Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLC
  • Patent number: 7168592
    Abstract: A refrigerator having a water dispenser and gas line operable to pressurize a drink supply container. The drink supply container contains drink syrup. The drink syrup and the water from the water dispenser are used to produce a beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry Lee Crisp, III, Todd Erik Duff
  • Patent number: 7169042
    Abstract: A gaming device including a plurality of reels or cards having several symbols. The symbols include at least one extender symbol. In one embodiment, when the extender symbol is randomly generated on the reels, one of the symbols randomly generated on the reels changes into another of the symbols randomly generated on the reels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: David H. Muir, Gregg J. Palmer, Joseph E. Kaminkow
  • Patent number: 7171088
    Abstract: A number of optical fiber cords 11 are bundled together to constitute an image fiber. A first end of the image fiber 12a is incorporated within and covered by a cylindrical member to constitute an imaging section, which in turn forms one of a plurality of imaging sections. The second end of the image fiber is incorporated within a fiber bundling unit so that an image pickup device simultaneously read images captured by the plurality of imaging sections and transmitted to the image pickup device via optical means. Within the fiber bundling unit a plurality of cylindrical holes are provided, in an orderly fashion and in a lattice pattern, and into at least one cylindrical hole one end of the image fiber that forms an imaging section is inserted. All of the end faces of a plurality of image fibers are aligned in the same plane to thereby form a flattened surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimi Koyama, Tsukasa Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 7169047
    Abstract: A casino gaming apparatus may include a display unit capable of generating video images, a value input device, a user input device and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit. The controller may comprise a processor and a memory and may be programmed to allow a person to make a wager, to cause a video image to be generated on the display unit, to cause a bonus image to be generated on the display unit for a time period in response to a trigger event, to award a bonus in response to the person making an input via the user input device in response to generation of the bonus image on the display unit, and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Jamal Benbrahim
  • Patent number: 7170284
    Abstract: A passive blade detection sensor exploits the electrically conductive trait of typical turbo machinery components such as fan, compressor and turbine blades. A permanent magnet is placed strategically adjacent to a wire coil to generate a single pulse/antipulse signal when a blade passes in front of the sensor. The electrically conductive blade allows eddy currents to flow briefly as it passes through the magnetic field, the local reluctance is momentarily increased, and the magnetic field is momentarily changed. The coil is sensitive only to the portion of change through its cross section, so that a simple voltage pulse, useful for precise timing of blade passage, is produced. The present disclosure also describes an open-loop and closed-loop active cooling system. The cooling system includes a casing, having internal sensing components and an inlet, coupled to one end of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Hood Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Corydon C. Roeseler, Andreas H. Von Flotow, Benjamin Lewit
  • Patent number: 7169046
    Abstract: A gaming device including a primary game having one or more symbol generators and one or more secondary games associated with the symbol generators. The gaming device activates the symbol generators for a number of activations. When the symbol generator generates one or more predetermined symbols, the gaming device operates one or more of the secondary games associated with the symbol generators. In one embodiment, the gaming device continues to activate the symbol generators until at least one of the symbol generators generates one or more termination symbols, or until there are no activations remaining in the primary game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Bayard S. Webb, Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Patent number: 7169003
    Abstract: A display unit and method of manufacturing same is provided. The display unit includes a drive panel and a sealing panel that face each other with a middle layer in between. The display panel includes a number of light-emitting devices on a drive substrate with a drive device layer and a coating layer that is provided over the drive device layer in between. The middle layer is disposed between the drive panel and the sealing panel so as to be laid over the light-emitting devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Iwase, Mitsuru Asano, Takashi Hirano
  • Patent number: 7169044
    Abstract: A processor controlled gaming device that randomly generates and displays a pachinko-type game and outcome on a screen connected to the processor. The gaming device initially provides a preliminary game that yields the number of attempts or objects that the player has in the pachinko-type game. Next, the game displays the pachinko-type game screen having a player selectable starting area. The starting area is large enough so that when the player picks a certain position of the area, the object falls from the selected position, hits a plurality of pegs and lands in an award position. The selected start position affects which award position that object eventually falls in accordance with the probability distribution predicted by the laws of physics. The player's award, however, is not effected by which start position the player selects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Anna Sheila C. Parrucho, Cari L. Blomquist
  • Patent number: 7171253
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a volume of tumor mass destroyed. The present invention includes a temperature probe and a laser probe having a temperature sensor. The laser probe and temperature probe are inserted to measure a temperature of the tumor mass and a temperature of tissue mass surrounding the tumor mass. By determining the volume of tumor mass destroyed, a graphical representation of the volume of tumor mass destroyed is provided whereby real-time visual monitoring of the destruction of the tumor mass is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Kelsey, Inc.
    Inventor: Kambiz Dowlatshahi
  • Patent number: 7171341
    Abstract: A design assistance method and apparatus is provided for creating swing joint layout objects for interconnection among layout objects for use in a computer assisted design apparatus, the apparatus including an input means, a display device, a storage and a processor connected to the input means, the display including image data representative of layout objects and the storage including layout object data and layout object image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Inventor: David Henry Hoeft
  • Patent number: 7169757
    Abstract: A cGMP containing aqueous composition exhibiting a reduced off-flavor even after extended storage, comprising a hydrophobic resin; and an agent, that chemically blocks functional groups in cGMP. Methods of preparing and using the product are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Marcel Braun, Peter Erdmann
  • Patent number: 7166389
    Abstract: A battery pack is provided. The battery device is accommodated and hermetically sealed in a packaging unit and is packed along with a connection substrate and a frame by the packaging unit. A laminated material used for hermetically sealing the battery device is also used as an exterior material for the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Mitsuo Sakamoto, Takao Sawaguchi, Kazuhito Hatta
  • Patent number: 7168031
    Abstract: A method is provided for channel decoding a data stream containing useful data and redundant data, the data stream exhibiting at least one known source-coded errored bit sequence which identifies a pre-determined position within the data stream, wherein the data stream is channel decoded, the source-coded errored bit sequence is determined from the channel-decoded data stream, and the data stream is again channel decoded taking into consideration the detected source-coded errored bit sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Frank Burkert, Ralf Buschmann, Gero Bäse
  • Patent number: 7163399
    Abstract: An ultrasonic therapy device comprises two bodies and two holding members. The body, at the inner face of which an oscillator is embedded, covers an affected area into which implant fixtures are embedded. The holding member which holds the body has a shape of a crown which covers teeth next to the affected area. Two teeth were removed from the affected area into which two implant fixtures are embedded. Each of the bodies covers the affected area between the teeth which is covered by the holding members so that the bodies are exactly fixed in an oral cavity. In this state, it is possible to accelerate osteogenesis around the implant fixtures by supplying an ultrasonic signal from an external driver to the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignees: Bio Map Co., Ltd., Ito Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Kajimoto, Atsumi Ohta, Nobuo Ogiwara
  • Patent number: 7164925
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for positional determination of at least one user appliance in a radio communication system, which includes a number of base stations for dividing into radio cells, in which at least one localization measuring signal is transmitted by at least one positional element from at least one radio cell adjacent to the radio cell in which the user apparatus is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Siegfried Bär, Thomas Gottschalk
  • Patent number: 7163531
    Abstract: A catheter connection adapter is provided which allows for a user-friendly and mistake-proof connection of a multiple lumen catheter from a dialysis patient to a source of dialysis fluid. The connection adapter contains at least two ports, e.g., one for inflow and one for outflow, and may have a tapered gap between the ports so that an interference fit is made when the ports are inserted into the catheter. In addition, the ports may have a unique key and lock configuration with the catheter such that a fit can only be made when the catheter lumens and the ports are in proper alignment, and the ports may be unconnected to one another so as to provide separate fluid paths for inflow or outflow. The connection adapters are advantageous in that they will allow a multiple lumen catheter to be manually connected to other dialysis equipment following implantation in a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignees: Baxter International, Inc., Baxter Healthcare S.A.
    Inventors: Timothy M. Seese, William Griswold, Scott Ruddell
  • Patent number: 7161749
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is provided. The image pickup apparatus permitting a conversion lens to be mounted and dismounted, wherein a lens hood is composed of a base portion on the mounting side and a tubular portion on the front side, the base portion and the tubular portion are detachably coupled to each other, and another lens is contained in the inside of the lens hood when the another lens is mounted on the front side of an optical system, whereby even when the conversion lens is being used, the lens hood can be used as it is, and the incident light contracting function of the lens hood can be maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobumasa Sakurai, Yukio Yamada, Kaizo Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 7160186
    Abstract: A gaming device having a bonus game with an adjacent selection feature. In one embodiment of the present invention, the gaming device provides a plurality of adjacent player selectable selections. An award is associated with each player selectable selection. The award associated with each selectable selection is not initially displayed or revealed to the player. The player selectable selections are arranged or grouped into a plurality of associated or related selection sets. In one embodiment, each selection set has a different number of player selectable selections. In one embodiment, the related plurality of selection sets are arranged adjacent to each other to enable each player selectable selection in one set to be adjacent to at least one player selectable selection from another selection set. The player's pick in each selection set limits the available selections in the subsequent selection sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Ryan W. Cuddy, Anthony J. Baerlocher, Joseph E. Kaminkow, Cari L. Blomquist
  • Patent number: 7161478
    Abstract: A user of a computer aided design (CAD) system graphically places fire alarm appliances, such as smoke detectors and sirens, in a drawing area. After elements are placed and physical paths are determined, a series of electrical circuit connections between alarm source elements and alarm appliance elements are determined. The electrical circuit connections define wire gauges and lengths passing through the physical paths. The wire types may be determined by predefined rules, and multiple wires may be placed in a single physical path. Subsequently, the CAD system performs electrical calculations associated with the alarm system. The electrical calculations may be based on a supervisory mode of operation as well as an alarm mode of operation. The resistance of wires in the alarm system may be based on a scaled wire length and/or a schematic (non-scaled) wire length. In one example, a backup battery capacity requirement is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: M.E.P. CAD, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Reghetti, Barry Kenneth Anspach, Russell Sandquist
  • Patent number: D534976
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Tour Edge Golf Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: David B. Glod