US07743082B2
Document libraries that facilitate content contribution to and management of a website. In general, a document library comprises a database, a special “document library” file system folder and the documents in that folder (or within subfolders of that folder). The database maintains properties of documents in the document library file system folder, and is used to dynamically update views of the document library file system folder and views of properties of the documents. Each document folder is a folder in which content of a specified type may be read and saved.
US07743078B2
A method of operating a database management system for integrating data from a plurality of data sources comprising steps of: (a) selecting initial attributes for first and second data sources; (b) selecting a candidate matching function relating to a possible mapping between data in said first and second data sources; (c) applying said candidate matching function to data in said first data source to create possible data for said second data source; (d) deriving a disparity measure relating to an amount of disparity therebetween; (e) selecting different candidate matching functions and repeating steps (c) and (d); (f) designating a candidate matching function having a disparity measure indicative of the lowest amount of disparity as a probable candidate matching function; (g) selecting further attributes and performing steps (b) to (f) in respect thereof; and (h) determining a probable correspondence between data objects of said first and second data sources.
US07743077B2
A method and system for generating database records is provided. A user interface element is generated for a dynamic key, the user interface element having a name field and a value input field. A generic data object is provided, the generic data object having an attribute pair and the attribute pair having a dynamic name attribute and a dynamic value attribute. The name field is bound to the dynamic name attribute and the value input field is bound to the dynamic value attribute. An instance of the attribute pair for the dynamic key is generated. A first entry from the name field is passed to the dynamic name attribute and a second entry from the value input field is passed to the dynamic value attribute. The instance of the attribute pair is saved as a record.
US07743073B2
Systems and methods are provided for routing data messages to appropriate applications among multiple available applications. Observers use a variety of signal transmission devices to generate and transmit data messages to a receiver. Each observer has an observer identification and each receiver has a receiver identification. A routing layer is configured to correlate the observer identification and the receiver identification. While multiple applications are available, the routing layer routes the data message to the appropriate application based on the correlated observer and receiver identifications. The router can further route the data message to an appropriate destination within the appropriate application based on the correlated observer and receiver identifications. The data message can also undergo additional signal processing before it is routed to a third party application.
US07743067B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for recommending leisure activities to a user. During operation, the system receives at least one query for leisure activities. The system then determines a collaborative filtering score of a candidate activity based on a collaborative filtering model, a soft query score for the candidate activity based on a soft query model, a content preference score for the candidate activity based on a content preference model and the user's past behavior, and a distance score for the candidate activity based on a distance model. Next, the system generates a composite score for the candidate activity by calculating a weighted average of the collaborative filtering score, the soft query score, the content preference score, and the distance score. The system further returns a recommendation list containing the activities with the highest composite scores.
US07743066B2
Anonymous types for a programming language. Non-denotable anonymous types are types that a compiler generates on behalf of a programmer and can then be used as nominal types. Insofar as anonymous types do not have a name, they can be used only inside a method in which they are created. Additionally, an anonymous type cannot be exposed in any way outside of the method. Syntax to create an anonymous type is useful when employed with a Select operator to generate a result with a particular shape, without the need of having a regular type for it. Anonymous types are expressible such that an expression of that type can be written. Translation of an anonymous type by a compiler generates a nominal class that implements Equals and GetHashCode methods. There is equivalence of anonymous types within the same method, and conversion of an unrealized structural type into structurally compatible nominal type.
US07743058B2
A method and system for high-order co-clustering of objects of heterogeneous types is provided. A clustering system co-clusters objects of heterogeneous types based on joint distributions for objects of non-central types and objects of a central type. The clustering system uses an iterative approach to co-clustering the objects of the various types. The clustering system divides the co-clustering into a sub-problem, for each non-central type (e.g., first type and second type), of co-clustering objects of that non-central type and objects of the central type based on the joint distribution for that non-central type. After the co-clustering is completed, the clustering system clusters objects of the central type based on the clusters of the objects of the non-central types identified during co-clustering. The clustering system repeats the iterations until the clusters of objects of the central type converge on a solution.
US07743055B2
The present invention is directed to a method for digital displaying images of various colors and appearances of an article and the use thereof. The invention is particularly directed to a method for displaying one or more images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of an article. The invention is even further directed to a method for displaying one or more images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of a target coating of a vehicle.
US07743053B2
In one embodiment, a computer system comprises one or more processors, and a memory module communicatively connected to the one or more processors. The memory module comprises logic instructions stored on a computer readable medium which, when executed on the one or more processors configure the one or more processors to receive, in a hybrid caching module, database query, determine whether at least a portion of an existing execution plan stored in a memory module coupled to the hybrid caching module can be reused to implement the database query, reuse at least a portion of an existing execution plan stored in the memory module coupled to the hybrid caching module when possible, and generate a new execution plan when the memory module lacks an existing execution plan adaptable for use with the database query.
US07743049B2
The present invention provides a content data retrieval apparatus capable of appropriately narrowing down the range of search targets even in the case where a distribution of attribute values of a group of contents regarded as search targets is uneven.The content data retrieval apparatus of the present invention includes: an impression value database which stores attribute values; a conversion table in which an impression value is associated with a search word range that is a range of the attribute values associated with a search word; a range modification unit which modifies a relative relationship between a distribution range of attribute values and a search word range by modifying the search word range read out from the conversion table; a receiving unit which receives an input of a search word; and a retrieval unit which retrieves content data corresponding to the search word received by the receiving unit, by searching the attribute values included in the search word range associated with the search word.
US07743045B2
A programmable search engine system is programmable by a variety of different entities, such as client devices and vertical content sites to customize search results for users. Context files store instructions for controlling the operations of the programmable search engine. The context files are processed by various context processors, which use the instructions therein to provide various pre-processing, post-processing, and search engine control operations. Spam related and biased contexts and search results are identified using offline and query time processing stages, and the context files from vertical content providers associated with such spam and biased context and results are excluded from processing on direct user queries.
US07743040B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for transforming hierarchical information into a rowset and for transforming a rowset into hierarchical information. In transforming hierarchical information, such as an XML data file, into a rowset, a parser parses the XML data file to form an active store. A query processor, after receiving a query including a number of metaproperties, processes data from the XML active store to form a rowset. The rowset can be processed further using a query language, such as the Structured Query Language (SQL). After processing, the rowset can be converted back into an XML data file using an XML formatter. An overflow feature facilitates the addition of text data to the rowset. A fusion feature facilitates defining a relationship between different data items in the rowset such that they can be merged into a single data element as the rowset is converted into an XML data file.
US07743035B2
A method for restoring a virtual disk (vdisk) in an active file system to an earlier time is described. Pointers pointing to data represented by the virtual disk are maintained. The pointers are saved to persistent storage at the earlier time. A pointer at a later time is compared with the pointers saved at the earlier time. If the pointer from the later time matches the pointer saved at the earlier time, the pointer from the later time is kept in the active file system. If the pointer from the later time does not match the pointers saved at the earlier time, a set of pointers associated with the pointer saved at the earlier time is copied to the active file system.
US07743029B2
Methods and apparatuses for configuring logging of a deployment of an enterprise component are described herein. In one embodiment, in response to a request for deploying an enterprise component, a logging configuration process extracts logging configuration information from a logging configuration file associated with the enterprise component and configures the logging for the respective enterprise component being deployed. The logging configuration file is designed exclusively for configuring logging of the enterprise component. Thereafter, the deployment information of the enterprise component is logged based on the extracted logging configuration information when the enterprise component is deployed. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US07743028B1
Mechanisms for generating an incremental backup of a set of data blocks while excluding certain files that are less desired to be backed up. Examples of such files include temporary Internet files and the recycle bin. This allows the size of the incremental backup to be reduced significantly since such undesired files are often changed between backups. The incremental backup is constructed by first calculating which data blocks should be included in the incremental backup. The calculation is a function of at least the identity of which if any of the data blocks in a prior snapshot have been or would have been altered as a result of potential file alterations in the prior snapshot, and/or which if any of the data blocks in the subsequent snapshot have been or would have been altered as a result of potential file alterations in the subsequent snapshot.
US07743025B2
Extensible reconfigurable media appliance for security and entertainment captures images digitally for storage. Digital effects and filters are applied to incoming video stream on-the-fly or to video data stored in memory. Digital effects and filters are dynamically stored, modified, updated or deleted, providing extensible reconfigurable effects studio. Digital media appliance communicates wirelessly with other media appliances, computers, security systems, video storage, email, chat, cellular services or PDAs to provide seamless integration of captured video stream.
US07743022B2
Disclosed is a data synchronization service for use in a peer-to-peer computing environment. Selected data objects are copied onto selected computing devices. A service running on each device monitors data objects for changes. When a change is detected, the service sends a change notification to the other devices so that they can update their copies of the data object. A user can access a data object from any device, knowing that he will retrieve the latest version of the data object. Instead of incurring the costs of storing a large file on every device, a user “ghosts” the file on some devices. A ghosting device stores only metadata about the file rather than the entire file. The user accesses the file through the ghost: access requests are sent to a device that holds the actual contents, and those contents are presented to the user as if they were stored locally.
US07743021B2
Exemplary embodiments include a method for implementing standardized enterprise warehouse system processes, including: extracting content from one or more source systems that provide a feed for the content; and loading extracted content into one or more standardized data layout tables of a data control structure and based upon the meta-data and rules that define the data control structure, wherein the extracted content in condition for transformation and data warehouse loading, and loading extracted content includes a processing control structure for ensuring that the extracted data is complete and ready for processing.
US07743018B2
Content files are managed and tracked in a distributed collaborative computing environment to receive, store, and maintain content descriptor data associated with a distributed content files in a central directory registry. The central directory registry can be accessed by a plurality of remote distributed computing devices via one or more network connections. The remote distributed computing devices create content files using locally hosted software applications. Upon saving the content file to a portable or transient storage device connected to a computing device, content descriptor data comprised of administrative data pertaining to the content file and associated with the content file is created and forwarded to the central directory server.
US07743009B2
Disclosed are embodiments of systems and methods for prioritizing mobile media player files by providing for the automated addition and/or deletion of media items for a mobile media player. In some embodiments, a statistical method may be provided for inferring which media items on a mobile media player should be deleted based on, for example, user taste data. In some embodiments, new media items may be loaded onto a user's mobile media player by creating one or more playlists from a playlist builder. The playlist(s) may be created by using user taste data. Rankings may also be created to determine an order for deletion of the media items currently on a mobile media player and/or for addition of new media items to the device.
US07743005B2
A method and apparatus that detects a multiplicity of normal data sets, each of which includes values of n parameters, for each of the operation modes of an object having a plurality of operation modes. Self-organizing maps are provided for each operation mode using the normal data sets. Abnormal data sets representing virtual abnormal states are created by modifying the values of the n parameters of each of the multiple normal data sets so that as many abnormal data sets as the number of deviation vectors are created for each of the multiple normal data sets. Abnormal operation mode proportion vectors are then created by selecting a self-organizing map from the above noted self-organizing maps which has the highest similarity degree to each of the abnormal data sets.
US07743001B1
A method and system for dynamic pricing of web services utilization. According to one embodiment, a method may include dynamically predicting utilization of a web services computing resource that is expected to occur during a given interval of time, and dependent upon the dynamically predicted utilization, setting a price associated with utilization of the web services computing resource occurring during the given interval of time. The method may further include providing the price to a customer.
US07742998B2
There are provided methods and systems for facilitating international shipment of goods that enable centralized control of both the establishment of and any changes to international shipping requirements. Users can conveniently query the system through remote terminals. Requirement information is provided in a user-useful and friendly manner including matrices of core requirements relating to all shipments and country specific requirements relating to specified origination and/or destination countries. Compliance testing is provided by which a user can evaluate a particular international shipment for compliance with requirements particular to that shipment.
US07742996B1
An electronic economic value representation distribution system. The potential user may specify the economic value representation. A password is required to lock in the representation and is stored in the issuer server. Information identifying the representation is linked to the password stored in the database. User can create the said representation by downloading from the issuer computer that may be printed on the user's printer connected to his personal computer. On presentation of the said economic value representation at verifier's terminal connected to issuer server, identifying data is transmitted to issuer server for verification. Upon successfully verifying said identifying information, user is requested to present the password locking the representation. Upon successful authentication of presented and successful reconciling with originating account, verifier is to provide user with services or amount valued by the economic representation.
US07742982B2
In some embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed for generating filters to determine whether a consumer is likely to have a scoreable credit record based on non-credit data, and to determine a potential risk level associated with an unscoreable credit record based on non-credit data. Existing scoreable and unscoreable records are compared to determine factors correlated with having an unscoreable record, and a multi-level filter is developed. Unscoreable records having at least one entry are compared to determine whether they are “good” or “bad” risks, factors correlated with either condition are determined, and a filter is developed. The filters can be applied to records comprising demographic data to determine consumers that are likely to have unscoreable records but represent good risks.
US07742977B1
A system and method for dynamic quantity orders in an electronic trading environment are described. According to one method, a dynamic quantity order includes a price, a desired order quantity and a percentage associated with an estimated order quantity that will be filled in an order queue. When the order is received at an electronic exchange, the order is sorted into a pro-rata order queue, and the exchange may estimate a potential order quantity that will be filled in the order queue at the price based on the defined percentage. Subsequently, the exchange may then increase the order quantity of the dynamic quantity order so that if the estimated number of fills occurs, the order quantity of the dynamic quantity order will be filled.
US07742976B1
A system and associated methods are provided for smart hedging in an electronic trading environment. According to one example method, a first order for a first tradeable object and a second order for a second tradeable object are placed based on a spread strategy. Upon receiving an indication that a quantity of the first order is filled, the method involves determining if the second order can be used to offset the quantity filled of the first order by determining if a price of the second order would result in achieving a desired spread price defined for the spread strategy. If the price results in the desired price, the second order is used to offset the quantity filled for the first order in an attempt to achieve the desired spread price. Other tools are provided as well.
US07742975B2
Price improvement in credit screened trading systems is achieved by entering a maximum price improvement (MPI) amount with a maker quote. The system prepares separate quote queues for each trading floor including only quotes where bilateral credit exists. Quotes are arranged using Price, MPI, time priority. When a quote is dealt, a dealable price improvement is calculated as the amount of the MPI required to improve the dealt quote's position in the queue.
US07742974B2
System, method, and program products offer flexibility to the rather rigid way of trading in an electronic trading system. Orders for a tradeable object may typically get matched according to set terms and/or conditions at an electronic exchange. A trader may log onto the electronic exchange to trade the tradeable object, and may choose to display and trade the tradeable object according to a different set of terms and/or conditions. As such, the market data sent to the trader from the exchange is converted to a format according to the trader's selection, so that it may be presented to the trader in this format. Transaction messages sent to the exchange from the trader are converted to the format readable by the matching process, so that it can process the messages. Other features and advantages are described herein.
US07742973B2
Provided is a method and system for an online marketplace for the buying, selling and Servicing of financial instruments, such as accounts receivable, where the online marketplace receives and analyzes Account data from a Reporting Agency Database, such as a Consumer Reporting Agency Database. The online marketplace may include a plurality of business logic Components, including an Analysis Component, an Inventory Management Component, an Offer Component, a Transaction Component, a Post-Transaction Component, a Receivables Management Knowledge Base and a Servicing Component. The Receivables Management Knowledge Base applies industry rules and regulations to the data. Users of the online marketplace may be Account Owners, Buyers, sellers, Servicers and the like. Users flag Accounts in the Consumer Reporting Agency database to be placed for sale on the online marketplace. Users may also define Selection Criteria for automatic buying, automatic selling, alerts or other such business rules.
US07742969B2
A market indicator process, residing on a server, predicts an opening index price of a security index including at least two discrete securities. A trade monitoring process monitors at least a portion of the trading of the discrete securities that occur outside of a regular trading session. A closing price variation calculation process, responsive to the trade monitoring process, calculates the predicated opening index price of the security index for the beginning of the next regular trading session with respect to a closing index price of the security index at the end of the previous regular trading session. The index prices are indicative of the cumulative value of the discrete securities.
US07742965B1
A current mortgage price indicator futures contract (“Mortgage Futures Contract”) that can be traded on a futures exchange is described. The contracts add value over existing hedging and speculating alternatives by meeting the needs of a wide range of mortgage and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) market participants such as portfolio managers, dealers, hedgers, originators, speculators and arbitrageurs. The Mortgage Futures Contract is based upon conventional MBS and has a relatively current coupon composition, thereby resulting in risk properties that appeal to market participants more so than prior contracts based on non-conventional MBS that were not correlated to current MBS production. The Mortgage Futures Contract has a cash settlement feature designed to eliminate complicated and largely uneconomic physical delivery of the underlying security. A options contract corresponding to the Mortgage Futures Contract and that can be traded on a futures exchange is also described.
US07742961B2
Services accounts are managed by defining budget categories for the services accounts. Budgets are defined for the respective categories and rules are defined for the budget categories. Input on usage of the services is electronically received and the budgets are electronically adjusted based on the received input and the defined rules.
US07742956B2
A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for facilitating database management processes for an enterprise is provided. The storage medium includes instructions for causing a computer to implement a method. The method includes extracting part data relating to a part from a data storage device, retrieving activity data related to the part, which includes demand data, purchase data, and creation data. The method further includes evaluating the part data and the activity data, associating a status code with the part data based upon results of the evaluation, and storing the part data and the status code in the data storage device. The database management processes are accomplished by a parts database management software application.
US07742945B2
Temporary increased broadband bandwidth services for high speed access and download of Internet websites are provided to end user DSL subscribers by a system and method to increase speed of accessing certain Internet websites to incentivize the end user DSL subscribers to purchase higher speed broadband services and to incentivize content providers to pay for the temporary increased broadband services. The speed category of a customer premises equipment turbo modem is controlled by either a wired or wireless serving center computer processor, based on either the wired or wireless serving center computer processor determining whether to download Internet and video content at a predetermined selected speed category.
US07742943B2
A loyalty reward point system that utilizes the pre-existing infrastructure of network such as a credit card network. A user makes a purchase at a merchant using a token such as a credit card. As part of the purchase transaction, the user is awarded reward points from the merchant based on the purchase, which are stored in an account associated with the merchant and the user by the acquiring bank. The reward account is maintained on the acquiring bank server on behalf of the merchant and the user, and the number of reward points in the user's account for that merchant is increased accordingly. The user may redeem the reward points earned from the transaction with the merchant at a later time, or may redeem the points with another merchant in the same marketing cluster, or may aggregate those reward points with those of other merchants into a reward point exchange account, and then redeem the aggregated reward points for goods or services from any approved merchant on the network, depending on the configuration of the system.
US07742941B2
A particular application is invoked in a cellular phone (an arbitrary one of a plurality of cellular phones if they exist) of a person who is riding in an automobile prior to the passage of a gate at an entry/exit of a toll road. The cellular phone in which the application is invoked transmits a particular signal (a signal including the information expressing the intention to use the turnpike) different from a normal cellular phone signal when passing through a gate. Data of the particular signal is transferred to a server via the gate. Information about the user, information about the gate at the entry/exit, etc. are recorded, and a turnpike (toll road) toll is charged based on these information. The turnpike toll can be split and paid by a plurality of persons. A user and a split toll payer must be persons who are pre-registered to the server.
US07742937B2
A system for improving worker's compensation programs. Employee presence is detected by using proximity sensors at different places in the workplace. For example, where a company has different workshops, offices, rooms, or other areas, detection of a worker's presence in one or more of the areas allows more accurate information to be used to calculate liabilities such as risk of injury. Data about a worker's presence, duration of presence, repeated presence, or other characteristics of a worker in an area are sensed and logged by a digital system. The system can store and process the data locally, or the data (or a derivative of the data) can be transferred to other entities for storage, processing, analysis or other purposes. For example, the presence data can be sent to insurance providers for calculation of accurate premiums, risk, payouts, etc.
US07742936B2
Methods and systems are provided for estimating liability in an accident. In one embodiment, liability estimation in a vehicle accident may be based on a plurality of characteristics that describe the accident. These characteristics may include: the configuration of the roadway, the type of accident, right of way, and impact points of each vehicle. In an embodiment, impact points may be grouped into impact groups. A base liability may be assigned to each impact group. The characteristics from an actual accident may be compared to those in a past or theoretical accident. Liability may be estimated from a preassigned liability associated with a nearest matching past or theoretical accident. The liability estimate may include a base liability and one or more adjustments due to various factors.
US07742934B2
Systems consistent with the present invention implement provide information regarding savings associated travel alternatives. Such systems receive requests from users reflecting travel itineraries, respectively. Each itinerary is analyzed to determine a set of alternative itineraries comparable to the travel itinerary specified in the request based on selected rules associated with travel. Then a value or cost of the input travel itinerary is determined and a value for each of the alternative itineraries is also calculated. The systems then generate a report reflecting the input travel itinerary specified in the request, each of the alternative itineraries, the value for each travel itinerary, and a difference between the value for the travel itinerary specified in the request and each of the alternative itineraries.
US07742910B2
A system for delivering power to a device in a specified voltage range is disclosed. The system includes a power delivery network, characterized by a response function, to deliver power to the device. A current computation unit stores values representing a sequence of current amplitudes drawn by the device on successive clock cycles, and provides them to a current to voltage computation unit. The current to voltage computation unit filters the current amplitudes according to coefficients derived from the response function to provide an estimate of the voltage seen by the device. Operation of the device is adjusted if the estimated voltage falls outside the specified range.
US07742908B2
Method for simulation of an electrical circuit by synthesis of a physical model, using digital wave structures including the following steps: within the framework of digital wave structure, consider a serial and parallel adapter block with at least three ports of which one adapted; represent said electrical circuit connecting the elements together by means of a plurality of said adapter blocks; connect each adapter block to the adapted port of the previous adapter block; consider the plurality of said adapter blocks as nodes of a binary tree and said elements of said electrical circuit as leaves of said binary tree; apply an element of the aforesaid electrical circuit to the adapted port of the root node; consider, for each port, an incident wave and a reflected wave; starting from the lower leaves of the tree and moving towards the root, calculate each reflected wave; assess the reflected wave of the element connected to the adapted port of the root; starting from the root and moving towards the lower leaves of the tree, calculate each incident wave; update the status of any dynamic elements present in the leaves.
US07742906B2
A representation of a network having vertices connected by arcs is provided. Different collections of vertices in the network are iteratively selected. Balancing moves are performed in corresponding collections of the network, where the collections are represented by corresponding graphs according to a predefined structure.
US07742904B2
A method for simulating a gas turbine including the steps of: sensing values of a plurality of first operating parameters of an actual gas turbine; applying the sensed values of the first operating parameters to a model of the gas turbine, wherein the model generates a plurality of predicted second operating parameters; determining difference values between the predicted second operating parameters and corresponding sensed second operating parameters of the actual gas turbine; modifying the difference values based on tuning factors generated by a Kalman filter gain matrix during operation of the gas turbine, and using the adjusted difference values to adjust the model of the gas turbine. The method may further comprise generating the tuning factors by applying to the model the sensed values of the plurality of first operating parameters and perturbated values of the adjusted different values to determine optimal tuning factors.
US07742903B2
This invention allows users to build, manipulate, and finally deploy various model configurations with little performance overhead, better syntactic clarity and configuration flexibility.
US07742900B1
A compression technique compresses interaction data. A fast method processes the compressed data without the need to first decompress the data. In one embodiment, the compression technique is used to compress data in an interaction matrix. The interaction matrix (such as a moment method impedance matrix) contains interaction data between sources (e.g., basis functions or expansion functions) and testers (e.g., testing functions). The sources are collected into groups of sources according to specified criteria. One useful criteria is based on grouping sources relatively close to one another. For each group of sources, a composite source is calculated. The testers are also collected into groups and composite testers are calculated. The use of composite sources and composite testers to compute couplings when the source and tester are not close to each other allows the interaction matrix to be computed as a sparse matrix with a block format.
US07742898B2
A method for handling a faulty device in a vehicle communication network is provided, which is used to identify devices that are either faulty, were removed from the vehicle communication network or were switched off, and to automatically initiate a fault-remedying measure. An expanded, device-specific driver having diagnostic functions is loaded by another device of the network to send a test signal to the faulty device. Either the faulty device is restarted or the faulty device is switched off depending on the reaction to the test signal. If a device is removed from the network, this is indicated in a database. A bus manager will inform other devices connected to the network that this device was removed from the network. Due to a classification of the individual devices connected to the network, not every device is able to perform the fault handling, but rather only suitably classified devices. Misuse is thereby prevented.
US07742895B2
The position measurement system includes: an image capturing unit capturing first reference points which are three reference points on a plane arranged on a target and whose positional relation with each other is specified, and a second reference point which is a single reference point at a distance away from the plane and whose positional relation with the first reference points is specified; an identifying unit identifying images of the first and second reference points based on the positional relation among the images; and a calculating unit calculating a three-dimensional position and triaxial angles of the target based on the positional relation between the images of the first and second reference points. The calculating unit specifies the plane including the first reference points on the target from the images of the first reference points and a normal direction of the plane according to the image of the second reference point.
US07742879B2
The results of mass spectrometry are compared; correspondences are established between individual components contained in different samples; the results of establishment of correspondences are checked; and varying components are extracted. At least two samples are compared with respect to the ion intensity corresponding to retention times and mass-to-charge ratios obtained by chromatography-mass spectrometry on the samples having a plurality of components. In ion groups observed as mass spectra, a correspondence between the retention times at which the same component is supposed to be observed is established by determining coincidence between the mass-to-charge ratios and determining that the ion intensity fall within a designated variation.
US07742878B2
The bio-expression system comprising: a process system used to process data and a three-dimension image generating module embedded in the computing system, wherein while input of a set of two-dimensional individual model sections is fed into the process system, the three-dimension image generating module is responsive to the input of the two-dimension individual model sections and is capable of processing an individual model construction and model-averaging procedure, thereby generating an average model for each individual dataset. A database includes a bio-expression sub-database, cellular network sub-database and fine structure sub-database, wherein the database is coupled to the process system to store at least the average model. A stereoscopic projecting system is coupled to the process system to display stereoscopic images for active or passive virtual reality applications, thereby presenting the bio-expressions, cellular networks or bio-fine structures under the input instruction of the process system.
US07742877B1
Methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided for identifying a component of culture medium based on the parameters (e.g., physical, chemical, biological and/or topological characteristics) of compounds from within a compound library. In preferred embodiments, the compound library is a peptide library. Also provided are methods of selecting a compound library from a larger compound space based on whole molecule (i.e., global) parameters of the compounds. Preferably, this method is practiced in conjunction with a method of identifying a component of a culture medium. Further provided are methods of predicting a biological activity of a peptide based on at least one whole molecule parameter of the peptide. This method finds use in methods of drug discovery, identifying components of culture medium, and identifying and/or designing peptides with particular pharmacological or therapeutic activities.
US07742870B2
A dead time in the case where an output of an air-fuel ratio sensor changes in a lean direction and a dead time in the case where the output changes in a rich direction are sensed respectively. The number of elements constituting data of past feedback correction amounts used for calculating a present feedback correction amount is changed in accordance with the larger one of the dead times. A lean direction response time and a rich direction response time are sensed respectively. A control gain is corrected in accordance with the lean direction response time when the output of the air-fuel ratio sensor changes in the lean direction. The control gain is corrected in accordance with the rich direction response time when the output changes in the rich direction.
US07742869B2
An engine control system includes a cam phaser that introduces a cam phase angle θ between a camshaft intake lobe and an associated crankshaft. An engine control module communicates with the cam phaser to introduce the cam phase angle θ while an engine is being started. The cam phase angle θ is selected such that the camshaft intake lobe opens an intake valve during at least a portion of a compression stroke of a cylinder that is associated with the camshaft intake lobe.
US07742866B2
A fuel control system includes devices that generate parameter signals. The parameter signals include an engine runtime signal and at least one of an engine load signal, a temperature signal and a barometric pressure signal. A modification module generates a modification signal based on the parameter signals. A control module compensates for a current fuel volatility by adjusting a current air/fuel mixture of an engine based on the modification signal.
US07742859B2
The invention is directed to a method for setting an occupant classification system threshold for a vehicle occupant detection system, the method comprising collecting occupant classification system data for a seat, the data being indicative of occupant weight, analyzing the data to determine where a separation exists between an occupant for which a restraint should be suppressed and an occupant for which the restraint should be deployed, and analyzing the data to determine a worst case child suppression weight and shape, which is based at least on where the separation exists. The worst case child suppression weight and shape define the occupant classification system threshold.
US07742849B2
A system for computing car switching solutions in a railway switch yard. The system is computer based and has an input for receiving data conveying information about one or more arrival trains arriving at the switch yard and data conveying information about departure trains to depart the switch yard. A processing entity processes the data and computes car switching solutions for the railcars.
US07742844B2
An information handling system can include cooling devices that are organized into zones. A method of using an information handling system can include setting a cooling level for each cooling device. Each zone can be associated with thermal data or regions within the information handling system, and a cooling demand can be determined for the thermal data or regions. A zone cooling level for each zone corresponds to a higher cooling demand from each zone's associated thermal regions, and a cooling device cooling level corresponds to a higher zone cooling level from each cooling device's associated zones. The method can be embodied as machine executable code for an information handling system. An information handling system can include cooling devices associated with zones, and can operate to set a cooling level for each cooling device by determining cooling demands in response to information regarding thermal energy generated by an electrical sub-assembly.
US07742842B2
A networked delivery system and method for controlling operation of a spraying system includes nozzles for emitting an agrochemical according to a predetermined spray pattern and flow rate; vibration sensors located adjacent an agricultural spray system component to sense vibrations of the agricultural spray system component, such as spray nozzles. The networked delivery system also includes a control area network with a computer processor in communication with the vibration sensors. The processor conveys information to an operator regarding the agricultural spray system component based on the sensed vibrations. The processor also actuates each of the agricultural spray system components such as the spray nozzles to selectively control each of the nozzles or a designated group of the nozzles.
US07742824B2
A medical electrical lead electrode assembly includes an insulative carrier and at least one conductive component. The at least one conductive component includes an electrode portion disposed on a first side of the carrier and at least one tab extending away from the electrode portion, through the carrier to a second side of the carrier. The electrode portion of the at least one component includes an outward facing contact surface and an inward facing surface, the inward facing surface being disposed opposite the contact surface and against a surface of the first side of the carrier. The electrode assembly further includes a joint coupling a flexible elongate conductor to the tab of the at least one component on the second side of the carrier, and an insulative layer extending over the joint and the tab and the conductor, the insulative layer being bonded to the second side of the carrier.
US07742823B2
A neural stimulation system automatically corrects or adjusts the stimulus magnitude (stimulation energy) in order to maintain a comfortable and effective stimulation therapy. Because the changes in impedance associated with the electrode-tissue interface can indicate obstruction of current flow and positional lead displacement, lead impedance can indicate the quantity of electrical stimulation energy that should be delivered to the target neural tissue to provide corrective adjustment. Hence, a change in impedance or morphology of an impedance curve may be used in a feedback loop to indicate that the stimulation energy needs to be adjusted and the system can effectively auto correct the magnitude of stimulation energy to maintain a desired therapeutic effect.
US07742816B2
An implantable medical device (“IMD”) as described herein is configured to support concurrent multichannel data communication with one or more other devices within a body area network corresponding to a patient. The IMD, and possibly other devices within the body area network, can support the multichannel communication with any number of additional IMDs implanted within the body of the same patient. Moreover, one or more of the concurrent data communication channels may be a full-duplex channel. Example embodiments can be flexibly configured to support different data communication protocols and/or different modulation schemes as needed to suit the particular application or operating environment.
US07742809B2
In general, the invention is directed to techniques for delivering macromolecules to a tissue site via electroporation. Particularly, a catheter detects contact between a distal end of the catheter and a target tissue site via a sensing electrode at the distal end of the catheter. The catheter delivers a fluid containing macromolecules to the tissue site upon detecting contact between the tissue site and the catheter. Concurrently or soon after delivery of the fluid, an electrical stimulus is applied to the tissue site. The electrical stimulus can be applied by the catheter or directly from a power supply, such as an implanted pulse generator. The electrical stimulus causes membranes of cells within the tissue site to destabilize, in turn, forming pores through which the macromolecules migrate into the cells of the tissue site.
US07742804B2
During preprogrammed medical treatment and remote controlled surgery tracking the movements of the body being treated and integrating those tracked movements with the preprogrammed/remote controled treatment to arrive at an integrated modified treatment track and following that modified track during the treatment. The treating instrument may be a solid scalpel or high-energy radiation, such as X-rays, ultra sound, laser beams or the like.
US07742795B2
A catheter and catheter system can use energy tailored for remodeling and/or removal of target material along a body lumen, often of atherosclerotic material of a blood vessel of a patient. An elongate flexible catheter body with a radially expandable structure may have a plurality of electrodes or other electrosurgical energy delivery surfaces to radially engage atherosclerotic material when the structure expands. An atherosclerotic material detector system may measure and/or characterize the atherosclerotic material and its location, optionally using impedance monitoring.
US07742790B2
Various embodiments of the present invention enable a system and method for reducing or entirely canceling background or environmental noise from a voice transmission from a communications device. A communications device, such as a mobile telephone, is configured with an environmental noise compensation, correction, or counterbalanced (correction) signal generator that is connected between at least one microphone and a continuous time quadrant multiplication. Optional discrete time or digital signal processing may be applied. The original output of the at least one microphone and a compensation, correction, or counterbalanced or counter-balancing signal generated by the environmental noise compensation, correction, or counterbalanced signal generator are mixed or otherwise combined together after being received by the antenna to the receiver.
US07742788B2
Method and apparatus for using switched multibeam antennas in a multiple access communication system
In order to increase a capacity, or a number of mobile stations (MSs), or users, that may engaged in concurrent communication sessions, a communication system is provided that schedules a different MS, or user, in each beam of multiple predetermined, fixed beams associated with a coverage area, in particular a sector. By simultaneously scheduling a user in each beam of the multiple beams, a performance and throughput of communication system is significantly increased over the prior art. In one embodiment of the present invention, a portion of a shared communication channel that is allocated to each MS is concurrently transmitted to each MS via a beam associated with the MS. In other embodiments of the present invention, voice channels, data channels, and control channels associated with each MS scheduled in a beam may be concurrently transmitted to each MS via the beam associated with the MS.
US07742786B2
Parameters relating to wireless communication in a wireless network system are set in a printer, which is to be wirelessly connected to the network system anew, from a personal computer that is already wirelessly connected, and the personal computer acquires identification information of the printer and transmits this identification information to an access point. The access point sets up the connection to the printer based upon the identification information that has been transmitted from the personal computer. This makes it possible to connect a new wireless communication apparatus to a wireless network system through a simple set-up operation.
US07742780B2
A method and computer-readable medium for performing predictive name completion, categorizing call lists and accessing dispatch ID numbers in a database for dispatch dialers is provided. The method for performing predictive name completion includes recognizing a portion of a dispatch ID input by a user; determining a name associated with a dispatch ID, based on the portion of the dispatch ID input by the user, and displaying the name. The method for categorizing call lists includes determining a type of each of a plurality of the dispatch calls; and placing each of the plurality of dispatch calls in one of a plurality of categorized lists, based on the type of each of the plurality of dispatch calls. The method for accessing dispatch ID numbers in a database includes establishing a mirror database including the dispatch ID numbers; and searching the mirror database for particular dispatch ID numbers.
US07742779B2
A method synchronizes a radio communication system that is divided up into radio cells. According to the method, every radio cell has one base station each for the radio coverage of a plurality of mobile stations assigned to the radio cell. The base station receives, in addition to mobile station signals of its own radio cell, mobile station signals of neighboring radio cells. The base station determines, on the basis of the mobile station signals received, the number of mobile stations and compares this number with a defined threshold value. When the number determined falls below the threshold value, a first synchronization method for synchronizing the base station and the assigned mobile stations is used, the first method corresponding to an assigned transmission standard of the radio communication system. When the threshold value is exceeded, a second synchronization method is used for synchronizing the base station and the assigned mobile stations.
US07742771B2
A spare receiver in a CMTS is used to determine the RF connectivity status of the receivers of a Load Balancing Group or Spectrum Group in the CMTS in the network. The spare receiver is connected to a receiver of the Load Balancing Group or Spectrum Group which does not have modems registered. The spare receiver is also configured to have the communication protocols of another selected receiver of the Load Balancing Group or Spectrum Group which does have modems registered. A transmitter sends a request for a response to a modem registered with the selected receiver. If the spare receiver, which is configured to have the same communication protocols as the selected receiver, receives the response from the modem, the unregistered receiver under test is determined to have sufficient RF connectivity to be included in Load Balancing operations. Each unregistered receiver in the Load Balancing Group or Spectrum Group is analyzed in the same manner.
US07742763B2
The present invention provides a system and method for providing Customized Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) Subscription Information (CSI) of an outbound roamer of a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) such that the outbound roamer is roaming in a Visited Public Mobile Network (VPMN). The system comprises a roamers database storing an outbound roamer record of at least one outbound roamer, wherein the outbound roamer record comprises at least the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the outbound roamer. The system further comprises a detection block to detect whether provisioning of the CSI is required for the outbound roamer and a CSI generation block to generate the CSI of the outbound roamer based on at least the IMSI of the outbound roamer, if the provisioning of the CSI is required. The system further comprises a provisioning block to provision the generated CSI of the outbound roamer to at least one CSI storing node.
US07742751B2
Provided are a method, system, and device directed to a receive path for a node in a communication system such as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system. In one aspect, the receive path includes a filter operable in multiple modes and configurable to have different bandwidths in the various modes of operation. For example, in one mode, the filter samples a DC component while configured to have a relatively wide bandwidth. As another example, the filter may be operated in another mode to hold the sampled DC component while the filter is configured to have a zero or close to zero bandwidth. As yet another example, the filter may be operated in still another mode to filter received signals and cancel the sampled DC offset from the received signals while configured to have a relatively narrow bandwidth. Additional embodiments are described and claimed.
US07742743B2
A communication system makes throughput preferable by reducing wireless frame collision which occurs when a plurality of control stations cannot recognize one another. When a wireless communication device that is operating as a dependent station of a first control station detects a second control station, DEVice operates as a dependent control station. Accordingly, the second control station is changed to a dependent station or a dependent control station.
US07742741B2
A portable data storage device is provided having a non-volatile memory and a wireless data interface. The wireless data interface is coupled to the non-volatile memory to read data from the non-volatile memory for transmission through the wireless data interface and/or write data received from the wireless data interface to the non-volatile memory. The wireless data interface is a high data rate interface and/or a broadband interface. Data rates may be above 100 Mbps, and bandwidths may be 100 MHz or above. There is further provided a corresponding data storage method.
US07742730B2
A system for detecting stripper device blockage in a printing system is disclosed. The system includes a fusing member which during operation contacts a sheet of printer media to fuse a marking material to the sheet, a stripping device configured to apply pressurized air from an air supply through at least one orifice to the fuser member in order to separate the sheet from the surface and a flow measurement device in line with the air supply which measures air flow. The air flow device will assist in performing an assessment check which may include taking a baseline measurement of air flow and a diagnostic measurement of air flow. In the case where the difference between the diagnostic measurement and baseline measurement is above a different threshold, corrective action may be taken.
US07742725B2
A developing device includes a developer carrier, a developing case and a toner cartridge. The toner cartridge includes a toner case including a first opening and a first blocking member. The developing case includes a second opening, a second blocking member and an opening/closing member. The opening/closing member is swingable among a first position where the toner cartridge is detached from the developing case and the second opening is closed, a second position where the toner cartridge is attached to the developing case and the first opening and the second opening are communicate with each other, and a third position between the first position and the second position where the toner cartridge is attached to the developing case and the first opening and the second opening are closed. The opening/closing member swings from the first position to the third position when the toner cartridge is attached to the developing case.
US07742722B2
An image forming apparatus is provided with a main body, an image forming assembly accommodated in the main body, a withdrawable unit accommodated in the main body in such a manner as to be withdrawable to the outside, a fixing unit for fixing a toner image to a recording sheet with heat from the heating member by conveying the recording sheet having the toner image transferred thereto while nipping it between a heating member and the pressure member, and a temperature raising device for raising the temperature of the heating member. The fixing unit is detachably mounted on the withdrawable unit. On the other hand, the temperature raising device includes a mounting portion different from that of the heating member, and is fixedly attached to the withdrawable unit and is kept attached to the withdrawable unit even if the fixing unit is separated from the withdrawable unit.
US07742704B2
There is provided a visible light control apparatus including: a modulation unit (corresponding to a PPM signal generation circuit, a subcarrier generation circuit, and a first AND circuit) that modulates a subcarrier and thereby generates a modulated signal; a visible light control unit (corresponding to a driving circuit) that controls blinking of visible light which contains information based on the modulated signal modulated by the modulation unit and allows the visible light to be emitted at a predetermined emission time ratio; and an emission time ratio control unit (corresponding to a dimming signal generation circuit, an inverting circuit, a second AND circuit, and an OR circuit) that changes the predetermined emission time ratio and allows the visible light to be emitted at the changed emission time ratio.
US07742696B2
A digital camera is provided having a photo width printhead for printing digital images on a printing surface of magnetically sensitive print media, and a magnetic recorder for recording information associated with the digital images on a magnetic recording surface of the print media at the same time as the printhead prints the associated digital image onto the printing surface.
US07742682B2
An information recording medium suitable for optical discs such as DVD-RAM is provided for integrated management of data as objects in different kinds of AV formats. Also, an apparatus is provided for data recording and playing to the medium. The medium stores management information including program chain information (PGC information) defining the playback order of the objects, and object information containing information relevant to the objects. The object information has general information of the object, attribute information and a map associating a playback time point of the object with an address on the optical disc of a component of the object to be played. The PGC information has cell information including information about type of object, identification information. The order of the cell information in the PGC information corresponds to the order in which the objects are played back.
US07742680B2
A tuner 1 receives a TV-broadcast signal from an antenna 6. The TV-broadcast signal is supplied to a demodulator 2. The demodulator 2 demodulates the audio signal and video signal, both contained in the TV-broadcast signal. A CM-detecting section 4 is provided. In the section 4, characteristic patterns are generated at intervals of 15 seconds, 30 seconds and 60 seconds, from the audio and video signals. Then, CM candidates are detected in accordance with the characteristic patterns. Characteristic data representing the characteristics of a CM is extracted from each CM candidate or the audio and video signals preceding and following the CM candidate. The section 4 detects a CM from the characteristic data thus extracted.
US07742678B2
A characteristic point detection circuit detects a characteristic point from a base band video signal and generates a characteristic point file. A compressed video signal received from the digital satellite broadcast is supplied to a multiplexing circuit as it is in the form of a bit stream. The multiplexing circuit multiplexes the compressed video signal and characteristic point file. A control circuit obtains the characteristic point file from an optical disc during reproduction, and controls reproduction of the compressed video signal. As described herein above, the supplied compressed video signal is recorded in a recording medium without deterioration of the image quality, and the recorded video signal accepts random access.
US07742676B2
An exemplary high-voltage bushing has a conductor and a core surrounding the conductor, wherein the core includes a sheet-like spacer, which spacer is impregnated with an electrically insulating matrix material. The spacer can have a multitude of holes that are fillable with the matrix material. The spacer can be net-shaped or meshed. It can be a net of fibers. The bushing can be a fine-graded bushing with equalizing plates within the core. As a matrix material, a particle-filled resin can be used.
US07742675B2
A telecommunications cable management system includes trough elements including a planar top surface and sides for cable routing and management. The trough elements are made from separate parts assembled together with a mating arrangement. The mating arrangement allows assembly of the system on site, such as by snapping the parts together. The trough elements are then assembled together to form the cable management system.
US07742669B2
One or more single mode few-moded or multimode fibers are incorporated into a bundle to carry input to a fiber amplifier or output from a fiber amplifier or a fiber laser. The input is at the signal wavelength, which is the wavelength where amplification or lasing occurs. Each of the fibers in the bundle is cleaved individually or as a group and fiber ends are aligned in the same plane. The fiber amplifier or fiber laser may include a double clad fiber and the other fibers of the bundle couple light for cladding pumping. The device may also include a mode filter for controlling the output mode.
US07742658B2
The disclosed systems and methods pertain to the processing of large format images in a manner to avoid introducing imaging defects, and more particularly to dividing the large image into bands, processing these bands in parallel and then putting them back together in to create the final processed image. The methods include the use of overlapping the image bands, padding of the bands prior to processing and the redefinition of image values at common boundaries of the bands to minimize or eliminate visible defects.
US07742653B2
The image processing apparatus and method process image data of an original image by compressing a dynamic range of the original image. The apparatus and method process the image data of the original image by continuous filtering with at least two edge preserving smoothing filters having different characteristics to generate blurred image data which represents a blurred image of the original image, and process the image data of the original image by compressing the dynamic range of the original image based on the blurred image data. The apparatus includes a blurred image generating unit for generating the blurred image data and having the at least two edge preserving smoothing filters, and a processing unit for compressing the dynamic range of the original image.
US07742652B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for identifying and separating noise from an image.
US07742651B2
The detail in an image can be enhanced by selective filtering to separate at least one part of the frequency spectrum of the image from a remaining part of the image. The amplitude of the separated part of the frequency spectrum of image is changed and the amplitude-changed portion is combined with the remaining part of the image. The filtering and/or the change in amplitude is controlled at least in part in response to the content of the image to enhance the detail level of the image where appropriate, while preventing enhancement in areas of the picture where it is likely that artifacts would be generated.
US07742646B1
Systems and methods for representing high dynamic range data in compressed formats with a fixed size block allow high dynamic range data to be stored in less memory. The compressed formats use 8 bits per pixel. A first compressed format includes two endpoint values and an index for each pixel in the block. A second compressed format includes four endpoint values, a partition index that specifies a mask for each pair of the four endpoint values, and an index for each pixel in the block. The two formats may be used for various blocks within a single compressed image and mode bits are included to distinguish between the two formats. Furthermore, each endpoint value may be encoded using an endpoint compression mode that is also specified by the mode bits. Compressed high dynamic range values represented in either format may be efficiently decompressed in hardware.
US07742643B2
A sequence of n coefficients is compressed by determining a cost-determined sequence of n coefficient indices represented by a cost-determined sequence of (run, index derivative) pairs under a given quantization table and run-index derivative coding distribution, wherein each sequence of (run, index derivative) pairs defines a corresponding sequence of coefficient indices such that (i) each index in the corresponding sequence of coefficient indices is a digital number, (ii) the corresponding sequence of coefficient indices includes a plurality of values including a special value, and (iii) each (run, index derivative) pair defines a run value representing a number of consecutive indices of the special value, and an index-based value derived from a value of the index following the number of consecutive indices of the special value. This involves (a) using the given quantization table and run-index derivative coding distribution to formulate a cost function for a plurality of possible sequences of (run, index derivative) pairs; (b) applying the cost function to each possible sequence in the plurality of possible sequences of (run, index derivative) pairs to determine an associated cost; and, (c) selecting the cost-determined sequence of (run, index derivative) pairs from the plurality of possible sequences of (run, index derivative) pairs based on the associated cost of each of the plurality of possible sequences of (run, index derivative) pairs; and encoding the corresponding selected cost-determined sequence of (run, index derivative) pairs using entropy coding based on a run-index derivative coding distribution.
US07742642B2
A system for automatically recognizing a handwriting image and converting such image to text data including a sequence of validated words, has an image input device, a number of handwriting recognition engines, and control unit. A first handwriting recognition engine is responsive to the image input device, for analyzing the data file and providing one or more possible text words for each successive word in the data file. The first handwriting recognition engine further provides a resemblance indication for each possible text word indicating a level of resemblance between its appearance and the appearance of the handwritten word in the data file. In the event that there is not a high level of confidence in the selection of the first handwriting recognition engine, a selection of a validated word is based on the selections of one or more of the other handwriting recognition engines.
US07742641B2
Techniques are disclosed for multi-modal identification that utilize a classifier combination framework. One embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-modal identification system that includes a collection of classifiers that classify feature streams derived from audio and/or video sources. A classifier combination scheme is used to combine the classifier outputs having varying degrees of confidence, but in a robust way by using a confidence-based weighting scheme that operates on a “per-class” basis, rather than (or in addition to) the traditional “per-classifier” basis. The system can be distributed across several machines running independent feature classifiers on the subscription basis.
US07742635B2
Accuracy of a three-dimensional imaging system is improved through the use of model-based calibration and lookup tables to resolve distance according to, e.g., x-displacement, y-displacement, or image disparity data. In an embodiment, the lookup table(s) stores localized parameterization data used to calculate calibrated results.
US07742633B2
An apparatus and method that uses at least six digital cameras to capture images of the foot, can reconstruct the 3D model of the foot rapidly. Users can only wear elastic socks, which have specially coded multicolored stripes or spots, and stands on the transparent plate of a platform. First from two parallel cameras under the transparent plate, the 3D contour about the sole of the foot can be computed and reconstructed through stereosis algorithm. Similarly, from the other four cameras at least around the upper part of the foot, four or more curved surfaces are combined to reconstruct 3D contour of the upper portion of the foot. Combining the bottom contours and upper contours of the foot the complete 3D foot model can be obtained.
US07742631B2
High frequency signals cannot be reconstructed properly from sampled data if the sampling frequency lies below the Nyquist rate. The invention addresses this problem by choosing few additional sample points along a trajectory intersecting the region comprising the high frequency signals, such as an edge. Intermediate rendering data is used to determine the additional sample points. Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, 4 adaptively chosen sample points per pixel may provide a visual quality comparable to 16 times super-sampling, but at a much lower computational cost.
US07742625B2
An exemplary embodiment is a camera that includes a behaviour controller which controls the output of behaviours from the camera and the input of behaviours into the camera.
US07742621B2
A dynamic eye tracking system to track movement of an eye including the steps of detecting if a neighbor exists about the eye over a predetermined amount of time and forming a boundary for the neighbor. Eye candidates are tracked and a determination is made if the eye candidates are beyond the boundary defined by the detected neighbor.
US07742609B2
A digital audio mixing system for live performance venues includes a software user interface and system host PC with an internal digital signal processor to perform digital mixing functions. The system includes a console having an array of multiple touch screen displays with corresponding fader board (tactile) control surfaces operatively connected to the host PC, and an audio patch bay unit. One or more stage boxes are linked to each other and to the system host PC by wired or wireless connections. The user interface includes multiple functional views and configuration presets, displayed in setup and real time modes, to allow the user to operate the system in a user friendly and simplified environment.
US07742602B2
The invention intends to achieve new additions of terminals that use a wireless LAN with a simple process, while preventing leakage of data indicating cipher keys. The access point is notified of the cipher systems adaptable to the terminals. The access point narrows the cipher systems adaptable to itself, sets the cipher keys and notifies them, and also determines the station IDs for the cipher keys each. Thereafter, when the access point modifies the cipher systems based on the security policy, the access point adopts the station IDs corresponding to the cipher systems each. Therefore, the terminals specify the cipher systems based on the station IDs, and perform wireless communications by using the cipher keys notified in advance.
US07742592B2
Acoustic echo control and noise suppression is an important part of any “handsfree” telecommunication system, such as telephony or audio or video conferencing systems. Bandwidth and computational complexity constraints have prevented that stereo or multi-channel telecommunication systems have been widely applied. The advantages are very low complexity, high robustness, scalability to multi-channel audio without a need for loudspeaker signal distortion, and efficient integration of echo and noise control in the same algorithm. The proposed method for processing audio signals, comprises the steps of: —receiving an input signal, wherein the input signal is applied to a loudspeaker; —receiving a microphone signal generated by a microphone; —estimating the delay between the loudspeaker and the microphone signals and obtaining a delayed loudspeaker signal, —estimating a coloration correction values of the echo path on the delayed loudspeaker signal, —using information of the delayed loudspeaker signal, microphone signal, and coloration correction values to determine gain filter values, —apply the gain filter values to the microphone signal to remove the echo.
US07742590B2
According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for selectively managing a call connection between a caller and each of a first directory number associated with a subscriber and a second directory number associated with the subscriber includes causing at least the first directory number to be rung in response to a call request from the caller. In response to a determination that the rung first directory number has answered the call request: a call is automatically allowed to be completed between the caller and the first directory number if the first directory number is of a first type; and, if the directory number is of a second type, a prescribed additional response is required from the first directory number prior to allowing the call to be completed between the caller and the first directory number, and the second directory number is allowed to be rung in response to the call request until the prescribed additional response is provided.
US07742585B2
A mobile communication terminal is provided whose operability is improved by enabling a user to promptly use a function that the user requires, upon suspension of execution of an application program. A mobile communication terminal (mobile phone) 20 includes an output unit 216 having a liquid crystal display (LCD) 27 that displays an image; a main control unit 215 that controls the output unit 216; and an application program executing and managing unit 214 that executes an application program registered by a user. The application program executing and managing unit 214 sends a function transition request instruction (screen transition request instruction) to make a transition to a function specified by the application program, to the main control unit 215, upon suspension of execution of the application program. Based on the function transition request instruction (screen transition request instruction), the main control unit 215 controls the output unit 216 to display an initial screen of the function or a menu screen for selecting the function.
US07742579B2
There is disclosed a call answering system comprising storage means for storing a user specified address; means for recording voice messages associated with the user; and forwarding means for forwarding recorded voice messages to the user specified address.
US07742576B2
Processes and systems are disclosed for creating and for managing trouble tickets and work orders. One embodiment includes communicating with a communications network and receiving a request to create a trouble ticket. The trouble ticket is created to investigate a problem with a communications system. The trouble ticket is assigned a work item number, with the work item number including a telephone number experiencing the problem with the communications system. The trouble ticket is tracked, from initial creating to final closure, using the assigned work item number.
US07742575B2
A multi-leaf collimator for use in a radiotherapeutic apparatus comprises a plurality of elongate narrow leaves arranged side-by side and supported in a frame, the frame having upper and lower formations for guiding each leaf into which extend ridges on the upper and lower edges of the leaves, thereby to allow the leaves to move in a longitudinal direction, the upper and lower formations being aligned so that the sides of the leaves when fitted are at a non-zero angle to the beam direction, the upper and lower ridges being located on the upper and lower edges of the leaves so that a line joining their centres is at a non-zero angle to the sides of the leaf, tilted relative to the sides in a sense opposite to that of the beam. An outer face of the upper and/or lower ridges can be aligned with a side face of the leaf, for ease of manufacture. A radiotherapeutic apparatus is also disclosed, comprising a source of radiation and a multi-leaf collimator for shaping the radiation emitted by the source, the multi-leaf collimator being as set out above.
US07742570B2
An entire area of an FPD on which an alignment marker provided in a screen is projected is set in advance as a fixed overlapping area (Ctop to Cbottom) according to the long length imaging area and/or the X-ray source position. When determining a plurality of field-of-view area areas for dividing an imaging area for long length imaging into a plurality of areas and taking images, the field-of-view areas (FOVNT to FOVNB) and the FPD positions PN corresponding to the respective field-of-view areas are determined so that adjacent field-of-view areas overlap each other at the set fixed overlapping area. The X-ray source height, the X-ray irradiation direction, the collimator aperture angle and the FPD position are controlled so as to apply an X-ray only to each of the determined field-of-view areas.
US07742552B1
A programmable spread spectrum clock generator (SSCG) reduces electromagnetic interference by spreading the frequency bandwidth of an output signal. The rate at which the frequency of the output signal changes, as well as other aspects of the output signal, are software programmable. The programmable SSCG receives a periodic signal whose cycles have substantially identical periods and outputs the output signal whose cycles have periods that vary smoothly over a plurality of cycles of the periodic signal. The programmable SSCG generates a control signal using the periodic signal. The programmable SSCG includes a variable delay element that generates the output signal by delaying the periods of the periodic signal based on the magnitude of the control signal. The output signal is generated without using a phase locked loop. Moreover, successive cycles of the output signal rarely have identical periods.
US07742551B2
An apparatus and a method for counting input pulses during a specific time interval are provided. A clock edge recovery output signal is produced in response to an input gating signal and a clock signal containing the input pulses. The clock edge recovery output signal contains a respective full clock pulse for each of either the rising or falling edge of the input pulses of the clock signal that occurs while the input gating signal is in an enable state and when the input gating signal transitions from the enable state to the disable state. A counter circuit counts the pulses contained in the clock edge recovery output signal.
US07742547B2
A method and a system for reading radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are provided. The method includes the following steps. First, receive a tag signal from the RFID tag. Recover a data clock rate from the tag signal according to statistics of pulse lengths of the tag signal. Next, determine a frame synchronization point of a data frame following a preamble in the tag signal by a signal correlation between the preamble and a predetermined signal pattern according to the data clock rate. Finally, decode the data frame by using an adaptive Viterbi algorithm on an extended trellis diagram. The extended trellis diagram includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of branches connecting the nodes. The nodes and the branches are arranged according to the modulation scheme of the data frame and possible variations of the data clock rate.
US07742543B2
A transmission circuit alleviates the frequency characteristics of a group delay and an attenuation amount in a transmission signal band and expands a dynamic range to a high frequency band. A ladder-type resistance-type attenuator includes switching elements, 2R resistor elements and R resistor elements. The 2R and R resistor elements are respectively connected to variable capacitor elements in parallel. The variable attenuator having such a connection structure is connected to an amplitude modulation loop of the transmission circuit. By controlling the capacitance value of the variable capacitor elements using the capacitance value control section when the switching elements are ON/OFF switched based on the transmission power control signal, the influence of parasitic capacitances of the variable capacitor elements is suppressed and the group delay between the amplitude modulation and the phase modulation is reduced.
US07742541B2
A compact transmission circuit for outputting a highly linear transmission signal regardless of the output power level and operating at a high efficiency is provided. A signal generation section 11 generates an amplitude signal and quadrature data based on input data. A calculation section 21 calculates using the amplitude signal and the quadrature data to output a discrete value having a level discrete at every predetermine time period, and first and second phase signals. An amplitude amplification section 17 outputs a voltage controlled in accordance with the discrete value. Angular modulation sections 13 and 14 angular-modulate the phase signals and output first and second angle-modulated signals. Amplitude modulation sections 15 and 16 amplitude-modulate the angle-modulated signals with the voltage from the amplitude amplification section 17 and output first and second modulated signals. A combining section 18 combines the first and second modulated signals and outputs a transmission signal.
US07742536B2
The present application describes a method for transmitting data through a MIMO-OFDM system which requires the computation of a function f(H(sk)), where H is the channel matrix and sk=exp(j*2*pi*k/N). The method splits function f into a first, nonpolynomial part, which is in turn a function of one or more polynomial functions in sk.
US07742532B2
A method of decoding a current layer using inter-layer prediction is disclosed. The present invention includes obtaining a first flag information indicating whether a current block of the current layer is coded using the inter-layer prediction, obtaining a quality identification information identifying a quality of the current block, obtaining an information for controlling a characteristic of a deblocking filter based on the first flag information and the quality identification information, and executing deblocking filtering using the information for controlling the characteristic of the deblocking filter.
US07742530B2
Disclosed is a digital television system carrying out modulation/demodulation by VSB(vestigial side band). A VSB transmitter includes an additional error correction encoder designed in a manner that a signal mapping of a TCM encoder is considered, a multiplexer(MUX), a TCM encoder operating in a manner corresponding to state transition processes of the additional error correction encoder, and a signal transmission part including an RF converter. And, A VSB receiver includes a signal receiver part receiving a signal transmitted from the transmitter, a TCM decoder, a signal processing part including a derandomizer, and an additional error correction decoder part.
US07742528B2
A variable length coding method is comprised of: a coefficient value scanning step in which an RL sequence generation unit 203, a reordering unit 202, and a binarization unit 203 scan coefficient values within a block in a predetermined scanning order starting at a higher-frequency component toward a lower-frequency component; and an arithmetic coding step in which an arithmetic coding unit 205 and a table storage unit 204 perform arithmetic coding on the absolute values of the coefficient values according to the scanning order used in the coefficient value scanning step, by switching between probability tables 1˜4 for use, wherein, in the arithmetic coding step, a probability table to be used is switched to another probability table in one direction, when the arithmetic-coded absolute values of the coefficient values include an absolute value exceeding a predetermined threshold value.
US07742526B2
A coding control unit (110) and a mode selection unit (109) are included. The coding control unit (110) determines the coding order for a plurality of consecutive B-pictures located between I-pictures and P-pictures so that the B-picture whose temporal distance from two previously coded pictures is farthest in display order is coded by priority, so as to reorder the B-pictures in coding order. When a current block is coded in direct mode, the mode selection unit 109 scales a forward motion vector of a block which is included in a backward reference picture of a current picture and co-located with the current block, so as to generate motion vectors of the current block, if the forward motion vector has been used for coding the co-located block.
US07742524B2
A method of decoding a current layer using inter-layer prediction is disclosed. The present invention includes obtaining a first flag information indicating whether a current block of the current layer is coded using the inter-layer prediction, obtaining a quality identification information identifying a quality of the current block, obtaining a second flag information based on the first flag information and the quality identification information, the second flag information indicating whether a reference block is included in a specific slice of a reference layer, and decoding the current block based on the second flag information.
US07742496B2
A communication system has a number of nodes connected to a serial data bus. Nodes communicate with each other by transmitting dominant and recessive bits during bit intervals as taught by the CAN (controller area network) arbitration protocol. According to the CAN arbitration protocol, any dominant bit transmitted during a bit interval causes the bit value received to be a dominant bit regardless of the number of recessive bits being sent. The system is arranged so that two or more nodes each respond to a report query message sent by one of the nodes, with a report message sent simultaneously by each of the nodes. The headers (leading bits) of each of the report messages sent by nodes responding to a report query message are the same, allowing arbitration on a trailing node data field. This results in the message having the numerically largest (or smallest) node data field value to survive arbitration. Thus a number of nodes can be polled with a report query message and will respond by simultaneously sending each node's numerical data value with the largest or smallest of these data values received by the system's nodes.
US07742494B2
In order to save radio resources, the present invention provides a method for improving a multi-input multi-output, known as MIMO, procedure for a network of a wireless communications system. The method includes the following steps. Only two parameter values are used in a MIMO operation information element, also called IE, of a MIMO parameter IE, to indicate a user equipment, called UE hereinafter, to start or continue MIMO operation. The UE is indicated to stop the MIMO operation when the MIMO parameter IE is not included in an ACTIVE SET UPDATE, CELL UPDATE CONFIRM, or any reconfiguration message sent to the UE.
US07742488B1
A network device comprises one or more first ports to receive at least one layer 2 frame of data comprising a media access control (MAC) client data field. An egress policy module adds M bits to the frame of data before the MAC client data field, where M is an integer greater than zero. A second port transmits the frame of data after the M bits are added to the frame of data.
US07742486B2
A network switching system includes transceiver devices respectively provided for a plurality of input line cards. The switching system also includes transceiver devices respective provided for a plurality of output line cards. The switching system further includes a switch device communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of input line cards and the plurality of output line cards. The switch device includes a crosspoint matrix for communicatively connecting one of the input line cards to one of the output line cards. The switch device is capable of operating in either a crosspoint mode for routing cells or packets from one of the input line cards to one of the output line cards, or a scheduler mode for controlling flow of cells and/or packets through at least one other switch device.
US07742482B1
The invention is directed toward techniques for Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) upstream label assignment for the Resource Reservation Protocol with Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE). The techniques include extensions to the RSVP-TE that enable distribution of upstream assigned labels in Path messages from an upstream router to two or more downstream routers of tunnel established over a network. The tunnel may comprise a RSVP-TE P2MP Label Switched Path (LSP) or an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast tunnel. The techniques also include extensions to the RSVP-TE that enable a router to advertise upstream label assignment capability to neighboring routers in the network. The MPLS upstream label assignment using RSVP-TE described herein enables a branch router to avoid traffic replication on a Local Area Network (LAN) for RSVP-TE P2MP LSPs.
US07742479B1
An edge router termed a “service gateway” operates to reassign network addresses such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to a subscriber, such as when the subscriber is to be transitioned from a first virtual private network (VPN) to a second VPN. The service gateway obtains a new network address routable in a second VPN and applies dynamic edge network address translation (NAT) on an interim basis to provide instant access to the second VPN (following web-based identification for example), while a prior lease for an initial network address not routable in the second VPN is still in effect. When the subscriber attempts to renew the lease in due course, the renewal request is rejected, which forces the subscriber to re-initiate dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) procedures to obtain a new network address. At this point, the interim NAT mapping is removed and the new network address is assigned directly to the subscriber via DHCP. This approach combines the benefits of DHCP and NAT while minimizing dead time on the network and the processing overhead associated with alternative approaches.
US07742469B2
A data input circuit converts input serial data to n-bit parallel data, and outputs the n-bit parallel data by following an address signal. The data input circuit includes a data shifting unit including a plurality of columns, and sequentially shifting the input serial data through the plurality of columns; and a selection unit selecting a column among the plurality of columns as an input column by following the address signal, wherein the input serial data is inputted to the data shifting unit through the input column. Thus, the data input device can speed up its processing speed with a simplified circuit structure whose circuit size is reduced.
US07742466B2
A switchboard device and methods of operation of same are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention may provide a flexible means of interconnecting wideband and narrowband communications interfaces, where wideband communications interfaces may transfer low-band data and high-band data, and narrowband communication interfaces may transfer low-band data. Low-band data may be combined and sent to a narrowband communications interface or a wideband communications interface. High-band data may be combined and sent to a wideband communications interface. The low-band data may represent audio signals below a predetermined frequency, while the high-band data may represent audio signals above the predetermined frequency. The predetermined frequency may be, for example, approximately 4 kHz. The spectral mask of the low-band data may meet the spectral mask of G.712. Methods of operating embodiments of the present invention are included. An additional aspect of the present invention may include machine-readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the foregoing.
US07742458B2
Systems and methods for providing a low power receiver device using fine grained time division are provided. In one embodiment, the receiver device comprises a tuner, a demodulator configured to demodulate at least one sampled signal, a payload processor configured to process at least one demodulated signal into an output format, and a time division control logic configured to generate a control signal to switch at least one component within the receiver device between modes to conserve power. The at least one component may be switched between an active mode, a standby mode, a power off mode, and a low power mode. In further embodiments, the at least one component may be switched between staggered modes.
US07742448B2
In a multihop network having a first type of node, a second type of node and a third type of node, techniques are provided for optimizing topology learning in the multihop network which can reduce the amount of control traffic that occurs due to frequent topology changes. For example, each of the nodes can transmit a node identifier and status information to the first type of node. The status information associated with each node can include a node type and a mobility state of the node. The first type of node can store the node identifier and the status information from each of the nodes. The first type of node can reserve or allocate a channel resource to each of the second type of nodes having a mobile state. The channel resource is used by the second type of node for exchanging topology information with the first type of node.
US07742444B2
Techniques for adjusting transmit power to mitigate both intra-sector interference to a serving base station and inter-sector interference to neighbor base stations are described. This may be done by combining interference information from multiple base stations.
US07742442B2
Techniques are provided for determining whether a particular Access Point (AP) is to be designated as an Infrastructure Access Point (IAP) or a Backhaul Mesh Access Point (BMAP) based on the connectivity of the particular AP to a network which includes at least one multicast heartbeat message (MCHBM) source. Techniques are provided which can allow an Infrastructure Access Point (IAP) to change its device type to a Backhaul Mesh Access Point (BMAP) device type when the IAP determines that connectivity to the network is lost. Other techniques are provided which can allow a Backhaul Mesh Access Point (BMAP) to change its device type to an Infrastructure Access Point (IAP) device type when the BMAP determines that connectivity to the network is established.
US07742440B2
Communications in a wireless communication system based on two or more communication standards are configured for delivery to cell sites or to subscribers using a digital link having channels assigned to the two or more communication standards. A T-1 level can be divided into twenty four channels that are assigned to two or more mobile standards, and subscriber or network communications based on the two or more standards can be delivered to, for example, radio transmitters associated with the mobile standards. Channel allocation can be revised based upon requested capacity associated with the mobile standards.
US07742434B2
A method for interconnecting modules using a local area network daisy chained architecture is disclosed. The architecture includes point-to-point connections between the module and the two modules preceding and/or the two modules following such module in the chain. This architecture allows the chain to be extended and for modules to be removed from the chain without interrupting service to the other modules. A microprocessor and additional Ethernet port provide an additional gateway for connection to an external device.
US07742433B2
A network optimization application receives as input information about a telecommunications network and the current use of that network. An optimization is performed in order to generate a preferred network use configuration which minimizes price for one or more customers of the telecommunications network. Information utilized as input into the application includes network nodes (e.g., switches, central offices, customer premises), linkages among nodes, prices associated with the network, and current use of the network. The output network use configuration may be browsed using a configuration interface listing network elements and also a detail interface for viewing details of individual network elements.
US07742431B2
In a link state protocol such as an interior gateway protocol (IGP), link state advertisements or link state packets (LSA/LSPs) are sent only to network nodes that have expressed interest in them, rather than always flooding them.
US07742425B2
A self managed ad hoc communications network and method of managing the network. The network includes wireless devices or nodes that include a neural network element and the ad hoc network operates as a neural network. One of the nodes is designated as a Network Management System (NMS) that provides overall network management. Clusters of nodes are organized around cluster leaders. Each cluster leader manages a cluster of nodes and communications between node clusters. Each cluster may also have other nodes identified as lower order cluster leaders.
US07742418B2
The technology in this application determines the throughput over a data communication substantially as experienced by a user receiving the data. The determined throughput is substantially independent of the total amount of data transferred over the connection. This “active” throughput measure is divided into two parts to provide two performance measures: transfer throughput and latency. Latency corresponds to a time period needed to accomplish one or more functions associated with the data connection, like setting up and taking down the connection, during which payload type data to be transferred to an end user is not transferred. By identifying and removing the initial latency from the throughput determination for the data connection, the determined transfer throughput provides a more accurate measure of the throughput actually experienced by the end user.
US07742407B2
Quality of service management in a switched digital video environment. The devices in a user's home can be given quality of service priority statuses by a system operator. In the event of oversubscription, the quality of service management allows the user to determine which services will have priority over others if more bandwidth is requested than available.
US07742405B2
A network processor for processing information elements is described. Each information element is associated with a flow and comprises at least one information element segment. A policy controller stores an information element into at least one information segment storage unit within a memory, and determines whether an information element segment conforms to a predetermined quality of service (“QoS”). A traffic processor selects the information element segment for forwarding based on at least one QoS parameter. A forwarding processor forwards the selected information element segment to an egress port.
US07742401B2
A data switchover from a first switching module to a second switching module has no data loss. A graceful code upgrade in a Fibre Channel network, for example, with no data loss can be achieved.
US07742391B2
In a frequency offset estimating device of a subscriber station of a communication system in which a plurality of sectors are allocated to a cell, the frequency offset estimating device extracts a preamble sequence from a downlink frame signal. The frequency offset estimating device estimates a phase offset of a sector to which the subscriber station belongs among the sectors by using the preamble sequence, and calculates the autocorrelation value for the respective signals of the preamble sequence. The frequency offset estimating device compensates the autocorrelation value by using the phase offset, and estimates a frequency offset from the sum of the phase offset compensated autocorrelation values.
US07742387B2
Systems and methods for reducing crosstalk are provided. In one implementation, a method is provided. The method includes applying a pilot signal to a disturber twisted pair and measuring near end crosstalk of a victim twisted pair. The coupling characteristics between the disturber and the victim twisted pair are determined. A far end crosstalk function is derived for estimating the far end crosstalk in the victim twisted pair using the determined coupling characteristics. A crosstalk reduction signal is determined using the estimated far end cross talk. The crosstalk reduction signal is injected into the victim twisted pair to reduce crosstalk in the victim twisted pair.
US07742381B2
The invention relates to an optical scanning device for scanning in a first mode a first information layer (111) of an information carrier and in a second mode a second information layer (112) of the information carrier. The optical scanning device comprises a radiation source (101) for generating a radiation beam (102), an objective system (105) for focusing an entrance beam on an information layer and an optical element (103) arranged between the radiation source and the objective system, for converting said radiation beam into a diverging entrance beam in the first mode and a converging entrance beam in the second mode.
US07742367B2
A self-expiring badge or label is provided that includes a clear substrate, an opaque adhesive layer, a liner web, and an ink pattern is provided. The clear substrate has a back surface and a front surface with the opaque adhesive layer on the back surface. The liner web has a first surface and a second surface, where the adhesive layer secures the substrate to the first surface. The ink pattern is on at least a portion of the second surface. Upon removal of the liner web from the adhesive layer, the portion remains secured to the clear substrate by the adhesive layer and the clear substrate is foldable to place the ink pattern in contact with the adhesive layer. The ink pattern migrates through the adhesive layer in a selected time interval and is visible through the clear substrate when the ink pattern is in contact with the adhesive layer.
US07742365B2
A timepiece having a movement having a hammer and a hammer drive device that drives the hammer, a case that houses the movement, a sound source that produces sound by vibrating when struck by the hammer, and a striking force transmission member that can move bidirectionally between the hammer and the sound source, and transmits the striking force of the hammer to the sound source.
US07742350B2
A word line WLA of A port is activated based on a clock signal ACLK, and a word line WLB of B port is activated based on a port setting signal RDXA indicating that A port is a selected state. In addition thereto, a bit line of B port is precharged. A state in a simultaneous access operation is reproduced by activating the word line WLB during a time period of activating the word line WLA regardless of a delay difference of the clock signal and maintaining Vds of an access transistor of A port at a constant value.
US07742342B2
An EEPROM memory having a matrix of individually selectable memory cells, the matrix having a plurality of columns, a plurality of data lines each coupled with the cells of a corresponding column, the data lines being grouped in a plurality of packets, a plurality of biasing elements for providing a biasing signal to the data lines, and means for selecting the biasing elements for a selected one of the packets, wherein each biasing element is associated with corresponding data lines of a plurality of packets, the biasing element comprising switching means for selectively applying the biasing signal to a selected one of the associated data lines.
US07742330B2
For example, one memory cell is configured using two memory cell transistors and one phase change element by disposing a plurality of diffusion layers in parallel to a bit-line, disposing gates between the diffusion layers so as to cross the bit-line, disposing bit-line contacts and source contacts alternately to the plurality of diffusion layers arranged in a bit-line direction for each diffusion layer, and providing a phase change element on the source contact. Also, the phase change element can be provided on the bit-line contact instead of the source contact. By this means, for example, increase in drivability of the memory cell transistors and reduction in area can be realized.
US07742323B2
A structure for a memory device including a plurality of substantially planar thin-film layers or a plurality of conformal thin-film layers is disclosed. The thin-film layers form a memory element that is electrically in series with first and second cladded conductors and operative to store data as a plurality of conductivity profiles. A select voltage applied across the first and second cladded conductors is operative to perform data operations on the memory device. The memory device may optionally include a non-ohmic device electrically in series with the memory element and the first and second cladded conductors. Fabrication of the memory device does not require the plurality of thin-film layers be etched in order to form the memory element. The memory element can include a CMO layer having a selectively crystallized polycrystalline portion and an amorphous portion. The cladded conductors can include a core material made from copper.
US07742322B2
Optical and optoelectronic devices and methods of making same. Under one aspect, an optical device includes an integrated circuit an array of conductive regions; and an optically sensitive material over at least a portion of the integrated circuit and in electrical communication with at least one conductive region of the array of conductive regions. Under another aspect, a method of forming a nanocrystalline film includes fabricating a plurality of nanocrystals having a plurality of first ligands attached to their outer surfaces; exchanging the first ligands for second ligands of different chemical composition than the first ligands; forming a film of the ligand-exchanged nanocrystals; removing the second ligands; and fusing the cores of adjacent nanocrystals in the film to form an electrical network of fused nanocrystals. Under another aspect, a film includes a network of fused nanocrystals, the nanocrystals having a core and an outer surface, wherein the core of at least a portion of the fused nanocrystals is in direct physical contact and electrical communication with the core of at least one adjacent fused nanocrystal, and wherein the film has substantially no defect states in the regions where the cores of the nanocrystals are fused.
US07742320B2
An integrated circuit includes an operational amplifier configured to receive a current sense voltage (VCS) at a first input and an offset voltage at a second input. A comparator is coupled to the operational amplifier and adapted to receive at a first input an output voltage signal (VOUT) of the operational amplifier. A voltage limiting circuit is configured to receive a regulation voltage. A fold back correction circuit is coupled to the voltage limiting circuit and to a second input of the comparator. A pulse width modulator circuit is coupled to the comparator and is adapted to receive the output of comparator.
US07742319B2
Provided is a transformer having resonant inductance, the transformer including a core that includes a first leg formed in one side thereof, a second leg which is formed in the other side thereof so as to be electromagnetically coupled to the first leg, and a third leg which is formed between the first and second legs so as to be electromagnetically coupled to the first and second legs; a primary winding that is wound around one side of the third leg; a secondary winding that is wound around the other side of the third leg so as to induce power through electromagnetic induction with the primary winding; and a resonant inductance winding that is wound around the outside of the core so as not to be magnetically induced by magnetic fluxes generated from the primary and secondary windings.
US07742313B2
Stacked microfeature devices and associated methods of manufacture are disclosed. A package in accordance with one embodiment includes first and second microfeature devices having corresponding first and second bond pad surfaces that face toward each other. First bond pads can be positioned at least proximate to the first bond pad surface and second bond pads can be positioned at least proximate to the second bond pad surface. A package connection site can provide electrical communication between the first microfeature device and components external to the package. A wirebond can be coupled between at least one of the first bond pads and the package connection site, and an electrically conductive link can be coupled between the first microfeature device and at least one of the second bond pads of the second microfeature device. Accordingly, the first microfeature device can form a portion of an electrical link to the second microfeature device.
US07742309B2
An electronic device and method of assembling an electronic device, said device including an electronic component; an electrically insulating protective layer overlaying and in contact with at least a portion of the electronic component; and injection molded material overlaying at least the portion of the component and the overlaying protective layer.
US07742308B1
An electronic component housing system includes a cabinet having a front portion and a rear portion; a sliding mechanism mounted within the cabinet; and first and second electronic devices mounted to the sliding mechanism, the first and second electronic devices each having a front end and a back end. The sliding mechanism, in a first mode, enables the first and second electronic devices mounted thereto to be positioned within the cabinet between the front portion and the rear portion thereof, such that the front end of the first electronic device is disposed proximate the front portion of the cabinet and the back end of the second electronic device is disposed proximate the rear portion of the cabinet. The sliding mechanism, in a second mode, enables the first electronic device to be positioned beyond the front portion of the cabinet and the second electronic device to be positioned in a location substantially similar to the position occupied by the first electronic device in the first mode.
US07742306B2
An LED lamp includes a first heat sink, a pair of second heat sinks arranged at two opposite sides of the first heat sink, a plurality of heat pipes connecting the first heat sink to the pair of second heat sinks, and an LED module mounted on the first heat sink. With the help of good heat conducting capability of the heat pipes, heat generated by LEDs of the LED module can be conducted to the first heat sink and the pair of second heat sinks rapidly, which then dissipate the heat to the ambient air. Each second heat sink consists of a plurality of sheets defining a plurality of gaps therebetween; the gaps extend through top and bottom of each second heat sink. Each second heat sink has a lower portion below a bottom surface of the first heat sink.
US07742300B2
An audio-integrated apparatus has a body casing attached in an instrument panel of a vehicle. The body casing contains a media reader, a circuit board having a CPU, a CPU fan for cooling the CPU, and an exhaust fan. A media loading slot is in a front face of the body casing for inserting a media. A movable display section is in front of the body casing to be movable in a back-and-forth direction. A display movement mechanism can move the movable display section in the back-and-forth direction to thereby change an inclination against the front face of the body casing. A gear motor can detect a position of the movable display section. According to the detected position of the movable display section, rotational frequencies of the CPU fan and the exhaust fan are controlled.
US07742282B2
In this solid electrolytic capacitor, a plate-shaped anode having a porous sintered body, a dielectric layer and an electrolyte layer of polypyrrole are formed in this order for covering one part of an anode lead. An intermediate layer of aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) is formed for covering the electrolyte layer. A cathode having a first conductive layer containing graphite particles and a second conductive layer containing silver particles is formed for covering the intermediate layer. The cathode and a cathode terminal are connected by a conductive adhesive layer. The anode lead and the anode terminal are connected by welding. Further, a mold outer resin is formed to allow one end of the cathode terminal and one end of the anode terminal to project therefrom.
US07742281B2
The present invention is a solid electrolytic capacitor having a dielectric coating film, a solid electrolytic layer, and a cathode lead-out layer on a peripheral surface of an anode body in this order, in which the solid electrolytic layer is equipped with at least a first electrolytically polymerized layer and a second electrolytically polymerized layer formed by electrolytic polymerization of the same monomer, and the first electrolytically polymerized layer and the second electrolytically polymerized layer contain a different dopant. With this configuration, a solid electrolytic capacitor is provided that is superior in an ESR characteristic and also superior in heat resistance without deteriorating leakage current.
US07742277B2
A dielectric film capacitor includes a lower electrode having an opening and formed of a material including platinum, a dielectric film provided over the lower electrode and including an oxide having an ABOx crystal structure, and an upper electrode provided over the dielectric film. The planar area of the lower electrode is 50% or more of the area of a formation region of the dielectric film. A dielectric film capacitor includes a lower electrode formed of a material including platinum and having a thickness of 10 to 100 nm, a dielectric film provided over the lower electrode and including an oxide having an ABOx crystal structure, and an upper electrode provided over the dielectric film.
US07742270B2
A system and method for limiting energy to an industrial control system is described. The method includes receiving a supply voltage, limiting the supply voltage so as to generate a limited voltage, and providing the limited voltage to a field transducer, the field transducer being disposed to monitor a parameter of the industrial process. A field current, that is generated in response to the limited voltage, is received from the field transducer and the field current is indicative of a magnitude of the parameter under normal operating conditions. During a fault condition, the field current is restricted with a variable resistance that is responsive to an amount of thermal energy generated during the fault condition so as to limit an amount of energy drawn by the control system.
US07742265B2
In one embodiment, an ESD protection circuit comprises a switchable current sinking circuit connected to a positive ESD clamp rail voltage, which may be a power supply voltage, and a single trigger control circuit coupled to a control connection of the switchable current sinking circuit. The single trigger control circuit may be configured to couple the control connection of the switchable current sinking circuit to a negative ESD clamp rail voltage, which may be signal ground, during an ESD event occurring on the positive ESD clamp rail connection. In one embodiment, the switchable current sinking circuit is capable of sinking large amounts of current, and the ESD protection circuit is tolerant of rail voltages that exceed the breakdown voltage of semiconductor devices used in constructing the ESD circuit. In one embodiment, the single trigger control circuit is implemented with a single n-well, thereby minimizing the amount of required silicon area during fabrication of the ESD protection circuit.
US07742260B2
A magnetic head assembly includes a magnetic head slider with an element-formed surface on which at least one MR read head element is formed, an ABS to be opposed in operation to a magnetic recording medium and a fixing surface that is the other side of the ABS, and a support for supporting the magnetic head slider. The fixing surface of the magnetic head slider is fixed to the support by at least cure-shrinkage resin material layer providing a contractive force when cured. The cure-shrinkage resin material layer has at least one strip-shaped pattern running along a track width direction.
US07742259B2
Particularly, there is provided a perpendicular magnetic recording head capable of suppressing PTP and obtaining a stabilized recording ability by improving the shape of the opposed surface of a return yoke layer and a method of manufacturing the same. The shape of the return yoke layer on the opposed surface includes a downside formed linearly parallel to a track width direction (X direction shown in the drawing), a center portion where a protrusion portion having a maximum width T1 larger than a track width Tw by protruding upwardly is formed in a position opposed to a main magnetic pole layer in a film thickness direction (Z direction shown in the drawing), and opposed end portions, having a film thickness smaller than the center portion, that extend on the opposite sides in the track width direction of the center portion. As a result, it is possible to properly obtain both effects such as the improvement of the recording ability and the suppressing of PTP generation.
US07742256B2
A cartridge slot door mechanism is disclosed that covers a cartridge slot arranged at a front panel of a frame. The cartridge slot door mechanism includes an upper door having an upper side supported by the front panel, and a lower door having a lower side supported by the front panel. The upper door and the lower door are configured to open toward the inner side of the frame, and a lower side portion of the upper door and an upper side portion of the lower door are arranged to overlap.
US07742240B2
There is provided a subminiature imaging optical system utilizing only three sheets of lenses having positive, negative and positive refractive powers, respectively. The subminiature imaging optical system comprising, sequentially from an object side: a first lens having a meniscus shape with a convex object-side surface, the first lens having at least one aspherical surface and positive refractive power; a second lens having a meniscus shape with a convex image-side surface, the second lens having at least one spherical surface and negative refractive power; and a third lens having both surfaces formed of an aspherical surface and having positive refractive power.
US07742235B2
A zoom lens system comprising a first lens unit having negative power, a second lens unit having positive power and a third lens unit having positive power, wherein: the first lens unit comprises a first lens element having a concave surface at least on the image side and negative power and a second lens element having a convex surface at least on the object side and positive power; the second lens unit comprises a cemented lens element fabricated by two lens elements having optical power of mutually different signs and one single lens element; in zooming, all of the lens units move along an optical axis; and conditions (1): 5.0<αiW<20.0 and (I-2): n11≧1.9 (where, 3.2
US07742233B2
A system constructs a composite image using focus assessment information of image regions.
US07742222B2
The present invention relates generally to multi-faceted wavelength conversion devices and laser projection systems incorporating the same.
US07742212B2
A focused laser beam having an optical axis passes sequentially through a simple, positive lens, a pair of plane, parallel windows, and a second, simple, negative lens. Each of the plane, parallel windows are mounted to a galvanometer motor and positioned orthogonally to one another. The focused laser beam is therefore displaced in a controlled manner from the optical axis to enable laser machining of very precise geometric features over a large processing window. A field size of one thousand microns is achieved.
US07742207B2
An updating unit updates a color-conversion table stored in a storing unit. An image processing unit processes an input image data based on updated color-conversion table. A tamper-resistant chip that includes a first collecting unit that collects log information related to a usage of the image processing apparatus, a generating unit that generates a hash value corresponding to collected log information, and a recording unit that records generated hash value. An acquiring unit acquires the log information corresponding to the hash value by referring to recorded hash value. The updating unit updates the color-conversion table based on acquired log information.
US07742202B2
A light-collective member (142) for collecting a light outputted from a light source (140), which irradiates a light toward a document surface, toward a sub-scanning direction is provided in front of the light source (140). An illuminating portion which is so formed that each of opposite end surfaces (170, 172) in the main scanning direction of the light-collective member (142) has an obtuse angle with respect to a bottom surface (174) facing the light source (140).
US07742197B2
One or more character strings are extracted from within an inputted image. The extracted character strings are retrieved to find one or more identical character strings. A determination is then made as to whether or not the identical character strings are laid out regularly, with processing performed on the inputted image depending on the findings of the determination.
US07742189B2
Data concerning misalignment of beams is measured and held in an optical scanning apparatus before the optical scanning apparatus is incorporated in an image forming apparatus. The optical scanning apparatus includes a light source for emitting multiple beams, an optical lens for converting the multiple beams to parallel lights and a rotating polygon mirror for rotary-deflecting the multiple beams. Furthermore, the measurement apparatus measures main scanning direction misalignment among the multiple beams on a photosensitive member provided for the image forming apparatus, which has been determined by detecting the multiple beams from the rotating polygon mirror (and an fθ lens). The optical scanning apparatus includes a holding unit for holding the data concerning misalignment. The image forming apparatus in which the optical scanning apparatus is incorporated corrects the misalignment with the use of the data concerning misalignment inputted directly or indirectly from the holding unit.
US07742184B2
A data transmission/reception system provides the recipient of image data with flexible options for handling the image data. The system transmits notification mail to a cellular phone owned by the recipient when transmitting facsimile data from a transmitting facsimile machine to a receiving facsimile machine. The recipient transmits a command from the cellular phone indicating how the facsimile data received by the receiving facsimile machine should be handled. In response to the command received from the cellular phone, the receiving facsimile machine either forms an image based on the facsimile data on paper or forwards the facsimile data to another facsimile machine near the recipient. Accordingly, the recipient can transmit a forwarding command instructing the receiving facsimile machine to transmit the facsimile data to a facsimile machine nearby when the recipient is in a remote location, thereby enabling the recipient to view an image based on the facsimile data at any time.
US07742178B2
In a method and system for processing document data in a document processing system that comprises at least a document generation computer, a document processing computer, an electronic document output system, and a monitoring computer, document data are generated on the document generation computer. The document data are transmitted from the document generation computer to a processing computer. To optimize control of a subsequent data output, control data are added to the transmitted document data in the processing computer with a processing module, and the control data are additionally stored in a control data buffer file. The processed data are forwarded to an output system.
US07742175B2
A method of analyzing a presence in a space (5), the method comprising the steps of: projecting at least one light beam (10) into the space towards a screen in such a manner that at least a portion of a body, if present in the space, casts a shadow onto the screen; and analyzing the shadow cast on the screen.
US07742170B1
Described herein is a method and system for providing a countermeasure against laser detection systems using nanocomponent material that is tailored to cloak or obscure a target from detection by transmitted laser radiation. The nanodot material absorbs and/or down-converts the transmitted laser radiation. Similarly, described herein is a method and system for providing a countermeasure against laser systems intended to blind a target through the use of a specifically engineered nanocomponent material for absorbing and/or down-converting the radiation from the laser system.
US07742166B2
An apparatus for enhancing the selectivity for spectroscopic measurements of analytes in a turbid medium is described. In one example, spatial filters are used to select only certain radii from the medium to be imaged. This selection is accomplished by placing an optical obstruction on the surface of the medium or at an image plane of the surface later in the optical imaging system. In one implementation, this is achieved by placing a fiber bundle at an image plane of the collecting optical system and then using a spacer of appropriate size at the center of the fiber bundle to act as a central obstruction.
US07742155B2
A diffusion material includes a prescribed scattering S(λ) of respective fine particles that are determined by Mie theory for all plural kinds of fine particles at a wavelength λ of an incident light. The diffusion material includes plural kinds of fine particles having different refractive indices, dispersed into a matrix. Each particle providing light intensity attenuating rate C(λ) in the diffusion material, and chromaticity variations Δx and Δy of the incident light. The diffusion power of the diffusion material by using determined chromaticity variations Δx and Δy; the diffusion material that is evaluated by this evaluation method and can emit illumination light free from wavelength unevenness. The diffusion material includes a blending the fine particles to provide the prescribed diffusion and uniform illumination.
US07742149B2
A stage system for a lithographic apparatus includes a stage, an over-determined number of actuators arranged to act on the stage, and an electric power supply configured to provide a current to the actuators, wherein the current is supplied to a coil associated with a first actuator of the actuators and to a coil associated with a second actuator of the actuators.
US07742131B2
A method for fabricating a color filter substrate including the following procedures is provided. First, a substrate is provided and a color filter layer is formed thereon. Next, a plurality of sensing spacers is formed on a part of the color filter layer. Then, a planarization layer is formed to cover the color filter layer and expose the sensing spacers. Next, an electrode layer is formed to cover the planarization layer and the sensing spacers. After that, a plurality of main spacers is formed on a part of the electrode layer excluding disposing regions of the sensing spacers, wherein a step height is formed between the main spacers and the electrode layer above sensing spacers.
US07742124B2
The present invention (1) includes a multi-focal plane display with two or more at least partially overlapping screens (2, 3) with a first order optical retarder (5) interposed therebetween. The invention removes the undersirable presence of colored interference fringes while also providing a means of addressing the polarization incompatibility between adjacent LCD display screens (2, 3).
US07742114B2
An electro-optic device includes a substrate, data lines and scanning lines extending so as to cross each other, pixel electrodes each arranged for one of a plurality of pixels defined by crossing of the data lines and the scanning lines in plan view of the substrate, thin film transistors each electrically connected to one of the pixel electrodes, and storage capacitors each electrically connected to one of the pixel electrodes. Each of the storage capacitors is arranged above the corresponding thin film transistor so as to overlap at least a channel region of the thin film transistor in plan view of the substrate. The storage capacitors each include a lower electrode composed of a polysilicon film and an upper electrode composed of a dielectric film and a metal film stacked in this order from the bottom.
US07742112B2
A memory device includes first electrodes, second electrodes, third electrodes, heaters, and memory cells between the first electrodes and the heaters. Each third electrode is provided on the heaters, and each second electrode is provided at a side portion of the heaters. Each memory cell contains an electroconductive liquid crystal compound having a long linear conjugate structure and exhibiting a smectic phase as a liquid crystal phase. Information can be written in the memory cells by selectively heating the heaters to cause the corresponding memory cells to have both electroconductivity and optical anisotropy.
US07742109B2
A plasma display panel is a pure linear display and does not provide a non-linear gamma behavior like a CRT so that an artificial gamma function has to be applied to the signal in digital form. This gamma function increases the quantization steps in the dark areas whereas the quantization steps will be reduced in the luminous areas. The basic idea is to apply an adaptive noise filtering after the gammatization process. The adaptive filtering is a specific filtering which is adapted to the gammatization quantization noise. In other words, the filtering will be maximum for dark areas and its efficacy will be automatically decreased when the luminance of the area is increasing.
US07742106B2
A method and apparatus for setting a language in a television receiver enable one language setting operation performed in a first menu, corresponding to one of a plurality of language-specific functions, to automatically set a preferred language for one or more other functions. The method includes steps of setting a language in a first menu according to a user selection, the first menu corresponding to one function of a plurality of language-specific functions; and automatically setting a language of at least one other function of the plurality of language-specific functions to the language set according to the user selection, the language of the at least one other function being set interoperably with the first menu. Thus, if at least one language is selected in the first menu, a language of at least one other function is set to the first-menu language. Upon powering a television receiver receiving a transport stream from a broadcasting station, a tuner tunes a broadcast signal of a corresponding channel, whereupon additional information is parsed from the tuned transport stream to extract information of every language being provided. The extracted information is then stored in memory so that, according to a user selection of a first menu for performing a language setting operation, the stored language information can be simultaneously output as an audio signal and displayed on a screen to enable user recognition.
US07742105B2
An on screen display (OSD) apparatus and a method for displaying a menu on the OSD apparatus are provided. The ODS apparatus includes: a memory module which stores a system program and data for a first region, where the data for the first region includes a plurality of first menu items; a screen which displays the first region; an input device which generates signals for displaying the first region on the screen; and a controller which divides the first region into a first sub-region and a second sub-region by using the system program, upon receipt of signals from an input device, and which displays the first sub-region and the second sub-region at different heights on the screen.
US07742102B2
An extendable pivot shaft mechanism of a camera for pivoting a rotatable grip on a camera body is provided to allow the rotatable grip both to rotate about a rotational axis and to move along the rotational axis relative to the camera body,the extendable pivot shaft mechanism includes an inner shaft, a middle cylinder and an outer cylinder which are concentrically arranged about the rotational axis. The inner shaft and the outer cylinder are fixed to one and the other of the grip and the camera body, respectively. One of the inner shaft and the outer cylinder serves as a rotatable shaft element which is rotatable about the rotational axis relative to the middle cylinder. The other of the inner shaft and the outer cylinder serves as a linearly movable shaft element which is linearly movable along the rotational axis relative to the middle cylinder.
US07742101B2
An insertion member fixing structure includes an insertion member which is inserted into a support hole formed in a support member; and outer and inner adhesive-pouring recesses formed on an inner peripheral surface of the support hole at one end thereof and on an outer peripheral surface of the insertion member, respectively, in a manner so as to face each other and be communicatively connected to each other in a state where the insertion member is inserted into the support hole. The insertion member is fixed to the support member by pouring an adhesive into the outer and inner adhesive-pouring recesses so that the adhesive spreads into the outer and inner adhesive-pouring recess.
US07742097B2
Provided is an optical device having image capturing means that converts an optical image of an object to an electric signal, and an optical element arranged before the image capturing means. In the optical device, an insulation member is arranged at a position facing the optical element in a way to be movable in a substantially entire area of a light entering surface of the optical element, and an electric control unit is provided for at least electrostatically charging or neutralizing the insulation member.
US07742093B2
A digital camera comprising an imaging device, a memory, a monitor, and a monitor controller is provided. The digital camera is used for photographing an optical image of an object as an image of a first rectangle. An aspect ratio of the first rectangle is a first aspect ratio. The imaging device generates an image signal. The monitor is a second rectangle. An aspect ratio of the second rectangle is a second aspect ratio. The second aspect ratio is decided to be lower than the first aspect ratio if the first aspect ratio is higher than one. The second aspect ratio is decided to be higher than the first aspect ratio if the first aspect ratio is lower than one. The monitor controller makes a displayed-image be displayed on the monitor according to a first or a second replay mode.
US07742089B2
A CMOS solid state imaging device is capable of achieving a higher image quality while reducing the size and power consumption and increasing the number of pixels and speeds. According to the invention, in a CMOS solid state imaging device, including a light-receiving portion (11) that performs photoelectric conversion according to a quantity of received light, a transfer gate (12a) used to read out charges obtained through the photoelectric conversion in the light-receiving portion (11), and a peripheral transistor provided in a periphery of the light-receiving portion (11), and a driving method of the same, a voltage applied to the transfer gate (12a) is set higher than a voltage applied to the peripheral transistor.
US07742088B2
A color solid-state image pickup device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion areas provided in an array pattern on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The inside of each of photoelectric conversion areas 10 is two-dimensionally partitioned into a plurality of segments R, G1, G2, and B which output a plurality of photoelectric conversion signals of different spectral sensitivities. As a result, occurrence of a false signal and a false color is suppressed, and high-sensitivity, high-resolution image data having superior color reproducibility can be obtained.
US07742080B2
An image processing apparatus includes an access unit, a setting unit and an image generation unit. The access unit accesses RAW data representing a tone level of one channel for each pixel and attribute data attached to the RAW data. The setting unit sets generation condition to generate an image from the RAW data. The image generation unit generates an output image from the RAW data on the basis of the generation condition, attaches attaching the attribute data to the output image for an item of which generation condition matches the attribute data, and attaches the attribute data to the output image for an item of which generation condition does not match the attribute data.
US07742074B2
Group keys and image group names of image groups to which the owner of a digital camera belongs are transmitted from a server to the digital camera. The image group names are displayed in list form and an image group name is selected from the list. The group key of the selected image group is transmitted from the digital camera to the server. The server sends the digital camera access information for accessing the user computer of another user who belongs to the image group identified by the received group key. The digital camera accesses the user computer based upon the access information and receives the image file desired.
US07742069B2
An apparatus and method for use with a television and a telephone line. In response to reception of a ring signal carried on the telephone line, at least one stored remote control command (e.g., “mute”) is wirelessly transmitted to the television for effectuating remote control operations of the television in conjunction with the ring signal being carried on the telephone line. Preferably, the electrical energy of the ring signal is converted to appropriate DC voltage levels to power on component(s) of the apparatus where permitted. The at least one remote control command is preferably supplied by operation of a wireless remote control unit and stored in non-volatile memory for subsequent transmission.
US07742056B2
An image display system includes: an information processing apparatus that performs predetermined correction processing for image data to be displayed; and an image display apparatus that displays an image on the basis of the image data correction-processed in the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes a first image correction operation processing section that executes, for the image data, correction processing set on the basis of characteristics of the image data of a plurality of correction processing to be performed for the image data. The image display apparatus includes a second image correction operation processing section that executes, for the image data correction-processed in the information processing apparatus, correction processing other than correction processing executed in the information processing apparatus of the plurality of correction processing to be performed for the image data.
US07742046B2
A two-dimensional image can be displayed in a desired position, a desired aspect ratio of the display image can be maintained, and such an elemental image array as to maximize an interpolating effect can be produced. A producing method of an elemental image array for three-dimensional image display includes: converting the resolution of the two-dimensional image into substantially the same resolution of a three-dimensional image display device; obtaining multipoint images by shifting the position to sample the two-dimensional image after the resolution conversion at regular intervals in the horizontal direction; and rearranging the multipoint images according to the positional relationship between exit pupils and projecting directions.
US07742045B2
A method is provided for accurately sampling pixels in a fixed-format display, which is connected to a host computer through an analog video display adapter. The method comprises the step of confirming that the fixed-format display is able to receive a pixel clock signal from the analog video display adapter. Another step is sending the pixel clock signal across an analog video sync line so that synchronization data and the pixel clock signal will be contained on the analog video sync line. An additional step is receiving the pixel clock signal in the fixed-format display. A further step is applying the pixel clock signal in the fixed-format display to sample pixels.
US07742041B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first panel, a second panel facing the first panel and spaced apart from the first panel, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first panel and the second panel, a variable capacitor having a capacitance that varies by a touch and generating a control voltage that has a magnitude depending on the capacitance, and a sensing element disposed on the second panel and generating a sensing signal based on the control voltage.
US07742036B2
A haptic device having a plurality of operational modes, including a first operational mode and a second operational mode is provided. The first operational mode is associated with a frequency range. The second operational mode is associated with a frequency range that is different from the frequency range of the first operational mode. A controller is coupled to the haptic device, and is configured to send the haptic device a plurality of control schemes. Each control scheme is uniquely associated with an operational mode from the plurality of operational modes.
US07742035B2
An exemplary liquid crystal display (200) includes a liquid crystal (LC) panel (210), a gate driving circuit (220) for scanning the liquid crystal panel, a data driving circuit (230) for providing a plurality of gradation voltages to the liquid crystal panel, an photo sensor (250) configured for measuring a frequency and a luminance of ambient light and generating a measurement signal, a timing control circuit (240) configured for controlling the gate driving circuit and the data driving circuit, and a backlight module driving circuit (270) for driving a light source (260) to emit light beams for illuminating the liquid crystal panel. One of the timing control circuit and the backlight module driving circuit is configured for receiving the measurement signal and adjusting a refresh rate and a luminance of the LC panel according to the frequency and the luminance of the ambient light.
US07742033B2
A backlight control system has a light source controlled by a control device; a light guide for introducing light from light source and supplying backlight from the back surface of liquid crystal panel; a light sensor for detecting part of the backlight; and means for feeding signals from light sensor back to control device. Liquid crystal panel comprises light sensor on the side of the glass substrate thereof opposite the side where drive elements are mounted. Light sensor detects light from the base side that has passed through glass substrate on the surface of glass substrate.
US07742031B2
A display device includes: a gate driver for carrying out display scanning on pixels sequentially in a first direction of a TFT liquid crystal panel so as to set pixels to display states thereof according to information to be displayed by the pixels in the TFT liquid crystal panel. The pixels being arranged in two dimensions and being individually controllable in terms of the display state through illumination. There is a backlight, unit for illuminating the individual pixels with intensity of light which increases and subsequently decreases in synchronism with the display scanning carried out by the gate driver, but only after the display scanning. The arrangement enables the backlight flashing period to be determined independently from a TFT panel scanning period or response time of liquid crystal, ensures an extended operating time of a TFT panel, effects a display period equal to, or longer than, the black blanking type, and achieves higher contrast than the black blanking type.
US07742029B2
A display device with improved brightness and a method of controlling the display device are presented. The display device includes a driving transistor, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the driving transistor, a detecting transistor detecting a magnitude of an electric signal transferred from the driving transistor to the pixel electrode, and a controller. The controller regulates a data voltage applied to the pixel electrode based on a difference between the detected electric signal and a predetermined reference level. The display device achieves improved homogeneity of brightness by compensating for any deterioration of TFTs.
US07742025B2
A display apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. Each pixel includes a light emitting device, a driving transistor for supplying a driving current to the light emitting device, a first switching transistor coupled with the control terminal of the driving transistor to transmit a data voltage, and a second switching transistor coupled with the control terminal of the driving transistor to transmit a reverse voltage. The first and second switching transistors are alternately coupled with scanning lines driven by one of two scanning drivers, and are alternately turned on at different times. The display apparatus periodically applies the reverse voltage to the driving transistors to turn off the diving transistors and to compensate for variation of the threshold voltage of the driving transistors.
US07742022B2
There is disclosed an organic EL display device using pre-charge which can improve display quality by preventing a cross talk generated by a brightness difference within the same picture realization area, and a driving method thereof.An organic EL display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display panel where a plurality of data lines cross a plurality of scan lines and electro luminescence cells are arranged in the crossing parts thereof; a pre-charge driver for supplying a pre-charge current to the data line in accordance with gray levels of data; and a data driver for charging a data current to the data line for a designated period which is set before a scan pulse is supplied to the electro luminescence cell and after the pre-charge current is supplied.
US07742020B2
A signal line driving circuit which includes a digital signal sampling circuit, a storage circuit, a time setting circuit and a constant current circuit, is fabricated of TFTs on an insulating substrate which is made of the same substance as that of a pixel portion substrate. Thus, in a passive type EL display device, the problem of a distortion in the case of bonding the signal line driving circuit onto the pixel portion substrate can be eliminated. Besides, in an active type EL display device, each pixel is constructed of one transistor and an EL element. Thus, the aperture factor of the EL display device is enlarged.
US07742006B2
An antenna includes a non-conductive pane, a ground plane disposed on the non-conductive pane, and a radiating strip disposed on the non-conductive pane for operating in a plurality of frequency bands. The radiating strip defines a plurality of loops. A portion of a periphery of one of the loops coincides with at least a portion of a periphery of another of the loops. The radiating strip also includes at least one branch extending away from the periphery of one of the loops to allow tuning and shifting of the resonant frequencies of the antenna.
US07742001B2
A two-tier wideband antenna comprising a chip of a dielectric material with an upper radiating structure and a lower radiating structure, the dielectric chip being mounted on an insulating carrier substrate which includes a feed-line to connect the antenna to a transceiver device. The lower radiating structure comprises two side elements which have a large aspect ratio so as to reduce the frequency of the lower band edge of the frequency response of the antenna when compared with the frequency response of a monopole patch antenna fabricated on a similar dielectric chip. The antenna of the present invention is suitable for operation over an ultra wideband, e.g. a frequency range extending from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz.
US07741995B2
A terminal device receives satellite signals from a plurality of satellite positioning system (SPS) satellites and locates a position. The terminal device periodically calculates a first drift df1 of a local oscillator using a reference frequency Hr, calculates a search range of the satellite signal using the first drift df1, calculates a second drift df2 of the local oscillator using a reception frequency of the satellite signal, calculates a reference frequency error β which is an error of the reference frequency by calculating a difference between the first drift df1 and the second drift df2, and calculates an error correction value βav of the reference frequency by subjecting a plurality of the reference frequency errors β to a statistical process.
US07741991B1
An angle tracking radar system particularly for a missile with a steerable antenna and gyros strapped down to the missile body—a ‘partially strapdown’ system. The body rate signals, body acceleration signals where provided, and target position signals are converted into an electronic reference frame which is controlled to align with the target sightline, the above body and target signals being employed to produce estimates of target direction, sightline rate and sightline acceleration for use in controlling the missile.
US07741986B2
An inverter circuit configuring a delay unit is a so-called CMOS transistor including a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor, of which respective gates are interconnected and respective drains are interconnected. The source and a back gate of the NMOS transistor are connected to the ground. The source of the PMOS transistor is connected to a positive drive terminal and controlled by an analog input signal. The back gate of the PMOS transistor is connected to a control terminal and controlled by a control signal.
US07741982B2
A method for estimating a relative time difference vector in a group of digitized signals from a time interleaved analog-to-digital module having a plurality of parallel and time interleaved analog-to-digital converters. The method comprises the steps of selecting (S1) one of said digitized signals as a reference signal, calculating (S2-S3) an actual time delay between each of the remaining signals and said reference signal, and subtracting (S4), for each of said remaining signals, an intended interleaving time delay from said time delay. In order for this method to provide the correct estimate, the signal must be bandlimited, not only to the system bandwidth, but to the bandwidth of one ADC. However, given this bandwidth limitation, the estimation is very precise, and therefore enables reconstruction of the digitized signal without feedback.
US07741980B2
A system includes a precoder-aware running digital sum (RDS) encoder that encodes user data as w-bit sub-blocks, to produce an encoded data block that meets block RDS constraints and consists of encoded data sub-blocks that meet sub-block RDS constraints. The sub-block constraints include the data sub-blocks having the same magnitude RDS before and after precoding. The encoder data block is further encoded using an error correction code to produce parity bits, and the parity bits are dispersed, as i-bit parity sub-blocks, between selected data sub-blocks to form a code word. The code word is then precoded to produce a precoded bit sequence for transmission over a channel. Sub-block run length limit (“RLL”) constraints may also be included, such that the encoded data block meets both RLL and RDS, with the encoded data sub-blocks meeting respective RLL and RDS sub-block constraints.
US07741978B2
There is disclosed a system and method for providing location-based entertainment. In one embodiment, a device capable of providing location-based entertainment comprises a navigational interface module configured to receive navigational data, an entertainment selection module configured to utilize the navigational data to generate location-based entertainment content for a user, and a presentation module configured to present the location-based content to the user. The system may also include a position finding module and a routing module. In one embodiment, a method for providing location-based entertainment comprises identifying a present location of a mobile user, identifying a destination of the mobile user, determining a travel route of the mobile user based on the present location and the destination of the mobile user, providing navigational data according to the travel route, generating a location-based entertainment content for a user utilizing the navigational data, and presenting the location-based content to the user.
US07741973B2
A drive control device that includes: a driving circuit to drive a driving source; a condition detector to detect the condition of at least one of the driving source and the driving circuit to output a condition signal thereof; a controller to control the driving circuit based on the condition signal; an alarm detector to detect an occurrence of an alarm based on the condition signal; an alarm code generator to analyze the alarm detected by the alarm detector to generate an alarm code; and an alarm display to display the alarm code generated by the alarm code generator, in which the alarm display includes one or more lighting section to display the alarm code by a lighting pattern of the lighting section.
US07741971B2
The Invention, titled the “Split Chip” by the Inventor, contemplates an RFID enabled consumer oriented tracking system which protects consumer privacy by splitting a miniaturized silicon RFID transponder circuit into a retained piece and a detached piece. The two pieces are electrically connected by a fine piece of conductive material. Each piece is dependent upon the other in order to disgorge data. The electrical connection between the two pieces can be severed by the consumer by tearing the fine piece of conductive material at a designated spot on the substrate making the Split Chip moribund. Upon a return or refund of the consumer item the original data can be recovered through a laser guidance system which connects the retained piece and its alpha numeric identifier to a back end host computer administration network.
US07741969B2
An alarm system and method for (1) assisting a user in arming and disarming an alarm system when locking and unlocking an entry door, (2) automatically locking an entry door when arming the alarm system, and/or (3) remotely controlling an electronic lock in an entry door.
US07741968B1
There is disclosed systems and methods for controlling communication of navigation positioning information from a source of said information to another device for tracking purposes. In one embodiment, a master portable device is grouped with a plurality of other portable devices and the master device maintains and displays the geographic positions of all of the devices in the group.
US07741961B1
An obstacle detection and tracking system identifies objects in the path of a vehicle equipped with the system and issues a visual, audible, and/or control system warning. The system includes a depth imaging system that acquires depth data from objects in the field of view of a detection zone encompassing at least a portion of the road to be driven upon. It is assumed most of the acquired data represents road plane information. Statistical analysis of the depth image data identifies in (X,Y,Z) space at least one plane of the road being driven, after which identification threshold normal heights above and below the road plane are defined. Imaged objects within the detection zone that are higher or lower than a threshold normal are deemed of potential concern and will generate a warning to the vehicle operator or vehicle.
US07741956B1
An enhanced backscatter RF-ID tag reader system and multiprotocol RF tag reader system is provided. In a multiprotocol mode, the system emits a non-stationary interrogation signal, and decodes a phase modulated backscatter signal by detecting a stronger phase component from quadrature phase representations or determining phase transition edges in a phase of a received signal. The RF tag reader system predicts or follows the phase of the backscatter signal, thereby avoiding interference from nulls in the received signal waveform due to the non-stationary interrogation signal, relative movement or environmental effects. An acoustic RF-ID tag detection system detects the reradiated signal corresponding to respective transformation of a signal in the tag. Detection of either type of RF-ID tags therefore is possible, and the absence of any tag or absence of any valid tag also determined.
US07741954B2
A paging transceiver and method for selectively paging provides a page to a paging transceiver but does not automatically provide an associated message. The paging transceiver receives the page and alerts the user that a message is waiting and preferably provides a short description of the message. The user can then download or otherwise act on the message at a time and at a place convenient to the user. The user can therefore place the paging transceiver in a location where it can easily receive and reply to the message. The paging system conserves air time and the paging transceiver conserves memory by not automatically receiving the associated messages. The user can determine the time at which the paging transceiver receives transmissions, such as during off-peak hours. The messages stored by the systems and delivered to the paging transceiver may be of different types, such as voice, text, audio, or even video. In addition to messages, the paging system can store other information for the user, such as songs or video clips that the user can sample or updates on weather or stock rates.
US07741952B2
An electronic lock utilizes two microprocessors remote from each other for enhanced security. The first microprocessor is disposed close to an input device such as a keypad, and the second microprocessor is disposed close to the lock mechanism and well protected from external access. The first microprocessor transmits a communication code to the second microprocessor when it receives via the input device an access code that matches a preset access code. The second microprocessor opens the lock if the transmitted communication code matches a preset communication code. The dual-microprocessor arrangement is advantageously used in a voice controlled access control system and in a motorcycle ignition control system. The present invention further provides an electronic access control system which has a master electronic key having a preset number of access, and an electronic alarm system for a bicycle that has a remote control mounted in the helmet of the rider.
US07741940B2
Disclosed is an actuator device for an optical device. The actuator device includes a core arranged in an optical device inside of which an optical path passes through, a coil wound around the core, and a rotational magnet formed into an approximately cylindrical shape, at least one end of which includes a bearing portion in an axial direction, and which rotates according to a direction of a magnet field output from the core by electrifying the coil. The actuator device further includes a drive pin rotated in association with the rotational magnet, a base member securely supporting the core and rotatably supporting the rotating magnet, and an optical member moving in and out of the optical path based on rotation of the rotational magnet.
US07741934B2
A device and method is provided that includes a window for coupling a signal between cavities of a device or between cavities of different devices. A wall or microstructure is formed on a surface and defines a cavity. The window is formed in the wall and comprises at least a portion of the wall and is electrically conductive. The cavity can be sized to resonate at various frequencies within the terahertz portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and generate an electromagnetic wave to carry the signal. The window allows surface currents to flow without disruption on the inside surface of the cavity.
US07741931B2
A filter includes a parallel resonator having first comb electrodes provided on a piezoelectric substrate and a first dielectric film that covers the first comb electrodes, and a series resonator having second comb electrodes provided on the piezoelectric substrate and a second dielectric film covers the second comb electrodes and is made of a material identical to that of the first dielectric film. The first dielectric film has a different thickness from that of the second dielectric film.
US07741929B2
A radio frequency (RF) directional coupler (100) can include a first transmission line element (102) having a first end and a second end, and a second transmission line element (104) having a first end and a second end. The first and second transmission line elements (102, 104) can be disposed in a first plane, where at least a portion of said first and said second transmission line elements (102, 104) are adjacent along a path. The RF coupler (100) can also include a first series of conductive coupling elements (116) disposed along said path in a second plane parallel to the first plane and separated from said first and said second transmission line elements (102, 104) by a first dielectric element (114). The first and second plane can be separated by a pre-determined distance (t2) to increase a capacitive coupling between the first and second transmission line elements (102, 104).
US07741927B2
The PWM control circuit is provided. The PWM control circuit includes: a PWM control signal generator that generates a PWM period signal defining a period of a PWM signal and a PWM resolution signal specifying a resolution in one period of the PWM period signal; and a PWM unit that generates the PWM signal based on the PWM period signal and the PWM resolution signal, wherein the PWM control signal generator changes a frequency of the PWM resolution signal while keeping a frequency of the PWM period signal unchanged.
US07741921B2
A Trigger-Mode Distributed Wave Oscillator that provides accurate multiple phases of an oscillation and a method of use of the same. An auxiliary oscillator triggers an oscillation on independent conductor loops or rings forming a differential transmission medium for the oscillation wave. Once the oscillation wave is triggered, the auxiliary oscillator can be powered down to turn it off, and the wave can sustain itself indefinitely through active amplifying devices which can compensate for losses in the conductors.
US07741918B1
A frequency synthesizer is described. In particular, the frequency synthesizer includes a modulator circuit for producing a signal of modulated frequency. The frequency synthesizer includes an accumulator for summing a plurality of errors in the modulator circuit. An error sum value is generated. More particularly, the accumulator increases the rate of sign change of the plurality of errors. An error signal modulator is coupled to the accumulator and modulates an index that is associated with a current error based on the error sum value. The index that is modulated is used for selecting a feedback loop divider count value used for dividing a frequency of the signal. As a result, the error noise around a target signal shows an increased sign change of error, which moves the error noise to higher frequencies. This improves EMI performance.
US07741907B2
An FET outputs a signal including a component of angular frequency ωo of input signal and harmonic components, a first two-terminal reactance circuit interconnects an output terminal and a ground terminal of the FET, a fundamental matching circuit is connected to an output terminal end of the FET, a second two-terminal reactance circuit is connected between an input terminal of the matching circuit and the output terminal, the FET has a parallel circuit of an output resistor and an output capacitor, the first two-terminal reactance circuit is open for a dc, shorted for angular frequencies 2ωo, 4ωo, . . . , 2nωo, and parallel resonant with the output capacitor for angular frequencies 3ωo, 5ωo, . . . , (2n+1)ωo, and the second two-terminal reactance circuit is shorted for a dc, and open for angular frequencies 3ωo, 5ωo, . . . , (2n+1)ωo.
US07741904B2
A linear amplifier circuit includes a first matching circuit that receives a first signal and to produce a first impedance matched signal, a first power amplifier that produces a first amplified signal in response to the first impedance matched signal under the control of a first bias signal, a second power amplifier that produces a second amplified signal in response to the first impedance matched signal under the control of a second bias signal, a biasing circuit that produces the first bias signal and the second bias signal. The first power amplifier can be activated by the first biasing signal when the power of the output signal is to exceed a first threshold value. The second power amplifier can be activated by the second biasing signal when the power of the output signal is below a second threshold value. A second matching circuit configured to receive the first amplified signal and the second amplified signal, and to produce an output signal.
US07741901B2
For charging a bootstrap capacitor in a voltage converter, a circuit is provided for wider bandwidth to eliminate the feedback stability issue and pin out for compensation circuit. A pair of transistors are connected in series between a power input and the bootstrap capacitor, the first transistor is switched synchronously with a low-side transistor of the voltage converter, and a comparator compares a feedback voltage drawn from a feedback node between the pair of transistors with a reference voltage, to control the second transistor to determine to charge the bootstrap capacitor.
US07741900B1
A biasing device can supply a bias voltage to bias-able element by coupling a bias circuit to the bias-able element, coupling a state adjusting device to the biasing circuit, configuring the state adjusting device to 1) increase an initial biasing voltage by a first amount when an intermediate voltage threshold exceeds a voltage drop across the bias-able element and 2) increment the increased initial bias voltage by a second amount, where the second amount is a fraction of the first amount, until the voltage drop across the bias-able element substantially equals a predetermined bias voltage. The bias circuit of the biasing device can include a variable resistance, which is controlled by the state adjusting device and configured to vary the biasing voltage, in series with the bias-able element. The variable resistance can include a first variable resistance coupled in series to a first terminal of the bias-able element and a second variable resistance coupled in series to a second terminal of the bias-able element.
US07741896B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided a high voltage drive circuit comprising drive and sense electrodes formed substantially in a single plane. The device effects signal transfer between drive and receive circuits through the drive and sense electrodes by capacitive means, and permits high voltage devices, such as IGBTs, to be driven thereby without the use of high voltage transistors, thereby eliminating the need to use expensive fabrication processes such as SOI when manufacturing high voltage gate drive circuits and ICs. The device may be formed in a small package using, by way of example, using CMOS or other conventional low-cost semiconductor fabrication and packaging processes.
US07741879B2
An apparatus for generating a constant logical value in an integrated circuit includes a first logic network having n outputs, the n outputs providing 2n possible output combinations, where the n outputs assume a state that is a subset of the 2n possible output combinations and a second logic network configured to generate at least one constant logic signal when the n outputs assume any state that is part of the subset of the 2n possible output combinations.
US07741875B2
A low amplitude differential output circuit includes a pre-buffer circuit configured to output a main buffer drive signal of a-first drive signal and a second drive signal which are complimentary signals, as a differential signal; and a main buffer circuit connected with the pre-buffer circuit to output a differential output signal in response to the main buffer drive signal. Each of the first drive signal and the second drive signal has an amplitude between a first voltage and a second voltage, and the first drive signal and the second drive signal take a same voltage between the first voltage and a middle voltage between the first voltage and the second voltage.
US07741853B2
Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed, including a ground-fault sensor that has a plurality of conductors each disposed one inside of another except for an outer conductor and a field sensor configured to sense an electric field, a magnetic field, or both. In some embodiments, the field sensor is disposed adjacent the outer conductor.
US07741851B2
A potential measuring apparatus has a detection electrode on which an electric charge is induced according to a potential of a detection object, and a modulator for altering the generated quantity of the electric charge. The detection electrode has at least one depressed portion on a surface opposite to the detection object.
US07741849B2
Methods for predicting a remaining lifetime of an electric energy storage mechanism, in particular a battery in a motor vehicle and devices for implementing such methods are described in which the remaining lifetime is determined by extrapolation with the help of a mathematical model of the energy storage mechanism. This remaining lifetime is defined as the time until reaching any definable limiting values for the minimum efficiency or minimum storage capacity. The remaining lifetime is indicated and, when the level falls below a preselectable threshold, a warning is displayed. The parameters of the energy storage mechanism are adapted continuously to the real values over the lifetime. The anticipated remaining lifetime is determined by extrapolation from the values for the efficiency and/or storage capacity, based on a specifiable charge state and temperature and the minimum values required for the particular application, these values being calculated at regular intervals on the basis of the model and saved.
US07741846B2
The invention relates to a device (1) for magnetic resonance imaging of a body (7) placed in a stationary and substantially homogeneous main magnetic field. In order to provide an MR device (1) which is arranged to automatically select an optimum subsampling scheme for three-dimensional SENSE, the invention proposes to select the subsampling scheme such that the maximum number of folded-over image values is minimized and simultaneously distances between the positions of the folded-over image values within the predetermined field of view are maximized.
US07741841B2
The use of time-lapsed NMR diffusivity measurements in an observation well is disclosed. The observation well is cased in the zone of interest with non-magnetic and non-conductive casing that is invisible to the NMR tool. Second, because NMR measurements have a dead zone in front of the antenna depending on the spatial variation of the fixed magnet strength, for example about 2.7 inches, a distance between the casing and the formation is reduced to less than the dead zone length by drilling the observation well at small deviation of about 5° and running the casing without centralizers. Both the casing and the pad-type NMR tool will follow the low side of the borehole, ensuring the measurement volume of the NMR tool is inside the formation and beyond the annulus. With the appropriate observation well completion, time-lapse diffusivity measurements with pad-type NMR tools can address several shortcomings in the current practice of monitoring EOR processes that rely upon changes in density and hydrogen index (HI). Various uses of NMR imaging in wells cased with non-metallic casing are also disclosed.
US07741831B2
It is possible to provide a frequency component measuring device capable of narrowing the range of transmission frequency of a local oscillator, preventing degradation of the level measurement accuracy, and measuring the level of a modulation wave. The device includes: a local oscillator (24) capable of performing sweep in a predetermined frequency range; a mixer (22) for mixing a local oscillation signal outputted from the local oscillator (24) and a measured signal so as to subject the measured signal to a frequency conversion; a plurality of intermediate-frequency filters (44, 46) for extracting and outputting components of different intermediate frequencies from a signal outputted from the mixer (22); and an image removal processing section (66) for performing image removal according to the plurality of intermediate-frequency signals separately outputted from the intermediate-frequency filters (44, 46) corresponding to frequency sweep operations performed by the local oscillator (24) more than once.
US07741830B2
The process eliminates image rays generated in a frequency converting device generating actual rays and image rays from frequency rays of an input signal. The frequency converting device comprising a mixer mixing the input signal and a signal provided by a local oscillator and a filter assembly filtering the mixed signals output by the mixer. In a first sweep and a second sweep, the frequency of the oscillator is varied and the signal level at the output of the frequency converting device is recorded for a set of converted frequencies. The second sweep is carried out so that the frequency of the actual ray generated in the second sweep by an input ray is the same as the frequency of the actual ray generated in said first sweep by said input ray, and the frequency of the image ray generated in the second sweep by an input ray is not the same as the frequency of the image ray generated in said first sweep by said input ray. Then, the process determines if a ray-including signal level was recorded both during the first sweep and the second sweep for at least one converted frequency and displays an indication of the presence of a ray for said at least one converted frequency on a screen only if said determination is positive.
US07741829B2
Subsystems and methods for use in patch clamp systems are provided. For example, in certain embodiments, compensation circuitry is used to compensate for non-idealities present in the patch clamp system. The accuracy of this compensation may be verified by employing, for example, circuitry that models the patch clamp system.
US07741821B2
A start-up circuit for a high voltage power distribution circuit includes a transistor, a current source which generates ramped current, an operational amplifier which is connected between the current source and the transistor and controls the transistor, a capacitor which is fed the generated ramped current from the current source and is charged by the generated ramped current, the capacitor being connected to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier, and a feedback capacitor connected from the transistor output to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier, which is fed the generated ramped current from the capacitor and is discharged. The transistor is fully enabled when the feedback capacitor is fully discharged.
US07741820B2
A PWM controller for controlling a switching voltage regulator comprises a first comparator, a second comparator and a third comparator. The first comparator is configured to detect voltages of a first node and a second node so as to determine whether to stop the PWM controller. The PWM controller is stopped if a first potential is lower than a threshold, and the first potential derives from the voltage of the first node by a level shift of a first voltage difference. The second comparator is configured to detect the voltage of the first node and then to compare the voltage with a power reference voltage so as to determine whether the PWM controller receives necessary power. The third comparator is configured to compare the voltage of the second node with an enable reference voltage so as to determine whether to disable the PWN controller.
US07741813B2
Provided are a method and a system for inventorying batteries. In exemplary embodiments, a computer assisted method for inventorying batteries includes identifying a battery string at a location and reading battery identification data associated with one or more batteries in the battery string which includes a battery voltage. After reading the battery identification data and aggregating the magnitudes of the battery voltages in the battery string, if the aggregate of the magnitudes of the voltages is not equal to a required voltage then an error message is generated. If the aggregate of the voltages of the batteries is equal to the required voltage then the process may be repeated for the next string, if any, at the location.
US07741812B2
An electronic apparatus including: a battery; a notification unit; a storage unit that stores a reference charging time and a reference battery voltage which are values according to charging characteristics of the battery and are used as determination reference values to determine whether or not the battery is normally charged; a charged state determination unit that determines whether or not the charging voltage is applied to the battery; a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage of the battery; and a notification control unit that controls the notification unit to make a notification indicating an abnormal state, when the voltage of the battery detected by the voltage detection unit does not reach the reference battery voltage, even though a condition where the charged state determination unit determines that the charging voltage is applied to the battery continues for the reference charging time.
US07741791B2
A system for providing a controllable current to a high intensity discharge lamp is provided. The system includes a current controller that is configured to receive input power and to provide an output current waveform to the high intensity discharge lamp. This current causes a discharge of light from the lamp. The output current waveform includes an absolute value amplitude in each half cycle that is generally constant during a first portion and that which increases non-linearly from the generally constant amplitude to a peak amplitude during a second portion.
US07741790B2
A lamp current balance and feedback system and related method are disclosed for balancing the input and output currents of a lamp by making use of a lamp current balance and feedback mechanism. The operation of the lamp current balance and feedback mechanism includes coupling the input current of the lamp for generating a first balance current by a first transformer, coupling the output current of the lamp for generating a second balance current by a second transformer, coupling the first and second transformers for substantially equalizing the first and second balance currents, generating a feedback signal based on the first or second balance current by a feedback circuit, generating a pulse width modulation signal based on the feedback signal by a pulse width modulation signal generation circuit, and driving the input and output currents of the lamp based on the pulse width modulation signal by a driving circuit.
US07741782B2
A lighting fixture, such as for street lighting, comprises an external housing (11) which has a radio frequency antenna (26, 26a, 27) integrally formed therewith. The RF antenna enables telemanagement signals to be passed to the lighting fixture, and for the telemanagement signals to be passed between lighting fixtures in a network. The RF antenna is ideally located in or on a translucent dome portion (14) of the lighting fixture which is invariably formed from a dielectric (non-conductive) material and therefore avoids undesirable RF shielding in at least preferred directions.
US07741779B2
A metal vapor discharge lamp and a lighting fixture are downsized without causing breakage of an outer tube because of optimization of a positional relation among the outer tube (34), an inner tube (32), and an arc tube (40). The metal vapor discharge lamp has the arc tube, the inner tube housing the arc tube, and the outer tube housing the inner tube. The positional relation satisfies the relation of 2×A+B≧1.06. In a cross section of the lamp (the cross section of the arc tube is unshown for convenience), A (mm) represents the shortest distance between the arc tube and the inner tube along a line in a radial direction of the inner tube, and B (mm) represents a distance between the inner tube and the outer tube on a line segment C that is extension of the line.
US07741778B2
The present invention aims to ensure luminosity while improving evacuation characteristics in a plasma display panel. First ribs (112) that separate a plurality of cells from each other and second ribs (113) are formed in stripe patterns so as to intersect with each other on a surface of a first substrate (107), a surface of a second substrate opposes tops of the first ribs, and a height of the ribs at intersections (112b) of the first and second ribs intersect is lower than other parts of the first ribs (112a).
US07741774B2
A method of fabricating a backlight module in which at least one luminescence element is positioned, including: positioning a luminescence element in at least one cavity formed on a carrier; forming a lower electrode on a substrate; transferring the luminescence element positioned on the carrier to the substrate, connecting the luminescence element to a pattern of the lower electrode formed on the substrate, and removing the carrier; forming an insulating layer on a surface of the substrate to which the luminescence element is transferred, and exposing a top region of the luminescence element; and forming an upper electrode on the exposed top region of the luminescence element. Accordingly, the backlight module including very small luminescence elements being of a micro unit in size is easily fabricated.
US07741772B2
A white light emitting diode package structure having a silicon substrate is disclosed. The white light emitting diode package structure comprises a silicon substrate having a plurality of cup-structures thereon, one of a plurality of blue light emitting diodes is respectively disposed in each cup-structure, and a phosphor structure covering the silicon substrate and the cup-structures. The blue light emitting diodes have various wavelengths and the phosphor structure has a plurality of kinds of phosphor powders and a sealing material. Each kind of phosphor powder is able to convert blue light within a certain wavelength into yellow light.
US07741764B1
Diamond-like carbon field emission surfaces, including associated devices and methods for using such devices are disclosed. In one aspect, for example, a field emission surface is provided, including a smooth layer of diamond-like carbon disposed on a smooth substrate, the diamond-like carbon layer having a uniformly distributed ablation pattern configured to emit electrons. The diamond-like carbon layer should be smooth in order to allow the uniform distribution of the ablation pattern.
US07741761B2
A radiofrequency plasma spark plug configured to equip a combustion chamber including: an annular shell with a main axis; a central electrode made of a conductive material, extending along the main axis and including an inner portion arranged inside the annular shell and an outer portion arranged outside the annular shell; an annular electrically insulating part extending at least about the inner portion of the central electrode so as to be interposed between the shell and the electrode, the insulating part only covering part of the outer portion of the central electrode. The insulating part includes an annular flange concealing the entire circular terminal surface of the shell relative to the uncovered part of the electrode.
US07741757B2
An energy harvester apparatus that includes a piezoelectric beam having opposing first and second ends, with the first end being fixedly supported to a support structure. A negative spring force subsystem has a first end fixedly secured against movement, and a second end secured to the second end of said piezoelectric beam. The negative spring force subsystem includes a linkage system and a biasing element operably associated with the linkage system for applying an adjustable, negative spring force to the piezoelectric beam to soften the piezoelectric beam. The negative spring force subsystem is adjusted to flex the beam sufficiently to overcome the inherent stiffness of the beam such that two stable positions for the beam are created. The beam is therefore able to oscillate between the two stable positions in an over center fashion in response to a low magnitude vibration signal. In various embodiments the system is implemented to provide an input drive signal to control various types of external devices.
US07741754B1
A polymer bulk acoustic resonator that includes an active semiconductor layer, a first thin film electrode layer applied to the semiconductor layer, a thin film electro-active polymer layer applied to the first thin film electrode layer; and a second thin film electrode layer applied to the thin film electro-active polymer layer.
US07741753B2
The invention utilizes multiple frequency megasonic generators driving multiple frequency harmonic transducers. Generator signals that increase cavitation efficiency and that have successive time periods with predominantly stable cavitation and predominantly transient cavitation further improve the performance of the cleaning, microbiological inactivation, sonochemistry or processing systems. Probes that monitor the megasonics and feedback the information to the generator provide consistency of process.
US07741750B1
An induction motor embodiment includes a stator defining a stator bore, the stator including a stator yoke having a stator yoke thickness and a plurality of stator teeth, the teeth having a common length, with each of the stator teeth including a stator tooth center portion that extends from a stator tooth bottom portion proximal the yoke to a stator tooth tip portion, with adjacent stator teeth defining a stator slot between them, each stator slot having a stator slot bottom that extends along a stator slot bottom length. In the embodiment, the center portion has a stator tooth width that is less than or equal to one half the stator slot bottom length. In the embodiment, the stator tooth width is smaller than a stator slot opening width distance. In the embodiment, a ratio of stator yoke thickness to stator tooth width is at least 5:1. A rotor is rotably mounted in the stator.
US07741747B2
A rotor of a rotating electrical machine is provided in which neither deterioration nor fluctuation in the cogging torque is caused and that causes neither physical enlargement nor cost increase. The rotor of a rotating electrical machine, provided with a plurality of magnetic poles 3 that are fixed on a rotor iron core 2 and arranged spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction of the rotor iron core 2, is characterized by including a tube-shaped non-magnetic ring 4 mounted on the outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of magnetic poles 3, and characterized in that the non-magnetic ring has a plurality of inner-diameter bulging portions 41 that abut on the corresponding outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of magnetic poles.
US07741746B2
A magnetic slip clutch has an outer rotor and an inner rotor, one of the rotors includes permanent magnets, and one of the rotors includes slots, and both rotors are located coaxially to one another; the outer rotor is embodied as a hollow cylinder open on one end, which cylinder includes a face-end covering with a central recess, by which the hollow cylinder can be located on a shaft, and the inner rotor is embodied as a solid cylinder, which is located inside the outer rotor, and a shaft can be located in a central recess in the solid cylinder, and a separate shaft is connectable to each rotor, so that the axis of rotation of the two separate shafts is identical, and a torque transmission is possible from one shaft to the other shaft by both rotors.
US07741743B2
In a feeder line drawing structure of a motor for a ship propeller, a guide portion detachably retaining a feeder line drawn out from a grommet in a drawing direction is provided in a lower end side of a housing in accordance with an integral molding, a bracket connected to a lower end of a housing formed as a close-top tube shape.
US07741742B2
A vehicular alternator is provided which can suppress the vibration of a circuit board. The vehicular alternator has a rectifier that includes a plurality of diodes forming a full-wave rectifier circuit, a pair of negative and positive terminal side heat sinks that hold the diodes, and a circuit board connecting the diodes and a stator coil to one another, wherein the negative and positive terminal side heat sinks and the circuit board are mounted on a casing at a plurality of mounting portions, which are superposed with one another in an axial direction of a shaft, by using mounting members. Between adjacent ones of the mounting portions, there are formed abutment portions in which the circuit board is superposed on and placed in abutment with the negative terminal side heat sink or the positive terminal side heat sink, and the abutment portions are fixed to each other by rivets.
US07741740B2
The invention relates to a gas-cooled electrical device (13), especially a gas-cooled generator, which comprises at least a rotor (1), a stator (2) and also a stator casing (3) which encloses this stator, and an end-winding space (5). In this case, passages for a cooling gas are provided both in the rotor (1) and in the stator (2), wherein the end-winding space (5), especially connectors (7) and/or output conductors (7) which are arranged therein, are impinged by at least some of the cooling gas flow (8) which issues from the rotor (1). In order to be able to achieve an especially concentrated and controlled cooling, at least the connectors (7) and the output conductors (7) are arranged in the working area of at least one guiding device (14) which guides the cooling gas flow (8).
US07741735B2
A method and a small profile apparatus for generating high voltage impulses. Integration of the radiating antenna with the impulse source structure makes possible the small size of the present invention.
US07741729B2
A unit for conversion of fluid stream energy into electric energy is proposed, in one embodiment comprises two turbines rotatable in opposite directions, furnished with aerodynamically-profiled blades, each having a ‘V’-shape evolvement line, then bent to produce a helix line wound upon a cylindrical surface, and an electro-generator including two short-circuited rotors coupled with the blades and an immovable inductor with a three-phase winding, magnetically associated with the rotors. The inductor includes a yoke, teeth located at each its side, stationary magnetic plates attached to the unit's structure via non-magnetic insertions. The winding is composed of coils comprising wires placed between the teeth, wherein the active sides of two phase coils are shifted relatively to each other being parallel to the longitudinal axis of said inductor, and phase-wise are oppositely shifted, wherein the two phase coils are situated adjacently to a third phase coil from the opposite sides thereof.
US07741724B2
This invention is directed to offer a semiconductor device having a structure capable of relaxing a mechanical stress applied to a bonding pad. A third interlayer insulation film having via holes is formed on a second interlayer insulation film to cover a third wiring layer. A third conductive layer is formed in the via hole. The third interlayer insulation film is composed of an array of a plurality of hexagonal column-shaped interlayer insulation films. And the via hole and the third conductive layer are formed to surround each hexagonal column-shaped interlayer insulation film. A fourth wiring layer connected with the third wiring layer through the third conductive layer is formed. The fourth wiring layer makes an uppermost wiring layer in an embodiment of this invention and serves as the bonding pad.
US07741717B2
A metal line of a semiconductor device comprising contact plugs, a plurality of first trenches, first metal lines, a plurality of second trenches, and second metal lines. The contact plugs are formed over a semiconductor substrate and are insulated from each other by a first insulating layer. The plurality of first trenches are formed in the first insulating layer and are connected to first contact plugs of the contact plugs. The first metal lines are formed within the first trenches and are connected to the first contact plugs. The plurality of second trenches are formed over the first metal lines and the first insulating layer and comprise a second insulating layer connected to second contact plugs of the contact plugs. The second metal lines are formed within the second trenches and are connected to the second contact plugs.
US07741709B2
An embedded type multifunctional integrated structure for integrating protection components and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The present invention utilizes the concept of multi-layer design to integrate more than two passive components on a component structure that is adhered onto a substrate and is applied to a USB terminal in order to protect an electronic device that uses the USB. Hence, the present invention has an OCP function, an OVP function, and an anti-ESD function at the same time. Therefore, the present invention effectively integrates two or more passive components in order to increase functionality. Moreover, the present invention effectively reduces the size of the passive components on a PCB and reduces the number of solder joints.
US07741704B2
An interference interlock between leadframe features and a mold compound is provided in a packaged semiconductor device by exposing at least one predetermined surface area to an etching process prior to a molding step. This produces an etched recess with a recessed wall delimited by a step wall, generally perpendicular and adjacent to the recessed wall. The step wall is partially undercut by etching. During the molding step, the recessed wall and the step wall are both contacted by and embedded in the molding compound.
US07741698B2
A semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate having a metal wiring level within the substrate; a capping layer on and above a top surface of the substrate; an insulative layer on and above a top surface of the capping layer; an inductor comprising a first portion in and above the insulative layer and a second portion only above the insulative layer; and a wire bond pad within the insulative layer, wherein the first portion the inductor has a height in a first direction greater than a height of the wire bond pad in the first direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicularly directed from the top surface of substrate toward the insulative layer.
US07741694B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to the present invention includes an N-type embedded diffusion region between a substrate and an epitaxial layer in first and second island regions serving as small signal section. The N-type embedded diffusion region connects to N-type diffusion regions having supply potential. The substrate and the epitaxial layer are thus partitioned by the N-type embedded diffusion region having supply potential in the island regions serving as small signal section. This structure prevents the inflow of free carriers (electrons) generated from a power NPN transistor due to the back electromotive force of the motor into the small signal section, thus preventing the malfunction of the small signal section.
US07741689B2
A photoelectric conversion layer-stacked solid-state imaging element comprises: a semiconductor substrate having a signal reading circuit formed thereon; at least one layer of photoelectric conversion layer each of which is provided interposed between a common electrode layer and a plurality of pixel electrode layers corresponding to pixels, said at least one layer of photoelectric conversion layer being stacked above the semiconductor substrate via a light shielding layer; and inhibiting structures each of which inhibits a reflected light produced by reflection of incident light on the light shielding layer, the incident light having passed through said at least one layer of photoelectric conversion layer and entered into a pixel, from entering in direction toward adjacent pixels.
US07741684B2
The semiconductor device comprises a gate insulating film including a first dielectric film of HfxAl1-xOy (0.7
US07741683B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed. Embodiments relate to a semiconductor device which includes an active region including a source region, a drain region, and a channel region. A gate electrode, source electrodes, and a drain electrode are formed around the active region. A plurality of gate fingers diverge from the gate electrode into the channel region. A plurality of source fingers diverge from the source electrodes into the source region, the source fingers being disposed between the gate fingers in a predetermined pattern, the source fingers having at least two finger lines connected to each other via at least one grid line. A plurality of drain fingers diverge from the drain electrode into the drain region, the drain fingers being disposed between the gate fingers where the source fingers are not disposed.
US07741681B2
A structure and a method for preventing latchup. The structure including: an I/O cell and an ESD protection circuit in a region of an integrated circuit chip containing logic circuits; an electrically conductive through via extending from a bottom surface of the substrate toward a top surface of the substrate between the I/O cell and an ESD protection circuit and at least one of the logic circuits.
US07741679B2
A partial oxide film with well regions formed therebeneath isolates transistor formation regions in an SOI layer from each other. A p-type well region is formed beneath part of the partial oxide film which isolates NMOS transistors from each other, and an n-type well region is formed beneath part of the partial oxide film which isolates PMOS transistors from each other. The p-type well region and the n-type well region are formed in side-by-side relation beneath part of the partial oxide film which provides isolation between the NMOS and PMOS transistors. A body region is in contact with the well region adjacent thereto. An interconnect layer formed on an interlayer insulation film is electrically connected to the body region through a body contact provided in the interlayer insulation film. A semiconductor device having an SOI structure reduces a floating-substrate effect.
US07741676B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a cell section including at least two transistors. A layer interval insulation coat is formed at least overlying the gate electrode use polysilicon and the gate contact use polysilicon. A source electrode metal coat is formed overlying the semiconductor substrate and insulated from the gate electrode use polysilicon and the gate contact use polysilicon, and is electrically connected to the body diffusion layer and the source diffusion layer. A gate use connection hole is formed on the layer interval insulation coat overlying the gate contact use polysilicon. The gate use connection hole has a width larger than that of the trench. A gate electrode metal coat is formed on the gate use connection hole and the layer interval insulation coat. The polysilicon coat is formed at the same level or lower than the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US07741663B2
Miniaturized complex transistor devices are formed with reduced leakage and reduced miller capacitance. Embodiments include transistors having reduced capacitance between the gate electrode and source/drain contact, as by utilizing a low-K dielectric constant sidewall spacer material. An embodiment includes forming a gate electrode on a semiconductor substrate, forming a sidewall spacer on the side surfaces of the gate electrode, forming source/drain regions by ion implantation, forming an interlayer dielectric over the gate electrode, sidewall spacers, and substrate, and forming a source/drain contact through the interlayer dielectric. The sidewall spacers and interlayer dielectric are then removed. A dielectric material, such as a low-K dielectric material, is then deposited in the gap between the gate electrode and the source/drain contact so that an air gap is formed, thereby reducing the parasitic “miller” capacitance.
US07741661B2
Various integrated circuit devices, including a lateral DMOS transistor, a quasi-vertical DMOS transistor, a junction field-effect transistor (JFET), a depletion-mode MOSFET, and a diode, are formed inside an isolation structure which includes a floor isolation region and a trench extending from the surface of the substrate to the floor isolation region. The trench may be filled with a dielectric material or may have a conductive material in a central portion with a dielectric layer lining the walls of the trench. Various techniques for terminating the isolation structure by extending the floor isolation region beyond the trench, using a guard ring, and a forming a drift region are described.
US07741659B2
A semiconductor device is provided. An isolation structure is formed in a substrate to define a first and a second active region, and a channel active region therebetween. A field implant region is formed below a portion of the isolation structure around the first, second, and channel active regions. A channel active region includes two first sides defining a channel width. The distance from each first side to a second side of a neighboring field implant region is d1. The shortest distance from a third side of each first or second active region to an extension line of each second side of the field implant region is d2. R=d1/d2, where 0.15≦R≦0.85. A gate structure covers the channel active region and extends over a portion of the isolation structure. Source/drain doped regions are formed in the first and the second active regions.
US07741654B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor laser excellent in the current injection efficiency. In an inner stripe type semiconductor laser according to the present invention, a p type cladding layer 309 has a superlattice structure composed of GaN layers and Al0.1Ga0.9N layers, which are alternately layered on each other. The p type cladding layer 309 has a portion of high dislocation density and a portion of low dislocation density. That is, the dislocation density is relatively low in a region directly above an opening of the current-confining region 308, whereas the dislocation density is relatively high in a region directly above a current-confining region 308.
US07741651B2
A light emitting diode includes a base, a light emitting chip, and a wavelength converting layer. The base is formed with a recessed portion that has a bottom wall surface, and a side wall surface extending upwardly from the bottom wall surface and cooperating with the bottom wall surface to define a receiving space. The light emitting chip is provided on the bottom wall surface of the receiving space, and has a top chip surface disposed below a top surface of the base, and a peripheral chip surface extending downwardly from the top chip surface and being substantially parallel to and forming a gap with the side wall surface of the recessed portion. The wavelength converting layer is filled in the receiving space in the recessed portion so as to cover the top chip surface and the peripheral chip surface of the light emitting chip.
US07741637B2
Provided is a ZnO-based semiconductor device capable of growing a flat ZnO-based semiconductor layer on an MgZnO substrate having a main surface on the lamination side oriented in a c-axis direction. ZnO-based semiconductor layers 2 to 6 are epitaxially grown on an MgxZn1-xO (0≦x<1) substrate 1 having a +C surface (0001), as a main surface, inclined at least in an m-axis direction. A p-electrode 8 is formed on the ZnO-based semiconductor layer 5, and an n-electrode 9 is formed on the underside of the MgxZn1-xO substrate 1. Thereby, steps regularly arranged in the m-axis direction can be formed on the surface of the MgxZn1-xO substrate 1, and a phenomenon called step bunching is prevented. Consequently, the flatness of a film of the semiconductor layers laminated on the substrate 1 can be improved.
US07741629B2
An apparatus (1) for analysing surface properties, comprising a first radiation device (4) which emits radiation directly onto a surface (9) to be analyzed, a first illumination device (6, 7) for indirectly illuminating the surface (9) to be analyzed, a first radiation detector device (8) which receives at least part of the radiation thrown back from the surface (9) to be analyzed and outputs at least one signal which is characteristic of this part of the radiation. According to the invention, a radiation scattering device (10, 11) is provided which is at least partially illuminated by the first illumination device (6, 7) and which transmits scattered radiation onto the surface (9) to be analyzed.
US07741624B1
A medical accelerator system consisting of coplanar and non-coplanar beams, on line magnetic resonance anatomic and functional imaging and cone beam computed tomographic imaging for single session image guided all field simultaneous radiation therapy and radiosurgery is provided. This system enables single session simulation, field-shaping block making, treatment planning, dose calculations and treatment of tumors. The radiation exposure time to the tumor and the normal tissue is reduced to a few seconds to less than a minute. In filed intensity modulated radiation is rendered by combined divergent and pencil beam, multiple smaller fields within a larger field, selectively varying beam's energy, dose rate and beam weight. Since all the treatment fields are treated simultaneously the dose rate at the tumor site is the sum of each of the converging beam's dose rate at depth. This super-high biological dose rate impairs the lethal and sublethal damage repair.
US07741615B2
Ferroelectric, pyroelectric and piezoelectric crystals are used to generate spatially localized high energy (up to and exceeding 100 keV) electron and ion beams, which may be used in a wide variety of applications including pulsed neutron generation, therapeutic X-ray/electron devices, elemental analysis, local scanning chemical analysis, high energy scanning microscopy, point source compact transmission electron microscopy, compact ion beam sources, positron sources, micro-thrusters for ion engines, and improved fusion efficiency especially of the Farnsworth type. The high-energy emission can be created by simply heating the material or by application of external coercive electromagnetic and acoustic fields.
US07741614B2
The window-frame judgment unit judges that a section to be drawn has entered a window-frame area according to the main deflector data and the stage position information to output judgment signal. The main deflector calculator receives the main deflector data and calculates calculation data for driving a driving unit based on the main deflector data. The transfer controller detects output of the judgment signal and completion of drawing in the section under drawing to receive a transfer of the calculation data from the main deflector calculator and transfer the calculation data to the driving unit.
US07741613B1
An instrument that will directly image the fast fission neutrons from a special nuclear material source has been described. This instrument can improve the signal to background compared to non imaging neutron detection techniques by a factor given by ratio of the angular resolution window to 4π. In addition to being a neutron imager, this instrument will also be an excellent neutron spectrometer, and will be able to differentiate between different types of neutron sources (e.g. fission, alpha-n, cosmic ray, and D-D or D-T fusion). Moreover, the instrument is able to pinpoint the source location.
US07741612B2
An integrated neutron-gamma radiation detector includes a gamma sensing element, a neutron sensing element comprising a neutron scintillating material at least partially surrounded by an optical waveguide material, and a photosensing element optically coupled to both the gamma sensing element and the neutron sensing element. A portion of the gamma sensing element is capable of being disposed within a central aperture of the neutron sensing element. In one aspect, the neutron sensing element comprises a plurality of cylindrical, concentric shells forming the central aperture for receiving the gamma sensing element. In another aspect, the neutron sensing element comprises a plurality of strands forming a multi-layered structure and forming the central aperture for receiving the gamma sensing element.
US07741610B2
A CdTe or CdZnTe radiation imaging detector and high voltage bias part for applying a high voltage to the continuous electrode to ensure stable performance of the detector. The high voltage bias part includes conductors of >30 um diameter and preferably selected from a group of materials that do not oxidize easily or oxidize less than aluminium.
US07741609B2
A method of utilizing the output of a first pulse processor, such as processor designed for use with an SDD, to generate the input signal expected by the second pulse processor, such as an existing processor not designed for use with an SDD. In one embodiment, piled-up pulses which would not be detected as such by the second pulse processor are omitted from the generated input signal. The method generates an output (which then serves as the input signal for the second pulse processor) of the same general form as the ramp signal from a detector with a pulsed-reset preamplifier, but which does not have the same noise characteristics. In addition, the method may alter the timing between the reconstructed steps in the ramp to increase the maximum throughput of the second pulse processor beyond what is normally possible with a direct connection to the associated detector.
US07741603B2
A radiation sensor array that exhibits improved fill factor is disclosed. The radiation sensor array incorporates sensors having support arms that are nested in vertical fashion with the support arms of neighboring sensors. This vertically-nested structure enables the radiation-sensing portions of the sensors to be more closely-packed.
US07741590B2
An image sensor comprises a photoelectric conversion unit; a transfer transistor which has a gate electrode; a multilayer wiring structure which defines an aperture region above the photoelectric conversion unit; and a waveguide which guides light entering the aperture region to the light receiving surface, wherein the multilayer wiring structure includes a first wiring layer which is an uppermost wiring layer and defines two contour sides of the aperture region in a first direction, and a second wiring layer which is arranged between the gate electrode and the first wiring layer in a direction perpendicular to the light receiving surface, and defines two contour sides of the aperture region in a second direction, and wherein the gate electrode is arranged to overlap part of the light receiving surface and have a longitudinal direction along the first direction.
US07741587B2
A method of forming a brazed joint between an armature bar and a hydraulic header clip including: assembling free ends of hollow strands and of solid strands of the armature winding bar and positioning the assembly within the hydraulic header clip; interleaving a silver based braze alloy between the strands, wherein a portion of the braze alloy extends axially beyond the free ends of a plurality of the solid strands and the free ends of a plurality of the hollow strands extend axially beyond the braze material; positioning the assembly of the free ends, hydraulic header clip and the braze alloy in a braze chamber, such that the clip is seated in an induction heating coil of the chamber; heating the assembly to a first temperature below a solidus temperature of the braze alloy and within a 200 degrees Fahrenheit of the solidus temperature activating the induction heat coil to heat the clip; heating the assembly to a second temperature above the liquidus temperature of the braze alloy; pooling liquid braze alloy on ends of the armature bar, and cooling the assembly and clip thereby forming a braze isolation layer on the end of the armature bar.
US07741584B2
A graphite heater and method of forming a graphite heater comprising a graphite body configured to form an electrical heating circuit for at least one heating zone through the graphite encapsulated in a continuous overcoat layer comprising at least one of a nitride, carbide, carbonitride or oxynitride of elements selected from a group consisting of B, Al, Si, Ga, refractory hard metals, transition metals, and rare earth metals, or complexes and/or combinations thereof, wherein prior to being configured to form the electrical heating circuit path, the graphite body is coated with a layer comprising at least one of a nitride, carbide, carbonitride or oxynitride of elements selected from a group consisting of B, Al, Si, Ga, refractory hard metals, transition metals, and rare earth metals, or complexes and/or combinations thereof.
US07741582B2
There is disclosed a heater for an automotive vehicle or other article of manufacture. The heater typically includes a first conductive medium and a second conductive medium disposed upon a carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the first conductive medium includes a first section and a second section that are electrically connected by a second conductive medium. The second conductive medium preferably exhibits a positive thermal coefficient.
US07741579B2
Flushing gas lines of a laser processing machine, by supplying a flushing gas to the system in a series of pressure impulses greater than a residual processing gas pressure after completion of a processing sequence, and allowing the supplied flushing gas to expand and mix with any residual gas between successive pressure impulses, to substantially clear the processing gas from the system.
US07741573B2
An operating body being made of a metal plate and being overlaid with polyamide resin layer, a side of the operating body having an operating part protruding from a front side of a switch case, and an other side having a driving part in an arm shape and a sliding guide in a frame shape surrounding the driving part, in which the driving part in the arm shape being compression pressed to be a thin plate, and the sliding guide being formed with an upper sliding contact in a hemisphere shape coming into contact with an undersurface of cover above the contact and a lower sliding contact formed long in back and forth direction coming into contact with a protective sheet under the contact.
US07741566B2
This disclosure suggests microelectronic substrates with thermally conductive pathways. In one implementation, such a substrate includes a body and a thermally conductive member. The Body has a first surface that includes a microelectronic component mounting site, a second surface separated from the first surface by a thickness, and an opening extending through at least a portion of the thickness. The opening is outwardly open at one or both of the surfaces and has a first portion having a first transverse dimension and a second portion having a larger second transverse dimension. The thermally conductive member includes a first thickness, which is received in the first portion of the opening, and a second thickness, which is received in the second portion of the opening. A transverse dimension of the second thickness of the thermally conductive member is greater than the first transverse dimension of the opening.
US07741565B2
In conventional electronic components, having a substrate as a component of the structure has been an obstacle to an ultra-low profile design. To address the problem, the present invention provides an improved structure without a substrate. Internal electrode 15 is formed into a predetermined coil pattern. Bumps 16 and irregularities 17 are formed on confronting surfaces of the component, by which each component is hard-to-cling with one another. On the other hand, the confronting side-surfaces with no bumps 16 or irregularities 17 allow a mounting device to have an improved vacuum suction force. Such structured electronic component maintains easy handling even when it is extremely downsized.
US07741559B2
A photoelectric conversion element having a composite dye and an n-type semiconductor, the composite dye having a plurality of component dyes which have different excitation levels and which are chemically bonded to each other to form a straight chain or branched structure for transferring an electron therethrough, wherein the straight chain or branched structure is, at one end thereof, secured to the n-type semiconductor and has, at least at one other end thereof, a free end, wherein, in the straight chain or branched structure, the plurality of component dyes are arranged in an order such that the excitation levels of the plurality of component dyes are decreased as viewed from the one end of the structure toward the at least one other end of the structure.
US07741558B2
A solar cell module includes a photovoltaic element, a light receiving surface side protective member disposed above a light receiving surface of the photovoltaic element, and a back surface side protective member disposed above a back surface opposite to the light receiving surface side of the photovoltaic element. The photovoltaic element includes an indium oxide layer formed on a surface facing the back surface side protective member and another indium oxide layer formed on a surface facing the light receiving surface side protective member. An arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) on a surface of the indium oxide layer on the back surface of the photovoltaic element is larger than an arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) on the light receiving surface of the photovoltaic element.
US07741544B1
Basically, this invention provides for an inbred corn line designated G07-NPIC3426, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line G07-NPIC3426 with plants of another corn plants. The invention relates to the various parts of inbred G07-NPIC3426 including culturable cells. This invention also relates to methods for introducing transgenic transgenes into inbred corn line G07-NPIC3426 and plants produced by said methods.
US07741538B2
Methods and compositions for the expression of transgenes in monocot plants including maize are disclosed. In the invention, gene silencing is avoided by use of monocot-homeologous sequences from plants of the genus Coix for transformation. Included in these transgene sequences are Coix promoters, enhancers, coding sequences and terminators. Suitable alternatives to maize-derived transgenes are desirable for expression in maize in that homology-based gene silencing can limit or effectively eliminate transgene expression.
US07741537B2
A constitutive plant S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase (SAMS) promoter and subfragments thereof and their use in promoting the expression of one or more heterologous nucleic acid fragments in plants are described.
US07741535B2
This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding a UDP-galactose 4-epimerase. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a portion of the UDP-galactose 4-epimerase, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the UDP-galactose 4-epimerase in a transformed host cell.
US07741527B2
The present invention provides a solid phosphoric acid catalyst which attains high activity and dimer selectivity in olefin dimerization reaction and an efficient method for dimerization of olefin using the same. The solid phosphoric acid catalyst comprises phosphoric acid supported on a siliceous carrier, the proportion of orthophosphoric acid in the phosphoric acid supported being 60 mol % or more in terms of phosphorus atom amount. The solid phosphoric acid catalyst is prepared by bringing a phosphoric acid aqueous solution into contact with the siliceous carrier followed by drying, the preparation step being carried out at a temperature lower than 100° C. Also provided is a method for bringing an olefin-containing raw material into contact with the catalyst. In this method, the olefin-containing raw material contains water in an amount of 10 to 1000 mass ppm, the olefin-containing raw material is brought into contact with the solid phosphoric acid catalyst in a liquid phase, and the olefin is a monoolefin having 3 to 7 carbon atoms.
US07741525B2
Processes and systems are provided for monitoring and blending a first stream and a second stream to produce a third stream of desired compositional characteristics. The processes and systems are found to be particularly useful for the blending of two or more hydrocarbon streams to economically produce a targeted hydrocarbon product stream meeting prescribed compositional specifications. Specifically, the processes and systems are found to be especially useful to blend a propane containing stream, having a vapor pressure lower than the vapor pressure of a targeted vapor pressure for a propane product, with an ethane containing stream. The blending processes and systems allow for production of an “on-spec” propane product stream while at the same time maximizing the value of the ethane stream. The processes and systems may incorporate continuous real-time analysis and flow control of the various streams to effectuate precise control the blending processes.
US07741517B2
A process for the production of acetic acid by carbonylating methanol and/or a reactive derivative thereof with carbon monoxide in the presence of an iridium promoted carbonylation catalyst wherein the promoters are ruthenium and at least one of niobium and tantalum.
US07741511B2
There is provided a process for preparing a carboxylic acid ester of formula (3): R2COOR1 (3) wherein R1 is an alkyl group which may be substituted, an alkenyl group which may be substituted, an alkynyl group which may be substituted, an aralkyl group which may be substituted, or a heteroarylalkyl group which may be substituted, and R2 is an alkyl group which may be substituted, an alkenyl group which may be substituted, an alkynyl group which may be substituted, an aryl group which may be substituted, a heteroaryl which may be substituted, an aralkyl group which may be substituted, or a heteroarylalkyl group which may be substituted, which process is characterized by the steps of reacting a monohydroxy compound of formula (1): R1OH (1) wherein R1 is as defined above, with a zirconium compound of formula (6): Zr(OR8)4 (6) wherein R8 is an alkyl group or an aryl group which may be substituted and is not the same as R1, to prepare a zirconium catalyst, and reacting a carboxylic acid of formula (2): R2COOH (2) wherein R2 is as defined above, with the monohydroxy compound of formula (1) in the presence of the zirconium catalyst.
US07741509B2
Disclosed is a process for the preparation of di-n-butyl terephthalate by the esterification of terephthalic acid with n-butanol in the presence of a strong acid while employing a fractionating column.
US07741508B2
The invention provides a green process for direct oxidation of a large number of substituted or unsubstituted cinnamaldehydes or cinnamyl alcohols into the corresponding alkyl or aryl cinnamates in one step. The process of the present invention is a convenient and efficient green process for the preparation of various aryl or alkyl cinnamates under conventional, microwave and ultrasound directly from cinnamaldehydes or cinnamyl alcohols in the presence of an oxidizing agent, catalyst and an alcohol, with or without an organic solvent. These esters are immensely important compounds in flavor, perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. There are several prior arts available for the preparation of cinnamic esters, but all of them suffer from deficiencies such as use of expensive reagents and catalysts, harsh reaction conditions, use of toxic chemicals and others. In contrast, the present methodology is extremely simple and involves reaction of the substrate with an oxidizing agent mixed with a homogeneous or heterogeneous catalyst and an alcohol with or without organic solvent by stirring at room temperature or refluxing or under microwave or ultrasound irradiation to get the requisite products.
US07741504B2
The present invention relates to a method for preparing an omega-haloalkyl dialkylhalosilane by means of a hydrosilylation reaction in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a hydrosilylation catalyst containing a platinum group metal. The catalytic metal is recovered by (i) subjecting the distillation residue to controlled hydrolysis to release the gaseous H-Hal haloacid, and providing an aqueous medium containing the catalytic metal with a low hydrolysable halide content Si-Hal=2%, expressed by weight of Hal, then (2i) recovering the platinum group catalytic metal from said aqueous medium by means of one of the conventional techniques specific to catalyst manufacturers that do not use a solid adsorbent and operate in ordinary facilities that do not have to be acid-resistant.
US07741490B2
Intermediates useful for the preparation of pramipexole and the use thereof in such synthesis.
US07741485B2
The invention relates to benzenesulphonamide derivatives of formula (I), methods and intermediate products for production thereof and use of said compounds, or means comprising said compounds for the control of undesired plants and for the desiccation/defoliation of plants.
US07741472B2
The present invention concerns modified oligonucleotides and processes for their production wherein these oligonucleotides contain at least once the structure P═N-Acc where Acc is an electron acceptor or an electron acceptor substituted with a residue R and R is any organic substituent.
US07741471B2
The present invention provides the combination of the O-2 diphenylcarbamoyl (“DPC”) and N-6 dimethylaminomethylidene (“DMF”) protecting groups for isoguanosine nucleosides that can be utilized in oligonucleotide synthesis.
US07741461B2
The current invention relates to the field of detection and identification of clinically important fungi. More particularly, the present invention relates to species specific probes originating from the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of rDNA for the detection of fungal species such as Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Candida kefyr, Candida krusei, Candida glabrata, Candida dubliniensis, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans and Pneumocystis carinii in clinical samples, and methods using said probes.
US07741455B2
The invention relates to a method for purifying recombinant human FSH or an FSH variant starting from crude FSH, comprising the following steps: 1) dye-affinity chromatography; 2) hydrophobic interaction chromatography; and 3) reverse phase chromatography.
US07741450B2
Hybridoma lines that secrete human monoclonal antibodies with high binding specificity and biological activity, particularly neutralizing activity against granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, and methods of generating the hybridoma lines are provided. Target antigens and epitopes are also provided. The antibodies may be used in therapeutic methods, for example in the treatment of cancer, infectious disease, or autoimmune disease.
US07741446B2
The invention provides diagnostic and therapeutic macromolecular compositions that cross the blood-brain barrier, in some embodiments in both directions, while allowing their activity to remain substantially intact once across the barrier. Also provided are methods for using such compositions in the diagnosis or treatment of CNS disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
US07741438B2
The present invention concerns the methods and compositions involving endopeptidase enzymes, especially PepO2 and PepO3 from L. helveticus, and their use in reducing bitterness by cleaving bitter peptides. In particular embodiments of the invention, these methods and compositions apply to the cheesemaking process. The invention also concerns the use of PepO2 and/or PepO3 polypeptides in the treatment or prevention of celiac sprue or as a food additive.
US07741431B2
A novel targeting peptide from the C-terminal of endothelin and/or a novel fusogenic peptide from hemagglutinin are optionally conjugated to the carboxy group of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-succinate and incorporated into liposomes for therapeutic treatment. The novel targeting peptide directs liposomes to lung cells, and, therefore, is useful for delivering liposomes encapsulating cholinesterase genes, particularly, the human serum butyryl cholinesterase (Hu BChE) gene, as a treatment against nerve agents. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader quickly to ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the appended issued claims. 37 CFR §1.72(b).
US07741430B2
A process for the polymerisation of olefins is disclosed wherein at least part of a stream, preferably a catalytically active stream, withdrawn from a polymerisation reactor is passed through a fractionator so as to remove hydrogen and active fines.
US07741426B2
A method for the production of a fluorinated phenylenediamine is provided which comprises steps of reacting a diamide represented by the following formula with NaOCl at a molar ratio of the NaOCl to the diamide in the range of 2.0-6.0 and NaOH at a molar ratio of the NaOH to the diamide in the range of 1.8-6.0 is provided. According to this invention, the fluorinated phenylenediamine can be produced conveniently in a high yield.
US07741412B2
A curable organopolysiloxane composition is provided, which includes (A) an organopolysiloxane containing at least one silicon atom-bonded alkenyl group within each molecule, (B) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane, which contains, within each molecule, at least one silicon atom-bonded hydrogen atom at a molecular chain terminal, and at least two silicon atom-bonded hydrogen atoms at non-terminal positions within the molecular chain, and which satisfies the formula shown below: 0<α/β0.25 (wherein, α represents the number of silicon atom-bonded hydrogen atoms at non-terminal positions within the molecular chain, and β represents the total number of silicon atoms within the component (B)), in sufficient quantity to provide from 0.1 to 5 silicon atom-bonded hydrogen atoms per silicon atom-bonded alkenyl group within the component (A), and (C) a platinum-based catalyst. The composition can be cured even at low temperatures, generates a cured product that suffers no surface wrinkling, and displays excellent storage characteristics.
US07741404B2
The present invention provides a non-aqueous composition containing a particulate solid, an organic medium and a polyurethane dispersant having an essentially linear backbone and laterally attached solvent-solubilising side chains of a polyester, a polyether, a polyacrylate or a polyolefin including mixtures of such side chains.
US07741400B2
The present invention provides a production process by which a water-absorbent resin of excellent quality can be obtained at a low cost by reasonable steps in aqueous solution polymerization. The process for producing a water-absorbent resin comprises the step of polymerizing an aqueous solution of water-absorbent resin-forming monomers including acrylic acid and/or its sodium salt as major components, wherein: (1) the aqueous solution has a monomer component concentration of not less than 45 weight %; (2) the polymerization is carried out while water is evaporated so that the ratio (concentration ratio) between a solid component concentration in a hydropolymer as formed by the polymerization and a solid component concentration in the aqueous monomer solution will not be less than 1.10; and (3) the solid component concentration in the hydropolymer as formed by the polymerization is not more than 80 weight %.
US07741391B2
The present invention relates to silica-filled halogenated butyl elastomers, such as bromobutyl elastomers (BIIR). Further, the present invention also relates to bromobutyl elastomers with improved scorch safety.
US07741388B2
The present invention is to provide an epoxy resin composition for encapsulating a semiconductor having a high flame resistance without using a flame retarder and having an excellent solder reflow resistance, and a semiconductor device using the same for encapsulating a semiconductor element. An epoxy resin composition for encapsulating a semiconductor of each of the first, second and third aspects essentially comprises (A) a phenol aralkyl type epoxy resin having a phenylene structure, (B) a phenol aralkyl type phenolic resin having a biphenylene structure and (D) an inorganic filler as common components, wherein (D) the inorganic filler is contained at the rate of 84 wt % or more and 92 wt % or less of the total amount of the epoxy resin composition.
US07741385B2
An ink set includes an ozone stable cyan ink, and an ozone stable magenta ink. According to this exemplary embodiment, the ozone stable magenta ink includes an ozone stable magenta dye and a liquid vehicle including a fluorocarbon surfactant formed at least in part from a polymer comprising at least one Formula 1: Where R1=OH and R2=O(CH2)m-(CF2)nCF3 with m=1-3 and n=0-3.
US07741384B2
A method of preparing an ink includes homogenizing a dispersion to coat pigment particles in the dispersion with a monomer. An ink for use in a printing device includes pigment particles encapsulated in a polymerized monomer, where the monomer has a polarity that is higher than a polarity of a surface of the pigment particles.
US07741380B2
The invention provides (1) an ink composition including a polymerization initiator and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic acid and monofunctional (meth)acrylic acid esters and amides each having a carboxy group in the molecule, (2) an ink composition including a polymerization initiator, at least one compound selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic acid and monofunctional (meth)acrylic acid esters and amides each having a carboxy group in the molecule, and a monofunctional (meth)acrylic acid ester or amide having an alkylene oxide repeating unit in the molecule, and (3) an ink composition including a polymerization initiator and a monofunctional (meth)acrylic acid ester or amide having a basic group in the molecule; and an ink jet recording method, a method for producing a planographic printing plate and a planographic printing plate produced by the method for producing a planographic printing plate using the above-mentioned ink compositions.
US07741375B2
Polyketal polymers, and methods of making and using such polyketal polymers are disclosed herein. The polyketal poylmers can be useful for applications including, for example, medical devices and pharmaceutical compositions. In a preferred embodiment, the polyketal polymers are biodegradable.
US07741370B2
This invention relates to new double salts of (−)-hydroxycitric acid with group II metals. Preferred double salts are calcium and magnesium double salts of hydroxycitric acid of the formula II. This invention also includes a process for the preparation of these double salts by the addition of one metal compound from group II to (−)-hydroxycitric acid solution followed by the addition of other metal compound solution from group II. These double salts are tasteless and are soluble in water. They are useful as dietary supplements and in beverages.
US07741361B2
Compounds of Formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, and R7 are as defined herein, or a tautomer, prodrug, solvate, or salt thereof; pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, and methods of modulating the glucocorticoid receptor function and methods of treating disease-states or conditions mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor function or characterized by inflammatory, allergic, or proliferative processes in a patient using these compounds.
US07741358B2
The invention relates to an orthorhombic crystal form of compound trans-5-chloro-2,3,3a,12b-tetrahydro-2-methyl-1H-dibenz [2,3:6,7]oxepino[4,5-c]pyrrole (Z)-2-butenedioate, to methods for the preparation of this crystal form and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising an orthorhombic crystal form.
US07741354B2
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I), combinations and uses thereof for disease therapy, wherein: R1 represents heteroaryl, -carbocyclyl-heteroaryl, -alkenylheteroaryl or -alkylheteroaryl; R2 represents alkyl, which may optionally be substituted by one or more groups selected from amino, halogen, hydroxyl, -alkoxy, -thioalkyl, —C(O)O-alkyl and —C(O)OH; carbocyclyl, which may optionally be substituted by one or more groups selected from alkyl, haloalkyl, amino, halogen, hydroxyl, alkoxy-, -thioalkyl, —C(O)O-alkyl and —C(O)OH; alkenyl; alkynyl; -alkyl-aryl; -alkyl-heteroaryl; -alkyl-heterocyclyl; -alkyl-carbocyclyl; -aryl-heteroaryl; -heteroaryl-aryl; -heteroaryl-heteroaryl; -aryl-aryl; -aryl (monocyclic or bicyclic); heteroaryl (monocyclic or bicyclic); heterocyclyl; or R2 together with R4 may form a carbocyclyl group optionally substituted by one or more alkyl groups; R3 represents alkyl, which may optionally be substituted by one or more groups selected from amino, halogen, hydroxyl, alkoxy-, -thioalkyl, —C(O)OH and —C(O)O-alkyl; carbocyclyl, which may optionally be substituted by one or more groups selected from alkyl, amino, halogen, haloalkyl, hydroxyl, -alkoxy, -thioalkyl, —C(O)OH and —C(O)O-alkyl; alkenyl; -alkyl-aryl; -alkyl(aryl)2, -alkyl(heteroaryl)2, -alkyl(aryl)(heteroaryl), -alkyl-heteroaryl; -alkyl-heterocyclyl which heterocyclyl group may optionally be substituted by one or more groups selected from alkyl, hydroxy and oxo ; -alkyl-carbocyclyl; -aryl-heteroaryl; -heteroaryl-aryl; -aryl-aryl; -aryl-O-aryl, -heteroaryl-heteroaryl; -aryl; heteroaryl; heterocyclyl; -aryl-alkyl-aryl; -aryl-O-alkyl-aryl; -alkyl-C(O)—NH-alkyl-aryl; -alkyl-C(O)—NH-alkyl-heteroaryl; -alkyl-C(O)—NH-alkyl-heterocyclyl; -alkyl-C(O)—(N-piperidinyl) or -alkyl-C(O)—(N-pyrrolidinyl) in which piperidinyl or pyrrolidinyl may optionally be fused to optionally substituted phenyl. R4 represents H or alkyl.
US07741350B1
The present invention provides substituted pyrazolo-heterocycles having the general structure of formula I Also provided are pharmaceutically acceptable salts, acid salts, hydrates, solvates and stereoisomers of the compounds of formula I. The compounds are useful as modulators of cannabinoid receptors and for the prophylaxis and treatment of cannabinoid receptor-associated diseases and conditions, such as pain, inflammation and pruritis.
US07741343B2
Compounds of the formula I in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 are as defined in Claim 1, are ligands of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and/or serotonergic ligands and are suitable for the prophylaxis or treatment of psychoses, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety states, dementia, in particular Alzheimer's disease and Lewy bodies dementia, neurodegenerative disorders, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Tourette's syndrome, learning and memory restrictions, bulimia, anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders, compulsive behavior, premenstrual syndrome, age-induced memory impairment, amelioration of withdrawal symptoms in nicotine dependence, strokes or brain damage by toxic compounds, and for the treatment of disorders which are characterized by an excess of circulating serotonin or by serotonergic hyperactivity.
US07741341B2
The present invention relates to compounds of the formula I, wherein R0, R1, R2, Q, V, G and M are as defined herein. The compounds of the formula I are valuable pharmacologically active compounds. They exhibit a strong antithrombotic effect and are suitable, for example, for the therapy and prophylaxis of cardiovascular disorders like thromboembolic diseases or restenoses. They are reversible inhibitors of the blood clotting enzymes factor Xa (FXa) and/or factor VIIa (FVIIa), and can in general be applied in conditions in which an undesired activity of factor Xa and/or factor VIIa is present or for the cure or prevention of which an inhibition of factor Xa and/or factor VIIa is intended. The invention furthermore relates to processes for the preparation of compounds of the formula I, their use, in particular as active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, and pharmaceutical preparations comprising them.
US07741338B2
The invention relates to the stabilization of poly-ene macrolides and to a particular macrolide obtained in crystalline form.
US07741327B2
Provided herein are compounds of the formula (I): as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the substituents are as those disclosed in the specification. These compounds, and the pharmaceutical compositions containing them, are useful for the treatment of metabolic diseases and disorders such as, for example, type II diabetes mellitus.
US07741326B2
Compounds of formula I or formula II: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein m, n, p, Ar R1, R2, R4, and R5 are as defined herein. The invention also provides methods for preparing, compositions comprising, and methods for using compounds.
US07741317B2
A compound of formula I wherein A, X, q, R1, R2a, R2b, R2c, R3a, and R3b are defined herein.
US07741310B2
This invention relates to the novel identification of arginase as an enzymatic activity which can reverse inhibition of neuronal regeneration in the central and peripheral nervous system. Assays to monitor the effects of various agents on arginase expression and thus on neuronal regeneration and repair and to identify agents which will block or promote the inhibitory effects on neuronal outgrowth are provided. This invention also relates to compositions and methods using agents that can reverse the inhibitory effects of myelin on neural regeneration by affecting arginase activity or putrescine and derivative polyamine levels in a neuron. Methods for regulating and for promoting (or repressing) neuronal growth or regeneration in the nervous system, methods for treating injuries or damage to nervous tissue or neurons, and methods for treating neural degeneration associated with conditions, disorders or diseases, comprising the step of administering at least one of the compositions according to this invention, are provided.
US07741294B1
This invention provides compositions of matter that, when incorporated into an oligonucleotide, present to a complementary strand in a Watson-Crick pairing geometry a pattern of hydrogen bonds that is different from the pattern presented by adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Most specifically, this invention discloses and claims compositions of matter that present the same hydrogen bonding patterns as the isocytidine and isoguanosine nucleobases, but do not have unfavorable tautomeric forms, do not become disassociated from their sugar, and do not make major groove interactions, as much, as easily, or as strongly as isocytidine and isoguanosine.
US07741289B2
The present invention provides compounds represented by the structural formula (I): or pharmaceutically acceptable isomers, salts, solvates or esters of the compound of Formula (I), wherein each of the substituents is as specified herein, formulations including the above compounds, processes for preparing the same and methods for treating atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia, or sitosterolemia, and for lowering plasma levels of sterols and/or stanols.
US07741288B2
The present invention relates to methods for identifying novel PP1-interacting polypeptides and proteins, compounds which are able to inhibit the binding of PP1c to certain factors naturally interacting with it, especially proteins of the Bcl-2 family (such as BCl-xL and Bcl-w), and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same.
US07741279B2
A modified pro-α chain comprising a triple helix forming domain linked to at least an N-terminal domain, the N-terminal domain containing a polypeptide from at least part of a laminin glycoprotein or secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor. The pro-α chain may form part of a procollagen molecule that has the N-terminal domain retained. The procollagen molecule may be incorporated into collagen polymers, matrices and gels and be used for such applications as wound healing.
US07741278B2
The present invention concerns methods of reducing the antigenicity of a proteinaceous compound while maintaining the compounds biological activity, as well as proteinaceous compositions with biological activity but reduced antigenicity. These methods and compositions have significant benefits to a subject in need of such compounds and compositions. Also included are modified toxin compounds that are truncated and/or possess reduce antigenicity. Such designer toxins have therapeutic, diagnostic, and preventative benefits, particularly as immunotoxins. Methods of treating cancer using these immunotoxins are provided.
US07741268B2
The invention relates to the field of pharmaceutical formulations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), and mixtures of FSH and luteinising hormone (LH), and to methods of producing such formulations. The invention provides a liquid or freeze-dried formulation of FSH, or LH, or FSH and LH comprising a surfactant selected from Pluronic® F77, Pluronic F87, Pluronic F88 and Pluronic F68.
US07741267B2
The present invention relates to a perfuming ingredient of a compound of formula in the form of any one of its isomers or of a mixture thereof, and having a boiling point above 250° C., as measured at a pressure of 1013 mbar and its use in a method to confer, enhance, improve or modify the odor properties of a perfuming composition or perfumed article. The perfuming compositions and perfumed articles having the desirable odor characters are also part of this invention.
US07741265B2
A cleaning composition for a hard surface is disclosed which provides for initial cleaning of the hard surface and provision of a hydrophilic coating or barrier layer on the surface which provides residual cleaning to the hard surface for an extended number of rinsings. The composition includes a hydrophilic polymer, at least one nonionic surfactant, at least one solvent, an acid and water, wherein the acid provides the composition with a pH of about 2 to 3.5 and the composition is provided in the absence of any anionic, cationic or amphoteric surfactant.
US07741263B2
An improved cleaning composition and method adapted to clean a variety of hard surfaces. The improved cleaning composition and method includes the use of a cationic biocide that includes biguanide compounds and/or quats.
US07741262B2
The present invention relates to compositions including a water soluble magnesium salt, water soluble calcium salt, and gluconate, which have a beneficial effect on corrosion during cleaning. The present compositions can reduce corrosion of a variety of surfaces including glass, aluminum, chrome, copper, and steel. The present invention also relates to methods employing these compositions.
US07741260B2
The invention provides a novel rinsing fluid which can convert an easily wettable resist pattern surface having a contact angle of 40° or below into one having a contact angle of 70° or above to inhibit pattern collapse effectively and thereby give high-quality products. The rinsing fluid consists of a solution containing at least one fluorine compound soluble in water or alcoholic solvents which is selected from among compounds represented by the general formula (I), those represented by the general formula (II), and those represented by the general formula: Rf′—COOH: wherein R1 and R2 are each optionally substituted C1-5 alkyl whose hydrogen atoms are partially or wholly replaced by fluorine, or R1 and R2 together with the SO2 groups to which they are bonded and the nitrogen atom may form a five- or six-membered ring; Rf is optionally substituted C1-5 alkyl whose hydrogen atoms are partially or wholly replaced by fluorine; m and n are each an integer of 2 or 3; and Rf′ is at least partially fluorinated alkyl having 8 to 20 carbon atoms.
US07741251B2
The present invention relates to well bore stabilization and, more particularly, to treatment fluids that may reduce the tendency of shales to swell and associated methods. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a method of stabilizing a subterranean formation that comprises a shale, the method comprising contacting the subterranean formation that comprises the shale with a treatment fluid, the treatment fluid comprising a base fluid, and a hydrophobically modified polymer. In other embodiments, the treatment fluids comprise a base fluid and a hydrophilically modified polymer. In yet other embodiments, the present invention provides shale-inhibiting components, treatment fluids, and methods of reducing the tendency of shale to swell when exposed to a treatment fluid.
US07741247B2
A region of a borehole with one or more openings to be sealed off, such as one or more fractures, voids, and or pores, may or may not be sealed off around a tubular string with a borehole seal such as a packer or plug. A carrying fluid may be utilized to transport a filtration material into the opening to create a bridge, which at least partially seals the opening, but still provides a flow path that permits fluid flow therethrough. A solid material and/or settable material may then utilize the fluid flow subsequently or be simultaneously spotted with or behind the filtration material to thereby form compositions which effectively seals off the flow path into the one or more openings.
US07741246B2
Provided is a herbicide composition which comprises a combination in a specific proportion of 2-[(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)hydroxymethyl]-6-methoxymethyl-N-difluoromethanesulfonylanilide as the component (A) and either one of fifteen kinds of compounds including 4-(2-chlorophenyl)-N-cyclohexyl-N-ethyl-4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1H-tetrazole-1-carboxamide as the component (B), none of which has been used in combination with the compound as the component (A). By an application of the herbicide composition to a paddy field in a specific dose, an excellent herbicidal effect is obtained against various kinds of weeds growing in paddy fields and the chemical damages thereof to paddy rice is extremely low.
US07741241B2
The invention relates to a hydrocarbon hydroconversion catalyst comprising a carrier based on refractory oxide, a metal of the group VIII, and a metal of the group VIB. Said catalyst is characterised in that it also comprises at least one organic compound selected from the alkene diols of formula (I) wherein R1 represents a C2-10 alkenylene group, preferably C2-4 alkenylene, a C6-18 arylene group, or a C7-18 alkylene-arylene group, and each R2 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-18 alkyl group, a C1-18 alkenyl group, a C6-18 aryl group, a C3-8 cycloalkyl group, or a C7-20 alkylaryl or arylalkyl group, or the two groups R2 together form a divalent C2-18 group, the carbonated chain of the R2 groups containing or carrying at least one heteroatom selected from S, N and O. The invention also relates to a method for preparing one such catalyst, and to the use of said catalyst for hydrotreatment or hydroconversion.
US07741240B2
This invention relates to new transition metal catalyst compounds represented by the formula (I): where: M and M′ are, independently, a group 8, 9, 10 or 11 transition metal, preferably Ni, Co, Pd, Cu or Fe; each R group is, independently, is, hydrogen, or a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, silylcarbyl, substituted silylcarbyl, germylcarbyl, or substituted germylcarbyl substituents, and optionally, adjacent R groups may join together to form a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated, partially unsaturated, or aromatic cyclic or polycyclic substituent; R′ is hydrogen, or a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, silylcarbyl, substituted silylcarbyl, germylcarbyl, or substituted germylcarbyl substituents, and optionally, adjacent R groups may join together with R′ to form a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated, partially unsaturated, or aromatic cyclic or polycyclic substituent; each X group is, independently, is, hydrogen, a halogen, or a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, silylcarbyl, substituted silylcarbyl, germylcarbyl, or substituted germylcarbyl substituents, and optionally, adjacent X groups may join together to form a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated, partially unsaturated, or aromatic cyclic or polycyclic substituent; m and m′ are, independently, 0, 1, 2, or 3; z and z′ are, independently, 0, 1, 2, or 3; N is nitrogen; Q is hydrogen, or a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, silylcarbyl, substituted silylcarbyl, germylcarbyl, or substituted germylcarbyl substituents; Q′ is hydrogen, or a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, silylcarbyl, substituted silylcarbyl, germylcarbyl, or substituted germylcarbyl substituents; and L is a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, silylcarbyl, substituted silylcarbyl, germylcarbyl, or substituted germylcarbyl substituent.
US07741239B2
A method of regeneration of a SCR catalyst for use in high temperature thermal processes such as in a power plant facility burning fossil fuels, bio-based fuels, or a combination thereof, wherein the catalyst is poisoned by phosphorous components in the flue gas and the catalyst is treated using a base, preferably an alkali metal hydroxide.
US07741229B2
A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is provided, which can manufacture a magnetic recording medium that includes a recording layer having a concavo-convex pattern and has a sufficiently flat surface. The method includes the steps of: forming an object to be processed including a recording layer having a predetermined concavo-convex pattern formed over a substrate and a first mask layer (temporary underlying material) formed at least on recording elements (convex portions) of the recording layer; depositing a filling material on the object to be processed to fill concave portions; removing a part of the filling material by dry etching to expose at least side faces of the first mask layer; and removing the first mask layer by an etching method in which an etching rate of the first mask layer is higher than that of the filling material to flatten a surface.
US07741226B2
A method of optimally filling a through via within a through wafer via structure with a conductive metal such as, for example, W is provided. The inventive method includes providing a structure including a substrate having at least one aperture at least partially formed through the substrate. The at least one aperture of the structure has an aspect ratio of at least 20:1 or greater. Next, a refractory metal-containing liner such as, for example, Ti/TiN, is formed on bare sidewalls of the substrate within the at least one aperture. A conductive metal seed layer is then formed on the refractory metal-containing liner. In the invention, the conductive metal seed layer formed is enriched with silicon and has a grain size of about 5 nm or less. Next, a conductive metal nucleation layer is formed on the conductive metal seed layer. The conductive metal nucleation layer is also enriched with silicon and has a grain size of about 20 nm or greater. Next, a conductive metal is formed on the conductive metal nucleation layer. After performing the above processing steps, a backside planarization process is performed to convert the at least one aperture into at least one through via that is now optimally filled with a conductive metal.
US07741218B2
A method for forming a conductive via is discussed and includes forming a seed layer over a first side of a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a first side opposite a second side, forming a via hole in a semiconductor substrate from the second side of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the via hole exposes the seed layer; and electroplating a conductive via material in the via hole from the seed layer. In one embodiment, a continuous conductive layer is formed over and electrically coupled to the seed layer. The continuous conductive layer can serve as the current source while electroplating the conductive via material.
US07741216B2
A metal line of a semiconductor device includes an insulation layer formed on a semiconductor substrate and having a metal line forming region. A diffusion barrier is formed on a surface of the metal line forming region of the insulation layer. The diffusion barrier has a multi-layered structure of a V layer, a VxNy layer and a VxNyOz layer. A metal layer is formed on the diffusion barrier to fill the metal line forming region of the insulation layer.
US07741212B2
A semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same are provided, capable of narrowing feature size by utilizing the property of oxidation of a material. In one method, a polysilicon layer can be patterned into a fine pattern up to a critical dimension using a photolithography process. Then the patterned polysilicon layer can be oxidized, thereby narrowing the gap between adjacent polysilicon patterns and narrowing the polysilicon patterns through the oxidation process. The narrowed polysilicon patterns and/or the narrowed gap between adjacent polysilicon patterns can be used to form vias or trenches in the substrate (or layer) below the polysilicon layer having a width narrower than the critical dimension.
US07741211B2
A semiconductor device can include a first interlayer dielectric layer disposed on a substrate, and an air gap defined in a portion of the first interlayer dielectric layer. The air gap can be formed within trenches etched into the first interlayer dielectric layer. An etch stop layer is disposed on the first interlayer dielectric layer and the air gap, and includes a hole communicating with the air gap.
US07741204B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method of fabricating a mixed-scale electronic interface. A substrate is provided with a first set of conductive elements. A first layer of nanowires may be formed over the first set of conductive elements. A number of channels may be formed, with each of the channels extending diagonally through a number of the nanowires of the first layer. A number of pads may be formed, each of which is electrically interconnected with an underlying conductive element of the first set of conductive elements and one or more adjacent nanowires of the first layer of nanowires. The pads and corresponding electrically interconnected nanowires define a number of pad-interconnected-nanowire-units. Additional embodiments are directed to a method of forming a nanoimprinting mold and a method of selectively programming nanowire-to-conductive element electrical connections.
US07741192B2
A thin semiconductor wafer, on which a top surface structure and a bottom surface structure that form a semiconductor chip are formed, is affixed to a supporting substrate by a double-sided adhesive tape. Then, on the thin semiconductor wafer, a trench to become a scribing line is formed by wet anisotropic etching with a crystal face exposed so as to form a side wall of the trench. On the side wall of the trench with the crystal face thus exposed, an isolation layer for holding a reverse breakdown voltage is formed by ion implantation and low temperature annealing or laser annealing so as to be extended to the top surface side while being in contact with a p collector region as a bottom surface diffused layer. Then, laser dicing is carried out to neatly dice a collector electrode, formed on the p collector region, together with the p collector region, without presenting any excessive portions and any insufficient portions under the isolation layer. Thereafter, the double-sided adhesive tape is removed from the collector electrode to produce semiconductor chips. A highly reliable reverse-blocking semiconductor device can thus be formed at a low cost.
US07741180B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of recesses in a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate insulating film in the plurality of recesses, and a plurality of gate electrodes on the gate insulating film in the plurality of recesses, forming an insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate and the plurality of gate electrodes, forming a plurality of contact holes in the insulating layer, the contact holes being formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of gate electrodes, implanting a first impurity into the semiconductor substrate through the plurality of contact holes to form each of source and drain regions in contact with the gate insulating film.
US07741176B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a capacitor and a support insulator. The capacitor includes a cylindrical electrode. The cylindrical electrode comprises upper and lower sections. The lower section has a roughened inner surface and an outer surface supported by the support insulator. The upper section upwardly projects from the support insulator. An initial cylindrical electrode is formed, wherein the initial cylindrical electrode comprises an initial upper section and an initial lower section which correspond to the upper section and the lower section of the cylindrical electrode, respectively. The initial upper section is supported by the support insulator. Specific impurities are implanted into the initial upper section, wherein the specific impurities serve to prevent the initial upper section from being roughened. Then, the initial cylindrical electrode is exposed to a roughening process so that the initial lower section is roughened to be the lower section.
US07741167B2
By forming a substantially continuous and uniform semiconductor alloy in one active region while patterning the semiconductor alloy in a second active region so as to provide a base semiconductor material in a central portion thereof, different types of strain may be induced, while, after providing a corresponding cover layer of the base semiconductor material, well-established process techniques for forming the gate dielectric may be used. In some illustrative embodiments, a substantially self-aligned process is provided in which the gate electrode may be formed on the basis of layer, which has also been used for defining the central portion of the base semiconductor material of one of the active regions. Hence, by using a single semiconductor alloy, the performance of transistors of different conductivity types may be individually enhanced.
US07741166B2
A method is provided in which a stress present in a film is reduced in magnitude by oxidizing the film through atomic oxygen supplied to a surface of the film. In an embodiment, a mask is used to selectively block portions of the film so that the stress is relaxed only in areas exposed to the oxidation process. A method is further provided in which a film having a stress is formed over source and drain regions of an NFET and a PFET. The stress present in the film over the source and drain regions of either the NFET or the PFET is then relaxed by oxidizing the film through exposure to atomic oxygen to provide enhanced mobility in at least one of the NFET or the PFET while maintaining desirable mobility in the other of the NFET and PFET.
US07741160B1
Provided are semiconductor die flip chip packages and semiconductor die flip chip package components where certain properties of the packages/components are controlled to facilitate management of the package stresses. Also provided are fabrication methods for such packages and package components. For instance, the thickness of a die can be controlled such that the stress generated/experienced by the die is minimized. As such, the package stress is managed to suitable levels for incorporation of a low-K Si die and/or a thin package substrate. Further, a thin die can be attached to a heat spreader to increase the rigidity for easier handling during fabrication of the semiconductor die flip chip package.
US07741153B2
Modular chip integration and operation techniques are provided. In one aspect, a method of integrating chips, chip macros or at least one chip in combination with at least one chip macro is provided. The method comprises the following steps. The chips, chip macros or at least one chip in combination with at least one chip macro are assembled on a single carrier platform. One or more signal inputs and outputs are provided to each of the chips, chip macros or at least one chip in combination with at least one chip macro. One or more power and ground inputs and outputs are provided to each of the chips, chip macros or at least one chip in combination with at least one chip macro. The power and ground inputs and outputs to one or more of the chips, chip macros or at least one chip in combination with at least one chip macro are segmented from the power and ground inputs and outputs to at least one other of the chips, chip macros or at least one chip in combination with at least one chip macro so as to form a plurality of voltage islands.
US07741147B2
A technique for creating high quality Schottky barrier devices in doped (e.g., Li+) crystalline metal oxide (e.g., ZnO) comprises field-controlled diffusion of mobile dopant atoms within the metal oxide crystal lattice. When heated (e.g., above 550 K) in the presence of an electric field (e.g., bias to ground of +/−50 V) the dopant atoms are caused to collect to form an ohmic contact, leaving a depletion region. The size of the depletion region controls the thickness of the Schottky barrier. Metal-semiconductor junction devices such as diodes, photo-diodes, photo-detectors, MESFETs, etc. may thereby be fabricated.
US07741145B2
The present invention provides a transparent substance formed with a plurality of continuous half-spherical convexes having a diameter of 25˜1,000 nm on its first main surface; an organic light-emitting device comprising a substrate, a first electrode, an organic material layer(s) and a second electrode, sequentially, characterized by having a plurality of continuous half-spherical convexes having a diameter of 25˜1,000 nm on the underside of the substrate that does not contact the first electrode and/or the upside of the second electrode that does not contact the organic material layer; and a method for preparing same using a porous aluminum oxide layer forming process.
US07741144B2
Embodiments of the present invention include an improved method of forming a thin film solar cell device using a plasma processing treatment between two or more deposition steps. Embodiments of the invention also generally provide a method and apparatus for forming the same. The present invention may be used to advantage to form other single junction, tandem junction, or multi-junction solar cell devices.
US07741142B2
The present invention provides a method of fabricating a biosensor. The method includes providing a substrate which has a surface coating. The surface coating is deformable and the substrate includes a layered structure which has at least two electrically conductive layers separated by at least one electrically insulating layer. The method also includes imprinting a structure into the surface coating. Further, the method includes etching at least a region of the imprinted structure and the substrate to remove at least a portion of the structure and the substrate. The structure is shaped so that the etching forms at least a portion of the biosensor in the substrate and exposes at least a portion of each electrically conductive layer to form electrodes of the biosensor.
US07741140B2
Apparatus and methods for forming optoelectronic devices such as an array of light emitting diodes or photovoltaic cells in one embodiment a roll-to-roll process in which a uniquely configured roller having a raised spiral coating surface is aligned with a plurality of first electrodes disposed on an angle on a substrate for coating a plurality of spaced-apart angled coated strips of optoelectronic materials along the cross-web direction of the substrate.
US07741137B2
A method of manufacturing a plurality of electro-optical devices by notching, dicing, and cutting a composite substrate obtained by adhering a first substrate and a second substrate which faces the first substrate with an electro-optical layer interposed therebetween.
US07741134B2
A light source and method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The light source includes a substrate and a light emitting structure. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface, the second surface including a curved, convex surface with respect to the first surface of the substrate. The light emitting structure includes a first layer of a material of a first conductivity type overlying the first surface, an active layer overlying the first layer, the active layer generating light when holes and electrons recombine therein, and a second layer includes a material of a second conductivity type overlying the active layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A mirror layer overlies the light emitting structure.
US07741130B2
The present invention relates to fluidic systems and, in particular, fluidic arrays and methods for using them to promote interaction of materials. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a microfluidic system. The microfluidic system includes a first fluid path and a second fluid path segregated from the first fluid path by a first convection controller at a first contact region, wherein at least one of the first fluid path and the second fluid path has a cross-sectional dimension of less than about 1 millimeter. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of promoting interaction. In another aspect, the invention relates to a device and method for performing titrations.
US07741129B2
A method for treating magnetic particles present in a solution in a container by redispersion, rinsing or displacement, the particles having novel characteristics under the effect of a specific magnet and being associated or not with biological entities. The magnetic particles undergo at least one low-intensity magnetization where they are disposed in filaments oriented according to the north-south axis of the magnet; the magnetization source and/or container is/are displaced while the magnetic effect is maintained on the magnetic particles; the magnetization source and/or container is/are displaced or the magnetization is stopped, in order to suppress the magnetic field on the magnetic particles. Preferably, the invention can be used in the field of biology.
US07741126B2
Disclosed is a computerized method for identifying peaks corresponding to glycans from a mass spectrum. At least one glycan spectrum is received from a mass spectrometer, with each glycan spectrum including peaks having a measured mass. Glycan identifications are automatically assigned to each of the peaks and these assignments are then reported.
US07741124B2
Described are determination procedures for fibrinogen and/or fibrinogen-derivatives by matrix-independent turbidimetry. In the FIFTA called procedure the fibrinogen activity is preferably determined in an undiluted sample by addition of thrombin and/or albumin, as well as polybrene if appropriate, in PBS and determination of the increase in absorbance at 405 nm. In the FIATA called procedure the fibrinogen-concentration and/or the concentration of fibrinogen-derivatives is preferably determined by addition of vancomycin and determination of the increase in turbidity at 405 nm. It is standardized by usage of plasma standards of known fibrinogen-activity and/or fibrinogen-concentration.
US07741120B2
Multifunctional nanocomposites are provided including a core of either a magnetic material or an inorganic semiconductor, and, a shell of either a magnetic material or an inorganic semiconductor, wherein the core and the shell are of differing materials, such multifunctional nanocomposites having multifunctional properties including magnetic properties from the magnetic material and optical properties from the inorganic semiconductor material. Various applications of such multifunctional nanocomposites are also provided.
US07741110B2
Single chain, monomeric polypeptide gene switches are provided. The gene switches include ligand binding domains and at least one functional domain. Preferred functional domains are DNA binding domains and transcriptional regulating domains. Methods of regulating gene function using the switches are also provided.
US07741109B2
An applicator for applying a liquid carrier having live bacteria suspended therein, which are in a dormant state, to a target host comprising a pump having inlet and discharge sides, with the inlet side of the pump being in fluid communication with the liquid carrier. A first fluid conduit extends from the discharge side of the pump to an air induction nozzle which is in communication with a source of air under pressure. A flow control is imposed in the first conduit for adjusting the amount of liquid carrier passing therethrough. The pump and the air supply for the air induction nozzle are operatively connected to a power supply. The pump, when activated, causes the liquid carrier to be pumped to the air induction nozzle wherein the liquid carrier is mixed with air to create small droplets thereof for spraying onto the target host.
US07741108B2
Bacteria accumulations on the interior walls of a fluid conduit are detected by placing a bacterial target substrate in the conduit. The substrate is structured to allow bacteria to colonize it at at least the rate of accumulation expected on the conduit walls or at an accelerated rate in order to preempt normal bacteria accumulation on the walls. A bacteria getter may be used to accelerate bacterial colonization of the substrate. An excitation signal interrogating the substrate causes autofluorescence in the presence of bacteria, specifically from NADH and/or NADPH present. The autofluorescent emission is transmitted to a detector and processor. In one system when the presence of bacteria at a preset level is detected there is initiated a diversion of the fluid into an auxiliary subsystem during which the primary subsystem is remediated. In one configuration, a wall portion is transparent and the biofilm target substrate is integral with the transparent wall portion and the sensor head is attached to the outside of the transparent wall portion. It can be made as a removable and/or disposable cell in which the transparent wall portion is a glass plug that fits into a hole in the conduit. The biofilm target substrate can be a getter affinity surface formed on the inside surface of the glass plug. Various means are used for obtaining accelerated biofilm growth.
US07741105B2
Disclosed is a biomolecule chip and a fabrication method thereof. The biomolecule chip of the invention includes: a substrate; an insulating layer formed on the substrate; an adhesive layer formed on the insulating layer; a seed layer formed on the adhesive layer; an opening patterned at a predetermined location within the adhesive layer, the seed layer and the electroplating layer; and a biomolecule immobilized layer formed on the electroplating layer, the electroplating layer comprising a plasma-treated electroplating layer prior to the formation of the biomolecule immobilized layer. Accordingly, the immobilization of biomolecules onto the surface can be done more effectively by modifying the surface of the substrate in favor of biomolecules.
US07741098B2
Plasmid vectors for expression in Caenorhabditis elegans harbouring a heat inducible promoter nucleotide sequence, a synthetic intron nucleotide sequence optionally containing a Shine-Dalgarno sequence for efficient shuttling between C. elegans and E. coli, optionally a nucleotide sequence coding for a nuclear localisation signal or secretion signal, a nucleotide sequence coding for a recognizable tag, optionally a nucleotide sequence coding for a fluorescent protein, a nucleotide sequence coding for a protease cleavage site, a multiple cloning site containing a nucleotide sequence coding for an eukaryotic, such as human, protein or a nucleic acid molecule and a nucleotide sequence coding for termination of translation, are described. Methods of particularly large scale production of eukaryotic, such as human, proteins and nucleic acid molecules in nematodes are also described.
US07741096B2
The present disclosure provides crystals of and structural coordinates of Hepatocyte growth factor activator with and without bound pseudo-substrate or inhibitor. In a specific embodiment, a crystal structure of activated HGFA complexed with a Kunitz domain inhibitor is provided. The crystals and crystal structures are useful, for example, in the design and synthesis of inhibitors of HGFA.
US07741092B2
In one aspect, the invention is directed to polypeptides having an amylase activity, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, and methods for making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. The polypeptides of the invention can be used as amylases to catalyze the hydrolysis of starch into sugars.
US07741084B2
Production of ethanol using a strain of xylose-utilizing Zymomonas with a genetic modification of the glucose-fructose oxidoreductase gene was found to be improved due to greatly reduced production of xylitol, a detrimental by-product of xylose metabolism synthesized during fermentation.
US07741083B2
A process is provided for producing glycolic acid from formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. More specifically, heat-treated formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide are reacted to produce glycolonitrile having low concentrations of impurities. The glycolonitrile is subsequently converted to an aqueous solution of ammonium glycolate using an enzyme catalyst having nitrilase activity derived from Acidovorax facilis 72W (ATCC 57746). Glycolic acid is recovered in the form of the acid or salt from the aqueous ammonium glycolate solution using a variety of methods described herein.
US07741076B2
The expression of the lipidated form of the peptidoglycan-associated protein (PAL) of gram-negative bacteria is achieved through the use of a plasmid containing a tightly regulated promoter. A bacterial host cell is transformed, transduced or transfected with such a plasmid. The host cell is then cultured under conditions such that the lipidated recombinant PAL is expressed. The lipidated recombinant PAL is included in an antigenic composition administered to a mammalian host to immunize against a gram-negative bacterium.
US07741062B2
Reagents and methods for detecting target proteins in a sample are provided. The reagents include a replicable genetic package, a protein displayed on an exterior surface of the package that is expressed from a heterologous nucleic acid borne by the package, and one or more antibodies complexed with the expressed protein and which have an open binding site for a target protein. Thus, a segment of the nucleic acid encodes for an epitope that is shared by the expressed polypeptide and the target protein. The reagents can be utilized individually or as part of a library or an array to bind target proteins within protein samples to form one or more complexes. By determining the sequence of the segment of the heterologous nucleic acid of a package within a complex, one can identify the target protein since the segment encodes for an epitope that is shared by the expressed and target proteins.
US07741057B2
Methods and compositions for using the MHC class II invariant chain polypeptide, Ii (also known as CD74), as a receptor for macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), are disclosed. These include methods and compositions for using this receptor, as well as agonists and antagonists of MIF which bind to this receptor, or which otherwise modulate the interaction of MIF with CD74 or the consequences of such interaction, in treatment of conditions characterized by locally or systemically altered MIF levels, particularly inflammatory conditions and cancer.
US07741053B2
Processes for the detection and purification of peptides and proteins comprising a metal ion-affinity peptide having a high affinity for coordinated metals and also being highly antigenic are described. Antibodies for use in the processes are also described.
US07741047B2
The present invention is directed to a method for treating autoimmune diseases comprising administering RBAp48 production suppressor or inhibitor; a screening method for a preventive or therapeutic agent for autoimmune diseases comprising determining RBAp48 production suppressing effect or inhibitory effect of a sample; a diagnosis agent or a diagnosing kit for autoimmune diseases containing a reagent for measuring RBAp48 level in gland tissue; and a diagnosis method for autoimmune diseases comprising measuring RBAp48 level in gland tissue.
US07741046B2
Methods for probing multiple targets in a biological sample are provided. The methods include the steps of providing a biological sample containing multiple targets adhered to a solid support, binding at least one fluorescent probe to one or more target present in the sample, and observing a signal from the fluorescent probe. The method further includes the steps of oxidizing the bound fluorescent probe with a solution containing an oxidizing agent that substantially inactivates the fluorescent probe, binding at least one fluorescent probe to one or more target present in the sample, and observing a signal from the fluorescent probe. The methods disclosed herein also provide for multiple iterations of binding, observing, and oxidizing for deriving information about multiple targets in a single sample. An associated kit is also provided.
US07741035B2
Gene expression profiling in multiple myeloma patients identifies genes that distinguish between patients with subsequent early death or long survival after treatment. Poor survival is linked to over-expression of genes such as ASPM, OPN3 and CKS1B which are located in chromosome 1q. Given the frequent amplification of 1q in many cancers, it is possible that these genes can be used as powerful prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for multiple myeloma and other cancer.
US07741032B2
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene encoding gamma glutamyl hydrolase (GGH) associated with reduced GGH activity are disclosed. The primary SNP is a change from a cytosine to a thymine at a position corresponding to nucleotide 511 of Genbank sequence accession no. NM 003878. Methods and kits for detecting these SNPs are provided, along with primers useful in detecting these SNP and for amplifying portions of the GGH gene containing these SNPs.
US07741028B2
The present invention relates to the field of genetic screening. More specifically, the described embodiments concern methods to screen multiple samples, in a single assay, for the presence or absence of mutations or polymorphisms in a plurality of genes. Approaches to screen for the presence or absence of mutations that are associated with cystic fibrosis and approaches to design primers that generate extension products that facilitate the resolution of multiple extension products in a single lane of a gel or in a single run on a column are also provided.
US07741019B2
A method for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of ovarian cancer in a subject by detecting hK10 in a sample from the subject, preferably a serum sample or tumor tissue extract. hK10 may be measured using a reagent that detects or binds to hK10 preferably antibodies specifically reactive with hK10 or a part thereof. Imaging methods for tumors associated with hK10 are also described using an agent that binds to hK10 which had a label for imaging the tumor.
US07741017B2
The present invention relates to a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material wherein at least one of light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers includes a silver halide emulsion having a silver chloride content of at least 95 mol % and a silver iodide content of 0.05 mol % to 0.75 mol % and/or a silver bromide content of 0.05 mol % to 4.00 mol % and further at least one compound represented by the following formula (I): X-(L)n-Y Formula (I) wherein X represents a group adsorptive to a silver halide, L represents a divalent connecting group comprising one of an atom and an atomic group including at least one of a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom and an oxygen atom, Y denotes a reducible group and n denotes an integer of 0 or 1.
US07741002B2
The present invention provides a method for producing a toner including preparing an emulsified dispersion which contains emulsion particles by emulsifying or dispersing an oil phase containing at least a pigment and any one of a binder resin and a binder resin precursor in an aqueous medium, and granulating toner base particles by converging the emulsified dispersion, wherein the Casson yield value of the single oil phase before being emulsified or dispersed in the aqueous medium is 0.5 Pa to 20 Pa; and the temperature Tn of the emulsified dispersion in the preparation of the emulsified dispersion, the temperature Ts of the emulsified dispersion in the granulation of the toner base particles, and the glass transition temperature Tg of the toner base particles satisfy the relation Tn
US07741000B2
Disclosed is a method for forming color image, in which one of the yellow, magenta, cyan and black toners is a high water content toner, and one of the yellow, magenta, cyan and black toners is a toner low water content toner,water content of the high water content toner is 1.2 to 2.5% by weight based on the high water content toner, and water content of the low water content toner is 0.1 to 1.2% by weight based on the low water content toner.
US07740999B2
To achieve improvements in developing performance, transferring performance, and fixing performance, a toner has a glass transition temperature (TgA) of 40 to 60° C. and a temperature (P1) of the highest peak of 70 to 120° C.; cyclohexane (CHX) insoluble matter in the tetrahydrofuran (THF) soluble matter of the toner has a glass transition temperature (TgB) of 80 to 120° C.; TgA and TgB satisfy a specific formula; the toner has a viscosity at 100° C. of 5,000 to 30,000 Pa·s; and the cyclohexane (CHX) insoluble matter has an acid value of 5 to 40 mgKOH/g.
US07740994B2
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for selecting a photomask substrate, including dividing a chip area scheduled to be arranged on the photomask substrate regarding a specific transfer pattern layer into a management pattern area in which an element pattern changed in shape by birefringence of the photomask substrate is arranged, and an area other than the management pattern area, setting a standard value of a size of birefringence of an area in which the management pattern area of the photomask substrate is arranged, inspecting the size of the birefringence of each of a plurality of photomask substrate candidates, and selecting a photomask substrate, in which the size of the birefringence satisfies the standard value, as a photomask substrate of the specific transfer pattern layer from the plurality of photomask substrate candidates.
US07740993B2
A mask for sequential lateral solidification (SLS) processes including at least one first window, one second window, one third window, and one fourth window is provided. Each window has a length extending longitude on the mask. The second window is aligned to the first window. The width of the first window is greater than that of the second window. The fourth window is aligned to the third window. The width of the third window is greater than that of the fourth window.
US07740992B2
An exposure apparatus to be used with an exposure mask having an elastically deformable holding member and a light blocking film provided on the holding member and being formed with an opening pattern. For exposure, the mask is flexed, to be brought into contact with an object to be exposed. The apparatus includes a distance detecting device for detecting a distance between the exposure mask and the object to be exposed. The distance detecting device is adapted to detect the distance between the exposure mask and the object to be exposed before the exposure mask is flexed. The apparatus also includes a distance controlling device for controlling the distance between the exposure mask before the mask is flexed and the object to be exposed, on the basis of a signal from the distance detecting device.
US07740986B2
The battery has an electrolyte that includes an organoborate additive and one or more salts in a solvent. The organoborate additive can be present in a concentration less than 0.2 M or less than 0.05 M. A molar ratio of the organoborate additive:one or more salts is in a range of 4:1 to 400:1. In some instances, the solvent includes one or more organic solvents.
US07740979B2
An alkaline electrochemical cell capable of providing optimum discharge efficiencies at both a high tech drain rate and a low drain rate is disclosed. In one embodiment, the ratio of the anode's electrochemical capacity to the cathode's electrochemical capacity is between 1.33:1 and 1.40:1 and the surface area of the anode to cathode interface is maximized.
US07740978B2
The battery pack uses a restraining tool capable of secure restraint despite relatively low rigidity to achieve weight and cost reductions. The battery pack is formed of a plurality of parallel arranged battery modules (2), each consisting of a plurality of cells (5) electrically connected in series and coupled together in one piece with gaps (8) formed therebetween (5, 5), each cell being formed of elements for electromotive force encased in a prismatic case. The restraining tool includes connecting members (4) extending through the gaps (8) at both ends of the parallel arranged battery modules (2) and between two given cells (5, 5).
US07740974B2
An exemplary fuel cell of the invention includes a formic acid fuel solution in communication with an anode (12, 134), an oxidizer in communication with a cathode (16, 135) electrically linked to the anode, and an anode catalyst that includes Pd. An exemplary formic acid fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (130) includes a proton-conducting membrane (131) having opposing first (132) and second surfaces (133), a cathode catalyst on the second membrane surface, and an anode catalyst including Pd on the first surface.
US07740965B2
A battery includes a battery can housing an cell that supplies electrical energy at terminals of the cell by an electro-chemical reaction with oxygen, the can including, a first member having at least one hole that is exposed to air; and a second member. The battery also includes a mechanism coupled to one of the first and second members to move the one of the first and second members such that when current is drawn from the battery, the opening in the member allows air to pass into the battery, and to move the one of the first and second members such that when current is not drawn from the battery, the opening in the member is not in registration to inhibit air to pass into the battery. The battery also includes a circuit to control the mechanism. In one embodiment the circuit monitors levels of O2 in a air plenum that surrounds the cell. The circuit to monitor levels of O2 in the air plenum includes a florescent detector/sensor that senses and responds to changes in O2 in the plenum by using the “quenching effect” of oxygen on a fluorescent material.
US07740958B2
Provided is an organic light-emitting device capable of emitting light with high efficiency by incorporating a silyl compound in which a silyl group and an amino group are directly bonded to an anthracene ring particularly into its light-emitting layer. In the organic light-emitting device including: a pair of electrodes composed of an anode and a cathode; and an organic compound layer interposed between the pair of electrodes, wherein the organic compound layer contains the following silyl compound. A layer containing at least one kind of the silyl compound is a light-emitting layer.
US07740954B2
A process for modifying at least one dendron that is intended to form part of a dendrimer is disclosed. One reacts at least one reactable unsaturated group in a chemoselective manner to form a less unsaturated group. Also disclosed is a process for modifying dendrimers in a similar manner.
US07740952B2
Disclosed is a composition comprises or is produced from a biopolymer, an olefin copolymer, and an optional polymer wherein the biopolymer comprises repeat units derived from a glycoside. Also disclosed is an article comprising or produced from the composition.
US07740949B2
A water-based adhesive for polarizing elements which comprises a polyvinyl alcohol resin, a resin having a maleic anhydride skeleton in the structure, and a crosslinking agent in a weight proportion of 100/(1-1,000)/(0.5-5,000). It is easy to handle because it is of the water-based one-pack type. The adhesive has sufficient adhesion strength even in a high-temperature high-humidity atmosphere. The adhesive contains boron in a high concentration and is effective also in the bonding of polarizing elements, for which conventional adhesives have been insufficient in adhesion strength.
US07740947B2
Coatings containing particulate metal alloy are disclosed. The coatings provide corrosion protection to a substrate, such as a metal substrate. The coatings contain zinc-metal-containing alloy in flake form, most particularly an alloy flake of zinc and aluminum. The coating can be from compositions that are water-based or solvent-based. The compositions for providing the coating may also contain a substituent such as a water-reducible organofunctional silane, or a hexavalent-chromium-providing substance, or a titanate polymer, or a silica substance constituent. the coating may desirably be topcoated.
US07740946B2
To provide an electroconductive laminate excellent in electrical conductivity and visible light transparency, an electromagnetic wave shielding film for a plasma display, and a protective plate for a plasma display having excellent electromagnetic wave shielding properties, a broad transmission/reflection band and a high visible light transmittance.An electroconductive laminate 10 comprising a substrate 11, and an electroconductive film 12 having a three-layer structure having a first oxide layer 12a, a metal layer 12b and a second oxide layer 12c laminated sequentially from the substrate 11 side, or having a 3×n layer structure (wherein n is an integer of at least 2) having the above three-layer structure repeated, wherein the first oxide layer 12a contains “zinc oxide” and “titanium oxide or niobium oxide”, the metal layer 12b is a layer containing silver, and the second oxide layer 12c contains a mixture of zinc oxide and aluminum oxide, or the like.
US07740945B2
A brightness enhancement film is provided, which comprises a substrate with a light diffusion layer having a convex-concave structure on one side of the substrate. The brightness enhancement film of the present invention can be used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) as a light diffusion brightness enhancement film.
US07740944B2
The present invention relates to a multilayer coating in which a plurality of photocurable resin cured films are layered on a substrate, wherein at least two adjacent layers comprise the same hindered phenol-type antioxidant.The multilayer coating can be applied onto a substrate, such as glass fibers, vinyl chloride sheets, polycarbonate sheets, glass plates, polyethylene films, wood, acrylic sheets, metal plates, and the like.
US07740940B2
A coated article comprising a substrate having a plastic surface and adhered thereto an organometallic film in which the metal has f electron orbitals or is niobium is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for applying organometallic films to substrates and the organometallic films themselves.
US07740939B2
An insulating magnetic metal particle includes a magnetic metal particle containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni and having a diameter of 5 to 500 nm, a first inorganic insulating layer made of an oxide that covers the surface of the magnetic metal particle, and a second inorganic insulating layer made of an oxide that produces a eutectic crystal by reacting together with the first inorganic insulating layer at the time of heating them, the second inorganic insulating layer being coated on the first inorganic insulating layer. A thickness ratio of the second inorganic insulating layer with respect to the first inorganic insulating layer is set so that the first inorganic insulating layer remains on the surface of the magnetic metal particle after producing the eutectic crystal.
US07740937B1
A flock material exhibiting an increased degree of filament separation prepared by cutting a fluoropolymer or carbon fiber yarn into lengths, introducing mechanical energy into the lengths in order to cause the lengths to separate into single-filaments fibers and removing or classifying at least a portion of the single-filament fibers from the lengths in order to obtain a flock having a particular fraction of single-filament, fluoropolymer or carbon fibers.
US07740933B2
Nanoporous structures are constructed that have hydrophilic regions separated by hydrophobic regions. The porous, hydrophilic regions have reaction sites suitable for use in a bioassay application and have a higher density of reaction sites than that of a non-porous (2-D) surface. The structure may be made by depositing a layer of a matrix material (e.g., an organosilicate) and a porogen, and then crosslinking the matrix material to form a nanohybrid composite structure. The porogen is decomposed to form pores within the matrix material, and a reactive gas phase species (e.g., ozone) is patternwise directed onto a surface of the matrix material. Ultraviolet light (directed through a mask) activates the gas phase species to form a reactive species that then reacts with the matrix material to make it hydrophilic. The porogen may be decomposed thermally or by exposing it to an oxidizing atmosphere in the presence of ultraviolet light.
US07740928B2
A paper or plastic surface material of appropriate thickness and stiffness which can be coated with or laminated to asphaltic or non-asphaltic adhesives. The surface material can have a plurality of individual slits formed in substantially parallel spaced rows extending transversely from one end to the opposing end of the surface material. The flexible surface material is expandable by extending the opposing ends of the surface material whereby the slits form an array of openings. The length, width and spacing of the cuts can be varied to achieve desired stretch ratios. The surface material can be easily stored in the non-expandable position and easily expanded to be stretchable and conformable around windows, skylights or other suitable uses.
US07740921B2
A media sheet has a substrate with an image-receiving layer disposed thereon. The image-receiving layer has a first pigment having particles with a size of about 50 to about 400 nanometers, a second pigment having plate-like particles, and a third pigment that either having a porous structure with an oil absorption of about 50 to about 300 cubic centimeters of oil per 100 grams, or a porous structure comprising substantially non-porous particles.
US07740915B2
A process for coating a substrate with a coating comprising sequential steps of coating the substrate with mixtures of powders of fluoropolymers, thermoplastic polymers, perfluoropolymers and inorganic fillers of certain particle sizes. The coated substrate has the property of strongly adhering to a topcoat comprising a perfluoropolymer.
US07740912B2
This invention relates to a method for forming a multi-layer coating on a vehicle body, comprised of applying primer coating, base coating, and clear coat layers in a wet-on-wet-on-wet manner, and simultaneously curing the applied three layers together in a single baking step. The primer layer comprises a film-forming binder (a) a caprolactone-modified linear acrylic polymer; and (b) an aminoplast resin crosslinking agent, wherein the composition is essentially free of crosslinked nonaqueous dispersion resin particles or crosslinked microgel resin particles or both. The resulting multi-layered coating film has excellent aesthetic appearance, strike-in resistance, chipping resistance, sag resistance, and film build even when formed in a three wet layered application method.
US07740908B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a solid substrate used for sensors having a film with a small film thickness distribution, and a solid surface used for sensors having a film with a small film thickness distribution. The present invention provides a method for producing a solid substrate for sensors that has a coating on the surface using spin coating, wherein a substrate to be coated is rotated in an atmosphere in which the vapor pressure of coating solvent is 50% to 100% with respect to the saturation vapor pressure so as to form a thin film of a coating solution on said substrate to be coated.
US07740897B2
A method for forming a ceramic article useful as a bone substitute and having an outer surface defining a shape having a bulk volume and having open, interconnecting openings extending throughout the volume and opening through the surface, includes, providing an organic open-pore structure, coating surface of pores of the structure with a ceramic slip, pyrolyzing the organic structure to leave a ceramic structure having struts defining a plurality of interconnecting interstices, and providing within the interstices a porous osteoconductive composition exposed to the interconnecting openings. In a preferred embodiment, the ceramic slip includes a strong, supportive ceramic material and a separate osteoconductive material.
US07740878B2
The present invention is directed to the use of betaine or its physiologically acceptable salt for enhancing endurance during exercise, enhancing muscle mass and reducing muscle soreness and muscle fatigue. It is also directed to the use of betaine or its physiologically acceptable salt for enhancing the flavor of a food or beverage.
US07740877B2
A thermogelling, aliphatically modified polymer for use in drug delivery is described. Illustrative embodiments include poly(lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-ε-caprolactone) hexanoate and poly(lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-ε-caprolactone) laurate. Another illustrative embodiment includes a composition having a thermogelling amount of an aliphatically modified poly(lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-ε-caprolactone) and an effective amount of a drug. The thermogelling polymers are made by bonding an aliphatic group to poly(lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-ε-caprolactone). A method of use includes injecting a warm-blooded individual with a thermogelling amount of the aliphatically modified polymer and a drug.
US07740872B2
The present invention relates to a delipidation method employing a solvent system useful for extracting lipids from cancer cells, thereby creating a modified cancer cell particle. Upon delipidation of the cancer cells, a portion of the cancer cell antigens remain intact. These exposed antigens, or epitopes, foster and promote antibody production. The resulting modified cancer cell particle, or portions of the cancer cell, initiate a positive immunogenic response when administered to an animal or human and help to treat, prevent or delay the onset of cancer. The present invention provides autologous and heterologous vaccine compositions comprising the modified cancer cell with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The present invention provides method of administering these vaccines to treat, prevent or delay the onset of cancer.
US07740865B2
The genome sequences and the nucleotide sequences coding for the PWD circovirus polypeptides, such as the circovirus structural and non-structural polypeptides, vectors including the sequences, and cells and animals transformed by the vectors are provided. Methods for detecting the nucleic acids or polypeptides, and kits for diagnosing infection by a PWD circovirus, also are provided. Method for selecting compounds capable of modulating the viral infection are further provided. Pharmaceutical, including vaccine, compositions for preventing and/or treating viral infections caused by PWD circovirus and the use of vectors for preventing and/or treating diseases also are provided.
US07740864B2
Fish are immunized by a mass vaccination method, such as by immersion in water containing an attenuated strain of a pathogenic bacterium that does not effectively cause disease in fish when the non-attenuated pathogenic bacterium is exposed to the fish by immersion. An illustrative example of the method is for immunizing against coldwater disease caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum, which may be attenuated by serial passage in media containing increasing amounts of an antibiotic, such as rifampicin.
US07740850B2
The invention is directed to novel PDGFRβ-specific antagonists. The antagonists include antibodies, which can be bispecific. The antibodies are used to reduce or inhibit tumor growth and or to treat an angiogenic disease. The invention also includes combinations of PDGFRβ-specific antagonists with VEGFR antagonists for such treatments. The antagonists can further be administered in combination with other anti-angiogenic or anti-neoplastic drugs.
US07740848B2
Provided are methods for diagnosing the propensity of a subject to develop skin inflammation, in particular, psoriasis. Also provided are methods of treatment with antagonists of IL-17, IL-19, and/or IL-23.
US07740844B2
The present invention provides novel monoclonal antibodies with a high binding affinity to all five isoforms of human VEGF.
US07740833B2
Variants of homodimer-forming chemokines, such as human CCL2, having a single amino acid substitution in the dimerization interface that alters the pattern of hydrogen bonds and acting as an obligate monomer, can antagonize natural chemokines and have anti-inflammatory activity in vivo. These variants can be used as active ingredient in pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of inflammatory, autoimmune, or infectious diseases.
US07740832B1
The invention concerns a cosmetic composition for keratinous fibers such as hair comprising, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least a tacky polymer with glass transition temperature (Tg) less than 20° C. and at least a fixing polymer with glass transition temperature higher than 15° C. The invention also concerns a method for treating keratinous fibers such as hair, in particular a method for setting and/or maintaining hairstyle, using said composition and the use of said composition in or for making a cosmetic hairstyling formulation.
US07740830B2
The present invention relates to endothelial cell-specific genes and encoded polypeptides and materials and uses thereof in the imaging, diagnosis and treatment of conditions involving the vascular endothelium.
US07740828B2
Multimetallic anionic clays (MACs) are prepared using economical raw materials or reactants and a procedure for obtaining a series of multimetallic mixed oxides derived from the thermal decomposition of the MACs which comprises: (1) dissolving water-soluble bimetallic and/or trimetallic sources in water, (2) dispersing and homogenizing separate water-insoluble divalent and/or trivalent metal precursors with a high-speed stirrer in order to obtain small and reactive particles; depending on the nature of the water-insoluble divalent and/or trivalent metal precursors, this process can be adjusted to a desired pH, (3) adding the suspension obtained in (2) to solution (1) with the reaction medium still dispersed to facilitate solid particle's reduction/dissociation, and (4) afterwards the slurry is aged for several hours and finally dried. This process enables raw materials or reactants to be easily handled, and eliminates unit operations involving product washing and/or purification steps.
US07740819B2
The present invention has an object to more enhance the efficiency of the purification of the CO-containing exhaust gases with a catalytic-component-supporting type catalyst, particularly, to enable both achievement of high purification efficiency and long-term stable maintenance of high purification efficiency without increasing the quantity of the catalytic component as supported. As a means of achieving this object, a process for purification of exhaust gases, according to the present invention, is a process for purification of exhaust gases to remove CO therefrom, and is characterized by comprising the step of bringing the exhaust gases into contact with a catalyst layer at a temperature of 250 to 600° C., a pressure drop of not more than 100 mmH2O, and a linear velocity of 0.5 to 10 m/s, wherein the catalyst layer includes a honeycomb-structural catalyst having an opening size of 1.0 to 3.0 mm, an opening ratio of 60 to 80%, and an inner wall thickness of less than 2 mm.
US07740817B2
A catalyst which efficiently removes particulate matter, SOF, sulfate, and SOOT and the like from the exhaust gas from such an internal combustion engine as a diesel engine without inducing a rise in the back pressure of the engine is provided. The catalyst for the purification of the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine is formed by using an open flow honeycomb containing in the channel walls thereof such pores as possess an average diameter in the range of 10-40 μm.
US07740812B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for continuously separating aromatic dialdehyde from a reaction mixture obtained by gas-phase oxidation of dimethylbenzene. The method for continuously separating aromatic dialdehyde includes the steps of congealing aromatic dialdehyde by cooling the gas-phase reaction mixture including the aromatic dialdehyde, which is obtained by gas-phase oxidation of dimethylbenzene, to 5-70° C. and separating the congealed aromatic dialdehyde from the remaining reaction mixture. Using the method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention, aromatic dialdehyde can be effectively and selectively separated from a reaction mixture obtained by gas-phase oxidation of dimethylbenzene in high yield.
US07740809B2
An apparatus for cleaning an exhaust gas containing nitrogen oxide and particulate matter and discharged from a diesel engine, wherein the apparatus comprises a porous ceramic honeycomb filter and an SCR catalytic converter in this order from upstream, wherein the honeycomb filter has pluralities of flow paths partitioned by porous cell walls and a catalyst supported by the porous cell walls, with desired flow paths sealed by plugs, and wherein at least one plug on the side of an exhaust gas inlet is separate inward from an exhaust gas inlet end. A ratio D/V of the diameter D (mm) of the honeycomb filter to the displacement V (liter) of the diesel engine is preferably 15 mm/liter or more. The honeycomb filter and an SCR catalytic converter are preferably contained in one case.
US07740807B2
A microfluidic device is provided that can include an input liquid-containment feature. The microfluidic device can include an overflow channel in fluid communication with the input liquid-containment feature. The microfluidic device can include a fluid capture appendix in fluid communication with the overflow channel.
US07740801B2
A system for the determination of an analyte in a bodily fluid sample includes an analytical test strip and an analytical meter. The analytical test strip has a substrate layer, an electroluminescent component (either an electroluminescent module and/or an electroluminescent lamp) disposed on the substrate layer, and a sample chamber configured for receiving a bodily fluid sample disposed above the substrate layer. Moreover, the analytical meter is configured for insertion of the analytical test strip therein and subsequent determination of the analyte.
US07740800B2
A disposable, integrated extracorporeal blood circuit employed during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery performs gas exchange, heat transfer, and microemboli filtering functions in a way as to conserve volume, to reduce setup and change out times, to eliminate a blood reservoir, and to substantially reduce blood-air interface. Blood from the patient or prime solution is routed through an air removal device that is equipped with air sensors for detection of air. An active air removal controller removes detected air from blood in the air removal device. A disposable circuit support module is used to mount the components of the disposable, integrated extracorporeal blood circuit in close proximity and in a desirable spatial relationship to optimize priming and use of the disposable, integrated extracorporeal blood circuit. A reusable circuit holder supports the disposable circuit support module in relation to a prime solution source, the active air removal controller and other components.
US07740796B2
Provided is iron silicide powder in which the content of oxygen as the gas component is 1500 ppm or less, and a method of manufacturing such iron silicide powder including the steps of reducing iron oxide with hydrogen to prepare iron powder, heating the iron powder and Si powder in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to prepare synthetic powder containing FeSi as its primary component, and adding and mixing Si powder once again thereto and heating this in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to prepare iron silicide powder containing FeSi2 as its primary component. The content of oxygen as the gas component contained in the iron silicide powder will decrease, and the iron silicide powder can be easily pulverized as a result thereof. Thus, the mixture of impurities when the pulverization is unsatisfactory will be reduced, the specific surface area of the iron silicide powder will increase, and the density can be enhanced upon sintering the iron silicide powder.
US07740792B2
A syringe for use in a pressurized injection of a fluid includes a syringe barrel including a polymeric material having undergone expansion via blow molding. An inner diameter of the syringe barrel can, for example, be sufficiently constant (over at least a portion of the axial length of the syringe) that a plunger slidably positioned within the syringe barrel and in generally sealing contact with an inner wall of the syringe barrel can be used within the syringe barrel to generate a pressure of at least 1 psi within the syringe barrel. In several embodiment, the inner diameter of the syringe barrel is sufficiently constant to generate a pressure of at least 100 psi, at least 300 psi, or even at least 500 psi within the syringe barrel. A method of forming a syringe includes the steps of: injection molding at least one polymeric material to form a preform; placing the preform into an blow mold die; and expanding at least a portion of the preform while heating the preform within the die to form a barrel of the syringe. The syringes can be formed to withstand relatively high pressures as described above. The at least one polymeric material can, for example, be polyethyleneterephthalate, cyclic olefin polymer, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene napthalate and/or nylon.
US07740789B2
A method of making a cup that decreases the amount of flash on a bottom surface of the cup is provided. More specifically, a cup is provided that includes a thickened lip around an open surface. The lip also includes a recess for the receipt of excess material generated by the molding process. This excess material, or flashing, is detrimental to the use of cups in cup stacking competitions.
US07740785B2
A closure cap and method of making the same wherein an annular or ring-shaped gasket is injection molded onto the inner surface of a cap shell formed of plastic or metal. The annular or ring-shaped gasket includes at least one radially extending tab integrally formed therewith. A channel in the working surface of a mold core cooperates with the inside surface of the cap to form a mold cavity having the shape of the gasket to be formed therein. The cavity includes a melt inlet and a melt outlet which is in flow communication with a cold well through a connecting portion of reduced cross-sectional area with respect to the cross-sectional areas of both the gasket-defining mold cavity and the cold well.
US07740784B2
An apparatus for in-mold-decoration includes a male mold, a female mold comprising a surface facing the male mold, a foil, a press member, and a supporting member. The surface of the female mold defines a cavity. The foil is applied to the surface of the female mold. The press member is positioned between the male mold and the female mold, and capable of hermetically pressing the foil on the surface of the female mold. The supporting member is movably mounted to the surface of the female mold to prop up the foil toward the male mold before the press member presses the foil on the surface of the female mold.
US07740777B2
A spunbond system for manufacturing a non-woven web of fibers includes a spin beam assembly configured to process and deliver a plurality of polymer streams for extrusion through spinneret orifices. The spin beam assembly includes a plurality of manifold sections within the spin beam assembly, each manifold section including a distribution pipe configured to transfer a respective polymer component to a plurality of piping sections extending within the manifold section and a heat transfer medium that flows within the manifold section and around the piping sections extending into the manifold section so as to maintain the respective polymer component at a selected temperature. The system further includes a quenching zone configured to receive and quench extruded filaments from the spinneret orifices, a drawing unit in communication with the quenching zone and configured to receive and attenuate the quenched filaments, and a forming surface configured to receive drawn filaments emerging from the drawing unit and form a non-woven fibrous web on the forming surface.
US07740769B2
The invention is to provide such a liquid crystal compound that has general properties required for a liquid crystal compound, stability to heat, light and the like, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, a wide temperature range of a nematic phase, and favorable compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds, and a liquid crystal composition containing the compound. The invention provides a compound represented by Formula (1), wherein Ra and Rb are hydrogen or an alkyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; ring A1 is 1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene, pyridine-2,5-diyl, pyridazine-3,6-diyl, decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, or naphthalene-2,6-diyl; Z1 is a single bond or an alkylene having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; Y1 is hydrogen, halogen, —CN, —CF3, —CHF2, —CH2F, —OCF3, —OCHF2, or —OCH2F; and m is 1, 2, or 3.
US07740767B2
According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a patterned media includes forming patterns of a magnetic layer having protrusions and recesses corresponding to tracks, servo zones or data zones on a substrate having a center hole, and spraying gas flow produced by diffusing a liquid gas toward the center hole of the substrate before or after forming the patterns of the magnetic layer.
US07740759B2
A magnetic separation device separating magnetic material from a working fluid of a container is disclosed. The magnetic separation device includes a first element, a second element and a magnetic assembly structure including a plurality of magnetic units. The first element includes a first body, a plurality of first main positioning portions disposed on the first body, and a plurality of first sub-positioning portions disposed on the first body and next to the first main positioning portions to receive the container. The second element includes a second body, a plurality of second main positioning portions disposed on the second body, and a plurality of second sub-positioning portions disposed on the second body and next to the second main positioning portions to receive the container. The magnetic units disposed on the first main positioning portions and the second main positioning portions absorb magnetic material from the working fluid.
US07740741B2
The present invention relates to para-aramid pulp including meta-aramid fibrids for use as reinforcement material in products including for example friction materials, fluid sealing materials, and papers. The invention further relates to processes for making such pulp.
US07740730B2
A lid for closing containers includes an at least two-layered composite assembly. A layer facing the container seals against a container edge and forms an opening by layer separation, for removing contents. The layers have a continuous construction without weakening lines. The layer facing the container is made mainly of a plastic having an intrinsic tearing resistance being lower in the region of the opening than its adhesion to the layer facing away from the container in a remaining region and an adhesion to the container edge being greater at least in the region of an opening aid than to the other layer. The plastic adheres so strongly to the outer layer in the region of the opening that a region corresponding to the opening is torn out upon opening and a remaining layer of the lid facing the container continues to adhere to the container edge by sealing action.
US07740720B2
An alloy for use in jewelry applications is provided that has a composition comprising about 45 to about 55 platinum by weight and about 55 to about 45 percent palladium by weight. The alloy possesses favorable characteristics as compared to pure platinum and pure palladium. Due to these characteristics, the alloy is attractive for use in jewelry applications.
US07740717B2
Provided is a tantalum sputtering target having a crystal structure in which the (222) orientation is preferential from a position 10% of the target thickness toward the center face of the target, and a manufacturing method of a tantalum sputtering target, including the steps of forging and recrystallization annealing, and thereafter rolling, a tantalum ingot or billet having been subject to melting and casting, and forming a crystal structure in which the (222) orientation is preferential from a position of 10% of the target thickness toward the center face of the target. As a result, evenness (uniformity) of the film is enhanced, and quality of the sputter deposition is improved.
US07740709B2
An apparatus for removing a photoresist from a substrate which includes a stripping bath chamber, a conveying unit conveying a substrate containing a photoresist through the stripping bath chamber, a photoresist stripper material supplying unit positioned to dispense the photoresist stripper material to the substrate while the substrate is disposed in the stripping bath chamber, an antifoaming agent supplying unit disposed in the stripping bath chamber dispensing an antifoaming agent toward the photoresist stripper material in the stripping bath chamber, an antifoaming agent storing unit communicating with the antifoaming agent supplying unit supplying the antifoaming agent thereto, and a stripper storing unit operatively connected to the stripper supplying unit supplying stored photoresist stripper material thereto.
US07740705B2
A method and system for vapor deposition on a substrate that disposes a substrate in a process space of a processing system that is isolated from a transfer space of the processing system, processes the substrate at either of a first position or a second position in the process space while maintaining isolation from the transfer space, and deposits a material on said substrate at either the first position or the second position. Furthermore, the system includes a high conductance exhaust apparatus configured to be coupled to the process space, whereby particle contamination of the substrate processed in the deposition system is minimized. The exhaust apparatus comprises a pumping system located above the substrate and an evacuation duct, wherein the evacuation duct has an inlet located below the substrate plane.
US07740702B2
A silicon wafer and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, wherein the silicon wafer has no crystal defects in the vicinity of the surface and provides excellent gettering efficiency in the process of manufacturing devices without IG treatment. The oxygen concentration and the carbon concentration are controlled respectively within a range of 11×1017-17×1017 atoms/cm3 (OLD ASTM) and within a range of 1×1016-15×1016 atoms/cm3 (NEW ASTM). A denuded zone having no crystal defects due to the existence of oxygen is formed on the surface and in the vicinity thereof, and oxygen precipitates are formed at a density of 1×104-5×106 counts/cm2, when a heat treatment is carried out at a temperature of 500-1000° C. for 1 to 24 hours. In the method for manufacturing the silicon wafer, moreover, the silicon wafer having the oxygen and carbon concentrations as controlled above is heat-treated at a temperature of 1100° C.-1380° C. for 1 to 10 hours. The control of the oxygen and carbon concentrations in the growth of a single crystal with CZ method allows a desired density of oxygen precipitates to be attained in the process of manufacturing devices and thereby sufficient gettering efficiency to be obtained.
US07740700B2
A cementitious veneer and laminate composition is provided. The cementitious laminate composition includes a substrate, a primer layer applied to the substrate, the primer layer comprising a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol catalyst, Portland cement, and sand; and a cementitious veneer layer applied to the primer layer, the veneer layer comprising a mixture of magnesium sulfate, filler, magnesium oxide, gypsum cement, and polyvinyl alcohol catalyst. The polyvinyl alcohol catalyst comprises a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol fibers dissolved in water and mixed with butylene carbonate. The veneer layer is applied to the substrate and primer layer by means including spraying and manual spreading. The veneer layer can be ornamentally manipulated either before or after curing of the veneer layer. The veneer composition can be formed into laminated tiles or panels for use in building applications.
US07740687B2
A pressure swing adsorption method for separating gas components includes pressurizing an adsorption bed to an adsorption pressure using a first gas component of a feed gas, the adsorption bed including an adsorbent for substantially adsorbing a second gas component of a feed gas; introducing the feed gas to the pressurized adsorption bed, wherein the first gas component of the feed gas substantially passes through the pressurized adsorption bed and the second gas component of the feed gas substantially adsorbs onto the adsorbent; and depressurizing the pressurized adsorption bed to recover at least a portion of the second gas component of the feed gas in the pressurized adsorption bed.
US07740685B2
Process for recovering catalyst coating material from a supporting structure, such as, for example, a catalytic converter assembly having a metal mantle, including contacting the catalytic coating material with a sodium, potassium or ammonium hydroxide-containing compound at an elevated temperature; and rinsing with a liquid and filtering the solid catalyst coating material from the solution.
US07740681B2
A method of operating a channel induction furnace to process a feed material and obtain therefrom at least one of a molten metal product, a vapor phase metal product and a slag product. A molten metal bath is maintained in the channel induction furnace and the method includes adding a reductant such as carbon or a carbon containing material directly into the molten metal bath independently of the feed material.
US07740672B2
A method and apparatus for efficiently forming a gaseous material from a solid starting material. The produced gaseous material includes a CGE HHV having a high percentage of an original HHV of the starting material. The gaseous product may be used to form a plurality of materials for various purposes.
US07740664B2
The present disclosure provides a composition for treating keratin fibers, for example, human keratin fibers such as the hair. The present disclosure provides a composition for dyeing keratin fibers, comprising: at least one compound X and at least one compound Y, wherein at least one of the compounds X and Y is a silicone compound, wherein when X and Y are placed in contact with each other they react together via a hydrosilyation reaction, a condensation reaction, or a crosslinking reaction in the presence of at least one peroxide; and at least one alkoxysilane comprising a single silicon atom.
US07740660B2
A method for treating a herniated spinal disc between opposing vertebral bodies having a damaged outer annulus and an inner nucleus pulposus comprises the steps of: providing access to the nucleus pulposus through the annulus; removing at least a portion of the nucleus pulposus to create an intradiscal space; applying a first distraction force on the opposing vertebral bodies from within the intradiscal space; applying a second distraction force on the opposing vertebral bodies externally of the intradiscal space; and introducing a curable biomaterial through the annulus access directly into the intradiscal space. The first distraction force is applied within the disc space to distract the anterior aspect of the intradiscal space, while the second distraction force is applied exterior to the disc to act on the posterior aspect of the vertebral bodies. The first distraction force is applied prior to the application of the second distraction force and then removed. The second distraction force is maintained during the introduction of the biomaterial into the intradiscal space.
US07740658B2
A method of using an intervertebral disk prosthesis includes the step of ensuring that the intervertebral space between first and second vertebrae of a patient is substantially free of nuclear matter. The method also includes the step of inserting a distal end of the disk prosthesis into a gap between the first and second vertebrae. The disk prosthesis includes a first part with a convexly-shaped and rounded outer surface and an inner surface having a concavely-shaped socket. The disk prosthesis also includes a second part that has a convexly-shaped and rounded outer surface and an inner surface that has a convexly-shaped portion that at least partially engages with the socket thereby allowing at least two-degrees of freedom of movement of the first part with respect to the second part. The method further includes the step of permitting the top of the first part to contact the first vertebra and the bottom of the second part to contact the second vertebra.
US07740657B2
A sheath for organizing soft tissue includes a first tube having a flexible body sized and shaped to receive a fixation device, and a second tube coupled to the first tube having a flexible body sized and shaped to receive a soft tissue graft. A method for implanting soft tissue in a bone tunnel includes coupling a soft tissue graft to a sheath assembly; and positioning the sheath assembly relative to the soft tissue graft based on a measured depth of a bone tunnel. A set of surgical devices for implanting soft tissue grafts in a bone tunnel includes a sheath assembly, a measurement device for measuring the depth of the bone tunnel, a securing element configured to secure the sheath assembly to the soft tissue graft at a position determined by the measured bone tunnel depth, and a tensioning device configured to organize a plurality of soft tissue grafts.
US07740650B2
A method for treating an infected area on a subject, comprising the steps of: exposing the infected area to an aqueous solution; and providing direct current to the aqueous solution to treat the infected area.
US07740640B2
A device for closing a septal defect, such as a patent foramen ovale, includes a clip formed from a superelastic material that is inserted into a septum wall of a heart. The clip is advanced through a patient's vasculature, e.g., within a delivery apparatus, until the clip is disposed within a first chamber adjacent the septal defect. Tines of the clip are directed through a flap of tissue of the septal defect until the tines of the clip are disposed within a second opposing chamber. The clip then transforms into its relaxed state, wherein the tines of the clip engage with a surface of the second chamber, thereby substantially closing the septal opening.
US07740638B2
A medical device for treating a heart having a faulty heart valve is disclosed. The medical device comprises a ligature including a first anchoring member and a second anchoring member is used. The ligature is percutaneously deployable into a patient with a faulty heart valve wherein the first anchoring member to anchor to a first tissue area of the heart and the second anchoring member to anchor to a second tissue area of the heart.
US07740637B2
The apparatus for deployment of an intravascular therapeutic device, includes an elongated, flexible pusher member and a therapeutic device connected to a severable portion of a first connector member mounted to the flexible pusher member with an elongated second connector member connected to the therapeutic device. The first connector member or second connector member may be capable of being broken by heat, and a heat source is provided for heating and breaking the first connector member or the second connector member to release the therapeutic device.
US07740636B2
A device for inserting an intraocular lens (IOL) into an eye includes a tubular body member with an inner surface and a plunger with an gripping device that is receivable within the body member. The gripping device includes a locking member and is configured such that when urged longitudinally in a distal direction, the gripping device is movable in the distal direction within the body member. However, when urged longitudinally in a proximal direction, the gripping device is prevented from moving in the proximal direction by the locking member engaging with the inner surface of the body member. As such, inadvertent movement of the plunger in the proximal direction caused by pulling back on the plunger is substantially prevented. If proximal movement of the plunger is desired, then the plunger may include handle that is operatively coupled to the gripping device such rotation of the handle causes the handle to move longitudinally in the body member. Accordingly, the plunger may be advanced or moved distally by longitudinally pushing the handle and/or by rotating the handle.
US07740635B2
A minimally invasive apparatus for placing screws across a facet joint between first and second vertebrae comprises a first K-wire for inserting into a spinous process of the first vertebrae and a first fixation block removably connected to the first K-wire. The apparatus has a second K-wire for inserting into a transverse process of the second vertebrae and a second fixation block removably connected to the second K-wire. A first rod member is removably connected to both of the first and second fixation blocks. A support apparatus further secures the first and second K-wires to the first and second vertebrae. The apparatus has a cannula that enables implantation of the translaminar screws across a facet joint between the first and second vertebrae.
US07740629B2
An ablation catheter 10 includes an elongate carrier 12. A first loop 14.1 is arranged at, or adjacent, a distal end of the carrier 12. At least one sensing electrode 40 is carried on the first loop 14.1 for sensing irregular electrical activity in a patient's body. At least one further loop 14.2 is arranged proximally relative to the first loop 14.1 on the carrier 12 in a fixed orientation relative to the first loop 14.1. At least one ablating electrode 42 is carried on the second loop 14.2 for ablating a site of the patient's body where irregular electrical activity occurs.
US07740624B2
To treat obesity, a tube is positioned that passes through a patient's abdominal wall into the upper digestive system of the patient. The patient is allowed to carry out his/her everyday affairs including ingesting food. After the patient has ingested food, the food is extracted by pumping it out of the upper digestive system through the tube. This approach is less invasive than current surgical procedures for reducing weight and allows patients to live a normal and active lifestyle without experiencing adverse side effects.
US07740623B2
The current invention discloses a method for treating infracted/ischemic injury to a myocardium by injecting a substance into the myocardium. The injected substance helps to prevent negative adaptive remodeling by providing mechanical reinforcement or mechanical reinforcement combined with biological therapy. A number of substances for injection are disclosed, including multi component substances such as platelet gel, and other substances. The substances disclosed may contain additives to augment/enhance the desired effects of the injection. The invention also discloses devices used to inject the substances. The devices can include means for ensuring needles do not penetrate beyond a desired depth into the myocardium. The devices can also include needles having multiple lumens such that the components of the platelet gel will be combined at the injection site and begin polymerization in the myocardium.
US07740616B2
A catheter for implantation into a patient having a catheter tube having a distal end, a means for trimming the distal end of the catheter tube after subcutaneous insertion of the tip of the catheter lumen into a desired position within the patient to form a trimmed end portion, and a means for selectively positioning each respective lumen of the trimmed end portion of the catheter tube into fluid communication with the respective first end of one attachment tube. The attachment tube is select fluid communication with a desired medical device.
US07740614B2
An indwelling needle assembly has an inner needle having a sharp point at its tip, an inner needle hub fixed to a base section of the inner needle, a hollow outer needle into which the inner needle is inserted, an outer needle hub fixed to a base section of the outer needle, and a tube inserted into the inner needle hub and connected to the base section of the outer needle hub such that the inner cavity of the tube communicates with the inner cavity of the outer needle. The center axis of the outer needle and the center axis of the tube at its head section are substantially parallel with each other with the inner needle inserted into the outer needle.
US07740610B2
An operable single-use syringe includes a barrel having an inside surface defining a chamber for retaining fluid and an open proximal end. A plunger rod having an elongate body portion and a stopper at its distal end slidably positioned in fluid-tight engagement in the barrel. A locking element is positioned in the barrel between the plunger rod and the inside surface of the barrel. The locking element has a base and two leg members projecting therefrom that are positioned in longitudinal grooves in the plunger rod. The locking element only moves distally in the barrel and prevents re-use of the syringe after its contents have been discharged.
US07740600B2
Apparatus and method for inhibiting pain signals transmitted during a skin related medical treatment
An apparatus adapted to inhibit pain signals generated by pain receptors in the skin during a skin related medical treatment such as an injection. An evacuation chamber is provided with an essentially rigid interface element larger than a threshold surface area through which a medical treatment can be administered to a selected skin region, one or more walls which are placeable in the vicinity of the skin region, an interior defined by the walls and by the interface element, and an opening at the bottom of the interior which is sealable by the skin region. A device generates a vacuum within the evacuation chamber interior to a level greater than the threshold vacuum level suitable for drawing the skin region through the opening towards, and in a compressing relation against, the interface element, to inhibit the transmission of a pain signal generated by pain receptors located within the skin region.
