Patents Represented by Law Firm Fitch, Even & Tabin
  • Patent number: 8156266
    Abstract: A method for determining transfer rate comprising selecting a first transfer rate of a plurality of transfer rates, transmitting a message at the first transfer rate over a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) line of a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) network, determining whether an acknowledgment to the message having been transmitted at the first transfer rate is received, storing, in the event the acknowledgment to the message having been transmitted at the first transfer rate is received, the first transfer rate and storing, in the event no acknowledgment is received, a default transfer rate of the plurality of transfer rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Davender Agnihotri, Lee Pedlow
  • Patent number: 8154387
    Abstract: An electronic tag is configured to be responsive to a TTO or TTF protocol energizing signal from a reader, but to suspend transmission when receiving an RTF protocol communication signal from a reader. The tag typically includes a protocol detector 120 which is operable to detect receipt of an RTF protocol communication signal and to suspend transmission when the electronic tag receives an RTF protocol communication signal from a reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignees: EM Microelectronic-Marin SA, Ipico South Africa (Proprietary) Limited
    Inventors: Hendrik Lodewyk Van Eeden, Albertus Jacobus Pretorius, Josef Preishuber-Pfluegl, Andreas Schuhai, Thierry Roz, Christopher Turner
  • Patent number: 8155475
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus (800) partitions (101) an image into a plurality of blocks. For a selected one of these blocks, the apparatus then uses a given available range of grayscale level values to determine (102) grayscale level values for image data in the selected block to provide corresponding determined grayscale level values. At least some of these determined grayscale level values are then transformed (103) to thereby use an altered amount of the given available range of grayscale level values to thereby provide rescaled grayscale level values for the selected block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Holt
  • Patent number: 8151432
    Abstract: A system of splicing ends of conveyor belts is provided that enables a splice installer to install splices in an easy and fast manner. In one aspect, the system includes a base having a recess extending therealong configured to fit fastener members of conveyor belt fasteners therein so that the fastener members do not shift as the belt fasteners are attached to the belt ends. In another aspect, removable rivet guide blocks are provided which significantly reduces the weight of an alignment bar having upper plate members of the belt fasteners secured thereto. In addition, the removable guide blocks allow the installer to secure the upper plate members to the alignment bar without having to deal with the heavy weight of multiple guide blocks fixed thereto. A method of splicing belt ends is also provided which includes indexing the removable guide block along the alignment bar during for riveting operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Flexible Steel Lacing Company
    Inventors: William J. Daniels, William R. Wawczak, Pan Yim Ng
  • Patent number: 8151973
    Abstract: Provided herein are various suspension devices and associated methods and apparatus to open loops (or form opened loops) in a chain of linked products suspended from one or more suspension devices in a conveyor system. In one implementation, a suspension device for a chain of linked products includes a link support portion pivotally coupled to a conveyor, the link support portion configured to suspend a portion of the chain of linked products therefrom and comprising a lower portion downwardly extending from the link support portion. The lower portion is configured to engage a portion of a respective link of the chain upon a pivoting motion of the link support portion about a pivot axis in order to open a respective loop suspended from the link support portion to an unloading orientation for unloading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC
    Inventors: Zbigniew S. Borkiewicz, Timothy J. Drebing, Kris K. Hulett, Tatsuo Nakamura, Minoru Kasai
  • Patent number: 8154028
    Abstract: An infrared external photoemissive detector can have an n-p heterojunction comprising an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-layer; the n-layer semiconductor comprising doped silicon embedded with nanoparticles forming Schottky barriers; and the p-layer is a p-type diamond film. The nanoparticles can be about 20-30 atomic percentage metal particles (such as silver) having an average particle size of about 5-10 nm. The p-layer can have a surface layer that has a negative electron affinity. The n-layer can be in the range of about 3 ?m to 10 ?m thick, and preferably about 3 ?m thick. The doped silicon can be doped with elements selected from the list consisting of phosphorus and antimony.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Howard University
    Inventor: Clayton W. Bates, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8152330
    Abstract: Lighted reading glasses are provided to enable clear reading of normal sized text to occur when the reading material is held at usual distances from the reader in poorly lit locations. The lighted glasses have high intensity lights, such as in the form of LEDs that generate narrow light beam cones and which are oriented in light modules to inwardly cant the light beam cones to meet and overlap so high brightness light is generated in a conical overlap area of light which is maximized in size in the range of normal reading distances. In another form, a clip-on light apparatus is provided that includes a spacer frame having opposite end portions each mounting lights, preferably constructed as described above. In one form, retainers at the end portions are adapted to releasably engage outer sides of the eyeglass lenses. The frame preferably incorporates a draw spring assembly to allow adjustments for different size glasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Patent number: 8154520
    Abstract: A handheld electronic communication device is disclosed that is transitionable between at least a compact configuration and expanded configuration. The handheld electronic communication device includes a display panel pivotally interconnected to a keyboard panel. The display panel can be overlaid on, and in substantial registration with, the keyboard panel in a compact configuration. Furthermore, the display panel can be offset above the keyboard panel in an expanded configuration. A pivot connection can be configured to couple and maintain the keyboard and display panels in substantial parallel orientation to each other in the compact and expanded configurations. The pivot connection includes an axis of rotation and is located in an upper corner of the handheld electronic communication device in the compact configuration. Additionally, a trackball navigation tool assembly is located at the upper corner of the handheld electronic communication device where the axis of rotation is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Leung Kwok Ching
  • Patent number: 8149879
    Abstract: A method of data transmission according to one embodiment of the invention includes encoding a set of data values to produce a corresponding series of ordered n-tuples. The method also includes transmitting, according to the series of ordered n-tuples, a plurality of bursts over a plurality n of frequency bands. Specifically, for each of the plurality of bursts, a frequency band occupied by the burst is indicated by the order within its n-tuple of an element corresponding to the burst. A bandwidth of at least one of the plurality of bursts is at least two percent of the center frequency of the burst. Information is encoded into a polarity of at least one of the plurality of bursts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: Gerald D. Rogerson, David S. Furuno, Stephan W. Gehring, Michael L. Walker, Roberto Aiello
  • Patent number: 8146329
    Abstract: A surgical cable packaging system and method are provided including, in one aspect, a cable holder having an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper and lower portions may have cooperating structures configured to be coupled together to form an interior space in which the cable is coiled. The cable holder may have an opening through which the cable extends to allow the cable to be removed from the interior space. In another aspect, a method of inserting a surgical cable into a cable holder comprising wrapping the cable around a body portion of a fixture and sliding the cable into an interior space of the cable holder in a coiled configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Alan Bryant, Elizabeth E. Nelson, Tim K. Matulewicz
  • Patent number: 8146621
    Abstract: A heddle shaft (1) with heddles (3) that are supported with little play or free of play has at least one heddle support rail (7), which is supported movably for elastically tensing the heddles (3) as a whole, or has at least one movably supported part (55). A spring means (16, 56) serves to exert a tensing force on the heddle head (5) of each heddle (3) for supporting that heddle without play. This makes a high operating speed of a power loom, provided with such a heddle shaft, possible without the heddles digging into the heddle support rails and without producing excessive noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Groz-Beckert KG
    Inventors: Johannes Bruske, Günther Büchle
  • Patent number: 8147821
    Abstract: The present invention provides a means to concentrate, dry and formulate biomaterials such as polysaccharides, gums and related biopolymers, and microorganisms such as cells, spores, and the like from dilute solutions using spent germ and other oil bearing residues. In addition, the spent germ can serve as a carrier for such biomaterials. The sorbed materials are useful in animal feeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Grain Processing Corporation
    Inventor: Serge Johal
  • Patent number: 8144898
    Abstract: A microphone (100) and method of manufacture thereof is disclosed. The microphone (100) includes a housing (108), a diaphragm assembly (120), a spacer (134), a backplate assembly (140), a body assembly (150), and a printed circuit board (164) disposed within the housing (100). The diaphragm assembly (120) and the backplate assembly (140) constitute a variable capacitor responsive to sound pressure level changes coupled through an acoustic port (118). The base capacitance is inversely proportional to the thickness of the spacer (134). The backplate assembly (140) is disk shaped with protrusions and coupled to the body assembly (150) such that an acoustic passage (172) is formed between an outer edge of the backplate assembly (140) and an inner periphery of the hollow body assembly (150). The body assembly (150) comprises conductive mount (158) for electrically coupling the backplate assembly (140) to a first surface (166) of a circuit board (164).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Jen Nan Feng
  • Patent number: 8145702
    Abstract: A method for use with a computer simulation includes providing an ability to run a simulation in which a plurality of client devices communicate over a network to interact with the simulation, providing an ability to generate a first user interface on each of the plurality of client devices for allowing users associated with the client devices to interact with the simulation, providing an ability to provide information that includes a representation of at least a portion of an environment of the simulation on a subset of the plurality of client devices, and providing an ability to allow users associated with the subset of the plurality of client devices to interact with the information without allowing access thereto by the other client devices. A system for use in running a computer simulation and a storage medium storing a computer program executable by a processor based system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
    Inventor: Russell D. Patterson
  • Patent number: 8144011
    Abstract: A secure communication link (24) is provided between a movable bather operator (23) and a peripheral system (20). Information conveyed via this link is used by one, the other, or both such elements to further inform or direct their respective actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Fitzgibbon
  • Patent number: 8137449
    Abstract: An inkjet ink is provided, which is hardly wettable to the surface of nozzle plates, and thus is stably ejected and is prevented from staining images. The inkjet ink is an oil-based inkjet ink which contains at least a pigment, a pigment-dispersing agent and a solvent constituted by at least an ester solvent, a salt of a long-chain polyaminoamide and a polar acidic ester in an amount of 1% by weight or more relative to the total amount of the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihiro Endo
  • Patent number: 8138258
    Abstract: An automotive clear coating composition includes a hydroxyl group-containing acrylic resin obtained using hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylate having a hydroxyalkyl group having 4-9 carbon atoms as at least a part of its monomer; and a polyfunctional isocyanate compound in which at least a part thereof is an isocyanurate type isocyanate compound. The prepared composition has 25 to 50 mass % of a soft segment part with respect to a total solid content of such acrylic resin and the polyfunctional isocyanate compound, and a ratio of a soft segment part derived from a lactone-containing monomer with respect to the total solid content of such acrylic resin and the polyfunctional isocyanate compound of not more than 4.5 mass %. A cured coating film has a dynamic glass transition temperature within a range of 30 to 60° C. The soft segment part is represented by —CH2)n— wherein n represents an integer of 4 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignees: Nippon Paint Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Tsujioka, Junji Shimada, Hisaki Tanabe, Mirei Kato, Yoshinori Narita
  • Patent number: 8139793
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect an initial listening zone wherein the initial listening zone represents an initial area monitored for sounds; detect a view of a visual device; compare the view of the visual with the initial area of the initial listening zone; and adjust the initial listening zone and forming the adjusted listening zone having an adjusted area based on comparing the view and the initial area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Xiao Dong Mao
  • Patent number: 8140086
    Abstract: A method, user equipment, network equipment and a system for initiating a wireless connection and subsequent communication over a shared physical resource in a wireless communication system between user equipment and network equipment comprising: processing a UE-derived temporary identifier; determining a set of channels that the user equipment will monitor; implicitly or explicitly communicating this channel set; communicating the temporary identifier as an identifier to the network equipment; communicating a downlink message on a channel belonging to the determined channel set conveying the temporary identifier and a description of a scheduled resource on a shared channel, the scheduled resource comprising a resource allocated to the user equipment by the network equipment; and communicating data on the scheduled resource in response to the downlink message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Wireless Technology Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Chandrika K. Kodikara Patabandi, Nicholas William Anderson
  • Patent number: 8135285
    Abstract: An optical transmission system for performing frequency synchronization even with a client signal with low frequency accuracy, and for transmitting thereof by accommodating/multiplexing without causing a bit slip. A new overhead is added to the entire client signal, and the signal including the new overhead being stuffed is transmitted in conjunction with a plurality of stuffing bits as an optical signal wherein a data storing bit for a negative stuffing, a stuffing information notification bit, and a stuff bits inserting bit for a positive stuffing in the payload are defined in plurality as stuffing bits for adjusting clock frequencies of the client signal in this new overhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: NTT Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kisaka, Shigeki Aisawa, Yutaka Miyamoto, Masahito Tomizawa, Yasuyuki Endoh, Kazuhito Takei