Streamlined work bench

US Patent D686,854
July 30, 2013
The ornamental design for a streamlined work bench, as shown and described.

Secure, distributed hierarchical convergence network

US Patent 8,494,458
July 23, 2013
A facility for performing employing multiple frequencies in a secure distributed hierarchical convergence network is described. The facility receives a signal in a first frequency, converts the received signal to an internal representation, applies a business rule to the converted signal, and, when the business rule indicates that the signal should be transmitted in a second frequency, causes the internal representation of the signal to be translated to a second frequency and transmitted in the second frequency.

System and method for corneal astigmatic axis marking

US Patent 8,491,616
July 23, 2013
The present invention includes a corneal marker having an adjustable element providing for orientation of the marker to the astigmatic axis of a patient’s eye under examination, a handle secured to the corneal marker and a stem secured to and extending below the handle. The stem is weighted to facilitate alignment of the corneal marker to the corneal surface of the patient’s eye under examination during corrective eye surgery according to the corneal light reflex from the eye in response to an illumination source.

Methods of making compression springs

US Patent 8,490,285
July 23, 2013
Compression springs, such as helical compression springs, include end portions with selectively contoured inner contact surfaces. The selective contours of the inner contact surfaces may take the form of planar, grooved, concave, or other shaped, non-circular surfaces. In addition, enough of the inner contact surface is contoured to reduce the contact stress and/or stress concentration effects on the adjacent coils when the compression spring is placed under load and the adjacent coil engages or contacts the respective end portion. The selective contouring of the end portions may be accomplished by holding the spring in a holder and moving a cutter relative to the end portion of the spring to remove the desired amount of material from the end portion.

Session pooling for legacy application tasks

US Patent 8,489,677
July 16, 2013
Methods, systems, and techniques for handling session emulation for running legacy applications/tasks in host environments using session pools are provided. These enhanced session emulation techniques may be used for many applications, including modernizing legacy applications, particularly in mid-range or mainframe host computing. Example embodiments provide a Role-Based Modernization System (“RBMS”), which uses the enhanced emulation techniques to provide role-based modernization of menu-based legacy applications.

Methods and apparatus for improving performance of an accelerometer

US Patent 8,485,032
July 16, 2013
An accelerometer for reducing undesired attraction or repulsion forces between a proof mass and a cover. An exemplary accelerometer includes a proof mass, a base, a flexure that flexibly attaches the proof mass to the base, at least one double-ended tuning fork (DETF) attached at one end to the proof mass and at another end to the base, and a housing structure that encloses the proof mass within a cavity. A layer of graphene is located on at least a portion of the nonconductive surfaces within the housing structure. The nonconductive surfaces include a surface on the proof mass, the housing structure, the base, the flexure, or the DETF. The layer of graphene is attached to a heat sink and/or to an electrical charge dissipation component.

Methods of creating a micro electro-mechanical systems accelerometer using a single double silicon-o

US Patent 8,481,354
July 12, 2013
Methods for creating a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device using a single double, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The double SOI wafer includes at least a base layer of silicon, a first layer of silicon, and a second layer of silicon, the layers of silicon are separated by an oxide layer. A stationary electrode with rigid support beams is formed into the second layer of silicon. A proof mass and at least one spring are formed into the first layer of silicon. The proof mass is separated from the stationary electrode by a first gap and the proof mass is separated from the base silicon layer by a second gap.

Systems and methods for selectively altering a ground proximity message

US Patent 8,483,889
July 9, 2013
Systems and methods for selectively altering a ground proximity warning message. In an embodiment, a ground proximity warning system for a flight vehicle includes a processor that is configured to generate a look-ahead envelope that defines a region extending outwardly from the flight vehicle and to generate a terrain proximity message when the defined region intersects a terrain feature. An interface device is coupled to the processor that is operable to configure the system in a first operating mode wherein the generated terrain proximity message is selectively suppressed, and a second operating mode wherein the terrain proximity message is not suppressed.

Closed airport surface alerting system

US Patent 8,478,461
July 2, 2013
A system and a method alerts the occupant of a vehicle that the vehicle is in, or approaching, a zone of awareness associated with a closed surface at the airport.

Systems and methods for vertically stacking a sensor on an integrated circuit chip

US Patent 8,476,720
July 2, 2013
A sensing unit package with reduced size and improved thermal sensing capabilities. An exemplary package includes a printed circuit board with a plurality of electrical traces, an application-specific integrated circuit (Analog ASIC) chip, and a micromachined sensor formed on a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) die. The Analog ASIC chip is electrically and mechanically attached to the printed circuit board. The MEMS die is in direct electrical communication with only a portion of the electrical traces of the printed circuit board and is mechanically and thermally attached directly to the Analog ASIC chip. A thermally conducting compound is located between the MEMS die and the Analog ASIC chip. One or more solder balls electrically attach the Analog ASIC chip to the printed circuit board and one or more solder traces electrically attach the MEMS die to the printed circuit board.