Patents Represented by Attorney Crowell & Moring LLP
  • Patent number: 8347850
    Abstract: An internal-combustion engine can be operated in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode at least under certain operating conditions. The combustion mixture present in the combustion chamber reaches auto-ignition conditions and ignites itself. The internal-combustion engine includes a triggering unit for triggering the auto-ignition during the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode before the auto-ignition conditions have been reached. The triggering unit is constructed as a corona ignition system and can be operated for triggering the auto-ignition during the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode, particularly by generating a non-thermal plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Schenk, Michael Guenthner
  • Patent number: 8347638
    Abstract: A support system comprising a number of racetrack-shaped tensile support bands held in tension between a supported article and a supporting article, respective curved end portions of each tensile support band being retained by respective mounting points mounted on respective surfaces of the supported article and the supporting article, respectively. At least one of the tensile support bands is arranged so that the curved end portions lie in a plane substantially parallel to the surface upon which the respective mounting point is mounted; and at least one mounting point is a monolithic mounting point having a curved surface which is complementary to an inner curved surface of an end of the tensile support band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Plc
    Inventor: Nicholas Mann
  • Patent number: 8348634
    Abstract: A device for processing compressed air for a commercial vehicle is provided. The device includes an inlet connection for connecting a compressor, an air dryer unit, a first solenoid valve for pneumatically shutting off the compressor and blocking a pipe that is connected to the compressor, and a second solenoid valve for controlling a backflow of air to regenerate the air filter unit. Loss of compressed air during regeneration in the pressure in a pipe located between the compressor and a stop valve upstream of the air filter unit is minimized by exciting the first solenoid valve. Different methods for operating the compressed air processing device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Ertl
  • Patent number: 8352093
    Abstract: An environmental control system according to the present invention is a system for controlling environmental devices by which a work status and a behavior status are monitored and the environmental devices are finely controlled in accordance with the statuses to improve comfort. The environmental control system includes a communication unit, a unit for detecting environments, a unit for detecting a work status, a unit for obtaining power consumption, a unit for determining the control of a device, and a unit for transmitting a control signal, and enables fine control in accordance with a work type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minako Toba, Yasuhide Mori, Ken Naono, Masashi Egi, Takao Sakurai
  • Patent number: 8348808
    Abstract: A method and a corresponding system are provided for automatically turning off an internal-combustion engine in a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission, by use of a start-stop device which automatically turns off the internal-combustion engine when the vehicle is braked to a stopped position and was held in the stopped position for a predefined time interval by operating the brake pedal. Within the predefined time interval after the stopped position was reached, the motor vehicle driver is able to prevent the automatic turning-off of the internal-combustion engine. The turning-off of the internal-combustion engine is prevented when the brake pedal is released by the driver within the predefined time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marcus Bollig, Juergen Poggel
  • Patent number: 8350430
    Abstract: An R—Fe—B sintered magnet has a structure including main phase crystal grains and a grain boundary area surrounding the crystal grains. The sintered magnet includes fluorine and a specified metal element selected from elements belonging to Group 2 through Group 16 of periodic table excepting the rare earth element, carbon and boron. The fluorine has a higher concentration in a region closer to a magnet surface than in the center. The specified element also has a higher concentration in the region closer to the surface. The sintered magnet includes oxyfluoride containing carbon, Dy and the metal element in a grain boundary area region at a distance of 1 ?m or greater from the magnet surface, and the carbon has a higher concentration than the concentration of the metal element in a region at a distance of 1 ?m to 500 ?m from the magnet surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Matahiro Komuro, Yuichi Satsu, Yoshii Morishita, Shigeaki Funyu, Mitsuo Katayose
  • Patent number: 8348026
    Abstract: A brake cylinder is provided for vehicle brakes, in particular for commercial vehicles brakes, that is equipped with a brake cylinder housing, in which a spring-loaded piston, a service brake piston, a spring-loaded spring and a piston return spring are arranged. The brake cylinder is simple to construct and extremely compact. The spring-loaded piston is in a primary chamber of the brake cylinder and is arranged between the service brake piston and a front side of the brake cylinder housing having the compressed air connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventor: Johann Iraschko
  • Patent number: 8348227
    Abstract: A fluid flow regulator includes a regulating profile which is either centrally or peripherally disposed within the flow rate regulator, and an annular restrictor which is made of an elastic material. In a functional position of the flow rate regulator, the restrictor delimits a control gap between itself and the regulating profile. In a starting position of the flow rate regulator, the flow rate regulator has an unrestricted flow cross section that is larger than the control gap. The unrestricted flow cross section of the flow rate regulator is variable by a deformation of the restrictor in response to a pressure differential that is generated when a fluid flows through the flow rate regulator. The relative position of the restrictor and the regulatory profile is variable, and moveable against a reset force, into the functional position from the starting position, in response to a flow of fluid within the flow rate regulator. The reset force may be provided in the form of a spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Neoperl GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Zoller
  • Patent number: 8349516
    Abstract: A seal arrangement in a fuel cell device seals against leaks in a mechanical joint between two components which convey a liquid and/or a gaseous process medium 3 in a media chamber of the fuel cell device. The seal arrangement has a first sealing member which extends around the media chamber in an installed state, and is in active connection with the components. A second, surrounding sealing member is arranged facing away from the media relative to the first sealing member and is formed of a different material from the first sealing member and/or has a different geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Baur, Matthias Jesse
  • Patent number: 8347706
    Abstract: A plate-shaped board is arranged so that fluid passages are respectively formed at a sensor-element mounting surface side of the plate-shaped board and at a backside surface side thereof being opposed to the sensor-element mounting surface side, a curved passage portion is provided which is located upstream of the plate-shaped board and changes its direction so as to form a curved line, and the curved passage portion has an outer-side wall surface including a sloping portion that slopes so that, of two edge portions of the outer-side wall surface in a direction perpendicular to board surfaces of the plate-shaped board, the edge portion located on a sidewall surface, facing the sensor-element mounting surface, of the curved passage portion is positioned closer to an inner wall surface of the curved passage portion than the edge portion located on a sidewall surface opposed to the first sidewall surface, along the sidewall surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Okamoto, Takeshi Morino, Naoki Saito, Masayuki Hio
  • Patent number: 8352771
    Abstract: Power consumption on GMPLS controlled networks can be reduced by cutting power consumption on spare paths that are not normally used. To achieve power consumption reduction, in the path setting process, a path is calculated while taking the power saving capability of each interface into account, and the applicable interface is set to the power-saving state when setting the spare path. When the spare path was set to the operating state, then the power-saving state on the applicable interface was canceled so that interface could operate normally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomichi Nonaka, Kazuhiro Kusama
  • Patent number: 8349321
    Abstract: A stable aqueous pharmaceutical formulation comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody, polysorbate 80, a buffer which inhibits polysorbate oxidation is described along with methods of making the preparation. Also described are formulations with high antibody concentrations which maintain fixed volumes and which may be used on patients of variable weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Burke, Shaun E. Buckley, Sherwood Russ Lehrman, Barbara Horsey O'Connor, James Callaway, Christopher P. Phillips
  • Patent number: 8345572
    Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a first storage portion storing an address control table registering a MAC address which each of a plurality of communication devices connected to the same local area network has, a comparison portion distinguishing each of the registered MAC addresses by comparing the MAC addresses corresponding to the plurality of communication devices registered in the address control table sequentially in a bit-by-bit manner until the MAC addresses can be distinguished from each other and a control portion determining whether or not data transmitted in the local area network is acquired on the basis of a comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Senichi Furutani
  • Patent number: 8345893
    Abstract: A sound volume controller includes a level adjustment section that adjusts a level of an input audio signal and outputs the adjusted input audio signal as an output audio signal, a level detection section that detects the level of the input audio signal, a volume value detection section that detects a volume value set by a user, a coefficient table storage section that stores a coefficient table which describes a relation between levels of the output audio signal and levels of the input audio signal, a coefficient table change section that changes the coefficient table stored in the coefficient table storage section in accordance with the volume value detected by the volume value detection section, and a setting section that sets an amount of level adjustment of the level adjustment section in accordance with the level of the input audio signal detected by the level detection section and the coefficient table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Ryotaro Aoki, Hitoshi Akiyama
  • Patent number: 8346096
    Abstract: When a conventional optical receiver circuit is used, it is difficult to achieve noise reduction or provide a multichannel capability due to a considerable circuit area increase. Disclosed is an amplifier for optical communications that includes a CMOS inverter, which has a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor; an input terminal, which inputs a signal into the CMOS inverter; an output terminal, which outputs a signal from the CMOS inverter; a power supply, which is connected to the CMOS inverter; a first element and a second element, which are respectively connected to the CMOS inverter; and two types of power supply paths, which are in opposite phase to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Yazaki
  • Patent number: 8341963
    Abstract: In a valve control unit for a ram jet propulsion system having a power unit space a valve for controlling a fuel quantity required to the propulsion system, and a valve adjusting unit which is constructed to be operable by means of an electronic control unit, the valve is combined with its valve adjusting unit and its electronic control unit to form a thermally insulated valve assembly. The valve assembly is configured for the arrangement in the power unit space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: LFK-Lenkflugkoerpersysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Walter Hetzer, Ernst Lenz, Fridbert Kilger
  • Patent number: 8346431
    Abstract: A suitable electrical system for a motor vehicle is provided, which system requires a voltage supply during a possible towing-away operation. A voltage-supply control device recognizes the provision of an external voltage supply, in particular by way of a towing vehicle for the motor vehicle, and controls the voltage supply in the motor vehicle in such a manner that only one or more subsystems of the entire electrical system of the motor vehicle are supplied with voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joachim Froeschl, Klaus Wandel, Alexander Mai
  • Patent number: 8342973
    Abstract: A sliding joint for motor vehicles, having an inner race which includes inner running grooves, an outer race which includes outer running grooves, a cage, and balls. The inner running grooves are constructed parallel to each other in the axial dimension and include a displacement segment and a functional segment, and the outer running grooves are likewise constructed parallel to each other in the axial dimension and also include a displacement segment and a functional segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Neumayer Tekfor Holding GmbH, Hofer PDC GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Lutz
  • Patent number: 8344866
    Abstract: A warning system for a motor vehicle includes sensor devices for detecting a driving situation, a warning device for the output of a warning to a driver of the motor vehicle, a device for detecting the driver's state of attention that includes operating elements of existing vehicle components, and a control device which triggers the warning device as a function of data of the sensor devices and the device for detecting the state of attention. In this warning system, the device for detecting the state of attention infers a reduced degree of driver attention when a total duration of a sequence of several operating actions related to the operating elements exceeds a minimum duration. A conclusion can also be drawn that the degree of driver attention is reduced when operating inputs are triggered that are known a priori as being cognitively demanding, for example, operating a telephone keypad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ramona Lermer, Josef Schumann, Olaf Mueller
  • Patent number: D673700
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Matthias Bieling, Hans-Dieter Futschik, Stefan Handt, Gorden Wagener