Patents Represented by Attorney Westman, Champlin & Kelly
  • Patent number: 8328010
    Abstract: The storage chamber for secondary material applicable to the discharging direction of contents stored in the container consists of body with storage space and inseparable operating section mounted around the globe. If above operating section moves up, opening and closing hole made or formed in the storage space of storage is opened and contents stored in the storage space is dropped and mixed with contents stored in the container. The mixed contents are discharged via a vent mounted on the top of operating section. A vent is not opened until the operating section is opened, and closing section of opening and closing hole is provided so that the opening and closing hole may not be not clogged after being opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Inventors: Jeong Min Lee, Seong Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 8332271
    Abstract: In selected embodiments a repository system correlates user browsing behavior with in-store transactions involving a number of products or product categories. For example, an online portal may receive online transactional data and in-store transactional data and associate particular user identities with such data. The user identities may be correlated by matching online transactional data with in-store transactional data. This correlation identifies a user known to frequent both online and in-store venues of the same retailer. The online portal may maintain browser repository records based on an association of online and in-store identities. In some implementations, the portal measures in-store transactions of a user known to frequent both online and in-store venues. The measurements may be performed for a predetermined time period. Such measurements may be used to extrapolate web influenced in-store transactional data from at least one browser repository record to estimate a transaction for an unknown user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Corrine Wilder, Rachel Gregg, James Nelson, Wendy Yungner, Andrew M. Pole
  • Patent number: 8328637
    Abstract: A game environment is disclosed where actions are automatically selected based on a situational awareness for a player in the game environments. The situational awareness can be determined based on conditions of the player, objects and other characters in the game environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Adam J. Langridge, Peter D. Molyneux, Guy Simmons
  • Patent number: 8328004
    Abstract: A conveyor system for conveying at least one product comprises at least one first conveyor, which is adjacent to at least one second conveyor via a junction. The conveying direction of the first conveyor near the junction is different from the conveying direction of the second conveyor near the junction. The first conveyor has a first conveying surface and the second conveyor has a second conveying surface for supporting the product thereon. The orientation of the normal of the part of the first conveying surface adjacent to junction is substantially different from that of the normal of the part of the second conveying surface adjacent to the junction. A moving assembly is configured to move the product from the first conveyor to the second conveyor The first conveyor describes an arcuate path at least near the junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Specialty Conveyor B.V.
    Inventor: Wouter Balk
  • Patent number: 8330728
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an information input device for a portable electronic apparatus comprising a touch unit for perceiving the touch from a user and generating a change in current, a current detection unit for detecting said change in current and sending associated detection signal, an input information generating unit for generating input information based on said detection signal and an output interface for transferring said input information to said electronic apparatus, which further comprises: an input state acquisition unit for acquiring the input state when the user uses said portable electronic apparatus; and an input switch unit for parsing said input state and control the on and off of trackpad-type input of said portable electronic apparatus based on said input state. An information input control method for a portable electronic apparatus is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited
    Inventor: Zhongqing Li
  • Patent number: 8322233
    Abstract: A hydraulic fluid sampler and a method for obtaining a hydraulic fluid sample includes a sample container holder configured to support a sample container mounted thereto in an inverted position and a non-inverted position. In the inverted position, the sample container holder is configured to flush the sample container with hydraulic fluid so as to flush away any contaminates that may be present. In the non-inverted position, the sample container holder is configured to fill the sample container with hydraulic fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: MTS Systems Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Hennen, William E. Allen
  • Patent number: 8322512
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus comprises a first conveyor for conveying products in a first conveying direction, which first conveyor comprises a first supply location, where a first series of products are supplied to the first conveyor via a first supply station, a second conveyor for conveying products in a second conveying direction, which second conveyor comprises a second supply location, where a second series of products are supplied to the second conveyor via a second supply station. The conveying apparatus further comprises a channelling element for channelling at least one product out from the second conveyor, and a channelling conveyor for conveying a channelled-out product from channelling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Eurosort B.V.
    Inventors: Wouter Balk, Patrick Theodorus Johannes Van Haaster, Howard Bradley Eisenberg
  • Patent number: 8326799
    Abstract: The disclosure is related to systems and methods of distributing data in devices with multiple storage entities. In a particular embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes multiple storage entities, with each storage entity having a sub-controller. A controller is communicatively coupled to each of the multiple storage entities. The controller is configured to send at least one of a respective copy of data or metadata associated with the respective copy of the data to each of the multiple storage entities. Upon receipt of the at least one of the respective copy of the data or the metadata associated with the respective copy of the data, each sub-controller provides storage competency information of the respective storage entity for the respective copy of the data. Upon receiving storage competency information for the multiple storage entities, the controller selects a particular one of the multiple storage entities and notifies the selected storage entity to store the respective copy of the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Richard Feldman, Wayne Howard Vinson, Jonathan Williams Haines
  • Patent number: 8322692
    Abstract: An apparatus positions a boat having a clip attached to a bow onto a boat trailer. The apparatus is used with a winch and two guides mounted on the boat trailer. The two guides are positioned a selected distance from the winch toward the rear of the boat trailer and spaced apart from each other. The apparatus includes three line sections windable about a reel of the winch with two of the line sections being windable about the reel in one direction and the third line being wound in an opposite direction. The two lines that are wound on the reel in the same direction extend around the guides while the third line extends between the guides and all of the lines being connected to each other at their distal ends. Forward movement of the boat engages the clip with the lines such that the boat can be winched onto the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Inventor: Mark Ebbenga
  • Patent number: 8322783
    Abstract: A roof assembly for a vehicle having an opening in the fixed roof comprises a stationary guide rail on at least one side of the roof opening and a slidable slide with an operating mechanism. At least one closure element is supported by the operating mechanism and is adjustable between a closed position, in which it closes the roof opening at least partially, and an open position, in which it releases the roof opening at least partially. Each operating mechanism comprises a laterally extending curve rib and a guide member engaging around the curve rib and being attached to a carrier. The curve rib and carrier of the guide member are each attached to either one of the closure element and the slide and are adapted to slide with respect to each other. The guide member is rotatably attached to the carrier so as to compensate for a variation in inclination between the carrier and curve rib at the position of the guide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Inalfa Roof Systems Group B.V.
    Inventor: Peter Christiaan Leonardus Johannes Manders
  • Patent number: 8324773
    Abstract: An apparatus for enhancing an operational capacity of a hobby servo motor having a splined output shaft is disclosed. An apparatus illustratively includes a spline receiving portion. The spline receiving portion includes a plurality of circumferentially distributed protrusions sized and dispersed so as to support a functional engagement of the apparatus to the splined rotatable output shaft. The spline receiving portion optionally includes a top receiving surface. When the spline receiving portion is functionally engaged to the splined rotatable output shaft, the top receiving surface is positioned proximate to and flushly engages a top surface of the splined rotatable output shaft. An apparatus may further include an elongated shaft. The elongated shaft has an outer surface and at least a portion of the outer surface is textured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Robotzone LLC
    Inventor: Brian T. Pettey
  • Patent number: 8322062
    Abstract: A marketing sign is constructed of a sheet material. The sheet material includes a free portion, a base portion and a connecting portion that couples the base portion to the free portion. The base portion is configured to engage with a product display structure, which has a price holder. The connecting portion is defined between a first connecting bend line spaced apart from a second connecting bend line by a distance. The distance substantially corresponds with an edge thickness of the price holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel G. Engelby, Christopher H. Kaye, Gary L. Sotebeer
  • Patent number: 8316566
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a linear series of connected unitary sheet-like merchandise labeling articles, each of which comprises a labeling tag flatly cojoined along a unifying flat bond zone with a flexible elastic layer that extends away from the tag and includes an elastic fastening loop. Adjacent labeling articles of the series are ruptureably connected in a manner permitting the series to be handled as a unit while at the same time permitting ruptureable separation of individual merchandise labeling articles from the series. In one embodiment, the linear series is wound into roll form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Inventors: Robert B. Ludlow, Justin C. King, Kim A. Milbrandt, Colin M. O'Donnell, Jeffrey D. Tschetter
  • Patent number: 8318030
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a magnetic device is described. A mask removing layer is formed on a layered sensing stack and a hard mask layer is formed on the mask removing layer. A first reactive ion etch is performed with a non-oxygen-based chemistry to define the hard mask layer using an imaged layer formed on the hard mask layer as a mask. A second reactive ion etch is performed with an oxygen-based chemistry to define the mask removing stop layer using the defined hard mask layer as a mask. A third reactive ion etch is performed to define the layered sensing stack using the hard mask layer as a mask. The third reactive ion etch includes an etching chemistry that performs at a lower etching rate on the hard mask layer than on the layered sensing stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Xilin Peng, Stacey C. Wakeham, Yifan Zhang, Zhongyan Wang, Konstantin R. Nikolaev, Mark Henry Ostrowski, Yonghua Chen, Juren Ding
  • Patent number: 8316786
    Abstract: A lift assembly is provided for a platform such as used on a ship. The platform can have four spaced apart hitch points. In one embodiment, the lift assembly includes four trolley drive assemblies, each trolley drive assembly including a trolley guidable along a guide rail, and a drive configured to displace the trolley along the guide rails, each trolley being coupled to at least one hitch point. In a second embodiment, a tension leveling assembly is provided in a trolley drive assembly and is configured to couple each of the wire ropes to the trolley and maintain substantially the same amount of tension in each wire rope. In a third embodiment, the lift assembly can be provided on a ship that also includes a vessel for holding water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Par Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Johanek, Dale Hengel
  • Patent number: 8320692
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for encoding and decoding image data. The techniques implement a prediction of data of a current block based on at least one already encoded block or reference block, wherein said prediction step takes into account a set of encoded blocks adjacent to said current block and including blocks that have not yet been considered according to said writing path order. Encoding includes the steps of: generating a dependence tree associating a current block with at least one reference block from which the predicted block associated with the current block has been predetermined; and inserting information representative of said dependence tree into said set of data associated with each block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: France Telecom
    Inventors: Stéphane Pateux, Isabelle Amonou, Nathalie Cammas, Sylvain Kervadec
  • Patent number: 8320523
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device for security-inspection of liquid articles with dual-energy CT imaging. The method comprises the steps of obtaining one or more CT images including physical attributes of liquid article to be inspected by CT scanning and a dual-energy reconstruction method; acquiring the physical attributes of each liquid article from the CT image; and determining whether the inspected liquid article is dangerous based on the physical attributes. The CT scanning can be implemented by a normal CT scanning technique, or a spiral CT scanning technique. In the normal CT scanning technique, the scan position can be preset, or set by the operator with a DR image, or set by automatic analysis of the DR image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignees: Tshinghua University, Nuctech Company Limited
    Inventors: Li Zhang, Zhiqiang Chen, Xuewu Wang, Haifeng Hu, Hongxin Wu, Yuanjing Li, Yinong Liu, Ziran Zhao, Yuxiang Xing, Hu Tang, Yumin Yi, Jinyu Zhang
  • Patent number: D671805
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick R. O'Connell, Sunipa B. Kruezer, Benjamin P. Williams, Stacy L. Abel
  • Patent number: D672108
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Megan L. Lee, Rachel A. Jones, Robin L. Jeffers
  • Patent number: D672434
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Wagner Spray Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Ricardo Perez