the set of nodes may then be analyzed to determine if any nodes of the set are isomorphic. If so, the plan can be modified accordingly. In any event, the replication plan (or modified replication plan) may then be implemented.
US08874512B2
Disclosed is a data replication method in a Database Management System (DBMS). The data replication method includes generating a replication log through a transaction log of a master database to thereby transmit the generated replication log to a distributor, determining a slave host distributing the replication log to thereby distribute the replication log to the corresponding slave host, and reflecting the replication log in a slave database.
US08874506B2
A distributed system of data centers is configured to ensure that all data operations involving specific accounts are performed within a given time frame at only one data center. Once a data center has begun accessing data that is associated with an account, all requests to access or manipulate data for that account are redirected to that data center for a period of time. Thus, the data center becomes not only the “owner” of all data associated with the account for that period of time, but also the servicer of all requests associated with the account. The data center then asynchronously replicates changes to the data associated with the account to the other data centers. Since none of the other data centers are permitted to change the data associated with the account, conflicts in the replicated data are minimized.
US08874505B2
A distributed storage system employs a Key-Value Store to dynamically change a table layout scheme based on user access patterns. The system can be used as a basic architecture to construct a distributed Key-Value Store to support both row-oriented and column-oriented table layout schemes, by using DHT (Distributed Hash Table) technology for high scalability.
US08874498B2
The present invention relates to unsupervised, supervised and reinforced learning via spiking computation. The neural network comprises a plurality of neural modules. Each neural module comprises multiple digital neurons such that each neuron in a neural module has a corresponding neuron in another neural module. An interconnection network comprising a plurality of edges interconnects the plurality of neural modules. Each edge interconnects a first neural module to a second neural module, and each edge comprises a weighted synaptic connection between every neuron in the first neural module and a corresponding neuron in the second neural module.
US08874487B2
A computer software license management system wrapper for use in a local computer is described. The software wrapper includes a wrapper interface that provides controlled access to a computer software application file. The software application file is encapsulated by security software code to protect it from unauthorized access. The software wrapper also includes a software license key identifying a license policy specifying a use limitation within a geographic boundary. In addition, the software wrapper includes a license validation mechanism that periodically determines compliance with the license policy. The license validation mechanism permits access by another process operating on the local computer through the wrapper interface in response to a valid license confirmation signal received from the license server. A license server that utilizes and an electronic storefront that sells software license wrappers having software use limitations within a geographic boundary also are described.
US08874483B2
There is provided a system and method for gated unlock codes for videogame features and content. By maintaining a redemption database where master unlock codes are used to provide access to specific subsets of feature unlock codes, unique exclusive content may be provided for different retailers. In this manner, a universal game media containing all possible additional content may be utilized for retail distribution, reducing publishing costs while still providing customized versions for retailers with desirable exclusive content. By restricting each gaming device or user account to a single group or hierarchy of master unlock codes, the use of ancillary unlock codes with videogames purchased from different retailers may be discouraged, thereby preserving user incentives to purchase primary and secondary items with feature unlock codes at a single retailer.
US08874475B2
Fueling transactions (and other types of transactions) may be verified for legitimacy and validity by recording audio, video and/or images of the transaction as it occurs. The recordings may then be indexed according to one or more transaction parameters such as a driver identifier, a vehicle or transportation unit identifier, an invoice number, a fueling station and the like. A carrier associated with a driver and/or vehicle or other transportation unit may specify which transactions are to be recorded. Accordingly, the fueling station may automatically determine whether to record a transaction upon receiving a transaction initiation request. Transaction recordings may be made based on transaction recordation parameters defined by a carrier and stored and indexed based on transaction storing parameters.
US08874469B2
Techniques for dynamically and seamlessly inserting secondary content via a second video pipeline into the playing of principal content over a first video pipeline are disclosed herein. One aspect of the techniques may involve the file containing the principal content be contiguous instead of being in a plurality of separate sections. The secondary content is able to be pre-processed on the second video pipeline while the principal content is played over the first video pipeline. This enables the secondary content to be available instantaneously upon the pausing of the principal content at various designated points therein. Playing of the principal content may likewise be instantaneous upon completion of the time period for the specified pausing thereof. Since the file containing the principal content is preferably contiguous, rewinding the principal content to a previous point does not require reloading.
US08874462B2
The present invention provides a system and method for developing a set of business process definitions sharing the common business intent as a business process family using model-driven techniques. The present invention minimizes on development time and resources thus leading to a cost effective system and method for developing business process families. The invention enables to create a business process family which can be easily configured to behave as a specific business process thus meeting the needs of a set of apriori known situations. The invention supports configuration process at different stages (i.e. design time, and run time) of the business process application and also support extension of the configuration structure at different stages (i.e. design time, and run time). The invention enables to create a business process family which can be easily extended to meet the needs of an as yet unseen situation.
US08874459B1
A system and method according to which travel data is received, a projected times forecast is generated using the travel data, a probable times forecast is generated using the projected times forecast, and a postable times forecast is generated using the probable times forecast. In an exemplary embodiment, the travel data is airline flight data.
US08874449B2
Downmixing multi-channel audio signals to target channels by pre-downmixing frequency coefficients that are encoded using a most frequently used block type in stereo channels in the frequency domain, thereby reducing an amount of calculations and an amount of power required to downmix the multi-channel audio signals.
US08874448B1
In one example, a technique may include outputting, by a computing device associated with a user and for playback at a first volume level by an audio output device, first audio data, receiving, by the computing device, audio input data, and responsive to determining, by the computing device, that the audio input data includes speech associated with an entity different from the user, determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the audio input data, whether to output second audio data. The method may also include, responsive to determining to output the second audio data: determining, by the computing device, a second volume level lower than the first volume level, and outputting, by the computing device and for playback at the second volume level by the audio output device, the second audio data.
US08874444B2
A method is provided for a simulated conversation by a pre-recorded audio navigator, with particular application to informational and entertainment settings. A monitor may utilize a navigation interface to select pre-recorded responses in the voice of a character represented by a performer. The pre-recorded responses may then be queued and sent to a speaker proximate to the performer. By careful organization of an audio database including audio buckets and script-based navigation with shifts for tailoring to specific guest user profiles and environmental contexts, a convincing and dynamic simulated conversation may be carried out while providing the monitor with a user-friendly navigation interface. Thus, highly specialized training is not necessary and flexible scaling to large-scale deployments is readily supported.
US08874441B2
Techniques are described herein that suppress noise using multiple sensors (e.g., microphones) of a communication device. Noise modeling (e.g., estimation of noise basis vectors and noise weighting vectors) is performed with respect to a noise signal during operation of a communication device to provide a noise model. The noise model includes noise basis vectors and noise coefficients that represent noise provided by audio sources other than a user of the communication device. Speech modeling (e.g., estimation of speech basis vectors and speech weighting) is performed to provide a speech model. The speech model includes speech basis vectors and speech coefficients that represent speech of the user. A noisy speech signal is processed using the noise basis vectors, the noise coefficients, the speech basis vectors, and the speech coefficients to provide a clean speech signal.
US08874439B2
Signal separation techniques based on frequency dependency are described. In one implementation, a blind signal separation process is provided that avoids the permutation problem of previous signal separation processes. In the process, two or more signal sources are provided, with each signal source having recognized frequency dependencies. The process uses these inter-frequency dependencies to more robustly separate the source signals. The process receives a set of mixed signal input signals, and samples each input signal using a rolling window process. The sampled data is transformed into the frequency domain, which provides channel inputs to the inter-frequency dependent separation process. Since frequency dependencies have been defined for each source, the process is able to use the frequency dependency to more accurately separate the signals. The process can use a learning algorithm that preserves frequency dependencies within each source signal, and can remove dependencies between or among the signal sources.
US08874437B2
Adaptive Gain Control (AGC) is performed directly in a coded domain. A Coded Domain Adaptive Gain Control (CD-AGC) system modifies at least one parameter of a first encoded signal, resulting in corresponding modified parameter(s). The CD-VQE system replaces the parameter(s) of the first encoded signal with the modified parameter(s), resulting in a second encoded signal. In a decoded state, the second encoded signal approximates a target signal that is a function of two signals, including the first encoded signal and a third encoded signal, in at least a partially decoded states. Thus, the first encoded signal does not have to go through intermediate decode/re-encode processes, which can degrade overall speech quality. Computational resources required for a complete re-encoding are not needed. Overall delay of the system is minimized. The CD-AGC system can be used in any network in which signals are communicated in a coded domain, such as a Third Generation (3G) wireless network.
US08874432B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to perform relation extraction in text by applying a convolution strategy to determine a kernel between sentences; applying one or more semi-supervised strategies to the kernel to encode syntactic and semantic information to recover a relational pattern of interest; and applying a classifier to the kernel to identify the relational pattern of interest in the text in response to a query.
US08874426B2
A method of translating a computer generated log output message from a first language to a second language, including receiving a log output containing a plurality of messages in a first language and matching words and phrases in the log output messages to pre-established codes in a matched message index. Ambiguous matches are resolved by removing codes matched to ones of the words and phrases that have overlap with words and phrases matched to different codes. The codes in the matched message index are translated into a second language different than the first language to a corresponding second log output message in the second language and then the second log output message is output in the second language.
US08874378B2
A system and method for targeting relevant research activity for clinical application in response to angiogenic regulator analyses. An angiogenic analysis is performed on a patient blood sample in order to detect the level of each of at least ten angiogenic regulators. The levels of the tested regulators are used as indexes to identify relevant peer-reviewed research publications from among a large database of articles. The most relevant peer-reviewed literature reporting research and studies that have been conducted to identify, moderate, and define the mechanisms unique to individual and combinations of angiogenic regulators for various disease states are then provided to the patient and/or to the patient's physician, optionally in conjunction with a summarization of the treatment recommendations gleaned from the provided literature. The customized information delivery provides the patient and physician a range of published peer-reviewed therapeutic options and published research studies for moderating the out of range regulators to within normal range or other diagnostic significant range.
US08874376B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for inducing fractures in a subterranean formation and more particularly methods and apparatus to place a first fracture with a first orientation in a formation followed by a second fracture with a second angular orientation in the formation are disclosed. The first and second fractures are initiated at about a fracturing location. The initiation of the first fracture is characterized by a first orientation line. The first fracture temporarily alters a stress field in the subterranean formation. The initiation of the second fracture is characterized by a second orientation line. The first orientation line and the second orientation line have an angular disposition to each other.
US08874375B2
A computer receives a set of Cartesian data and a set of geodetic data. A set of control points may be generated. A plurality of sets of Cartesian coordinates for each control point may be determined, wherein each set of coordinates corresponds to a Cartesian system. A deviation is determined for a combination that includes a control point and a Cartesian system. For each set of Cartesian coordinates associated with the Cartesian system that is included in the combination, and further associated with a control point not in the combination, the set of coordinates is modified according to the deviation. A cumulative deviation is determined for a plurality of combinations by determining a sum of distances of each set of modified Cartesian coordinates from the coordinates of the corresponding point in the Cartesian data. A combination associated with a minimum cumulative deviation is identified.
US08874367B2
Estimating a vehicle's driving range by combined processing of measured and calculated range data. A measured range it is adjusted to account for processes not included in the original measurements. These adjustments may include changes in road surface, terrain elevation, aerodynamic drag, or other losses. The resulting model is thus relative to the conditions used in quantifying vehicle range by calculating contributions that either penalize or enhance the measured range. This method is implemented in a software system that can also provide real-time display of the range for both a single trip or a contour that illustrates what the range is for all directions.
US08874363B2
A technique for providing a mobile device user with a “when to leave” alarm on his or her mobile device. The user has scheduled an appointment at a given time and location in the user's personal information manager (PIM) executing on the mobile device. A representative PIM is a calendar on the mobile device. The “when to leave” alarm is provided to the end user in the form of a display widget (or “countdown alarm”) that automatically activates a given time (e.g., 30 minutes) before a latest departure time for an event in the user's PIM.
US08874358B2
Route guidance devices, methods, and programs provide guidance for a vehicle that is provided with a drive motor and an engine as drive sources. The devices, methods, and programs acquire a departure point and a destination for the vehicle and specify one or more motor drive recommended links for which driving with the drive motor as the drive source is recommended. The devices, methods, and programs specify a route that includes only motor drive recommended links and by which the vehicle can drive from the departure point to the destination using only the drive motor as the drive source and output the specified route on a display.
US08874349B2
A sensor control apparatus including a gas sensor having a sensor element, a housing and a base part formed of a resin. The apparatus includes a heating part and a control part. When the control part determines that a predetermined automatic stop condition has been satisfied, the control part switches from a control for maintaining the temperature of the sensor element at an activating temperature to a control in a stop state for reducing at least one of voltage and current supplied to the heating part so as to set a temperature of the base part to a value equal to or lower than a shape holding temperature of the resin. Also disclosed is a sensor control method for holding a temperature of a sensor element to an activating temperature.
US08874347B2
A behavior acquisition unit acquires behavior related information about a leading vehicle, which travels at a position closest to the self vehicle on an advancing route of the self vehicle. A front vehicle recognition determination unit determines, as a front vehicle recognition state, whether a leading vehicle is specified and whether a self vehicle travels immediately after the leading vehicle, according to the acquired behavior related information. A sending control unit is configured to cause transmission of the front vehicle recognition state and specifying information, which specifies the self vehicle and the leading vehicle, to surroundings of the self vehicle.
US08874343B2
The present invention relates mainly to a brake booster that is adjustable, notably in terms of the value of the jump. Advantageously, according to the invention, the target value for equilibrium of operation of the booster actuator is altered. A target value of a signal delivered by a position sensor is defined either by programming the electronic control unit or by selecting a coefficient in a program as a function of the braking characteristic or characteristics that it is desired to implement. Once the setpoint value has been determined, the electronic control unit commands the actuator using a setpoint value so that the actuator permanently and dynamically works toward achieving the previously defined and/or selected target value. The setpoint may be calculated as a function of torque, force, position or some other parameter.
US08874332B2
A system and method involves a machine having a power train including a continuously variable transmission (CVT) associated with a plurality of virtual gear ratios. To shift between the plurality of virtual gear ratios, the machine may include an operator input device that may be movable between a plurality of distinct positions. A first position may be associated with a neutral position in which no shifting of virtual gear ratios occurs. A second position of the operator input device may be associated with a first incremental rate for shifting between the virtual gear ratios. A third position may be associated with a second incremental rate for shifting between the virtual gear ratios which is different than the first incremental rate.
US08874328B2
A method for controlling an auto idle state of heavy construction equipment of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes: storing, by a vehicle controller (VCU) that receives engine actuation information from an engine controller (ECU), an average traveling value of a worker-set engine RPM for a first set time when the heavy construction equipment is actuated at the worker-set engine RPM; and actuating, by the engine controller (ECU) that receives information on the average traveling value of the worker-set engine RPM for the first set time from the vehicle controller (VCU), an engine at a variable auto idle engine RPM, which varies depending on the average traveling value of the worker-set engine RPM for the first set time, when work is temporarily stopped and the worker-set engine RPM is switched to an auto idle engine RPM.
US08874325B2
A method for leveling of a machine on a surface, and a machine for the same, is disclosed. The method may comprise equalizing the legs of the machine prior to extending or retracting the legs of the machine to raise or lower the machine during non-milling operational status. The method may also comprise extending or retracting the legs during milling operational status while maintaining the relative lengths of each leg.
US08874317B2
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a parking assist system for a vehicle, wherein the parking assist system has two modes of operation. In a first mode a first overlay is added to an image of a rearward field of view displayed to the vehicle driver. The first overlay includes a representation of a target parking position. In a second mode a second overlay is added to the field of view displayed to the vehicle driver. The second overlay includes a representation of a projected path for the vehicle based on a current vehicle steering angle, and a representation of a target path segment for the vehicle.
US08874315B2
When the estimated motor temperature becomes equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature, an addition angle correction unit temporarily decreases the absolute value of the addition angle output from an addition angle limiter at time intervals. The addition angle correction unit makes the time interval shorter as the estimated motor temperature increases. When the time interval becomes equal to or shorter than the predetermined threshold, that is, when the estimated motor temperature becomes equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature that is higher than the first predetermined temperature, the addition angle correction unit notifies a command current value changing unit of a current stop command. Thus, the γ-axis command current value is changed to 0, and therefore the steering mode is shifted to the manual steer mode.
US08874305B2
A system and method of controlling a vehicle is provided. In one aspect, the system and method determines the amount of wear on a component of the vehicle and, based on the amount of wear and information derived from the environment surrounding the vehicle (e.g., another vehicle in the path of the vehicle or a requirement to stop at a particular location), maneuvers the vehicle to mitigate further wear on the component.
US08874300B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for obstacle avoidance. In some embodiments, a robotically controlled vehicle capable of operating in one or more modes may be provided. Examples of such modes include teleoperation, waypoint navigation, follow, and manual mode. The vehicle may include an obstacle detection and avoidance system capable of being implemented with one or more of the vehicle modes. A control system may be provided to operate and control the vehicle in the one or more modes. The control system may include a robotic control unit and a vehicle control unit.
US08874290B2
It is provided a control device for a vehicle power transmission device having a stepped automatic transmission making up a portion of a power transmission path between an engine and a drive wheel, the control device setting a shift point of the automatic transmission in accordance with a request drive force of a driver and a vehicle speed, the control device setting a shift point of the automatic transmission in accordance with a rotation speed of the engine and a vehicle speed instead of the request drive force, if a vehicle is in a predetermined fuel consumption priority running state.
US08874285B2
An aircraft steering angle control system is provided that minimizes the amount of skidding of an airframe that is turning on a low-μ taxiway surface, such as an icy taxiway surface, and allows for directional control of the airframe by a steering command. The aircraft steering angle control system outputs an operation signal related to a steering angle as a control command signal for a nose steering wheel, and includes: a nose steering wheel envelope protection function including a reference steering angle setting unit that calculates a reference steering angle on the assumption that the airframe is not skidding; a skid detection unit that detects a skidding state of the airframe based on the reference steering angle; and a switch unit that selects a control command signal for the nose steering wheel in conjunction with the skid detection unit.
US08874282B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for remotely piloting a vehicle. In one aspect, a system includes a transmitter capable to receive vehicle control signals and transmit the vehicle control signals to a vehicle including at least one receiver; one or more modules; and at least one power supply; wherein the at least one receiver receives the transmitted vehicle control signals and transmits the vehicle control signals in a CAN message format to all of the one or more modules; and each of the one or more modules selectively chooses which of the vehicle control signals in a CAN message format the module will respond to.
US08874270B2
An article take-out apparatus including, acquiring a reference container image including an open end face of a container by imaging operation by an camera, setting an image search region corresponding to a storage space of the container based on the reference container image, setting a reference plane including the open end face of the container, calculating a search region corresponding to the image search region based on a calibration data of the camera stored in advance, converting the search region to a converted search region, taking out 3D points included in the converted search region by projecting a plurality of 3D points measured by the 3D measuring device on the reference plane, and recognizing positions of articles inside the container using the 3D points.
US08874267B1
Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to detecting and avoiding blind spots of other vehicles when maneuvering an autonomous vehicle. Blind spots may include both areas adjacent to another vehicle in which the driver of that vehicle would be unable to identify another object as well as areas that a second driver in a second vehicle may be uncomfortable driving. In one example, a computer of the autonomous vehicle may identify objects that may be relevant for blind spot detecting and may determine the blind spots for these other vehicles. The computer may predict the future locations of the autonomous vehicle and the identified vehicles to determine whether the autonomous vehicle would drive in any of the determined blind spots. If so, the autonomous driving system may adjust its speed to avoid or limit the autonomous vehicle's time in any of the blind spots.
US08874263B2
A walking robot and a control method in which conversion between walking servo control methods is stably carried out. The walking robot includes a sensor unit to measure angles and torques of joints, and a control unit to calculate voltages applied in a Finite State Machine (FSM) control mode and a Zero Moment Point (ZMP) control mode according to the angles and torques of the joints to drive respective joint motors, to store last target joint angles in the FSM control mode during conversion from the FSM control mode to the ZMP control mode, and to perform a motion based on the FSM control mode by substituting the last target joint angles in the FSM control mode for target joint angles in the FSM control mode during conversion from the ZMP control mode to the FSM control mode, thereby performing stable conversion between walking servo control modes without joint sagging.
US08874261B2
A method and a system for operating a mobile robot comprise a range finder for collecting range data of one or more objects in an environment around the robot. A discriminator identifies uniquely identifiable ones of the objects as navigation landmarks. A data storage device stores a reference map of the navigation landmarks based on the collected range data. A data processor establishes a list or sequence of way points for the robot to visit. Each way point is defined with reference to one or more landmarks. A reader reads an optical message at or near one or more way points. A task manager manages a task based on the read optical message.
US08874252B2
A system for determining a group of semiconductor manufacturing process steps with a similar influence on individual semiconductor products. The system generates a first table including time stamps for the individual semiconductor products. The system creates a second table including Q-times based on the first table. The Q-times refers to time differences between every pair of the time stamps. The system forms a dependency table by grouping the Q-times with similar dependencies together. The system identifies groups of the similar dependencies. The system extracts semiconductor process steps belonging to the groups.
US08874250B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for spectrographic monitoring of a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing are described. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes storing a library having a plurality of reference spectra, each reference spectrum of the plurality of reference spectra having a stored associated index value, measuring a sequence of spectra in-situ during polishing to obtain measured spectra, for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching reference spectrum to generate a sequence of best matching reference spectra, determining the associated index value for each best matching spectrum from the sequence of best matching reference spectra to generate a sequence of index values, fitting a linear function to the sequence of index values, and halting the polishing either when the linear function matches or exceeds a target index or when the associated index value from the determining step matches or exceeds the target index.
US08874248B2
A method for preparing image data for three-dimensional printing in which a digitized (e.g. voxelized) representation of a virtual three-dimensional object (e.g. CAD model) is eroded to create an internal volume for the object. Subsequently, a vector-based surface representation of this internal volume is generated and simply combined with a corresponding vector-based surface representation of the original virtual three-dimensional object to yield a hollowed out model in a format suitable for three-dimensional printing.A microstructure may be introduced into the interior of the hollowed out model, e.g. by extracting a volume corresponding to the inverse of that microstructure from the eroded digitized representation.
US08874241B2
A master-slave system using a 4-degree of freedom (DOF) parallel mechanism includes: a master device having a 4-DOF parallel mechanism which generates 1-DOF translation and 3-DOF rotation by the manipulation of a user; a slave device having a 4-DOF parallel mechanism which generates 1-DOF translation and 3-DOF rotation according to the movement of the master device; and a controller for receiving a behavior signal generated by the master device and outputting a driving signal to the slave device so that the slave device moves according to the movement of the master device. The master-slave system may be utilized as a remote needling robot with excellent manipulation and precision.
US08874240B2
An electrode lead for insertion into a patient's cochlea includes a substantially solid elongate carrier member having lateral and medial sides and opposing transverse surfaces extending between outer surfaces of the lateral and medial sides, wherein the carrier member has a thickness between outer surfaces of the lateral and medial sides, and a plurality of electrodes disposed on or in the medial side. A height of the lateral side between the transverse surfaces is generally greater than a height of the medial side between the transverse surfaces, wherein each of the heights is approximately perpendicular to the thickness.
US08874221B2
Selective high-frequency spinal cord modulation for inhibiting pain with reduced side effects and associated systems and methods are disclosed. In particular embodiments, high-frequency modulation in the range of from about 1.5 KHz to about 50 KHz may be applied to the patient's spinal cord region to address low back pain without creating unwanted sensory and/or motor side effects. In other embodiments, modulation in accordance with similar parameters can be applied to other spinal or peripheral locations to address other indications.
US08874218B2
A method of providing an electrical signal to a cranial nerve of a patient for treating a medical condition, including providing an electrical signal generator, coupling at least a first electrode to a cranial nerve of the patient and to the electrical signal generator, generating an electrical signal with the electrical signal generator, and applying the electrical signal to the cranial nerve, using the at least a first electrode, for a duration less than a cardiac period of the patient and during the cardiac period of the patient. In addition, an implantable medical device capable of implementing the method is disclosed.
US08874215B2
There is disclosed an apparatus for treating a sexual dysfunctional female patient, comprising a stimulation device adapted to stimulate an erectile blood flow passageway to increase the amount of blood in the female erectile tissue and thereby obtaining engorgement with blood of the female erectile tissue by affecting said erectile blood flow passageway. Moreover there is disclosed a system and an operation method for treating a sexual dysfunctional female patient.
US08874210B2
An implantable cardiac prosthesis device conducting an analysis of a patient tolerance to a pacing mode favoring the spontaneous atrioventricular conduction is disclosed. The device operates in a dual chamber (DDD or biventricular) mode and in a pacing mode favoring the spontaneous atrioventricular conduction such as an AAI mode (10) with a ventricular sensing or a mode with hysteresis of the atrioventricular delay. The device controls (10-18) the conditional switching from one mode to the other. The device comprises a hemodynamic sensor, including an endocardial acceleration sensor, derives a hemodynamic index representative of the hemodynamic tolerance of the patient to the spontaneous atrioventricular conduction. The device controls inhibiting or (20) forcing the conditional switching of the device to the DDD (or biventricular) mode according to the evolution of the hemodynamic index.
US08874208B2
Methods and apparatus for a three-stage ventricular cardioversion and defibrillation therapy that treats ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation at low energy levels. An implantable therapy generator adapted to generate and selectively deliver a three-stage ventricular therapy and at least two leads operably each having at least one electrode adapted to be positioned proximate the ventricle of the patient. The device is programmed to deliver a three-stage therapy via both a far-field configuration and a near-field configuration of the electrodes upon detection of a ventricular arrhythmia. The three-stage therapy includes a first stage for unpinning of one or more singularities associated with the ventricular arrhythmia, a second stage for anti-repinning of the one or more singularities, both of which are delivered via the far-field configuration of the electrodes, and a third stage for extinguishing of the one or more singularities associated delivered via the near-field configuration of the electrodes.
US08874207B2
A stimulation system delivers stimulation to protect an ischemic region of a body from tissue damage caused by ischemia. The stimulation is delivered to one or more stimulation sites remote from the ischemic region to elicit a physiological effect that protects the ischemic region from the tissue damage caused by ischemia. In one embodiment, the stimulation system delivers cardioprotective stimulation to one or more stimulation sites remote from the heart to protect the heart from injuries associated with cardiac ischemic events. In another embodiment, the stimulation system delivers remote conditioning stimulation to one or more stimulation sites in or on the heart to protect a non-cardiac region from injuries associated with non-cardiac ischemic events.
US08874203B2
Methods for measuring cross-sectional areas in luminal organs. In at least one embodiment of a method for measuring a size parameter of a targeted treatment site of the present disclosure, the method comprises the steps of introducing an impedance device into a treatment site, the impedance device selected from the group consisting of an impedance catheter and an impedance wire; injecting a first solution of a first compound having a first conductivity into the treatment site; measuring a first conductance value at the treatment site using the impedance device, the first conductance value indicative of a bolus of the first solution, and calculating a size parameter of the treatment site based in part upon the first conductivity of the first solution, the first conductance.
US08874195B2
A health care apparatus and method thereof. The health care apparatus comprises: a sensing position determining unit determining a body part of an examinee where vital signals of the examinee are sensed; a vital potential sensing unit sensing potential signals of the examinee corresponding to a determined result; and an analyzing unit analyzing the sensed result. Accordingly, the health care apparatus can determine body parts by itself and senses potential signals corresponding to the body parts to calculate reliable measurements without information of the body parts to which the health care apparatus is attached. Furthermore, the health care apparatus can be easily attached to the body compared to a conventional health care apparatus, and can calculate a health index reflecting the present behavior pattern of the examinee. The health care apparatus can also determine the health state of local body parts of the examinee and inform the examinee of the calculated health indexes on a real-time basis.
US08874190B2
Cardiac information of a patient is displayed by obtaining a plurality of MRI cine loops of the heart of the patient at a plurality of heart rates, the plurality of cine loops including both wall motion cine loops and at least one perfusion cine loops and simultaneously displaying both the wall motion cine loops and the at least one perfusion cine loop.
US08874187B2
Treatment targets such as tumors or lesions, located within an anatomical region that undergoes motion (which may be periodic with cycle P), are dynamically tracked. A 4D mathematical model is established for the non-rigid motion and deformation of the anatomical region, from a set of CT or other 3D images. The 4D mathematical model relates the 3D locations of part(s) of the anatomical region with the targets being tracked, as a function of the position in time within P. Using fiducial-less non-rigid image registration between pre-operative DRRs and intra-operative x-ray images, the absolute position of the target and/or other part(s) of the anatomical region is determined. The cycle P is determined using motion sensors such as surface markers. The radiation beams are delivered using: 1) the results of non-rigid image registration; 2) the 4D model; and 3) the position in time within P.
US08874186B2
A system for monitoring a physiological parameter comprises a substrate, a pair of drive electrodes, a pair of detection electrodes, and an RFID apparatus. The substrate is arranged to be removably securable to a biological organism. At least the pair of drive electrodes or the pair of detection electrodes is secured to the substrate. The RFID apparatus is arranged to be in electrical communication with at least the pair of drive electrodes or the pair of detection electrodes. Methods of using the device are also provided.
US08874170B2
The present invention relates to a chip card comprising: an interface (112) to a master device (120), a single tasking processor (102) for receiving chip card commands from the master via the interface, first program instructions (106) for execution by the processor, the first program instructions implementing a chip card function, second program instructions (110) for execution by the processor, the second program instructions implementing an endless loop, third program instructions (108) for execution by the processor, the third program instructions being adapted to start execution of the second program instructions in response to a blocking signal.
US08874163B2
An apparatus and method for managing a sound volume of a wireless connection device in a mobile communication terminal are provided. The method includes pre-storing a sound volume level of the wireless connection device with respect to each system supported by the mobile communication terminal, and when a call is generated, requesting to determine a sound volume by transmitting to the wireless connection device a sound volume level of a system in which the call is generated among the sound volume levels pre-stored for the respective systems.
US08874159B2
A method for handling dynamic incidents includes initiating a first policy in response to a first incident. The first policy comprises a plurality of actions to be performed in response to the first incident. The method also includes creating at least one virtual talk group comprising a plurality of endpoints of different communication networks communicating using a respective communication protocol. The method further includes monitoring a plurality of events via a plurality of sources. At least one source comprises an endpoint from the plurality of endpoints of the virtual talk group. The method additionally includes detecting a deviation event and storing information indicative of the deviation event.
US08874140B2
Subscriber authorization information from a wireless communication device is identified. The subscriber authorization information indicates that an identity of a subscriber associated with the wireless communication device is authorized to be shared without sharing information that identifies a location of the wireless communication device. Subsequent to the subscriber authorization information being identified, the identity of the subscriber associated with the wireless communication device is received or retrieved without information that identifies the location of the wireless communication device.
US08874136B2
A radio site controller is configured to dynamically activate adjacent radio sites by first identifying, based at least on a current location of a subscriber unit in a currently activated first radio site, a currently de-activated second radio site located adjacent to the first radio site, and subsequent activating the identified second radio site. The identified second radio site may be a single de-activated adjacent second radio site, all de-activated adjacent second radio sites, or a subset of de-activated adjacent second radio sites based on a subscriber unit travel direction determination.
US08874134B2
Techniques for supporting periodic and other location services with Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and other location architectures are described. The techniques can provide position estimates for a SUPL enabled terminal (SET) to a SUPL agent periodically and/or based on trigger events. A Home SUPL Location Platform (H-SLP) receives from the SUPL agent a request for position estimates for the SET. The H-SLP starts a SUPL location session with the SET. For each of at least one reporting event during the location session, the H-SLP obtains a position estimate for the SET and sends the position estimate to the SUPL agent. The position estimate may be derived by the SET and sent to the H-SLP. Alternatively, the position estimate may be derived by the H-SLP based on measurements from the SET.
US08874129B2
Example methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture are disclosed that may be utilized to pre-fetch and/or obtain information for use with mobile devices based, at least in part, on a gesture of a user and/or location of a mobile device. By way of example, a method may include detecting an arrival of a mobile device at a location; and pre-fetching, in response to the detection of the arrival, information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on the mobile device. In certain implementations, a method may include processing signals received from at least one sensor at a mobile device; inferring, in response to the processing the signals, a likelihood of a user executing one or more applications and/or functions on the mobile device; and pre-fetching information in connection with the executing applications and/or functions on the mobile device based, at least in part, on the likelihood.
US08874124B2
A dual band LTE small cell base station communicates on both licensed bands and unlicensed bands. The small cell base station modifies the communication protocol utilized by the licensed band to enable communication over an unlicensed band. This modification involves replacing the physical (PHY) layer of the licensed band communication protocol with the PHY layer of a to-be-used protocol in an unlicensed band.
US08874118B2
A base station, to which a cell belongs and which communicates with a relay node to which a relay node cell belongs, includes a control unit configured, at a time of handing over the relay node from the cell of the base station to a first cell belonging to a first base station, to extract information indicative of a non-overlapping cell between a first handover destination neighbor cell list containing neighbor cell information of a first neighbor cell adjacent to the first cell at a handover destination and a first handover source neighbor cell list containing neighbor cell information of a neighbor cell adjacent to the cell at a handover source, and to update a neighbor cell list corresponding to the non-overlapping cell by deleting the relay node cell belonging to the relay node from the neighbor cell list based on the information indicative of the non-overlapping cell.
US08874115B2
Provided are a method and system for handing over a mobile terminal between a macro base station and a vehicular base station to secure a communication service of a movable mobile terminal in a wireless communication system supporting a vehicular base station such as a vehicular relay station. The mobile terminal may be handed over by selecting a network or a vehicular base station suitable to a mobility and type of communication.
US08874105B2
A method and apparatus for obtaining overhead information by a mobile is provided herein. During operation, the mobile will be communicating with a first system on an active data channel. The mobile node will be able to measure pilot PN phase and amplitude for a second system that is a potential candidate to handoff and will have that information available. The data channel of the active service is used to query a proxy server that provides overhead information for the second base station. More particularly, when PN phase and amplitude information is provided to the proxy server, the proxy server will identify the base station and provide the overhead information needed to associate with the second base station.
US08874099B2
Network performance related to the evaluation of an interference reduction scheme may include measuring a signal strength value for a signal sent by at least one base station and received by a plurality of user equipment, calculating first signal strength ratios using the first signal strength value, converting the first signal strength ratio into first user equipment spectral efficiency values for each user equipment of the plurality of user equipment, and comparing the first spectral efficiency value to a second spectral efficiency value to evaluate a data efficiency metric associated with an interference reduction scheme that is running on the base station when the signal strength value is measured.
US08874098B2
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for a subscriber of services on a network to display a custom operator name or alpha tag on the subscriber mobile communications device. The custom alpha tag (or operator name) is selected or defined by the subscriber via an interface on a communications device, and a custom operator name request is submitted to a provisioning logic on the network. The provisioning logic communicates with business rule logic on the network, the business rule logic being configured to retrieve and/or update a first account associated with the subscriber with the custom operator name. A billing logic within a billing subsystem may be invoked to debit a second account associated with the subscriber. A programming logic on the network then updates one or more mobile devices with the custom alpha tag. The several logic units may be part of an Over-the-air (OTA) platform on the network.
US08874097B1
Systems (100) and methods (400) for operating a hybrid communication device (106). The methods involve executing at least one boot program. Responsive to the boot program, a first and second code are concurrently executed. The first code is operative for booting at least a real-time operating system on which a radio processor of the hybrid communication device is built. The second code is operative for booting at least a mobile operating system on which a cellular processor of the hybrid communication device is built. The radio processor provides support for wireless radio communication while the mobile operating system is booting.
US08874096B2
A communication terminal includes: an application control unit that controls execution of an application; a communication control unit that controls a communication unit to establish communication with a communication network, and a suspension control unit that, after detecting a terminal operation that becomes a factor in suspending the application, transmits a suspend command to suspend the application that is running to the application control unit. The suspension control unit is, in response to the terminal operation thus detected, capable of selecting a keep-alive state for transmitting the suspend command to the application control unit without disconnecting communication connection with the communication network by the communication unit. The communication terminal prevents unnecessary disconnection of communication by a suspend operation and improving convenience and comfortableness of application operation.
US08874095B2
Techniques for improving cache effectiveness in areas with low user population are provided. In one aspect, a computer-based method for managing user traffic in a cellular network using proxy caches is provided. The method includes the following steps. A group of the proxy caches that has correlated user traffic is identified. Cache requests for each of the proxy caches in the group are observed. One or more patterns are found in the cache requests. A prediction is made as to which items will be requested from the proxy caches in the group in the future based on the one or more patterns found in the cache requests. The proxy caches in the group are pre-populated with the items.
US08874094B2
An informing method and equipment for index parameter of access type/frequency of selection priority are provided. Said method includes that a Mobility Management Entity (MME) receives the voice capabilities and settings reported by User Equipment (UE) (101); the MME generates a Radio access type/Frequency of Selection Priority (RFSP) index according to the subscribed RFSP index, the voice capabilities and settings reported by said UE, and the operator's configuration policies (102); when the MME determines that said generated RFSP index is different from the RFSP index in use, it replaces the RFSP index in use with said generated RFSP index (104); the MME informs the Radio Access Network (RAN) of said generated RFSP index (105). The present invention overcomes the problem that the transmission of the new RFSP index in use can not be finished under the condition that the UE is in an idle state, the UE has no uplink data, and the MME does not receive the notification of the downlink data.
US08874090B2
Some embodiments provide a method for allowing a first device that is in a video conference with a second mobile device to remotely control the second mobile device. The method sends images captured by a camera of the first device to the second device. The method receives images captured by a camera of the second device. The method sends a command through a communication channel of a real-time communication session to the second device. The command is for instructing the second device to perform an operation that modifies the images captured by the camera of the second device.
US08874079B2
A control method for H(e)NB access and a H(e)NB gateway are provided in the present invention. The method includes the following steps: a H(e)NB gateway interacting with a Broadband Policy Control Framework (BPCF) through a H(e)NB policy function, and requesting for the admission control of a fixed broadband access network; the BPCF returning the result of the admission control to the H(e)NB gateway through the H(e)NB policy function. The present invention performs policy control for the service access of the User Equipment (UE) accessing via the H(e)NB.
US08874073B2
The invention provides a system for adjusting the amount of data bandwidth provided to a mobile device comprising a bandwidth adjustment facilitator arranged to receive a request from the mobile device for adjusting the amount of data bandwidth; a bandwidth throttler in communication with the bandwidth adjustment facilitator; the bandwidth throttler adapted to cap or allocate excess available data bandwidth to the mobile device; wherein on receipt of the request, the bandwidth adjustment facilitator process the request and if the request is successfully processed, adjusts the data bandwidth provided to the mobile device via the bandwidth throttler. The system may further be adapted for billing/charging based on either pay-per-specified-time model or pay per action model.The invention is conveniently suited for use in telecommunications system and does not require modifications to be made to existing telecommunications system.
US08874067B2
In order to access a user's medical data (DonM) saved within a mobile terminal (TM) of the user which has transmitted an emergency call to a call center (CA) over a telecommunications network (RT), the mobile terminal transmits an identifier (IdU) of the user to the call center, which assigns an authorized person to the user and transmits an identifier (IdP) of the authorized person and the users identifier (IdU) to a communication server (SC). The server generates a key (Ku) based on the authorized person's identifier and on the users identifier and transmits the key to the mobile terminal (TM) and to a terminal (TC) of the authorized person, in order to unlock access to the medical data (DonM) by way of the key (Ku).
US08874066B2
In a wireless base station, a specific information receiver receives specific information delivered from a higher-level device to a wireless terminal. A specific information deliverer delivers the specific information to the wireless terminal via multiple physical channels activated in a wireless base station. Where a common channel via which information is periodically broadcast to multiple wireless terminals and a shared channel of which available radio resources are allocated to wireless terminals to transmit voice data and the like to the terminals are activated in the wireless base station, for example, the specific information deliverer can deliver the specific information using the common channel if the wireless terminal is in a standby state, and can deliver the specific information using the shared channel if the wireless terminal is in a communicating state.
US08874059B2
A method for reducing power consumption on a wireless communication device is described. The wireless communication device includes a first stage active filter and a second stage active filter. A condition measurement is obtained that includes a signal measurement condition. If it is determined that the condition measurement is above a threshold, the second stage active filter is bypassed.
US08874057B2
According to one embodiment, a compact low-power receiver comprises a front-end producing a front-end gain and a back-end producing a back-end gain. The front-end includes a transconductance amplifier providing digital gain control and outputting an amplified receive signal, a mixer for generating a down-converted signal from the amplified receive signal, and a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) including a current mode buffer. The TIA provides gain control for amplifying the down-converted signal to produce a front-end output signal. In one embodiment, the back end includes a second-order low-pass filter to produce a filtered signal from the front-end output signal and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), wherein the filtered signal is fed directly to the ADC without direct-current (DC) offset cancellation being performed. In various embodiments, the front-end gain is substantially greater than the back-end gain.
US08874053B2
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a current multiplier that can generate an output current with high linearity and/or high temperature compensation. Such current multipliers can be implemented by complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit elements. In one embodiment, the current multiplier can include a current divider and a core current multiplier. The current divider can generate a divided current by dividing an input current by an adjustable division ratio. The division ratio can be adjusted, for example, based on a comparison of the input current with a reference current. The core current multiplier can generate the output current based on multiplying the divided current and a different current. According to certain embodiments, the output current can be maintained within a predetermined range as the input current to the current divider varies within a relatively wide range.
US08874039B2
As a realistic alternative to traditional business cards for fast and flawless electronic exchange of contact data, a search for additional mobile telecommunication terminals within a predetermined range of a mobile telecommunication terminal is conducted using a wireless connection. When a second mobile telecommunication terminal is within the predetermined range, an identification element associated with the user of the additional mobile telecommunication terminal is loaded into memory of the first mobile telecommunication terminal and displayed together with a confirmation control element on a user interface of the first telecommunication terminal. Upon actuation the confirmation control element, presence of a consent element generated by the user of the second telecommunication terminal and associated with the user of the first telecommunication terminal is checked. When the consent element is present, contact data of the user of the second mobile telecommunication terminal are loaded into the memory of the first mobile telecommunication terminal.
US08874036B2
There is provided a mobile terminal including: a contactless communication unit transmitting an IC identifier to a reader-writer that carries out contactless communication and receiving link information including the IC identifier from the reader-writer; and a wireless communication unit accessing a server based on the link information, transmitting the link information to the server, transmitting the IC identifier to the server separately to the link information, and operable, when the server has judged based on the IC identifier that contactless communication with the reader-writer and access to the server were both carried out using a same mobile terminal owned by a user, to receive information relating to privilege available to the user on a service used by the user from the server apparatus.
US08874033B2
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus capable of fully exhibiting capabilities that are inherently possessed by the communication apparatus for performing near field communication, a communication method for use therewith, and a program for use therewith an initiator performs near field communication with a target in accordance with NFCIP-1. For example, for each of predetermined n+1 types of capabilities possessed by the initiator or the target, the initiator generates capsules [0] to [n] containing one or more pieces of information related to a corresponding capability (S61). Next, the initiator generates a command ATR_REQ containing the generated capsules [0] to [n] (S62 to S64). Then, the initiator transmits the command ATR_REQ to the target. The present invention can be applied to, for example, an IC card system.
US08874026B2
A system of capturing real-time audience interaction via a web-based user interface and automatically adjusting a radio station's programming through a unique direct interface with the radio station's studio operating system and/or music scheduling system. The web based user interface is accessible through a computer, mobile, cellular, and social media site or web-connected car dashboard. Audience participation is collected and processed using an algorithm to determine how a radio station's programming should be manipulated to fit the preferences of the audience. The invention allows the audience to determine which selection should play next on the air, prioritize which elements should play on the air, to play audio on demand, and to upload audio selections, and provides instant alerts, such as by SMS texting, IM, E-mail, and Social Media when a listener's selection is about to play on the air.
US08874017B2
A fixing device includes a fixing member, a housing, and heating-side and pressing-side heat conservation plates. The fixing member includes a heating member and a pressing member that is in pressure contact with the heating member. The housing includes the fixing member and has openings on upstream and downstream sides in a recording medium transportation direction. The heating-side heat conservation plate opposes the heating member so as to be spaced apart from an outer peripheral surface of the heating member. The pressing-side heat conservation plate opposes the pressing member so as to be spaced apart from an outer peripheral surface of the pressing member. A distance between the pressing member and the pressing-side heat conservation plate is greater than a distance between the heating member and the heating-side heat conservation plate.
US08874013B2
In an image forming apparatus, in which color toner images are primarily transferred to an intermediate transfer medium, and then secondarily transferred to a recording sheet at a secondary transfer nip, a secondary transfer current output device applies a transfer current to the transfer nip while determining the transfer current based on area ratios of the toner images using an algorithm. When determining the transfer current, the secondary transfer current output device estimates the target value of a transfer current needed for transferring one of the toner images to be not lower than that needed for transferring another toner image, which is primarily transferred next to the one of the toner images, and the target value of a transfer current needed for transferring a first toner image, which is primarily transferred firstly, to be lower than that needed for transferring a last toner image, which is primarily transferred lastly.
US08874012B2
A high quality developing member that is excellent in deformation recovery property under a high temperature and that also satisfies filming resistance under a low temperature is provided. The developing member of the present invention includes a mandrel, an elastic layer formed on the outer periphery surface of the mandrel, and a surface layer covering the outer periphery surface of the elastic layer, wherein the surface layer contains a first resin and a second resin, the first resin has a particular structure between adjacent two urethane linkages, and the second resin is a resin having a particular structure and having a glass transition point Tg of 20° C. or higher and 120° C. or lower.
US08874004B2
A developing device is usable with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a shaft and a rotary unit mounting the device. When mounted, the device is movable perpendicular to a shaft axial direction in response to movement of the rotary unit and the shaft is not movable in that direction. The device includes a developing roller that contacts and separates from a drum in response to movement of the rotary unit, and a coupler transmitting a rotating force to the roller. The coupler includes a portion engaging the shaft to receive a rotating force and a portion transmitting the received rotating force to the roller. The coupler takes a first position for transmitting the rotational force to the roller, a position before the coupler engages the shaft and is inclined away from the first position, and a position for the disengagement of the coupler and the shaft.
US08874003B2
Disclosed is a supporting mechanism including a bearing support portion that supports a bearing and is open so that the bearing is removed in a first direction that crosses a rotating shaft that is supported by the bearing, a driving shaft coupling that transmits a driving force to the rotating shaft by being connected to a rotating shaft coupling that is provided at one end of the rotating shaft, and a contact member that includes a bearing contact portion that makes contact with the bearing.
US08873993B2
A developing cartridge includes a case having a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall, and a developing roller disposed between the first sidewall and second sidewall. The developing roller can include a developing roller shaft and a developing roller member configured to carry a developing agent thereon, the developing roller member disposed around the developing roller shaft. Also, the developing cartridge can include an electrode disposed on the first sidewall adjacent to the developing roller shaft, the electrode electrically connected to the developing roller member, and a driven coupling disposed on the second sidewall. The electrode can include, an extending portion extending in a direction away from the first sidewall. An outermost periphery of the driven coupling defines a projection plane projecting in a direction towards the electrode, wherein at least a part of the extending portion is disposed within the projection plane.
US08873991B2
Power supply system, image forming apparatus having the same, and low-capacity AC processing circuit
A power supply system includes: a switching power supply to be connected to an AC power supply, the switching power supply rectifying and smoothing an AC voltage to generate predetermined DC voltage; a first capacitor including a first electrode connected to one end of the AC power supply, and a second electrode; a second capacitor including a first electrode connected to the other end of the AC power supply, and a second electrode; a surge-voltage suppressing circuit connected between the second electrode of the first capacitor and the second electrode of the second capacitor; a rectifier circuit connected to a first contact node between the first capacitor and the surge-voltage suppressing circuit and a second contact node between the second capacitor and the surge-voltage suppressing circuit; and an output-signal generating circuit connected to the rectifier circuit, and uses the rectified current to generate a predetermined output signal.
US08873987B2
An embodiment provides an image forming apparatus including: a job acquiring unit that acquires an image forming job that gives instructions for performing forming of an image; an image forming process control unit that controls performance of the image forming job that the job acquiring unit acquires; a temperature information acquiring unit that acquires information showing temperature of the heating rotary body; a determining unit that determines whether the temperature of the heating rotary body which is acquired by the temperature information acquiring unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined stand-by temperature set as a temperature in a stand-by state that stands by to perform the image forming process, when the image forming process is completed, based on the image forming job by the image forming process control unit; and a fixing device control unit.
US08873986B2
A toner image heater includes a heating roller; an external heater for heating the heating roller; a heater for heating the external heater; a detector for detecting a temperature of the external heater; a controller for maintaining the external heater at a target temperature; and an air blower for blowing air toward the heating roller when a predetermined kind of the recording material is separated from the heating roller, wherein the controller controls the target temperature in accordance with information corresponding to a temperature of the air blown from the air blower.
US08873964B2
Optical autodiscovery is provide between two optical modules to insure that when an optical signal is coupled between the two optical module, the optical signal from a first module does not interfere with operation of a second module. The autodiscovery is implemented by sending an optical identification signal from the first optical module via the coupling to the second optical module from which signal, the second optical module can verify and determined acceptance of the coupled first optical module. During this autodiscovery process, the optical identification signal from the first optical module may be attenuated or shifted in optical spectrum so as not to interfere with the operation of the second optical module. Autodiscovery may also be employed in cases where a first optical module is to receive an optical signal from a second module.
US08873956B2
Optical regenerators and amplifiers are expensive to implement and maintain. A method or corresponding apparatus in an example embodiment of the present invention relates to an optical planning tool that plans an optical network configuration by determining a plurality of costs for maintaining signal strength in corresponding network configurations including (i) a configuration of regenerators, (ii) a configuration of pre-or post-amplifiers, and (iii) a configuration of pre- and post-amplifiers in candidate locations and regenerator modules. The candidate locations for placing pre-or post-amplifiers are determined based on loss in each span, expected traffic patterns, and proposed regeneration locations along paths of expected traffic. The regeneration modules are located in locations determined based on the candidate locations. The example embodiment selects a configuration from among the network configurations as a function of the plurality of costs, helping reduce the cost of network deployment.
US08873955B2
Scheduling methods and apparatus for use with optical switches with hybrid architectures are provided. An exemplary distributed scheduling process achieves 100% throughput for any admissible Bernoulli arrival traffic. The exemplary distributed scheduling process may be easily adapted to work for any finite round trip time, without sacrificing any throughput. Simulation results also showed that this distributed scheduling process can provide very good delay performance for different traffic patterns and for different round trip times associated with current switches.
US08873952B2
The present invention is directed to a method including determining an appropriate power level for a phase modulator for an optimum number of subcarriers; and applying the determined appropriate power level via a controller to produce the optimum number of subcarriers, wherein the optimum number of subcarriers enables an optical-orthogonal frequency division multiplex O-OFDM based variable rate transmitter with automatic control by a controller to produce an optimum setting based on a required rate.
US08873951B2
A technique for controlling power of a network node in an optical mesh network, comprising: determining a number of optical paths ingressing or expected to ingress the node, determining capacity or expected capacity of each of the paths; calculating for each of the paths a virtual input power Pvirtual, based on estimation of relative capacity of a specific path with respect to total capacity of all the paths; applying to the network node a power control mechanism, while utilizing a corresponding virtual input power Pvirtual as input power of any of the paths.
US08873946B2
A system and method is disclosed that allows for the monitoring, analyzing and reporting on performance, availability and quality of optical network paths. The correlation of PM parameter metrics to client connections, coupled with threshold-based alarm generation provides a proactive and predictive management, reporting and analyzing of the health and effectiveness of individual path connections to alert Operational Support (OS) staff and/or customers to signal degradation and impending Network Element (NE) failures. The system and method performs in real-time processing intervals required for alarm surveillance in a telecommunications network.
US08873938B2
A receiver receives a request for content associated with a channel, determines that all channel selectors are in use, selects a set of options, and transmits the set to a presentation device. The receiver may then fulfill the request utilizing a selected option. All available channel selectors may be in use because they are tuned to frequency bands of a broadcast signal to record content and data associated the channel is included in a different frequency band. The set of options may include options to stop the current recording in favor of the requested content and options to present content included in a same frequency band to which a tuner is already tuned. In one or more implementations, the receiver may determine that content currently being recorded will be rebroadcast at a later time and may include notifications indicating such and/or options to record the content at the later time.
US08873936B1
A system and method for generating a synchronized mix of a plurality of audiovisual tracks is provided. A new audiovisual track may be recorded simultaneously while one or more other audiovisual tracks are being played to help simulate a live jam session as closely as possible. In a “DJ Mix” mode, a user may manipulate sequencing and/or characteristics related to one or more audiovisual tracks included in a project in real-time while the project (e.g., song) is being played. A synchronized mix of a plurality of audiovisual tracks may be generated based on various attributes associated with the audiovisual tracks. For example, audiovisual tracks that are recorded along with a metronome may be synchronized based on a metronome clock rate selected by a user.
US08873928B2
An audio and video synchronization apparatus and method in a wireless communication network are provided. The audio and video synchronization apparatus includes a receiver that receives audio frames and video frames, a playback buffer that sequentially buffers the audio frames, a detector that determines whether the audio frames are synchronized with the video frames and adjusts a playback time of the video frames based on a playback time of the audio frames if it is determined the audio frames are not synchronized with the video frames.
US08873925B2
The fiber optic hinge can mechanically connect a first fiber optic tray and a second fiber optic tray of a fiber optic device, while providing an optical fiber path extending continuously through the first and second hinge members.
US08873922B2
The present disclosure relates to a telecommunications apparatus that includes a fan-out module main body adapted for connection to a rack. The telecommunications apparatus also includes a fan-out block attached to the fan-out module main body. The telecommunications apparatus also includes a multi-fiber cable segment. The multi-fiber cable segment includes first and second strength members. The first and second strength members are anchored to the fan-out block. The telecommunications apparatus further includes a plurality of pigtail cable segments each including a jacket containing one of the optical fibers and a plurality of flexible strength members positioned inside the jacket. The flexible strength members of the pigtail cable segments are anchored to the fan-out block, the optical fibers being fanned out from the multi-fiber cable segment to the pigtail cable segments within the fan-out block. The telecommunications apparatus also includes a plurality of single fiber connectors mounted to free ends of the pigtail cable segments.
US08873918B2
Preparation of Free-Flowing Organosilica Nanoparticles by Forming a solution of an organosilica nanoparticle precursor in a mixed solvent system comprising a first solvent and a second solvent, wherein the first solvent is different from the second solvent, wherein the second solvent has a boiling point which is greater than a boiling point of the first solvent, and wherein the nanoparticle precursor has a greater solubility in the first solvent than in the second solvent; removing at least 50% of the first solvent to form nanoparticles having a mean particle size less than about 25 nanometers dispersed in the solution; adding a coupling agent to the solution to facilitate reacting of the coupling agent with the nanoparticles; and recovering the nanoparticles from the solution, wherein the recovered nanoparticles have the mean particle size of less than about 25 nanometers
US08873903B2
An apparatus includes a slider structure having a waveguide and a cavity configured to align a laser to the waveguide. The cavity includes a plurality of solder bumps on a bottom of the cavity configured to electrically and thermally couple the laser to the slider. At least one mechanical stopper is disposed in the cavity to facilitate vertical alignment between an output of the laser and an input of the waveguide. At least one solder bump is disposed on the mechanical stopper to facilitate lateral alignment between the output of the laser and the input of the waveguide in response to a reflow of the solder bumps.
US08873902B2
An optical transmission module includes a printed circuit board (PCB) including a first surface and an opposite second surface, a ceramic substrate mounted on the first surface, a light emitting diode and a photodiode carried on the ceramic substrate, an optical printed circuit board (OPCB) mounted on the second surface, a first reflective unit and, and a second reflective unit. The OPCB includes a flexible substrate which carries a first planar optical wave guide corresponding the first reflective unit and a second planar optical wave guide corresponding the second reflective unit. The PCB defines a first through hole aligned with the light emitting diode and the first reflective unit and a second through hole aligned with the photodiode and the second reflective unit.
US08873898B2
A polarization independent wavelength converter includes a polarization maintaining optical fiber which includes a first and a second ends and has a first polarization axis and a second polarization axis, the first and the second polarization axes being orthogonal to each other and propagating light at different velocities, and a group velocity difference cancellation unit that receives a signal light having a certain polarization state and a pump light including a polarization component parallel to the first polarization axis and a polarization component parallel to the second polarization axis and that causes the signal light and a wavelength-converted light generated in the polarization maintaining optical fiber by the signal and the pump lights to pass through the polarization maintaining optical fiber in a manner not to be influenced by a group velocity difference of each of the signal and the wavelength-converted lights between the first and the second polarization axes.
US08873897B2
An optical fiber multi-wavelength filter based on a polarization-diversity loop configuration within which polarization-maintaining fibers are contained with some optical elements is disclosed. The filter includes a coil heater adjacent to polarization-maintaining fibers. An ambient temperature of the polarization-maintaining fiber is controlled by adjusting a current applied to the coil heater.
US08873893B2
A nano-wire optical block device for amplifying, modulating, and detecting an optical signal in a large-core hollow metallized waveguide. The nano-wire optical block device comprises a substrate with a plurality of nano-wires coupled to the substrate to form the nano-wire optical block. Each properly formed nano-wire is comprised of a p-doped region, an intrinsic region, and an n-doped region. The nano-wire optical block is operable to be inserted into the large-core hollow metallized waveguide to provide at least one of amplifying, modulating, and detecting the optical signal.
US08873891B2
A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object.
US08873888B2
An system is described for managing bicubic downsampling in a constrained environment. The system may be configured to detect a request for a destination image, access a read-copy pattern for the ratio of downsampling, access the source image, and generate the destination image using the source image and the read-copy pattern.
US08873887B2
In some instances, an image may have dimensions that do not correspond to a slot to display the image. For example, an image content item may have dimensions that do not correspond to a content item slot. The image may be resized using seam carving to add or remove pixels of the image. A saliency map for the image may be used having saliency scores for each pixel of the image. Evaluation metrics may be used before, during, and after, seam carving to determine whether salient content is affected by the seam carving. In some instances, a seam cost threshold value may be used for adaptive step size during the seam carving. The resized image may then be outputted, such as for an image content item to be served with a resource.
US08873886B2
Apparatus and method for displaying a region of an image in an enlarged manner, and program therefor
Provided is an image processing apparatus, including an enlargement ratio setting section which sets a region of data in an original image, including a designated position designated as an object to be enlarged within the original image, as a region to be enlarged, and sets an enlargement ratio to the region to be enlarged, based on an image feature amount showing complexity of an image of the region to be enlarged, and an enlarged image generation section which generates enlarged image data for the data of the original image, by applying an enlargement process by the enlargement ratio set by the enlargement ratio setting section.
US08873861B2
In one embodiment, a method is disclosed for performing a video processing. The method can extract one or more common video segments. The method can select a common summarization segment based on a first summarization score. The method can extract one or more individual video segments in which the number of segments included therein is not more than a third threshold value that is less than a second threshold value. The method can select an individual summarization segment based on a second summarization score. In addition, the method can integrate the common summarization segment and the individual summarization segment to create the summary video.
US08873858B2
A device includes a display having touch sensitive display surface that is responsive to pen-based user input, and a control unit that is bidirectionally coupled to the display. The control unit is responsive to a user selecting displayed text from a first display location using the pen, and is further responsive to a first signal generated using the pen, to copy the selected displayed text to a buffer associated with a text window and to display the copied text in the text window. The control unit is further responsive to the user selecting a second display location using the pen, and to a second signal, to copy the displayed text from the text window to the second display location, thereby implementing a copy and paste function. A cut and paste function may also be implemented.
US08873854B2
An image processing method for increasing the stereoscopic effect of an image is provided. Difference mask data including an object area and a background area is created from image data, and the center coordinate of the object area is calculated. Then, a gradation pattern is selected in accordance with the average brightness value of the object area and applied to the background area, whereby a gradation mask data is created. After that, the image data of the background area is converted into image data based on the gradation mask data, so that the stereoscopic effect of the image is increased.
US08873853B2
Cell phones and other portable devices are equipped with a variety of technologies by which existing functionality can be improved, and new functionality can be provided. Some relate to visual search capabilities, and determining appropriate actions responsive to different image inputs. Others relate to processing of image data. Still others concern metadata generation, processing, and representation. Yet others relate to coping with fixed focus limitations of cell phone cameras, e.g., in reading digital watermark data. Still others concern user interface improvements. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US08873849B2
An image processing method of picking up an image of a substrate and converting pixel values of the picked-up substrate image makes the pixel values of the picked-up substrate image into a histogram, and creates a tone curve T composed of a periodic function of a predetermined amplitude and a predetermined period based on a distribution of the pixel values in the histogram. The pixel values of the picked-up substrate image are converted using the tone curve T to obtain a substrate image with a high contrast.
US08873847B2
A method of demosaicing a digital raw image in the form of a matrix of pixels, each dedicated to a single color among several predetermined colors from color filters, includes obtaining a color digital image of the same resolution as the raw image and in which each pixel results from corresponding pixels in a luminance image and in chrominance images reconstructed from the raw image, transformation of the raw image by applying local convolution kernels to its pixels, taking into account neighboring pixels of different colors, to obtain an image of low frequency coefficients using a low frequency local kernel and images of high frequency coefficients using high frequency local kernels; reconstruction of the luminance image using at least the image of low frequency coefficients; reconstruction of the chrominance images using the images of high frequency coefficients.
US08873844B2
Systems and methods for metric learning include iteratively determining feature groups of images based on its derivative norm. Corresponding metrics of the feature groups are learned by gradient descent based on an expected loss. The corresponding metrics are combined to provide an intermediate metric matrix as a sparse representation of the images. A loss function of all metric parameters corresponding to features of the intermediate metric matrix are optimized, using a processor, to learn a final metric matrix. Eigenvalues of the final metric matrix are projected onto a simplex.
US08873843B2
A nearest-neighbor-based distance metric learning process includes applying an exponential-based loss function to provide a smooth objective; and determining an objective and a gradient of both hinge-based and exponential-based loss function in a quadratic time of the number of instances using a computer.
US08873841B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided for facilitating gesture recognition. A method may include constructing a matrix based at least in part on an input gesture and a template gesture. The method may further include determining whether a relationship determined based at least in part on the constructed matrix satisfies a predefined threshold. In an instance in which the relationship does not satisfy the predefined threshold, the method may also include eliminating the template gesture from further consideration for recognition of the input gesture. In an instance in which the relationship satisfies the predefined threshold, the method may further include determining a rotation matrix based at least in part on the constructed matrix.
US08873830B2
According to one embodiment, a method includes acquiring information about a two-dimensional distribution of secondary electron intensity for a measurement target pattern, extracting, by a first method, an edge position of an edge for correction value acquisition, extracting, by a second method, an edge position of the edge for correction value acquisition, acquiring a difference between the edge positions extracted by the first and second methods, as a correction value, extracting, by the second method, an edge position of a desired edge based on the information about the two-dimensional distribution, and correcting the edge position of the desired edge based on the correction value.
US08873828B2
A paper sheet processing apparatus capable of preventing conveyance failure of a paper sheet. The apparatus includes a bill insertion slot, a bill conveyance mechanism capable of conveying a bill inserted from the bill insertion slot, a bill reader reading the bill conveyed by the bill conveyance mechanism, an authenticity determination mechanism determining the authentication of the bill read by the bill reader, a bill determination processing part for determining, before the reading of the banknote by the banknote reader is completed, damage to the bill based on a shape of a portion of the bill which is read and on a shape of a reference bill, and a controller controlling conveyance of the bill by the bill conveyance mechanism based on a result of the determination by the bill determination processing part.
US08873825B2
The invention relates to the field of digital image processing and can find use in suppression of noise in digital images, formed by high-energy radiation, including X-ray radiation. Specifically, the invention relates to a method for suppression of noise in digital x-ray images. The objective of the invention is to provide a method for noise suppression in digital X-ray images that has extended functionality, specifically, a method that makes it possible to reduce residual noise level and amount of artifacts in the form of discontinuities, directed along local orientation of object borders in textured image areas, to reduce residual LF noise level, and to eliminate over-smoothing (excessive filtering) of fine details. The technical innovation achieved is the improvement of digital image processing quality.
US08873815B2
A remote microarray analysis system, method and apparatus for use in the remote analysis of a chemical compound microarray supported on a substrate is disclosed. Pixel image data is received from a remote location including image data that depicts (a) a calibration scale associated with the substrate and (b) the microarray. A transformation action of said pixel data corresponding to the calibration scale is determined and the received image data corresponding to at least the microarray is adjusted by applying the transformation action. The adjusted image of the microarray is compared with a database of stored microarray pixel data to extract information from said image.
US08873810B2
A feature-based method and system for blur estimation in eye images. A blur estimation can be performed from eye/iris images in order to produce de-blurred images that are more useful for biometric identification. The eye/iris region, in particular the edge between the iris and pupil regions, can be utilized. The pattern of shutter motion or a characterization of the optical system can be utilized. By capturing a burst of images, or a video stream, one can use eye position in the images before and after a given capture to predict the motion of the eye within that capture. Because the before/after image frames need only contain the information necessary to locate the eye, and need not contain sufficient information to perform matching, the capture of these images can be accomplished with a wider range of settings.
US08873808B2
There is provided an image processing apparatus that includes a move detecting unit that detects a move of a subject contained in a moving image from plural frame images, based on an image signal that indicates the moving image including the frame image and delay time information that indicates a delay time of an image pickup, and a correcting unit that corrects the image signal, based on the image signal and move information that indicates a move of a detected subject.
US08873807B2
System, method, and computer program product are provided for using real-time video analysis to provide information about vehicles to a user. Through the user of real-time vision object recognition an image of a vehicle VIN number or a portion of a vehicle may be captured using an image capture device. The VIN number or the portion the vehicle that was captured via the real-time video analysis may be analyzed to determine information about the vehicle. The information may include information about the vehicle, such as the make, model, year, price, vehicle history, and the like. Furthermore, information about the individual's finances, such that an individual may know budgeting of purchasing a vehicle. The information about the vehicle and financial information about purchasing the vehicle is presented to the user.
US08873804B2
A traffic monitoring device determines accurately the number of objects (H) such as, for example, human bodies present within a supervised sector (8), without being affected by influences of a clinging condition of a plurality of heads and/or hairdos. In determining the number of the objects (H), this traffic monitoring device performs a template matching with template blocks (20) of the shape of the objects (H), in which block areas including heads (α), hairdos buffer units (β) and shoulders (γ) are represented by template images, relative to the block projected image acquired from a three dimensional object information resulting from a detection block (B1) related to the objects (H) present within the supervised sector (8).
US08873800B2
The present disclosure provides an image processing apparatus, including: a recognition section adapted to recognize, based on a learning result obtained by learning of a learning image regarding a predetermined object, the object in a predetermined frame of an input image formed from a plurality of frames which are continuous in time; and a setting section adapted to set a parameter to be used for a process to be carried out for a later frame which is later in time than the predetermined frame of the input image in response to a difference in image information between an object image, which is an image in a region of the object recognized in the predetermined frame, and the learning image; the recognition section recognizing the object in the later frame for which the process is carried out based on the parameter set by the setting section.
US08873798B2
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus that tracks an object includes utilizing random projections to represent an object in a region of an initial frame in a transformed space with at least one less dimension. One of a plurality of regions in a subsequent frame with a closest similarity between the represented object and one or more of plurality of templates is identified as a location for the object in the subsequent frame. A learned distance is applied for template matching, and techniques that incrementally update the distance metric online are utilized in order to model the appearance of the object and increase the discrimination between the object and the background. A hybrid template library, with stable templates and hybrid templates that contains appearances of the object during the initial stage of tracking as well as more recent ones is utilized to achieve robustness with respect to pose variation and illumination changes.
US08873793B2
A loudspeaker resin molding component includes resin and bamboo fibers refined to have a microfibril status and carbonized. By this configuration, such a loudspeaker resin molding component can achieve both of a high elastic modulus and a large internal loss.
US08873792B2
A speaker includes a base defining a pair of receiving cavities separated from each other in a longitudinal direction and an engaging portion disposed between the pair of receiving cavities, a pair of magnetic circuit systems received into the pair of the receiving cavities, a diaphragm attached on the base, a pair of voice coil members connecting with the diaphragm, and a suspension mounted on the base. The suspension defines a pair of separating portions separated from each other in a lateral direction. Each separating portion defines a fixing portion engaging with the engaging portion of the base, a pair of connecting portions extending from two ends of the fixing portion and towards the diaphragm, and a pair of supporting portions connecting with the connecting portion for engaging with the pair of voice coil members, respectively.
US08873787B2
A speaker arrangement comprises a first sound transducer (101) for reproducing sound in a lower frequency range and having a first on-axis direction and a first center point. The arrangement further comprises a second sound transducer (103) for reproducing sound in a higher frequency range, the second sound transducer (103) being mounted in front of the first sound transducer and having a second on-axis direction and a second center point. The transducers are positioned such that an angle between the first on-axis direction and the second on-axis direction is between 45° and 135°, and such that the distance between the first center point and the second center point is not higher than a cross-over wavelength corresponding to the cross-over frequency. The cross-over frequency between the lower frequency range and the higher frequency range is selected to be within the interval from 1.5 kHz to 3 kHz. An improved point source approximation may be achieved.
US08873782B2
A method and device for compensating sensorineural hearing loss in a manner that allows dysfunction of the inner and outer hair cells to be separately compensated is described. The disclosed techniques involve providing separately adjustable compression pathways for the received sound.
US08873778B2
A sound processing apparatus includes: a filter means for providing a sound signal with a frequency-gain characteristic according to a spectrum difference between a previously measured first head-related transfer function of a sound generated from a virtual sound image position to an ear of a listener and a previously measured second head-related transfer function of a sound generated from a real sound source position to the ear, and outputting the sound signal.
US08873776B2
Disclosed is a piezoelectric speaker including: a piezoelectric layer that converts electrical signals into oscillation and outputs sound; an electrode that is formed on a top or a bottom of the piezoelectric layer to apply the electrical signals to the piezoelectric layer; an acoustic diaphragm that is made of a hetero material including a first acoustic diaphragm and a second acoustic diaphragm and is attached to the bottom of the piezoelectric layer on which the electrode is formed; and a frame attached in a form enclosing a side of the acoustic diaphragm.
US08873771B2
A method for automatic volume adjustment performed by a physical computing system includes, with the computing system, determining a virtual proximity between a user and a number of applications running on the computing system, the virtual proximity based in part on a type of one of the number of applications, and with the computing system, automatically adjusting a volume of the number of applications linked with a sound peripheral connecting to the computing system, the volume of each of the number of applications being based on the virtual proximity.
US08873766B2
According to one embodiment, a sound signal processor includes: a connector; an input module; and a generator. The connector is connectable with an earphone. The input module receives and processes a plurality of sound signals corresponding to sound of a plurality of times output from the earphone, respectively. The generator generates, by using first data indicating a frequency characteristic of a first sound signal among the received and processed sound signals and second data indicating a frequency characteristic of a second sound signal among the received and processed sound signals, correction data correcting a frequency characteristic of the earphone to be a target frequency characteristic set as a target. The first data is used for a first frequency band lower than or equal to a reference. The second data is used for a second frequency band higher than the reference.
US08873751B2
In a content protection scheme, and in response to a request for a content segment received by a server, the server generates and associates with the segment a message that confers entitlement to a session-specific key from which one or more decryption keys may be derived. The decryption keys are useful to decrypt the segment at runtime as it is about to be rendered by a player. Before delivery, the server encrypts the segment to generate an encrypted fragment, and it then serves the encrypted fragment (and the message) in response to the request. At the client, information in the message is used to obtain the session-specific key. Using that key, the decryption keys are derived, and those keys are then used to decrypt the received encrypted fragment. The decryption occurs at runtime. The approach protects content while in transit to and at rest in the client browser environment.
US08873746B2
An embodiment may include circuitry to establish, at least in part, a secure communication channel between, at least in part, a client in a first domain and a server in a second domain. The channel may include a first and second domain sessions in the first and second domains. The circuitry may generate first and second domain session keys that may encrypt, at least in part, respectively, the first and second domain sessions. The first domain session key may be generated based upon a first domain key assigned to the first domain and a first data set associated with the first domain session. The second domain session key may be generated based upon a second domain key assigned to the second domain and a second data set associated with the second domain session.
