Patents Issued in August 6, 2013
  • Patent number: 8500492
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus provides an electrical signal path between an electrically conductive portion of a device plug and a signal port. The apparatus includes a first housing segment having a longitudinal axis. The first housing segment includes a first receptacle configured to receive at least the electrically conductive portion of the device plug and a signal port coupler configured to selectively conductively engage with the signal port. The apparatus includes a second housing segment having a second receptacle configured to receive at least the electrically conductive portion of the device plug. The second housing segment is coupled to the first housing segment for movement relative to the first housing segment about the longitudinal axis of the first housing segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Quirky Incorporated
    Inventors: Gareth Brown, Jordan Diatlo
  • Patent number: 8500493
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals retained in insulative housing, and a metal shell covering the insulative housing and including an inner side wall, a rear wall spaced from the inner side wall along a front-to-back direction, and an outer side wall bent forwardly from an outer side of the rear wall. The inner side wall defines an opening, and an inclined extensive plate extending forwardly and outwardly from an edge of the opening. The outer side wall has a retaining hole, and a front plate enclosing a front side of the retaining hole. The extensive plate has a hook bending inwardly and hitching the front plate after the hook passes through the retaining hole for preventing the outer side wall from moving forwardly and overly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hao Liu, Zi-Qiang Zhu, Jia-Wei Gu, Bo Yang
  • Patent number: 8500494
    Abstract: A cable connector assembly (100) comprises an insulative housing (1), a plurality of contacts (2), a metallic shell (3) enclosing the insulative housing and a spacer (5). The insulative housing includes a first tongue (121) and a second tongue (122). The contacts comprise a plurality of first contacts held in the first tongue and a plurality of second contacts held in the second tongue. At least one of the contacts comprises a main body (2210), a pair of horizontal soldering portions (2212) and a pair of connecting portions (2214) the cable has a group transmitting high speed signal, and the group of cable defines two grounding wires (623) connected with the corresponding soldering portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jerry Wu
  • Patent number: 8500495
    Abstract: An electrical connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1), a set of contacts (3) retained in the insulative housing (1) and a shell (2). The shell (1) has a mating port to mate with a connector. The insulative housing (1) comprises a first body (11) and a second body (12) assembled together. The first body (11) includes a first tongue plate (112), the first tongue plate (112) defines a receiving cavity (1122), the second body (12) is exposed in the mating port and includes a second tongue portion (121). The first tongue plate (112) forms a first identification unit, the second tongue portion (121) forms another identification unit different from the first identification unit. As a result, user can sign if the electrical connector (100) can mate with at least two kinds of connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Li-Jiang Wang, Xian-Wei Feng
  • Patent number: 8500497
    Abstract: A connector device and system for joining electrical conductors is presented. The connector device is comprised generally of an elongated body having at least two tapered ends. Each tapered end has male threads disposed on the exterior surface and at least one compression groove. A compression nut having an internal taper matching the angle of the taper of the tapered end is disposed on each tapered end. In use, a conductor is inserted into one tapered end and the compression nut is rotated towards the center of the elongated body thus compressing the compression grooves and providing enhanced mechanical stability and electrical conductivity by providing 360 degree contact of the connector device with the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Joseph W. Patten
  • Patent number: 8500498
    Abstract: Electrical connector assemblies, light bases with one or more electrical connector assemblies, and methods for connecting one or more electrical wires to one or more sheet-metal connectors are disclosed. An electrical connector assembly for an electrical distribution system is disclosed, which includes an electrically insulated housing with a wire-connection port and a blade-connection port. The wire-connection port is designed to receive an electrical wire, while the blade-connection port is designed to receive an electrically conductive blade. An electrical conductor is disposed within the housing, extending between the blade-connection and wire-connection ports. A first threadless fastener secures the wire in the wire-connection port and electrically couples the wire to the electrical conductor. A second threadless fastener secures the blade in the blade-connection port and electrically couples the blade to the electrical conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Paula Bulnes Abundis, Fabiola Gutierrez Gomez
  • Patent number: 8500499
    Abstract: A contact assembly, which may be included in a connector assembly for a connector module of a medical device, includes one or more resilient contact members; each contact member may comprise a coiled wire having a first stiffness and a second stiffness. The assembly may further include a plug member associated with each contact member. Each contact member may be mounted in the assembly via insertion into a corresponding channel of a mounting member, such that a first terminal end of the contact member abuts a terminal surface of the channel. If included, the plug member makes electrical contact with a second terminal end of the inserted contact member, and is coupled to the mounting member. A contact surface of the mounted contact member is exposed within a connector bore of the mounting member, through an opening in the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael H. Z. Drew, Michael J. Elvidge
  • Patent number: 8500500
    Abstract: A swash plate mechanism consists of a drive element that can be rotated about a main axis, a transmission element that can be rotated about a swash plate axis, the swash plate axis intersecting the main axis at a swash plate angle and rotating about the main axis together with the drive element, a power take-off element and a supporting element. A first coupler is arranged between the transmission element and the power take-off element and a second coupler is arranged between the transmission element and the supporting element, with at least one of the two couplers being a pair of teeth, and with the teeth of the pairs of teeth serving as coupling means being designed as spur toothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Joerg Boerner
  • Patent number: 8500501
    Abstract: An outboard marine drive includes a cooling system drawing cooling water from a body of water in which the outboard marine drive is operating, and supplying the cooling water through cooling passages in an exhaust tube in the driveshaft housing, a catalyst housing, and an exhaust manifold, and thereafter through cooling passages in the cylinder head and the cylinder block of the engine. A 3-pass exhaust manifold is provided. A method is provided for preventing condensate formation in a cylinder head, catalyst housing, and exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine of a powerhead in an outboard marine drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Taylor, David J. Belter, Charles H. Eichinger
  • Patent number: 8500502
    Abstract: A floating device (2, 102) for pipes (1) is described comprising at least two floating elements (3) each comprising a substantially semi-tubular body (4) and removably associable so as to define a pipe (1) housing seat (5), wherein the substantially semi-tubular body (4) of the floating elements (3) comprises at least a first protrusion (6) and at least a first slot (7) at a first longitudinal edge (8) thereof and at least a second protrusion (9) and at least a second slot (10) at a second opposite longitudinal edge (11) thereof; advantageously, the protrusions (6, 9) are substantially aligned with the slots (7, 10) at opposite parts with respect to a longitudinal centerline plane (TXL) of the floating element (3) so as to allow at least a partial interpenetration of the substantially semi-tubular bodies (4) of the floating elements (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Valore Italia S.R.L.
    Inventor: Davide Benedetti
  • Patent number: 8500503
    Abstract: An apparatus for repair of a defect in an electronic energy control device may include a position indicating means for indicating a position at which to fixedly position a mounting unit relative to a portion of an electronic energy control device including a defect to be repaired, where the device is fixed in position. An imaging and repair assembly of the apparatus has an optical imaging range and a laser repair range. When the mounting unit is mounted to a support surface to fixedly position the mounting unit at the position indicated by the position indicating means and the imaging and repair assembly is attached to the mounting unit, the portion of the electronic energy control device is within the imaging range and the repair range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: SAGE Electrochromics, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil L. Sbar, Harvey Kalweit
  • Patent number: 8500504
    Abstract: An organic electroluminescent display device and fabrication method thereof is provided. The device includes a first substrate having at least one thin film transistor; an electroluminescent unit formed on the first substrate and electrically connect to the thin film transistor; a first protective layer formed on the electroluminescent unit; a second protective layer formed on the first protective layer; and a third protective layer formed on the second protective layer and in contact with the first protective layer. The device further comprises a second substrate sealed to the first substrate to form the electroluminescent unit between the first substrate and second substrate. In the device, the first protective layer comprising inorganic material, the second protective layer comprising organic material and the third protective layer comprising inorganic material are formed on the electroluminescent unit to reduce oxidation of electrodes by preventing infiltration of moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Chimei Innolux Corporation
    Inventors: Nishikawa Ryuji, Hsiang-Lun Hsu
  • Patent number: 8500505
    Abstract: Provided is a film formation mask capable of preventing slit-like openings from being closed by vibrations so as to form a highly precise patterned film with stability. In a film formation mask formed by providing multiple slit-like openings in a metal foil, the shape of the opening of at least one end of the slit-like openings is asymmetrical with respect to a center line of the width direction of the slit-like openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Karaki
  • Patent number: 8500506
    Abstract: A sealing apparatus and a method of manufacturing a flat display device using the sealing apparatus. The sealing apparatus to attach a first substrate and a second substrate to each other using an attachment member disposed between the first and second substrates, the sealing apparatus comprises a stage on which the first substrate is seated, a halogen lamp irradiating light, and a reflector reflecting light irradiated from the halogen lamp to the attachment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Han Park, Hyung-Sik Kim, Joon-Hyung Kim, Seung-Ho Myoung, Jong-Dae Kim, Cheol Lae Roh
  • Patent number: 8500507
    Abstract: A flying vehicle in accordance to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main propeller and a propeller control mechanism for flying the vehicle. The main propeller includes a central base that permits the propeller control mechanism to be connected to the drive shaft. The propeller control mechanism includes a propeller hub and a lower hub with offset knobs that are connected by a link. A returning spring is sandwiched between the hubs and tends to return the hubs to the offset position when a change in a driving torque of the drive shaft causes them to move. The spring and link work in concert to change the pitch and height of the propeller blades while substantially unchanging the tip path plane of the propeller blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventors: Steven Davis, Andrew Miller
  • Patent number: 8500508
    Abstract: A toy with an exterior structure. Constructed to transform from a rollable first shape to a second shape. An interior structure inside the exterior structure is endowed with a magnetic body that moves by way of a magnetic force that acts from the exterior of the toy, an interior locking portion that moves simultaneously with the movement of this magnetic body, and a biasing member that effects a force which moves or turns this interior locking portion in a particular direction. If the magnetic force does not act from the exterior of the toy, the first shape of the exterior structure maintained. In the event that a magnetic force has acted from the exterior of the said toy, the exterior structure transforms from the first shape to the second shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Spin Master Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Yamada, Fujio Nobata
  • Patent number: 8500509
    Abstract: The present document describes an entertainment device including one or more mini-crafts provided in a fluid medium within the sides of an electromagnetic frame. Each mini-craft includes a magnet and has a different cutoff frequency. Motion of the mini-crafts may be controlled by a user using a controller such as joystick, remote control etc. A processor computes, based on the multidirectional navigation signals received from the controller, electromagnetic signals for each coil in the electromagnetic frame. The electromagnetic signals are amplified and sent to the coils to generate superimposed rotating magnetic fields which cause the mini-crafts to rotate separately within the electromagnetic frame, each mini-craft following a distinct magnetic field with a frequency that is lower than its cutoff frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Juan Carlos Orozco
  • Patent number: 8500510
    Abstract: A floatable toy structure is disclosed herein, the floatable toy structure having a floatable base portion; a collapsible track section, the collapsible track section having a pair of track sections; a collapsible support secured to the floatable base portion, the collapsible support capable of being positioned in an extended position and a stowed position, the collapsible support extending upwardly from the floatable base portion when it is in the extended position, the collapsible support engages and maintains the collapsible track section in an extended position when the collapsible support is in the extended position; and a fair start mechanism for simultaneously releasing a pair of objects for travel down the pair of track sections, wherein the fair start mechanism comprises a bucket that spills water onto the pair of objects after a predetermined amount of water has been placed into the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Nuttall, Stacy Lynn O'Connor, John Violette
  • Patent number: 8500511
    Abstract: Provided are a method and computer system that provide a virtual world. A server of the computer system includes a storage subsystem that stores two or more items of different personalized information about multiple different users, including different user identifications and passwords associated with the user identifications respectively representing the users. The server computer system is programmed to accept login credentials including a user identification and password and validate the login credentials. The server computer system is also programmed to control formation of a first user account and storage of the first user identification and first password. The storage subsystem stores information about registration codes that have not yet been entered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ganz
    Inventor: Howard Ganz
  • Patent number: 8500512
    Abstract: A motorized doll includes an upper body portion and a lower body portion. The upper body portion may include a torso and a pair of arms. The lower body portion may include a pelvis connected to the torso at a universal joint, a pair of legs, and a pair of feet rotatable with respect to the legs. The doll is actuated to walk by a torso motor which drives the torso to tilt and rotate about the universal joint, which causes the doll to shift from foot to foot and repeatedly rotate forwards in a realistic walking motion. The doll includes a shoulder motor for rotating the pair of arms and a pelvis motor for driving the legs between a standing position and one of a crawling position or sitting position depending on the position of the pair of arms when the doll is tipped forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Bang Zoom Design, Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael G. Hoeting
  • Patent number: 8500513
    Abstract: A breast support garment is configured with adjustable straps, cups, and/or other components in order to facilitate modification of the appearance of the bust. Modifying the length of certain straps causes the cups to move upwards/downwards and/or inwards/outwards with respect to the center of the breast support garment. Shoulder straps or other portions of the breast support garment may pass through guide loops and/or couple to the breast cups or garment shell to permit adjustment. The location of each breast cup may be independently adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Sheila Kay Campbell
  • Patent number: 8500514
    Abstract: A piston processing apparatus includes a work attaching head capable of fixing a piston material, a work rotating device, a grinding wheel, a grinding wheel rotating device, first and second moving mechanisms for moving the grinding wheel, a rotational angle detector for detecting a rotational angle of the work attaching head, a first and second position detectors for detecting a position of a grinding surface of the grinding wheel, a controller controls the first and second moving mechanisms to grind the outer circumferential surface by the grinding wheel based on target-position information of the grinding surface corresponding to a position on the outer circumferential surface of the piston material. According to the piston processing apparatus, the outer circumferential surface of the piston material can be processed into a three-dimensional shape with high-accuracy, and a piston that can improve fuel efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Koganei Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuji Osaka
  • Patent number: 8500515
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for releasably attaching flexible abrasive disks to a flat-surfaced platen that floats in three-point abrading contact with three flat-surfaced rotatable fixed-position workpiece spindles that are mounted on spherical-rotation two-piece spindle-mount devices that are attached to a nominally-flat abrading machine base. The spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely co-planar with each other. The three spindles are positioned to form a triangle of platen supports where the rotational-centers of each of the spindles are positioned at the center of the annular width of the platen abrading-surface. Flat surfaced workpieces are attached to the spindles and the rotating floating-platen abrasive surface contacts the workpieces to perform single-sided abrading on them. The disk abrasive surfaces can be re-flattened by attaching abrasive disk-type components to the three spindles that are rotated while in abrading contact with the rotating abrasive disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Wayne O. Duescher
  • Patent number: 8500516
    Abstract: A method for polishing a semiconductor wafer having a first side and a second side, the method includes polishing the first side using a Fixed Abrasive Polishing (FAP) with a polishing pad including fixedly bonded abrasives having an average particle size of 0.1-1.0 ?m; applying a cement layer with a thickness of at most 3 ?m to the polished first side; fixing the polished and cemented first side on a carrier plate of a polishing machine; and polishing the second side using a single-side chemical mechanical polishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Siltronic AG
    Inventor: Juergen Schwandner
  • Patent number: 8500517
    Abstract: A synthetic quartz glass substrate is prepared by (1) polishing a synthetic quartz glass substrate with a polishing slurry comprising colloidal particles, an ionic organic compound having an electric charge of the same type as the colloidal particles, and water, and (2) immersing the polished substrate in an acidic or basic solution for etching the substrate surface to a depth of 0.001-1 nm. The method produces a synthetic quartz glass substrate while preventing formation of defects of a size that is detectable by the high-sensitivity defect inspection tool, and providing the substrate with a satisfactory surface roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daijitsu Harada, Masaki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8500518
    Abstract: In an indexable insert having wide sides, inclined narrow sides are to be ground, that is to say the grinding allowance 38 is to be removed. To this end, the indexable insert is set in rotation about a driven axis of rotation between a clamping insert and a thrust bolt. Serving for the grinding is a grinding wheel which rotates about rotation axis and which has a circumferential surface 18a contoured in a circular shape and having a largest diameter and is composed of a leading region and a trailing region. The grinding wheel is guided relative to the indexable insert along the geometrical defining line which is formed by the generating line of the finished narrow side in the feed direction. The leading region tapering forwards effects preliminary grinding of the narrow side by longitudinal grinding, whereas the trailing region effects finish grinding by linear contact with the narrow side. The grinding wheel is held with the clamping flanges on a grinding spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventor: Hubert Mueller
  • Patent number: 8500519
    Abstract: A fluid jet assembly includes a non-pressurized lance barrel through which a high pressure hose (“a lance hose”) is threaded and anchored at the distal end of the lance barrel relative to an operator's position. The other end of the lance hose is coupled to a high pressure fluid source. The fluid is fed into the lance hose and transported to the output of the lance barrel, where it is discharged as a fluid jet stream. A nozzle is mounted at the output of the lance barrel to control the characteristics of the fluid jet flowing out of the lance hose. When infused with an abrasive material, the fluid jet stream exits the nozzle in a focused jet capable of cutting through most structural surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Cobra North America, LLC
    Inventors: Casparus Jan Hendrik Seyffert, Andrey D. Atanassov
  • Patent number: 8500521
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hand-held power tool, particularly an angle grinder having a housing that has a flange neck, having a protective device that can be accommodated on the flange neck and that can be pivoted in the circumferential direction, and having at least one device for blocking at least one pivoting direction of the protective device. The invention proposes that the device for locking includes at least one stop and at least one counter-stop interacting with the stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Cornelius Boeck, Joachim Schadow, Sinisa Andrasic, Josef Enfellner, Michael Habele
  • Patent number: 8500522
    Abstract: A device for separating a wishbone from a carcass part of slaughtered poultry, includes a primary wishbone knife, for separating the wishbone from meat that is naturally present thereon in the plane of the wishbone, wherein the primary wishbone knife is adapted to be introduced into and removed from the carcass part via the neck opening, two secondary wishbone knives, each for separating the wishbone from meat that is present on the outside of a leg of the wishbone, and a secondary wishbone knives actuator assembly. The secondary wishbone knives actuator assembly prescribes a secondary cutting path for each of the secondary wishbone knives relative to the carcass part. The secondary cutting paths have a curved shape that substantially follows the outer contour of the wishbone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Marel Stork Poultry Processing B.V.
    Inventors: Richard Gerard Johan Drabbels, Petrus Christianus Hendrikus Janssen, Erik Hendrikus Werner Peters
  • Patent number: 8500523
    Abstract: A cutting system that conveys a meat product to the throat and blade of a saw. A positioning conveyor positions the meat product into a predetermined position. An adjustable laser is then used to locate a predetermined area of the meat product so that the saw blade can be adjusted to align with the laser beam before cutting of the meat product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Marel Meat Processing Inc.
    Inventors: Colin R. Hart, Doug Bauer
  • Patent number: 8500524
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for suspending living or stunned poultry to be slaughtered in conveyor brackets of an overhead conveyor. A belt conveyor delivers the poultry to a distribution surface, where the poultry are successively guided or pushed outwardly against an edge of the distribution surface to individual positions for receiving the poultry with the legs projecting from the edge of the positions. The legs are fixed in fixing means at the positions. The individual positions are then successively moved upwardly relative to the distribution surface to suspend the poultry for a subsequent downward movement of the positions by brackets of the overhead conveyor running above and spaced apart from the distribution surface. The positions are subsequently moved downwardly again to the level of the distribution surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Linco Food Systems A/S
    Inventors: Poul Kjeldsen, Torben Andersen
  • Patent number: 8500525
    Abstract: An elevator cab ceiling includes an upper ceiling panel and a lower ceiling panel that are vertically spaced apart from each other with an intermediate ceiling cavity between them. An inlet duct is associated with the upper ceiling panel and an outlet duct is associated with the lower ceiling panel. The inlet and outlet ducts are horizontally spaced apart from each other and are fluidly connected to each other through the intermediate ceiling cavity to form a ventilation path. This separation of inlet and outlet ducts by an intermediate ceiling cavity reduces airborne noise transmissions that enter an elevator cab through the ventilation path. In one example, at least one baffle is installed within the intermediate ceiling cavity between the inlet and outlet ducts to interrupt a flow between the inlet and outlet to further reduce any transmitted noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Daniel G. Opoku, Murllo W. Bonilha, Wenlong Li, Goldino Alves, Vijay Jayachandran
  • Patent number: 8500526
    Abstract: A system for maintaining a desired cabin pressure in an aircraft includes a cabin-pressure control sub-system; a pressure relief valve for operation in event of failure or malfunction of the subsystem; a pressure relief valve actuator for operating the pressure relief valve; and a pressure relief valve control (PRVC) for producing commands for operation of the pressure relief valve actuator responsively to a first set of signal indicative of aircraft altitude and to presence of cabin-to-ambient pressure differential (?P) that varies from a desired ?P by a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc
    Inventor: Darrell Wayne Horner
  • Patent number: 8500527
    Abstract: An air outlet structure for an air conditioner, which can provide a sufficient volume and speed of air conditioning airflow, which has excellent directivity, and which has a thin air outlet directed to the interior of a vehicle. In the air outlet structure (10) for an air conditioner, a movable flow path member (14) provided in a case (12) can be deformed to a triangle and to a pentagon according to operation of a left-right adjustment knob (44), and this changes the shape of a flow path in the case (12). Accordingly, the flow path in the case (12) does not require fins for changing the direction of the left and right. As a result, the flow path in the case (12) can have a sufficient effective cross-sectional area to provide a sufficient volume and speed of air conditioning airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kimio Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8500528
    Abstract: An HVAC damper includes a sheet metal frame surrounding a series of pivotal damper blades that are each supported by a pair of plastic bearing members. Each bearing member is a unitary piece that includes a radial bearing, a thrust bearing, a lug for connecting to a damper blade, a shaft-receiving feature for connecting to a drive shaft, and multiple crank pins for selectively connecting to a drive linkage. Choosing which crank pin gets connected to the linkage determines a damper blade's rotational direction relative to the other damper blades. Adjacent damper blades preferably rotate in opposite directions to ensure positive sealing engagement between their adjacent blade tips. The bearing members allow the drive linkage to be installed outside the frame to avoid obstructing the airflow through the damper. During assembly, the bearing members allow the damper blades to be placed within the frame prior to installing the bearing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventors: Don A. Leonhard, Larry A. Green, Brian D. Beam
  • Patent number: 8500529
    Abstract: A method of providing and managing bets is provided. One or more particular race participants in a race event are determined. For each intermediate point within a race event, one or more particular possible positions of race participants at that intermediate point are determined. A bet comprising a plurality of bet components is generated, one or more of the bet components being defined by the particular race participants and the particular possible positions of race participants determined for at least one of the intermediate points. Intermediate race results are received for each intermediate point identifying the actual positions of the particular race participants at that intermediate point. A result of at least one bet component is determined based at least in part on the particular race participants, the particular possible positions of race participants determined for at least one intermediate point, and the received intermediate race results for at least one intermediate point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: CFPH, LLC
    Inventors: Lee M. Amaitis, Joseph M. Asher
  • Patent number: 8500530
    Abstract: A wagering system has a processor through which information regarding a plurality of competing contestants in a horse or dog race is made available to entities betting on the outcome of the race to seek a payout from a wagering pool. The information for at least one of the competing contestants is prepared based upon selected handicapping criteria to give the at least one of the competing contestants a time adjusted race identity. An input is provided for wagers to be placed on the race. The outcome of the race for wagering purposes is determined using the time adjusted race identity for the at least one of the competing contestants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Richard A. Herbert
  • Patent number: 8500531
    Abstract: A method of playing a game, comprising (a) providing a plurality of cards, wherein each card has a first side having indicia thereon representative of a first value for each card, (b) placing the cards in a row, the first side of each card not viewable, wherein the row comprises a plurality of positions, wherein each card occupies one of the positions, and wherein each position corresponds to a second value, wherein the second value for each position is determined by counting from either end of the row, (c) revealing the first side of a selected card, (d) determining a subset of valid cards based on the first value of the selected card and the at least one second value of each position, and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) with subsequently selected cards from the subset of valid cards until the subset of valid cards is empty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Christopher Magin
  • Patent number: 8500532
    Abstract: A method performed by a gaming apparatus is provided for handling hand tiles of a virtual player during a tile game. The tile game is played using plural virtual playing tiles from which the hand tiles are drawn. The gaming apparatus stores a preference parameter set associated with the virtual player and including tile points of the respective virtual playing tiles and combination points of various permissible combinations of the virtual playing tiles. During a turn of the virtual player, the gaming apparatus computes priority points of the respective hand tiles according to the preference parameter set, and then, makes the virtual player discard one of the hand tiles that is selected according to the priority points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: XPEC Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Chang
  • Patent number: 8500533
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a first player may follow the same pattern of betting used by a second player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: CFPH, LLC
    Inventors: Howard W. Lutnick, Dean P. Alderucci, Geoffrey M. Gelman, Kevin Burman
  • Patent number: 8500534
    Abstract: A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine includes the steps of displaying a selectable game element on a display and associating each potential outcome associated with the selectable game element with a predetermined haptic output selected from a plurality of predetermined haptic device outputs. The method also includes the steps of selecting the selectable game element to reveal an outcome associated therewith and causing a haptic device to output the predetermined haptic output corresponding to the outcome of the selectable game element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Rasmussen, Alfred Thomas, Gene Rigsby, Gilbert J. Q. Burak
  • Patent number: 8500535
    Abstract: Trajectory-based games of chance are described that may be implemented on a video gaming machine. In a trajectory-based game of chance, a trajectory of a game object may be generated in a 3-D gaming environment. A wager may be made on an aspect of the game object's trajectory in the gaming environment such as a termination location for the trajectory of the game object. The aspect of the game object's trajectory may occur according to a known probability. Hence, an award for the trajectory-based game of chance may be proportional to the probability of the aspect of the game object's trajectory occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: William R. Brosnan, Nicole M. Beaulieu, Jamal Benbrahim, Anthony R. Escalera, Alexey Kryuchkov, Steven G. LeMay, Jeff Mincey, Dwayne R. Nelson, Andy Rogers, Greg A. Schlottmann
  • Patent number: 8500536
    Abstract: A slot machine has a player selection bonus game where a player selects concealed gamepieces from a group to reveal the value of the gamepiece. The preferred game has a burger building theme in which the game rules are related to building one or more hamburgers, and the hidden gamepieces represent burger ingredients. A particular selection allows the player to win larger prizes for future selections. Other designated selections may modify future selections still further (2× and 3× multipliers for double-decker and triple-decker bun selections). Certain gamepieces may change their function based on the context or state of the bonus game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Multimedia Games, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian A. Watkins, Clint A. Owen
  • Patent number: 8500537
    Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating play of group lottery games are described. In an embodiment, a process includes establishing at least two groups for play of a group lottery game, wherein each group includes a plurality of players. The method also includes determining at least one winning player from each group of a first round of the multiplayer lottery game, and advancing each of the winning players to a second round.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Walker Digital, LLC
    Inventors: Jay S. Walker, Michael W. Patterson, Nancy Palumbo, Stephen C. Tulley
  • Patent number: 8500538
    Abstract: The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a bingo game wherein a single bingo pattern is associated with a plurality of outcomes. In one such embodiment, a first bingo pattern is associated with a static outcome, such as an award of a designated value, and a second bingo pattern is associated with an open-ended outcome, such as a progressive award. If a bingo pattern associated with a progressive award is covered, the disclosed gaming system and method causes the bingo game to display a symbol combination associated with the progressive award. In one embodiment, the disclosed gaming system and method selects the symbol combination from a plurality of symbol combinations associated with the progressive award.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Jeremy J. Warner, Justin M. Krum, Tracy L. Powell
  • Patent number: 8500539
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed with one or more dynamic bingo cards or artifices wherein each daubed number on a bingo card is removed from its initial location and re-located to the last position of the payline on which the daubed number is positioned and at least one other number on the associated payline is moved to replace the position vacated by the daubed number. Once the final number is drawn, paylines with all daubed numbers are paid according to the paytable. If all positions on a bingo card are daubed, then a progressive or other jackpot award may be paid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Multimedia Games, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer Schulze Huynh, Clint Owen, JP Cody
  • Patent number: 8500540
    Abstract: A method for conducting bingo games includes using a server to collect game play requests from a plurality of electronic player stations. The server determines if a group of the collected game play requests meets one or more predefined conditions for establishing a quorum, and if so conducts a game with the group of game play requests. Even after the game is started, the server continues to collect game play requests in preparation for conducting additional games. When enough game play requests are collected, the server starts the next game, even if previous games are still in progress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Multimedia Games, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifton E. Lind, Brendan M. O'Connor, Gary L. Loebig, Rodney L. Willard, Naveen Malhotra, Martin A. Keane, Joseph R. Enzminger, Jefferson C. Lind, Gordon T. Graves
  • Patent number: 8500541
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes a wager-input device for receiving a wager from a player to play a wagering game. A display displays a plurality of moveable reels having symbols located thereon during the wagering game. The symbols indicate a randomly selected outcome selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to the wager. The plurality of outcomes include at least a first winning outcome along a first active payline and a second winning outcome along a second active payline. In response to the first winning outcome and the second winning outcome being achieved, the first active payline and the second active payline are successively displayed to the player before the first winning outcome and the second winning outcome are indicated to the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Veenker
  • Patent number: 8500542
    Abstract: A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides players with one or more loyalty incentives, such as one or more loyalty awards, utilizing one or more loyalty incentive award sequences. In one embodiment, the gaming system determines a loyalty award to provide to a player and then determines an appropriate loyalty award sequence to utilize to provide the player the determined loyalty award, wherein the loyalty award sequence is determined based on the individual gaming device that the player is currently playing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Richard J. Schneider, Cara L. Iddings
  • Patent number: 8500544
    Abstract: Some implementations of the invention provide a Keno game on a gaming machine wherein an outcome of a second game is also presented. The second game may be a Class III game such as a slot game, a video poker game, etc. Some such aspects of the invention involve providing a Keno game in which the Keno card is divided into N areas and a single number within each of the N areas is selected for the Keno game. Other aspects of the invention provide methods of populating a pay table of another game with outcomes of a Keno game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Lesley Bienvenue