US07698087B2
A program circuit activates a pass signal when a first program unit is programmed. The first program unit is programmed when a test of an internal circuit is passed. A mode setting circuit switches an operation mode to a normal operation mode or a test mode by external control. A state machine allows a partial circuit of the internal circuit to perform an unusual operation different from a normal operation when the pass signal is inactivated during the normal operation mode. By recognizing the unusual operation during the normal operation mode, it can be easily recognized that a semiconductor integrated circuit is bad. Since a failure can be recognized without shifting to the test mode, for example, a user who purchases the semiconductor integrated circuit can also easily recognize the failure.
US07698086B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a computer-implemented method for receiving information regarding a vehicle involved in an accident, determining availability of event data recorder (EDR) data from the vehicle based on the information, and if the EDR data is available, assigning a level of suitability for data collection from the EDR based at least in part on a type of the EDR and information regarding the accident.
US07698080B2
Methods for determining the most likely composition of sample are disclosed. The methods can include: obtaining data from a sample, where the data includes a representation of a measured spectrum; determining a precision state of the representation of the measured spectrum; providing a plurality of library candidates; for each library candidate, providing data representing each library candidate, where the data includes a representation of a library spectrum; determining a representation of the similarity of the sample to each library candidate; determining the most likely composition of the sample based upon the determined representations of similarity of the sample to each library candidate; and displaying the most likely composition of the sample to a user.
US07698079B2
Measurement of individual quiescent supply currents from multiple power supply pads located across a semiconductor die provides a means of characterizing across-die variation. A ratio is created by combining the individual pad supply current with the sum of all pad supply currents for a given die. An n-tuple is formed from the set of ratios for all pad supply currents to provide a unique signature for different across-die variation profiles.
US07698078B2
A method of communicating with an electric vehicle wherein the method includes a step of installing a communication device in the electric vehicle. The method also includes establishing a connection from the vehicle to a network. The methodology also includes controlling and monitoring a battery in the electric vehicle.
US07698077B2
An electronic signal level detection system and method are provided. The method receives an analog input signal having a variable voltage and compares the input signal voltage to a threshold. A detection signal is generated for input signal voltages exceeding the threshold in a periodic first time frame. In a second periodic time frame (following the first time frame), a count is updated in response to the generated detection signals. The count is used to create a metric representative of the difference between the input signal voltage and the threshold. The count is incremented in response to the generating a detection signal (“1”) in the first time frame, and decremented in response to not generating a detection signal (“0”) in the first time frame.
US07698072B2
Provided is a method for quantifying an initial concentration of a nucleic acid from a real-time nucleic acid amplification data. Nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) extracted from organism or virus is amplified using an enzyme. Then, the initial concentration of the nucleic acid is found by calculating the characteristic amplification cycle number or the characteristic amplification time at which the fluorescence intensity of the nucleic acid subtracted by the background fluorescence intensity of the nucleic acid has half of its maximum value, or the characteristic amplification cycle number or the characteristic amplification time at which the amplification efficiency has the maximum or the minimum value, or the prior-to-amplification fluorescence intensity of the nucleic acid subtracted by the background fluorescence intensity of the nucleic acid. Accordingly, the initial concentration of the nucleic acid can be calculated without differentiation or integration.
US07698066B2
A method and apparatus for estimating the slowness of a geological formation using waveforms recorded by an acoustic borehole logging tool. Phase slowness coherence is extracted from the recorded waveforms after transformation to the frequency domain (804) at various frequencies (806), and this is converted into a formation slowness curve (808) which can be used as an objective function from which an anomaly, such as a local maximum or minimum (810), can be identified as representative of an estimate of the formation slowness.
US07698062B1
Methods and systems are disclosed for finding a most convenient point of interest for a traveler traveling along a route to a destination. The method includes the steps of identifying the location of the traveler, receiving one or more traveler-specified convenience criteria (e.g., maximum distance or time off-route to arrive at the point of interest); receiving a traveler-specified type of point of interest (e.g., hotel, sporting goods store, ice cream parlor) indicating the type of point of interest the traveler wishes to go to while traveling to the destination; searching through a database containing points of interests and their locations for points of interest of the type specified by the traveler meeting the traveler-specified convenience criteria; and providing instructions to the traveler to travel to at least one of the points of interest identified in the searching step if the searching step resulted in finding at least one point of interest meeting the convenience criteria.
US07698059B2
A system aggregates entity location information from multiple documents distributed among multiple locations in a network. The system searches the entity location information to identify a first set of entities located within the entirety of a first geographic region selected by a user. The system provides a first digital map to the user via a network, the first digital map including the first geographic region and further including visual representations of the first set of identified entities and their associated geographic locations.
US07698055B2
Systems and methods are described for constructing predictive models, based on statistical machine learning, that can make forecasts about traffic flows and congestions, based on an abstraction of a traffic system into a set of random variables, including variables that represent the amount of time until there will be congestion at key troublespots and the time until congestions will resolve. Observational data includes traffic flows and dynamics, and other contextual data such as the time of day and day of week, holidays, school status, the timing and nature of major gatherings such as sporting events, weather reports, traffic incident reports, and construction and closure reports. The forecasting methods are used in alerting, the display graphical information about predictions about congestion on desktop on mobile devices, and in offline and real-time automated route recommendations and planning.
US07698052B2
In an engine rotation control device, a remote control operation device is provided with a remote control side ECU and an engine side ECU so that an outboard motor can be remotely controlled. The remote control side ECU and the engine side ECU periodically communicate a control signal. A gauge includes a slow-speed operation section that changes the engine rotational speed during slow-speed cruising. The slow-speed operation section outputs a change command signal to change the engine rotational speed, and a rotational speed change signal generated by a signal output section based on the change command signal is transmitted to the engine side ECU as a periodic control signal. A reset section of the remote control side ECU resets the rotational speed change signal to an initial state in response to a request from a reset request section.
US07698048B2
A control system for an engine of a vehicle includes a requested torque module that determines a first requested torque based on an accelerator pedal position and a current engine torque output capacity. An accelerator effective position module determines an accelerator effective position based on a requested driver axle torque request signal. A power enrichment (PE) module enables a PE mode to provide a richer than stoichiometric fuel equivalence ratio based on the first requested torque and the accelerator effective position.
US07698042B2
In response to the driver's brake OFF operation after a gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position, a motor MG2 is controlled to sequentially output a torque in a backward direction of a vehicle and a torque in a forward direction of the vehicle. Gears are accordingly engaged in a parking lock mechanism during rotation of a parking gear by an angle corresponding to half a tooth in the backward direction of the vehicle or during subsequent rotation of the parking gear by an angle corresponding to one tooth in the forward direction of the vehicle. This arrangement effectively ensures gear engagement in the parking lock mechanism, while desirably reducing a moving distance from a vehicle stop position before gear engagement in the parking lock mechanism.
US07698041B2
A drive unit includes an engine and a transmission having a variable transmission ratio. An instantaneous setpoint power output quantity of the drive unit is determined from an intended power output. The setpoint power output quantity is a function of the instantaneous transmission ratio of the transmission at least for a given intended power output.
US07698011B2
An operating condition monitoring apparatus includes a load-time information acquisition unit 203 obtaining load-time information, of one or more production apparatuses 11, concerning load time allocated to production within a predetermined period, an operating-time information acquisition unit 204 obtaining operating-time information, of one or more production apparatuses 11, concerning operating time that is operable time for the production apparatuses within the predetermined period, an individual operating-rate calculation unit 205 calculating an individual operating rate of one or more production apparatuses 11 by dividing the operating time indicated in the operating-time information by the load time indicated in the load-time information, and an output unit 213 outputting the individual operating rate, in order to identify the production apparatus causing the stoppage of a production line.
US07698005B2
A transmission unit of an information processing device transmits user identification information which identifies users, a password, and device identification information which identifies the information processing device to a management device which manages the information processing device. A receiving unit receives registration completion information which indicates that the user identification information, the password and the device identification information were associated with each other and registered at the management device. A storage unit stores device identification information transmitted by the transmission unit into a storage medium. A control unit controls the transmission unit to transmit device attribute information which indicates the attributes of the information processing device and request information which requests advertisement information in the event that the device identification information is not stored by the storage unit.
US07698002B2
There are provided systems and methods for user interface and identification in a medical device. More specifically, in one embodiment, there is provided a method for controlling a medical device, the method comprising receiving a gesture, processing the received gesture, comparing the processed gesture to a gesture database comprising a plurality of gestures and a plurality of commands for the medical device corresponding to each of the plurality of gestures, identifying one of the plurality of commands from the gesture database corresponding to the received gesture, and executing the command.
US07698000B2
An optical system and method are presented for use in a multi-photon microscope. The system comprises an imaging lens arrangement, and a pulse manipulator arrangement. The pulse manipulator arrangement comprises a temporal pulse manipulator unit which is accommodated in an optical path of an input pulse of an initial profile, and is configured to affect trajectories of light components of the input pulse impinging thereon so as to direct the light components towards an optical axis of the lens arrangement along different optical paths, said temporal light manipulator unit being accommodated in a front focal plane of the imaging lens arrangement, thereby enabling to restore the input pulse profile at an imaging plane.
US07697996B2
A guide catheter includes an outer guide having an open lumen and a longitudinal pre-stress line extending between a distal end and a proximal end of the outer guide. The outer guide has a longitudinal stiffness that facilitates transmission of forces and prevention of kinking during steering of the outer guide within cardiac vasculature and structures. An inner guide has an open lumen and is movably displaceable within the open lumen of the outer guide. At least a distal end of the outer guide and inner guide are dimensioned for passage into the patient's coronary sinus. A guide handle is connected to the proximal end of the outer guide and includes a longitudinal pre-stress line separable into at least two sections such that guide handle separation splits the outer guide along the longitudinal pre-stress line at the proximal end of the outer guide.
US07697995B2
The present invention provides for an improved apparatus and method for electrical stimulation. A paddle having a thickness up to 0.030 inches is implanted adjacent the spinal cord dura mater to reduce the likelihood of paralysis due to stress on the spinal cord attributed to bulkier leads. The paddle is then positioned so that at least one of a plurality of electrodes is positioned over the area of the spinal cord requiring pain treatment; and then electric stimulation is applied to the electrodes to effect pain treatment. In another embodiment the paddle is curved about a vertical axis to substantially match the shape of a human spinal cord dura mater to help reduce lead migration.
US07697990B2
Methods and apparatus for detection and treatment of respiratory disorders using implanted devices are described. In one form, afferent nerves are electrically or electro-mechanically stimulated to increase the tone of upper airway muscles. Detection of respiratory disorders is carried out using electrodes implanted in sub-pectoral regions. Open and closed airway apneas are distinguished using a combination of acoustic detectors and electrical transducers.
US07697989B1
A connector assembly includes a conductive collet spring with an annular base and integral circumferentially spaced cantilevered generally parallel arms terminating at tip members diametrically spaced closer than the diameter of the base. A conductive housing overlying and electrically and mechanically engaged with the collet spring engageably receives the electrical terminal of a medical stimulating device and includes a distal mounting flange. A non-conductive barrel is fittingly attached to the distal mounting flange of the housing and has an inner bore for receiving a medical electrical lead. A non-conductive header encapsulates the connector assembly, is mounted on the casing, and has a header bore aligned with the inner bore for receiving the medical electrical lead which, when inserted and sufficiently advanced through the header bore, the inner bore, and the annular base, the tip members firmly engage the proximal terminal pin thereof.
US07697987B2
A method and apparatus are provided for detecting cardiac arrhythmias during overdrive pacing. A maximum paced rate and a reduced paced rate for a heart are determined, the maximum paced rate being higher than the reduced paced rate. The heart is paced at the maximum paced rate. After the heart is paced at the maximum paced rate for a predetermined amount of time, the heart is paced at the reduced paced rate.
US07697983B1
A method and device for collecting and storing electrophysiological data is presented. The method comprises: (a) sensing electrophysiological data from a patient; (b) classifying data intervals as either a critical interval or a non-critical interval; (c) identifying an episode; and (d) directing storage of the data representing the episode in the memory unit, wherein the data representing the episode is stored at varying sampling frequencies depending on the classification of the data interval. The device comprises a sense circuit, a processor, and a memory unit, wherein the processor is adapted to perform the above-stated method.
US07697976B2
The invention relates to a non-invasive method to diagnose the changes of molecular structures of organism tissues from body surface and a dedicated apparatus. The apparatus is comprised of a Fourier Transform infrared spectrometer and a set of additional accessories. Said additional accessories include a mid-IR fiber optics sampling attachment, a fiber coupling part, and an infrared detector part. The detection method is comprised of placing the ATR probe of the dedicated apparatus on the skin surface of a region to be tested, and scanning more than one time in which the resolution of the apparatus is 1-32 cm−1 and the range of the spectrum is 800-4000 cm−1. It is possible to detect changes in molecular structures of living biological tissues in the early stages of cancer, and testees will not feel uncomfortable during testing. The method is easy to operate, quick, accurate, and it doesn't harm the body.
US07697971B1
A positioning system for an MRI system. One aspect includes a support member for moving a patient in a non-horizontal direction within a scanning area of the MRI system, a drive member for driving the support member, and a controller for controlling the drive member to position the patient at a desired location within the scanning area. One aspect includes a guide member attached to a floor beneath the scanning area for guiding a platform member along a first linear axis generally parallel to the floor and perpendicular to a magnetic field axis of a magnet of the MRI system. A controller controls a drive member to position the patient at a desired horizontal location within the scanning area. One aspect includes a frame, a platform member rotatably coupled to the frame. A controller controls a drive member to rotate the platform member and position the patient at a desired angle within the scanning area.
US07697969B2
A method of preplanning for guided medical procedures includes obtaining a first 3D diagnostic dataset for a region of interest of a subject. This first dataset can be a non-stereotactic dataset and provide sufficient contrast to identify target tissue in the region of interest. A treatment preplan is developed to treat the target tissue using the first dataset exclusive of stereotactic data. The treatment preplan includes placement locations for a plurality of initial radiation beams and their respective dose intensities. A second, stereotactic 3D dataset can be obtained for the region of interest. A registered dataset can then be created by registering the first dataset to the second dataset. The treatment preplan can be modified using data associated with the registering step to generate a stereotactic treatment plan including a plurality of radiation treatment beams with respective placement positions based on the registered dataset to treat the target tissue.
US07697967B2
Devices and methods for positioning a portion of a sensor at a first predetermined location, displacing the portion of the sensor from the first predetermined location to a second predetermined location, and detecting one or signals associated with an analyte level of a patient at the second predetermined location are disclosed. Also provided are systems and kits for use in analyte monitoring.
US07697964B2
A portable terminal includes: a first housing; a second housing rotatably connected to the first housing to open or close the housings. A hinge device interconnects the first and second housings. The hinge device provides first and second hinge axes extending perpendicular to each other, wherein the hinge device limits the rotation of the second housing about the second hinge axis when the second housing has been rotated about the hinge axis to the open position, and the hinge device limits the rotation of the second housing about the first hinge axis when the second housing has been rotated to the open position. The portable terminal with the inventive dual axis hinge device is configured in such a way that one housing can be positioned at the top side or lateral side of the other housing, whereby it is convenient to use the portable terminal and it is possible to secure structural stability and reliability.
US07697956B2
Methods and systems are provided for enabling a service provider to manage a service node that is separated from the service provider by a firewall. A dual-mode mobile device establishes separate secure connections with the service provider and the service node. The mobile device can then serve as a bridge between the service provider and the service node so that a secure management session can be initiated between the service provider and the service node. A method of managing a service node includes: establishing a first secure connection between a dual-mode mobile device and the service node; establishing a second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and a remote system; and initiating a secure management session between the service node and the remote system via the first secure connection and the second secure connection.
US07697947B2
A wireless communication device mixes audio content by combining audio signals from two or more different audio sources available at the wireless communication device and directing the mixed audio signal to a selected audio output circuit included in or associated with the wireless communication device. The audio signals can comprise received audio signals, stored audio signals, or a combination thereof. The audio signals can be synchronized, and one or more video signals may be synchronized with them. In at least one embodiment, the wireless communication device includes one or more circuits, such as a baseband or system processor, configured as a mixing circuit. An included (mixing) control circuit may be configured to control a user interface of the wireless communication device to support audio source selections, mixed audio signal output destinations, and audio signal control (volume, tone, etc.) for audio signals included in the mixed audio signal.
US07697940B2
A network apparatus for a stable handoff in an IP-based mobile ad hoc network system and a handoff method using the same. Present invention enables a handoff to be stably performed by pre-configuring a handoff to a new access router. The network apparatus of the present invention comprises a movement-determining unit for determining movement depending on the signal strength upon reception of a packet among network apparatuses operating on a communication mobile ad hoc network, and deciding a handoff to a new access router; a router-configuring unit for configuring information on the new access router for the handoff by performing beforehand the handoff to the new access router according to the results of the determination in the movement-determining unit; and a handoff-processing unit for performing the handoff to the new access router using the pre-configured information according to the determination in the movement-determining unit.
US07697938B2
The present invention provides a method of radio resource allocation. The method comprises associating a plurality of mobile units with a corresponding plurality of scheduling states based on at least one radio resource parameter and at least one rule, associating each mobile unit with one allocation state based on the plurality of scheduling states associated with the mobile units, and allocating radio resource to at least one mobile units based on the allocation states.
US07697936B2
To provide a base station apparatus that can automatically update the parameters required for radio communication. A pair of identifier for identifying the self station and radio communication parameter is notified to another base station existing in the neighborhood of the self station, and the path loss value between another base station and a mobile station and the pair of identifier and radio communication parameter for another base station is acquired. The pair of identifier and radio communication parameter reported by the self station is set and updated, based on this acquired information. Since it is updated in consideration of the path loss value reported from the mobile station, the parameter can be updated at higher precision.
US07697934B2
The current invention relates to the registration of mobile stations in a mobile communications network. It has particular relevance to handovers and roaming between base stations of an unlicensed radio access network (110) and those of a conventional cellular network (120). As the cells in an unlicensed radio access network have a rather small size, it means that handover potentially can occur far more frequently than for a conventional cellular network. This can result in an undesired ‘ping-pong’ effect, i.e. that the mobile station is switching back and forth between two radio cells too frequently. The current invention reduces this effect by preventing the mobile station to register to the unlicensed radio access network during a modifiable period of time (306).
US07697932B2
To set communication parameters, a communication apparatus identifies a communication parameter setting wireless network on the basis of a network identifier provided in itself. If the communication apparatus can identify any network identifier matching the network identifier provided in itself, it sets the communication parameters in cooperation with another communication apparatus in the wireless network. If no identifier can be identified, the communication apparatus switches the setting of the communication parameters to a manual operation.
US07697931B2
A method and system for performing an access procedure of a mobile communication terminal in a data communication system are disclosed. An exemplary method includes performing an access procedure with a network according to an established access type. The method then determines whether a failure of the access procedure has occurred. A counter value of an access control module is adjusted according to the determined result. Based on the magnitude of the adjusted counter value, the established access type may be abandoned, and another access type may be selected. Therefore, the access procedure suitable for the network environment is executed, such that the probability of success of the access procedure increases.
US07697929B2
A communication system includes a first communication module, and a second communication module. The first communication module may receive a first type of communication signal (e.g. a mobile telephone signal) and convert it into a second-type of communication signal (e.g., a millimeter wave radio signal). The first type of communication signal may be a mobile telephone signal from a first fire fighter's mobile telephone who is located outside of the building. The first communication module may transmit the second-type of communication signal to the second communication module.
US07697927B1
Disclosed is a handheld wireless device which works in cooperation with a facility system. The system includes a first network device. This first network device includes a webserver and a database on a network. A second network device is also included in the network. This second device includes a microcontroller. The microcontroller is adapted to receive commands from an application running on the webserver, and cause a switch device to control a facility public-address system in response to said first command. The system also includes an I/O controller. This I/O controller receives commands from the microcontroller to control the facilities hardware systems. With respect to hardware systems, the device may interact with the facilities HVAC system, lighting systems, door and locker locks, etc. With respect to the facilities communications systems, the device is able to interface with the buildings alarms, public-address systems, and bell systems.
US07697926B2
A device and method for generating user notifications associated with tasks that are pending completion on a mobile device. When additional input is required from a user of the mobile device to complete performance of a task and is not being received from the user within a predefined time period, at least one form of user notification is generated. The particular form or forms of user notification are defined by a user profile associated with the user. User notifications may comprise visual, audible, and/or vibratory alerts, and different forms of these user notifications may be generated in a sequence. The volume of audible alerts or the period between periodic user notifications may vary over time.
US07697922B2
Methods for notifying a user via a wireless communications device regarding the occurrence of an event are provided in which a request is received from a user for notification upon the occurrence of the event. At least one information source is monitored for the occurrence of the event. Once this monitoring indicates that the event has occurred, a notification message that the event has occurred is sent to the wireless communications device. Thereafter, a response is received from the wireless communications device. Related systems, devices and computer program products are also described.
US07697916B2
Frequency translation and applications of same are described herein. Such applications include, but are not limited to, frequency down-conversion, frequency up-conversion, enhanced signal reception, unified down-conversion and filtering, and combinations and applications of same.
US07697905B2
An scheme to provide local oscillator feedthrough offset cancellation to remove baseband and radio frequency coupled offsets. Two separate offset cancellation currents are injected at a driver which drives a baseband signal into a mixer to mix with a local oscillator signal. One offset cancellation current cancels a baseband local oscillator feedthrough offset, while the other offset cancellation current cancels a radio frequency local oscillator feedthrough offset.
US07697904B2
The diversity techniques—space time block code (STBC), maximum ratio combining (MRC)—with multiple antennas provide better reliability than general system. But there are some limitations such as size, cost, hardware complexity, etc, because of multiple antennas. In this letter, we propose a cooperative transmission technique using STBC. We can overcome those limitations and give the gain of cooperative transmission diversity in a concept of virtual multi-input multi-output (MIMO) with single transmit antenna.
US07697895B2
An offset history table is implemented and maintained in a BLUETOOTH device and is used to pre-seed an expected frequency offset of a received signal from another BLUETOOTH device. The disclosed offset history table includes one entry for each piconet device in a particular piconet, each entry including a best guess of the relevant piconet device's frequency offset with respect to the receiving BLUETOOTH device. Using a frequency offset history table and a pre-seeded frequency offset corresponding to an expected frequency offset based on the offset value maintained in the frequency offset history table, the performance of a BLUETOOTH device can be increased in a steady state piconet scenario.
US07697885B2
A jammer for jamming communications in a communications system where the communications system operates with digital bursts having burst periods measured in time and occurring in a communication frequency band such as GSM having a transmit band and a receive band. The jammer includes a tone comb generator for providing repetitions of jamming signals for the communication frequency band where the jamming signals have jamming signal intervals providing frequency separation between the jamming signals. The jamming signals are generated with a dwell time substantially less than a burst period for the communications system. The jamming signals are generated concurrently for the transmit band and the receive band and are transmitted as RF jamming signals to jam communications for mobile stations.
US07697884B2
The sheet conveying apparatus includes a first curl forming part provided downstream of a fixing part for fixing a toner image to a sheet, for curling the sheet; a second curl forming part provided downstream of the first curl forming part, for curling the sheet in a direction opposite to a direction in which the sheet is curled in the first curl forming part, in which a curling amount of the sheet in the second curl forming part is set to be smaller than that in the first curl forming part, and the curling amount of the sheet in the second curl forming part is variable according to rigidity of the sheet. Thus, a shape of the curled sheet can be reliably reformed with a simple structure.
US07697879B2
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus forming an image on a recording medium, includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer on a rigid base; an exposure device forming a latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member; a developer carrying member that carries a developer to develop the latent image using the developer in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a cleaning blade that cleans the electrophotographic photosensitive member in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the following expression is satisfied: Le≧Ldr>Lcl, where Le: a longitudinal length of the photoconductive layer Le, Ldr: a longitudinal length of the developer carrying member to be contacted with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and Lcl: a longitudinal length of the cleaning blade to be contacted with the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
US07697877B2
An image forming apparatus is provided in which a toner is prevented from flowing and being agglomerated, at the time of application of a fixer fluid to a toner image so as to fix the toner image to a recording medium, and the recording medium is prevented from generating curl and wrinkle, and consumption of the fixer fluid and electricity can be reduced, and even a multicolored toner image can be fixed for a relatively short time. An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming section, an intermediate transfer section, a secondary transfer section, a heating section, a fixer fluid applying section, and a recording medium supplying section. A recording medium carrying the toner image on a surface thereof is heated by the heating section and then, a fixer fluid is applied to the toner image by the fixer fluid applying section so that the toner image is fixed.
US07697869B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a developer accepting part accepting supplied developer and a developer supply unit having a developer supply part supplying the developer to the developer accepting part, wherein the developer accepting part is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the image forming unit, the developer supply unit is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the developer supply unit, and the image forming unit and the developer supply unit are arranged in a position where one end in the longitudinal direction of the developer supply unit is nearly orthogonal to the image forming unit near one end in the longitudinal direction of the image forming unit.
US07697864B2
A developing device includes a housing that stores developer; a developing roll that is rotatably supported in the housing and has a developing region with a roughened surface that supplies developer to an image region of an image holding member; a step portion that is formed at both sides of the developing region of the developing roll and whose diameter is smaller than that of the developing region; and a seal member that contacts a region of the step portion that is opposite to the image holding member.
US07697862B2
A high voltage switch device includes a plurality of switches installed between a high voltage power unit and a plurality of developing units. A plurality of cams are disposed on a cam shaft corresponding to the respective switches. The switches are selectively turned “on” and “off” as the cam shaft rotates.
US07697861B2
A printing apparatus receives a plurality of print jobs containing print data from a host computer connected thereto through a network. The printing apparatus temporarily stores the print job in a storage unit to print the print data. The printing apparatus receives a request to pause or restart printing of a print job, and controls execution of the print job in response to the request. Upon receiving a request to restart a print job being paused, the printing apparatus determines a printing order according to a predetermined condition to print the print job.
US07697845B2
An optical add-drop function part of an optical add-drop multiplexer has an output end of transmitted light signal in which an optical termination mechanism formed by an optical detector for detecting open of an optical fiber, an optical switch, and an optical terminator are mounted. Further, a reflection level calculation circuit, a reflection warning determination circuit, and an optical switch selection circuit are mounted to perform laser safety in the optical add-drop function part as well. The laser safety part in the optical add-drop function part is operated earlier than the laser safety part in an optical amplification function part.
US07697844B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for allocating bandwidth in remote equipment on a passive optical network (PON), wherein the system includes an optical line terminal (OLT), which monitors the acceptance of traffic requesting the PON remote equipment for service and configures through signaling control the parameters for the operation of classifying, shaping, and scheduling the traffic in the remote equipment, and a remote equipment which classifies, shapes, and schedules the accepted traffic based on the parameters configured by the OLT and allocates a proper bandwidth to the accepted traffic, and outputs the traffic in the scheduled order. The present disclosure helps ensure the bandwidth and delay requirements of individual traffic flows in the PON remote equipment are met and interaction between traffic of the same or different service class groups is eliminated.
US07697840B2
A display screen device includes a display panel on which a first image is displayed, and an electroluminescent display which displays a second image and is positioned to extend substantially entirely over one surface of the display panel so that the first image and the second image can be selectively displayed and so that the first image and the second image can be displayed in a superimposed manner.
US07697830B2
A digital camera includes a phase difference AF sensor unit, phase difference AF detection unit, contrast AF detection unit, lens driving unit which focuses a taking lens, shading determination unit which determines based on lens information of the taking lens whether focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is possible, and an AF control unit. The AF control unit cause the lens driving unit to focus the taking lens based on a focus detection result of the phase difference AF detection unit when the shading determination unit determines that the focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is possible, and causes the lens driving unit to focus the taking lens based on a focus detection result of the contrast AF detection unit when the shading determination unit determines that the focus detection by the phase difference AF sensor unit is not possible.
US07697826B2
A hand-guided or stationary power tool has a drive unit having a motor that includes a rotor having a permanent magnet and a stator and has a motor control designed to trigger the motor in a first rotational speed range according to a voltage-controlled mode and to trigger the motor in a second rotational speed range following the first rotational speed range in the direction of a higher rotational speed according to a field-weakening operation.
US07697819B2
A storage medium including audio-video (AV) data and application programs for providing additional functions using the AV data includes: movie mode data for reproducing audio-visual (AV) data; program mode data including a plurality of application programs for providing additional functions using the AV data; system data for controlling the execution of the movie mode data and the program mode data; and management information for managing the execution of the application programs in a unit of title, wherein the system data comprises mode information indicating whether a reproduction mode of a title to be reproduced is a movie mode or a program mode.
US07697817B2
A picture processing apparatus for processing picture signals of different formats. A memory stores input picture signals. A read-out section reads the picture signals stored in the memory in terms of a preset number of the picture signals as a unit. An interpolation section interpolates picture signals for a preset position by executing preset calculations on the plural picture signals read out. For picture signals of an HD format, the picture signals are simultaneously read out in terms of the four pixels as a unit to execute four-point interpolation processing. Whilst for picture signals of an SD format, after a conversion to a 960.times.720 frame picture by applying field/frame conversion and doubling the number of the pixels in the vertical direction, the picture signals are stored in the memory. The operating frequency and the number of times of operations of the read-out section and the interpolation section are changed to values as large as four times those. Thus, the picture signals of the SD format are simultaneously read out four times in terms of the four pixels as a unit to execute the 16-point interpolation processing.
US07697816B2
A circulating memory apparatus and a data storage and distribution system using a circulating recording area effectively and having an improved access efficiency to the circulating recording area are disclosed. A memory area secured in a disk unit is used in circulation thereby to record the time series input data. The time series input data are edited into a data block of a predetermined size including a plurality of subblocks, and written into the disk unit by data block. In response to a request for outputting specific data, the data are read by subblock from the disk unit into a cache memory thereby to selectively output the specific data contained in the subblocks.
US07697807B2
An optical component includes a support structure having a first composition including a recessive phase material and a second composition including protrusive phase material, the protrusive phase material defining a plurality of spaced apart surface features, each of the surface features comprising a distal end opposite the support structure, integrated with the support structure, and protruding distally from a surface of the support structure, each of the surface features reducing in cross sectional area distally from the support structure to provide a lowest cross sectional area at the distal end, the recessive phase material supporting and separating the surface features and defining a contiguous recessed surface area between the surface features, at least two of the protrusive features being characterized as optical waveguides.
US07697806B2
A fiber optic cable with detectable ferromagnetic components may include a plurality of detectable ferromagnetic components distributed longitudinally along the cable and insulated from each other. The fiber optic cable may contain the typical layers of fiber core, cladding, coating, strengthening fibers, and cable jacket. Each of the detectable ferromagnetic components may be a ferromagnetic metal strip forming a band around the cable. The metal bands may be distributed at different locations of the cable. Other ferromagnetic materials than metal may be used, as long as they are detectable by a metal detector. The detectable ferromagnetic components may form patterns that may be identified by the metal detector.
US07697805B2
An FBG system with lower power supplied to a temperature controller, while allowing for precise temperature control of an FBG grating. The FBG system includes a high temperature FBG-mounting structure and a low temperature FBG-mounting structure, and a housing containing them. The high temperature FBG-mounting structure includes an FBG module and a thermo module. The temperature of the FBG in the FBG module may be made higher than the environmental temperature by supplying heat from a heat-conducting portion to the thermo module. The low temperature FBG-mounting structure includes an FBG module and a thermo module. The temperature of the FBG in the latter FBG module may be made lower than the environmental temperature by supplying heat from the latter thermo module to the heat-conducting portion. The FBG-mounting structures are provided in parallel on the inner bottom surface of the heat-conducting portion, part of the housing.
US07697801B2
A spectrally selective optical switch is disclosed. The switch comprises a first and a second optical waveguide each having a light guiding structure arranged to guide light along a predetermined path, the optical waveguides being arranged adjacent and parallel to each other; an external resonator defined by a first and a second mirror, said first and said second mirror being provided on opposite sides and outside of said first and second light guiding structures, and said external resonator being resonant to a specific wavelength; and a deflector provided in each of said first and second optical waveguide, the deflectors being arranged to deflect light propagating in one of the light guiding structures to the other light guiding structure by operation of said external resonator. A matrix switch is also disclosed.
US07697799B2
A light receiving device includes a first receiving structure and a second receiving structure. The first receiving structure has a first concentric coupling periodic structure provided in a first surface of a conductive thin film formed on a substrate, a first opening located at a center of the first concentric coupling periodic structure, and a first light receiving section located at an opening end of the first opening. The second receiving structure has a second concentric coupling periodic structure provided in the first surface of the conductive thin film, a second opening located at a center of the second concentric coupling periodic structure, and a second light receiving section located at an opening end of the second opening. The second light receiving section is electrically isolated from the first light receiving section.
US07697798B2
A catheter with many fiber optic pressure sensors. The sensor diaphragm is formed from a wafer with a thin silicon layer and a silicon substrate layer separated by a silicon dioxide layer. A method includes masking and etching channels through the silicon substrate layer in a pattern of concentric circles to form a concentric circular etched channels and cylindrical unetched portions of the silicon substrate layer between the channels, exposing the silicon dioxide in the etched regions, and dissolving the exposed silicon dioxide to expose the crystalline silicon layer in the etched regions. The unetched cylindrical portion of the silicon substrate forms the diaphragm support element and the thin silicon layer forms the diaphragm. After applying a reflective coating to the exposed thin silicon layer, the support element face is adhered to the end face of a tubular housing, and a fiber optic probe is inserted in the tubular housing.
US07697796B2
An optical waveguide sensing method and device in which a waveguide layer receives an optical signal and propagates the optical signal in accordance with a predetermined optical waveguide propagation mode. A testing medium surface in communication with the waveguide layer is responsive to a testing medium for modifying at least one characteristic of the propagated optical signal in relation to a given parameter of the testing medium. In this manner, the modified characteristic of the propagated optical signal can be measured in view of determining the given parameter of the testing medium.
US07697795B2
The present invention relates to the modulation of light traveling along a waveguide, in particular to the acoustic modulation of the light. There is provide a modulator arrangement for acoustically modulating optical radiation. The modulator arrangement has: a waveguide portion formed from a flexible material; a vibrator element for generating acoustic vibrations; and, a coupling arrangement for releasably coupling the vibrating element to the waveguide portion, the coupling arrangement including a first coupling member secured to the waveguide portion, and a second coupling member secured to the vibrator element. The second coupling member is removable from the first coupling member, and the first coupling member has a substantially rigid portion for retaining the shape of the waveguide when the second coupling member is removed from the first coupling member.
US07697789B2
A multifunction apparatus and method for enhancing store binary image data, is disclosed. The method includes retrieving the stored binary image data, converting the binary image data into higher-resolution image data, determining image enhancement processes, and applying the image enhancement processes to the higher-resolution image data to produce an enhanced image. The method further includes determining output format of the enhanced image and outputting the enhanced image.
US07697788B2
An identifying system is provided for identifying a geometrical element in an image automatically. The image may be retrieved from an image capturing apparatus and is imported in a coordinate system. The identifying system includes: a collecting module for collecting dots from the image as a dot muster and retrieving coordinates of all dots of the dot muster from the coordinate system; a curve fitting and geometrical element identifying module for curve fitting according to the coordinates of all the dots of the dot muster to identify what geometrical element the dot muster is; a storing module for storing the coordinates of all the dots of the dot muster, data produced during the curve fitting process, and result data of curve fitting and geometrical element identifying; and an outputting module for outputting the result data. A related identifying method is also provided.
US07697770B2
The method includes the following units: a coefficient number detecting unit (109) for detecting the number of coefficients which has a value other than 0 for each block according to the generated coefficient, a coefficient number storing unit (110) for storing the number of coefficients detected, a coefficient number coding unit (111) for selecting a table for variable length coding based on the numbers of coefficients in the coded blocks located on the periphery of a current block to be coded with reference to the selected table for variable length coding so as to perform variable length coding for the number of coefficients.
US07697764B2
Respective components of a leukocyte particle size pattern that includes a plurality of cellular component fractions are separated by performing a mixture density approximation using an EM algorithm, and characteristic parameters of each fraction are clustered. A similarity search with attention paid to a distribution pattern of a cell group of interest is thereby executed. An algorithm capable of doing a highly accurate similarity search from general viewpoints such as a search for the respective cellular components of a leukocyte or a combination of the respective components is developed. In addition, information useful for a diagnosis is provided.
US07697751B2
Methods and apparatus for generating composite images for displays are provided. For some embodiments, ray tracing algorithms may be utilized to efficiently generate a composite image corresponding to multiple views. Because ray tracing is done on a per pixel basis, it is possible to generate pixel values for only those pixels that will be allocated to a particular image view. By tracing rays from a viewpoint only through those pixels allocated to displaying images corresponding to that viewpoint, a composite image may be generated without discarding pixel data.
US07697750B2
A refinement in optics providing images with improved sharpness, better control of depth of field, vision-improvement applications, and 3-D capture and display.
US07697749B2
A stereo image processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises an imaging device for taking a pair of images of an object for stereo image processing purpose; a stereo processor for correlating the pair of images for each small area thereof to thereby perform stereo matching processing for identifying corresponding areas, and obtaining an evaluation function as a result of said stereo matching processing, distance information to said object obtained based on said evaluation function, and reliability information indicating a reliability of said distance information; a parallax corrector for setting an adaptive search range around a small area in question according to said reliability information, obtaining a corrected evaluation function by correcting said evaluation function obtained for said small area in question based on said evaluation function obtained for a respective small area within said adaptive search range, and correcting said distance information based on said corrected evaluation function obtained.
US07697745B2
In an enclosure inspection apparatus 11, when a sealed letter 2 is inputted into a sealed letter loading station A, visual inspecting means 27 and X-ray inspecting means 33 determine thickness of the sealed letter and whether an enclosure in the sealed letter is a predetermined suspected object. The sealed letter not less than a predetermined thickness is rejected in first sorting station D, and the sealed letter which is not thicker than the predetermined thickness and in which the suspected object is not detected is conveyed as it is to second sorting station G. As for the sealed letter which is not thicker than the predetermined thickness and in which the suspected object is detected, after the suspected object in the sealed letter is positioned in a positioning station E, a suspected object inspecting station F determines whether the above-described suspected object is a predetermined object, such as an explosive or a narcotic drug, using a terahertz wave.It is possible to detect promptly the presence of the objects even if there are a large number of sealed letters.
US07697736B2
A face detection method and apparatus using a level-set method. The method includes: laying a first initial shape model over a face image; evolving shape curves of the first initial shape model using the level-set method; detecting first through M-th neighboring boundary points that neighbor first through M-th initial boundary points of the first initial shape model, and that neighbor the evolved shape curves, M being a positive integer larger than 1; laying a modified shape model rendered using the detected first through M-th neighboring boundary points over the face image; detecting a rotation angle of the modified shape model; determining whether the detected rotation angle of the modified shape model is within a predetermined angle range; and selecting one of a second initial shape model, which is rotated to the left, or a third initial shape model, which is rotated to the right, according to the detected rotation angle, and laying the selected initial shape model over the face image, and returning to the detecting of the first through M-th neighboring boundary points, when the detected rotation angle of the modified shape model is outside the predetermined angle range.
US07697732B2
An apparatus and method for generating a plurality of facial image templates for a plurality of face classes is provided. An input facial image and a plurality of facial image templates are received, where each facial image template of the facial image templates is previously generated for each face class of the face classes. A correlation between the input facial image and each facial image template is determined such that the input facial image is classified into one of the face classes based on the determined correlation between the input facial image and each facial image template. A plurality of facial image templates representing orientations of the input facial images is then generated.
US07697730B2
In a biometrics authentication device which uses biometrics information to authenticate individuals, guidance is provided such that image capture of biometrics information is performed appropriately. An image capture device is caused to perform a plurality of image capture operations (including distance measurement) at short intervals. And when image capture NG occurs frequently, a control unit stacks the NG results, and if image capture NGs are not resolved even after a prescribed number of image capture operations, judges that the relation between the body part and the image capture device must be corrected, analyzes the stacked image capture NG causes, and displays a guidance screen on a display device according to the analysis result.
US07697728B2
A document processing system and method for using image quality to sort documents. The document processing system comprises: a document sorting system that designates a destination pocket for each document based on data gathered from each document; a document imaging system that captures an image of each document; and an image quality analysis system that analyzes each image and causes any document having an unacceptable image to be redirected to an unacceptable destination pocket.
US07697726B2
An interferometer system (2) directs light along a sample path (SP) towards a sample surface (7) and along a reference path (RP) towards a reference surface (6). Light reflected by a sample surface region and by the reference surface interfere. Sensing elements (SE) sense interference fringes at intervals along a scan path to provide a set of intensity data. A coherence peak position determiner (201) determines from the intensity data set a position on the scan path that corresponds to the height of the surface region. An amplitude determiner (202) determines amplitude data representing the amplitude of the intensity data at the determined height position. A modified surface height calculator (207) calculates modified height data by modifying the height data by a correction factor determined using the corresponding amplitude data and a correction parameter provided by a correction parameter provider (260).
US07697724B1
A system including a data acquisition system and a processing system is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture a first reference frame that includes a first feature in a first imaging area on a substrate prior to a relative position between the data acquisition system and the substrate being adjusted by approximately a predetermined distance during a first time period, capture a first comparison frame that includes the first feature in a second imaging area on the substrate and a second reference frame that includes a second feature in the first imaging area on the substrate subsequent to the first time period, and capture a second comparison frame that includes the second feature in the second imaging area on the substrate subsequent to the relative position being adjusted by approximately the predetermined distance during a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period. The second imaging area is separated from the first imaging area by the predetermined distance. The processing system is configured to determine a displacement sum using a first displacement between the first feature in the first reference frame and the first feature in the first comparison frame and a second displacement between the second feature in the second reference frame and the second feature in the second comparison frame.
US07697719B2
The presently claimed invention relates generally to processing audio and video content. One claim recites an apparatus including: one or more electronic processors. The processors are programmed for: (i) processing data representing audio content or video content to extract identifying information therefrom, the data obtained via a network access point, the processing processes data representing audible portions of the audio content or processes data representing picture elements of the video content; (ii) upon obtaining the identifying information from the data, determining whether to allow the audio content or video content to be communicated through the network access point; and (iii) controlling provision of a notice including at least some details associated with said determining. Of course, other combinations and claims are provided as well.
US07697714B2
A method of associating an object with a sticker placed on a surface is disclosed. The sticker has coded data encoding a sticker identity. The sticker also has a region which exposes a position on the surface. The surface has coded data encoding surface identity and locations on the surface. The method starts by receiving indicating data from a sensing device which sensed the sticker and surface coded data respectively. The indicating data is indicative of the sticker identity, the surface identity and the position on the surface exposed by the sticker. The object is also identified, and the object is associated with the sticker identity, the surface identity, and the position on the surface exposed by the sticker.
US07697708B2
It provides a condenser microphone such as a tiepin type including a small microphone unit, which is capable of effectively suppressing noise generation due to an electromagnetic wave. It covers the entirety from a microphone unit 12 to a connecting cable 22 with an integrally formed cover member 32 and connects the cover member 32 to a shielded wire 25 so as to electromagnetically shield the entirety.
US07697705B2
A programmable digital hearing aid circuit and method for operating and programming same are disclosed. The device provides a flexible means to compensate for undesirable frequency response distortion normally due to the electro-acoustical characteristics of the microphone, receiver, and sound coupling mechanisms employed in hearing aid design. Parameters of the programmable hearing aid circuit may also be set to tailor the hearing aid response characteristics for the frequency-dependent hearing loss of an individual hearing aid user. The device is intended to make available a significant improvement in audio fidelity to users of hearing aid devices.
US07697703B2
While an AUX-bus selecting operator is being operated beyond a predetermined time period, displays of channel-ON operators, normally indicating ON/OFF states of corresponding input channels, indicate ON/OFF states of signal delivery from the input channels to the AUX bus. Thus, a user can readily confirm, with minimized operation, the ON/OFF states of the signal delivery from the input channels to the second bus. Operating any one of the channel-ON operators in this state can change the ON/OFF state of the signal delivery from the corresponding input channel to the AUX bus. Further, operating the AUX-bus selecting switch while keeping operating the layer operator, current fader settings of the input channels can be copied as delivery levels of signals from the input channels to the AUX bus. Because the delivery levels of sound signals from the input channels to the bus can be set using the fader settings of the input channels as initial values, time and labor necessary for the setting operation can be minimized.
US07697702B2
The present invention provides a condenser microphone having a proximity sensor consisting of an infrared light emitting diode and an infrared photodetector, the condenser microphone preventing the occurrence of noise and the malfunctioning of the infrared photodetector when the infrared light emitting diode is lighted using an AC component. Specifically, the present invention provides a condenser microphone operated using a predetermined DC power source; an infrared light emitting diode 20 is lighted at a predetermined frequency by an oscillation circuit 22 using an AC component, and a microphone output is turned on and off by an output signal from the infrared photodetector 21 which is tuned to the predetermined frequency. The condenser microphone further includes two DC-DC converters 23 and 24 connected in parallel with the DC power source. One 23 of the DC-DC converters 23 supplies power to the infrared light emitting diode 20 and the oscillation circuit 22. The other DC-DC converter 24 supplies power to the infrared photodetector 21.
US07697700B2
Reduction of noise in a device having a console with one or more microphones and a source of narrow band distributed noise located on the console is disclosed. A microphone signal containing a broad band distributed desired sound and narrow band distributed noise is divided amongst a plurality of frequency bins. For each frequency bin, it is determined whether a portion of the signal within the frequency bin belongs to a narrow band distribution characteristic of the source of narrow band noise located on the console. Any frequency bins containing portions of the signal belonging to the narrow band distribution are filtered to reduce the narrow band noise.
US07697686B2
Example embodiments are directed to a digital audio/video (AV) data processing unit and a method of controlling access to the digital AV data. The processing unit of AV digital data includes a deciphering unit of the AV data, a decompression unit, an input/output interface of the processed AV data and communication device towards a security module. The deciphering and decompression units respectively include an encryption unit and a decryption unit, each having at least one personal key and a common encryption key. Deciphering the AV data using the control words and re-encrypting the deciphered AV data occurs only after a successful verification of the control word and the common key. After temporary storage, the re-encrypted AV data cannot be decrypted by the decryption unit unless the common key has been positively verified by the security module by way of a random number generated by the decryption unit.
US07697682B2
An encryption apparatus having an encryption interruption/restart function and temporarily interrupting packet processing accompanied with encryption to first process packets having a higher priority order, having a data storage memory for storing data for processing, a common key cipher block for encrypting transferred data to be processed by a common key cipher, and a memory access controller for controlling the data transfer from the data storage memory to the common key cipher block based on a descriptor providing information instructing the transfer data to be processed from the data storage memory, wherein the descriptor includes a descriptor format for instructing a cipher algorithm in the common key cipher and for instructing an encryption mode, and an encryption method.
US07697681B2
The present invention provides a parallelizable integrity-aware encryption technique. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a parallelizable integrity-aware encryption method comprises whitening at least one message block with a first mask value, encrypting the whitened at least one message block using a block cipher and a first key, and whitening the encrypted at least one message block with a second mask value to generate at least one corresponding output ciphertext block. In another embodiment of the invention, a parallelizable integrity-aware encryption method comprises applying a XOR function to all blocks of a message to compute a XOR-sum, applying a first mask value to the XOR-sum; encrypting the masked XOR-sum using a block cipher and a first key, and applying a second mask value to the encrypted XOR-sum to generate an integrity tag.
US07697677B2
A method for call distribution is disclosed, where an incoming call is forwarded by a switching device to a call distribution device via dialing information input by the caller. The call distribution apparatus device checks whether the dialing information contains permissible inquiry information. If this is not so, the caller is requested to input inquiry information by an interactive voice response device. The call distribution apparatus causes the call to be switched to an agent responsible for the specified inquiry via the switching device via the inquiry information contained in the dialing information or interrogated by the voice response device.
US07697669B2
The present invention relates to a tethered digital butler consumer electronics product and method. The tethered digital butler, of a price and form factor suitable for consumer electronics markets of developed and developing countries, includes a communications and multi-media console and a wireless remote. The remote may resemble a handheld personal computer (HPC), a palm-held personal computer (PPC or PDA) or a smart phone, but has a low cost and feature set supported by the console that is novel in the consumer electronics market. In particular, this disclosure relates to combining telephone service, device control and, optionally, a fingerprint reader for easy user identification/authorization and personalization. As another option, a camera can be incorporated into the remote, thereby enabling video conferencing and other visual features. Alternatively, the remote may be packaged separately from a console and sold to interact with capabilities of a communications and console, set-top box, multi-media PC or other consumer electronics device from a different source, such as one running on a Windows, OS X or Linux platform, with or without telephone capabilities. The remote may include a media reader and remote USB port.
US07697666B2
A method, system and computer-usable medium for optimizing retrieval of customer data needed to handle a call are presented. The method includes the steps of receiving a call at a data center; initiating a query for a business data related to the call; creating a key that identifies the business data related to the call; pre-fetching the business data using the key with a lookup table; caching the pre-fetched business data; attaching the key to the call; routing the call with the attached key to a desktop agent; receiving a request from the desktop agent for the pre-fetched business data; retrieving the cached pre-fetched business data; and transmitting the cached pre-fetched business data to the desktop agent.
US07697654B1
Techniques are provided to determine a more realistic measure of a physical carrier-to-interference plus noise radio (pCINR) associated with a wireless channel between first and second wireless communication devices. Channel conditions are used to derive a channel margin quantity that is in turn used “discount” the pCINR. The discounted pCINR is then used to determine a modulation and encoding scheme that can be used on the wireless channel for communications between the first and second wireless communication devices.
US07697650B2
A phase measurement system for measuring phase between an input signal having a frequency and a reference signal having a substantially different frequency includes: a phase comparator having an output representing a time between a crossing of a first threshold by a clock derived from the reference signal and a predetermined time along an interval from a first sample to a second sample, where the input signal crosses a second threshold on the interval; an interpolator having an output indicative of an interpolated time of the second-threshold-crossing on the interval in the input signal; and a phase calculator which computes the phase difference by combining the phase comparator output and the interpolator output.
US07697638B2
Blind modulation detection in a receiver of a wireless communication device calculates error energies for PSK and GMSK based on differences between a received training sequence signal and synthesized training signals generated from PSK and GMSK channel estimations and a known training sequence phase rotated by 3π/8 and π/2 per symbol, respectively. A highly reliable modulation detection in a Single Antenna Interference Cancellation (SAIC) operational environment is achieved by a dual comparison of a total energy value of the received signal and the two error energies. PSK is determined if the PSK error energy value is found to be lower than both the GMSK error energy value and the total energy value by predetermined thresholds; otherwise the modulation type is determined to be GMSK.
US07697636B2
A process of correction of the spectral inversion for a receiver in a digital communication system: the process allows the reception in the receiver of a training sequence presumably known according to a modulation of type π/2 BPSK or MDP2. The process includes the following steps: Demodulating of the training sequence; Calculating of the differential correlation on a set of N received samples (Rn) and presumably sent (Sn) to generate a result; Using the result to detect the beginning of the frame and to order a spectral inversion in the chain of reception of the aforementioned receiver before launching the detection of the beginning of the frame. A receiver to process automatically the spectral inversion is also described.
US07697635B2
A receiver for a digital communication signal has a first decision gate (DGa), which has a first decision threshold (xd) for outputting a first decision signal, a second decision gate (DGb), which has a second decision threshold (xm) for outputting a second decision signal, a counter (CNT) for counting events where the first and second decision signals of the first and second decision gates (DGa, DGb) differ from each other, and a controller (PROC) capable of controlling the decision thresholds of said first and second decision gates in accordance with count values delivered by said counter. The controller (PROC) determines an initial decision threshold value by performing a statistical analysis of the received signal and setting the decision threshold such that the distribution of logical ‘0’ and logical ‘1’ in the decided signal corresponds to the expected distribution, which is in typically 50%/50%.
US07697626B2
A method and apparatus for selecting a beam combination of beam switched antennas in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication system including a first node and a second node. The first node sends a plurality of modulation and coding scheme (MCS) requests to the second node. Each of the plurality of MCS requests is sent using a particular beam combination. The second node receives the MCS requests and generates MCS feedback signals for each of the MCS requests. Each MCS feedback signal includes an MCS recommendation for the particular beam. The first node selects a beam combination for communicating with the second node based on the MCS recommendations.
US07697623B2
A method and system switches antennas in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed access (OFDMA) wireless communication system while transmitting symbols. Each symbol includes a cyclic prefix and a block of data signals. The symbols are transmitted during a first portion of a transmission time interval (TTI), from a first antenna. Then, the RF chain is switched to a second antenna to transmit the symbols, and in which the switching is performed substantially between transmitting two consecutive transmitted symbols.
US07697621B2
A method of detecting the power loadings at a receiver wherein estimation of power loadings based on the received reference signals is unnecessary. Channel condition is obtained for each channel and transmission power loading per channel is detected according to channel condition, wherein estimation of power loadings based on the received reference signals is unnecessary. A received encoded information bit stream is then decoded according to the detected power loading per channel.
US07697619B2
An improved training sequence for estimating a channel (e.g., channel impulse response) in the time domain is disclosed. The improved training sequence enables time-domain estimation and eliminates the need for correct frequency-domain channel estimation at every frequency. By utilizing the training sequence according to the invention, estimation of each of a plurality of time-domain channel taps can be decoupled from each other. This enables a channel estimate to be performed with not only a higher convergence speed but also lower complexity.
US07697616B2
A method of modulating a digital signal of width L in frequency on a given useful frequency band is described The digital signal is separated into N blocks bn (1≦n≦N). The given useful frequency band is split into N contiguous parts Pn. Channels Cn, of width 1n in frequency, lying within an associated part Pn, are defined. The channels Cn are separated, a distributing of each block of digital signals bn over the associated channel Cn.
US07697611B2
A method for processing video image is provided to perform a motion vector filtering process on the image after being processed by a motion estimation process. The motion vector filtering process adjusts the motion vectors derived for each block in a video sequence, so that the motion vector of each block and the actual moving direction of the corresponding object in the image tend to conformity. Then, the blocks with similar motion vectors are merged and blocks with radical motion vectors are corrected, thereby reducing distortion of the output image and the number of bits used to represent the motion information, which in turns increases the efficiency of compression process.
US07697608B2
A scaleable macro block rate control method particularly well-suited for MPEG video. There is provided a method to easily derive a quantization parameter (QP) value using information such as bit usage, previous QP values and SAD values from the past encoded and future frames. The method utilizes quantization estimation techniques based on statistical relationships between different intensity measures, such as distortion intensity, absolute difference intensity and mean of absolute difference intensity. The method is well-suited to applications utilizing MPEG video such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, JVT/H.264 standards and so forth.
US07697605B2
A signal transmitting/receiving system and method, signal transmitting apparatus and method, signal processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program are provided. A signal transmitting/receiving system includes a transmitter configured to transmit signals; and a receiver configured to receive the signals transmitted from the transmitter. The transmitter transmits signals using a first signal having an edge at a position that is 1/n from the beginning of a unit segment and a second signal having an edge at a position of (n−1)/n from the beginning of a unit segment, where n is an integer greater than or equal to three, one of the first signal and the second signal representing logic “0” and the other representing logic “1”. The receiver determines a signal type based on a length of an edge interval of either rising edges or falling edges of the signals received.
US07697604B2
The present invention provides a novel technique for improving the performance of equalizers by reducing the effects of error propagation in equalizers that use a Viterbi Decoder. Methods and systems are described that can improve the performance of equalizers by reducing the effects of error propagation in equalizers that use a Viterbi Decoder. Systems and methods of symbol correction in prediction decision feedback equalization (“pDFE”) architectures are described. Systems are described that include one or more enhanced Viterbi decoders together with novel methods of symbol correction to obtain better system performance. Systems and methods are described that utilize dual pDFEs and can use a blending algorithm to reduce errors in symbol decoding. Dual pDFEs are described that include forward and backward Viterbi decoders wherein the backward Viterbi decoded may operate on time reversed data blocks and with some degree of latency. Forward and backward Viterbi decoders can generate different decoded symbols from the same equalized data. A blending algorithm is described for weighting results based on reliability of the respective decoded symbols. A forward-backward blender can additionally increase performance of the second pDFE by blending long delayed trellis symbols from the first Viterbi decoder with symbols output by the second Viterbi decoder.
US07697600B2
Data signals transmitted over transmission media suffer from attenuation caused by the transmission media. Equalization circuitry may be provided to compensate for attenuation caused by the transmission media. Equalization circuitry may include multiple stages arranged in series to allow the frequency responses of the stages to aggregate together. Each stage may be programmable to insert a zero, which causes the frequency response of the stage to increase in magnitude by 20 dB/decade. The frequency location of the zero may also be programmable to allow each stage to contribute a certain amount of gain for a specific frequency. Each stage may also be programmable to determine the location of poles for reduction of high frequency noise and cross-talk cancellation.
US07697599B2
An xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem (160) includes a setting module (168), a detection module (164), and a distinguishing module (166). The setting module pre-sets a threshold value, and adjusts the threshold value according to noise types. The detection-module captures connection parameters of the xDSL modem and the central office (CO) (120), and computes a judging value. The distinguish module distinguishes noise types according to the judging value, and determines whether the connection is maintained or disconnected. A method for stabilizing connection between an xDSL modem and a CO is also provided.
US07697596B2
A system for processing radio frequency (RF) signals includes a searcher and a plurality of Cluster Path Processor (CPPs). The searcher detects a maximum signal energy level and position of at least one of a plurality of individual distinct path signals in a signal cluster of a first information signal, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of individual distinct path signals is received within a duration of a corresponding delay spread. The sampling position is used as a starting sampling location by the plurality of CPPs, including a first information signal CPP and a second information signal CPP. Fine sampling positions of the plurality of CPPs are based upon channel energy estimates for the plurality of individual distinct path signals. CPP outputs are employed to produce channel estimates, which are themselves used in subsequent equalization operations. Sampling positions may change over time in order to satisfy alignment criteria.
US07697587B2
Ring laser gyroscope that includes a gyroscope block, a radio frequency transmitting device, and a radio frequency energy source. The gyroscope block has at least one discharge bore containing a gain medium, and the radio frequency transmitting device is located within the gyroscope block in proximity to at least one discharge bore and located so as to encompass the discharge bore. The radio frequency energy source is configured to apply a pulsed radio frequency signal to the transmitting device.
US07697582B2
A purpose of this invention is to suppress radiation noise while satisfying demands for higher speeds and higher image qualities of a semiconductor laser driving device in a laser beam printer or the like. A laser driving circuit includes a first wiring pattern and a second wiring pattern which are connected to a main wiring pattern, a first circuit which is connected to the first wiring pattern and has a semiconductor laser element (7) and a laser driving device for driving the semiconductor laser element, a second circuit which is connected to the second wiring pattern, has a compensation element and a compensation driving device, and compensates for noise in the first circuit, and a common mode choke coil which is connected to the first and second wiring patterns and selectively increases impedances to in-phase signal components in a signal flowing through the first wiring pattern and the first circuit and a signal flowing through the second wiring pattern and the second circuit.
US07697580B2
A power monitoring and correction to a desired power level of a laser or group of lasers utilizes two photodetectors which are employed to accurately determine the amount of output power from the front end or “customer” end of a laser or a plurality of such lasers. During power detection, which may be accomplished intermittently or continuously, the laser is modulated with a tone of low frequency modulation. One photodetector at the rear of the laser is employed to detect the DC value of the frequency tone, i.e., a value or number representative of the AC peak-to-peak swing, amplitude or modulation depth of the tone. Also, the rear photodetector may be employed to determine the optical modulation index (OMI). In either case, these values may be employed in a closed loop feedback system to adjust or otherwise calibrate the value of the low tone frequency relative to the total desired bias current applied to the laser. A front photodetector is employed to receive a portion of the total output of the laser, or of each laser, and the average output power of the laser, or of each laser, is determined from already knowing the optical modulation index (OMI) via the rear photodetector. Thus, by measuring and/or calibrating the laser OMI with the use of a rear photodetector, the average output power from the front end output can be unambiguously determined from detection of the AC peak-to-peak swing or amplitude of the low frequency tone received via the front photodetector.
US07697578B2
The present invention provides a directly modulatable wavelength variable laser that enables long distance and large volume communication with a simple and compact configuration. The wavelength variable laser includes a semiconductor optical amplifier, an optical filter, and a frequency-amplitude converter. The semiconductor optical amplifier produces optical gain of the light signal. The optical filter configured by multi-stage connected waveguide ring resonators performs frequency modulation on the light signal. The frequency-amplitude converter performs amplitude modulation on the light signal frequency modulated in the optical filter.
US07697577B2
A wavelength conversion apparatus capable of stably providing high output harmonic laser light is provided. The wavelength conversion apparatus comprises an end pump fiber laser 3 containing a laser activating substance, and including a reflecting surface at one end thereof and a fiber grating in the vicinity of the reflecting surface; an excitation laser light source 1 for outputting excitation laser light; an excitation laser light introduction section 4 for introducing the excitation laser light from the excitation laser light source to the fiber laser; a wavelength conversion element 5 for converting a fundamental wave generated by the fiber laser to a harmonic; and a rear reflecting surface 6 located outside the fiber laser and forming a laser cavity together with the fiber grating.
US07697575B2
The remultiplexing apparatus includes a control information selector that selects a packet containing program control information from the inputted bit stream, a program control information editor that edits contents of the selected program control information and generates new program control information corresponding to an outputted bit stream, and a remultiplexer for multiplexing again the packet containing media information in the inputted bit stream and the program control information generated by the program control information editor.
US07697574B2
The present invention provides a radio communication device, a transmitter and a receiver capable of handling a plurality of signal waves. A radio communication device has a millimeter-wave transmitter (15) and a millimeter-wave receiver (29). Millimeter-wave transmitter (15) includes a multiplexing circuit (1), a millimeter-wave up-converter (4) and an antenna (3), and the millimeter-receiver includes an antenna (31), a millimeter-wave down-converter (32) and an output processing circuit (45). The signal waves dedicated to the user are modulated by a modulation circuit (121 to 124) so as to be allocated between the ground broadcast waves and satellite broadcast waves. The frequencies are multiplexed in an intermediate frequency band, after that, the multiplexed frequencies are converted into a millimeter-wave band and the resultant is transmitted. On the reception side, the multiplexed waves are down-converted, separated to signal waves and demodulated.
US07697564B2
A method for Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) handshaking begins when a remote DSL transceiver transmits first signals containing even numbered carriers for a predetermined period of time to initiate the DSL handshaking to produce R-ETONES-REQ. The processing continues when the central office DSL transceiver determines alignment of a hyperframe in accordance with a TCM-ISDN TTR. The processing continues when the central office DSL transceiver transmits first response signals containing odd numbered carriers in accordance with the alignment of the hyperframe to produce C-TONES-TTR. The processing continues when the remote DSL transceiver acquires TTR synchronization in accordance with the C-TONES-TTR. The processing continues when, after acquiring TTR synchronization, the remote DSL transceiver transmits second signals containing even numbered carriers to produce R-TONE-TTR. The processing continues when, in response to the R-TONE-TTR, the central office DSL transceiver transmits second response signals containing odd numbered carriers to produce C-GALF1-TTR. The processing continues when the remote and central office DSL transceivers exchange flag signals.
US07697559B2
An apparatus and associated methodology provided to enable broadcast media to be reproduced quickly while reducing an overhead accompanied with the broadcast media. A broadcast communication system transmits the broadcast media from a server to a communication terminal. The server transmits broadcast notification information (SAP message) designating at least one broadcast media, and transmits reproduction information indicating a reproduction method of the designated broadcast media prior to reproduction of the broadcast media by the communication terminal. The communication terminal reproduces the broadcast media designated by the broadcast notification information (SAP message) based on the reproduction information when receiving the broadcast notification information.
US07697556B2
A telecommunications system includes a first device having a plurality of interfaces, with each interface having a unique MAC address, the first device using the MAC addresses for forwarding frames. The system includes at least one bridge in communication with the first device. The system includes a second device in communication with the first device through the bridge having a plurality of interfaces with each interface having a unique MAC address, the first device forwarding frames to a first interface of the plurality of interfaces of the second device using the unique MAC address of the first interface of the second device. A method for communicating.
US07697545B1
A technique for automated discovery of relationships between components providing a service and discovery of the relationship of shared components to other services. A discovery engine determines a management address for a component experiencing a problem and retrieves a TCP connection table for the component. It then identifies TCP connections that are either active or that were recently active. For each, the destination address is added to a global connection table. After the TCP connection table has been processed in this manner, the global connection table is traversed and TCP connection tables for each listed destination address are examined recursively. At the conclusion of this recursive process, the management table contains a list of management agents in the distributed system to which the original component had a TCP connection, either directly or indirectly.
US07697540B2
The present invention relates to a router (e.g., intermediate router) and a method that queues and services an upgraded/downgraded packet and a plurality of other packets all of which are part of a flow in a manner that eliminates the reordering of the packets. In one embodiment, the router and method queues and services the packets by handing-off a token from an upgraded/downgraded packet to a head-of-line packet which is forwarded to a downstream router. In another embodiment, the router and method queues and services the packets without handing-off a token from an upgraded/downgraded packet to a head-of-line packet which is forwarded to a downstream router.
US07697527B2
Frame contained destination information may be used by a switch to identify an appropriate output port for a given frame without performing a table access operation. This reduces the processing requirements of the switch to enable the switch to handle frames more efficiently. The frame contained destination information may be contained in the frame's local destination MAC addresses (DA) such that a portion of the DA directly indicates, for each switch that handles the frame, an output port for that switch. Different portions of the DA may be used by different switches, depending on where they are in the network hierarchy. Large switches may also use sub-fields within their allocated portion in the DA to identify internal switching components. A location resolution server may be provided to store and distribute IP and MAC addresses and respond to local ARP requests on the local domain.
US07697520B2
A system and method for detecting peer-to-peer network software operating on a target computer. A target file is created, and placed in one or more folders on the target computer. A search is issued on a Peer-to-Peer network for the target file. Peer-to-peer software is detected to be operating on the target computer in accordance with results of the search.
US07697512B1
A server connectivity status testing mechanism of a voice-over internet protocol (IP) communication device is operative to automatically test the connectivity status of each of a plurality of available servers. In response to such testing, server usage is selectively adjusted, as necessary, to ensure that the user is provided with effectively uninterrupted service, and so that the service provider may be immediately alerted to error conditions.
US07697511B2
A method for processing speech data packets passed between a plurality of devices in a conversation is disclosed. The method associates priorities with each of the devices in the conversation and processes speech data packets received from the devices according to the priorities. Devices in the conversation are identified, a priority for each device is determined, and the priority for each device is associated with speech data packets transmitted from the device. The priorities may change during the conversation. If more than one speech data packet is received in a time window, the speech data packet with high priority is transmitted. Speech data packets that are not transmitted may be deleted or buffered. If a device is not assigned a priority, a low priority is assigned to speech data packets transmitted from the device.
US07697510B2
A communication terminal device converts a sound in the communication terminal device into an audio frequency signal, converts the converted audio frequency signal or an audio frequency signal transmitted in the communication terminal device into a digital audio signal, and transmits the digital audio signal to a center device via an IP network.
US07697508B2
A system for communication between a mobile node and a communications network is provided for use with a communications network having one or more communications network nodes that define a foreign agents and that communicate with the mobile node in a predefined region. The system includes a ghost-foreign agent that advertises a foreign agent so that the mobile node is aware of the foreign agent when the mobile node is located outside the predefined region. The system further includes a ghost-mobile node that signals the foreign agent in response to the foreign agent advertising and based upon a predicted future state of the mobile node.
US07697507B2
A modem for symmetric bi-directional transporting of an Ethernet signal, comprises a port connected to a physical layer module adapted to receive and transmit a single Ethernet signal, a data splitter for splitting the Ethernet signal into the configurable number of downstream data signals, and another portion comprising the configurable number of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) ports coupled to the data splitter. Each port is adapted to transmit a separate downstream signal. Each transmitted downstream signal is transmitted via a corresponding telephone line connected to the port. Each port is further adapted to receive a separate upstream signal. Each received upstream signal is received over the corresponding telephone line connected to the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) port, and a data collection and reorganization unit coupled to the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) ports is adapted to assemble the upstream signals into the single Ethernet signal for transmission by the physical layer module.
US07697504B2
An apparatus and method of selecting a routing path through a mesh network that includes a mobile access node is disclosed. The method includes each access node of the mesh network capable of receiving routing beacons from at least one upstream access node. The routing beacons including information of all upstream access nodes along a path to a gateway access node. The mobile access node selecting a route through an upstream access node based upon a quality of beacons received from at least one upstream access node, and whether the at least one upstream access node is a fixed access node or another mobile access node.
US07697503B2
Methods are provided for managing communications over a communications routing network. A data store is maintained of records of communications links established over the communications routing network between a first endpoint of the communications routing network and multiple second endpoints of the communications routing network distinct from the first endpoint. A frequency analysis is performed of the second endpoints to identify a frequency of establishing a communications link between the first endpoint and each of the second endpoints. A list is generated of a subset of the second endpoints in accordance with a result of the frequency analysis.
US07697488B2
A method and system suitable for use in organize communications in a network. The organization process optionally being suitable to facilitating nodal communications so as to minimize energy consumption and activity periods associated with nodal communications. The process being adaptable for use with any number of nodes, such as but not limited to nodes associated with wireless sensor nets or other networks.
US07697486B2
Disclosed a transmission apparatus in a CDMA mobile communication system. Transmission frames each have a plurality of time slots, and each of the time slots includes two data parts having the same length, a midamble intervening between the data parts, and a guard period for dividing the consecutive time slots. The transmission apparatus modulates the frames into a radio signal with a modulation signal and transmits the modulated radio signal using a plurality of antennas. A power amplifier amplifies the radio signal. A controller generates a switching control signal in a guard period of time slots of a frame associated with the radio signal amplified by the power amplifier. A switch switches the amplified radio signal from the power amplifier between a first and a second antenna in response to the switching control signal.
US07697484B2
Disclosed is a method of providing cooperative diversity in a Multiple Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) wireless network including a source station, a relay station, and a destination station each for transmitting a plurality of streams through multiple antennas, the method including: decoding, by a relay station, a plurality of streams received from the source station, checking for errors in the individual decoded streams, and transmitting error detection information to the source station and thereafter relaying streams having no errors to the destination station and retransmitting, by a source station, streams corresponding to streams which were previously found to include errors to the destination station based on the error detection information.
US07697482B2
A wireless network in which wireless terminals associate with particular access points maintains information about the positions and associations of the terminals and calculates loads on access points. To provide increased bandwidth at a heavily loaded access point, terminals associated with adjacent access points are handed over to more distant access points, so that the adjacent access points become less active and generate less interference. The hand-over is initiated and carried out by the access points concerned, rather than by the terminal that is handed off. Loads can accordingly be balanced promptly and interference can be reduced.
US07697458B2
A node for self localization, a clustering method using the same, and a localization method are provided. The node, which is located in a specific space so as to constitute a sensor network, includes a location information messaging unit which receives one or more location information messages including information on spatial locations of one or more neighboring nodes in the sensor network from the neighboring nodes in the sensor network; a distance calculator which calculates a first distance to the neighboring node on the basis of the location information included in the received location information messages and calculates a second distance to one or more neighboring nodes on the basis of the received time or intensity of the message on the location information; and a clustering unit which forms clusters of the node and a plurality of neighboring nodes in which the difference between the first and second distances is less than a predetermined threshold.
US07697457B2
A wireless communication apparatus comprises a transmission buffer configured to store packets addressed to one or more communication nodes in the network until a transmission timing; a requesting interval determination unit configured to determine a listen interval for each of the communication nodes based on the amount and/or the priority of packets accumulated in the transmission buffer; and a transmission unit configured to transmit a request frame to each of the communication nodes to request the communication nodes to receive a beacon from the wireless communication apparatus at the determined listen interval.
US07697455B2
Methods and apparatuses for multiple redundancy schemes in an optical network are described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary method includes receiving a demand for allocating a first protection path that meets a first set of disjointness constraints with respect to a first working path according to a first protection scheme having a first priority, in response to the demand, locating a second protection path that meets a second set of disjointness constraints with respect to a second working path according to a second protection scheme having a second priority, and assigning the second protection path as a protection path to the first working path if the first priority of the first protection scheme is higher than the second priority of the second protection scheme. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US07697448B2
Providing link quality intelligence from physical layer to higher protocol layers. The PHY (physical layer) of devices operating within wireless communication systems assess 1 or more operational parameters corresponding to a PHY link that communicatively couples 2 or more devices. These PHYs provide this assessed intelligence to the devices' higher protocol layers so that these higher protocol layers have greater visibility of the operational parameters of the PHY link. These higher protocol layers may use this assessed intelligence to make decisions about how future communication are governed across the PHY links. For example, based on a change of the operational parameter(s), the higher protocol layers may modify the operational parameter(s) for future communications. The higher protocol layers may direct the PHY to assess a particular set of operational parameters, and the higher protocol layers may assess different operational parameters at different times.
US07697442B2
An output apparatus is configured to output data for printing. The output apparatus acquires data based on identification information for identifying data to be acquired and merges the acquired data with each of a plurality of templates corresponding to the identification information. The output apparatus outputs the data merged with each of the plurality of templates according to a print setting for each template.
US07697440B2
Scalable selective alarm suppression is achieved through a new class of management packet, such as a new class of Ethernet management frame, adapted to convey a reachability relationship between a lower level maintenance point and a single higher level maintenance point, and more particularly adapted to convey to a first higher level maintenance point that receives the packet an identity of a single second higher level maintenance point that will become unreachable to the first higher level maintenance point in the event of a loss of continuity involving the lower level maintenance point. Once the first higher level maintenance point has learned a totality of operative reachability relationships through receipt of such packets and is notified of a loss of continuity involving the lower level maintenance point, the first higher level maintenance point can reference the learned reachability relationships and readily determine under what circumstances it should suppress an alarm in response to a detected loss of continuity with a higher level maintenance point.
US07697437B2
The present invention relates to a method of determining at least one traffic route in an MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network. In this route determining method, when a traffic is arrived at an ingress edge router, the edge router removes links of remaining capacity below the traffic demand from all links of a given MPLS network to produce the first network topology, calculates distance of every link of the first network topology based on current traffic flowing each link and the traffic demand, determines the first route for the traffic demand based on the calculated distance information; removes links of remaining capacity below the traffic demand and links belonging to the first route from the MPLS network to produce the second network topology, calculates every link distance of the second topology based on current traffic flowing each link and the traffic demand, determines the second route for the traffic demand based on the distance information obtained from the second topology, partitions the arrived traffic into two portions, and allocates the two portions to the first and the second route, respectively.
US07697434B1
A method for controlling resource utilization of a container that includes associating the container with a virtual network stack, receiving a plurality of packets from a network, analyzing each of the plurality of packets by a classifier to determine to which of a plurality of temporary data structures each of the plurality of packet is forwarded, forwarding each of the plurality of packets to one of the plurality of temporary data structures as determined by the classifier, requesting at least one packet for the one of the plurality of temporary data structures by the virtual network stack, wherein the virtual network stack is associated with the one of the plurality of temporary data structures, and forwarding the at least one packet to the virtual network stack.
US07697428B2
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for analyzing network traffic using an improved Markov Modulated Poisson Process Model with two barrier states that include: retrieving a previous state for the network traffic; measuring inter-arrival times between individual packets received in one or more network adapters; establishing a transition window in dependence upon the measured inter-arrival times, the transition window having a transition value λBmax that represents an upper boundary for the inter-arrival times in a bursty state and having a transition value λImin that represents a lower boundary for the inter-arrival times in an idle state; retrieving a previous fence value that prevents premature transitions into the idle state or the bursty state; and determining a current state for the network traffic in dependence upon the previous state for the network traffic, an inter-arrival time of a most recently received packet, the transition values, and the previous fence value.
US07697425B2
The present invention concerns a method for providing multicast services to a group of at least two users belonging to or connectable to a discontinuous coverage network via their respective terminals.Method characterized in that it comprises at least the two following steps: during downstream transmission of multicast data, caching or temporarily storing said data or part of said data at at least one adapted point (3) on its transmission path to the group of users (1), further transmitting downstream at least part of said cached or stored data to at least one user (1) of said group or to a more downstream situated caching or storing point (3) on the concerned transmission path.
US07697402B2
The invention concerns a data recording device comprising a two-dimensional array of microtips (3), whereof the apex is generally of nanometric dimensions arranged opposite a storage medium consisting of a flexible diaphragm (2) borne by a frame (1) forming a plurality of cells. At least one microtip (3) is associated with each cell. Said device enables the dispersion in the height of the microtip to be compensated. In order to eliminate edge effects, the flexible diaphragm (2) may include first and second elementary diaphragms, separated by a network of spacer elements, laterally offset relative to the frame. In an alternative embodiment, an array of flexible plates, separated from the diaphragm by a two-dimensional array of spacer studs, may be used for subdividing each large-size cell into a plurality of elementary cells, each associated with at least one microtip.
US07697396B2
An optical integrated unit includes a semiconductor laser (11), a polarized light beam splitter (14), a light receiving element (12), and a polarized light diffraction element (15) for diffracting an optical beam (20) and returning light. The polarized light diffraction element (15) is so provided as to receive the light beam (20) having passed through a polarized light beam splitter surface (14a), and as to diffract the returning light such that an optical path of the returning light is changed to lead to the light receiving element (12). This makes it possible to provide (i) an optical integrated unit in which the beam diameter of light incidenting on a diffraction element is large and in which an optical path length from the diffraction element to a light receiving element is long, and (ii) an optical pickup device including such an optical integrated unit.
US07697395B2
An optical device having a sub-wavelength grating formed in a specified region is disclosed that is able to prevent wave front degradation accompanying a phase difference of a polarized light beam passing through the optical device. The optical device includes a circular-belt-like region where the sub-wavelength diffraction grating is formed, and a center portion where the sub-wavelength diffraction grating is not formed. A vertically polarized light beam used for operations on a blue-light optical recording medium A has a phase difference in the sub-wavelength diffraction grating to be an integral multiple of 2π and hence is transmitted through the sub-wavelength diffraction grating. A horizontally polarized light beam used for operations on a blue-light optical recording medium is diffracted by the sub-wavelength diffraction grating. The light path length L1 of the light beam passing through the circular-belt-like region is the same as that of the light beam passing through the center portion without the sub-wavelength grating.
US07697394B2
An optical pickup includes a diffraction grating partitioned into three areas, in which the phase of periodic grating groove structure in an area is successively shifted from that in the adjacent area by 90°. In the generation of a differential push-pull signal, an amplification factor K for sub push-pull signals is varied depending on the type of the optical disk. By such composition of the optical pickup, amplitude deterioration of the tracking error signal accompanying displacement of the object lens is reduced.
US07697390B2
An information recording medium (100) includes (i) a first recording layer (L0 layer) having a first track and (ii) a second recording layer (L1 layer) having a spiral or coaxial second track sharing the rotation center with the first track. (iii) The first recording layer has a first point (point Bx) indicated by a first address. (iv) The second recording layer has a second point (point Dx) which can be defined according to a predetermined positional relationship (allowable area: 10) with respect to the first point (point Bx).
US07697389B2
A recording medium storing a write protection information, and a write protection method for protecting data recorded on a recordable and/or rewritable disc from unwanted overwriting or erasing. In order for write protection of a disc in a bare state that is usually used in a cartridge having a recognition switch for write-protection, such as a DVD-RAM, write protection information is recorded in a Lead-in area, a Lead-out area or a recording information area other than a user data area of the disc, and the data is protected from unwanted overwriting or erasing using the write protection information. Also, even though the write protection information stored on a disc does not match the state of a recognition switch of a case for write-protection, the data can be prevented from unwanted overwriting or erasing. Thus, the write protection can be ensured when a recordable and/or rewritable recording medium, such as DVD-RAM, DVD-R and DVD-RW, is used in a bare state.
US07697383B2
In the first and second light-receiving regions equally divided into two in parallel with the track of the optical disc, the reflected light received from the optical disk is converted into electric signals and fed out by individual light-receiving regions. Then, the light-receiving ratio indicating the ratio of amounts of received light is calculated from the amplitude of the electric signal generated in the first light-receiving region and the amplitude of the electric signal generated in the second light-receiving region. Then, it is determined whether or not an absolute value of the light-receiving ratio is larger than a predetermined vale. When the absolute value is larger, the movement of the objective lens in a radial direction is corrected by incorporating a predetermined correction value.
US07697379B2
When a disk unloading operation is made by mistake or when recording is suddenly required after the unloading operation in a conventional disk recording/playback apparatus which has no cancel function of the disk unloading operation, an important recording chance is often missed. This invention allows the user to cancel the disk unloading operation, and can quickly restore the state before the disk unloading operation, thus solving the above problem.
US07697377B2
A timepiece comprises an atomic oscillator for generating and outputting a reference clock signal, and a timepiece module that operates based on the reference clock signal, wherein the atomic oscillator and the timepiece module are disposed separately so as to be thermally separated. The timepiece also comprises a crystal oscillator for generating and outputting a first oscillation signal, an atomic oscillator for generating and outputting a second oscillation signal with a higher precision than the first oscillation signal, a timepiece module that operates based on the first oscillation signal and the second oscillation signal, and a thermal separator for thermally separating the atomic oscillator from the crystal oscillator and the timepiece module. A portable timepiece and electronic device can thereby be configured so that the effects of heat generation can be reduced and power consumption can be reduced even in cases in which the atomic oscillator is used as a reference oscillator.
US07697376B2
Clockwork movement for a wristwatch, comprising a kinematic chain including at least one belt (20, 21) for transmitting the movements and/or couples between at least two pulleys. The pulleys are held on the bottom plate or the bridges by ball bearings (151, 161, 171, 181). The movement is rewound by means of linear oscillating mass (14) charging four barrels (15, 16, 17, 18) through a couple distributor (40). The barrels are non-parallel to one another. The back cover is covered by inclined glasses (110, 120, 130) allowing the barrels, the linear oscillating mass and at least certain pulleys to be seen. The regulating organ (51) is removable.
US07697374B2
A hydrophone array includes an inflatable shaped housing enclosing an interior space and formable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, a framework of compliant material disposed within the interior of the inflatable housing, and a plurality of hydrophones attached to the compliant material at respective positions, wherein said hydrophones are arranged in a predetermined geometric array when the shaped housing is in the expanded configuration. Also provided herein is a system and method for deploying the hydrophone array.
US07697373B1
A method and computer instructions on computer readable media for determining and analyzing spatial changes in the earth's subsurface associated with dip vectors measured using 3D data in regions near a fluid contact or seismic flat spot event. The method obtains seismic attribute data, then derives corresponding 3D dip and azimuth as a 3D volume and derives corresponding 3D reliability volumes or 3D censor volumes. A set of vector is formed within a local subvolume of interest interior to the focused subvolume of interest for each reliability location, and a subset of local vectors within a user specified deviation of the azimuth of the structural dip vector are identified. A set of candidate flat spot dip vectors within the local subvolume of interest are identified enabling a significance measure for each vector within the set of candidate flat spot dip vectors to be determined.
US07697368B2
A semiconductor memory device is capable of reducing a test time by sharing input pins of addresses for the test, thereby reducing test costs also. The semiconductor memory device includes first and second address buffer units. The first address buffer unit is configured to transmit a plurality of normal addresses to an internal circuit and store one or more of the received normal addresses. The second address buffer unit is configured to transmit one or more external bank addresses to the internal circuit as internal bank addresses in a normal mode and transmit addresses stored in the first address buffer unit to the internal circuit as the internal bank addresses in a test mode.
US07697367B2
A semiconductor memory device includes memory blocks, a main word decoder to set a main word line to a first potential for activation, a second potential, or a third potential, a circuit to generate a cyclic signal that indicates timing at intervals, a block selecting circuit to select a memory block to be accessed, a successive-selection circuit to select the memory blocks one after another, and a circuit configured to control the main word decoder such that unselected ones of the main word lines of a memory block selected by the block selecting circuit are set to the third potential, such that the main word lines of the selected memory block are maintained at the third potential after access, and such that the main word lines of a memory block selected by the successive-selection circuit are set to the second potential at the timing indicated by the cyclic signal.
US07697357B2
A system and method to reduce standby leakage current in the event of row-to-column shorts in a memory chip or in an electronic device having memory or data storage elements is disclosed. In case of memory rows or wordlines precharged to a negative wordline voltage (VNWL), the standby leakage current through Psense-amplifiers in the memory is substantially eliminated when the gates of isolation (ISO) transistors associated with the shorted wordline and digitline(s) are held at the VNWL level by an isolation signal driven to the VNWL level during the memory row standby state. The reduction in the standby leakage current further reduces the overall Icc current consumption from the memory circuit's supply or operating voltage Vcc, thereby reducing circuit's standby power consumption. Because the ISO gates are already fabricated with thick oxides, the present negative voltage driving methodology does not require modifying the sense amplifier layout or the configuration of existing isolation transistors in a memory chip. A different standby voltage level (Vcc/2 level) at the sense amplifier activation (ACT) signal may also be implemented. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.
US07697354B2
An integrated circuit memory device includes a memory array with associated word lines and bit lines. A switching arrangement is connected between a word line and a first voltage source that selectively connects the word line to the first voltage source, and also is responsive to a short-circuit between the word line and the bit line.
US07697343B2
A circuit for performing a read operation in a NAND flash memory is disclosed. The NAND flash memory includes an array of bit lines grouped into first group of bit lines and second group of bit lines. The circuit includes a plurality of pre-charging and reading circuitries connected at first end of the array of bit lines and a plurality of pre-charging circuitries connected at second end of the array of bit lines. The pre-charging and reading circuitries include a select circuit which selects one group from the first and the second group of bit lines; a first and a second circuit to pre-charge and read the selected group of bit lines from the first end. The plurality of pre-charging circuits include two select lines to select one group of bit lines, and a plurality of pre-charging transistors to pre-charge the selected group of bit lines from the second end.
US07697342B2
In a flash memory device, a high voltage generating circuit generates a high voltage and receives the high voltage as a switching voltage for controlling a voltage dividing circuit.
US07697340B2
A method and apparatus for trimming a reference cell in a semiconductor memory device are provided. The method includes generating an internal bias current capable of being trimmed, and trimming the reference cell based on the internal bias current. The semiconductor memory device includes a reference cell in which a reference cell current flows between a drain and a source based on a bias voltage, an internal bias current generator configured to generate an internal bias current capable of being trimmed, and a trimming circuit configured to trim the reference cell based on the internal bias current.
US07697336B2
The present invention is directed to a non-volatile memory device and a method of operating the same. The non-volatile memory device includes a first transistor connected to an nth bitline and a second transistor connected to an (n+1)th bitline. The first transistor and the second transistor are serially coupled between the nth bitline and the (n+1)th bitline. The non-volatile memory device may include a 2-transistor 1-bit unit cell where a drain region and a source region of a memory cell have the same or similar structure. Since a cell array of a non-volatile memory device according to the invention may include a 2-transistor 2-bit unit cell, storage capacity of the non-volatile memory device may be doubled.
US07697334B2
Disclosed herein is a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including: a first selection transistor configured to be connected to a bit line; a second selection transistor configured to be connected to a common source line; a memory cell configured to be connected in series between the first and second selection transistors; and writing means for carrying out writing for a selected memory cell. In the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the writing means applies a potential yielding a writing-blocked state via a bit line to a memory cell for which writing is not to be carried out, of a memory cell selected for writing, and the writing means carries out writing for a writing-target memory cell in a state in which a bit line has a bit line potential state dependent upon a threshold value state of the writing-target memory cell.
US07697333B2
A NAND flash memory including a memory cell array having a plurality of blocks, each of the blocks is composed of a plurality of memory cell units, drain-side select gate transistors, and source-side select gate transistors. The NAND flash memory further includes a row decoder that is connected to word lines, the drain-side select gate lines, and the source-side gate line of the memory cell array, and that applies a signal voltage to word lines, the drain-side select gate lines and the source-side gate line of the memory cell array for selecting blocks. The NAND flash memory further includes a sense amplifier that is controlled by a column decoder and that makes a selection from the bit lines of the memory cell array.
US07697327B2
A NAND flash memory device and a programming method thereof capable of improving a program speed during a multi-level cell programming operation are provided. The device performs a programming operation using an ISPP method. Additionally, the device includes a memory cell storing multi-bit data; a program voltage generating circuit generating a program voltage to be supplied to the memory cell; and a program voltage controller controlling a start level of the program voltage. The device supplies an LSB start voltage to a selected word line during an LSB program, and an MSB start voltage higher than the LSB start voltage to the selected word line during an MSB program.
US07697326B2
A method for storing data in an array (28) of analog memory cells (32) includes defining a constellation of voltage levels (90A, 90B, 90C, 90D) to be used in storing the data. A part of the data is written to a first analog memory cell in the array by applying to the analog memory cell a first voltage level selected from the constellation. After writing the part of the data to the first analog memory cell, a second voltage level that does not belong to the constellation is read from the first analog memory cell. A modification to be made in writing to one or more of the analog memory cells in the array is determined responsively to the second voltage level, and data are written to the one or more of the analog memory cells subject to the modification.
US07697317B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device is provided with a memory cell selecting circuit which selects a selected memory cell from a memory cell array; and a write voltage applying circuit, which applies a row write voltage and a column write voltage to a selected word line and a selected bit line, respectively, and applies a row write blocking voltage and a column write blocking voltage to an unselected word line and an unselected bit line, respectively, and applies a write voltage sufficient for writing only on both ends of the selected memory cell. The write voltage applying circuit applies a write compensating voltage, which has a polarity opposite to that of the voltage applied on the both ends of the unselected memory cells other than the selected memory cell, on both ends of the unselected memory cells, while the write voltage is applied to the selected memory cell.
US07697315B2
A ferroelectric memory provided in a memory system stores in advance set data for data write time to memory cells. The set data include two types of data that differ between in a power-on state and in a power-off instruction time. When power is turned on, the set data that are stored in the ferroelectric memory are stored and retained in a latch circuit by a control circuit. Based on the set data retained in the latch circuit, data writing is performed in the ferroelectric memory respectively in the power-on state and in the power-off instruction time. Thus, operations of the ferroelectric memory can be controlled with desired operation timings according to operating conditions for each memory system. Excessive stress application to the ferroelectric memory during the power-on state is prevented and endurance deterioration is suppressed, while data retention characteristics after power-off are improved.
US07697313B2
According to one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes an arrangement of memory cells. Each memory cell is connected to a programming current path used for programming the memory cell, and a sensing current path used for sensing the memory state of the memory cell. The programming current path and the sensing current path are at least partly separated from each other.
US07697297B2
A heat dissipation device for removing heat from an electronic component mounted on a printed circuit board, includes a heat sink and a clip attaching the heat sink onto the printed circuit board. The heat sink has a rectangular base and a plurality of fins extending upwardly from the base. The fins define a receiving channel therein, which is slantwise to two opposite sides of the heat sink. The clip includes a main body placed in the receiving channel and two latching legs extending obliquely and oppositely from two opposite ends of the main body. The two latching legs are located in front of and in rear of the two opposite sides of the heat sink, respectively, and are parallel thereto.
US07697288B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus is provided with a casing, a circuit board contained in the casing, an exothermic body mounted on the circuit board, a cooling fan which is fixed to the inside of the casing and includes a fan case, a heat receiving member which is opposed to the exothermic body and is thermally connected to the exothermic body, and a pressing member opposed to the heat receiving member from the opposite side of the exothermic body. The pressing member is provided to be integral with the fan case. Fixation of the cooling fan to the inside of the casing causes the pressing member to press the heat receiving member against the exothermic body.
US07697285B2
An electronic equipment enclosure includes a frame structure, one or more enclosure panels mounted on the frame structure, an exhaust duct, and at least one adjustable filler panel assembly. The frame structure and the one or more enclosure panels together define an enclosure. The exhaust duct is substantially the same height as the enclosure and has an air inlet opening formed therein for receipt of exhaust air from equipment mounted in the enclosure. Each adjustable filler panel assembly selectively blocks a portion of the air inlet opening in order to prohibit air exhausted into the duct from flowing back into the enclosure.
US07697281B2
A minimum Z height handheld electronic device and methods of assembly is described. The electronic device includes a single seamless housing having a front opening and a cover disposed within the front opening and attached to the seamless housing without a bezel.
US07697278B2
An exemplary fixing apparatus is for mounting a hard disk drive (HDD) having a plurality of holes defined in sidewalls and includes a bracket, a pair of shock absorbing members, and a plurality of fixing pins. The bracket includes an end plate, and a pair of side plates extending from two ends of the end plate. The side plates include a pair of latches extending therefrom and detachably locking with each other. The shock absorbing members are attached to insides of the side plates. The fixing pins are attached to the shock absorbing members and engage in the holes of the HDD.
US07697276B2
An exemplary fixing apparatus is for mounting a hard disk drive (HDD) having a plurality of holes defined in sidewalls and includes a bracket, a clip, and a plurality of fixing pins. The bracket includes an end plate, and a pair of side plates extending from opposite ends of the end plate respectively. The side plates are capable of being flexed away from each other for allowing the HDD to be placed therebetween. The clip is pivotably attached to one side plate and detachably locked with the other side plate. The fixing pins are attached to the side plates to engage in the holes of the HDD.
US07697272B2
A display apparatus is provided. A frame is fixed and supported at the rear of a front panel forming the front portion of the display apparatus, and a separate bracket member is not mounted on the edges of the front panel. Thus, the front exterior of the display apparatus is neatly finished, and the display screen looks bigger than it actually is.
US07697267B2
The present invention relates to a capacitor having high capacitance, low ESR (equivalent series resistance) in a high-frequency region and low leakage current, including a composite oxide film obtained by reaction of an oxide film obtained by subjecting the surface of the substrate comprising valve-acting metal element to electrolytic oxidation with a solution in which metal ion and an organic base are dissolved and by subsequently sintering the reactant, a solid electrolyte formed on the composite oxide film and a conductor layer formed thereon; a method for producing the same and electronic devices using the same.
US07697256B2
Embodiments of a system and method for directing aerosol are disclosed.
US07697255B2
A dissipator useful for discharging provides a continuously variable high-voltage load under control of a computer or other device capable of providing an analog control voltage. Known dissipator arrangements use multiple high voltage switches and resistors to attempt to dissipate power. However, the disclosed dissipator uses the resistive property of a matrix of photo resistive cells, typically cadmium sulphide arranged on a circuit board. These photo resistive cells are series connected and controlled optically to vary their resistances. An optical control signal is provided for each photo resistive cell by a corresponding light emitting diode (LED). The amount of light emitted by each LED is analog controlled.
US07697253B1
A magnet controller supplied by a DC generator controls a lifting magnet. Four transistors, forming an H bridge, allow DC current to flow in both directions in the lifting magnet. During “Lift”, full voltage is applied to the lifting magnet. During “Drop”, reverse voltage is applied briefly to demagnetize the lifting magnet. At the end of the “Lift” and the “Drop”, most of the lifting magnet energy is returned to the DC generator. A transient voltage suppressor protects against voltage spike generated when current reverses in the generator.
US07697250B2
A translation technique for translating mechanical button positions of a circuit breaker to trip point settings stored in a memory of the circuit breaker. A turn of a mechanical button turns a potentiometer button, whose output is converted to scaled voltages and converted to corresponding digital values. These digital values are checked against a range of thresholds (minimum/maximum) corresponding to mechanical orientation positions of the mechanical button. Once the mechanical orientation position is determined by scaling and converting the potentiometer output, a trip curve lookup table stored in memory is accessed to determine which trip point setting should be set for the circuit breaker based upon the button position. The circuit breaker's trip curve settings can be changed easily via the mechanical button. They can also be changed easily by modifying the trip curve lookup table without having to recalibrate the circuit breaker or the switch settings.
US07697249B2
A clamping circuit is provided, which may clamp a voltage at a node of a circuit to a stable level by using a transistor already included in the circuit. The clamping circuit may clamp a voltage at a first node of a circuit inside a semiconductor chip to a more stable level when electro-static discharge (ESD) occurs. The clamping circuit may include a transistor and a capacitive element to store a control voltage to turn on the transistor in response to ESD.
US07697230B2
In one embodiment a tape drive system comprises a reel adapted to engage a tape cartridge, the tape cartridge comprising a tape media having a servo code written along a length of the tape media, a tape head comprising at least one servo element to detect the servo code, a drive assembly to induce relative motion between the tape and the tape drive, a servo system to control a rate of relative motion between the tape and the tape drive, wherein the servo system comprises a sampling module to sample servo code from the tape media and the sampling module implements a dithered sampling routine centered around a design sampling frequency.
US07697229B2
A tape drive system for a tape cartridge including a tape and wireless identification tag may read information from the wireless identification tag and write the information to the tape. The tape drive system may toggle a bit stored on the wireless identification tag to indicate that the information has been written to the tape. The information may include tape initialization information.
US07697222B2
A holding apparatus (38) for holding an optical element (37) at a controlled position and attitude. The optical element (37) is held at an inner ring (43) by a piezo housing (54). A piezo element (65) is isolated from the optical element (37). When the piezo element (65) elongates and contracts, a displacement section (70) is displaced in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical element while being guided by a parallel link section (71). A transmission link section (72) converts the direction of the displacement of the optical element (37) to transmit the result to a part of the inner ring (43).
US07697210B2
A vehicle camera and wide-angle objective lens system are disclosed wherein the wide-angle objective lens has image aberrations or errors that do not deteriorate the detection of obstructions or obstacles in its field of view.
US07697205B2
An anti-reflection structure; includes: a plurality of convex parts arranged at pitches each of which is shorter than a wave length of a visible light ray, each of the convex parts being formed into one of a substantially truncated cone and a substantially truncated pyramid, each including: i) a base face formed into one of a base circle and a base polygon inscribed in the base circle, a) the base circle and b) the base circle circumscribing about the base polygon each having a base diameter Db meeting the following expression: 100 nm
US07697198B2
A catadioptric projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in the object plane of the projection objective into the image plane of the projection objective, having: a first objective part for projecting an object field lying in the object plane into a first real intermediate image; a second objective part for generating a second real intermediate image with the radiation coming from the first objective part; a third objective part for generating a third real intermediate image with the radiation coming from the second objective part; and a fourth objective part for projecting the third real intermediate image into the image plane.
US07697187B2
Disclosed is an electrowetting device. The electrowetting device includes a conductive or polar liquid material, and an electrode applying voltage to the liquid material through a dielectric layer. In the electrowetting device, the dielectric layer is formed as an anodized portion made of a metal oxide formed by anodizing the electrode, and a voltage applying unit applying voltage between the electrode and the liquid material and a polar capacitor are placed between the electrode and the liquid material.
US07697186B2
An optical system comprising a frequency modulated laser source adapted to produce a frequency modulated optical beam, an optical spectrum reshaper (OSR) adapted to receive the frequency modulated optical beam from the laser source and convert it into an amplitude modulated optical beam, a focusing lens adapted to receive the amplitude modulated optical beam from the OSR and focus the same, and an optical fiber adapted to receive the amplitude modulated optical beam from the focusing lens and transmit an optical signal;characterized in that the OSR has a central axis, the focusing lens has a central axis, and the optical fiber has a central axis, with the central axis of the optical fiber being laterally offset from at least one of the central axis of the OSR and the central axis of the focusing lens so as to effect spatial filtering and thereby generate the desired optical transmission characteristics for the resulting optical signal in the optical fiber.
US07697180B2
A light deflector is disclosed that includes a movable mirror serving as a deflector supported by a rotary shaft and configured to deflect a light beam emitted from a light source and scan an area to be scanned; a rotation part configured to cause the movable mirror to vibrate in a reciprocating manner by periodically applying a rotational torque to the movable mirror; a driving circuit configured to control the rotation part; a circuit board having the driving circuit provided thereon, the circuit board being configured to support the movable mirror as a unit; a contact plane contacting the circuit board in a plane perpendicular to the rotary shaft of the movable mirror; and a positioning part configured to determine the position of the rotary shaft in the contact plane.
US07697179B2
Method of deflecting light includes the steps of providing a substrate and forming a supporting member on the substrate. Next forming step forms electrodes at predetermined positions on the substrate. Next forming step forms a plate-like-shaped thin film member including light reflecting means. Placing step places the plate-like-shaped thin film member on the supporting member so that an opposite surface thereof faces the electrodes. Forming step forms space regulating members on edges of the substrate for regulating a space formed above the substrate in which the plate-like-shaped thin film member is freely movable. Applying step applies predetermined voltages to the electrodes to change a tilt direction of the plate-like-shaped thin film member in accordance with the voltages applied to deflect the input light in an arbitrary direction. Disclosure also describes light deflecting apparatuses, light deflecting array apparatuses, image forming apparatuses, image projection display apparatuses, and optical data transmission apparatuses.
US07697177B2
A coloring material color separating section 101 separates an input image into ink colors of a printer referring to an LUT which is registered in the printer as initial values and used for color separation of coloring materials. A total coloring material amount calculating section 102 calculates total amounts of coloring materials equal to amounts of component coloring materials to be used of each pixel from the data passing through the ink color separation, and obtains the maximum value of them. A total coloring material amount adjusting section 103 readjusts the total amounts of the coloring materials of all the pixels such that they become equal to the maximum amount of the coloring materials using the total amount of the coloring materials of the pixel at which the total amount of the coloring material becomes maximum.
US07697168B2
In order to improve print image quality, attribute information is generated for each pixel of a bitmap image generated according to a drawing command, and the bitmap image and attribute information are written in a memory. However, when this is done, data amount to be written in the memory increases, and the rasterize processing speed lowers. Hence, a display list is generated by interpreting PDL data, a bitmap image and attribute information of each pixel are rasterized based on the display list, and the bitmap image and attribute information are written in the memory. In this case, a black attribute is written in attribute information of an object filled with black, and the color value of that object is not written in the bitmap image.
US07697162B2
An image reading apparatus is provided that includes a reading unit for reading images from both sides of an original, an adjusting unit that adjusts image data of the front surface and image data of the rear surface of the original, a determination unit that performs determination processing for paper fingerprint information of the rear surface of the original using image data that is obtained after adjustment of the image data of the rear surface by the adjusting unit, and a printing unit that prints the image data of the front surface. The adjusting unit performs a different adjustment for the image data of the front surface and the image data of the rear surface of the original.
US07697156B2
A method and system organizes multiple print jobs to be processed by a printing engine in a print queue and displays a listing of the multiple print jobs within the print queue. This listing identifies the order in which the multiple print jobs will be processed by the printing engine. After identifying an active user, the method highlights print jobs of the active user within the listing of the multiple print jobs and can simultaneously display a listing of most recently completed print jobs of the active user. The method and system can also simultaneously list jobs of the active user within other queues.
US07697148B2
The present invention relates to a method of recognizing and tracking multiple spatial points, and more particularly to a method of measuring coordinates of a plurality of point light sources by an optical system comprised of a plurality of 1D optical lens modules and a logical analysis method to achieve the purpose of recognizing and tracking multiple spatial points.
US07697145B2
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging method which can image with micrometer-scale resolution up to a few millimeters deep into, for example, living biological tissues and preserved tissue samples. An improved apparatus and image reconstruction algorithm for parallel Fourier Domain OCT which greatly eases requirements for interferometer stability and also allows for more efficient parallel image acquisition is provided. The apparatuses and algorithms reconstruct images from interfered, low-coherence, multiwave length signals having a π radian phase difference relative to one another. Other numbers of signals and other phase differences may be alternatively used, with some combinations resulting in higher resolution and image stability. The apparatus also eliminates a need for bulk optics to modulate a phase delay in a reference arm of the optical path. Images may be reconstructed using two spectrometers, where each is coupled to a detector array such as a photodiode array.
US07697143B2
An optical coupling device for connecting hollow core optical fiber coils in a fiber optic gyro system. An example fiber optic gyro system includes a recirculator or an integrated optics chip, a fiber coil of hollow core optical fiber with first and second ends, and a coupling device that holds an end of the hollow core optical fiber in an enclosed cavity at some predefined distance from the recirculator or integrated optics chip. The coupling device includes a housing for rigidly holding the fiber end in position. The housing includes a cavity that receives the fiber end.
US07697138B2
A method and apparatus for resolving both the angular (nx,ny) and spatial (x,y) dependence of the effective source coherence matrix for lithographic steppers and scanners is described. First an in-situ source metrology instrument is combined with in-situ polarization elements to create an in-situ source imaging polarizer or ISIP. The ISIP is loaded into a photolithographic exposure tool, aligned, and then exposed onto a suitable recording media or recording sensor. The recording sensor comprising either resist coated wafers or electronic sensors capture the image intensity at a multiplicity of different field points. The resulting measurements are entered into a computer program that reconstructs the source coherence matrix as a function of direction cosine at multiple field points. Alternative ISIP configurations are discussed in some detail. Applications of the ISIP include polarization source mapping for deep-UV and EUV lithography, process optimization, process monitoring, and chip manufacturing.
US07697130B2
A surface inspection apparatus and method increase wafer productivity, wherein to increase an efficiency of the surface inspection apparatus to detect defects during a scanning of the wafer surface, a scanning speed for a subsequent defect detection is varied according to an increase/decrease of defect density represented on a plurality of images acquired successively. When the density of defects is reduced, the scanning speed increases and a level of a skip rule increases, and when the density of defects increases, the scanning speed decreases and a level of the skip rule decreases to precisely detect defects, thereby increasing reliability, throughput, and productivity.
US07697126B2
A three dimensional spatial imaging system (10) for generating a three dimensional model of a scanned space includes: a laser rangefinder (42) that obtains spatial data by measuring distances to a plurality of target points within the scanned space; a rotating mirror (46) placed in a path of a laser beam (43) emitted from the laser rangefinder (42), the mirror (46) deflecting the laser beam (43) to varying degrees as the mirror (46) is rotated; a digital camera (52) that obtains image data from photographs of the scanned space; a rotating head (30) on which the laser rangefinder (42), mirror (46) and camera (52) are all mounted, the head (30) rotating up to 360 degrees about a central axis of rotation (64) that is substantially normal to a plane in which the head (30) is rotated; and, a data processor that maps color information from the image data obtained by the camera (52) to the corresponding target points of the spatial data obtained by the laser rangefinder (42).
US07697119B2
A range image generating apparatus capable of preventing or reducing generation of range images with interference, which contain e.g., pixels with erroneous distance values is provided. The range image generating apparatus includes: a light source radiating a light; an image pickup element; a range image generating unit; a frequency changing unit that changes a modulation frequency for each frame rate or charge storage time; and a control unit that controls the light source and the image pickup element in synchronization with the modulation frequency changed by the frequency changing unit.
US07697105B2
A display device includes a display panel and a parallax barrier bonded together with an adhesive layer made of a light-curing resin (for example, ultraviolet curing resin). The display device allows 3D display or multiple-image display. The parallax barrier includes a pattern-formed light-shielding layer on barrier glass. The parallax barrier has an area that does not include the light-shielding layer on the periphery portions thereof. Thus, with the display device including the parallax barrier and the display panel bonded together, peeling on adhesive planes of the parallax barrier and display panel is less likely to occur.
US07697100B2
A liquid crystal display includes a pair of transparent substrates opposed to each other with liquid crystal therebetween, one of the pair of transparent substrates having a plurality of drain signal lines and a plurality of gate signal lines, and a plurality of pixel areas defined by the drain signal lines and the gate signal lines. The pixel areas includes a pixel electrode formed of a transparent electrode having a plurality of slits including a slit opened in a first direction and a slit opened in a second direction, and a counter electrode formed of a transparent electrode disposed between the transparent electrode of the pixel electrode having the plurality of slits and the one substrate.
US07697098B2
It is an object of the present invention to suppress light leakage in a dark state which is generated by rubbing treatment. A liquid crystal material containing an ultraviolet curable liquid crystalline monomer at a concentration of more than 0 wt % and not more than 1.0 wt % is used for a liquid crystal layer, and the liquid crystal layer is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. By applying such a liquid crystal layer to a liquid crystal display device, light leakage in a dark state can be suppressed, and the black display can be improved. Therefore, a liquid crystal display device with an excellent contrast and high display quality can be obtained.
US07697094B2
A transflective-type liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of gate and data lines crossing each other on a substrate to define a plurality of pixel regions, a thin film transistor at each crossing of the gate and data lines, the thin film transistor including a semiconductor layer, and source and drain electrodes contacting source and drain regions, respectively, a projection seed pattern within the pixel region along a same layer as the semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor, and a reflective electrode contacting the drain electrode of the thin film transistor and having a reflective projection corresponding to the projection seed pattern.
US07697091B2
A novel liquid crystal display including a liquid crystal cell including at least liquid crystal, and an optically anisotropic layer capable of optically compensating the liquid crystal cell is disclosed. It is in a first gray scale state where a subtraction of an Re(0) value of the optically anisotropic layer from an Re(0) value of the liquid crystal cell results in a positive value while being applied with a voltage falling within a first range, and in a second grayscale state where a subtraction of an Re(0) value of the optically anisotropic layer from an Re(0) value of the liquid crystal cell results in a negative value while being applied with a voltage falling within a second range.
US07697086B2
A container that is capable of being easily assembled and conveyed while production cost and production time are reduced includes a plurality of division parts having walls and upper portions, and first fitting members formed at ends of the division parts to fit adjacent division parts to each other. A display apparatus including the container and a method of manufacturing the display apparatus are further provided.
US07697077B2
Channel numbers are provided for a digital television receiver (200) that receives multiple transmissions (100, 110, 120), such as from different regions of a country or from different countries. The channel numbers for the home country transmission are assigned based on logical channel number (LCN) data in the transmission. The channel numbers for the transmissions of the other countries are provided so that they are in a higher range than the channel numbers for the home country transmission. For different regional transmissions, the channel numbers for the transmission with the strongest service, e.g., based on quality/bit error rate, signal strength, and/or frequency, may be arranged before the channel numbers for the lower strength transmissions.
US07697066B2
An apparatus (10) and method (40) is provided for detecting data within the vertical blanking interval (VBI) lines of a video or television signal. The VBI data detection (18) samples (42) at least one point from the VBI lines of a video signal and compares (44) at least one data characteristic, such as luminance, from the sample to a threshold to determine if the sample contains VBI data. If the sample contains VBI data, the VBI line from which the sample was taken is routed (46) to the processing unit of a video processing device. If no samples from a VBI line are found to contain VBI data, the VBI line is not processed further. The VBI data detection apparatus improves processing efficiency and resource allocation by allowing only those VBI lines containing VBI data to be processed by the video processing device.
US07697055B2
A camera unit and an apparatus for monitoring a vehicle periphery, which are capable of picking up a wide range of a visual field while adequately adjusting the visual fields in the horizontal and vertical directions, and at the same time, improving visual confirmation of images displayed. The camera unit may include a pickup element, a lens system in which light rays incoming from a prescribed range of a visual field onto the pickup element are imaged, the lens system including a wide-angle lens system whose visual field angle in the horizontal direction is 120 degrees or more, and an anamorphic lens system whose anamorphic ratio is 1.5 or more.
US07697054B2
A method and system for editing an image with a camera includes simultaneously displaying a first image and a second image separate from each other on a display screen of the camera and modifying the first image, via a user interface of the camera, using a portion of the second image.
US07697053B2
An integrated imaging apparatus for displaying images while capturing images of a scene, including an electronic display having an array of display pixels which are used to display image content; a plurality of apertures are integrated within the display, wherein each of the apertures includes at least one partially transparent pixel; and a plurality of capture devices each of which captures an image, and includes at least a lens and an image sensor array; wherein each capture device is operatively associated with at least part of a particular aperture of the display; and wherein the partially transparent pixels also provide light for image content display.
US07697045B2
An image sensor generates an image signal with a differential response to image light. The image sensor has an array of photosites divided into standard photosites and non-standard photosites. A limiter provides the standard photosites with a predetermined standard response to a light exposure and the non-standard photosites with a predetermined slower response to the same light exposure. The standard photosites and nonstandard photosites both sparsely sample the array in a predetermined pattern.
US07697039B2
An image transmitting system is provided, wherein the system includes: a first image storing module storing a plurality of images included in a first electronic album; a second image storing module storing a plurality of images included in a second electronic album; a feature extracting module for extracting a feature amount of an object included in each of the plurality of images stored in the second image storing module; an image selecting module for selecting an image including an object showing correspondence with the object included in the image stored in the second image storing module, which is higher than a predetermined reference value, out of the plurality of images stored in the first image storing module on the basis of the extracted feature amount; and an image transmitting module for retrieving the selected image from the first image storing module and storing the image in the second image storing module to transmit the image from the first image storing module to the image storing module.
US07697034B2
When a blurring correction is performed when shooting a moving image, a digital camera performs blurring correction on the picked up frames and successively records the frames. Then, when generating a moving image file, the digital camera records information stating that the blurring correction has been performed in the header of the file, thereby preventing the blurring correction from being performed again when the moving image is played back. In addition, in the case that only the blurring detection is performed when shooting the moving image, the digital camera detects the blurring in the frame, correlates the detected blurring amount in the frame with the frame, and successively records the blurring amounts. Then, when generating the moving image file, the digital camera records information stating that the blurring detection has been performed in the header of the file.
US07697033B2
An imaging apparatus, including an image pick up device capable of moving in a transverse direction to a photographing optical axis, a drive circuit configured to prevent an image on the image pick up device from blurring or reduce the image blur by moving the image pick up device based on an amount of the image blur, a position detection device configured to detect a position of the image pick up device, a storing device configured to store reference positional information showing that the image pick up device is in the reference position based on an output of the position detection device, the position of the image pick up device being detected based on the reference positional information stored in the storing device when the image pick up device is driven by the drive circuit.
US07697024B2
Herein described is a system and method that tracks the face of a person engaged in a videophone conversation. In addition to performing facial tracking, the invention provides stabilization of facial images that are transmitted during the videophone conversation. The face is tracked by employing one or more algorithms that correlate videophone captured facial images against a stored facial image. The face may be better identified by way of employing one or more voice recognition algorithms. The one or more voice recognition algorithms may correlate utterances of the person engaged in a conversation to one or more stored utterances. The identified utterances are subsequently mapped to a stored facial image. In a representative embodiment, the system used for performing facial tracking and image stabilization comprises an image sensor, a lens, an actuator, and a controller/processor.
US07697020B2
A thermal printhead (A1) includes a substrate (1), a glaze layer (2), a heating resistor (3), an electrode (4) for energizing the heating resistor (3), the electrode being mainly composed of Au, and a protective film (6) covering the heating resistor (3) and the electrode (4). The electrode (4) has a surface formed with a plurality of recesses.
US07697016B2
An image display device (1) of the present invention is an image display device having a function of rotating a display image, the image display device including: a size comparison section (17) for making a comparison (i) between a vertical length of an outer edge of a display region in which the display image is displayed and a vertical length of the display image and (ii) between a horizontal length of the outer edge of the display region in which the display image is displayed and a horizontal length of the display image; and a center-point-of-rotation determination section (18) for determining a center point of rotation of the display image in accordance with a result of the comparison made by the size comparison section (17). This makes it possible to provide a display device (i) which minimizes, regardless of how a display frame and a display image are related in position and size to each other, a portion of the display image which portion is to be hidden when the display image has been rotated and (ii) which can be easily employed in a rotation process.
US07697015B2
In accordance with a level of importance of a character, a weight is provided for the character. For example, a character operated by a player is provided with a weight heavier than those provided for other characters, and other characters are provided with the respective weights lighter than that provided for the character operated by the player. Based on the weights and positions of the characters placed in a predetermined area, a position of a sight point of a virtual camera is determined. Thus, it is possible to generate a display image in which a plurality of characters in a virtual space are placed on a screen in a balanced manner.
US07697013B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable code for consolidating overlapping markers in a mapping application. The process identifies a plurality of points for display from data describing locations and associated data about locations. The process then determines whether displaying graphical indicators for a set of points in the plurality of points will result in graphical indicators overlapping each other. The process generates a consolidated marker for the set of points, in response to a determination that displaying graphical indicators for the set of points will result in graphical indicators overlapping each other. The process then associates a listing for the set of points with the consolidated marker. The listing comprises at least a portion of the associated data about locations for the plurality of points.
US07697012B2
Provided is a method for rendering image signals, which represent a predetermined number of colors, in an apparatus used for rendering an image signal that has a plurality of pixels composed of three different sub-pixels among four or more different sub-pixels. The method for rendering image signals comprises (a) selecting three-color signals out of the four or more color signals to be outputted according to a type of sub-pixel, which forms a predetermined pixel, (b) obtaining values of the selected three-color signals in peripheral pixels of the pixels, (c) calculating brightness values of each sub-pixel of the pixel by using the values of the selected three-color signals and corresponding color signal values of the peripheral pixels, and (d) driving a display, which controls brightness of an image that is represented in the display according to the calculated brightness values of sub-pixels.
US07697007B1
A controlling process may enable or disable the launching of a predicated process that has already been queued for launching, e.g. via a pushbuffer. The controlling process generates a report so that launching of the predicated process is enabled or disabled based on the report. The predicate may be global in application to enable or disable all subsequent launch commands. Alternatively, the predicate may be specific to one or more predicated processes. In an embodiment with a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a graphics processing unit (GPU), the CPU may generate the controlling process that enables or disables the launch of the predicated process. Alternatively or additionally, the GPU may generate the controlling process that enables or disables the launch of the predicated process.
US07697005B2
A system, method, and computer readable medium for converting paper documents (134) to electronic documents (138) and sending the electronic documents (138) to at least one destination (144).
US07697004B2
A computer implemented method of generating behavior of a graphics character within an environment including a selected graphics character and one or more graphics elements, the method comprising: generating an image of the environment from a perspective of the selected graphics character; processing the image using an artificial intelligence engine with one or more layers to determine an activation value for the graphics character wherein at least one of the layers is a fuzzy processing layer, and generating the behavior of the graphics character based on the activation value.
US07696992B2
When providing (101) a user a first interactive virtual reality experience via a first virtual setting and upon detecting (102) a need to transition the user to a second interactive virtual reality experience via a second virtual setting (that is different from the first virtual setting), one maintains (103) a reduced presence of the user in the first virtual setting and establishes (104) a full presence of the user in the second virtual setting. By one approach, these virtual settings can comprise, for example, virtual rooms such as, but not limited to, virtual incident command centers to facilitate the handling of public safety services of various kinds and types.
US07696981B2
The wireless human input device comprises at least one wireless human transmitting unit and a wireless human receiving unit. The wireless human transmitting unit generates leading signals and data signals and transmits the signals to the wireless human receiving unit. The wireless human receiving unit receives all of the leading signals and identifies the data signals based on the leading signals so as to distinguish the data signals being transmitted by which wireless human transmitting unit.
US07696979B1
An improved method and system for manipulation a plurality of graphical pointers utilizing a single graphical pointing device are disclosed. A plurality of graphical pointers are displayed within a display device. A user may then temporarily select one graphical pointer among the plurality of graphical pointers. During the selection, the selected graphical pointer is manipulated in response to operation of a single graphical pointing device. A point within the display device specified by the position of the selected graphical pointer is selected in response to closure of a switch associated with the selected graphical pointer.
US07696974B2
In a shift register and LCD device having the shift register that may be employed in the liquid crystal display device having a large screen size and a large resolution, the shift register includes stages connected with each other and each of the stages have a carry buffer for generating a carry signal. The pull-down transistor of each of the stages of the shift register is divided into a first pull-down transistor and a second pull-down transistor. A power voltage Vona larger than the power voltage Von applied to a clock generator is applied to the shift register. A signal delay due to the RC delay of the gate lines may be minimized, the shift register is independent of the variation of the threshold voltage of the TFTs, and image display quality may not be deteriorated.
US07696973B2
In a driver circuit of a display device handling a digital image signal, there is provided a driver circuit with a structure in which the timing of holding the image signal in a latch circuit is not influenced by a delay of a sampling pulse. A pre-charge TFT (102) is turned ON in a return line period and an input terminal of a holding portion (101) is set as Hi (VDD). When there is input to all the three signals, the sampling pulse, and a multiplex signal and the digital image signal which are input from the outside, TFTs (104 to 106) all turn ON, and the potential of the input terminal of the holding portion (101) becomes a Lo potential. Thus, holding of the digital image signal is performed. A sampling pulse width is wider than a pulse width of the two signals input from the outside, and the output periods of the two signals input from the outside are completely included in an output period of the sampling pulse. Thus, even if a slight delay is generated, there is no influence on the holding timing, and the holding timing may be easily determined.
US07696969B2
In the display device and the display method of the present invention, a scanning signal line driving circuit controls falls of a scanning signal line, so as to make level shifts occurring to pixel potentials substantially uniform throughout display plane, the level shifts being caused by parasitic capacitances which parasitically exist in scanning signal lines. Fall waveforms of the scanning signal change at a change rate Sx which is a change quantity per unit time, and by desirably setting the change rate Sx, a change rate Sx1 in the vicinity of an input-side end of the scanning signal line and a change rate SxN in the vicinity of the other end thereof are substantially equal to each other, not being influenced by signal delay transmission characteristic which the scanning signal line possesses, like scanning signal line waveforms Vg(1, j) and Vg(N, j).
US07696968B2
A method of gamma correction for a liquid crystal display (LCD) having an LCD panel. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of dividing the LCD panel into N areas along a gate scanning direction, each area having a corresponding gamma and being characterized with a corresponding voltage-transmittance function, and determining grey level voltages of each area for each of a set of grey levels from the corresponding voltage-transmittance function of the area and a desired gamma curve of the LCD panel such that when the grey level voltages are respectively applied to the N areas for a grey level, a light transmittance through each area is substantially uniform and equals to a corresponding brightness.
US07696966B2
A liquid crystal display and its driving method are disclosed. Among the pixels driven by the same data driving unit, firstly the pixels of same color are sequentially driven, and then the pixels of other colors are sequentially driven, so that the pixels have almost the same leakage current.
US07696956B2
An apparatus for video graphics array (VGA) testing includes a connector, a switch, and an output. The connector has at least one signal output pin. The signal output pin of the VGA connector is connected to the output via the switch. The output can be coupled with an oscilloscope or other similar signal analyzing device. It is simple and efficient to use the apparatus for coupling a VGA connector of a computer with an oscilloscope in the VGA testing process.
US07696955B1
An information magnification system for providing enhanced display information for a display system for a vehicle. The display system is of a type that includes a first display and a second display. The information magnification system includes a user interface for providing the capability for a user to select a magnification zone of interest on the first display of the vehicle. An information magnification electronics subsystem is associated with the user interface and with the first and second displays to enable the selected magnification zone to be presented on the second display appearing to be behind the physical surface of the second display at a selected distance, thus providing the capability for the user to maintain a far field of focus.
US07696952B2
In a multi-window display device, the following has been merely performed: before data for plural screens is inputted to a display, video signals themselves are subjected to signal processing, and the processed video signals are inputted to the display, whereby display is performed. Therefore, a circuit for performing signal processing, for example, an IC has a complicated structure since video signals for plural screens are stored in a memory. There is provided a pixel structure in which: signal lines for plural screens are arranged; and one of the signal lines is selected to supply a video signal to a display element. For example, in the case of performing display of two screens, there is provided a pixel structure in which: two signal lines, which are inputted with respective video signals for a first screen and a second screen, are arranged; and one of the signal lines is selected to supply a video signal from the selected signal line to a display element.
US07696949B2
The invention provides a sky wave receiving antenna which includes a receiving element having a radiator and a plurality of directors arranged in parallel on a horizontal support boom with a constant interval in a alternatively crossed direction, a base and a vertical direction adjustor rotationally connected at its one end to the base with a use of a first joint. The receiving antenna further includes a second joint connected to the other end of the vertical direction adjustor and connected to the receiving element so as to obtain a horizontal direction adjustment of the receiving element. The receiving antenna of the invention allows the adjustment of the receiving element to be made in both vertical and horizontal directions in order to enhance the receive directivity.
US07696942B2
A slot antenna is provided. The slot antenna includes a feeding unit of a strip line shape which is disposed on a first surface of a substrate, a ground which is disposed on a second surface of the substrate, and an antenna element which is formed by connecting two sub slots formed on the second surface of the substrate, wherein each of the sub slots is arranged at an edge of the ground in an internal direction of the ground. Accordingly, the size of the antenna is reduced, and more area is provided for arranging components of a terminal.
US07696937B2
An antenna coupler for testing mobile transmitters and/or receivers, especially mobile telephones, comprises a mounting surface for the mobile transmitter and/or receiver and an antenna element. A mounting bracket is disposed on the mounting surface.
US07696926B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for identifying a target satellite in a satellite communication antenna. The apparatus includes: a power splitting unit for splitting a signal inputted through the satellite communication antenna to more than two signals; a tuner unit for receiving the split signals from the power splitting unit and passing only signal of a predetermined channel frequency band; an analog-to-digital converting unit for converting each of signal intensities passed in the tuner unit to a digital value; and a controlling and identifying unit for determining whether a satellite traced by the satellite communication antenna is a target satellite using each of the signal intensities of the predetermined channel frequency band inputted from the A/D converting means, and controlling an orientation direction of the satellite communication antenna.
US07696923B2
System for enabling a wireless computing device to determine its position includes a server with a database of identification and positional information about wireless beacons and a wireless computing device arranged to wirelessly communicate using the Internet with the server. The server determines the geographic location of the wireless computing device upon receiving data from the wireless computing device relating to reception of signals by the wireless computing device from at least one wireless beacon and analysis of the signals in light of the information contained in the database of the server. The server applies a calculation algorithm which determines the geographic location of the wireless computing device upon input of identification and signal strength information about the wireless beacon(s) derived from the received signals.
US07696915B2
An ADC circuit includes multiple comparators and a controller coupled to the comparators. Each of the comparators is operative to generate an output indicative of a difference between a first signal representative of an input signal applied to the ADC circuit and a corresponding reference signal. The controller is operative to perform at least one of: (i) activating a subset of the comparators during a given sample period being; and (ii) controlling levels of the corresponding reference signals of the comparators as a function of a level of the input signal. A number of active comparators during the given sample period is no greater than one less than a number of regions into which the input signal is quantized.
US07696914B2
A sigma-delta modulator includes a loop filter, a single bit quantizer, a single bit DAC, an adder. The loop filter is for filtering a summed signal to generate a filtered signal. The single bit quantizer is coupled to the loop filter, for performing a quantization process to the filtered signal to generate a quantized signal. The single bit DAC is coupled to the single bit quantizer, has an adjustable configuration, and is for generating a feedback signal according to the quantized signal and the configuration thereof. The adder is coupled to the loop filter and the single bit DAC, for summing an input signal and the feedback signal to generate the summed signal.
US07696912B2
A switching voltage regulator includes, in part, N output stages, a loop ADC, a multiplexer, a current ADC, and an interrupt block. The loop analog-to-digital converter receives the N output voltages each of which is associated with one of N channels. The loop ADC is adapted to vary a duty cycle of N signals each applied to one of the N output stages that generate the N output voltages. The interrupt block is adapted to enable the multiplexer to couple an output stage to the current ADC if a difference between voltages sensed at an output stage during at least two sampling times exceeds a predefined threshold value. The interrupt block may also be adapted to enable the multiplexer to couple an output stage to the current ADC block if a difference between a voltage sensed at the output stage and a reference voltage exceeds a predefined threshold value.
US07696910B2
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dither circuit including a dither generating circuit generating a plurality of complementary signal pairs, and a dither input circuit generating a plurality of dither signals from the plurality of complementary signal pairs to add the generated dither signals to an analog input signal, in which the plurality of complementary signal pairs have different frequencies with each other, the dither input circuit includes capacitors provided for each of the plurality of complementary signal pairs and a plurality of switch pairs including first and second switches having one terminals connected to each one terminal of the capacitors, and the other terminals of the capacitors are connected to an adding point to the analog input signal, the first switch supplies ones of the complementary signal pairs to one terminals of the capacitors when a clock signal is in effective state, and the second switch supplies the others of the complementary signal pairs to one terminals of the capacitors when an inverting clock signal of the clock signal is in effective state.
US07696902B2
A tire sensor device comprising sensor modules 20A to 20D, each comprising a sensor, a communication module having a communication function and a power regenerating circuit, and an antenna; and a base station comprising an internal communication device for communication with the sensor modules 20A to 20D, an information processing device for processing tire information signals from the sensor modules, an external communication device for communicating with a car control device 40 on the car body side and a power source. The sensor modules 20A to 20D and the base station 30 are arranged in the tire and constitute an intra-tire LAN. Tire information signals transmitted from the sensor modules 20A to 20D are processed by the base station 30 and transmitted to the car control device 40 so that appropriate tire information can be obtained and the size and power consumption of the sensor device can be reduced.
US07696897B2
The prior art in this field had a display portion of electronic paper at a part of a shelf and showed a problem that the display portion and the goods were hardly co-related to each other in response to the arrangement of the goods. In view of the foregoing, plural images arranged in response to the number of stages of the shelves to be displayed are irradiated with a light source after each of the images is corrected in correspondence with the optical path length ranging from the light source to the end of each of the shelves, each of the images is guided to the end of each of the shelves by plural reflector members and then the images are displayed at the ends. In addition, each of the images is guided to the end of each of the shelves by plural reflector members and the images are displayed at the ends after plural images (either still images or animations) arranged in response to the number of stages of shelves to be displayed are irradiated by the light source and the optical path lengths ranging from the light source to the end of each of the shelves are set to be substantially the same to each other.
US07696891B2
Systems and methods for suppressing the spread of fire, fire-related toxins, and other biological and chemical hazards are disclosed. One described system includes a thermostat incorporating an HVAC interface in communication with a residential HVAC system, a receiver operable to receive a signal indicating the presence of a contaminant from an environmental condition detector, and a processor in communication with the receiver and the residential HVAC system and operable to receive the signal from the receiver, and in response, send a signal to the HVAC interface to cause the residential HVAC system to be shut down.
US07696884B2
An RFID system comprises an intermediate device that includes a first and second antenna coils connected together in a close loop format. The coils are formed on a flexible substrate that can be folded around a magnetic flux blocker such that one loop is on side of the blocker and the other loop is on the other side of the blocker. The intermediate device can then improve communication between a reader on one side of the blocker and a tag on the other. The coil on the reader side of the blocker can receive RF signals being generated by the reader and convert them to an electrical signal that can be passed to the coil on the tag side of the blockage. The second coil can then generate an RF signal that can be transmitted to the tag.
US07696878B2
A system and method for enhanced security by incorporating RFID processing circuitry within a key switch assembly. The RFID key switch assembly includes four subassemblies; the key/tumbler assembly, rotating and stationary switch contacts, RFID Processing Circuitry and an electrical connection interface. The RFID Processing Circuitry incorporated in the key switch assembly reads RF signals transmitted from an RFID tag embedded in a key inserted into the key switch.
US07696875B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for communicating with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags using an RFID reader are provided. A first communication signal configured to communicate with at least one RFID tag is generated. The first communication signal is transmitted from a first antenna of the reader. The reader is docked with a docking station, the docking station including a contact member coupled to at least one additional antenna, enabling the reader to couple a second communication signal through the contact member to the at least one additional antenna.
US07696873B2
A security system comprises a system control panel for arming and disarming the security system. A door sensing unit comprises a first radio frequency (RF) transceiver interconnected with the system control panel over a network. The first RF transceiver is mounted proximate to a door that defines at least a portion of a perimeter around an area to be monitored by the security system. The first RF transceiver has an RF detection field proximate to the door. A disarm device comprises a second RF transceiver that automatically transmits a disarm device packet. The first RF transceiver receives the disarm device packet when the second RF transceiver is within the RF detection field. The first RF transceiver sends a disarm message to the system control panel over the network to disarm the security system based on at least the disarm device packet.
US07696868B1
In some embodiments, techniques for processing an alert may include creating or receiving an alert, determining a first current location, associating the first current location with the alert if not already so associated, determining a second current location, determining that the second current location matches the first current location, and presenting information relating to the alert.
US07696863B2
A method and a device for warning the driver of a motor vehicle. An object detector is provided, which detects preceding vehicles and ascertains their distance and relative velocity with respect to the host vehicle and supplies these to an evaluation device. The evaluation device assumes that the preceding vehicle would perform a deceleration and ascertains as a further function of the variables measured by the object detector and the driver's reaction time and the host vehicle's maximum possible deceleration whether a collision with the preceding vehicle would be avoidable. If an unavoidability of a collision is recognized, then a driver warning device is activated.
US07696860B2
Tactile communication methods, systems and devices for wireless touch communication which include an array of electromechanical transducers each independently capable of producing a vibration for communicating qualitative and quantitative tactile cues to a user, at least one electromagnetic field sensor coupled with at least one of the array of transducers for monitoring a change in an electromagnetic field of the array of electromechanical transducers and producing an output signals when a change is detected, wherein a change in a position of a transducer contactor produces the change in the electromagnetic field and a vibrotactile waistbelt for housing the array of electromechanical transducers and sensors, wherein the vibrotactile waistbelt is worn by a user to receive and send wireless touch communication respectively from and to a remotely located controller.
US07696857B2
A system for disabling a device. An embedded identifier contained within a cable security system is read in response to enabling a cable security mechanism within the device. The device is disabled if the embedded identifier is not found.
US07696847B2
The magnetic field in an acceleration chamber defined by a magnet structure is shaped by shaping the poles of a magnetic yoke and/or by providing additional magnetic coils to produce a magnetic field in the median acceleration plane that decreases with increasing radial distance from a central axis. The magnet structure is thereby rendered suitable for the acceleration of charged particles in a synchrocyclotron. The magnetic field in the median acceleration plane is “coil-dominated,” meaning that a strong majority of the magnetic field in the median acceleration plane is directly generated by a pair of primary magnetic coils (e.g., superconducting coils) positioned about the acceleration chamber, and the magnet structure is structured to provide both weak focusing and phase stability in the acceleration chamber. The magnet structure can be very compact and can produce particularly high magnetic fields.
US07696846B2
A drive solenoid, a yoke, an armature and at least one contact are mounted in a housing of an electromagnetic switching device. The drive solenoid, yoke and armature are inductively intercoupled, in such a way that when an inrush current is applied to the drive solenoid, the armature can be displaced into a pickup position, thus directly or indirectly actuating the contact. The yoke and/or armature contain(s) pulverulent magnetic material.
US07696843B2
An object of the invention is to provide a coupling element of an MEMS filter with design flexibility and minimization of mass loading effects. The invention provides a structure wherein the mass loading effects are not reflected on the MEMS filter characteristic by using a nanosize coupling element with a very small mass compared to a microsize MEMS resonator, such as a carbon nanotube (CNT), as a coupling element part.
US07696841B2
A power amplifier includes a quadrature hybrid and input impedance matching network. The power amplifier also includes at least one amplifier that includes an output electrode, and a quadrature hybrid and output impedance matching network. The quadrature hybrid and input impedance matching network exhibits a low pass frequency response.
US07696839B2
A signal waveform equalizer circuit capable of equalizing the waveform of an input signal with a center voltage of 0 V and yet small in circuit scale. An input signal (in FIG. 1, positive-phase input signal) whose waveform is to be equalized is input to the source of an nMOS, and this enables the equalizer circuit to handle an input signal with the center voltage 0 V without the need to add an extra circuit. The waveform of the input signal is shaped by a delay circuit including a resistor and a capacitor, and an output signal (in FIG. 1, positive-phase output signal) is output from a node.
US07696837B2
A one-dimensional nanostructure multi-port coupler (100, 300, 400, 600) is provided for use in an RF device (700). The coupler (100, 300, 400, 600) includes a first plurality of one-dimensional nanostructures (102) aligned substantially in a first direction (110) and coupled between the input (103) and first output (103′), and a second plurality of one-dimensional nanostructures (104) substantially aligned in a second direction (112), coupled to a second output (105), and disposed contiguous to the first plurality of one-dimensional nanostructures (102). The first and second plurality of one-dimensional nanostructures (102, 104) may comprise first and second contiguous planes. The amount of RF energy coupled may be controlled by varying the width, density, diameter, and type of one of the plurality of one-dimensional nanostructures (102, 104) versus the other. The amount of RF energy coupled may also be controlled by varying the angle between the first and second plurality of one-dimensional nanostructures (102, 104) and by disposing a dielectric material (132) therebetween.
US07696829B2
A synthesizer arrangement includes an oscillator, a phase detector, and a loop filter that form a phase-locked loop. The loop filter is coupled to a control unit to activate a respective set of internal states out of a plurality of sets of internal states.
US07696817B1
Auto-gain correction in a precision amplifier provides continuous calibration of the gain of the two differential input stages relative to each other and thus significantly minimizes the effects of device mismatch and temperature. Auto-gain correction together with auto-zero minimizes the effects of common mode input voltage on the amplifier and eliminates the need for trim associated with the matching of the two differential input stages. Improved gain matching enhances the accuracy of the auto-zero, which further improves the accuracy of auto-gain correction, resulting in a synergy with both operating together. The implementation of the auto-zero using an input pair of series capacitors in conjunction with a common input reference and a feedback pair of series capacitors in conjunction with a common feedback reference provides for decoupling the common mode voltage of the input differential pair or feedback differential pair. Various features may be used in sub-combinations as desired.
US07696814B2
A filter circuit is disclosed which comprises a differential amplifier and a switch-capacitor circuit. The invention attains the goals of reducing the power consumption and the circuit size by sharing an amplifier with other related circuits to reduce the number of amplifiers.
US07696808B2
A slew rate control circuit in output driver of switching circuit to prevent power ground undershoot is introduced. The gate capacitance of lower power transistor is first fast discharged to ensure the operation of the output signal. The gate capacitance of lower power transistor is then slowly discharged to limit OUT SLEW RATE. The gate capacitance of lower power transistor is further slowly discharged when the power ground level is below common ground. With above controlling, the gate voltage slew rate of lower power transistor is reduced when the lower power transistor is almost fully turned OFF. Therefore, undershoot at the power ground is avoided. Similar slew rate control circuit can also be derived in output driver of switching circuit to prevent PVCC overshoot.
US07696796B2
An initialization signal generating circuit includes a voltage distributor, a first initialization signal generator, a second initialization signal, and a controller. The voltage distributor outputs a voltage signal in response to an external voltage. The first initialization signal generator outputs a first initialization signal in response to the voltage signal output from the voltage distributor. The second initialization signal generator outputs a second initialization signal in response to the voltage signal output from the voltage distributor. The controller blocks the external voltage supplied to the voltage distributor and the first and second initialization signal generators, in response to the first and second initialization signals.
US07696793B2
A differential signal driver circuit is provided with a driver circuit and a common feedback circuit. The driver circuit is responsive to differential input signals for generating differential output signals from operation currents generated by two current sources. The common feedback circuit controls the current sources to regulate the current levels of the operation currents in response to the differential output signals.
US07696792B2
A track and hold circuit is disclosed, including: a source follower coupled to a voltage supply; a MOS transistor with well structure, the MOS transistor having a gate terminal coupled to a gate terminal of the source follower, a drain terminal coupled to its body terminal and a source terminal of the source follower, and a source terminal coupled to a current source and an output terminal; a capacitive device having a terminal coupled to the gate terminal of the MOS transistor and another terminal coupled to a fixed voltage level; and a switch device coupled and disposed between an input signal and the gate terminal of the MOS transistor, wherein the switch device is controlled by a control signal.
US07696791B2
An amplitude detection circuit using a sinusoidal input signal inputs to produce a digital output (a one or zero) is described. The circuit uses an input field effect transistor (FET) with a gate load coupled to a gate of the input FET. A drain load may be coupled to a drain of the input FET. A source load may be coupled to a source of the input FET. A controllable variable current generator provides a current to the source of the input FET, biasing the source of the input FET to a reference voltage. An input signal conductor may be coupled to the gate of the input FET. Other embodiments are described.
US07696782B2
An apparatus comprising a plurality of fixed logic circuits, wherein each of the fixed logic circuits is configured to receive a plurality of input signals, perform combinational logic operations using the input signals, and produce at least one output signal, and wherein the combinational logic operations are substantially fixed; and a programmable logic core configured to functionally replace a selected subset of the plurality of fixed logic circuits, receive the input signals of the selected subset of the plurality of fixed logic circuits, perform logic operations on the input signals, and produce at least one output signal as the output signal of the selected subset of the plurality of fixed logic circuits, and wherein the logic operations are dynamically changeable.
US07696773B2
A method of determining characteristics of transistors and electroluminescent devices, includes: providing an electroluminescent display; providing for pairs of electroluminescent devices drive circuits and a single readout line, each drive circuit including a readout transistor electrically connected to the readout line; providing a first voltage source; providing a second voltage source; providing a current source; providing a current sink; providing a test voltage source; providing a voltage measurement circuit; sequentially testing the drive transistors to provide a first signal representative of characteristics of the drive transistor of the first drive circuit and a second signal representative of characteristics of the drive transistor of the second drive circuit, whereby the characteristics of each drive transistor are determined; and simultaneously testing the first and second electroluminescent devices to provide a third signal representative of characteristics of the pair of electroluminescent devices, whereby the characteristics of both electroluminescent devices are determined.
US07696770B2
The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of a self-centering nest for testing of microprocessor chip modules. The self-centering nest includes two slideable jaws disposed on a base diagonally opposite each other. Each jaw includes a jaw pin that is receptive in a carrier, such that when the jaw pins are received in the carrier, the jaws are in an open position. The self-centering nest includes a transfer mechanism for urging a microprocessor chip module from the carrier into the self-centering nest. The self-centering nest includes a plurality of springs, each spring having a first end connected to the first slideable jaw and a second end connected to the second slideable jaw. The springs cause the jaws to move toward each other capturing and centering the microprocessor chip module when the jaws are pulled away from the carrier releasing the jaw pins.
US07696764B2
In some embodiments, the arrangement includes a sense element to convey a current from a source to a load and a compensation element located proximate to the sense element. The compensation element has a resistance that changes proportional to a change in temperature of the sense element. In several embodiments, the arrangement further includes an operational amplifier having a first input connected to the sense element, a second input connected to the compensation element and an output that provides an output signal that biases a current through the compensation element in response to a voltage across the sense element. In such embodiments, the bias current provides an output signal proportional to the conveyed current and the compensation element provides temperature compensation for the output signal. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US07696762B2
A non metallic flow through electrodeless conductivity sensor is provided with a conduit having primary and secondary process fluid flowpaths to form a fluid loop. At least one drive and one sense toroid surround the conduit on the fluid loop. Voltage supplied to the drive toroid induces a current in the sense toroid via the fluid loop to eliminate any need for metallic electrodes in contact with the process fluid. At least one additional drive and/or sense toroid is disposed on the fluid loop to enhance induction. Optionally one or more sense coils are disposed about the conduit outside of the fluid loop to cancel out stray electrical noise. An optional conductor disposed along the conduit detects any fluid leakage through changes in resistance thereof.
US07696760B2
A wire harness testing system is disclosed. The wire harness testing system includes a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage at a location associated with an electric load, wherein the electric load is connected with at least one wire harness. The wire harness testing system also includes a controller electrically coupled to the voltage sensor. The controller is configured to receive a wire harness test request. The controller is further configured to determine a voltage drop based on a voltage sensor measurement and a reference voltage and compare the voltage drop with a threshold. The controller is also configured to adaptively update the reference voltage with the voltage measurement responsive to a voltage drop below the threshold, and generate a fault notice responsive to a voltage drop above the threshold. The wire harness testing system further includes at least one indication device configured to provide a warning signal based on the fault notice generated by the controller.
US07696759B2
An alternator and starter motor tester system having alternator cable check. The alternator cable connector is specific to an alternator type. The cable connector is monitored so that if it fails a certain alternator type for a predetermined number of times in a row, the cable will be locked.
US07696754B2
A local coil arrangement for magnetic resonance applications has an acquisition coil for acquisition of a magnetic resonance signal excited in an examination subject by means of a transmission coil; and a transponder. The transponder is coupled to the acquisition coil such that it can be fed with electrical energy via the acquisition coil The transponder is fashioned to send a transponder signal on a transponder frequency when and as soon as an excitation signal induced in the acquisition coil by means of the transmission coil exceeds a threshold. When the control device receives the transponder signal, it adjusts the further operation of the transmission antenna or operates it only with reduced power.
US07696748B2
Methods and apparatus are described for absolute electrical property measurement of materials. This is accomplished with magnetic and electric field based sensors and sensor array geometries that can be modeled accurately and with impedance instrumentation that permits accurate measurements of the in-phase and quadrature phase signal components. A dithering calibration method is also described which allows the measurement to account for background material noise variations. Methods are also described for accounting for noise factors in sensor design and selection of the optimal operating conditions which can minimize the error bounds for material property estimates. Example application of these methods to automated engine disk slot inspection and assessment of the mechanical condition of dielectric materials are presented.
US07696743B2
In a zero-phase current detecting apparatus, a feedback loop is made up of a pulse generating unit, a current detecting unit, a peak detecting unit, an adding unit, and a current regulating unit. The adding unit outputs a difference between a target value and a peak value detected by the peak detecting unit. A zero-phase current is detected based on the difference output from the adding unit as a result of regulation of the peak value so as to be the target value in the adding unit.
US07696736B2
A method and apparatus for converting a DC voltage to a lower DC voltage, provides for conducting current from an input terminal, through an inductor to charge a capacitor connected to the inductor at an output terminal and to provide a varying range of load current from the output terminal, alternately switching the input terminal between a supply voltage and a ground potential to produce a desired voltage at the output terminal that is lower than the supply voltage, while providing the varying range of load current, and disconnecting the input terminal from both the supply voltage and the ground potential to reduce an increase in voltage at the output terminal caused by a substantial reduction in the load current, while current through the inductor adjusts in response to the reduced load current.
US07696734B2
Disclosed is a multiphase DC-DC converter including a plurality of DC-DC converter circuits connected in parallel to one another; an output section to add up outputs of the plurality of DC-DC converter circuits to obtain one output; a timing generating circuit to generate timing signals for respectively operating the plurality of DC-DC converter circuits; a control circuit to selectively and sequentially operate the plurality of DC-DC converter circuits in synchronization with the timing signals outputted from the timing generating circuit so that output phases of the plurality of DC-DC converter circuits are different from one another; and a current detection circuit to detect an output current of each of the plurality of DC-DC converter circuits, wherein the control circuit selects one of the plurality of DC-DC converter circuit to be operated next based on an output of the current detection circuit.
US07696732B2
An output regulator includes a plurality of switch arrays. A controller enables selected ones of the plurality of switch arrays in response to a sense signal. The sense signal is based on an output of the output regulator. The controller generates drive signals to control the selected ones of the plurality of switch arrays. The controller adjusts first selected pulses in an output phase of the selected ones of the plurality of switch arrays based on a first pulse width. The controller adjusts second selected pulses in the output phase of the selected ones of the plurality of switch arrays based on a second pulse width greater than or less than the first pulse width.
US07696722B2
A power system and method for supplying power to a wireless X-ray detector utilizes a detachable handle for a wireless X-ray detector. The handle carries a battery which, when the detachable handle is coupled to a wireless X-ray detector, provides the wireless X-ray detector with a mobile supply of power. A detachable handle charging station may recharge a plurality of detachable handles, providing a swappable supply of power for a wireless X-ray detector. Charging stations for such handles, or for entire detectors are also disclosed.
US07696721B2
The present disclosure provides a method, apparatus, and system to switch between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) power sources for appliances with a third position to allow on-board recharging of the DC power source. The method involves locking out a power source when the other power source is powering the appliance and locking out both power sources from operating the appliance when the appliance is being recharged. The DC power source can remain coupled to the appliance during operation and during recharging without necessitating removal for remote recharging by the use of a unique switch.
US07696715B2
An autonomous controller allows an AC induction motor to operate over a broad range of AC power supply frequencies by reducing the amount of current supplied to the motor at lower frequencies. The controller detects the frequency of the power supply and switches the supply current on and off during each AC cycle to limit the RMS current to a value that is related to the detected frequency. Alternatively, the controller switches capacitive reactance into the power supply circuit which reduces the current supplied to the motor at lower AC frequencies.
US07696710B2
A method for determining an amount of moisture on a surface of a substrate includes a step of transmitting a transmitter signal to generate a wave. The transmitter signal has a first phase. The wave is propagated to vibrate the surface. Vibrations in the surface are detected and converted into a receiver signal. The receiver signal has a second phase different than the first phase. The method includes the step of sensing the temperature of the substrate. The amount of moisture on the surface is computed based on a phase shift between the transmitter signal and the receiver signal that has been compensated to account for surface temperature.
US07696707B2
In a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention, a plurality of external terminals include: a first external terminal (VCC, U, V and W terminals in the FIGURE) receiving a higher voltage than the other external terminals; and a second external terminal (FG terminal in the FIGURE) arranged adjacent to the first external terminal as one of the other external terminals, the second external terminal feeding out, from one end of a transistor Q1, a control pulse signal corresponding to the turning on and off of the transistor Q1, and the second external terminal is connected to an overvoltage protection circuit (consisting of R1, R2, Q2 and AND) that masks a control signal for turning on and off the transistor Q1 so that, when a voltage at the second external terminal reaches a predetermined threshold, the transistor Q1 is kept off all the time. In this way, it is possible to prevent, without the need for an extra external terminal, breakdown in case of a short circuit between adjacent external terminals.
US07696698B2
A signal is described herein that provides light output for automotive, rail, ship traffic and/or illumination control that includes a light emitting diode (LED) array, wherein the LED array includes three groups of disparate colored LEDs. A power supply unit provides independent power to each of the three LED groups. Each LED group power supply unit includes an input controlled switch connected to a power line to provide power to the LED array. An input under voltage/over voltage circuit monitors the voltage level of the power line and for enabling and/or disables the input controlled switch according to the voltage level of the power line. A flyback transformer converts the power received from the power line from an alternating or a continuous current signal to a direct current signal output to the LED array. A dummy load draws power additional to the LED array and a dummy load detection circuit monitors the dummy load to insure that the power drawn by the load is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. A light out detection circuit monitors the light output of the LED array via an optical sensor.
US07696690B2
A short-wavelength light-emitting element such as an ultraviolet light-emitting element or blue light-emitting element is arranged in a container which has a window with a window board formed of calcium fluoride crystals. Fluoride crystals are ones which contain either metal or metal halide, or both of them. In a production method of fluoride crystals in which the cavity of a crucible is filled with raw material powder and this crucible is heated in a vertical Bridgman furnace, a production method of fluoride crystals of the present invention is the one in which the shortest diameter of a cross section of the cavity of the crucible is small. In a crucible, whose cavity is filled with raw material powder, heated in a vertical Bridgman furnace to produce fluoride crystals, a crucible is the one in which the shortest diameter of a section of the cavity is small.
US07696684B2
A multicolor electronic display is based on an array of luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals. Nanocrystals which emit light of different colors are grouped into pixels. The nanocrystals are optically pumped to produce a multicolor display. Different sized nanocrystals are used to produce the different colors. A variety of pixel addressing systems can be used.
US07696680B2
A field emission device (10), in accordance with a preferred embodiment, includes an anode electrode (22), a cathode electrode (12), a gate electrode (16), a phosphor layer (23), and a number of electron emitters (13) formed on the cathode electrode. The anode electrode is opposite to and spaced from the cathode electrode. The phosphor layer is attached/formed on the anode electrode. The gate electrode (preferably in the form of a wire) is spatially positioned between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. In addition, the gate electrode is correspondingly arranged relative to the phosphor layer. The electron emitters are distributed on surfaces of the cathode electrode at least adjacent to two sides of the gate electrode, thus promoting the ability of the emitted electrons to be guided by, yet not readily impinge on, the gate electrode on a path toward the phosphor layer.
US07696673B1
Disclosed are various embodiments of systems, devices and methods for generating electricity, transforming voltages and generating motion using one or more piezoelectric elements operably coupled to one or more non-piezoelectric resonating elements. In one embodiment, a non-piezoelectric resonating element is configured to oscillate and dissipate mechanical energy into a piezoelectric element, which converts a portion of such mechanical energy into electricity and therefore acts as a generator. In another embodiment, a piezoelectric element is configured to drive one or more mechanical elements operably coupled to the one or more non-piezoelectric resonating elements, and therefore acts as a motor. In still another embodiment, a piezoelectric element is operably coupled to a non-piezoelectric resonating element to form an electrical transformer. The mechanical properties of the non-piezoelectric resonating elements are typically selected to permit relatively high permissible stress and strain in comparison to the corresponding piezoelectric elements to which they are operably coupled or attached.
US07696664B2
A magnetic path closed electric generator includes a base (9), a housing (8), a stator (3), a rotator (5), a rotation shaft (7) and a transmission wheel. A magnetic permeability neck (12) is fixed on the stator; a coil winding (2) on the stator is fixed on the magnetic permeability bracket (1) and hitches outside a magnetic permeability neck; a low magnetic permeability medium (13) is disposed between the magnetic permeability bracket and the magnetic permeability neck. When the rotator rotates, a magnetic body (4) rotates along with it. The magnetic permeability neck is inducted to permeate magnetic and generate electric current with change of flux passing through the coil winding. A magnetic field generated by the electric current in the coil winding passes through the magnetic permeability bracket. The coil winding on the stator and the magnetic body on the rotator form a magnetic line closed loop in their own magnetic field. There is only small magnetic attracting force between the rotator and the stator.
US07696663B2
A rotor (2) for a forced-air-cooled electric motor, in particular a universal motor, especially for use with electrical power tools, has a laminated armature (6) incorporating longitudinal slots (8) and with wire windings of a coil (10) protruding from the longitudinal slots (8) on the front face where the windings form coil connecting heads (20, 22). Some or all of the longitudinal slots (8) in the laminated armature (6) contain a rod (28) aligned in the longitudinal direction and protruding axially from one or both front faces (24, 26) of the laminated armature (6), whereby the protruding rod ends thus surround the coil connecting heads (20, 22) on the respective front face to protect the coil connecting heads from abrasive wear.
US07696656B2
A motor assembly (20) includes a motor (22) and an end cap (26). The end cap (26) includes an electrically insulating body (28) having a peripheral edge (30) that interfaces with a conductive housing (24) of the motor (22). Motor terminals (94, 102) and an electromagnetic suppression (EMD) chip device (54) are located within the body (28). The chip device (54) has an input terminal (74) in electrical communication with the motor terminal (94), an input terminal (76) in electrical communication with the motor terminal (102), and an earth terminal (78). A conductive ground strap (56) is in electrical communication with the earth terminal (78). The ground strap (56) encapsulates and retains the chip device (54) in the end cap (26) and has an end (60) fitted onto the peripheral edge (30) of the end cap (26) between the end cap (26) and the conductive housing (24) of the motor (22).
US07696653B2
Movable-body apparatus, notably configured as stages, are disclosed that include at least one movable body and at least one respective actuator. The actuator drives the movable body in the direction of at least one axis in a predetermined plane. A waste-heat member is situated in a non-contacting manner with the movable body. The waste-heat member absorbs heat radiated from the movable body. Thus, adverse thermal influences of the movable body are suppressed without a need to connect a coolant conduit to the movable body, which eliminates decreases in movement accuracy conventionally caused by tension of such a conduit on the movable body.
US07696651B2
A linear motor comprising a mover part including; an armature module having an I shaped magnetic iron core and an armature winding of one kind wound on the periphery of the I shaped magnetic iron core through an insulating material. A non-magnetic material holder on which a plurality of armature modules are arranged in a stroke direction is provided. A base upper plate and a base lower plate are provided for attaching the non-magnetic material holder in upper and lower parts respectively. A stator part includes a plurality of field permanent magnets opposed to the I shaped magnetic iron cores through magnetic spaces and field yokes for supporting the field permanent magnets. The non-magnetic material holder has at both end parts thereof through holes for inserting bolts corresponding to the forms and the arranging pitches of the I shaped magnetic iron cores.
US07696644B2
A power transfer system for imparting power to at least one functional element, such as a movable glass-containing functional element, such as a sliding glass door. The power transfer system preferably includes a magnetic induction power transfer mechanism with a power transfer circuit having first and second separated coils, and a resonant circuit power driver having a resonant frequency. The power transfer mechanism is designed to apply power to the functional element and/or to other devices or systems connected to it. The power transfer system may include an electronic feedback mechanism with an electronic feedback circuit for sensing a predetermined condition concerning the functional element. To take one example, the electronic feedback circuit may be used to provide safety door detection feedback by sensing the position of a movable glass portion of sliding glass doors, and by relaying a feedback signal, which may be carried by a light wave, to the power transfer mechanism if the movable glass portion of the doors is determined to be in a closed position. A data link may be used to communicate information between the power transfer circuit and the functional element.
US07696639B2
A rectifier circuit powers three power conversion modules using a three phase AC input without a neutral connection. The rectifier circuit includes a first bridge rectifier that is connected to a first phase of the three phase AC input and that produces a first rectified waveform. A second bridge rectifier is connected to a second phase of the three phase AC input and produces a second rectified waveform. A third bridge rectifier is connected to a third phase of the three phase AC input and produces a third rectified waveform. A first inductor has one end that is connected to the first bridge rectifier. A second inductor has one end that is connected to the second bridge rectifier. A third inductor has one end that is connected to the third bridge rectifier. Opposite ends of the first, second and third inductors are connected to form a virtual neutral. A protection circuit prevents overvoltage when one of the DC outputs is shorted.
US07696635B2
A wind turbine devices comprises a vertically rotating shaft; and a plurality of horizontally disposed, box-shaped wind catchment vanes connected about the shaft, each vane having an open front face to catch wind flow and a lightweight flap on their rear face that closes when acted upon by wind force to rotate the vane about the shaft. When the latter flap opens, wind spills through the vane thus increasing efficiency.
US07696627B2
In the multilayered interconnect structure, an upper-layer interconnect is formed in an interlayer dielectric film formed on a lower-layer interconnect of copper, and the lower-layer interconnect and the upper-layer interconnect of copper are connected to each other through a via formed in the interlayer dielectric film. A layer of the interlayer dielectric film in contact with the lower-layer interconnect is made of a layer including, as a principal component, an aromatic compound containing a nitrogen atom having a lone pair of electrons in an aromatic ring.
US07696622B2
A MEMS device including a getter film formed inside a hermetic chamber provides stable performance of the MEMS device by electrically stabilizing the getter film. The MEMS device includes a movable portion and a fixed portion formed inside the hermetic chamber. The hermetic chamber is formed by a base material of the MEMS device and glass substrates and having a cavity and cavities made therein. A part of any continuous getter film formed inside the hermetic chamber connects to only one of any one or a plurality of predetermined electrical potentials of the fixed portion and a ground potential of the fixed portion through the base material of the MEMS device.
US07696613B2
A multilayered wiring substrate is constructed by stacking wiring layers 105, 108, 110, 112 and insulating layers 104, 106, 107, 109 in predetermined number, with at least one of the wiring layers being formed as a reinforcing wiring layer 103 whose thickness is 35 to 150 μm arranged in one layer or plural layers. Also, the thickness of the reinforcing wiring layer is larger than that of the other wiring layers.
US07696604B2
Methods and heterostructure barrier varactor (HBV) diodes optimized for application with frequency multipliers at providing outputs at submillimeter wave frequencies and above. The HBV diodes include a silicon-containing substrate, an electrode over the silicon-containing substrate, and one or more heterojunction quantum wells of alternating layers of Si and SiGe of one or more electrodes of the diode. Each SiGe quantum well preferably has a floating SiGe layer between adjacent SiGe gradients followed by adjacent Si layers, such that, a single homogeneous structure is provided characterized by having no distinct separations. The plurality of Si/SiGe heterojunction quantum wells may be symmetric or asymmetric.
US07696599B2
A trench MOSFET with drain (8), drift region (10) body (12) and source (14). In order to improve the figure of merit for use of the MOSFET as control and sync FETs, the trench (20) is partially filled with dielectric (24) adjacent to the drift region (10) and a graded doping profile is used in the drift region (10).
US07696580B2
A diode with low substrate current leakage and suitable for BiCMOS process technology. A buried layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A connection region and well contact the buried layer. Isolation regions are adjacent to two sides of the buried layer, each deeper than the buried layer. The isolation regions and the buried layer isolate the connection zone and the well from the substrate. The first doped region in the well is a first electrode. The well and the connection region are electrically connected, acting as a second electrode.
US07696570B2
According to some embodiments of the invention, transistors of a semiconductor device have a channel region in a channel-portion hole. Methods include forming embodiments of the transistor having a channel-portion hole disposed in a semiconductor substrate. A channel-portion trench pad and a channel-portion layer are sequentially formed at a lower portion of the channel-portion hole. A word line insulating layer pattern and a word line pattern are sequentially stacked on the channel-portion layer and fill the channel-portion hole, disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The channel-portion layer is formed to contact the semiconductor substrate through a portion of sidewall of the channel-portion hole, and forms a channel region under the word line pattern. Punchthrough is prevented between electrode impurity regions corresponding to source and drain regions.
US07696568B2
A semiconductor device fabricated in the semiconductor substrate includes a FinFET transistor having opposed source and drain pillars, and a fin interposed between the source and drain pillars. A cavity is formed in the semiconductor substrate extending at least partially between the fin and the semiconductor substrate. The cavity may be formed within a shallow trench isolation structure, and it may also extend at least partially between the semiconductor substrate and one or both of the pillars. The cavities increase the impedance between the semiconductor substrate and the fin and/or pillars to decrease the sub-threshold leakage of the FinFET transistor.
US07696566B2
A control circuit with a high voltage sense device. In one embodiment, a circuit includes a first transistor disposed in a first substrate having first, second and third terminals. A first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to an external voltage. A voltage provided at a third terminal of the first transistor is substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is less than a pinch-off voltage of the first transistor. The voltage provided at the third terminal of the first transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is greater than the pinch-off voltage of the first transistor. The circuit also includes a control circuit disposed in the first substrate and coupled to the third terminal of the first transistor. The circuit further includes a second transistor disposed in a second substrate. A first terminal of the second transistor coupled to the external voltage.
US07696562B2
To provide a highly reliable semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device, where defects such as a short between a gate electrode layer and a semiconductor layer and a leakage current, which would otherwise be caused due to a coverage defect of the semiconductor layer with an insulating layer, can be prevented. In order to form a plurality of semiconductor elements over an insulating surface, a semiconductor layer is not separated into a plurality of island-shape semiconductor layers, but instead, element isolation regions, which electrically insulate a plurality of element regions functioning as semiconductor elements, are formed in one semiconductor layer, i.e., a first element isolation region with high resistance and a second element isolation region which has a contact with the element region and has a conductivity type opposite to that of the source and drain regions of the element region.
US07696561B2
A non-volatile memory device includes a first sensing line, a first word line, a depletion channel region, and impurity regions. The first sensing line and the first word line are formed adjacent to each other in parallel on a substrate. The first sensing line and the first word line have a tunnel oxide layer, a first conductive pattern, a dielectric layer pattern and a second conductive pattern sequentially stacked on the substrate. The depletion channel region is formed at an upper portion of the substrate under the first sensing line. The impurity regions are formed at upper portions of the substrate exposed by the first sensing line and the first word line.
US07696560B2
A flash memory device includes control gates that are formed to completely surround the top and sides of floating gates. The control gates are located between the floating gates that are adjacent in the word line direction as well as the floating gates that are adjacent in the bit line direction. The present flash memory device reduces a shift in a threshold voltage resulting from interference among floating gates and increases an overlapping area of the floating gate and the control gates. Thus, there is an effect in that the coupling ratio can be increased.
US07696553B2
A semiconductor storage device is manufactured by the following steps. A cylindrical hole is formed in an interlayer insulating film. Then, a multilayer conductive layer including a first sublayer and a second sublayer is formed over the entire surface of the insulating interlayer including the internal surface of the hole. The second sublayer has a higher nitrogen content than the first sublayer. A cup-like lower electrode is formed by reactive ion etching of the conductive layer under conditions that the second sublayer is etched faster than the first sublayer, so that the conductive layer remains only on the internal surface of the hole, and so that the upper edge of the remaining conductive layer forms an angle of 45° or less with the internal wall of the hole. Then, a capacitor insulating layer and an upper electrode are formed in that order on the lower electrode.
US07696547B2
A solid-state image sensor having a well of a first conductivity type; a photoelectric conversion region having a second conductivity type formed in the well storing charges obtained from a photoelectric conversion; a drain region having the second conductivity type formed in the well apart from a surface of the well; and a gate electrode formed on the surface of the well via a gate insulator, the gate electrode transferring the charges from the photoelectric conversion region to the drain region. Alternatively, a transistor includes a first semiconductor region having a first conductivity type; second and third semiconductor regions having a second conductivity type formed in the first semiconductor region, the second and third semiconductor regions being separated from each other by a portion of the first semiconductor region serving as a channel region; an insulator layer provided on a surface of the first semiconductor region in contact with the channel region; a gate electrode provided on the insulator layer; and the first semiconductor region includes a shield semiconductor region of the first conductivity type disposed between the surface of the first semiconductor region and at least one of the second and third semiconductor regions such that the at least one of the second and third semiconductor regions is sandwiched between the shield region and the first semiconductor region.
US07696533B2
The invention relates to a structure usable in electronic, optical or optoelectronic engineering which comprises a substantially crystalline layer made of an alloy consisting of at least one element of the column II of the periodic elements system and/or at least one element of the column IV of the periodic elements system and of N2 (said alloy being noted N-IV-N2), wherein said structure also comprises an InN layer. A method for producing an indium nitride layer, a substrate forming plate and the use thereof for indium nitride growth are also disclosed.
US07696532B2
A power semiconductor module (1) with a housing (2) and at least one semiconductor chip (3, 3′) located in it is devised. At least one semiconductor chip (3, 3′) has a first main electrode side (31) and a second main electrode side (32) opposite the first main electrode side, the first main electrode side (31) making thermal and electrical contact with the first base plate (4, 4′). The first cooling device (6) makes thermal and electrical contact with the side of the first base plate (41) facing away from the first main electrode side. The second main electrode side (32) makes thermal and electrical contact with a second base plate (5, 5′). A second cooling device (7) makes thermal contact with the side of the second base plate (51) facing away from the second main electrode side. The heat sink (65) of the first cooling device is supported against the housing (2).
US07696531B2
A semiconductor device includes: an channel layer formed on a semiconductor substrate; a drain electrode and a source electrode both formed on the channel layer apart from each other; a surface passivation film formed on the channel layer so as to cover the channel layer except for the drain electrode and the source electrode; a gate electrode disposed between the drain electrode and the source electrode so as to penetrate the surface passivation film; a field plate electrode provided on the surface passivation film between the drain electrode and the gate electrode at a predetermined distance from the gate electrode; and a connecting plate having a bridge structure connecting the gate electrode to the field plate electrode. The bridge structure may be formed with at least one opening penetrating the connecting plate so as to face the surface passivation film with a predetermined space.
US07696526B2
The invention relates to a surface mount optoelectronic component. A thick, electrically conductive material is used to serve as a base material for the assembly. An opaque plastic material is used to provide housing for the whole component. A cavity formed on a top surface of the optoelectronic component is designed within the plastic material. An optoelectronic chip is mounted within this cavity. This cavity is filled with a hard transparent or translucent resin material so that optical radiation may be transmitted or received via this window. Electrical connection(s) between the chip and the base material is/are provided by a metallic wire (4). Subsequent connections to external sub-systems, such as PCBs, are provided by the base material itself. No extra mechanical forming processes are necessary to create the connections. The base material extends all the way from a middle portion to a bottom surface of the optoelectronic component, and to one of the side surfaces, ultimately extending and protruding outside the package. The bottom surface is used for connection when a top illuminator is required. Alternatively, one of the side surfaces could be used for connection when the optoelectronic component is used as a side illuminator.
US07696524B2
There has been a problem that difference in refractive index between an opposite substrate or a moisture barrier layer (passivation film) such as SiN provided thereover, and air is maintained large, and light extraction efficiency is low. Further, there has been a problem that peeling or cracking due to the moisture barrier layer is easily generated, which leads to deteriorate the reliability and lifetime of a light-emitting element. According to the present invention, a light-emitting element comprises a pixel electrode, an electroluminescent layer, a transparent electrode, a passivation film, a stress relieving layer, and a low refractive index layer, all of which are stacked sequentially. The stress relieving layer serves to prevent peeling of the passivation film. The low refractive index layer serves to reduce reflectivity of light generated in the electroluminescent layer in emitting to air. Therefore, a light-emitting element with high reliability and long lifetime and a display device using the light-emitting element can be provided.
US07696522B2
A light emitting device including a light source and a light transforming 101 member containing a fluorescent substance for absorbing at least a part of a light emitted from the light source and for emitting a light having a different wavelength. The light source includes a plurality of semiconductor light emitting units 104, at least a part of which are covered with the light transforming member 101. A shielding member 102 between a first semiconductor light emitting unit 104a covered with the light transforming member 101 and a second semiconductor light emitting unit 104b which is adjacent to the semiconductor light emitting unit 104a.
US07696519B2
The invention achieves stable performance, such as low parasitic capacitance generated at conductive components. Components having a low dielectric constant of 4 or less are disposed on a base member. Functional films partitioned by the low-dielectric-constant components are also provided.
US07696518B2
A flat panel display capable of preventing inline short between adjacent wirings and voltage drop through power supply line by using pixel electrode layer as a power supply layer, and a fabrication method thereof. A flat panel display of the present invention is made up of a thin film transistor including source/drain electrodes, formed on an insulation substrate, an insulation film formed on the insulation substrate including the thin film transistor and including first and second contact holes for exposing the source/drain electrodes respectively, a pixel electrode formed on the insulation film and connected to one of the source/drain electrodes through one of the first and second contact holes, and a power supply layer formed on the insulation film and connected to the other one of the source/drain electrodes through the other one of the first and second contact holes. Losses in the power supply line is reduced by forming the power supply line of a low resistivity material and by providing the power supply line in a grid structure.
US07696514B2
There is disclosed a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device in which a heat treatment time required for crystal growth is shortened and a process is simplified. Two catalytic element introduction regions are arranged at both sides of one active layer and crystallization is made. A boundary portion where crystal growth from one catalytic element introduction region meets crystal growth from the other catalytic element introduction region is formed in a region which becomes a source region or drain region.
US07696510B2
An integrated circuit includes a first electrode, a second, a first resistivity changing material contacting the first electrode at a first interface, and a second resistivity changing material contacting the second electrode at a second interface. A direct communication path between the first interface and the second interface is greater than the lateral distance.
US07696508B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a lower interlayer insulating layer disposed on the substrate. An opening passing through the lower interlayer insulating layer and exposing the substrate is included. A buried insulating pattern is disposed in the opening. First and second conductive layer patterns are sequentially stacked to surround the sidewall and bottom of the buried insulating pattern. A phase change material pattern is included, which is disposed on the lower interlayer insulating layer in contact with a top surface of the second conductive layer pattern, and spaced apart from the first conductive layer pattern. An upper interlayer insulating layer covering the lower interlayer insulating layer and the phase change material pattern is included. A conductive plug is included, which passes through the upper interlayer insulating layer and is electrically connected to the phase change material pattern. A method of fabricating the semiconductor device is also provided.
US07696499B2
A radiation treatment system (100) for accurately delivering radiation to a targeted site within a cancer patient (108) that includes a modular patient support system and a patient positioner (114). The modular patient support system includes a modularly expandable patient pod (200) and at least one immobilization device, such as, for example, a rigid moldable foam cradle (350). The patient pod (200) includes a generally hemi-cylindrical support shell (212) that extends longitudinally between proximal edge (214) and distal edge (216), and transversely between two lateral edges (222, 224). In one embodiment, the lateral edges (222, 224) are tapered to minimize edge effects that result when radiation beams traverse the lateral edges (222, 224).
US07696493B2
The invention relates to a radiation system for generating electromagnetic radiation. The radiation system includes a pair of electrodes constructed and arranged to generate plasma of a first substance and a pinch in the plasma. The radiation system also includes a plasma recombination surface that is arranged proximate to the pinch, and is configured to neutralize a plurality of plasma particles.
US07696488B2
An irradiating device and a method for controlling it are provided. The device comprises an electron accelerator and a scanning box connected to the electron accelerator, wherein the scanning box is provided with a target, an electron beam exit window positioned at left or right side of the target and a scanning magnet. The device integrates the functions of both the existing irradiating device outputting electron beams and those outputting X-rays. When the scanning magnet is in operation, the irradiating device outputs electron beams; and when the scanning magnet is not in operation, the irradiating device outputs X-rays. Therefore, the device is capable of outputting two radiation sources so as to meet requirements for radiation-processing articles with different sizes.
US07696483B2
A photon-counting detector includes a direct conversion material and a data acquisition system with a first comparator having a first signal level threshold indicative of a noise level of a spectrum of photons, the first comparator configured to output a count when the electrical signal level exceeds the first signal level threshold, and a second comparator having a second signal level threshold indicative of the maximum energy of the spectrum of photons, the second comparator configured to output a count when the electrical signal exceeds the second signal level threshold where a photon count is determined based on the counts from the first and second comparators.
US07696479B2
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for modifying the frequency characteristics of a spatially-dispersed mid-IR spectra for spectroscopy. In a preferred embodiment, sum frequency generation between a frequency-dispersed IR beam and an ultrafast optical pulse generates a spatially-extended optical signal that is collected with a CCD detector.
US07696471B2
Disclosed is an impact detection system including: an optical fiber including a plurality of sensor sections to reflect light, a wavelength band of the reflected light vibrates depending on an elastic wave propagating through a subject to be inspected; a light source to input light into the optical fiber; optical filters each connected to an output terminal of the optical fiber; and an arithmetic processing unit to detect the impact from output values of sensor sections, wherein the wavelength bands of the sensor sections in the optical fiber are distributed such that the vibration bands caused by the impact to be detected do not overlap with each other, and a pass band of the optical filter corresponding to one of the sensor sections is distributed in the vibration band caused by the detection object, and is distributed in both sides of a center of the wavelength band of the one sensor section.
US07696465B2
An exemplary image sensor package includes a substrate, an imaging area, a circuit layer and two passive components. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface, which are opposite to each other. An image sensing area is formed on the first surface of the substrate and a circuit layer is formed on the second surface of the substrate. The passive components opposite to the image sensing area are soldered to the circuit layer of the second surface.
US07696458B2
A system and method for inductively heating a work piece. The induction heating system is coupleable to at least one temperature feedback device. The temperature feedback device is disposed within the induction heating system to provide a signal representative of the temperature of an induction heating system component. The induction heating system is operable to control the output of the induction heating system based on the temperature of the induction heating system component to protect the component from heat damage.
US07696455B2
A ceramic heater is provided that includes a power terminal for connecting a resistive heating element to a power source. An intermediate layer is disposed on an AlN ceramic substrate proximate the resistive heating element. The power terminal is bonded to the intermediate layer by an active brazing material. The intermediate layer is formed of Mo/AlN or W/AlN and has a coefficient of thermal expansion between that of the active brazing material and that of the AlN ceramic substrate so that thermal stress generated in the ceramic substrate can be reduced.
US07696451B2
A method for laser cutting at least a first aperture in a first metal plate in the presence of a second metal plate placed parallel to and a short distance from the first plate and having a second aperture, the outline of which is in line with the outline of the aperture to be cut, wherein a plate forming a protective device, of defined thickness and having a third aperture whose outline is inwardly offset with respect to the outline of the second aperture, is placed between the first and second plates.
US07696446B2
The invention discloses a key structure comprising a keycap, a base plate, and a support member. The keycap comprises a slide part; the base plate comprises an engagement part; the support member comprises a slide end and an engagement end, and the support member is used for engaging the keycap and the base plate. The slide end slides along the slide part, and the engagement end is engaged to the engagement part. Therein, the slide end comprises a connection part, and the connection part comprises at least one concave part or at least one hole.
US07696445B2
Oil level detecting switch, which detects an amount of lubricant oil stored in an oil pan, includes: a switch case having through-holes to permit entry and discharge of oil into and out of the switch case; a float of a spherical shape having smaller specific gravity than the oil and conductive outer surface and provided within the switch case for vertical movement in response to increase/decrease of the oil; and a plurality of fixed contacts provided on the bottom surface of the switch case such that the fixed contacts are placed in a conducting state by the float contacting the fixed contacts.
US07696444B2
Disclosed is a device for varying capacitance which pertains to the field of application of electronic devices and components. The technical essentials of the present invention lie in that: two dielectrics are disposed in parallel with an isolation layer interposed therebetween; the two dielectrics each are connected to an electrode at the same one end face thereof; the other end face of each of the two dielectrics is provided with an elastic conductive pad; a gasket is provided between the two dielectrics and the elastic conductive pads. The relative position and compressed area between the elastic conductive pads and the dielectrics vary according to the magnitude of the external force so that the capacitance between the electrodes of the dielectrics is varied accordingly within a certain range. Therefore, once the value and the variation of the capacitance between the electrodes are measured, the magnitude and the status of the external force which brings about the variation of the capacitance can be obtained. The device of the present invention has a simple structure and high sensitivity. Also, it has a definite zero initial value and a maximum value of the capacitance, and therefore is easy for handing and measurement.
US07696443B2
An electronic device comprises a substrate and at least a warped spring connector. The substrate has a signal bonding pad and a ground plane. The warped spring connector is disposed on the substrate and is connected to the bonding pad. The warped spring connector includes at least a ground lead electrically connected to the ground plane, a dielectric layer on the ground lead, and a transmitting lead on the dielectric layer. The transmitting lead is bonded to the bonding pad. The ground lead is isolated from and close to the transmitting lead to solve cross-talk and noise problem. Furthermore, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the transmitting lead is different from that of the dielectric layer or the ground lead such that the warped spring connector has a suspending end suspending away from the substrate.
US07696437B2
A telecommunications cable having a cable core in which each conductor is surrounded by an individual dual layer insulation of an inner layer of flame retardant polyolefin and an outer layer of another material, for example, fluorinated ethylene propylene, MFA, PVDF, ECTFE, PTFE, or foamed PFA.
US07696433B2
A cable outlet element (101) for leading out a cable (106) that can be muted through a raceway arrangement (105) comprises a cable lead-in section (101), a raceway arrangement connection (102), a cable lead-out section (103) and a cable outlet connection (104). The raceway arrangement connection (102) can be connected to a raceway arrangement (105) such that a cable (106) that can be routed through the raceway arrangement (105) can be fed into the cable lead-in section (101). To jointly form a cable outlet aperture the cable outlet connection (104) can be connected to a cable outlet connection (111) of another cable outlet element (107) such that at the connected cable outlet connections (104,111) a cable (106) fed into the cable lead-in section (101) can be led out through the jointly formed cable outlet aperture.
US07696432B2
In a mounting structure of an electrical junction box, the electrical junction box is vertically mounted on a wall surface along a vertical direction in a state where mating faces of an under case member and an upper case member are set in the vertical direction. Each of the under case member and the upper case member has a pair of left and right locking projections provided therein. A bracket including a backside plate part and a pair of case hook parts provided upright from both sides of the backside plate part is disposed along the vertical direction on the wall surface. The electrical junction box is slidingly inserted from above along the backside plate part in the vertical direction until both pairs of locking projections of the under case member and the upper case member are locked to the pair of case hook parts. Thus, the electrical junction box is mounted on the wall surface by use of the bracket.
US07696431B2
A spade or stake for hardware free mounting to a telecommunications data distribution terminal pedestal is disclosed. The spade may include one or more connectors of various types for engaging the pedestal to thereby couple the spade to the pedestal without hardware, and thus without tools. The pedestal may also include one or more connectors for mating with corresponding connectors on the stake.
US07696429B2
The invention relates to a solar cell which comprises photoactive semiconductor layers extending between the front and the back contact, and an integrated protective diode (bypass diode), said protective diode having a polarity opposite to that of the solar cell and is provided at its front with a p-conducting semiconductor layer, and the protective diode is connected to the front contact. The aim of the invention is to provide a highly stable protective diode and to prevent a migration of metal atoms. For this purpose, a tunnel diode (38) extends on the p-conducting semiconductor layer (36) of the protective diode (32), said tunnel diode being connected to the front contact (14) via an n+ layer.
US07696424B2
A keyboard apparatus of an electronic musical instrument has a plurality of pivoting members (white key main body 1, black key main body 2, and massive body 28) which pivot in response to depression or release of keys, a frame 3 which supports the pivoting members, and action restricting members (lower limit stopper 5 and upper limit stopper 6) which cause collision thereof with the pivoting members to restrict a range in which the pivoting members are allowed to pivot. The action restricting member contains a plurality of grains 11 in an enclosure member 12, and is arranged, in a state where inflow and outflow of air are allowed between the closed area and outside air, at the frame's side.
US07696415B1
The present invention is in the field of soybean cultivar S07-04KL904015 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean cultivar S07-04KL904015 and its progeny, and methods of making S07-04KL904015.
US07696411B2
The present invention provides transgenic plants which after harvest degrade the lignin and cellulose therein to fermentable sugars which can further be fermented to ethanol or other products. In particular, the transgenic plants comprise ligninase and cellulase genes from microbes operably linked to a DNA encoding a signal peptide which targets the fusion polypeptide produced therefrom to an organelle of the plant, in particular the chloroplasts. When the transgenic plants are harvested, the plants are ground to release the ligninase and cellulase which then degrade the lignin and cellulose of the transgenic plants to produce the fermentable sugars.
US07696409B2
Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides encoded thereby are described, together with the use of those products for making transgenic plants with increased nitrogen use efficiency. The present invention further relates to nucleotide sequences and the use of those nucleotide sequences in the genetic-engineering of plants to display enhanced nitrogen assimilatory and utilization capacities, grow larger, more efficiently or rapidly, and/or have enriched nitrogen contents in vegetative and/or reproductive plant parts and/or increased biomass. More particularly, this invention relates to producing transgenic plants engineered to have altered expression of key components in the nitrogen assimilation and utilization pathways. The engineered plants may be productively cultivated under conditions of low nitrogen fertilizer input or in nitrogen poor soils. Alternatively, the engineered plants may be used to achieve faster growing or maturing crops, higher crop yields and/or more nutritious products under ideal cultivation conditions.
US07696404B2
An improved method of nuclear transfer involving the transplantation of differentiated donor cell nuclei into enucleated oocytes of a species different from the donor cell is provided. The resultant nuclear transfer units are useful for the production of isogenic embryonic stem cells, in particular human isogenic embryonic or stem cells. These embryonic or stem-like cells are useful for producing desired differentiated cells and for introduction, removal or modification, of desired genes, e.g., at specific sites of the genome of such cells by homologous recombination. These cells, which may contain a heterologous gene, are especially useful in cell transplantation therapies and for in vitro study of cell differentiation. Also, methods for improving nuclear transfer efficiency by genetically altering donor cells to inhibit apoptosis, select for a specific cell cycle and/or enhance embryonic growth and development are provided.
US07696379B2
The invention provides compounds of formula (I) wherein R1 represents hydrogen or alkyl; R2 represents an unsubstituted or substituted heterocycle or R2 represents an unsubstituted or substituted aryl; R3 represents alkyl or halogen; X represents a single bond or an alkandiyl-group, optionally interrupted by one or more oxygen atoms or carbonyl groups or carbonyloxy groups in free base or acid addition salt form, processes for their preparation and their use as pharmaceuticals.
US07696378B2
The present invention relates to a process for decomposing a polymer into a monomer or oligomer by hydrolysis with sub- or supercritical water. The process of the present invention is characterized in that at least a part of the polymer is a polymer comprising a constitutional unit derived from an organic acid in the molecular structure, and the polymer being contacted with sub- or supercritical water in the presence of a water-insoluble base.
US07696377B2
It is the objective to provide a method of stabilizing hydroxylamine at a high temperature and a high concentration or in a case that metal impurities such as Fe got mixed therewith, and a stabilized hydroxylamine solution. A method for stabilizing hydroxylamine related to the present invention is characterized by adding ethylenediamine-N,N′-di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) as a preservation stabilizer.
US07696361B2
Biomimetic reagents capable of selectively forming non-covalent complexes and initiating intermolecular reactions with peptides in the gas phase are described. The reagents are particularly useful in gas phase peptides chemistry.
US07696350B2
This invention relates to chromen-2-one derivatives useful as monoamine neurotransmitter re-uptake inhibitors.In other aspects the invention relates to the use of these compounds in a method for therapy and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of the invention.
US07696347B2
The present invention provides compounds which are useful as safe substitutes for the organotin reagent used in coupling reaction for the oxymethylation of aromatic rings, such as alkoxymethylation or hydroxymethylation, with a palladium catalyst and which can dispense with chromatographic purification with silica gel in the production and are suitable for mass production; and compounds applicable even to the oxymethylation of aromatic ring substrates which do not permit coupling reaction by conventional technique or have low reactivity.
US07696346B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing compounds of general formula I wherein R1 and R2 are defined as in claim 1, the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and the solvates thereof, which may be prepared starting from compounds of general formula II wherein R1 is defined as in claim 1.
US07696345B2
Compositions comprising first and second oligomers are provided wherein at least a portion of the first oligomer is capable of hybridizing with at least a portion of the second oligomer, at least a portion of the first oligomer is complementary to and capable of hybridizing to a selected target nucleic acid, and at least one of the first or second oligomers includes a modification comprising a polycyclic sugar surrogate. Oligomer/protein compositions are also provided comprising an oligomer complementary to and capable of hybridizing to a selected target nucleic acid and at least one protein comprising at least a portion of an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), wherein at least one nucleoside of the oligomer has a polycyclic sugar surrogate modification.
US07696318B2
The present invention relates to methods and means for making Vitamin K-dependent protein compositions which are devoid or substantially devoid of protein contaminants. In particular, methods and means useful for the reduction or elimination of protein contaminants also being Vitamin K-dependent proteins are described.
US07696317B2
Nucleic acids encoding mammalian, e.g., primate or rodent, genes, purified proteins and fragments thereof. Antibodies, both polyclonal and monoclonal, are also provided. Methods of using the compositions for both diagnostic and therapeutic utilities are provided.
US07696316B2
The invention provides isolated nucleic acids molecules, designated 21910, 56634, 55053, 2504, 15977, 14760, 25501, 17903, 3700, 21529, 26176, 26343, 56638, 18610, 33217, 21967, h1983, m1983, 38555 and 593 nucleic acid molecules. The invention also provides antisense nucleic acid molecules, recombinant expression vectors containing 21910, 56634, 55053, 2504, 15977, 14760, 25501, 17903, 3700, 21529, 26176, 26343, 56638, 18610, 33217, 21967, h1983, m1983, 38555 and 593 nucleic acid molecules, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced, and nonhuman transgenic animals in which a 21910, 56634, 55053, 2504, 15977, 14760, 25501, 17903, 3700, 21529, 26176, 26343, 56638, 18610, 33217, 21967, h1983, m1983, 38555 or 593 gene has been introduced or disrupted. The invention still further provides isolated 21910, 56634, 55053, 2504, 15977, 14760, 25501, 17903, 3700, 21529, 26176, 26343, 56638, 18610, 33217, 21967, h1983, m1983, 38555 or 593 proteins, fusion proteins, antigenic peptides and anti-21910, 56634, 55053, 2504, 15977, 14760, 25501, 17903, 3700, 21529, 26176, 26343, 56638, 18610, 33217, 21967, h1983, m1983, 38555 or 593 antibodies. Diagnostic and therapeutic methods utilizing compositions of the invention are also provided.
US07696312B2
Disclosed herein are non-natural amino acids and polypeptides that include at least one non-natural amino acid, and methods for making such non-natural amino acids and polypeptides. The non-natural amino acids, by themselves or as a part of a polypeptide, can include a wide range of possible functionalities, but typical have at least one oxime, carbonyl, dicarbonyl, and/or hydroxylamine group. Also disclosed herein are non-natural amino acid polypeptides that are further modified post-translationally, methods for effecting such modifications, and methods for purifying such polypeptides. Typically, the modified non-natural amino acid polypeptides include at least one oxime, carbonyl, dicarbonyl, and/or hydroxylamine group. Further disclosed are methods for using such non-natural amino acid polypeptides and modified non-natural amino acid polypeptides, including therapeutic, diagnostic, and other biotechnology uses.
US07696311B2
The invention provides methods of obtaining a peptide that include steps of synthesizing a peptide intermediate having one or more side chain protecting groups; providing a solvent to the peptide intermediate to form a peptide intermediate composition; and providing a precipitating agent in an amount sufficient to precipitate the peptide intermediate from the peptide intermediate composition, wherein the precipitating agent is an alcohol having three or more carbon atoms. Also provided are methods for precipitating peptides, methods for concentration peptides, and methods for filtering peptides.
US07696307B2
The present invention relates to ADAMTS-1 and uses thereof. The present invention also relates to fragments of ADAMTS-1 and methods of inhibiting cell growth and metastasis. The present invention also provide methods of identifying inhibitors and activators relating to the function of ADAMTS-1.
US07696304B2
The invention relates to a copolymer containing: i) 80-90% by weight of one or more structural units of the formula A, where R1 is hydrogen or methyl, R2 is C2-C10-alkylene, and Me+ is an ammonium or an alkali metal ion; ii) from 1 to 10% by weight of one or more structural units of the formula B where R3 and R4 are each independently hydrogen, methyl or ethyl; iii) from 1 to 10% by weight of one or more structural units of the formula C, where n is a number from 1 to 6; iv) from 0.1 to 5% by weight of structural units of the formula D where X is hydrogen, an ammonium ion or an alkali metal ion; and optionally, v) from 0 to 10% by weight of one or more structural units of the formula E, where R5 is hydrogen, methyl and/or ethyl, with the proviso that the content in the copolymers of structural units B) and C) is from 6 to 15% by weight.
US07696298B2
Polymers and copolymers of formula I: in which m is typically 30 to 500 and n is 0 to 500; Ar is for example, 1,2-phenylene, 1,3-phenylene, 1,4-phenylene, or 2,6-pyridylene; Ar2 and Ar3 are selected from various bivalent aryl and heteroaryl groups; and X is for example, the bivalent SO2 or CO. have high temperature properties which make them useful as films, matrices in carbon fiber reinforced composites and high performance adhesives; processes for preparing the polymers and copolymers employ a novel C—N coupling reaction.
US07696277B2
The present invention provides a highly-filled thermoplastic composition comprising a linear low density polyethylene and an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer. The thermoplastic composition exhibits high tensile strength, high flex modulus, high temperature resistance and high tear strength.
US07696271B2
A high barrier composition to a gas or organic liquid usable as a coating or layer on an article. The composition includes a blend of polyetheramine resin and at least one additive being a highly hydrolyzed organic compound, preferably of a low molecular weight, either with our without boric acid. Articles employing the gas barrier composition also constitute a part of this invention.
US07696270B2
The present invention is method of manufacturing a wax dispersion. The method includes forming a solution of a solvent and a dispersant, the dispersant being a polymer of partially or fully hydrogenated styrene butadiene wherein the styrene to butadiene ratio is from 20 to 90. Wax is added to the solution to form a slurry. The particle size of the wax is reduced through communition of the slurry. The wax dispersion can be sued for the manufacture of toner particles.
US07696267B2
An asphalt composition comprising from 0.5 to 50 parts by weight of a hydrogenated conjugated diene copolymer (a) and 100 parts by weight of asphalt (b), wherein the hydrogenated conjugated diene copolymer (a) comprises a polymer block (A) comprising vinyl aromatic monomer units and at least one hydrogenated copolymer block (B) obtained by hydrogenation of a non-hydrogenated random copolymer block comprising conjugated diene monomer units and vinyl aromatic monomer units, the hydrogenated conjugated diene copolymer (a) having the following characteristics (1) to (5): (1) the content of the vinyl aromatic monomer units is more than 30% and not more than 60% by weight per weight of the hydrogenated conjugated diene copolymer; (2) the content of the polymer block (A) is from 5% to 50% by weight per weight of the hydrogenated copolymer; (3) the weight average molecular weight is from 30,000 to 500,000; (4) the percentage of hydrogenation of the double bonds in the conjugated diene monomer units is from 60% to 100%; and (5) at least one peak of the loss tangent (tan δ) is present in the range of from −40° C. to less than −10° C. in a dynamic viscoelastic spectrum obtained with respect to the hydrogenated copolymer.
US07696254B2
A process of producing a highly stable liquid crystal emulsion composition with improved qualities, in which a conventional complicated and costly process that requires specific equipment is streamlined into a simple and less costly process. A method of producing a liquid crystal emulsion composition having liquid crystal structure, comprising the steps of admixing 3 to 8 parts by weight of a hydrophilic surfactant which is a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene alkyl ether having an HLB of 10 to 20 with 2 to 6 parts by weight of a lipophilic surfactant; admixing 5 to 10 parts by weight of the resulting admixture with 5 to 30 parts by weight of an oil component; admixing the obtained admixture with a mixture of 40 to 80 parts by weight of a water-soluble polyvalent alcohol and 8 to 40 parts by weight of water; and heating, homogeneously mixing and then cooling the thus obtained admixture.
US07696251B2
A neuronal cell death induced by an oxidative glutamate toxicity is substantially inhibited by administrating to an mammal an effective amount of a phenylenediamine derivative compound of formula (I), wherein R is phenyl or butyl.
US07696250B2
The present invention is directed to compounds that are inhibitors of cysteine proteases, in particular, cathepsins B, K, L, F, and S and are therefore useful in treating diseases mediated by these proteases. The present invention is directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and processes for preparing them.
US07696241B2
The present invention relates to bicyclic compounds according to formula I, pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds and methods of using such compounds in the treatment of androgen receptor-associated conditions, such as age-related diseases, for example sarcopenia, wherein R1, R2, R5, X and n are defined herein.
US07696239B2
The present invention is directed to novel tetracyclic heteroatom containing derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, their use in the treatment of disorders mediated by one or more sex steroid hormone receptors and processes for their preparation.
US07696230B2
Nitro-oxyderivative compounds or salts thereof having the following general formula (I): A-(B)b0-(C)c0—NO2 wherein: c0 is an integer and is 0 or 1, b0 is an integer and is 0 or 1, A=R-T1-, wherein R is the radical of an analgesic drug for the chronic pain, in particular for the neuropathic pain; B is such that its precursor is selected from aminoacids, hydroxyacids, polyalcohols, compounds containing at least one acid function; C is a bivalent radical containing an aliphatic, heterocyclic or aromatic radical.
US07696228B2
The present invention discloses an oral preparation of dyclonine hydrochloride for the endoscopic examination in upper gastrointestinal tract, which has the effects of anesthetization and lubrication, and an oral preparation comprising dyclonine hydrochloride that has the advantages of avoiding foam in the body cavity, preventing vomiting, and offering a clear view. The preparation of the present invention comprises, as main ingredients, 0.2%-3% weight percent of dyclonine hydrochloride, 1%-12% weight percent of polyvinyl alcohol, 1%-10% volume percent of glycerin, 1%-10% volume percent of a defoaming agent, and a balance of a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant. The viscosity of the preparation is in a range of 30 to 300 mpa·s and the pH value is in a range of 2.0 to 8.0.
US07696227B2
The present invention provides a method of inhibiting an androgen receptor by administering a compound of Formula I: or a compound of Formula II: wherein R1, R2, R3 and R8 are each independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl. R4 is absent or is hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or C1-6 alkyl-OH. R5 is hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or —NR6R7. R6 and R7 are each independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl, or are combined with the nitrogen to which they are attached to form a heterocycloalkyl having from 5 to 7 ring members. L is a linker of C1-6 alkylene, C2-6 alkenylene, C2-6 alkynylene or C3-6 cycloalkylene. The compounds of Formula I include the salts, hydrates and prodrugs thereof. Each R9 is H, C1-6 alkyl, —OH or —O—C1-6 alkyl. The compounds of Formulas I and II include the salts, hydrates and prodrugs thereof. By administering the compound of Formula I or II, the method inhibits the androgen receptor.
US07696226B2
A compound of the formula is disclosed as an HIV protease inhibitor. Methods and compositions for inhibiting an HIV infection are also disclosed.
US07696224B2
Compounds of the formula (I), in which R1a—R1e, R2a, R2b, R3 and X have the meanings indicated in claim 1, are inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, in particular TIE-2, and Raf kinases and can be employed, inter alia, for the treatment of tumours.
US07696209B2
The present invention relates to the CGRP-antagonists of general formula I wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and X are defined as in claim 1, the tautomers, the isomers, the diastereomers, the enantiomers, the hydrates, mixtures and salts thereof and the hydrates of the salts, particularly the physiologically acceptable salts thereof with inorganic or organic acids or bases, as well as those compounds of general formula I in which one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium, pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, the use thereof and processes for the preparation thereof.
US07696204B2
Pyrimidines of formula (I): wherein R1 to R4, X and Y are defined in the specification are inhibitors of P13K and may thus be used to treat diseases and disorders arising from abnormal cell growth, function or behavior associated with P13 kinase such as cancer, immune disorders, cardiovascular disease, viral infection, inflammation, metabolism/endocrine function disorders and neurological disorders.
US07696202B2
The invention relates to heterocyclic compounds, compositions including the compounds and methods of using and methods of making thereof. The compounds (and compositions) are useful, inter alia, in modulating IL-12 production and processes mediated by IL-12.
US07696199B2
The invention relates to compounds of formula (I) having pharmacological activity towards the sigma receptor, to processes of preparation of such compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising them, and to their use for the treatment and or prophylaxis of a disease in which the sigma receptor is involved.
US07696194B2
The present invention provides a visual function disorder improving agent containing a compound having Rho kinase inhibitory activity, particularly (R)-(+)-N-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-4-yl)-4-(1-aminoethyl)benzamide, as an effective component. This agent has axon of the retinal ganglion cellal extension promoting action and optic nerve cell regeneration promoting action, and is useful for the treatment of a visual function disorder associated with various eye diseases caused by damage, defects, degeneration and the like in the retinal or optic nerve.
US07696184B2
The present invention relates to amino-propanol derivatives, process for their production, their uses in treating and/or preventing diseases or disorders mediated by lymphocyte interactions, and pharmaceutical compositions containing them. For example, Compounds of formula I wherein A, R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are as defined in the specification are described.
US07696181B2
Disclosed are novel compounds that are partial and full A1 adenosine receptor agonists, useful for treating various disease states, in particular tachycardia and atrial flutter, angina, myocardial infarction and hyperlipidemia. The structure of the compounds is given by Formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, X, Y, Z, and T are as described herein.
US07696178B2
The invention provides a tobramycin formulation for delivery by aerosolization in the form of additive-free, isotonic solution whose pH has been optimised to ensure adequate shelf-life at room temperature. Said formulation can be advantageously used for the treatment and prophylaxis of acute and chronic endobronchial infections, in particular those caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated to lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
US07696176B1
A composition comprising Human Serum Albumin and an Amino Acid Solution, a method of making the same, and a method for use, including treating acute hypovolemia due to any number of medical conditions due to sepsis with shock, hemorrhagic shock, hypovolemic shock, burn injury, capillary leak syndrome, hypoalbuminemia, nephritic syndrome, or multi-organ failure with third space fluid loss from any other medical disease.
US07696161B2
Novel exendin agonist compounds are provided. These compounds are useful in treating diabetes and conditions which would be benefited by lowering plasma glucose or delaying and/or slowing gastric emptying.
US07696153B2
Polypeptide conjugates with G-CSF activity comprising a polypeptide having at least one introduced lysine residue and at least one removed lysine residue compared to the sequence of human G-CSF, and which are conjugated to 2-6 polyethylene glycol moieties. The conjugates have a low in vitro bioactivity, a long in vivo half-life, a reduced receptor-mediated clearance, and provide a more rapid stimulation of production of white blood cells and neutrophils than non-conjugated recombinant human G-CSF.
US07696150B2
The present invention describes the cloning and molecular and cellular characterization of a novel protein with homology to the IL-17 receptor. The gene was cloned by virtue of its proximity to a common site of retroviral integration in a murine acute myeloid leukemia. The gene described herein possibly codes for a novel interleukin receptor that binds an as yet unidentified cytokine ligand, and may be useful in cancer diagnostics and therapies that rely on immune system modulation.
US07696145B2
A cleaning composition with a limited number of natural ingredients contains alkyl polyglucoside, solvent, acetic acid and water. The cleaning composition optionally contains dyes, glycerol, builders, fatty acids, polymers, fragrances, colorants, anti-foaming agents and preservatives. The cleaning composition can be used to clean hard surfaces and cleans as well or better than commercial compositions containing synthetically derived cleaning agents.
US07696137B2
A lubricating oil composition is disclosed which comprises a lubricating base oil, (A) at least one type of compound selected from specific phosphoric acid esters and salts thereof or in combination with (B) at least one type of compound selected from specific metal salts of specific phosphoric acid esters, with excellent oxidation stability, base number retention properties, anti-wear properties, extreme pressure properties and anti-corrosion properties and thus can be suitably used, in particular, as a lubricating oil for an internal combustion engine.
US07696134B2
Fluids viscosified with viscoelastic surfactants (VESs) may have their viscosities reduced (gels broken) by the direct or indirect action of a synergistic internal breaker composition that contains at least one first internal breaker that may be a mineral oil and a second breaker that may be an unsaturated fatty acid. The internal breakers may initially be dispersed oil droplets in an internal, discontinuous phase of the fluid. This combination of different types of internal breakers break the VES-gelled aqueous fluid faster than if one of the breaker types is used alone in an equivalent total amount.
US07696133B2
Disclosed is a composition comprising a chemical formulation useful for creating geosynthetic composites in-situ, which includes a reactive ester having at least one carbon-carbon double bond, preferably a vinyl ester of a C9 to C11 versatic acid or vinyl ester of a long chain fatty acid, or a combination thereof, at least one unsaturated thermoplastic elastomer soluble in the reactive ester; at least one di- or tri-functional acrylate or methacrylate monomer. The formulation may further include a non-aqueous drilling fluid.
US07696132B2
Methods of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content are described. The methods may include accessing a consortium of microorganisms in a geologic formation that includes a carbonaceous material. They may also include providing hydrogen and one or more phosphorous compounds to the microorganisms. The combination of the hydrogen and phosphorous compounds stimulates the consortium to metabolize the carbonaceous material into the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content. Also, methods of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content by providing a carboxylate compound, such as acetate, to a consortium of microorganisms is described. The carboxylate compound stimulates the consortium to metabolize carbonaceous material in the formation into the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content.
US07696129B2
The present invention provides a substituted anilide derivative of formula (I): {wherein Z is a group of formula (II) or (III) (in these formulas, A is C1-C6 alkylene, C2-C6 alkenylene, etc., R1 is H, halogen, —C(R5)═NOR6, (substituted) phenyl, (substituted) heterocyclic ring, -A1-R7, etc.; R2 is H, C1-C4 alkyl, etc.), R3 is H, C1-C4 alkyl, etc.; R4 is H, F, fluoro C1-C6 alkyl; Rf is F, fluoro C1-C6 alkyl; 1 is 0 to 2; Y is halogen, (substituted) phenyl, (substituted) phenoxy, etc.; and m is 0 to 3}, an intermediate thereof, an agrohorticultural agent, and a method for the use thereof. The compound of the present invention exhibits, at a low dosage, high uptake and translocation from the root and an excellent insecticidal effect especially when applied to soil.
US07696127B2
Disclosed is an exhaust gas purifying catalyst, which comprises a CeZr-based composite oxide capable of maintaining a hollow structure to ensure an oxygen absorbing/releasing capability, even after being exposed to high-temperature exhaust gas. The exhaust gas purifying catalyst comprises a honeycomb-shaped substrate, and a catalyst layer formed on a surface of the substrate. The catalyst layer contains a composite oxide which includes cerium (Ce) and zirconium (Zr) and has a hollow structure, and a catalytic metal supported by the composite oxide. The composite oxide having the hollow structure includes, in a state after being subjected to a thermal aging in Air at 1000° C. for 24 hours, a particle with a shape having an outer diameter of 750 to 1000 nm and a shell thickness of 80 to 120 nm.
US07696123B2
A method for preparing a nickel-containing composition, and a composition prepared by such method, are disclosed including the steps of: a) mixing a phosphorous compound with a nickel complex having nickel bonded to a heteroatom to thereby form a nickel-phosphorous-containing mixture; and b) contacting the nickel-phosphorous-containing mixture with a supported partially hydrolyzed alkylaluminum compound, thereby forming such nickel-containing composition. Use of such nickel-containing composition in the dimerization of propene is also disclosed.
US07696122B2
An electrocatalyst ink composition comprising a liquid vehicle, particles comprising at least one electrocatalyst metal, and at least one copolymer dispersant comprising at least one polyalkylene oxide segment.
US07696115B2
Isopipes for use in making sheet glass by a fusion process are provided which exhibit reduced sag. The isopipes are composed of a zircon refractory which has a mean creep rate (MCR) at 1180° C. and 250 psi and a 95 percent confidence band (CB) for said mean creep rate such that the CB to MCR ratio is less than 0.5, the MCR and the CB both being determined using a power law model. The zircon refractory can contain titania (TiO2) at a concentration greater than 0.2 wt % and less than 0.4 wt %. A concentration of titania in this range causes the zircon refractory to exhibit a lower mean creep rate than zircon refractories previously used to make isopipes. In addition, the variation in mean creep rate is also reduced which reduces the chances that the zircon refractory of a particular isopipe will have an abnormally high creep rate and thus exhibit unacceptable sag prematurely.
US07696111B2
The inventive cosmetic pad (2) exhibiting an improved effectiveness thereof for make-up removal contains or consists of discontinuous synthetic micro staple fibers whose length is equal to or greater than 7 mm.
US07696108B2
A method of forming a shadow layer on a wafer bevel region is provided. First, a substrate having the wafer bevel region and a central region is provided. Thereafter, an upper insulator and a lower insulator are provided. The upper insulator is disposed on an upper surface of the substrate and at least covers the central region. The lower insulator is disposed on a lower surface of the substrate and at least covers the central region. A shadow layer is then formed on the upper surface which is not covered by the upper insulator and on the lower surface which is not covered by the lower insulator. Next, the upper insulator and the lower insulator are removed.
US07696099B2
A first film and a second film are formed on a semiconductor substrate in this order. A resist pattern is formed on the second film. An opening is formed by removing the second film exposed between the resist pattern at a state where the second film remains on the bottom. A first removal preventing film is formed on the side wall of the opening and the residual film is removed at a state where the projecting part of the second film protruding from the sidewall to the opening remains. The first film exposed in the opening is removed. A second removal preventing film is formed on the first removal preventing film and the surface of the semiconductor substrate exposed in the opening is removed at a state where the projecting part of the semiconductor substrate protruding from the side wall to the opening remains and a round part is formed at the projecting part of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate exposed in the opening is further removed.
US07696094B2
A method for forming a semiconductor device may include forming a silicon oxynitride mask layer over a first layer. The first layer may be etched using the silicon oxynitride mask layer, to form a pattern in the first layer. The pattern may be filled with a dielectric material. The dielectric material may be planarized using a ceria-based slurry and using the silicon oxynitride mask layer as a stop layer.
US07696088B2
A method of forming a gate line and gate electrode and a method of manufacturing a TFT array substrate. The metal gate line and gate electrode can be formed by: providing a substrate, forming a photoresist layer on the substrate, a photoresist pattern being formed complementary with that of the gate line and gate electrode, forming a metal Cu thin film or a composite thin film comprising a metal Cu thin film on the substrate, and removing the photoresist pattern and the metal Cu thin film or composite thin film comprising the metal Cu thin film formed thereon from the substrate.
US07696081B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes below steps.A step of preparing a phase shift mask and a normal photomask.A step of stacking a first wiring layer on a semiconductor substrate, and further stacking, on the first wiring layer, a second wiring layer. The a second wiring layer includes a second wiring and a third wiring.A step of stacking an interlayer insulating film on the second wiring layer.A step of forming, in the interlayer insulating film, a first opening in which the second wiring is exposed, and a second opening in which the third wiring is exposed by photolithography using the normal photomask.A step of burying a metal in the first opening and the second opening.A step of providing a pad to be overlaid on the first and second openings.
US07696079B2
A method for fabricating a thin film transistor array substrate is provided. Wherein, a plurality of contact holes and recesses are formed in a protection layer disposed upon thin film transistors. Each recess comprises an under-cut profile while each contact hole exposes a drain-metal layer of a corresponding thin film transistor. Then, a transparent conductor layer is formed on the protection layer, which in turn fills in the contact holes so as to be electrically connected to the drain-metal layer. Besides, the transparent conductor layer automatically segregates at the recesses to form a plurality of pixel electrodes, whereby the plurality of pixel electrodes can be formed without the utilization of photolithography and etching processes and thus fabricating cost is lowered.
US07696071B2
The invention provides a method for producing a group III nitride based semiconductor having a reduced number of crystal defects.A GaN layer 2 is epitaxially grown on a sapphire substrate 1 having C-plane as a main plane (FIG. 1A). Then, the layer is wet-etched by use of a 25% aqueous TMAH solution at 85° C. for one hour, to thereby form an etch pit 4 (FIG. 1B). Then, a GaN layer 5 is grown on the GaN layer 2 through the ELO method (FIG. 1C). The thus-formed GaN layer 5 has a screw dislocation density lower than that of the GaN layer 2.
US07696069B2
Disclosed herein is a method of dividing a wafer having a plurality of streets which are formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface and having devices which are formed in a plurality of areas sectioned by the plurality of streets into individual devices along the streets. The method includes applying a laser beam of a wavelength having permeability for the wafer along the streets to form a deteriorated layer along the streets in the inside of the wafer; forming a groove in areas corresponding to the streets from the rear side of the wafer; and exerting external force to the wafer where the deteriorated layer and the groove have been formed along the streets to divide the wafer into individual devices along the streets.
US07696066B2
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC) chip is provided. The method includes the following steps. First, a substrate is provided. The substrate is divided into an internal region and an external region by a die seal ring region. A number of circuit units are then formed in the internal region on the substrate. Thereafter, a dielectric layer is formed over the substrate, interconnects are formed in the dielectric layer within the internal region, and a number of bonding pad structures are formed in the dielectric layer within the external region. Finally, a cutting process is performed along a number of scribed lines on the substrate to form a number of chips. The bonding pad structures are exposed at the sides of each chip.
US07696063B2
A semiconductor device which has higher integration and is further reduced in thickness and size. A semiconductor device with high performance and low power consumption. A semiconductor element layer separated from a substrate by using a separation layer is stacked over a semiconductor element layer formed by using another substrate and covered with a flattened inorganic insulating layer. After separation of the semiconductor element layer in a top layer from the substrate, the separation layer is removed so that an inorganic insulating film formed under the semiconductor element layer is exposed. The flattened inorganic insulating layer and the inorganic insulating film are made to be in close contact and bonded to each other. In addition, a semiconductor layer included in the semiconductor element layer is a single crystal semiconductor layer which is separated from a semiconductor substrate and transferred to a formation substrate.
US07696042B2
A semiconductor capacitor structure comprising sidewalls of conductive hemispherical grained material, a base of metal silicide material, and a metal nitride material overlying the conductive hemispherical grained material and the metal silicide material. The semiconductor capacitor structure is fabricated by forming a base of metal silicide material along the sidewalls of an insulative material having an opening therein, forming sidewalls of conductive hemispherical grained material on the metal silicide material, and forming a metal nitride material overlying the conductive hemispherical grained material and the metal silicide material.
US07696036B2
An NFET containing a first high-k dielectric portion and a PFET containing a second high-k gate dielectric portion are formed on a semiconductor substrate. A gate sidewall nitride is formed on the gate of the NFET, while the sidewalls of the PFET remain free of the gate sidewall nitride. An oxide spacer is formed directly on the sidewalls of a PFET gate stack and on the gate sidewall nitride on the NFET. After high temperature processing, the first and second dielectric portions contain a non-stoichiometric oxygen deficient high-k dielectric material. The semiconductor structure is subjected to an anneal in an oxygen environment, during which oxygen diffuses through the oxide spacer into the second high-k dielectric portion. The PFET comprises a more stoichiometric high-k dielectric material and the NFET comprises a less stoichiometric high-k dielectric material. Threshold voltages of the PFET and the NFET are optimized by the present invention.
US07696035B2
A method for fabricating a non-volatile memory having boost structures. Boost structures are provided for individual NAND strings and can be individually controlled to assist in programming, verifying and reading processes. The boost structures can be commonly boosted and individually discharged, in part, based on a target programming state or verify level. The boost structures assists in programming so that the programming and pass voltage on a word line can be reduced, thereby reducing side effects such as program disturb. During verifying, all storage elements on a word line can be verified concurrently. The boost structure can also assist during reading. In one approach, the NAND string has dual source-side select gates between which the boost structure contacts the substrate at a source/drain region, and a boost voltage is provided to the boost structure via a source-side of the NAND string.
US07696030B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device fabricated by the same method are disclosed. The method includes: depositing a silicon layer containing amorphous silicon on a substrate using any one of a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method and a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) method; annealing the silicon layer in an H2O atmosphere at a certain temperature to form a polycrystalline silicon layer; forming a gate insulating layer on the polycrystalline silicon layer; forming impurity regions in the polycrystalline silicon layer to define source and drain regions; and activating the impurity regions. Thus, it is possible to provide a semiconductor device, in which the substrate is prevented from being bent and polycrystalline silicon constituting a semiconductor layer is excellent.
US07696022B2
An electric device having a plurality of nanowires, in which at least one of the nanowires is cut or changed in its electric characteristics so as to have a desired characteristic value of the electric device.
US07696021B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including calibrating an ion implant process. The calibration includes forming a dielectric layer over a calibration substrate. A dopant is implanted into the dielectric layer. Charge is deposited on a surface of the dielectric layer, and voltage on the surface is measured. An electrical characteristic of the dielectric layer is determined, and a doping level of the dielectric layer is determined from the electrical characteristic. The electrical characteristic is associated with an operating set-point of the ion implant process. The calibrated ion implant process is used to implant the dopant into a semiconductor substrate.
US07696017B1
The invention facilitates manufacture of semiconductor memory components by reducing the number of layers required to implement a semiconductor memory device. The invention provides for a selection element to be formed in the same layer as one of the control lines (e.g. one of the wordline and bitline). In one embodiment of the invention, a diode is implemented as the selection element within the same layer as one of the control lines. Production of the selection element within the same layer as one of the wordline and bitline reduces problems associated with vertical stacking, increases device yield and reduces related production costs. The invention also provides an efficient method of producing memory devices with the selection element in the same layer as one of the control lines.
US07696011B2
Methods for applying a dielectric protective layer to a wafer in wafer-level chip-scale package manufacture are disclosed. A flowable dielectric protective material with fluxing capability is applied over the active surface of an unbumped semiconductor wafer to cover active device areas, bond pads, test socket contact locations, and optional pre-scribed wafer street trenches. Preformed solder balls are then disposed over the bond pads, and the wafer is subjected to a heating process to reflow the solder balls and at least partially cure the dielectric protective material. During the heating process, the dielectric protective material provides a fluxing capability to enable the solder balls to wet the bond pads. In other exemplary embodiments, the dielectric protective material is applied over only intended physical contact locations and/or pre-scribed wafer street trenches, in which case the dielectric protective material need not include flux material and may additionally include a filler material.
US07696010B2
A method of dividing a wafer having devices which are formed in a plurality of areas sectioned by a plurality of dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface, into individual devices along the dividing lines, comprising: a deteriorated layer forming step for forming a deteriorated layer in the inside of the wafer along the dividing lines by applying a laser beam of a wavelength having permeability for the wafer along the dividing lines; a wafer supporting step for putting the rear surface of the wafer on the surface of an adhesive tape which is mounted on an annular frame and whose adhesive strength is reduced by applying ultraviolet radiation thereto; an adhesive strength reducing step for reducing the adhesive strength of the adhesive tape by applying ultraviolet radiation to the adhesive tape to which the wafer has been affixed; and a dividing step for dividing the wafer into individual devices along the dividing lines where the deteriorated layer has been formed by exerting external force to the wafer affixed to the adhesive tape whose adhesive strength has been reduced after the adhesive strength reducing step.
US07696003B2
The present disclosure suggests various microelectronic component assembly designs and methods for manufacturing microelectronic component assemblies. In one particular implementation, a microelectronic component assembly includes a microelectronic component, a substrate, and at least one bond wire. The substrate has a reduced-thickness base adjacent terminals of the microelectronic component and a body having a contact surface spaced farther from the microelectronic component than a bond pad surface of the base. The bond wire couples the microelectronic component to a bond pad carried by the bond pad surface and has a maximum height outwardly from the microelectronic component that is no greater than the height of the contact surface from the microelectronic component.
US07696002B1
Disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a feed thru for use in an electrolytic capacitor case. First, an electrode is inserted into a liquid injection mold. Liquid elastomer is then injected into the mold to surround a portion of the electrode. The elastomer is cured, and the resulting electrode and feed thru combination is inserted into a machined hole in a capacitor case. The machined hole may be located on either the base or the lid of the capacitor case. In other embodiments, a ferrule may also be placed in the liquid injection mold prior to injecting liquid elastomer. When a ferrule is used, the assembly may be welded into a machined hole in a capacitor case.
US07696000B2
Formation of carbon-substituted single crystal silicon layer is prone to generation of large number of defects especially at high carbon concentration. The present invention provides structures and methods for providing low defect carbon-substituted single crystal silicon layer even for high concentration of carbon in the silicon. According to the present invention, the active retrograde profile in the carbon implantation reduces the defect density in the carbon-substituted single crystal silicon layer obtained after a solid phase epitaxy. This enables the formation of semiconductor structures with compressive stress and low defect density. When applied to semiconductor transistors, the present invention enables N-type field effect transistors with enhanced electron mobility through the tensile stress that is present into the channel.
US07695997B2
An electrostatic discharge protection element and a protection resistor, which are formed on an N− drain region with a field oxide film interposed therebetween for the purpose of preventing electrical breakdown of a field effect transistor, are composed as a stacked bidirectional Zener diode of one or a plurality of N+ polycrystalline silicon regions of a first layer and a P+ polycrystalline silicon region of a second layer, and a stacked resistor of one or a plurality of N+ resistor layers of the first layer and an N+ resistor layer of the second layer, respectively. One end of the plurality of N+ polycrystalline silicon regions of the first layer is connected to an external gate electrode terminal, and the other end is connected to a source electrode. One end of the plurality of N+ resistor layers of the first layer is connected to a gate electrode, and the other end is connected to the external gate electrode terminal. Semiconductor regions of the first layer and the second layer are formed by using semiconductor films, which form a hetero semiconductor region and the gate electrode, respectively.
US07695984B1
Method and system for detecting endpoint for a plasma etch process are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, the method provides a semiconductor substrate having a film to be processed thereon. The film is processed in a plasma environment during a time period to provide for device structures. Information associated with the plasma process is collected. The information is characterized by a first signal intensity. Information on a change in the first signal intensity is extracted. The change in the first signal intensity has a second signal intensity. The change in signal intensity at the second signal intensity is associated to an endpoint of processing the film in the plasma environment. The second signal intensity may be about 0.25% and less of the first signal intensity.
US07695982B2
A wafer comprising a low-k dielectric layer is refurbished for reuse. Initially, a removable layer is provided on the wafer. The low-k dielectric layer is formed over the removable layer. The overlying low-k dielectric layer is removed from the wafer by etching away the removable layer by at least partially immersing the wafer in an etching solution. Thereafter, another low-k dielectric layer can be formed over another removable layer.
US07695978B2
An arrangement for a MALDI sample plate for ion mass spectroscopy is disclosed. The sample is configured to shape the hypersonic explosion which creates the ions generated in a MALDI-type time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The MALDI sample plate includes a glass wafer formed from a plurality of clad glass fibers and has a first planar surface. The plate also has a plurality of micro-wells formed in the glass wafer. The micro-wells extend to a depth that is less than the thickness of the glass wafer and act to hold a spot sample in a manner that prevents spreading, maximizes the formation of ions, and shapes the resulting ion cloud to improve ion migration.
US07695977B2
The present invention relates to assay methods used for detecting the presence of PIF, and to PIF peptides identified using this assay. In particular, the present invention relates to flow cytometry assays for detecting PIF. It is based, at least in part, on the observation that flow cytometry using fluorescently labeled anti-lymphocyte and anti-platelet antibodies demonstrated an increase in rosette formation in the presence of PIF. It is further based on the observation that flow cytometry demonstrated that monoclonal antibody binding to CD2 decreased in the presence of PIF. The present invention further relates to PIF peptides which, when added to Jurkat cell cultures, have been observed to either (i) decrease binding of anti-CD2 antibody to Jurkat cells; (ii) increase expression of CD2 in Jurkat cells; or (iii) decrease Jurkat cell viability. In additional embodiments, the present invention provides for ELISA assays which detect PIF by determining the effect of a test sample on the binding of anti-CD2 antibody to a CD2 substrate.
US07695971B2
The use of sucrose polyester containing behenate fatty acid chains as a non-absorbable fat marker to determine total dietary fat absorption by the digestive tract of a subject. A test food for use in measuring fat absorption contains a non-absorbable fat and a dietary fat. The method is useful for diagnostic testing for diagnosing malabsorption of dietary fat by the digestive tract of the subject, and impairment of dietary fat digestion in the subject.
US07695965B2
Disclosed herein are methods of producing pancreatic hormone-expressing cells by first differentiating pluripotent cells in cell culture so as to produce endodermal cells, the endodermal cells being competent to further differentiate into hormone-expressing cells capable of secreting at least one pancreatic hormone in response to a physiological signal, and then, transplanting the cultured endodermal cells into an organism, such as an organism in need of an endocrine cell therapy.
US07695952B2
A disposable sample processing module is provided for processing DNA or RNA samples. The module includes a hybridization chamber adapted to receive an oligonucleotide covalently bonded to an internal surface of the hybridization chamber. The module also include a sample well adapted to hold a DNA or RNA sample, said sample well being coupled to the hybridization chamber, a moveable valve plate disposed between the sample well and hybridization chamber, said moveable valve plate having a first position that allows transfer of the DNA or RNA sample from the sample well to the hybridization chamber and a second position that blocks transfer to the hybridization chamber and a manifold adapted to exchange fluids with the hybridization chamber to hybridize the DNA or RNA sample with the oligonucleotide, to wash the hybridized sample and to amplify the hybridized sample.
US07695944B2
A method for producing a phospholipid using transphosphatidylation, which comprises homogenizing a mixture of a raw material phospholipid, a hydroxyl-containing acceptor, phospholipase D, and water in the absence of an organic solvent to obtain a homogenized mixture; and subjecting the homogenized mixture to a transphosphatidylation reaction at 15° C. to 65° C. The homogenized mixture has a lamellar lyotropic liquid crystal structure. An objective phospholipid can be obtained from the homogenized mixture through transphosphatidylation without using an organic solvent or calcium.
US07695940B2
Monoclonal antibodies which specifically bind human CD23, the low affinity receptor for IgE (FceRII/CD23), and contain either a human gamma-1 or human gamma-3 constant domain, are disclosed. The antibodies are useful for modulating or inhibiting induced IgE expression. Accordingly, they have practical utility in the treatment or prophylaxis of disease conditions wherein inhibition of induced IgE production is therapeutically desirable, including allergic conditions, autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases.
US07695937B2
Provided herein are polypeptide and polynucleotide sequences for a molecule having homology to the C-type lectin family of polypeptides. Also provided are methods of making and using the polypeptide and polynucleotides.
US07695932B2
The present invention provides genetically manipulated cells and methods for utilizing same. Methods of enhanced carotenoid synthesis utilizing cells genetically disrupted for a yjiD, hnr or yjfP gene, or further disrupted for a gdhA, gpmB aceE, ppc, talB or fdhF gene, or any combination thereof, or cells inhibited for their expression, activity or function are disclosed. Methods of enhanced carotenoid synthesis utilizing cells genetically engineered to overexpress dxs, idi, yjiD, rpoS, torC, appY, ydgK, yeiA, yedR, tort, arcB, yggT, purDH, yfjN or a combination thereof, or further disrupted for the above-referenced genes are disclosed. Methods for identifying genes involved in optimized production of a carotenoid, and cells disrupted for, or inhibited for the expression, activity or function of genes thus identified are described.
US07695928B2
The invention provides modulators of Dvl PDZ-ligand interaction, and methods of identifying and using these modulators.
US07695918B2
A process of concentration by precipitation of PrPsc for detecting or diagnosing PrPsc, wherein a tissue or biological fluid stemming from or obtained from an animal or human organism is brought together with an antibiotic from the family of aminoglycosides, preferably streptomycin or one of its derivatives. The use of such an antibiotic for eliminating PrPsc from a tissue or biological fluid and a kit for diagnosing pathologies associated with the presence of PrPsc is also disclosed.
US07695912B1
A process of forming a double strand cleavage in DNA includes providing a reaction mixture containing double stranded DNA having a break in a first strand defining a target site in a second strand. The method continues by adding to the reaction mixture a photoreactive lysine conjugate selected from a lysine-enediyne conjugate, a lysine-acetylene conjugate or a combination thereof, for a time sufficient for the lysine conjugate to bind to the DNA adjacent the target site. The reaction mixture is then irradiated with electromagnetic radiation sufficient to photoactivate the lysine conjugate to cleave the second strand adjacent the target site.
US07695906B2
The present invention is related to a method for the manufacture of a nucleic acid molecule and compounds used therefore. The invention further provides a method of ligating, cleaving and immobilising oligonucleotides in order to manufacture nucleic acid molecules. The invention includes the steps wherein a first and second at least partially double-stranded oligonucleotides are ligated via their respective single-stranded overhangs. The ligation product may be immobilised to the surface via the modification that is provided on the first oligonucleotide. The immobilised ligation product is cleaved with the first type IIS restriction enzyme therein releasing an elongated oligonucleotide having an overhang. The elongated oligonucleotide may further be combined and ligated with a further at least partially double-stranded oligonucleotide to form a further ligated product that may be cleaved with a type IIS restriction enzyme releasing an elongated oligonucleotide having an overhang. The steps may be further repeated in various combinations.
US07695903B2
Brain endothelial low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein-1 (LRP-1) mediates vascular clearance of Alzheimer's amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) from the brain. Transport of Aβ occurs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to the systemic circulation, but the brain endothelium is compromised in Alzheimer's disease. The invention is used to diagnose the disease in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, to identify those at risk for disease or already affected thereby, to determine the stage of disease or its progression, to intervene earlier in or alter the disease's natural history, to provide a target for therapeutic or prophylactic treatments, to screen drugs or compare medical regimens, to determine the effectiveness of a drug or medical regimen, or any combination thereof.
US07695901B2
Methods of determining whether a plant is a member of a known cultivar utilize DNA fingerprinting techniques and the discovery of 41 polymorphic fragments that correlate with cultivar identity. These methods are useful in determining whether a plant is a member of a particular breeding family and potentially whether plants are genetically similar to each other.
US07695899B2
The disclosure includes methods for the identification of chemotherapeutic agents that selectively reduce the growth or the survival of genotoxically stressed DNA damage checkpoint deficient tissue, such as irradiated cancerous tissue. The methods involve the use of genotoxically-stressed tissue(s) that are deficient in one or more DNA damage checkpoints. The disclosure also provides kits for performing the disclosed methods. The disclosure also includes chemotherapeutic agents that selectively reduce the growth or the survival of genotoxically stressed DNA damage checkpoint deficient tissue, such as irradiated cancerous tissue. The disclosure also includes methods of treatment or management of cancer, tumor formation, other conditions involving abnormal proliferation, or cell-cycle diseases or disorders.
US07695893B2
Disclosed are a photo-sensitive compound and a photoresist composition containing the same, for forming ultra-fine photoresist patterns. The photo-sensitive compound is resented by following Formula 1, wherein x is an integer of 1 to 5, y is an integer of 2 to 6, R is a C2˜C20 hydrocarbon group. The photoresist composition comprises 1˜85 weight % of a photo-sensitive compound represented by following Formula 1, 1˜55 weight % of a compound which reacts with a hydroxyl group (—OH) of the compound represented by Formula 1 to combine with the photo-sensitive compound represented by Formula 1; 1˜15 weight % of a photo-acid generator; and 12˜97 weight % of an organic solvent.
US07695891B2
A photosensitive composition comprising a compound capable of generating a compound having a specific structure upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation; a pattern forming method using the photosensitive composition; a compound having a specific structure; and a compound capable of generating a compound having a specific structure upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation.
US07695889B2
A copolymer for semiconductor lithography, comprising at least a recurring unit (A) having a carboxylic acid ester structure whose solubility in alkali increases by the action of an acid and a carboxyl group-containing recurring unit (B), which copolymer is obtained via a step (P) of (co)polymerizing at least a monomer giving a recurring unit (A) and a step (Q) of forming a recurring unit (B) in the co-presence of a recurring unit (A)-containing (co)polymer and/or a monomer giving a recurring unit (A), and an acid.The copolymer is used in production of semiconductor as a resist polymer which is small in roughness, little in development defect and superior in lithography properties such as DOF and the like.
US07695878B2
An image forming apparatus including an image bearer; a charging device charging the image bearer; a light irradiating device irradiating the charged image bearer with light to form an electrostatic image; a developing device developing the electrostatic image with a developer including a toner to form a toner image on the image bearer; a transfer device transferring the toner image; and a cleaning device cleaning the image bearer, wherein the volume average particle diameter of the toner is greater than 5.0 μm and less than 5.5 μm, the content of toner particles having a particle diameter of not greater than 4.0 μm is not higher than 20% by number, the ratio of the first shape factor SF-1 to the second shape factor SF-2 is from 1.00 to 1.15, and the content of toner particles having a SF-2 of not less than 115 is not less than 67.8% by number.
US07695876B2
A method for identifying process window signature patterns in a device area of a mask is disclosed. The signature patterns collectively provide a unique response to changes in a set of process condition parameters to the lithography process. The signature patterns enable monitoring of associated process condition parameters for signs of process drift, analyzing of the process condition parameters to determine which are limiting and affecting the chip yields, analyzing the changes in the process condition parameters to determine the corrections that should be fed back into the lithography process or forwarded to an etch process, identifying specific masks that do not transfer the intended pattern to wafers as intended, and identifying groups of masks that share common characteristics and behave in a similar manner with respect to changes in process condition parameters when transferring the pattern to the wafer.
US07695869B2
Disclosed in a positive active material for a lithium secondary battery including a compound represented by formula 1 and having a 10% to 70% ratio of diffracted intensity of diffraction lines in 2θ=53° (104 plane) with respect to diffracted intensity of diffraction lines in the vicinity of 2θ=22° (003 plane) in X-ray diffraction patterns using a CoKα-ray, LixCoO2-yAy (1) wherein, x is from 0.90 to 1.04, y is from 0 to 0.5, and A is selected from the group consisting of F, S and P.
US07695868B2
The positive electrode active material of a positive electrode includes a sodium-containing transition metal oxide (NaaLibMxO2±α). The M includes at least two of manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni). For a negative electrode, a sodium metal or a metal that forms an alloy with sodium is used. A non-aqueous electrolyte produced by dissolving an electrolytic salt (sodium salt) in a non-aqueous solvent is used. Examples of the non-aqueous solvent may include a cyclic carbonate, a chain carbonate, esters, cyclic ethers, chain ethers, nitrites, amides and a combination thereof.
US07695867B2
Disclosed is a method for regulating terminal voltage of a cathode during overdischarge. Also disclosed is a lithium secondary battery, which is low in capacity loss after overdischarge, having excellent capacity restorability after overdischarge and shows an effect of preventing a battery from swelling at a high temperature.
US07695865B2
A method of manufacturing a solid electrolyte battery includes a step of thermally pressing a composite layer including a positive electrode ink layer, an electrolyte ink layer and a negative electrode ink layer that are formed by coating a positive electrode ink, an electrolyte ink and a negative electrode ink. Further, the positive electrode ink, the electrolyte ink and the negative electrode ink contain a polymer electrolyte. By this method, it is possible to improve the flow of ions across respective interlayers of a positive electrode active material layer, a solid electrolyte layer and a negative electrode active material layer.
US07695856B2
A battery of the present invention is provided with positive and negative terminals led out of the battery and one or more sealing members filled between the positive and negative terminals and the battery. Each of the sealing members is provided with one or more resin layers, each of which is provided with one or more non-molecular-oriented resin layers.
US07695855B2
There is provided an electrode for a lithium secondary battery where particles, composed of an active material capable of occluding and releasing lithium, are arranged on a current collector, the active material particle being directly bonded to the surface of the current collector in a state where the bottom of the active material particle is imbedded in a concave portion formed on the surface of the current collector. A second particle layer may be provided on a first particle layer comprising the active material particles directly bonded to the surface of the current collector.
US07695853B2
A frameless battery cavity formed in a device enclosure retains a battery housing. Cantilever tabs on a battery end of a wall of the device housing have detents that forcibly engage the battery housing when the battery housing is fully inserted into the battery cavity. The detents are restrained from springing away from the battery housing when it is fully inserted by notches in a battery cover. The notches engage the detents after the battery has been fully inserted. The battery cover is secured in the opening to the battery cavity so that the detents are prevented from expanding away from the battery, and thus releasing the battery from the cavity, unless the cover is removed by a user. A guiding mechanism guides the battery housing into the cavity to facilitate electrical engagement of a connection between the battery housing and the device housing.
US07695852B2
IC tags are installed in rechargeable batteries and then information required for manufacturing control of the rechargeable batteries or information required to produce battery packs which use rechargeable batteries is recorded onto the IC tags. Allowing the information recorded onto the IC tags to be rewritten makes it possible to search for the causes of occurring problems as well as make the best use of improvements to the rechargeable batteries when information during use of the rechargeable batteries is recorded after the rechargeable batteries are manufactured and shipped.
US07695847B2
In order to provide a fuel cell unit, comprising a housing which limits at least one gas chamber and has a gas opening in a first housing wall and a gas opening in a second housing wall located opposite the first housing wall, the housing of which has an adequate deformation stability in relation to the sealing surface pressure required for a flat seal even at high temperatures, it is suggested that the fuel cell unit comprise at least one supporting element which is arranged between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and keeps the two housing walls at a distance from one another.
US07695845B2
Each of power generation units of a fuel cell according to the present invention is formed by stacking a first metal separator, a first membrane electrode assembly, a second metal separator, a second membrane electrode assembly, and a third metal separator together. The power generation unit has therein a first oxygen-containing gas flow field, a first fuel gas flow field, a second oxygen-containing gas flow field, and a second fuel gas flow field. The number of flow grooves in the first oxygen-containing gas flow field is different from that of flow grooves in the second oxygen-containing gas flow field, and the number of flow grooves in the first fuel gas flow field is different from that of flow grooves in the second fuel gas flow field.
US07695844B2
A control strategy for removing nitrogen from the anode side of a fuel cell stack. The control strategy includes using a bleed valve to remove the nitrogen during the operation of the fuel cell stack until the stack ages to a point where the bleed valve is maintained open, but the concentration of nitrogen in the anode side of the stack continues to increase. Once the concentration of nitrogen in the anode side increases to a predetermined level, then a purge valve is opened in combination with the bleed valve to reduce the concentration of nitrogen. Once the nitrogen concentration is reduced below the level, then both valves are closed, and the sequence is repeated.
US07695843B2
A microfibrous fuel cell structure of elongated form with a longitudinal axis. Such microfibrous fuel cell includes electrocatalyst layers supported by a fiber network formed of unidirectional or substantially unidirectional conductive fibers. The conductive fibers of such fiber network are oriented parallelly or substantially parallelly to the longitudinal axis of the fuel cell, therefore allowing such fiber network to conform to the curvature of the microfibrous fuel cell along the radial direction but without causing overbending of the individual fibers.
US07695839B2
A fuel cell system that employs a method for increasing stack power ramp up for high power up-transients by decoupling the build-up of stack current density from the cathode side pressure. The system gives the compressor power priority during the power up-transient to quickly provide the proper compressor speed, and therefore the proper air mass flow, for the desired current density of the fuel cell stack. The system also maintains the cathode side pressure of the stack low by keeping a cathode back-pressure valve open. By increasing the cathode input airflow rate to the proper level at the power up-transient, the current density of the stack will increase to the desired stack power level. Subsequently, the back-pressure valve is closed to increase the stack voltage to provide the total maximum power achievable by the stack.
US07695838B2
A part of cell stack portions constituting a part of a fuel cell stack is used as a voltage detection portion, the size of a frequency component belonging to a predetermined specific frequency range is extracted from a voltage signal detected and the existence/absence of abnormality of a fuel cell system is diagnosed on the basis of the frequency component extracted.
US07695836B2
A method for an initial activation of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes: humidifying a fuel cell stack; performing a small-current driving operation for applying a small current to the humidified fuel cell stack; and performing an activating operation by repeatedly performing an activation cycle a predetermined number of times. The activation cycle includes: a first driving operation for driving the fuel cell stack to output a first predetermined voltage; a first pausing operation for controlling the fuel cell stack in a no-load open-circuit voltage state; a second driving operation for driving the fuel cell to output a second predetermined voltage; and a second pausing operation for controlling the fuel cell stack in the no-load open-circuit voltage state.
US07695816B2
A composite article comprises a first layer resulting from the reaction of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer and a second layer different than the first layer and resulting from the reaction of an isocyanate-reactive resin and a polyisocyanate. Adhesion promoter is dispersed in at least one of the first layer and the second layer. The adhesion promoter comprises a first reactive end group selected from the group of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer, an ethylenically unsaturated acrylate monomer, an ethylenically unsaturated methacrylate monomer, or a combination thereof and a second reactive end group that reacts with isocyanate. The adhesion promoter reacts into the first and second layers through differentially reactive groups such that the adhesion promoter is compatible with the first and second layers to improve adhesion therebetween. A method of forming the composite article is also disclosed.
US07695814B2
A responsive coated particle comprising at least one particle comprising an interfacial surface to which a responsive coating attaches, said responsive coating comprising (a) at least one silicone-based, substantially hydrophobic polymer and (b) at least one substantially hydrophilic polymer wherein said responsive coating particle is in a first state.
US07695813B2
Core and shell particle for modifying impact resistance of a mouldable poly (meth) acrylate material
The present invention relates to a core-shell particle which has a core, a first shell and, where appropriate, a second shell, where: i) the core encompasses, based on its total weight, at least 75.0% by weight of (meth)acrylate repeat units; ii) the first shell has a glass transition temperature below 30° C.; iii) the second shell present where appropriate encompassed, based on its total weight, at lest 75.0% by weight of (meth)acrylate repeat units; iv) the first shell encompasses, based on its total weight, the following constituents; E) from 92.0 to 98.0% by weight of (meth)acrylate repeat units and F) from 2.0 to 8.0% by weight of styrenic repeat units of the general formula (I) where the radicals R1 to R6 are defined according to the Description and the percentages by weight of E) and F) give a total of 100.0% by weight, v) the radius of the core-shell particle inclusive of any second shell present, measured by the Coulter method, is in the range from above 160.0 to 240.0 nm; a process for preparing core-shell particles, to a moulding composition comprising core-shell particles, and to the use thereof.
US07695812B2
A fiber is obtainable from or comprises a blend of a propylene based polymer and an ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer characterized by an elastic recovery, Re, in percent at 300 percent strain and 1 cycle and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the elastic recovery and the density satisfy the following relationship: Re>1481−1629(d). Such interpolymer can also be characterized by other properties. The fibers made therefrom have a relatively high elastic recovery and a relatively low coefficient of friction. The fibers can be cross-linked, if desired. Woven, knitted or non-woven fabrics can be made from such fibers.
US07695810B2
The present invention is drawn to a strip tape which does not undergo lowering of bonding force and which does not cause pollution of the natural environment, working environment, etc. The strip tape includes a center layer containing a polar resin, and at least one polyolefin layer laminated, via a bonding layer, on each face of the center layer. The bonding layer contains an ethylene-methacrylic acid-alkyl acrylate random copolymer. Since the strip tape includes a center layer and at least one polyolefin layer, the interlayer bonding force of the strip tape is high, the bonding strength between the center layer and the polyolefin layer can be increased, and the waterproofing property of the strip tape can be enhanced. Even when a packaging container including the strip tape is heated or cooled sharply during use, the interlayer bonding force of the strip tape is not lowered.
US07695809B1
The present invention relates to a method of preparing adhesive coated articles and cold seal bonded laminates therefrom. Specifically, it relates to a method wherein certain polychloroprene based adhesive compositions are used to form adhesive coated substrates that are non-blocking and pressure sealable at ambient temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a method for the preparation of coated substrates and articles that are particularly useful for the manufacture of medical packaging and tamper evident applications.
US07695808B2
Thermal transfer coating comprising a plurality of metal bodies and a plurality of interstitial elements disposed between and connecting the plurality of metal bodies to one another. The metal bodies comprise an inner portion comprising a first metal and an outer portion comprising an alloy comprising the first metal and a second metal. The interstitial elements comprise the alloy of the outer portion.
US07695806B2
Compositions comprising (a) an epoxy resin, (b) a hardener for the epoxy resin, (c) a product of the reaction of a microgel containing carboxylic acid groups and a nitrogen-containing base, and (d) an electrically conducting filler combination comprising, based on the total amount of filler, at least 75% by weight of graphite, are particularly suitable for producing biopolar plates.
US07695793B2
A compound represented by the following general formula (I), wherein ring A and ring B each independently represent a benzene, naphthalene, or heterocyclic ring which may be substituted; R1 and R2 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms which may be substituted; R1 and R2 may be linked together to form a ring; a methylene group of the alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms may be replaced by —O— or —CH═CH—; Anq− represents a q-valent anion, where q is 1 or 2; p represents a coefficient to keep the charge neutral.
US07695788B2
A sealed rectangular parallelepiped polypropylene conditioning package with fast tear-off opening for pasty products likely to melt into a semi-liquid state, in particular cheese, includes a first sheet (1) cut out along a suitable contour and having a rectangular shell-type shape for receiving the product and for providing a gripping corner (2) for opening the package, a cover sheet and two tear-off strips (5,6). The gripping corner (2) has a triangular projection formed on one of the sides of the first sheet cut out into an octagonal shape and the tear-off strips (5, 6) form a pointed U shape whereof the tip is located in the triangular projection, thereby making it easy and simple to open.
US07695766B2
A circuit board tester that uses a dual-stage translation to bring a unit under test (UUT) into physical and electric contact first with a series of tall probes, then with a series of short probes. Initially, the UUT is mounted on a support plate, and spaced apart from both the tall and short probes. First, in order to perform a functional test on the UUT, a first vacuum stage is engaged, and atmospheric pressure translates the UUT longitudinally until contact is made with a first hard stop, defining a first position. At this first position, the UUT is in contact with a series of tall probes, and is spaced apart from a series of short probes. After a function test is performed, a second vacuum stage is engaged in addition to, and independent of, the first vacuum stage. Atmospheric pressure translates the UUT longitudinally until contact is made with a second hard stop, defining a second position.
US07695761B1
Method and system for providing a spin tunneling magnetic element having a crystalline barrier layer
The method and system for providing a spin tunneling element are disclosed. The method and system include depositing a pinned layer, a barrier layer, and a free layer. The barrier layer has a first crystal structure and a texture. The free layer includes a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic is adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer and between the second ferromagnetic layer and the barrier layer. The first ferromagnetic layer has the first crystal structure and the texture, while the second ferromagnetic layer has a second crystal structure different from the first crystal structure.
US07695760B2
What is provided is a method and an apparatus for easily forming a multilayer structure of conductive metal thin films while forming a metal oxide thin film regardless of the conductivity of a substrate. A thin film of conductive metal is laminated by: dissolving metal precursors for a metal oxide to be formed and an oxidant to oxidize the metal precursors in a supercritical fluid or subcritical fluid; forming a metal oxide thin film by an oxidation reaction on the surface of a substrate in the supercritical fluid or subcritical fluid; then, dissolving a reducing agent and conductive metal precursors in a supercritical fluid or subcritical fluid; while reducing the metal oxide thin film formed on the surface of the substrate to a metal thin film, reducing the conductive metal precursors on the reduced metal thin film.
US07695747B2
A method of producing Dried Distiller's Grain with Solubles (DDGS) agglomerated particles is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of separating a first product stream out of the whole stillage that is primarily solid material from a second product stream that is primarily liquid, agglomerating the first product stream using a mechanical compression machine such as an extruder, and exposing the agglomerated particles to microwave radiation of a sufficient energy for a sufficient time so that the resulting moisture of the agglomerated particles is between 3% and 40% by weight. The second product stream may be condensed and blended with the first product stream prior to, or concurrently with, the step in which the agglomerated particles are formed. Additionally, other additives, such as enzymes, may be added to the first product stream to enhance the final product's desirability as a nutritional source.
US07695744B1
A specially formulated oil seed and nut based natural product composition useful in lowering total serum cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels and increasing high density lipoprotein levels in humans. The composition is preferably formed by heating a variety of types of oil seeds and nuts at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined period of time, categorizing the individual types of seeds and nuts into individual sets, grinding the seeds and nuts in each set into a meal, and combining the meals from each set to form a single composition.
US07695736B2
A pharmaceutical composition comprises, in powder form, (a) at least one water-soluble therapeutic agent selected from selective COX-2 inhibitory drugs and prodrugs and salts thereof, for example parecoxib sodium, in a therapeutically effective total amount constituting about 30% to about 90% by weight, (b) a parenterally acceptable buffering agent in an amount of about 5% to about 60% by weight, and optionally (c) other parenterally acceptable excipient ingredients in a total amount not greater than about 10% by weight, of the composition. The composition is reconstitutable in a parenterally acceptable solvent liquid to form an injectable solution. A lyophilization process is provided for preparation of such a composition.
US07695732B2
The invention pertains to a method of treating or preventing pressure ulcers, comprising enterally administering to a subject in need thereof a composition comprising proteins, carbohydrates, fats, arginine or equivalents thereof, ascorbic acid equivalents and α-tocopherol equivalents, wherein arginine or equivalents thereof is administered in a daily amount of 3-15 g, ascorbic acid equivalents are administered in a daily amount of 180-840 mg and α-tocopherol equivalents are administered in a daily amount of 50-400 mg.
US07695731B2
Medical devices, and in particular implantable medical devices, may be coated to minimize or substantially eliminate a biological organism's reaction to the introduction of the medical device to the organism. The medical devices may be coated with any number of biocompatible materials. Therapeutic drugs, agents or compounds may be mixed with the biocompatible materials and affixed to at least a portion of the medical device. These therapeutic drugs, agents or compounds may also further reduce a biological organism's reaction to the introduction of the medical device to the organism. In addition, these therapeutic drugs, agents and/or compounds may be utilized to promote healing, including the formation of blood clots. Also, the devices may be modified to promote endothelialization. Various materials and coating methodologies may be utilized to maintain the drugs, agents or compounds on the medical device until delivered and positioned. In addition, the devices utilized to deliver the implantable medical devices may be modified to reduce the potential for damaging the implantable medical device during deployment. Medical devices include stents, grafts, anastomotic devices, perivascular wraps, sutures and staples. In addition, various polymer combinations may be utilized to control the elution rates of the therapeutic drugs, agents and/or compounds from the implantable medical devices.
US07695729B2
The purpose of the present invention is to provide micro- or mili-capsules and film preparations having not only sustained-release function but also targeting and adhesive functions with approximately 100% loading efficiency of the objective substance. The present invention provides a parenteral preparation having three layers structure of; basement layer composed of polymer; carrying layer that contains objective substances selected from drugs, aroma chemicals, mosquito propellant, dyes, cells or antigens; and surface layer, and in which the carrying layer is sandwiched between the basement layer and the surface layer.
US07695728B2
2-substituted pyridines, processes for their preparation and their use for controlling harmful fungi
The invention relates to 2-substituted pyridines of the formula I in which the index n and the substituents R1 to R4 and L are as defined in the description and in each case one of the two ring members X1, X2 is N, the other is C—H or C-halogen; Y is a group —CH—R1—, —N—R1—, —O— or —S— and is five- or six-membered hetaryl comprising 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, N and S or is phenyl, and to processes for their preparation, intermediates for their preparation, pesticidal compositions and methods for controlling harmful fungi and animal pests using the compounds according to the invention.
US07695717B2
Methods of treating or preventing an IL-1 related disease or condition in a mammal comprising administering an effective amount of an IL-1β binding antibody or IL-1β binding fragment thereof. An IL-1β binding antibody or IL-1β binding fragment thereof is provided comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:28, and related nucleic acids, vectors, cells, and compositions, and a method of preparing an affinity matured IL-1β binding polypeptide is provided. IL-1β binding antibodies or IL-1β binding fragments thereof are provided which have desirable affinity and potency.
US07695706B2
Provided are a method of efficiently procuding fullerene into which a OH group or a SO3H group is introduced, such as fullerenol, or a derivative thereof, the fullerene and its derivative being preferable as a proton conductor, and a novel and usable proton conductor obtained by the method. Further, provided is an electrochemical device using the proton conductor such as a fuel cell or the like. In the producing method of the fullerene derivative, halogated fullerene, which is obtained through halogating a fullerene molecule is used as a precursor, the fullerene derivative is produced through introducing one or more proton dissociative group into at least one carbon atom of a fullerene molecule. Moreover, in a producing method of a polymerized fullerene derivative, a plurality of fullerene derivatives are bonded to one another by an aromatic group of an aromatic compound through reacting the plurality of fullerene derivatives with the aromatic compound. The fullerene derivative obtained by any of these method functions as a proton conductor, and an electrochemical device using the proton conductor such as a fuel cell can be downsized and simplified without atmosphere constraints.
US07695696B2
An apparatus for contacting a bed of particulate material with a cross flowing fluid, which maintains the bed of particulate material within a retention volume. The apparatus includes partitions for retaining particles, with apertures disposed within the partitions. The apertures are covered by louvers that extend above the edges of the apertures to prevent solid particles from spilling through inlet apertures.
US07695685B2
A dent is formed on a side surface of a first substrate. A second substrate faces to the side surface of the first substrate. A third substrate is arranged so that the first and second substrates contact each other closely. A micro flow path and a micro chamber are formed between the first and second substrates. The micro flow path and the micro chamber communicate with each other and including an inlet and outlet respectively. A fifth substrate contains the first, second and third substrates. A fourth substrate fits in the fifth substrate. The first and second substrates are pressed against each other by thread fastening (pressing means) for the fourth and fifth substrates.
US07695684B2
For enlarging the application range of samples capable of being treated, decreasing the amount of samples used, preventing deterioration of samples by a change with the passage of time and preventing mixing of samples by diffusion, a micro fluidics system according to the present invention comprises a sample server which stores plural samples and which has sample efflux portions, a microchip for feeding samples to a treating portion through plural sample introducing portions communicating with the sample efflux portions and further through a microchannel, allowing the samples to be subjected to a predetermined treatment, and a sample feeder for feeding the samples stored in the sample server to the sample introducing portions through the sample efflux portions. The sample feeder comprises valves for opening and closing communication paths between the sample efflux portions of the sample server and the sample introducing portions of the microchip and pressurizing devices for pressurizing the samples stored in the sample server and pushing them out into the sample introducing portions in an open condition of the valves.
US07695682B2
The invention relates to a mixing appliance pertaining to a chemical or biochemical analyser and comprising a pipette having a head, a body and a free end. The head of the pipette is fixed to a head supporting block. The inventive mixing appliance comprises driving elements for triggering the oscillation of the free end of the pipette. Said driving elements consist of an actuating unit that is fixed to a frame, both elements being associated with a guiding block provided with an eccentric block that is mounted in such a way as to rotate freely about an axis and is in contact with the body of the pipette. The head supporting block is mounted in such a way as to rotate freely in the frame about an axis perpendicular to the plane in which the pipette oscillates.
