US07873434B2
Automated methods implemented in a computer system are provided that allow the translation of geometric shapes from a cutting pattern having a nested configuration to geometric shapes shown in an installed configuration and vice-versa. Methods are also provided that allow modification of cutting patterns based on various modifications applied to the geometric shapes therein. Additionally, certain methods herein allow cutting patterns to be automatically modified to conform to protective films of different sizes. In certain embodiments, methods are provided for optimization of the arrangement of geometric shapes in a nested configuration so as to substantially minimize the surface area occupied by the geometric shapes. Automated pattern manipulation systems implementing one or more of the methods herein are also provided.
US07873428B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving the implementation of automated job management for equipment in a factory. A software library is provided that allows a job management client, such as a thin station controller client, to communicate with an equipment server, such as an equipment interface bridge (EIB). The job management client can create, control and monitor jobs conveniently and efficiently utilizing industry standard protocols. The equipment server communicates directly in real-time with factory equipment. By providing an interface between a job management client and an equipment server, data consumer clients are effectively decoupled from job management clients, allowing next generation station controllers for monitoring and controlling equipment processing to be easily implemented. Layers of expensive and complex code currently in use for job management can be replaced with a superior and cost-effective thin-client, distributed architecture. Such a system may operate in conjunction with legacy station controllers, or the station controller can be eliminated and replaced by multiple modules that distribute the many types of functions typically incorporated into conventional station controllers.
US07873426B2
A digital recording device includes a microphone configured to convert collected sound into an analog audio signal; a first analog to digital converter configured to convert the signal converted by the microphone into a digital audio signal; a first memory configured to store the digital audio signal of the first analog to digital converter; an attenuator configured to attenuate the analog audio signal with a predetermined attenuation factor; a second analog to digital converter configured to convert the attenuated signal into a digital audio signal; a second memory configured to store the digital audio signal of the second analog to digital converter; an audio signal generating unit configured to extract the digital audio signal in one of the first memory and the second memory for a required time range according to an amplitude maximum value of the signal, and generate a new digital audio signal; and an audio signal memory for storing the generated digital audio signal.
US07873424B1
A system and method for optimizing digital audio playback is disclosed. The system and method can prevent playback of a digital audio file in an enhanced mode if the digital audio file does not meet a predetermined criterion, such as a particular bit rate. One example of an enhanced mode is a simulated multi-channel surround sound mode.
US07873423B2
A system and method for tracking media is disclosed. A tracking device package includes a container for shipping media and a tracker coupled to the container wherein access to the media is monitored electronically by the tracker to enable media access. The tracker can be a combination of a GPS system, for determining the location of the media, and a mobile phone for communicating the location to interested parties. The tracker can verify the location of the container and the length of time that the container has been at a particular site. If anomalies are detected with respect to the location and/or the length of time that a container has been located at a particular site, then the tracker can report this information back to the owner of the media being tracked through a central repository and database system.
US07873417B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for pulsed electric field neuromodulation via an intra-to-extravascular approach, e.g., to effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, changes in cytokine upregulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, the ITEV PEF system comprises an intravascular catheter having one or more electrodes configured for intra-to-extravascular placement across a wall of patient's vessel into proximity with target neural fibers. With the electrode(s) passing from an intravascular position to an extravascular position prior to delivery of the PEF, a magnitude of applied voltage or energy delivered via the electrode(s) and necessary to achieve desired neuromodulation may be reduced relative to an intravascular PEF system having one or more electrodes positioned solely intravascularly. The methods and apparatus of the present invention may, for example, be used to modulate one or more target neural fibers that contribute to renal function.
US07873415B2
A system and method for cardiac rhythm management, which includes an electrode system having at least one electrode and control circuitry coupled to the electrode system from which a first cardiac signal is sensed. The control circuitry includes a pulse circuit to produce electrical pulses at a first value to be delivered to the electrode system in a first cardiac region. At least one cardiac signal is sensed from a second cardiac region, where the cardiac signal includes indications of cardiac depolarizations from the second cardiac region which occurs in direct reaction to the electrical pulses delivered to the first cardiac region. The first value of the electrical pulses are then modified by a pulse adjustment circuit when a cardiac depolarization which occurs in direct reaction to the electrical pulse delivered to the first cardiac region is detected from the second cardiac region.
US07873413B2
Various aspects of the present subject matter relate to a method. According to various method embodiments, cardiac activity is detected, and neural stimulation is synchronized with a reference event in the detected cardiac activity. Neural stimulation is titrated based on a detected response to the neural stimulation. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US07873409B2
The digital signal amplifier and acquisition system includes at least one catheter input module (CIM) configured to receive, route and digitize incoming analog cardiac signals from a number of catheters, as well as outgoing stimulator pulses. A plurality of CIMs are mechanically stacked and electrically daisy-chained and coupled with a mounting. The mounting platter is clamped to the bedrail and provides a single digital output cable to the base. The system also includes an acquisition device and the aforementioned base, which is configured to collect, filter and distribute the acquired data. Lastly an analog output module receives filtered digital signals from the base and is configured to reconstruct analog representations of such filtered digital signals for outside devices.
US07873405B2
A method for detecting Alzheimer's disease using positron emission tomography. A normal population mean is obtained using PET. The normal population mean is obtained through the assimilation of a number of normal brain scans. Non-AD images and AD images are compared to observe differences in the uptake of FDG. PET scan results are expressed as relative uptake intensities and indexed by Brodmann's areas. An image is tested by comparing the distance of each mean for each Brodmann's area from the normal distribution. A Receiver Operating Characteristic curve is plotted based on the variation of deviation for the total population of both normal and probable Alzheimer's brain images. Variations in FDG uptake in a brain image as compared to the normal distribution confirms the probability of AD.
US07873401B2
A system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed rapidly, accurately, simply, and intuitively is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons, in addition biopsy needles, endoscopy probes, and similar devices. The tip position and orientation information and the dynamic body part position information are also utilized to provide a display that allows three dimensional viewing of the magnetic tip position and orientation relative to the body part.
US07873400B2
An adapter can be easily used to assist a surgical navigation system to determine the effector axis or the effector plane of a surgical instrument. The adapter has a body with a geometrical feature, the geometrical feature has a known relation with a navigation tracker device that can be attached to the adapter. When the adapter is held against a surgical instrument in a non-fixed manner, the effector axis or the effector plane of the instrument can be tracked by the surgical navigation system. The method includes a calibration method to determine the known relation between the effector axis or the effector plane and the location of the navigation tracker.
US07873390B2
A mobile voice communication device including a wireless transceiver circuit for transmitting and receiving voice communications and for receiving data; a digital processor; and a memory storing application program code which when executed on the digital processor causes the mobile voice communication device to provide predetermined functionality to the user of the mobile voice communication device. The predetermined functionality includes basic features and it includes enhanced features that are in addition to the basic features. The application program code has a deactivated state in which the mobile voice communication device provides the basic features to the user without providing the enhanced features and an activated state in which the mobile voice communication device provides the enhanced features. Toggling between the deactivated and activated states is accomplished by receiving through the wireless transceiver circuit a transmitted key that was sent by a remote source to that mobile voice communication device.
US07873389B2
In response to a connection request from a terminal, a base station provides a signal indicating a reception operation adapted to a transmission operation of the base station to the terminal. Based on the indicating signal, the terminal selects and performs the optimum reception operation. The terminal also provides its own reception operation information in advance to the base station. Based on the reception operation information, the base station transmits a reception operation indication to the terminal. These processes are realized with software by DSP (12, 14) and the like.
US07873388B2
In response to a connection request from a terminal, a base station provides a signal indicating a reception operation adapted to a transmission operation of the base station to the terminal. Based on the indicating signal, the terminal selects and performs the optimum reception operation. The terminal also provides its own reception operation information in advance to the base station. Based on the reception operation information, the base station transmits a reception operation indication to the terminal. These processes are realized with software by DSP (12, 14) and the like.
US07873384B2
A system and method in a multimode mobile communication device for providing communication configuration update capability. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise establishing a first communication link characterized by a first communication mode of a plurality of communication modes in which the multimode communication device is capable of communicating. Such a first communication link may, for example, be established utilizing a first communication interface module. Communication configuration (or profile) information for a second communication mode may be received over the first communication link. The communication configuration information for the second communication mode may then be utilized to configure the mobile communication device to perform communications in the second communication mode (e.g., utilizing a second communication interface module).
US07873380B2
There are provided a method of communication which can reliably transmit information from a base station to a wireless terminal in a system which can reduce power consumption by intermittent operation in which the wireless terminal repeats operating state and suspended state by power on and off and the base station used for the method. The method includes the steps of storing base station information such as a command or data supplied to the wireless terminal in the base station, transferring the wireless terminal from the suspended state to the operating state to transmit information from the sensor to the base station, coupling the base station information stored in the base station to a response signal to transmit it to the wireless terminal in the operating state for transmitting the sensor information, and returning the wireless terminal to the suspended state after completing the transmission of the base station information and sensor information.
US07873377B1
A method and system for implementing a background scan in a wireless device having at least two independent radio interfaces is disclosed. Aspects of the exemplary embodiment include using a first one of the radio interfaces for transferring data with an access point; and simultaneously using a second one of the radio interfaces for receiving scan data to search for a new access point.
US07873375B2
A method for determining the location coordinates of a mobile terminal with respect to reference elements adapted to send toward the mobile terminal radioelectric signals involves the steps of measuring the radioelectric signals to derive respective measurements, the measurements being affected by measurement errors, and subjecting the measurements to state-based statistical filtering, such as, a Kalman filtering, to derive therefrom the location coordinates of the mobile terminal. At least some of the reference elements are terrestrial reference elements and in the statistical filtering at least one further state is included in addition to the coordinates. The further state is representative of the measurement errors. The terminal is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, such as, a motorcar, and to have associated therewith a measurement source, such as, an altimeter adapted to provide additional measurements indicative of the location, e.g., the altitude, and/or the displacement of the mobile terminal.
US07873373B2
A positioning method in a SUPL based position information system, and more particularly, a method for performing periodic positioning capable of processing a periodic positioning request by a location server or a periodic positioning request by a mobile communications terminal when the location server and the terminal respectively manage a trigger generating the periodic positioning, are discussed.
US07873372B2
A method and system for targeting content (e.g., a service or an advertisement) according to location-based information derived from a mobile wireless transceiver device. Position information as a function of time is used to calculate a rate of travel and a direction of travel. This information can be used to identify a likely mode of transportation. Geographical information can be used to further refine the mode of transportation. Thus, in addition to the position of the wireless transceiver devices, factors such as the rate of travel, the direction of travel and the likely mode of transportation are also considered to more precisely identify the appropriate service. Moreover, a potential destination can be predicted, allowing further refinement of the targeted service.
US07873364B2
The present invention relates to an accounting method and an accounting apparatus in a mobile communication system. The amount of radio resources and traffic used by a mobile terminal of each subscriber accessing a base station can be measured and analyzed without changing a structure of the mobile communication system. In addition, since a provider who does not own an IP network and thus uses a leased network of an existing provider can measure and analyze the amount of traffic used by a mobile terminal in the leased network regardless of an IP network of the existing provider, a more precise accounting reference can be provided to the corresponding provider.
US07873360B2
Disclosed are a soft handoff system, a soft handoff method, and a mobile terminal equipped with the soft handoff system. The soft handoff system for a mobile terminal analyzes periodically monitored wireless conditions of neighbor base stations, transmits a PSMM (Pilot Strength Measurement Message) to a current base station when a condition arises that needs reporting to the current base station, receives an HDM (Handoff Direction Message) from the current base station, wherein upon receiving the HDM from the current base station, the system allows a handoff drop timer of an active base station belonging to an active set having a pilot channel signal strength less than a predetermined value to continue running rather than to be reset until the handoff drop timer expires.
US07873356B2
The subject disclosure pertains to systems and methods for providing a user interface for mobile devices. The user interface can include a search function that utilizes user input to search multiple software applications and data sources. Content can be retrieved and presented to a user without requiring the user to navigate to the underlying application or sources supplying the content. The applications or content sources can be local to the mobile device or remotely located, such as an Internet site. One or more types of data can be retrieved and presented to a user based upon the user input. Search results can be displayed and dynamically updated as additional user input is obtained.
US07873355B2
A method includes storing a setting in a profile of a wireless device to cause an automatic message response to incoming calls. When the profile is set as the active profile and an incoming call is received, an automatic response is provided to the incoming call in accordance with the setting.
US07873352B2
A fast roaming (handoff) service is provided for a WLAN infrastructure. A given mobile station (STA) obtains a pairwise master key (PMK) when it associates with an access point (AP) in the infrastructure. A neighbor graph identifies prospective APs to which the STA may then roam. At initialization, preferably the neighbor graph is fully-connected (i.e., each AP is assumed to be connected to every other AP). The PMK (obtained by the STA initially) is shared proactively with the neighbor APs as indicated in the neighbor graph. Thus, when the STA roams to a neighbor AP, because the PMK is already available, there is no requirement that the STA initiate a real-time request to an authentication server to re-associate to the new AP. Further, the new AP causes an update to the neighbor graph information implicitly by simply issuing a notification that it is now handling the STA that arrived from the prior AP; in this manner, the prior AP is confirmed as a neighbor, but there is no requirement for any inter-AP dialog before a given neighbor graph is updated. As roaming occurs the neighbor graph is pruned down (to reflect the actual neighbor AP connections) using the implicit notification data.
US07873349B1
A mobile communication device that may be used by an investigator to secretly record a suspect and track the investigator's location includes a microphone for detecting sounds, a communication component for transmitting signals or data representative of the sounds to one of the portable computers via the wireless communication network, a display for displaying information related to operation of the device, a computing device, and a computer program implemented by the computing device. The computer program is operable to place the device in a stealth mode in which the display is turned off or otherwise deactivated to make the entire device appear to be turned off while the microphone continues to detect sounds and the communication component continues to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds to a surveillance or support team operating one of the portable computers. The mobile communication device may also include a location-determining component for determining geographic locations of the device and for transmitting location data to the portable computer.
US07873345B1
The disclosed technology automatically terminates wireless service that a mobile communication network provided to a telematics unit, e.g. when the customer is no longer active for telematics service. The disclosed deactivation allows the network service provider to reuse any resources, such as mobile numbers, that were previously assigned to the particular telematics unit. In a disclosed example, a SMS deactivation message causes the telematics unit to delete its mobile provisioning data, such as its MDN and/or its MIN, and replace that data with a dummy number. The deactivation procedure may also provide a replacement destination number for emergency calls, typically a cleared number, such as 911. For example, the deactivated telematics unit would be able to call a PSAP, and the PSAP would recognize that the unit is inactive for wireless service (and cannot be called-back) from the dummy number used to identify the unit.
US07873342B2
Provided are an image signal rejection method capable of avoiding demodulation of an image signal along with a real signal in a radio frequency (RF) signal and a low IF receiver of rejecting an image signal by using the method. The low IF receiver of rejecting an image signal includes a low noise amplifier, a quadrature I/Q mixer, a signal complex filter, and a phase and gain control block. The low noise amplifier amplifies a radio frequency (RF) signal. The quadrature I/Q mixer generates an I signal and a Q signal by down-converting the amplified RF signal into an IF signal. The phase and gain control block generates an I′ signal and a Q′ signal which are obtained by changing phases and amplitudes of the I signal and the Q signal by using a real signal. The signal complex filter minimizing the image signal in the IF signal and passing the real signal by performing filtering on the I′ signal and the Q′ signal.
US07873338B2
A determination of link quality (CSR) is made from the subscriber station to a relay station. A determination of link quality (CRB) is made from the relay station to the base station, and a determination of link quality (CSB) is made from the subscriber station to the base station. A quality of a first link path from the subscriber station to the base station that passes through the relay station is determined based on at least the link qualities (Csr, Crb). A quality of a second link path from the subscriber station to the base station that does not pass through the relay station is determined based on at least the link quality (Csb). Finally, a determination is made whether to utilize the first link path or the second link path from the subscriber station to the base station based on at least the quality of the first and second link paths.
US07873331B2
System and methods are provided for multi-path orthogonal recursive predistortion. The systems and methods may include generating a first orthogonal signal and a second orthogonal signal, where the first and second signals are orthogonal components of an input signal and processing, at a first predistortion module, the first orthogonal signal and a first error correction signal to generate a first predistorted signal. The system and methods may also include processing, at a second predistortion module, the second orthogonal signal and a second error correction signal to generate a second predistorted signal, and providing the generated first and second predistorted signals to a nonlinear device, where the nonlinear device generates an output based upon the first and second predistorted signals, where the first error correction signal is determined based upon an analysis of the output and the first predistorted signal, and where the second error correction signal is determined based upon an analysis of the output and the second predistorted signal.
US07873328B2
A base station for controlling transmission power during the establishment of a communication channel utilizes the reception of a short code during initial power ramp-up. The short code is a sequence for detection by the base station which has a much shorter period than a conventional access code. The ramp-up starts from a power level that is lower than the required power level for detection by the base station. The power of the short code is quickly increased until the signal is detected by the base station. Once the base station detects the short code, it transmits an indication that the short code has been detected.
US07873327B2
Disclosed is a method of controlling a transmit power constraint at a mobile station using a pilot power ratio (PPR) or other measurement of relative received powers (or signal strengths) between a neighbor cell transmission and a serving cell transmission such that other-cell interference produced by the mobile station may be managed. The transmit power constraint may, for example, correspond to a total or per sub-carrier maximum allowable mobile station transmit power. The transmit power constraint may be decreased if an adjacent neighbor cell, or an adjacent neighbor cell with a strongest pilot signal strength at the mobile station, is interference overloaded, i.e., interference levels in the adjacent neighbor cell is above a threshold interference level. Such decrease may be based on a pilot power ratio between a received pilot power of the overloaded adjacent neighbor cell at the mobile station and a received pilot power of the serving cell at the mobile station. Conversely, the transmit power constraint may be decreased if at least one adjacent neighbor cell, or the adjacent neighbor cell with the strongest pilot signal strength at the mobile station, is not interference overloaded. Such increase may be based on a pilot power ratio between a received pilot power of the adjacent neighbor cell with the strongest pilot signal strength at the mobile station and a received pilot power of the serving cell at the mobile station.
US07873323B2
In the method, positions of a plurality of transmitting sources within a proximity of a base station are determined. A received signal spectrum of signals received at the base station from the plurality of transmitting sources are simulated. Inter-modulation distortion products are estimated based on the simulated signal spectrum. The estimated inter-modulation distortion products may be used in the design of a radio architecture. The simulating step may be repeated a plurality of times until an acceptable solution is found. Base station operating parameters associated with the acceptable solution may be selected for use in a proposed base station.
US07873319B2
A method, according to various aspects of the present invention, for assigning channels to a plurality of wireless cells. The method is performed by the plurality of wireless cells. The method includes in any practical order: (1) assigning an initial integer to a master wireless cell, wherein the integer is denominated a current hop number and each one wireless cell has a shape of coverage similar to a square; (2) setting a next hop number as the current hop number plus one; (3) assigning the next hop number to each one wireless cell nearest to each one wireless cell assigned the current hop number; (4) incrementing the current hop number by one; (5) repeating setting, assigning the next hop number, and incrementing until all wireless cells of the plurality of wireless cells are assigned a hop number; (6) forming a nine-cell channel pattern by assigning a channel assignment pattern to the master wireless cell, to each of the wireless cells assigned the initial integer plus one, and to each of the wireless cells that are substantially adjacent to two wireless cells assigned the initial integer plus one; and (7) assigning the nine-cell channel pattern to the plurality of wireless cells such that the center cell of the nine-cell channel assignment pattern falls only on wireless cells assigned the initial integer plus an even integer.
US07873315B2
A repeater and methods thereof are provided. The example repeater first receives a donor signal (e.g., from a base station for repeating in a downlink direction, from a mobile station for repeating in an uplink direction, etc.) and a transmitted version of an internally generated pilot signal. The repeater configures an adaptive filter signal to cancel the received transmitted version of the internally generated pilot signal. In an example, the first receiving and configuring steps may be performed during a first mode of operation (e.g., a “training” mode). The repeater second receives the donor signal and a retransmitted version of the donor signal (e.g., retransmitted from the repeater). The repeater cancels the retransmitted donor signal based on the configured adaptive filter signal.
US07873311B2
In a belt transfer device according to an embodiment, rotation of a rear side detection roller or a front side detection roller, which contacts with a rib of a transfer belt and is rotated, is converted into linear driving by using a worm gear. The movement of a linear movement shaft is transmitted to a steering roller through a slider. The steering roller is tilted and meandering of the transfer belt is regulated.
US07873309B2
Exemplary embodiments provide a digital development system and methods for making and using the system. Specifically, the digital development system can utilize a roll member that includes a plurality of actuator cells arranged in a 2-dimensional array with each actuator cell having an actuator membrane individually addressable to eject one or more toner particles adhered thereto. In addition, the digital development system can utilize an imager architecture that includes an addressing logic circuit connected to each cell to selectively control the ejection of the one or more toner particles onto an image receiving member that is closely spaced from each actuator membrane. The disclosed digital development system can be used for non-interactive development systems for image-on-image full-color printing similar to HSD (Hybrid Scavengeless Development) technology with the donor roll becoming a high quality silent imager.
US07873303B2
An upper frame opening and closing mechanism, including an upper frame pivotally attached to a main body, which may include an image forming device, so as to open and close on a hinge, which receives a moment in an opening direction due to gravity when the upper frame is opened at an angle exceeding an inversion angle to expose the image forming device, an arm member, a rail member to guide a leading edge of the arm member along with opening and closing of the upper frame, a biasing member to bias the upper frame in the opening direction, and a cushion member to be pressed by the leading edge of the arm member so as to cushion the opening of the upper frame when the upper frame is opened at a maximum opening angle relative to the main body.
US07873293B2
The heater includes an elongated substrate, two electrodes disposed along a longitudinal direction of the substrate, and a heat generation resistive member connected between the two electrodes. The heat generation resistive member is formed on the substrate by one of a sputtering method and a vapor deposition method. The uniform heat generation distribution of a heat generation resistive member in a heater can be achieved so as to reduce a temperature difference between a pass-through area through which a recording material passes and a no sheet pass-through area through which the recording material does not pass.
US07873291B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging device to apply a charging bias, a developing device to develop a latent electrostatic image with toner, a transfer device to transfer the toner image to a recording medium, a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording medium, an image formation speed switching device to switch from one image formation speed to another speed, a storage device to store a charging current target of the charging bias for each image formation speed, an electric current detection device to detect electric current flown through the charging device, and an AC voltage adjustment device to adjust AC voltage of the charging bias applied to the charging device. The charging current target is set for each of at least two image formation speeds such that each AC voltage adjusted by the AC voltage adjustment device is substantially the same.
US07873289B2
An image forming apparatus and a method to control a velocity ratio thereof. The image forming apparatus includes a developing device to rotate opposite a photoconductive medium and to supply the photoconductive medium with a developer, and a controller to control a velocity ratio of the developing device to the photoconductive medium according to an accumulated number of printed copies.
US07873285B2
This anti clipping circuit is for a laser transmitter used to transmit sub-carrier multiplexed signals for CATV applications. The circuit design is based on actual clipping measurements showing the specific time and duration of the clipping events is random. The individual clipping pulses interval is fixed, every 4 us. A PHEMT peak detection circuit is used in conjunction with a missing pulse detector/timer to catch all the clipping events. Thus the laser bias current is adjusted automatically at the specific time of the clipping event and for the duration of all the clipping pulses in the event. The controlled increase and decrease of the lasers bias current is DC coupled back into the normal DC bias path via a diode. This gives the anti clipping circuit noise isolation when there are no clipping events and avoids laser clipping during the laser current recovery time as when using an AC coupling scheme.
US07873283B2
The invention aims to provide a monitoring method that can measure an optical SNR in an ultra high speed optical transmission system with high accuracy, and an optical transmission system using the same. To this end, in the optical transmission system to which the monitoring method of the present invention is applied, the degree of polarization of an optical signal transmitted from an optical transmission apparatus to an optical receiving apparatus via an optical transmission path is measured by a DOP measuring device, and an optical SNR of the optical signal is determined by an optical SNR calculation circuit based on a measured value of the degree of polarization.
US07873279B2
An electronic device [200] includes a housing [100] for containing circuitry [205] that generates a light beam. The electronic device includes pivotal portions [105, 110] of the housing. A light receiver [245] is associated with one of the housing pivotal portions. A light redirecting mechanism [215] is mounted at a predetermined location of the housing other than to the one pivotal portion thereof and is configured to redirect the light beam in a plurality of predetermined optical paths in which the light receiver is disposed with relative pivoting between the housing pivotal portions.
US07873271B2
Two photography operations are performed without emitting flash during a second photography operation, to obtain image signals P1 and P2. A flash influence signal value F1 is calculated in image signal P1. A flash influence signal value F2, which is the amount of influence due to flash in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, is calculated based on the differences between the imaging conditions of the first photography operation and the second photography operation and the flash influence signal value F1. An image signal P2″, which is an image signal which is estimated to be obtained in the case that flash was emitted during the second photography operation, is obtained by adding flash influence signal value F2 to image signal P2 obtained by the second photography operation. A dynamic range expanded image signal Pc is calculated based on image signal P1 and image signal P2″.
US07873265B2
A filament lamp comprising a bulb which has a hermetically sealed portion on at least one end and multiple filament assemblies, each filament assembly comprising a coiled filament and connected leads to supply power to that filament, the filament assemblies being sequentially arranged in the axial direction of the bulb, the leads of each filament assembly being electrically connected to respective multiple conductive parts set in the sealed portions, and power being independently suppliable to each of the filaments. A respective one of the coiled filaments is located in a respective first quadrant formed by intersecting planes that are perpendicular to each other and that are tangent to an outer coil diameter of the respective coiled filament. The leads are positioned in quadrants other than the quadrant in which the coiled filament is located. A light irradiation type heat treatment apparatus uses a plurality of such filament lamps.
US07873261B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for the display of overlying alternative media content in real time upon the initiation of a fast-forwarding action associated with underlying media content. According to implementations, a method includes displaying underlying media content at a first playback rate. A modification of the playback rate, from a first rate to a second rate, is detected. As a result of detecting the second playback rate, alternative media content is retrieved and displayed. According to one aspect, the underlying media content is television programming while the alternative media content is screen frames selected from the television programming at predetermined time intervals. According to another aspect, the alternative media may include media content that is unrelated to the television programming.
US07873257B2
The present invention is that of a solar energy system that uses a light-guide solar panel (LGSP) to trap light inside a dielectric or other transparent panel and propagates the light to one of the panel edges for harvesting by a solar energy collector such as a photovoltaic cell. This allows for very thin modules whose thickness is comparable to the height of the solar energy collector. This eliminates eliminating the depth requirements inherent in traditional concentrated photovoltaic solar energy systems.
US07873246B2
An optical system comprising a combination optical switch and monitoring system based on an array of mirrors, and a moveable reflective element co-packaged together, including discrete sets of fiber ports wherein λn from input fiber ports is focused on λn mirror via the use of shared free space optics; such as shared beam steering elements, dispersive elements, and optical elements, and discrete arrays of MEMS mirrors utilized to select and switch selected wavelengths from the input fiber port(s) to an output fiber port(s) of the optical switch, and wherein a moveable reflective element sharing the same free space optics is utilized to sweep across and reflect selected portions of the optical spectrum back to a photodetector. By correlating reflective element position with power measured, a processor can obtain a spectral plot of the wavelength band of interest, as well as calculate parameters such as center wavelength, passband shape, and OSNR.
US07873241B2
A method for superimposing optical information in a scanning microscope includes determining a transformation matrix, and superimposing first optical information of a CCD image and second optical information of at least one piece of second image information using the transformation matrix.
US07873239B2
A first direction determining unit determines, with respect to each of directions in image data corresponding to an image that contains text, a degree of certainty that the direction corresponds to a predetermined direction of the image to obtain a first direction with the highest degree of certainty and a second direction with the second-highest degree of certainty. When the first direction is opposite to the second direction, a second direction determining unit determines whether the predetermined direction corresponds to the first direction or the second direction based on a position of a text line extracted from the image data.
US07873235B2
An imaging processing system adapted for use with a vehicle is provided in one aspect of the present invention. The system generally includes an image capturing device and an image processing device. The image capturing device is operable to capture an original image of a scene exterior to the vehicle. The captured original image is generally defined by a group of pixels. The image processing device is operable to receive the captured original image and morphologically process the captured original image to remove distortion from the captured original image to produce a final filtered image.
US07873227B2
For the reduction of the rounding error, a first and a second non-integer input value are provided and combined, for example by addition, in non-integer state to obtain a non-integer result value which is rounded and added to a third input value. Thus, the rounding error may be reduced at an interface between two rotations divided into lifting steps or between a first rotation divided into lifting steps and a first lifting step of a subsequent multi-dimensional lifting sequence.
US07873226B2
An image encoding apparatus includes a detection unit detecting edge block candidates as blocks including an edge in an image composed of plural blocks, and a determination unit excluding an edge block candidate that is recognized as no necessity of image quality improving processing executed in image encoding processing from the detected edge block candidates and determining a remaining edge block candidate as edge block to be targeted in the image quality improving processing.
US07873222B2
Methods of capturing image pixel data representing a scene may be practiced using a camera and may be implemented as software, such as an application program executing within the camera. The methods are particularly advantageous where user modification to the camera control parameters leads to a difference between the values of the pre-capture control parameters for the camera when compared to the pre-capture control parameters that the camera would determine in fully automatic mode. The measured difference may be compared to one or more predetermined threshold values.
US07873220B2
A method and algorithm for measuring the symmetry (SYM=total symmetry) of N points based on counting the number of “elementary symmetric recognition acts”, or having two distances d(A,B) and d(C,D) be equal within a given tolerance t. The same algorithm can be adapted to measure un-normalized positional entropy deficit (UPED) and positional entropy of N points. These parameters (SYM and UPED) come out almost the same for small occupation numbers (1<=k<=4). Here the occupation number k is the number of equal distances in the figure for a given value d. The algorithm can be incorporated into an imaging device, such as computer graphic programs or cameras, to solve problems of defect detection, say in gems, or object detection.
US07873214B2
A method for segmenting an image includes computing a color gradient map based on an inputted image and selecting at least one initial seed of at least one pixel based on the color gradient map. The method further includes growing a region of pixels adjacent to the initial seed and merging adjacent regions of pixels using a measure of similarity.
US07873205B2
A classification model optimum for realization of a defect classification request by a user is not known by the user. Then, the user sets a classification model which is not necessarily suitable and makes classification, resulting in degradation in classification performance. Therefore, the present invention automatically generates plural potential classification models and combines class likelihoods calculated from the plural classification models to classify. To combine, an index about the adequacy of each model, in other words, an index indicating a reliable level of likelihood calculated from the each potential classification model, is also calculated. Considering the calculated result, the class likelihoods calculated from the plural classification models are combined to execute classification.
US07873192B1
A method of and apparatus for enhancing an array of values, which may be tomographic data, are disclosed. The values are divided into categories. Values in at least one first category are smoothed by replacing an original individual value with a new individual value determined from a plurality of neighboring values. The values in at least one second category are retained relatively unsmoothed.
US07873191B2
A capacitive array comprising at least two capacitive entities, comprising a substrate layer. The substrate layer comprises a comb comprising at least four substantially identical teeth, and, for each capacitive entity, a set of fingers comprising one or more interlinked fingers. At least two sets of fingers comprise a different number of fingers, each finger being nested between two teeth of the comb and being substantially identical to the other fingers. The fingers of each set of fingers are substantially distributed symmetrically relative to a median axis of the comb. The comb and the fingers are integrated in a single block.
US07873160B2
Disclosed is a telephone to be installed in a house or an office and capable of effectively preventing leakage of data stored in or unauthorized use of the telephone. For this end, a security button 15 is provided for inhibiting the use of all or a part of the stored data in or functions of the telephone. The security button 15 enables the user to set the security condition by a single push-down operation or choose desired security levels by continuous operations. An LED may be installed in the security button 15 to emit light in different colors or patterns for respective security levels.
US07873159B2
A portable electronic apparatus, a mobile phone and a method of selecting a function in a portable electronic apparatus are disclosed. The portable electronic apparatus comprises a body and a lid pivotally mounted to the body with a hinge. Changes in the position of the lid around the hinge are detected and one of at least two possible functions available for a user is selected according to the detected change in the position of the lid.
US07873149B2
A method for retrieving information may include receiving a telephone call from a caller and identifying a telephone number from which the telephone call was made. The method may also include retrieving information from a database based on the identified telephone number. The method may further include providing an audible message to the caller to verify whether the retrieved information is correct.
US07873146B2
A compact apparatus can form multi X-ray beams with good controllability. Electron beams (e) emitted from electron emission elements (15) of a multi electron beam generating unit (12) receive the lens effect of a lens electrode (19). The resultant electron beams are accelerated to the final potential level by portions of a transmission-type target portion (13) of an anode electrode (20). The multi X-ray beams (x) generated by the transmission-type target portion (13) pass through an X-ray shielding plate (23) and X-ray extraction portions (24) in a vacuum chamber and are extracted from the X-ray extraction windows (27) of a wall portion (25) into the atmosphere.
US07873138B2
A neutron reflector bolt fastening structure is disclosed in which even upon relaxation in the fastening forces thereof being generated in tie rods for divided stage portions as a result of neutron irradiation, it is possible to press the neutron reflector firmly against a core vessel. The neutron reflector bolt fastening structure includes: a neutron reflector which includes of a plurality of divided stage portions and situated in a core vessel in a reactor vessel; a plurality of tie rods for fixing the neutron reflector to the core vessel; and a plurality of bolts for exclusively fixing the lowermost stage portion of the plurality of stage portions of the neutron reflector to the core vessel.
US07873137B2
A fast reactor including a reactivity control assembly including a reactor shutdown rod and neutron absorbers, a reactor shutdown rod drive mechanism, and units of neutron absorber drive mechanism. The reactor shutdown rod drive mechanism causes an inner extension tube to fall and release the reactor shutdown rod by a gripper section by turning off the power supply to a holding magnet at the time of scram. When grasping the neutron absorbers, an outer extension shaft is pulled up to allow both of the extension shafts to be inserted. After the outer extension tube gets to a handling head section of the neutron absorber, the outer extension shaft is pushed down to grasp the neutron absorber externally by latch fingers of the gripper section so that the neutron absorber can be moved up and down.
US07873132B2
A method and apparatus of recovering a clock signal from an input data signal consistent with certain embodiments, where the clock signal has a clock cycle equal to one data bit period, involves identifying an earliest transition time position in a sequence of data signal transitions; identifying a latest transition time position in the sequence of data signal transitions; calculating an approximate average transition time of the sequence of clock transitions; calculating a sampling time for sampling data in the input data signal as the approximate average transition time plus one half clock cycle; and adjusting a sampling clock time to approximate the sampling time. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US07873130B2
Systems, algorithms, circuits, and methods for pattern detection of signature events in signal dynamics defined by instantaneous states of applied square-wave signals. Selected patterns may be recognized individually or in equivalence classes, and detection may be implemented via state or transition analysis. Varieties of conditions may be detected in parallel, including phase, ambiguity states, and frequency comparison. One embodiment realizes a real-time frequency comparator for asynchronous square-wave signals. Realizations detect various classes of symmetry conditions unique to enveloping events occurring for these classes of square-wave signal pairs. This approach provides feedback-free implementations operating over an extremely wide frequency range and does not require signals of quadrature form. A typical logic circuit implementation involves two to four flip-flops, or two-stage two-bit shift registers, and modest combinational logic. The resulting system can be readily implemented as a utility integrated circuit of modest scale or as a small-scale “IP core” within larger system-on-a-chip (SoIC) devices.
US07873127B2
Sample vectors of a signal received simultaneously by an array of antennas are processed to estimate a weight for each sample vector that maximizes the energy of the individual sample vector that resulted from propagation of the signal from a known source and/or minimizes the energy of the sample vector that resulted from interference with propagation of the signal from the known source. Each sample vector is combined with the weight that is estimated for the respective sample vector to provide a plurality of weighted sample vectors. The plurality of weighted sample vectors are summed to provide a resultant weighted sample vector for the received signal. The weight for each sample vector is estimated by processing the sample vector in accordance with the expression: min w _ , c _ X * Y w _ - ( C 0 c _ 0 + C c _ ) p where c0=1 and 0
US07873125B2
Aspects of a method and system for a sliding window phase estimator for wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) automatic frequency correction are presented. Aspects of the system may include one or more circuits that enable adjustment of a current demodulation frequency for receiving at least one subsequent symbol based on a computed weighted sum of a plurality of computed frequency error values. Each of the plurality of computed frequency error values may be derived from a current symbol, a corresponding previous symbol, and/or a previous frequency error value. The current symbol may include a current received symbol segment and one or more previously received symbol segments.
US07873123B2
A null detector and its corresponding method are provided. The null detector includes a power detector, a smoother, and an overlapper. The power detector outputs a power level signal according to the power level of a received signal. The smoother is coupled to the power detector for determining according to the power level signal whether the received signal is transmitting a null symbol, and then the smoother outputs a null detection signal at a first state value or a second state value indicating the result of the determination. The overlapper is coupled to the smoother for providing the duration and position of the null symbols transmitted by the received signal according to the null detection signal.
US07873119B2
Various embodiments described herein relate to a power management block and an amplification block used in the transmitter of a communication subsystem. The power management block provides improved control for the gain control signal provided to a pre-amplifier and the supply voltage provided to a power amplifier which are both in the amplification block. The power expended by the power amplifier is optimized by employing a continuous control method in which one or more feedback loops are employed to take into account various characteristics of the transmitter components and control values.
US07873116B2
A transmitter is provided which effectively reduces a peak that occurs in transmitting signal electric power. A baseband limiter applies a peak reduction process to digital signals on a plurality of carriers in a baseband. A band limiting filter applies a band limitation process to the digital signal on each of the carriers to which the peak reduction process is applied. Quadrature modulation processing is applied to the digital signal on each of the carriers to which the band limitation process is applied. The digital signals on the carriers to which the quadrature modulation process is applied are added. An intermediate frequency limiter multiplies a signal of the added result by a window function that is weighted depending on the magnitude of the detected peak, and applies a peak reduction process thereto.
US07873102B2
A variable-bit-rate (VBR)-encoding of a plurality of clips from a plurality of video content items is performed to produce a VBR-encoded aggregated video content item. The VBR-encoding of each of the clips is based on an encoding complexity of at least one other one of the clips. This can be performed by combining the clips into aggregated video content and two-pass VBR-encoding the aggregated video content. A video quality test may be performed using the VBR-encoded aggregated video content item.
US07873101B2
A digital filter pre-calculates C(1)*S(n−1), C(2)*S(n−2) . . . C(p−1)*S(n−p+1), prior to the arrival of sample S(n). As such y ( n ) = ∑ k = 0 k = p - 1 C ( k ) * S ( n - k ) may be calculated as a result of a single further multiply and accumulate operation, upon arrival of the symbol S(n). This, significantly reduces the latency of the filter.
US07873098B2
Detecting a symbol of interest comprises despreading a received signal to obtain despread values corresponding to the symbol of interest and to one or more interfering symbols, combining the despread values to generate combined values for the symbol of interest and the interfering symbols, computing spreading waveform correlations between the spreading waveform for the symbol of interest and the spreading waveforms for the interfering symbols, computing interference rejection terms representing the interference present in the combined value for the symbol of interest attributable to the interfering symbols based on the spreading waveform correlations, and generating an estimate of the symbol of interest by combining the combined values with the interference rejection terms. The interference rejection terms are computed by scaling the spreading waveform correlations by corresponding signal powers and compensating the estimates for noise. This provides a robust interference model that avoids numerical problems associated with conventional joint detection.
US07873089B2
Using sampled Bragg grating structure, the present invention proposes a distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser based on reconstruction-equivalent-chirp technology. Namely, the Bragg grating in the said DFB semiconductor laser cavity is a sampled Bragg grating, in which there is an equivalent grating corresponding to the original ordinary DFB grating as feedback for lasing. The laser wavelength of the said semiconductor laser located within the operation bandwidth of the said equivalent grating. The said equivalent grating is designed and fabricated using REC technology and has equivalent chirps, one equivalent phase shift or multiple equivalent phase shifts. The said sampled Bragg grating has multiple ghost gratings and the wavelength spacing between neighboring ghost gratings is inversely proportional to the sampling period and the effective refractive index of the said semiconductor laser. Only one ghost grating except the ghost grating related to the center wavelength is selected to be as equivalent grating. In semiconductor laser fields, only based on sub-micron precision, the present invention provides a method to realize various complex equivalent chirps and equivalent phase shifts in the resonant cavity of the said semiconductor laser. These equivalent chirps and equivalent phase shifts have the same functions with the corresponding true chirps and true phase shifts, so as to avoid the processes of fabrication of grating structure with complex true chirps and true phase shifts.
US07873073B2
An interworking device, method and system distribute reference timing between at least two communication networks. The interworking device includes a first communication interface operable to communicate with a first communication network operating using a first communication protocol and a second communication interface operable to communicate with a second communication network operating using a second communication protocol. The interworking device also includes a client generic framing procedure/optical transport network (“GFP/OTN”) mapping block in communication with the first communication interface and the second communication interface. The client GFP/OTN mapping block recovers a first reference timing signal from data received from the first communication network. At least one hybrid synchronous equipment timing source transforms the first reference timing signal into a second reference timing signal that is phase and frequency locked to the first reference timing signal, and supplies the second reference timing signal to the client GFP/OTN mapping block to clock the second communication network.
US07873069B2
Methods and apparatus for controlling the audio characteristics of a networked voice communications device (NVCD) are presented. One method presented includes receiving a settings file, extracting at least one audio control parameter from the settings file, deriving audio processing parameters based upon a value selected from the at least one audio control parameter, and controlling the audio characteristics of the networked voice communications device using the audio processing parameters and the at least one audio control parameter. A method for providing audio parameters to an NVCD is also presented which includes establishing a settings file, which includes at least one audio control parameter, receiving a request to send the settings file, and sending the settings file over a network to the networked voice communications device.
US07873064B1
An audio decoding system comprises a buffer module, an audio decoding module, a packet loss concealment module, an uncompressed adjustment module, and a playout control module. The buffer module receives packets including audio data. The audio decoding module decodes the audio data and outputs decoded audio samples. The packet loss concealment module outputs adjusted audio samples based on the decoded audio samples. The adjusted audio samples include reconstructed samples when packet loss occurs. The uncompressed adjustment module incorporates the adjusted audio samples into an output stream of audio samples at a first rate. The playout control module regulates the first rate based on packet delay information.
US07873059B2
Provided is a gateway device for interconnecting an IEEE1394 network and an IP network, which automatically detects and operates an AV device connected to the IEEE1394 network from a player device connected to the IP network, thereby enabling the player device to watch and hear contents stored in the AV device. The gateway device interconnects a network, to which an AV/C installed IEEE1394 device is connected, and a network, to which a player device compliant with a UPnP is connected, and includes: a conversion unit for converting Plug-and-Play processing of the IEEE1394 device to each step of Plug-and-Play of the UPnP; a conversion unit for converting an action of a UPnP AV to an AV/C command of the IEEE1394 device; and a stream transfer unit for transferring stream data transmitted from the IEEE1394 device to the IP network.
US07873049B2
A system comprises a station manager for associating a queue block to each active station in a network, each queue block being configured to implement a contention-based process, e.g., IEEE 802.11e, to select a winning frame from a set of frames; a multiplexer for receiving frames, each frame having a destination address, and for routing each received frame to a queue block based on the destination address; an access controller for receiving the winning frame from each queue block, for forwarding the winning frame(s) to a physical layer for simultaneous transmission to the active station(s) when the number of winning frames is equal to or below a threshold greater than one, and for forwarding a subset of the winning frames to the physical layer for simultaneous transmission to the active stations when the number of winning frames is above the threshold; and a physical layer capable of simultaneous frame transmission.
US07873038B2
Network devices, systems, and methods are provided for packet processing. One network device includes a network chip including logic and a number of network ports for the device for receiving and transmitting packets therefrom. The logic is operable to group a number of ports into a membership group based on a criteria, and define a filter index in association with a network packet to indicate the membership group.
US07873029B2
A system and method of providing multimedia communication services is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving contextual information including a subscriber identification associated with a wireline communication device at an intelligent service switch (ISS) of an integrated wireline-wireless (IWW) network from a network edge device, where the network edge device has detected a service request at the wireline communication device. The method also includes determining at least one multimedia communication service based on the contextual information and at least one service filter associated with the subscriber identification.
US07873018B2
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to scheduling data transmissions to improve power efficiency in a wireless network. In an example embodiment, uplink transmissions may be scheduled after the downlink transmissions within the frame sequence. One or more nodes having only scheduled downlink transmissions during the frame sequence may be scheduled for downlink transmissions at or near the start of the downlink transmissions. In another embodiment, one or more nodes having only scheduled uplink transmissions during the frame sequence may be scheduled for uplink transmissions at or near the end of the uplink transmissions. In yet another embodiment, one or more nodes having scheduled both downlink and uplink transmissions during the frame sequence may be scheduled for transmissions near a transition from downlink to uplink transmissions.
US07873014B2
A handover method for controlling communication between a mobile station and base station(s) in a wireless communication system. The method includes measuring signal qualities transmitted from the base station(s), the measured signal qualities including a measured quality of a signal received from a certain base station; identifying the base station as an addition candidate based on the measured quality exceeding an addition threshold; thereafter detecting that the measured quality of the signal received from the addition candidate has further exceeded an active threshold which is greater than the addition threshold. The active threshold is determined in accordance with a quality of a signal transmitted from one or more active base stations. In response, the base stations are notified of information about the addition candidate; and a handover process is performed on the bases on this information.
US07873012B2
A method of reducing tunneling in a wireless packet network. The method includes defining a home access point for a client station, determining that the client station is being serviced by an access point different from the home access point, deciding if the client station should change its home access point to the access point from which the client station receives service and initiating a change of the home access point of the client station, if so decided.
US07873003B2
Provided is a method for allocating an Internet protocol (IP) address to a mobile station in a mobile communication system. The method includes the steps of: a) receiving an “Activate Packet Data Protocol (PDP) request” message including router solicitation from the mobile station; b) acquiring a global IP address of the mobile station by performing the router solicitation and a router advertisement procedure instead of the mobile station; and c) loading the acquired global IP address in an “Activate PDP context Accept” message and transferring the “Activate PDP context Accept” message to the mobile station.
US07873001B2
A mobile application gateway configured to interconnect mobile communication devices on a cellular network with an enterprise network is provided. The mobile application gateway includes a voice and data signaling gateway configured to provide routing functionalities, service functionalities and admission control. A gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) is configured to establish a secure data session between one or more of the mobile communication devices and the enterprise network by establishing a GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel between a carrier-hosted serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and the GGSN.
US07872997B2
A technique for multiple receiver aggregation that allows for multiple immediate responses of acknowledgements or block acknowledgements. The technique uses a spoofed network allocation vector (NAV) implemented within an aggregate's PLCP header to protect the aggregate and all of the immediate responses from multiple receivers. The immediate responses are scheduled, the information indicating the scheduled offset time and granted transmission duration for response of each receiver being included in the physical sublayer data unit (PSDU) headers within the aggregate.
US07872996B2
A communication method in a mobile communication system that copies and transmits data, to which transmission sequence numbers have been attached, over a plurality of paths from a mobile station to a radio network controller via a plurality of base stations; where the radio network controller monitors the communication state of each path, determines to transmit the data over all of a plurality of paths, transmit the data over two or more specified paths, or transmit the data over only one specified path, based on the communication state of each path, and notifies the mobile station of the determined path/paths; and where the mobile station transmits said copied data over said notified path/paths.
US07872991B2
Methods and systems for forwarding packets over Label Switched Paths (LSPs) in a Virtual Private Network (VPN) are implemented within a Layer-2 architecture. A system includes a number of multi-purpose nodes connected by a number of multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) LSP links. Each multi-purpose node contains at least one bridging module (BM) that runs an extension of a bridging protocol (BP) contained in the IEEE 802.1d standard. The BP is used to establish MPLS LSPs between the BMs. The BP then generates a spanning tree using a spanning tree program to establish an optimal number of active LSPs. The remaining LSPs are then set to “inactive” The BM de-allocates the resources assigned to inactive LSPs and makes the resources available to other active LSPs.
US07872981B2
Techniques for selecting rates for data transmission on eigenmodes of a MIMO channel are described. An access point transmits an unsteered MIMO pilot via the downlink. A user terminal estimates the downlink channel quality based on the downlink unsteered MIMO pilot and transmits an unsteered MIMO pilot and feedback information via the uplink. The feedback information is indicative of the downlink channel quality. The access point estimates the uplink channel quality and obtains a channel response matrix based on the uplink unsteered MIMO pilot, decomposes the channel response matrix to obtain eigenvectors and channel gains for the eigenmodes of the downlink, and selects rates for the eigenmodes based on the estimated uplink channel quality, the channel gains for the eigenmodes, and the feedback information. The access point processes data based on the selected rates and transmits steered data and a steered MIMO pilot on the eigenmodes with the eigenvectors.
US07872966B2
A method and apparatus are provided for protecting a connection during implementation of an Active Connection Modify request. Before initiating the ACM request, an alternate connection between the source node and the destination node of the connection are established using Domain-Based Rerouting. The alternate connection may be established in conformance either with the traffic parameters of the existing connection or with the new traffic parameters specified in the ACM request. If the connection along the original connection is to be torn as a result of lost ACM signaling messages, the connection is first switched to the alternate connection in a hitless manner. If the alternate connection is established in conformance with the new traffic parameters, and the ACM request can not be implemented along the original connection, due for example to resource shortage along the original connection, then the connection is switched to the alternate connection in a hitless manner. In this way, connections are protected in the event of lost ACM messages resulting from signal congestion, and the ACM may be implemented even in the event of resource shortage along the original connection.
US07872962B1
The disclosed technology relates to a communication system and method in which multiple versions of a signal are processed to detect the signal. The communication system can include transmitters that communicate different versions of a signal to a receiver. The different versions are weighted versions of the signal and are communicated on different channels. The weight for a weighted signal is based on an inverse of an estimate of the phase shift of the particular channel to which the weighted signal will be communicated. The weights are also based on a unity gain such that each weighted signal has the same magnitude as the original signal. A receiver that receives the weighted signals processes the received signals to detect the original signal.
US07872960B2
A recording medium, such as a high-density and/or read-only recording medium including a data area including at least two data sections and a linking area to link neighboring data sections, the linking area including user data and parity data, and to methods and apparatuses for forming, recording, and reproducing the recording medium.
US07872958B2
In an optical information recording/reproducing device which executes information reading or writing on multiple types of optical discs having different data densities by selectively using first through third light beams having first through third wavelengths, respectively, at least one side of an optical element is provided with a step structure including a plurality of concentric refracting surfaces and steps between them. The steps include first steps each giving a first optical path length difference specified by a first optical path difference function, second steps each giving a second optical path length difference specified by a second optical path difference function, and special steps each giving an optical path length difference obtained by the sum or difference of/between the first and second optical path length differences. Annular zone widths between adjacent steps are set at 10 times the first wavelength or more.
US07872955B2
The present invention provides a method of recording control information in a recordable optical disc including at least one recording layer. In recording control information within a management area of an optical disc including at least one or more recording layers, the present invention includes providing the control information to each of the at least one or more recording layers per recording velocity, recording an information identifying a type of the corresponding control information within the control information, and recording a write strategy (WS) interworking with the type of the control information. In recording a write strategy (WS) within disc information, CLV and CAV are separately recorded, whereby it is able to efficiently cope with the record/playback of the optical disc.
US07872953B2
An apparatus generates outgoing data (OD) to be provided on an optical disk (1) in a burst cutting area (2). The burst cutting area (2) further comprises markings (3) which cause a marking frequency spectrum (MFS) when reading out the burst cutting area (2). The apparatus comprises a channel coder (4) which receives processed data (PD) and supplies the outgoing data (OD) having an outgoing data frequency spectrum (DFS) with suppressed DC-content. The apparatus further comprises a data processing device (5) which generates the processed data (PD) to obtain an outgoing frequency spectrum (DFS) wherein a frequency component causing interference with a low frequent component of the markings (3) is suppressed or not present.
US07872950B1
A time display device and a time display method are provided. The time display method implemented by the time display device, the method comprising, providing a current time information; controlling the first stepper motor to drive the light source to rotate an angle, then the emitted light representing as an hour hand; determining the current emitted reflector according to hour value in the second time information; determining a rotation angle of the reflector according to hour value, minute value in the second time information and a calculation formula; and controlling the second stepper motor group to drive the reflector to rotate the rotation angle, thus emitted light reflected by the reflector points to a corresponding minute marker, the reflected light representing as a minute hand.
US07872948B2
A method and apparatus for detecting an aircraft. The method is provided for wide area tracking of aircraft. An acoustic emission of the aircraft is detected from a plurality of locations. A position of the aircraft at a set of times is estimated by comparing a set of harmonically related Doppler shifted frequencies for the acoustic emission to an expected zero Doppler shifted frequency of the aircraft to form an estimated position. The position of the aircraft and a heading of the aircraft are tracked using the estimated position. The aircraft type is classified based on the corresponding set of zero Doppler frequencies at each acoustic sensor.
US07872939B2
A semiconductor memory device includes: a first address buffer configured to be used in a test mode and a normal mode and to receive more addresses in the test mode than in the normal mode; and a second address buffer configured to be used in the normal mode and disabled in the test mode.
US07872934B2
It is an object to provide memory and a semiconductor device in which falsification of data written thereinto is prevented. The memory includes a memory circuit, a writing circuit, and a reading circuit. The memory circuit has a memory cell array in which a plurality of memory cells where “0” and “1” of binary data can be written are arranged. The writing circuit includes a first writing circuit which writes one of “0” and “1” of binary data into one of the memory cells included in the memory circuit, and a second writing circuit which writes the other of “0” and “1” of binary data into one of the memory cells included in the memory circuit.
US07872931B2
An integrated circuit includes an array of memory cells, a clock generator configured to generate a clock signal, and a control circuit configured to perform a retention test on the array of memory cells based on the clock signal. A period of the clock signal defines a retention period for the retention test.
US07872923B2
A low voltage sensing scheme reduces active power down standby leakage current in a memory device. During memory's active power down state, the leak current may increase because of the use of P and Nsense amplifiers having low threshold voltages (Vth) for low Vcc sensing of data signals. A clamping device or diode is used between a Psense amplifier control line (e.g. ACT) and Vcc and/or between an Nsense amplifier control line (e.g. RNL*) and Vss (ground potential). The clamping diode is not enabled during normal memory operations, but is turned on during active power down mode to reduce leakage current through ACT and/or RNL* nodes. The clamping device connected to the ACT node may reduce the voltage on the ACT line during power down mode, whereas the clamping device connected to the RNL* node may increase the voltage on the RNL* line during power down mode to reduce sense amplifier leakage current through these nodes. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.
US07872913B2
A nonvolatile analog memory has a floating gate point. The nonvolatile analog memory includes a capacitor, a first current source, a second current source and a current adjuster. The first current source controlled by a voltage value at the floating gate point and generates a first current. The second current source controlled by the voltage value at the floating gate point and generates a second current. The current adjuster receives the output voltage and a reference voltage and adjusts the first current and the second current based on the output voltage and the reference voltage. The current adjuster charges or discharges the capacitor to equalize the output voltage to the reference voltage.
US07872902B2
An integrated circuit includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells. A first plurality of bit lines is positioned in a first plane. The first plurality of bit lines is electrically coupled to a first set of the memory cells. A second plurality of bit lines is positioned in a second plane that is different than the first plane. The second plurality of bit lines is electrically coupled to a second set of the memory cells.
US07872899B2
The memory cell array includes a memory cell, the memory cell including a ferroelectric capacitor and a transistor. The memory cell array includes a word line selecting the memory cell, a plate line applying a drive voltage to the ferroelectric capacitor, and a bit line reading data from the ferroelectric capacitor. A selection transistor selectively connects the memory cell to the bit line. A dummy cell provides a reference potential, the reference potential being referred to for a potential read from the memory cell. A sense amplifier circuit includes a plurality of amplification circuits amplifying the potential difference between a bit-line pair. A decoupling circuit electrically cuts off the bit line between the amplification circuits.
US07872898B2
A one time programmable read only memory disposed on a substrate of a first conductive type is provided. A gate structure is disposed on the substrate. A first doped region and a second doped region are disposed in the substrate at respective sides of the gate structure, and the first doped region and the second doped region are of a second conductive type which is different from the first conductive type. A third doped region of the first conductive type is disposed in the substrate and is adjacent to the second doped region, and a junction is formed between the third doped region and the second doped region. A metal silicide layer is disposed on the substrate. An clearance is formed in the metal silicide layer, and the clearance at least exposes the junction.
US07872897B2
A programmable device includes a substrate (10); an insulator (13) on the substrate; an elongated semiconductor material (12) on the insulator, the elongated semiconductor material having first and second ends, and an upper surface S; the first end (12a) is substantially wider than the second end (12b), and a metallic material is disposed on the upper surface; the metallic material being physically migratable along the upper surface responsive to an electrical current I flowable through the semiconductor material and the metallic material.
US07872896B2
A magnetic shift register includes at least a magnetic memory track of which several walls separate the memory track into multiple magnetic domains to serve as magnetic binary memory cells. The magnetic memory track includes multiple data regions. Each data region has multiple of the magnetic binary memory cells for storing bit data at a quiescent state and registering at least one of the bit data shifted from the adjacent data region at a shifting state. Wherein, the bit data of the magnetic binary memory cells is shifted between the adjacent two data region under an operation current.
US07872894B2
A memory cell is protected against current or voltage spikes. The cell includes a group of redundant data storage nodes for the storage of information in at least one pair of complementary nodes. The cell further includes circuitry for restoring information to its initial state following a current or voltage spike which modifies the information in one of the nodes of the pair using the information stored in the other node. The data storage nodes of each pair in the cell are implanted on opposite sides of an opposite conductivity type well from one another within a region of a substrate defining the boundaries of the memory cell.
US07872878B2
An EMI shielding device is set in an electronic device. The electronic device includes a shell, a circuit board set in the shell, and an electrical component set on the circuit board. The shielding device includes a middle board and a shielding cover. The middle board is set inside the electronic device. The shielding cover is set on the middle board and covers an outside of the electrical component. Thus, the EMI shielding device is structured. The material of the shielding cover is widely used, so the cost of the material is markedly reduced. After the shielding cover is opened, it is easy to restore the shielding state. The shielding cover is set inside the electronic device via the middle board, so assembly is easy and it is not limited by changes in the shape or the structure of the shell, so applicability is improved.
US07872868B2
A mounting structure for a power module, in which a power module and a heat sink can be easily separated without additional labor and time and without requiring an extra disassembly space in a product and in which parts are not damaged during the disassembly. In the heat sink (5a), screw holes (7a) having female screw threads into which power module fixing screws (2a) are screwed are formed so as to penetrate a power module mounting surface (5c) of the heat sink (5a) and heat radiation fins (9a). The power module fixing screw (2a) is constructed such that, to mount the power module (3) on the heat sink (5a), the screw head of the power module fixing screw (2a) is tightened from the printed circuit board (4a) side with a tool (8a) and that, to remove the power module (3) from the heat sink (5a), the power module fixing screw (2a) is loosened with the tool (8a) from the heat radiation fin (9a) side on the opposite side of the screw head.
US07872866B1
A computer includes a casing; the computer further comprises a motherboard, a hard disk drive mounting structure and a hard disk drive accommodated in the casing. The motherboard is mounted on a fixing plate of the casing. The hard disk drive mounting structure is located above the motherboard, and includes a heat dissipation apparatus including a heat sink, a mounting frame, and a supporting bracket connected between the mounting frame and a base of the heat sink. A bottom end of the supporting bracket is fixed to the base of the heat sink. A top end of the supporting bracket is fixed to one end of the mounting frame to support the mounting frame, which has another end fixed to a side plate of the casing. The hard disk drive is mounted on the mounting frame.
US07872863B2
A portable electronic device comprises a main body, a sliding cover slidably mounted on the main body, a flipping cover rotatably mounted on one end of the main body, and a transmission mechanism connecting the flipping cover to the sliding cover such that when the flipping cover rotates relative to the main body, the sliding cover slides relative to the main body.
US07872862B2
A fixing device for detachably fastening an electronic element inside thereof is described. Two fastening modules are respectively disposed on the two opposite inner walls of a housing. A positioning disk is rotatably connected with the positioning frame and has a concave section with a pair of inner side surfaces. The positioning disk is disposed between the first pair of positioning surfaces while the positioning disk is disposed between the second pair of positioning surfaces. When the positioning disk is at a first position, the pair of inner side surfaces is aligned with the first pair of positioning surfaces to allow the electronic element to be inserted between. When the positioning disk is rotated from the first position to the second position, the pair of inner side surfaces is aligned with the second pair of positioning surfaces, and the first and second connection members engage each other to fasten the electronic element.
US07872861B2
A portable electronic device has a lower body, an upper body, and a moving assembly installed between the parts. The moving assembly has a lower base fixed to the lower body, a middle base pivoted to the lower base along a first axis, and an upper base pivoted to the middle base along a second axis that is substantially paralleled to the first axis and slidably connected to the upper body.
US07872857B2
The present subject matter includes a capacitor that includes at least a first element having a first element thickness, including at least a first substantially planar electrode with a first connection member, at least a second substantially planar electrode, and a first spacer member and at least a second element having a third substantially planar electrode with a second connection member, the first element and the second element stacked in alignment and defining a capacitor stack, the capacitor stack disposed in a case containing electrolyte, wherein the first spacer member, the first connection member, and the second connection member are in adjacent alignment defining a connection surface for electrical connection of the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially planar electrode, with the adjacent first spacer member and first connection member having a first thickness approximately equal to the first element thickness.
US07872856B2
An energy storage cell pack cradle assembly for holding multiple rows of energy storage cells oriented along a dominant axis of vibration includes a first cradle member including a plurality of energy storage cell body supporting structures including respective holes; a second cradle member including a plurality of energy storage cell body supporting structures including respective holes; and one or more fasteners connecting the first cradle member and the second cradle member together. The energy storage cell body supporting structures are configured to structurally support the energy storage cells, with the energy storage cells oriented along a dominant axis of vibration, by energy storage cell bodies of the energy storage cells with respective electrically conductive terminals extending through the respective holes without structural support of the electrically conductive terminals by the cradle members.
US07872846B2
A protective circuit (30) for intrinsically safe electromagnetic actuators operating at the voltage of a power supply approved for underground mining, for switching electrohydraulic valves in underground mining, comprising a coil (11) connected to a first potential (2) and a second potential (3) of the power supply and associated with at least two spaced apart short-circuit means (12) connected in parallel with the electromagnetic actuator coil (11) for short-circuiting ting the coil in the event of a reversal of the potential of the coil voltage. In accordance with the present invention the protective circuit comprises a semiconductor switch (T3) which is inserted between the coil (11) and the second potential (3) and, in the event of a voltage reduction or potential reversal, isolates the coil (11) from the second potential, so that the discharge from the coil (11) has no adverse effect on the energy supply system or the intrinsic safety.
US07872845B2
One embodiment relates to a control system. In one embodiment, a control system is configured to drive a load based on a set-point of the load, a measured load characteristic and a supply voltage of the load. The controller is configured to determine a duty cycle based on the load characteristic, the set-point, and the supply voltage. The controller is further configured to drive the load in response to the duty cycle.
US07872838B2
Improved performance uniformity among CPP magnetic read devices that include an oxide barrier has been achieved by fabricating the oxide layer from at least two separately formed CCP layers. Each CCP layer is given its own PIT and IAO treatment which is of shorter duration than the PIT/IAO treatment that is used when only a single CCP layer is formed.
US07872834B1
A dual stage microactuated head suspension includes a base plate, a mounting region attached to the base plate, a load beam coupled to the mounting region, a flexure supported by the load beam and the mounting region, and a microactuator mechanically and electrically coupled to the mounting region. The mounting region is oriented in a plane and includes a microactuator slot for receiving the microactuator such that the microactuator lies substantially or entirely in the plane of the mounting region. The head suspension includes a microactuator support structure provided for mechanically and electrically coupling the microactuator to the mounting region.
US07872831B2
The invention provides a thin-film magnetic head wherein the combined release angle Φ for a dominant recording magnetic field generated from a magnetic pole layer toward a patterned media for the purpose of recording magnetic information is set to within an angle range of 35° to 65° with respect to a patterned media surface. It is thus possible to invert, with efficiency and reliability, the directions of magnetization of isolate bits lined up on the patterned media for high-density recording.
US07872818B2
An exemplary apparatus for coupling a first lens to a second lens includes a base, a first plate, a second plate, a recess, and an elastic member. The base has a top surface. The first plate protrudes from the top surface. The second plate is opposite to the first plate and protrudes from the top surface. The recess is defined in the top surface and positioned between the first plate and the second plate. The recess is configured for receiving the second lens. The elastic member is positioned on the top surface. A first end of the elastic member is connected with the first plate. The elastic member is configured for exerting a force on the first lens such that the first lens can be cooperatively clamped between a second end of the elastic member and the second plate.
US07872799B2
Device for controlling light radiation, which is excited in a specimen and/or which is backscattered and/or reflected and which contains one or more wavelengths, at a plurality of light outlets, wherein a separation of the light radiation into differently polarized components is carried out; and the components of the excitation radiation and/or detection radiation are affected in their polarization by means of a preferably birefringent, preferably acousto-optic or electro-optic medium, which changes the ordinary and extraordinary refractive index.
US07872798B2
A microscopic apparatus and an observing method can obtain information of a super-resolved image of an object under observation with a high SN ratio. Therefore, the microscopic apparatus including an illuminating optical system that illuminates a specimen plane of a sample with line-shaped illuminating light, a modulating unit that spatially modulates the illuminating light in a lengthwise direction, an image-forming optical system that forms an image of light from the specimen plane illuminated with the spatially modulated illuminating light, and a detector that detects light from the specimen plane. Accordingly, a confocal effect is obtained with respect to an unstructuring direction of an illuminated area. The essential contrast of the structured illumination of the illuminated area is enhanced by the confocal effect, and thus the modulated image of the illuminated area is detected with a high SN ratio.
US07872793B2
A spatial light modulator system includes an optically addressable spatial light modulator (OASLM) and an electrical addressable spatial light modulator (EASLM) arranged to transmit light onto the OASLM. A first controller is configured to address the EASLM with both a positive image and a negative image. A second controller is configured to apply a first bipolar voltage pulse to the OASLM associated with reception of the positive image and apply a second bipolar voltage pulse to the OASLM associated with reception of the negative image.
US07872786B2
The invention provides an image display apparatus that includes a display image creation unit capable of creating a display image that has a plurality of objects superposed on each other; a image display unit capable of displaying the display image created by the display image creation unit on a display; a selection-and-judgment unit capable of receiving selection input from an external source, and based on the selection input, determining which one of the plurality of objects in the display image is selected; and an index information arrangement unit capable of placing an index image at a position different from the position of the display image on the display, wherein the index image visually indicates which of the plurality of objects is determined to be selected by the selection-and-judgment unit, wherein the image display unit displays the index image on the display in addition to the display image.
US07872781B2
Visible and infrared radiation is generated from phosphors within a cold cathode lamp. At least partially transparent media is irradiated with the visible and infrared radiation from the cold cathode lamp. Infrared radiation that passes through the at least partially transparent media is sensed, and an artifact signal is generated from the sensed infrared radiation. The artifact signal corresponds to one or more unwanted artifacts on the at least partially transparent media.
US07872779B2
An image reading apparatus includes an image sensor fixed to a main body of the image reading apparatus, a light scanning carriage, a light reflection carriage, a pair of transport modules to move the light scanning carriage and the light reflection carriage in a sub-scanning direction with a predetermined speed ratio, and a wire having both ends fixed to the main body of the image reading apparatus and a portion fixed to the light scanning carriage, the wire wound around carriage pulleys of the light reflection carriage and fixing pulleys of the main body. Therefore, an accuracy of a moving of the carriages is improved, thus preventing a defective reading operation. Manufacturing costs of the image reading apparatus are reduced.
US07872777B2
Methods of the present invention allow for optimization of color and shades of gray documents prior to their conversion to a monochrome format. If color/gray elements are identified in the document, the distance between them and their intensity is determined. If there are elements with the same or similar intensity in close proximity to each other, colors of some of the elements may be replaced with solid monochrome colors, and/or dithered surfaces, and/or monochrome patterns. Further, the elements may be outlined. These improvements make elements in the document more distinguishable after its conversion to a monochrome format. The described color optimization and outlining may have wide applicability in the Internet Fax technology.
US07872770B2
A printing system includes a printer and at least one workstation operatively connected to the printer. The work station comprises at least one input/output device connecting the workstation to the printer, a controller connected to the at least one input/output device, and a memory connected to the controller. The workstation further includes an operating system, a first application, a second application, and a print driver, all residing on the memory. A first item of the first application and a second item of the second application are both receivable by the print driver. The print driver is selectively able to concatenate the first and second items into a compound print set, able to receive a selected number of copies to be printed of the compound print set entered through the at least one input/output device and able to submit the compound print set and the selected number of copies as a single print job to the printer. Finishing attributes are able to be applied to the compound print set for processing by the printer.
US07872765B2
A method for automatically generating a custom printer description file is disclosed. The custom printer description file enables a computer's printing system to insert, into a print data stream, commands (e.g., PCL, PJL, JCL, JDF, or PJTF commands) that cause a non-Postscript-enabled printing device (e.g., a non-Postscript printer) to perform operations in accordance with a user's specified desires. The custom printer description file is automatically generated based on an existing PPD file, which already indicates the features that the user's printing device supports. According to one aspect, an automated tool reads both an existing PPD file and translation data. Using the translation data, the automated tool generates a custom printer description file that contains appropriate non-Postscript commands for each feature/option combination that the printing device supports.
US07872764B2
A predictive suspension system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor, and energy source and a control. The imaging sensor is disposed at a vehicle and has a generally downward field of view, with the field of view encompassing an area forward of a tire of the vehicle. The energy source is operable to emit illumination in at least one linear pattern so that the linear pattern is projected onto a portion of the area forward of the tire of the vehicle that is encompassed by the field of view of the imaging sensor. The control processes image data captured by the imaging sensor and detects surface irregularities on a surface in front of the vehicle tire in response to the image processing.
US07872758B2
Determining linear modulator dynamics in an interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope may be accomplished by applying a stimulus at a point within the gyroscope, observing a response in an output of the gyroscope, and determining, from the observed response, the linear modulator dynamics.
US07872748B2
A real-time, 3D, non-linear microscope measuring system and method for examining a set of microscopic image points in different image planes. The system comprises a pulsed laser or parametric oscillator light source generating an examining optical signal, and is applicable to measure and/or photochemically stimulate pre-selected points within a short time interval. The system further comprises a bundle of fibers composed of optical fibers or other waveguides, a rapidly working optical switch, a imaging system, a light source and an optical system. The examining optical signal is a fluorescent or other optical signal imaged on the required spot.
US07872747B2
A reflex sight (10) comprises a housing (20) fitted with a proximal aperture (21) and a distal aperture (22) along an optics axis (A). It further includes a projection unit (40) reproducing the light generated by a light source (50) as a target mark (Z), and a feed optics (60) feeding the target mark (Z) reproduced by the projection unit (40) into the beam along the optic axis (A). To preclude the target mark (Z) from being visible to the sighted object, the invention provides that at least one implementing means (61, 62) of the invention be used whereby the target mark (Z) reproduced by the projection unit (40) substantially shall be visible only from the proximal aperture (21). The implementing means (61, 62) of the invention may be a polarizing beam splitting layer (61) designed as an interface layer (65) between two prisms (63, 64). Alternatively a band blocking filter (62) may be used which is configured between the feed optics (60) and the distal aperture (22) and which precludes light reflected by the feed optics (60) from passing through the distal aperture (22) by blocking/filtering such light. To attain economic and simple manufacture of the sight (10), the components (40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100) of the sight (10) are prefabricated sub-assemblies that can be installed rapidly and accurately in the housing (20).
US07872746B2
A continuous high resolution fluid level monitoring system is provided by embodiments of the present invention. This continuous high resolution fluid level monitoring system includes a unique fluid level sensor having a point light source, parabolic reflector, sensor array, and detection, processing and control system. The point light source illumines a parabolic reflector wherein the point light source is located at the focus of the parabolic reflector. The parabolic reflector reflects light from the point light source to produce a parallel light curtain. This parallel light curtain is parallel to an axis of symmetry of the parabolic reflector. The parallel light curtain illumines a chamber such as a chamber in an ophthalmic surgical device used to contain surgical fluid. The sensor array coupled to the chamber detects the parallel light curtain illuminating the chamber. The sensor array provides an output to a detection/processing/control system in order to determine the fluid level within the chamber. This optical method of determining the surgical fluid levels may be advantageous in that it prevents physical contamination of the surgical fluids.
US07872743B2
In a defect inspection system using a plurality of detectors such as an upright detector and an oblique detector, if illumination light and wafer height are adjusted to the detection field of view of one detector, a defocused image is detected by other remaining detectors, resulting in degradation of the detection sensitivity. The present invention solves this problem.When a plurality of detectors such as an upright detector and an oblique detector are used in the defect inspection system, the reduction of the inspection sensitivity can be prevented by correcting the field positions of the other remaining detectors with respect to the field of view of the one detector. Further, the variation in optical axis for each inspection system due to the variation in parts and assembly errors can be reduced.
US07872733B2
A tracking type laser interferometer that detects displacement of a retroreflector 300 being an object to be measured by utilizing interference of a laser beam 102 irradiated onto the retroreflector 300 and reflected by the retroreflector 300 in the returning direction, and carries out tracking by means of a two-axis turning mechanism 240 using displacement in the position of the optical axis of the laser beam 102; the same tracking type laser interferometer, includes; a light irradiator 600 that emits a fan-shaped laser light 602 that is fan-shaped including the optical axis of the laser beam 102, is interlocked with turning movements of the two-axis turning mechanism 240 around an axis orthogonal to the center axis of the corresponding fan shape; and a light receptor 620 that has a specific positional relationship with the retroreflector 300 or the light irradiator 600 and receives the fan-shaped laser light. Thereby, tracking can be automatically reset when the tracking is disabled due to a reason such as interruption of laser light or initial adjustment work can be automated when commencing measurement.
US07872727B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel transferring system including a panel transferring apparatus that takes out and transfers a LCD panel formed at a surface of a substrate; a camera installed at the panel transferring apparatus that captures an image of the LCD panel; and a controlling unit that aligns the LCD panel with the panel transferring apparatus based on an image captured using the camera. The panel transferring apparatus includes a main body; a plurality of suction holes formed at the main body that fix an LCD panel to the main body; and a pin formed at the peripheral area of the main body that applies an impact to a dummy region to separate the LCD panel from the substrate.
US07872720B2
A liquid crystal device includes a pair of substrates facing each other, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates. One of the pair of substrates includes data lines and scanning lines that intersect each other, pixels arranged in a matrix, at least one first electrode, and at least one second electrode that applies an electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode to the liquid crystal layer. Each of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a plurality of electrode portions, and a joint portion for connecting the plurality of electrodes. At least a portion of the joint portion of the first electrode and at least a portion of the joint portion of the second electrode are arranged so as to overlap at least the data lines or the scanning lines, and are aligned in a line extending along the at least the data lines or the scanning lines.
US07872715B2
A liquid crystal display device may include a first substrate; a second substrate; a first polarizing plate on the first substrate; a second polarizing plate arranged on the second substrate, and so that a direction of an absorption axis of the second polarizing plate being perpendicular to a direction of an absorption axis of the first polarizing plate; a liquid crystal layer arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; a color filter layer arranged between the liquid crystal layer and the first or the second substrate, the color filter layer having a plurality of pixels of two or more colors. The retardation thin film has in-plane birefringence index satisfying 0.75≦Δn[fr]/λd[fr]≦1.35 for a region corresponding to a reflection part of a pixel and satisfying Δn[t]<1.2 ×10−3 for a region corresponding to a transmission part of a pixel.
US07872708B2
The problem to be solved is to suppress image quality degradation caused by polarizers and provide improved light fastness.To solve the above problem, the embodiment of the present invention is a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device includes a driving-side substrate 1 on which a drive transistor 5, pixel electrode 6 and orientation film are formed. The liquid crystal display device further includes an opposed-side substrate 2 on which an opposed electrode and orientation film are formed. The liquid crystal display device still further includes liquid crystal 4 filled between the pixel electrode 6 of the driving-side substrate 1 and opposed electrode of the opposed-side substrate 2. The liquid crystal display device still further includes a reflective inorganic polarizer 3 formed between the drive transistor 5 and pixel electrode 6 of the driving-side substrate 1. The embodiment of the present invention is also a projection-type display device using the liquid crystal display device.
US07872706B2
Polarized light-emitting device with a light source, multiple layers of first optical thin films and second optical thin films alternately stacked is disclosed. Each first optical thin film has a number of first geometric units, and each second optical thin film has a number of second geometric units. The first geometric units and the second geometric units are arranged as a secondary periodic structure on the light-emitting surface of the light source. The polarized light-emitting device is able to provide polarized light with higher brightness and polarized light of a specified polarization characteristic.
US07872698B2
In the display area of the TFT array substrate, a pixel electrode, a switching element connected to the pixel electrode, a gate line connected to the switching element and a source line connected to the switching element are formed. In the terminal forming area of the TFT substrate, a terminal electrode for connecting the gate line or source line to external signal source is formed. Around the terminal forming area, a first metallic line and a second metallic line are extended below the terminal electrode. The first metallic line and the second metallic line are connected to the terminal electrode via respective contact holes. The first metallic line and the second metallic line are in different layers interposing an insulating layer therebetween.
US07872696B2
Image display device having an electrode forming layer which includes a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of drain lines, a plurality of switching elements and the a plurality of pixel electrodes, and having reference electrode layer between the electrode forming layer and a substrate where the electrode forming layer formed thereon, and the reference electrode layer and the electrode forming layer are insulated by insulating layer.
US07872686B2
A integrated camera module (10, 10a) for capturing video images in very small digital cameras, cell phones, personal digital assistants, and the like. A lens assembly (24, 24a) is rigidly affixed in relation to a sensor array area (14) of a camera chip (12) by a molding (26). The molding (26) is formed on the camera chip (12), and optionally on a printed circuit board (16, 16a) on which the camera chip (12) is mounted. The lens assembly (24, 24a) is held in place in a recess (29) of the molding (26) by an adhesive (28). The molding (26) is formed such that a precise gap (30) exists between the lens assembly (24) and a sensor array area (14) of the camera chip (12).
US07872681B2
A method of implementing high-performance color filter mosaic arrays (CFA) using luminance pixels. The introduction of luminance pixels greatly improves the accuracy of the image acquisition process for a given pixel and image sensor size.
US07872680B2
In a solid-state image sensor in which a large number of pixel cells each comprised of a combination of a main photosensitive pixel having a relatively large area and a subsidiary photosensitive pixel having a relatively small area are arranged, if the subsidiary photosensitive pixel has a defect for any pixel cell, division photometry data during AE processing is read, and the defective pixel is replaced with a value obtained by dividing the output value of the main photosensitive pixel at the same position by a sensitivity ratio only for a section for which it is determined that the main photosensitive pixel is not saturated. Thus, the pixel value of a defective pixel can be accurately corrected without causing a reduction in resolution sensitivity compared to a conventional method of correcting a defective pixel using surrounding pixel information.
US07872676B2
Methods, devices, and systems for offset compensation in an amplifier are disclosed, wherein the amplifier inputs may be exposed to large loads from an array of pixel columns coupled in parallel. During a sampling phase, an amplifier offset may be sampled by selectively coupling a first amplifier output to a first amplifier input and a second amplifier output to a second amplifier input. During a portion of the sampling phase, the first amplifier output may be buffered to a first storage element. During a different portion of the sampling phase, the second amplifier output may be buffered to a second storage element. To sense the pixel columns during an amplification phase, the first storage element and the second storage element are coupled to the first and second amplifier inputs, respectively, with the result that the amplifier offset is canceled from the amplifier output.
US07872675B2
Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, a device includes a user-accessible digital storage medium, and a storage medium manager module. The storage manager module includes a storage manager module operable to save a digital image in a form in the user-accessible digital storage medium, and then alter the form of the saved digital image if a condition is met.
US07872665B2
Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, may operate to capture a portion of an omniscopic or omni-stereo image using one or more image capture media. The media may be located substantially perpendicular to a converging ray originating at a viewpoint on an inter-ocular circle and having a convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a parallel viewpoint baseline position that includes a non-converging ray originating at the viewpoint. The media may also be located so as to be substantially perpendicular to a non-converging ray originating at a first viewpoint at a first endpoint of a diameter defining an inter-ocular circle, wherein the origin of the non-converging ray gravitates toward the center of the inter-ocular circle as spherical imagery is acquired.
US07872649B1
An image rendering method for a computer system includes identifying a point in space to be illuminated from at least one line light for the point, and determining an illumination direction of the line light. The method further includes generating a plane passing through the point, and projecting the line light onto the plane. The method further includes determining a brightness contribution for the point responsive to a function characterizing the brightness contribution.
US07872647B2
A system and method is provided for modeling a world database that is a spheroid in a computer graphics simulation system. The method includes the operation of modeling the world database using a plurality of geodetic terrain gridposts. A further operation is creating a triangulated network mesh based on the geodetic terrain gridposts in real-time as a function of eye position. In addition, the triangulated network mesh is stored in geodetic coordinates. The triangulated network mesh is then rendered using geometry formed by the triangulated network mesh.
US07872642B2
A controlling device using a source of energy, such as light energy, to provide the controlling device with a user interface having multiple, different visual appearances.
US07872634B2
A status sensing mechanism is disclosed, which comprises: a post, and a sleeve, ensheathing the post for enabling the post to slide up and down therein; wherein the post is abutted against a side of the sleeve as the inertial cursor-control device is subject to a first movement while the post is separated from the side of the sleeve as the inertial cursor-control device is subject to a second movement. By the use of the aforesaid status sensing mechanism, an improved cursor-control device can be provided, in which a sensor is used to detect and determine whether the status sensing mechanism is subjecting to the first movement or the second movement so as to issue different electrical signals corresponding to the detection to an inertial cursor processor arranged inside the cursor-control device for directing the inertial cursor processor to perform one of the following operation: (1) to perform a two-dimensional or three-dimension operation with respect to the received electrical signal for controlling the switching of the sensing capabilities of the cursor-control device, that is, the cursor-control device is controlled to be in a mode of two-dimensional detection or in a mode of three-dimensional detection; and (2) to perform either a displacement locking operation for freeing the cursor from the control of the cursor-control device, or a calculation of displacement for directing the cursor to move accordingly.
US07872632B2
An information processing apparatus may include a light source which illuminates a display panel and a first area in which a first red element, first green element and first blue element and a second area which is arranged in one direction with respect to the first area and in which a second red element, a second green element connected in series to the first green element and a second blue element, a first control circuit which is connected to an anode of the first red element and a cathode of the second red element, a second control circuit which is connected to an anode of the first green element and a cathode of the second green element, and a third control circuit which is connected to an anode of the first blue element and a cathode of the second blue element.
US07872628B2
A shift register and an LCD device to prevent the deterioration of a transistor by controlling a bias stress are disclosed. The shift register includes a plurality of stages for sequential shift signals, wherein each of the plurality of stages is connected with first and second supplying voltage input lines having opposite phases inversed by at least every frame, a start pulse input line, and at least one clock signal input line in which a phase of a first logic state is shifted in sequence, and a clock signal inputted to the clock signal input line is maintained in a second logic state different from the first logic state during a blanking time between frames.
US07872620B2
A pixel structure using a voltage programming type active matrix organic light emitting diode (OLED) which can minimize a current deterioration phenomenon. The pixel structure includes a fifth TFT receiving an external management signal EMS through its gate, having a drain region connected to a cathode part of an OLED, and receiving an input of an OLED current through its source-drain current path when the OLED emits light, a fourth TFT receiving a set scan signal SCAN through its gate and having source and drain regions connected to gate and drain parts of a third TFT T3; respectively, the third TFT T3 being a current driving transistor for determining the OLED current when the OLED emits light, a capacitor C having upper and lower plates connected to the gate part of the third TFT T3 and a ground voltage VSS.
US07872618B2
A data-line drive circuit controls a current value of a control signal in every cycle T1 based on upper 8-bit digital data DAB of digital data In, and performs pulse-width control in a cycle T2 based on lower 2-bit digital data SUB of the digital data In for the portion which is D/A-converted based on the same digital data of the control signal. It is thus possible to provide an electronic circuit suitable to inhibit a variation in the luminance so as to control the luminance levels of pixels with high precision.
US07872617B2
A display apparatus includes a matrix display unit including light-emitting devices that emit light of one of a plurality of colors with a brightness corresponding to a current and pixel circuits that drive the light-emitting devices, a plurality of column control circuits that receive input image signals and generate and output current-data signals, and a plurality of data lines each provided for each column of the matrix display unit to transfer the current-data signal output from the column control circuit to one of the pixel circuits in the column. The light-emitting devices have different current-luminance efficiencies depending on colors of emitted lights, and the plurality of data lines are divided into sets of data lines, each set of data lines transferring the current-data signals of the plurality of colors to the pixel circuits, and the number of data lines in the set of data lines is equal to the number of colors. In addition, one set of the column control circuits, comprised of a number larger than a number of colors of the display unit, is provided for one set of the data lines, comprised of a number equal to the number of colors.
US07872614B2
A deployable microwave phasing structure having a plurality of sub-panels forming a non-planar reflective surface when in a deployed state. In one embodiment, the phasing structure includes a plurality of joints configured to inter-connect the plurality of sub-panels. In one embodiment, the deployable microwave phasing structure includes a folding means for arranging the phasing structure into a plurality of states, the plurality of states including the deployed state and a collapsed state, wherein the collapsed state is characterized by a substantially planar profile.
US07872608B2
An antenna system includes first, second and third antennas that are arranged on a substrate. The first, second and third antennas include an arc-shaped element having a concave side and a convex side and a conducting element that extends substantially radially from a center of said concave side.
US07872607B2
A system, apparatus and method for a diverse spectrum antenna is disclosed. The diverse spectrum antenna may comprise a circuit board having a ground plane and a chip antenna including a notch, wherein the chip antenna is mounted on the circuit board at a selected distance from the ground plane.
US07872595B2
A terminal with a keypad enables a user to input an alphabet character through the keypad at high speed without modification of the keypad. The terminal comprises receiving a first input character in an alphabet input mode; waiting for a key input for at least one second input character succeeding the first input character; upon receiving a key input for the second input character, searching for a priority table in which a displaying order of a succeeding alphabet character is designated; and controlling a displaying order of the second input character according to the priority table.
US07872594B1
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for providing attenuation alerts for a radar-based terrain warning.A method for providing radar-based terrain warning attenuation alerts may comprise: (a) receiving a radar return; (b) detecting a region of atmospheric disturbance limiting the range of the radar return; and (c) providing a notification of radar-based terrain awareness warning system attenuation in the region of atmospheric disturbance.
US07872584B2
A system and method for analyzing smoke or other emissions are provided. An image is analyzed and processed to identify characteristics associated with the emission, such as color, densities, dispersion rates, fuel mixture characteristics, and other suitable analysis factors. If the analysis indicates that abnormal conditions exist or that any user-defined alerts are warranted, a message is sent to an operator terminal. The system and method may continue to capture subsequent images and thus provide real-time data. The data may be stored in memory and collected over time. The data may be associated with a digital signature and used to create reports for company quality control boards, regulatory control agencies, and the public. The system and method thus provide a cost effective, reliable, and repeatable mechanism for real-time analysis of smoke stacks and other environmental changes.
US07872581B2
A method is provided, comprising transmitting a first radio frequency identification tag wake-up sequence by a master reader device; responsive to said first wake-up sequence, transmitting a second radio frequency identification tag wake-up sequence by at least one slave reader device; responsive to receiving said first and/or said second wake-up sequence at one or more radio frequency identification tags of a plurality of radio frequency identification tags, responding to said wake-up sequence; receiving responses from said one or more radio frequency identification tags at said master reader; deriving first tag information from said responses; and providing said first tag information. A corresponding system, master reader device and slave reader device are also provide.
US07872580B2
Synthetic geomaterials, such as geotextiles, geocomposites or geogrids (woven, knitted or of monolithic strips), characterized in that the synthetic geomaterial comprises at least one transponder applied thereon for storing and for calling up data related to product and/or state and condition and/or project.
US07872570B2
The present invention is an informational display that utilizes cognitive science in the appearance and geographical location of a plurality of gauges and indicators located within the display. Through the use of color, size, depth, location and appearance, information transmitted to an operator through the present invention is rapidly perceived and interpreted. Such rapid interpretation of information by the present invention allows an operator to use a vehicle or the like in a more safe and lawful manner than that of traditional dashboard displays.
US07872569B2
A built-in instrument cluster for a motor vehicle includes at least one display device, which emits image-forming light and is arranged in the direct field of view of an observer, and at least one illuminated and/or self-illuminating electromechanical indicator device, which is arranged in the observer's field of view, at an angle to the display device, and is moved into the observer's field of view together with the display device via an optical combiner, which is arranged to reflect the image-forming light of the electromechanical indicator device. In order to be able to integrate such an instrument cluster into the tight spatial conditions in the instrument panel in the steering-column region, it is provided that the electromechanical indicator device is at least partially provided by light guides and/or light projectors to save depth at abutting vehicle components.
US07872566B1
Apparatus, systems, and methods may include providing a power-on reset function to many types of receiving circuitry, including radio frequency identification (RFID) tag processing circuitry. Thus, the power-on reset function may be realized by applying a supply voltage to a power-on reset circuit coupled to RFID tag processing circuitry. Operations may include sensing a first current substantially independent of the supply voltage, sensing a second current substantially dependent on the supply voltage, and indicating a power-on reset condition based on a comparison between the first current and the second current. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US07872562B2
A method for constructing a conductor assembly of the type formed of one or more coil rows which, when conducting current, generate a magnetic field or in which, in the presence of a changing magnetic field, a voltage is induced. In one embodiment comprises forming a conductor pattern in a first coil row according to the relationship X(θ)=[h/(2*π)]θ+ΣAn sin(nθ+φn) Y(θ)=R cos(θ) Z(θ)=R sin(θ), the first coil row pattern suitable for simultaneously generating at least two multipole orthogonal field components of different orders, wherein: X is measurable along an X axis, Y is measurable along a Y axis and Z is measurable along a Z axis, the coil row extends along the X axis, the coil row is formed with a conductor configured in a series of turns about the X axis creating spaced-apart segments of the conductor such that, along first portions of the segments, individual segments are relatively straight and along second portions of the segments the segments follow a contour having a definable radius of curvature, the series of turns providing a geometrical configuration for generating a first multipole component of order n=i with An=Ai and φn=φi and a second multipole component of order n=j with An=Aj and φn=φj with φi not equal to φj.
US07872552B2
A method and a device for the secure operation of a switching device are disclosed, including at least one main contact which can be switched on and off and which includes contact pieces and a displaceable contact bridge, and also at least one control magnet which includes a displaceable anchor. The anchor acts upon the contact bridge when it is switched on or off such that the corresponding main contact is opened and closed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes: a) the displaceable contact bridge of the at least one main contact recognizes when an opening point has been exceeded after being switched off, and b) the additional operation of the switching device is interrupted, according to a predetermined duration of time, when the opening point is not exceeded.
US07872544B2
A modulation/demodulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sine wave generating circuit configured to output two sine waves which are orthogonal to each other and have equal amplitude, an orthogonal modulator connected to the sine wave generating circuit and configured to modulate the sine waves to generate a modulated signal, a detecting section configured to detect amplitude fluctuation in the modulated signal, a multiplying section configured to multiply the modulated signal and the amplitude fluctuation detected by the detecting section together, and an orthogonal demodulator configured to demodulate the modulated signal multiplied with the amplitude fluctuation by the multiplying section to generate a demodulated signal.
US07872540B2
An oscillator device includes a resonator including a coil and a capacitor connected to the coil in parallel; and an oscillator connected to the resonator. Electric waves are emitted from the coil to at least one receiving antenna of the receiver while the oscillator device changes position and direction over time. The coil has an outer diameter and a total length which is approximately the same as the outer diameter.
US07872533B2
A regulator with decreased leakage and low loss for a power amplifier is described. Switching circuitry is used to connect the regulator input bias to a bias control voltage when the power amplifier is to be operated in an on condition or to a voltage generator when the power amplifier is to be operated in an off condition.
US07872530B2
An amplifying device (10) includes first, second, third and fourth transistors (M1, M2, M3, M4). In the first and third transistors (M1, M3) the source is connected to an input signal source (IN+, IN−), the gate is connected to a biasing potential (VB) and the drain is connected to a signal output (O+, O−). There is a first and second branch (B1, B2) between the source and drain of the first and third transistor (M1, M3), respectively, each including a corresponding second or fourth transistor (M2, M4). The device also includes a third branch (B3) comprising a first capacitor (C1) and a first switch (SW1) connected between the first transistor (M1) source and the third transistor (M3) gate, and a fourth branch (B4) comprising a second capacitor (C2) and a second switch (SW2) connected between the third transistor (M3) source and the first transistor (M1) gate.
US07872527B2
A circuit, system and method determine the control voltage for a DC-DC converter. A control module determines a raw battery voltage and an operating temperature. It references a look up table to determine a voltage regulator control voltage based on the battery voltage and the operating temperature during normal operation. In some cases, the control module also uses a level of interference to determine the control voltage.
US07872524B2
[Problems] to provide a CMOS low-noise amplification circuit which can reduce a chip area and design time, and which is easy to be digital-controlled from outside. [Means For Solving the Problems] The amplification circuit includes; an amplification stage (12) which amplifies an input signal up to an intended value; a sample and hold circuit (13) which samples the output signal from the amplification stage (12) by sampling the output signal with a sampling frequency which is at least twice the frequency band of the output signal to convert the output signal to a discrete time signal; a moving average calculation unit (15) which selects and outputs a particular frequency from the discrete time signal outputted from the sample and hold circuit (13) by a moving average operation; and a smoothing filter (17) which smoothes the output signal from the moving average calculation unit (15) and feed it back to the input of the amplification stage (12).
US07872520B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device which substantially reduces drop in a supply voltage generated by a regulator and ensures stable supply of a supply voltage with high efficiency and high accuracy. In the device, a memory power supply includes a plurality of transistors and an error amplifier. In the transistors, source pads and drain pads are alternately arranged in a row along one edge of a semiconductor chip in a peripheral area of the chip. Transistor gates are formed in parallel with the alternately arranged source pads and drain pads (so that the longitudinal direction of the gates is parallel to the direction of the arrangement of the source pads and drain pads). Consequently, the length of wirings coupled to drains and sources is shortened and the sheet resistance is decreased.
US07872505B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes an arithmetic circuit that executes a program based on an operating clock signal input through a clock transfer node, an internal oscillator that generates an internal clock signal to be used internally, a watch dog timer that counts the internal clock signal, detect that a count value reaches a predetermined value of an execution time of the program in the arithmetic circuit and output a notification signal, and a clock monitor circuit that detects presence or absence of the operating clock signal in response to the notification signal.
US07872500B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device including: a first circuit portion including: a first circuit that is connected between a first high-side power line and a low-side power line and that outputs a second signal based on a first signal input thereto; and a second circuit portion including: a first transistor that is connected between a second high-side power line and a node and that has a normally-on characteristic; a second circuit that is connected between the node and the low-side power line and that outputs a third signal based on the second signal input thereto.
US07872498B2
In some embodiments, a chip includes transmitters to transmit differential signals on conductors; and current mode circuitry to selectively modulate a common mode voltage of the differential signals to communicate data. In other embodiments, a system includes a first chip to transmit first and second differential signals on conductors, and a second chip. The second chip includes receivers to receive the first and second differential signals from the conductors and provide received signals representative thereof, and current mode circuitry to selectively modulate a common mode voltage of either the first or second differential signals to communicate data and wherein the first chip includes common mode detection circuitry to detect changes in the common mode voltage. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07872497B2
A fast, flexible carry scheme for use in clustered field programmable gate array architectures is described. Each cluster has a cluster carry input node, a cluster carry output node, a cluster carry output circuit having an output coupled to the cluster carry output node, a first input coupled to the cluster carry input node, and a second input and a plurality of logic modules each comprising a logic function generator circuit coupled to a carry circuit. The logic modules are coupled in a series carry arrangement between the cluster carry input node and the second input of the cluster carry output circuit such that the least significant bit of an arithmetic logic circuit can be programmably placed in any of the logic modules.
US07872496B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes a logic circuit for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing several functions on the input data sets. Each configuration data set specifies a particular function that the logic circuit has to perform on the input data set. The IC also includes a connection circuit for supplying sets of the configuration data to the logic circuit at a particular rate for at least a particular time period. At least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data.
US07872489B2
A method of locating a defect of a failed semiconductor device which includes applying a test pattern to the failed semiconductor device and providing failed semiconductor device test responses as a pass signature, applying radiation to each of multiple locations of circuitry of a correlation semiconductor device with sufficient energy to induce a fault in the circuitry, applying the test pattern to the correlation semiconductor device while the radiation is applied to the location and comparing correlation semiconductor device test responses with the pass signature for each location, and determining a defect location of the failed semiconductor device in which correlation semiconductor device test responses at least nearly match the pass signature. The radiation may be a laser beam. The method may include determining an exact match or a near match based on a high correlation result. Asynchronous scanning may be used to provide timing information.
US07872484B2
A test apparatus includes a printed circuit board, a chip carrier socket, and a display circuit. The chip carrier socket includes a space to receive a chip including a plurality of pins, a plurality of contact terminals, and a grounded ground portion. The display circuit includes a power supply and a plurality of light-emitting elements. When the chip is received in the space, the ground portion contacts a middle portion of each pin. When a pin of the chip is normal, a distal end of the normal pin contacts a corresponding contact terminal to connect a corresponding light-emitting element to the ground portion, causing the light-emitting element to light up. When a pin of the chip is askew, a distal end of the askew pin cannot contact a corresponding contact terminal, the corresponding light-emitting element will not light up.
US07872483B2
An electronic device having a printed circuit board is provided. In one embodiment, the printed circuit board includes a plurality of external pads to be coupled with an external device and a plurality of bypass pads for testing an electric circuit. The external pads are exposed and at least one of the plurality of bypass pads are not exposed from an outer surface of the PCB. A system using the electronic device and a method of testing an electronic device are also provided.
US07872476B2
An NMR probe is offered which enables a 1H/19F compatibility mode having a sample coil, a hollow tubular body, and two rod electrodes disposed inside the tubular body substantially in a parallel relationship to each other. The tubular body is formed by a conductive wall at ground potential. An RF input-output portion corresponding to the resonant frequency of 1H nucleus is connected with the one end of the coil via a tuning and matching device. Another RF input-output port corresponding to the resonant frequency of 19F nucleus is connected with an end of the coil via another tuning and matching device.
US07872471B2
Provided is a method for testing a head element that enables proper evaluation of the head element based on a characteristic of the head element under high-temperature and high-stress conditions. The testing method can be performed on a thin-film magnetic head including a head element and a heating element capable of applying a heat and stress to the head element, or performed on a row bar or a substrate wafer on which a plurality of the head elements and a plurality of the heating elements are disposed. The testing method comprises the steps of: causing the heating element to generate heat to apply a heat and stress to the head element; and measuring a characteristic of the head element under the heat and stress to evaluate the head element.
US07872462B2
A bandgap reference circuit is provided. An input node receives a supply voltage. An output node provides a reference voltage. A first transistor is coupled between the input node and the output node and has a first control terminal. A resistor is coupled between the input node and the first control terminal. A second transistor is coupled to the first control terminal and has a second control terminal coupled to the output node. A third transistor is coupled between the second transistor and a ground terminal and has a third control terminal. A voltage dividing unit provides a first voltage and a second voltage according to the reference voltage. A differential amplifier provides a signal to the third control terminal according to a difference between the first and second voltages.
US07872459B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device (IC1) comprises a semiconductor chip (CHIP1), a first frame lead (FR1), and a second frame lead (FR2). The semiconductor chip (CHIP1) includes common-base transistors (P1, P2), pads (T11, T12) connected to the respective emitters of the common-base transistors (P1, P2), pads (T21, T22) connected to the respective collectors of the common-base transistors (P1, P2), and a means (DRV, ERR, E1) for generating a base signal. The pads (T11, T12) are connected through the respective bonding wires (W11, W12) to the first frame lead (FR1). The pads (T21, T22) are connected through the respective bonding wires (W21, W22) to the second frame lead (FR2). This structure can easily detect breaking of the bonding wires connected in parallel.
US07872456B2
One embodiment of the invention includes a power regulator system. The system includes a switching system configured to generate an output voltage across a load based on a high-side switch coupling a power voltage to an output at an edge-trigger of a PWM control signal having an activation pulse-width of the high-side switch. The system also includes a switch driver system configured to set a duty-cycle of the PWM control signal such that the activation pulse-width of the PWM control signal is based on the power regulator system operating in one of a continuous conduction mode (CCM) and a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). The edge-trigger of the PWM control signal can occur based on a relative magnitude of the output voltage and the power voltage while operating in the DCM.
US07872452B2
A battery pack capacity adjusting device for adjusting a capacity of a battery pack having a plurality of secondary cells includes a control circuit board and a control section. The control circuit board is installable in the battery pack, and includes a capacity adjusting section to be electrically connected to the secondary cells to adjust a capacity of each of the secondary cells. The control section is configured to determine a number of the secondary cells whose capacities are adjustable together based on a relationship between a heat radiation amount of the control circuit board and a heat emission amount of the capacity adjusting section, and to control the capacity adjusting section to adjust the capacities of the number of the secondary cells that were determined to be adjustable together.
US07872451B2
An on-vehicle charging apparatus charges a battery mounted on the vehicle. In the apparatus, a generator generates electric power to output voltage for charging the battery and a controller, which is located outside the generator, outputs a pulse signal for controlling a generated state of the generator. A reception device receives the pulse signal outputted from the controller. The received signal is subjected to filtering at a filter, where pulse signals whose cycles are different from a predetermined cycle are removed. Further, using the outputted pulse signal from the filter, a duty ratio of the pulse signal is calculated. A voltage outputted from the generator is regulated based on the calculated duty ratio.
US07872435B2
A motor control apparatus provided with an inverter for successively commutating the current to a motor using a PWM signal; a PWM signal generating device for generating the PWM signal using a carrier signal; a rotational state quantity sensor for detecting a rotational state quantity; a phase difference detecting device for detecting the phase difference between the carrier signal and the rotational period based on the rotational state quantity; a frequency setting device for setting a frequency of the carrier signal to a value in accordance with a multiplier for one period in terms of electrical angle of the rotational period of the motor, when the rotational frequency is equal to or greater than a specified frequency and the phase difference is equal to or less than a specified value; and a synchronizing device for synchronizing a control period of the carrier signal to the rotational period.
US07872434B2
An electronically commutated electric motor (110) has a permanent-magnet rotor (28), a stator having a stator winding arrangement (40), a motor control module (20) implemented as an IC and having a control logic unit (27), and an external power stage (50), separate from the IC, for influencing the current flow in the stator winding arrangement (40). The motor control module (20) has an internal power stage (29) having at least one open collector output (21, 23). The control logic unit (27) is configured to process a rotor position signal (24′, 24″) and to generate therefrom control signals (27′) for the internal power stage (29), which control signals (27′) serve to apply control to the internal power stage (29). Using an external power stage (50) reduces vulnerability to motor overheating and provides design flexibility.
US07872419B2
A plasma display panel (PDP) capable of reducing the defect rate of a dielectric layer is provided. The PDP includes a first substrate, a second substrate spaced from the first substrate by a predetermined distance, a barrier rib structure disposed between the first and second substrates and defining discharge cells in cooperation with the first and second substrates, sustain electrodes arranged between the first and second substrates, a first dielectric layer covering the sustain electrodes, a phosphor layer arranged within the discharge cells, a frit disposed on edges of the first and second substrates between the first and second substrates, and a discharge gas arranged within the discharge cells, wherein at least portions of corners of the first dielectric layer are curved toward the center of the first dielectric layer so as not to contact the frit.
US07872417B2
A diode chip is sealed by a glass material.There are provided a light emitting diode chip and a glass member in close contact with at least one portion of the surface of the light emitting diode chip. The glass member has a surface shape containing a curved surface at least a portion thereof. The curved surface is preferably a portion of a spherical surface or a spheroidal surface. The glass member has a surface shape containing a spherical portion and a flat portion, and the diode chip is preferably disposed on the flat portion.
US07872409B2
A white light LED is disclosed. The white light LED includes a dual-wavelength chip and an optical thin film. The dual-wavelength chip generates a first wavelength light and a second wavelength light. The optical thin film is disposed above the dual-wavelength chip. The optical thin film can partially be a quantum well thin film. Therefore, the quantum well thin film can be excited by the first wavelength light and/or second wavelength light to generate a third wavelength light. The optical thin film further comprises a plurality of windows to let the first and second wavelength lights pass through. By predetermining a ratio of the quantum well thin film area and the window area that belong to the optical thin film, a lumen ratio of the first, the second, and the third wavelength lights can be adjusted to realize white lights of different color temperatures.
US07872405B2
Spark plug devices are formed of a conductive loaded resin-based material. The conductive loaded resin-based material comprises micron conductive powder(s), conductive fiber(s), or a combination of conductive powder and conductive fibers in a base resin host. The percentage by weight of the conductive powder(s), conductive fiber(s), or a combination thereof is between about 20% and 50% of the weight of the conductive loaded resin-based material. The micron conductive powders are metals or conductive non-metals or metal plated non-metals. The micron conductive fibers may be metal fiber or metal plated fiber. Further, the metal plated fiber may be formed by plating metal onto a metal fiber or by plating metal onto a non-metal fiber. Any platable fiber may be used as the core for a non-metal fiber. Superconductor metals may also be used as micron conductive fibers and/or as metal plating onto fibers in the present invention.
US07872397B2
An energy conversion apparatus having a pair of flexible beams that are supported at first ends thereof from a base. The beams each include at least one piezoelectric material layer. Second ends of each of the beams are operatively coupled to rigid links. The rigid links are in turn operatively coupled to a working element that may form, in one application, a drive member for a motor, or in a second application form a valve element for an electronic fuel injection system, or in a third application form a piston for a fluid pump. The working element is free to move linearly in a path generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of the flexible beams. As electrical signals are applied to and removed from the piezoelectric material layer(s) of each flexible beam, the beams flex repeatedly and uniformly over their full lengths. This causes a linear movement of the working element that can be used to help form a rotational motor output or a linearly moving fluid control element.
US07872388B2
The present invention relates to an electrical machine including a rotor shaft, a hollow-cylindrical magnet element, a first covering disk, and a second covering disk, in which the first and second covering disks are secured to the rotor shaft, and the magnet element is secured on its first axial end to the first covering disk and on its second axial end to the second covering disk.
US07872381B2
A counter-rotating axial-flow fan is provided that is capable of increasing effect of cooling a stator. One or more through-holes 83 penetrating support frame bodies (21, 75) in the axial direction are formed in support frame bodies 21 and 75. One or more vent holes 57a for introducing air, sucked from a suction port 19, into a cup-like member 51 are formed in a bottom wall portion 57 of a cup-like member 51 of a first impeller 9. One or more vent holes 111a for discharging air, introduced into an internal space of a second motor 61, to the outside are formed in a bottom wall portion 111 of a cup-like member 105 of a second impeller 63.
US07872363B2
A system for harvesting energy from wave oscillation includes an energy harvesting vessel and, possibly, a transport vessel. The energy harvesting vessel can have multiple hulls disposed in parallel with wave channels there between for receiving incoming waves. Multiple bobber devices can be disposed in series within each wave channel to absorb energy from incoming waves. Reciprocating movement of buoyant float heads of the bobber devices can be converted to electrical energy by a hydraulic engine and a generator. The electrical energy can power an electrolyzer to separate supplied water into hydrogen and oxygen. Once harvested, the hydrogen and oxygen can be transferred between storage tanks on the energy harvesting vessel and the transport vessel for transport and usage. A horizontal movement sea anchor can resist undesired horizontal movement, and a vertical movement sea anchor can resist undesired vertical movement.
US07872359B2
An electronic component contained substrate in which an electronic component is mounted between a pair of wiring substrates, wherein the wiring substrates are connected electrically via solder balls, an opening portion opened larger than a planar shape of the electronic component is formed in the other wiring substrate, which faces to one wiring substrate on which the electronic component is mounted, in a position that opposes the electronic component, and a space between a pair of wiring substrates is sealed with a sealing resin.
US07872357B2
The formation of bonding pad protective layer over exposed bonding pad materials between stacked integrated circuit (IC) dies or wafers is described in preferred embodiments in which the bonding pad protective layer is formed in the integrated process of forming wafer bonding pads. The bonding pad protective layer prevents the exposed bonding pad materials from oxidation and corrosion in open-air or other harsh environments. By providing a bonding pad protective layer on exposed bonding pad materials, significant product reliability improvement is expected on ICs having a three-dimensional “stacked-die” configuration.
US07872354B2
High voltage-resistant semiconductor devices adapted to control threshold voltage by utilizing threshold voltage variation caused by plasma damage resulting from the formation of multilayer wiring, and a manufacturing method thereof. Exemplary high voltage-resistant semiconductor devices include a plurality of MOS transistors having gate insulating films not less than about 350 Å in thickness on a silicon substrate, and the MOS transistors have different area ratios between gate electrode-gate insulating film contact areas and total opening areas of contacts formed on the gate electrodes.
US07872350B2
A multi-chip module includes at least one integrated circuit chip that is electrically connected to first external terminals of the multi-chip module and at least one power semiconductor chip that is electrically connected to second external terminals of the multi-chip module. All first external terminals of the multi-chip module are arranged in a contiguous region of an terminal area of the multi-chip module.
US07872348B2
A semiconductor device formed by using semiconductor packages is provided. The semiconductor device includes two semiconductor packages adjacently arranged in opposite directions on an inductive conductor. Terminals of the two semiconductor packages are joined by a third lead. the third lead is arranged substantially in parallel to the inductive conductor. Leads at the joint portions have, for example, a bent structure, and the third lead is arranged to be close to the inductive conductor.
US07872345B2
An integrated circuit package system includes: providing a protective layer having an opening; forming a conductive layer over the protective layer and filling the opening; patterning a rigid locking lead, having both a lead locking portion and a lead exposed portion, from the conductive layer; connecting an integrated circuit and the rigid locking lead; and forming an encapsulation over the integrated circuit with the lead locking portion in the encapsulation and the lead exposed portion exposed from the encapsulation.
US07872344B2
A compliant semiconductor chip package assembly includes a a semiconductor chip having a plurality of chip contacts, and a compliant layer having a top surface, a bottom surface and sloping peripheral edges, whereby the bottom surface of the compliant layer overlies a surface of the semiconductor chip. The assembly also includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces connected to the chip contacts of the semiconductor chip, the traces extending along the sloping edges to the top surface of the compliant layer. The assembly may include conductive terminals overlying the semiconductor chip, with the compliant layer supporting the conductive terminals over the semiconductor chip. The conductive traces have first ends electrically connected with the contacts of the semiconductor chip and second ends electrically connected with the conductive terminals. The conductive terminals are movable relative to the semiconductor chip.
US07872340B2
A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit package system includes: providing a base package including a first integrated circuit coupled to a base substrate by an electrical interconnect formed on one side; and mounting an offset package over the base package, the offset package electrically coupled to the base substrate via a system interconnect.
US07872334B2
Diodes and method of fabricating diodes. A diode includes: an p-type single wall carbon nanotube; an n-type single wall carbon nanotube, the p-type single wall carbon nanotube in physical and electrical contact with the n-type single wall carbon nanotube; and a first metal pad in physical and electrical contact with the p-type single wall carbon nanotube and a second metal pad in physical and electrical contact with the n-type single wall carbon nanotube.
US07872332B2
Interconnect structures for stacked dies, including penetrating structures for through-silicon vias, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a first semiconductor substrate having a first substrate material, and a penetrating structure carried by the first semiconductor substrate. The system further includes a second semiconductor substrate having a second substrate material with a preformed recess. The penetrating structure of the first semiconductor substrate is received in the recess of the second semiconductor substrate and is mechanically engaged with the recess and secured to the second semiconductor substrate.
US07872330B2
A bipolar transistor includes a base layer design and a method for fabricating such a bipolar transistor that employ a built-in accelerating field focused on a base region adjacent to a collector, where minority carrier transport is otherwise retarded. The accelerating field of the base layer includes on average, a relatively low p-doping level in a first region proximate to the collector and a relatively high p-doping level in a second region proximate to an emitter. Alternatively, the accelerating field can be derived from band gap grading, wherein the grade of band gap in the first region is greater than the grade of band gap in the second region, and the average band gap of the first region is lower than that of the second region.
US07872319B2
A deflectable structure includes a layer having a first area and a second area, a trench structure in the layer which penetrates the layer and separates the first area from the second area, a first junction between the first area and the second area, and a second junction between the first area and the second area, the first area being permanently moveable from a first, permanent position with regard to the second area to a second position, deflected as compared to the first position, with regard to the second area by applying a force.
US07872312B2
A semiconductor device includes a first gate electrode formed in a first region on a semiconductor substrate with a first gate insulating film sandwiched therebetween; and a second gate electrode formed in a second region on the semiconductor substrate with a second gate insulating film sandwiched therebetween. The first gate insulating film includes a first high dielectric constant insulating film with a first nitrogen concentration and the second gate insulating film includes a second high dielectric constant insulating film with a second nitrogen concentration higher than the first nitrogen concentration.
US07872309B2
A recessed-gate thin-film transistor (RG-TFT) with a self-aligned lightly doped drain (LDD) is provided, along with a corresponding fabrication method. The method deposits an insulator overlying a substrate and etches a trench in the insulator. The trench has a bottom and sidewalls. An active silicon (Si) layer is formed overlying the insulator and trench, with a gate oxide layer over the active Si layer. A recessed gate electrode is then formed in the trench. The TFT is doped and LDD regions are formed in the active Si layer overlying the trench sidewalls. The LDD regions have a length that extends from a top of the trench sidewall, to the trench bottom, with a doping density that decreases in response to the LDD length. Alternately stated, the LDD length is directly related to the depth of the trench.
US07872305B2
A shielded gate field effect transistor (FET) comprises a plurality of trenches extending into a semiconductor region. A shield electrode is disposed in a bottom portion of each trench, and a gate electrode is disposed over the shield electrode in each trench. An inter-electrode dielectric (IED) extends between the shield electrode and the gate electrode. The IED comprises a first oxide layer and a nitride layer over the first oxide layer.
US07872301B2
A semiconductor device is provided with first and second silicon pillars formed substantially perpendicularly to a main surface of a substrate, a gate electrode covering side surfaces of the first and second silicon pillars via a gate insulation film, first and second diffusion layers provided on a lower part and an upper part of the first silicon pillar, respectively, a cap insulation film covering an upper part of the second silicon pillar, a gate contact connected to the gate electrode, and a protection insulation film in contact with the upper surfaces of the first and second silicon pillars. The gate contact is connected to an upper region of the gate electrode provided at the periphery of the cap insulation film. An opening is formed on the protection insulation film provided at the side of the first silicon pillar.
US07872297B2
The present invention relates to a flash memory device and its fabrication method. The device comprises a structure for improving a scaling-down characteristic/performance and increasing memory capacity of the MOS-based flash memory device. A new device structure according to the present invention is based on a recessed channel capable of implementing highly-integrated/high-performance and 2-bit/cell. The proposed device suppresses the short channel effect, reduces the cell area, and enables 2-bit/cell by forming the charge storage node as a spacer inside the recessed channel. Moreover, if selectively removing the dielectric films around the recessed silicon surface, the sides as well as the surface of the recessed channel is exposed. A spacer can be used as a storage node, thereby improving the channel controllability of the control electrode and the on-off characteristic of a device. The proposed structure also resolves the threshold voltage problem and improves the write/erase speeds.
US07872296B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor substrate having a projection, an upper end portion of the projection being curved, a first element isolation insulating film formed on the substrate surface at the root of the projection, having an upper surface lower than an upper surface of the projection, a second element isolation insulating film formed in the projection, a gate insulating film formed on the projection, and including a charge storage layer, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. A height of a first portion where the gate electrode is in contact with the gate insulating film above the upper surface of the first element isolation insulating film is smaller than that of a second portion where the gate electrode is in contact with the gate insulating film above an upper end of the second element isolation insulating film.
US07872294B2
A dielectric film is formed by depositing an amorphous strontium oxide film to a thickness of one to several atomic layers on a first electrode layer, then depositing an amorphous titanium oxide film to a thickness of one to several atomic layers on the amorphous strontium oxide film, and then heat-treating a laminated film of the amorphous strontium oxide film and the amorphous titanium oxide film at a temperature close to a crystallization start temperature, thereby converting the laminated film to a single-layer amorphous strontium titanate film containing a plurality of crystal grains therein. The laminated film may have a plurality of amorphous strontium oxide films and a plurality of amorphous titanium oxide films that are alternately laminated. A semiconductor device includes a capacitor having as its dielectric film a single-layer amorphous strontium titanate film containing a plurality of crystal grains therein.
US07872291B2
A method of enhanced atomic layer deposition is described. In an embodiment, the enhancement is the use of plasma. Plasma begins prior to flowing a second precursor into the chamber. The second precursor reacts with a prior precursor to deposit a layer on the substrate. In an embodiment, the layer includes at least one element from each of the first and second precursors. In an embodiment, the layer is TaN. In an embodiment, the precursors are TaF5 and NH3. In an embodiment, the plasma begins during the purge gas flow between the pulse of first precursor and the pulse of second precursor. In an embodiment, the enhancement is thermal energy. In an embodiment, the thermal energy is greater than generally accepted for ALD (>300 degrees Celsius). The enhancement assists the reaction of the precursors to deposit a layer on a substrate.
US07872288B2
An organic light-emitting display device includes a substrate, a first buffer layer and a second buffer layer on the substrate, a thin film transistor on the second buffer layer, an organic light-emitting diode electrically connected with the thin film transistor, and a photo sensor with an intrinsic region on the second buffer layer, wherein the photo sensor is capable of absorbing red light from the organic light-emitting diode and of exhibiting quantum efficiency of from about 50% to about 90%.
US07872286B2
An image pickup device, wherein a part of the carriers overflowing from the photoelectric conversion unit for a period of photoelectrically generating and accumulating the carriers may be flowed into the floating diffusion region, and a pixel signal generating unit generating a pixel signal according to the carriers stored in the photoelectric conversion unit and the carriers having overflowed into the floating diffusion region, is provided. The expansion of a dynamic range and the improvement of an image quality can be provided by controlling a ratio of the carriers flowing into the floating diffusion region to the carriers overflowing from such a photoelectric conversion unit at high accuracy.
US07872276B2
A method of manufacturing a vertical GaN-based LED comprises forming a light emission structure in which an n-type GaN-based semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer are sequentially laminated on a substrate; etching the light emission structure such that the light emission structure is divided into units of LED; forming a p-electrode on each of the divided light emission structures; filling a non-conductive material between the divided light emission structures; forming a metal seed layer on the resulting structure; forming a first plated layer on the metal seed layer excluding a region between the light emission structures; forming a second plated layer on the metal seed layer between the first plated layers; separating the substrate from the light emission structures; removing the non-conductive material between the light emission structures exposed by separating the substrate; forming an n-electrode on the n-type GaN-based semiconductor layer; and removing portions of the metal seed layer and the second plated layer between the light emission structures.
US07872272B2
A structure and method for improving UV LED efficiency is described. The structure utilizes a tunnel junction to separate a P-doped layer of the LED from a n-doped contact layer. The n-doped contact layer allows the use of a highly reflective, low work function metal, such as aluminum, for the p-side contact. The reflectivity at the contact can be further improved by including a phase matching layer in some areas between the contact metal (The metal above the phase matching layer does not necessarily need to have a low work function because it does need to form an ohmic contact with the n-contact layer) and the n-doped contact layer.
US07872267B2
A light emitting diode comprises a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, a light emitting epitaxy structure placed on the first surface of the substrate, and a compound reflection layer placed on the second surface of the substrate. The second surface of the substrate further has a protection structure.
US07872262B2
A method of manufacturing a pixel structure is provided. A first patterned conductive layer including a gate and a data line is formed on a substrate. A gate insulating layer is formed to cover the first patterned conductive layer and a semiconductor channel layer is formed on the gate insulating layer above the gate. A second patterned conductive layer including a scan line, a common line, a source and a drain is formed on the gate insulating layer and the semiconductor channel layer. The scan line is connected to the gate and the common line is located above the data line. The source and drain are located on the semiconductor channel layer, and the source is connected to the data line. A passivation layer is formed on the substrate to cover the second patterned conductive layer. A pixel electrode connected to the drain is formed on the passivation layer.
US07872261B2
An embodiment of the present invention is an transparent thin film transistor which has an substantially transparent substrate, a gate line made of a thin film of a substantially transparent conductive material, a substantially transparent gate insulating film, a substantially transparent semiconductor active layer, a source line made of a thin film of a metal material and a drain electrode made of a thin film of a substantially transparent conductive material. In addition, the source line and the drain electrode are formed apart from each other and sandwich the substantially transparent semiconductor active layer. Moreover, at least any one of the thin film of the gate line and the thin film of the source line is stacked with a thin film of a metal material.
US07872259B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a new light-emitting device with the use of an amorphous oxide. The light-emitting device has a light-emitting layer existing between first and second electrodes and a field effect transistor, of which the active layer is an amorphous.
US07872258B2
A thin-film transistor uses a semiconducting layer comprising a semiconducting material of (A): where X, Ar, Ar′, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, a, b, m, and n are as defined herein. The transistor has improved performance.
US07872257B2
An n-type TFT and a p-type TFT are realized by selectively changing only a cover coat without changing a TFT material using an equation for applying the magnitude of a difference in the Fermi energy between an interface of semiconductor and an electrode and between an interface of semiconductor and insulator. At this time, in order to configure a predetermined circuit, the process is performed, as a source electrode and a drain electrode of the p-type TFT and a source electrode and a drain electrode of the n-type TFT being connected all, respectively, and an unnecessary interconnection is cut by irradiating light using a scanning laser exposure apparatus or the like.
US07872256B2
An organic light emitting display that includes a substrate, a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a corresponding plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels including red pixels, blue pixels and green pixels, a hole injection layer arranged on the first electrodes arranged on the substrate, the hole injection layer having different respective thicknesses in correspondence with the pixels, a hole transport layer entirely covering the hole injection layer, a white light emitting layer entirely covering the hole transport layer, an electron transport layer arranged on the white light emitting layer, a second electrode arranged on the electron transport layer and a color filter arranged on the second electrode.
US07872251B2
Formulations for voltage switchable dielectric materials include two or more different types of semiconductive materials uniformly dispersed within a dielectric matrix material. The semiconductive materials are selected to have different bandgap energies in order to provide the voltage switchable dielectric material with a stepped voltage response. The semiconductive materials can comprise inorganic particles, organic particles, or an organic material that is soluble in, or miscible with, the dielectric matrix material. Formulations optionally can also include electrically conductive materials. At least one of the conductive or semiconductive materials in a formulation can comprise particles characterized by an aspect ratio of at least 3 or greater.
US07872247B2
A guide tube for an ion beam in an ion implanter which is located adjacent a semiconductor wafer being implanted has an outwardly tapering central bore, thereby alleviating problems of beam strike as the ion beam passes through the guide tube.
US07872242B2
The present invention provides a method for extracting a charged particle beam from a charged particle source. A set of electrodes is provided at the output of the source. The potentials applied to the electrodes produce a low-emittance growth beam with substantially zero electric field at the output of the electrodes.
US07872239B2
A lens assembly having an electrostatic lens component for a charged particle beam system is provided. The assembly includes: a first electrode having a conically shaped portion, a second electrode having a conically shaped portion, and a first insulator having a conically shaped portion, wherein the first insulator comprises two extending portions towards each of its ends, and wherein the two extending portions are formed to generate a gap between the insulator and each of the adjacent electrodes.
US07872237B2
Embodiments of the invention are concerned with semiconductor circuit substrates for use in a radiation detection device, said radiation detection device comprising a detector substrate having a plurality of detector cells arranged to generate charge in response to incident radiation, each of said detector cells including at least one detector cell contact for coupling charge from said detector cell to said semiconductor circuit substrate. More particularly, in embodiments of the invention the semiconductor circuit substrate comprises: a plurality of cell circuit contacts, each of which is configured to receive charge from a corresponding detector cell contact, cell circuitry associated with said plurality of cell circuit contacts; one or more conductive pathways arranged to carry at least one of control, readout and power supply signals to and/or from said cell circuitry; and one or more signal pathways extending through said semiconductor circuit substrate, said one or more signal pathways being electrically coupled to said conductive pathways so as to provide an external signal interface for said cell circuitry. Embodiments in accordance with the present invention thus provide a means of routing signals through the semiconductor circuit substrate to an electrical contact on a surface of the semiconductor circuit substrate. The electrical contact on the surface of the circuit substrate can then be directly coupled to a corresponding electrical contact on a mount.
US07872231B2
In a chamber of a charged particle beam apparatus, the sample on the sample substrate is gripped and carried to the sample holder, and there is controlled the attitude of the sample when the sample is fixed on the sample holder. There possesses a marking process applying, in the chamber, a marking to a surface of the sample Wb existing on the sample substrate by a beam, a carriage process gripping the sample by a sample gripping means and carrying it from the sample substrate to the sample holder, and an attitude control process controlling, when fixing the sample to the sample holder, the attitude of the sample while observing the marking applied to the surface of the sample.
US07872228B1
In an apparatus for performing a mass spectrometric analysis of a sample, a plurality of electrodes are positioned and driven by RF potentials to form a plurality of adjacent pseudopotential wells. Ions may be manipulated, reacted, analyzed, and ejected from the apparatus in a manner similar to conventional ion traps. In addition, selected ions or groups of ions may be passed from one pseudopotential well to another pseudopotential well without ion losses due to physical obstructions. The apparatus may be used alone or in conjunction with other mass analyzers to produce mass spectra from analyte ions.
US07872222B1
A nuclear density gauge includes a base and at least one gamma radiation detector mounted at a predetermined location relative to an axis extending longitudinally of the base. The gauge further includes a gamma radiation source and a source mount that mounts the gamma radiation source for movement along a path between an active first position located at a first longitudinal distance from the detector and an active second position located at a second longitudinal distance from the detector. In this way, gamma radiation is detected emanating from the source and backscattered from the underlying material sample through a first path of travel when the source mount is at the first active position and through a second path of travel when the source mount is at the second active position. The source mount may also move the source from the active first and second positions to an inactive third position shielded by gamma radiation shielding material.
US07872219B2
An illumination apparatus includes a light source (1), a first integrator (11) into which light from the light source (1) enters, and a second integrator (33) into which light exiting from the first integrator (11) enters. Accordingly, the aperture shape of the first integrator (11) can be optimally designed, so that the light utilization efficiency can be increased. Furthermore, even when the length of the first integrator (11) is reduced, a deficiency in the light uniformity due to the first integrator (11) is compensated for by the second integrator (33), so that high uniformity can be secured at the surface to be illuminated.
US07872218B2
Each pixel is provided with a photoelectric converting device S1(1-1) or the like, a source-follower-type first transistor T1(1-1) or the like, a second transistor Te(1-1) to be turned on when reading an electrical signal from a pixel selected by a shift register SR1 for each line and outputting the signal to a readout circuit unit and a third transistor T3(1-1) to be turned on when resetting a photoelectric converting device set to a pixel selected by a shift register SR1 for each line. Moreover, a bias power source for supplying a photoelectric conversion bias to a photoelectric converting device and a reset power source for supplying a reset bias to a photoelectric converting device are set in the readout circuit unit. By using the radiation image pickup apparatus and its control method, it is possible to improve the S/N ratio while restraining noises and preferably, it is possible to perform stable and high-speed dynamic-image photographing and restrain dark current.
US07872217B2
When it is estimated that first average brightness of image information of a projection image is under second average brightness of image information of a source image having a single spatial frequency on which a normal compensation is performed, an area having brightness above the second average brightness in the image information of the projection image is increased, and when it is estimated that the first average brightness is above the second average brightness, an area having brightness under the second average brightness in the image information of the projection image is increased.
US07872216B2
A projector includes a first image formation unit including a first color separation system, first to third light modulation elements, and a first color combining system; a second image formation unit including a second color separation system, fourth to sixth light modulation elements, and a second color combining system; a polarization combining system that combines an image light beam outputted from the first image formation unit and an image light beam outputted from the second image formation unit; and a projection system that projects the image light beam that has been combined in the polarization combining system.
US07872211B2
Two general effects of laser radiation interaction with balloon surface material or with gases surrounding or filling balloons are used for the play: the destruction and the shift of the inflated balloons. The kind of the laser-material interaction is selected depending on the game structure so that the desirable effect is produced by the minimal laser energy. The energy minimization is provided by the selection of the surface properties, the laser radiation parameters, the characteristics of the gases surrounding and inflating balloons, and the creation of the gas pressure inside the balloons. The desirable effects are generated by absorption of the used laser radiation or by laser-induced breakdown.
US07872210B2
A method for the connection of two wafers (11, 12), in which a contact area (15) is formed between the wafers (11, 12) by placing the two wafers one on top of the other, and in which the contact area (15) is heated locally and for a limited time. A wafer arrangement is also described in which two wafers (11, 12) which have been placed one on top of the other and between whose opposite surfaces a contact area (15) is located. The wafers are connected to one another at selected areas (21) of their contact area.
US07872209B2
The thermal processing device includes a stage, a continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source, a series of lenses, a translation mechanism, a detection module, a three-dimensional auto-focus, and a computer system. The stage is configured to receive a substrate thereon. The continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source is disposed adjacent the stage, and is configured to emit continuous wave electromagnetic radiation along a path towards the substrate. The series of lenses is disposed between the continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source and the stage, and are configured to condense the continuous wave electromagnetic radiation into a line of continuous wave electromagnetic radiation on a surface of the substrate. The translation mechanism is configured to translate the stage and the line of continuous wave electromagnetic radiation relative to one another. The detection module is positioned within the path, and is configured to detect continuous wave electromagnetic radiation.
US07872194B2
The present invention provides a photovoltaic device having excellent environmental durability and good adhesion with a collector electrode made of metal paste. The photovoltaic device comprises an ITO film on a p-type amorphous silicon hydride film on a light incident side of the photovoltaic device and a collector electrode made of silver paste on the ITO film. A silicon oxide insulation film made of SiOx is provided on at least regions on the ITO film where the collector electrode is not formed. The thickness of the silicon oxide insulation film is about 1 to 10 times thicker than an arithmetic mean deviation (Ra) of the underlying ITO film. The silicon oxide insulation film is a film having a Si-2p peak with a full width at half maximum of 2.45 or less, which is evaluated by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
US07872193B2
A method is provided for producing a solar panel, which is made by building up a solar cell layer on a glass base as a covering glass, having a good performance in sealing the solar panel. A solar panel produce by the method is also provided. The production method of the present invention comprises a step of building up a solar cell layer which consists of a plurality of films on a glass substrate which is used as a covering glass, a step of removing a part of the solar cell layer which is built up on the glass substrate, a step of sealing the solar cell layer by using a face, which is exposed by the removing of the part of the solar cell layer, for adhering a sealing material.
US07872188B2
Determining a plurality of heart rate sections for an individual, and selecting a plurality of songs, wherein each of the plurality of songs has an average beats per minute approximately equal to an average beats per minute of one of the plurality of heart rate sections, and playing the plurality of songs in a sequence on a song playing device. The plurality of songs includes a middle song, which has an average beats per minute which is greater than the average beats per minute of all of the other songs of the plurality of songs. The plurality of songs includes one or more preceding songs which precede the middle song, and each of which has an average beats per minute which is less than the average beats per minute of the middle song. The plurality of songs includes one or more succeeding songs which succeed the middle song, and each of which has an average beats per minute which is less than the average beats per minute of the middle song.
US07872183B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV605722. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV605722, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV605722 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV605722 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV605722.
US07872180B1
A novel maize variety designated PHHEB and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PHHEB with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PHHEB through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PHHEB or a trait conversion of PHHEB with another maize variety. Inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHHEB, methods for producing other inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHHEB and the inbred maize varieties and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07872177B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH151527. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH151527, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH151527 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH151527.
US07872176B1
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated RJS54001. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety RJS54001, to the plants of soybean RJS54001 to plant parts of soybean variety RJS54001 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety RJS54001 with another soybean plant, using RJS54001 as either the male or the female parent.
US07872172B2
The present invention concerns a method for improving the yield of plants by introducing into a plant a nucleic acid encoding a cyclin D3 protein under the control of a promoter capable of preferentially expressing the nucleic acid in shoots. The invention also relates to transgenic plants comprising a nucleic acid encoding a cyclin D3 protein under the control of a promoter capable of preferentially expressing the nucleic acid in shoots, which plants have improved yield relative to corresponding wild type plants. The invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.
US07872167B2
An adhesive for medical patches or for transdermal therapeutic systems which contains a component or a combination of at least two components, such as (a) polyvinyl alcohols, (b) cellulose derivatives, (c) polyethers, (d) acid anhydrides and their acids and salts, as well as (e) non-pressure-sensitive adhesive polyacrylates. The adhesive has a tackiness which is activated and/or increased by contact with moisture or by absorption of moisture.
US07872163B1
3,4-Dichlorobutene-1 is produced by a process comprising the step of contacting 1,4-dichlorobutene-2 with either 1) a ferric carboxylate catalyst of the formula where R is an alkyl or alkenyl group of 4-18 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl group of 6-18 carbon atoms or an aryl group selected from phenyl, benzyl, xylyl, tolyl, and naphthyl groups, whereby a portion of the 1,4-dichlorobutene-2 is isomerized to form 3,4-dichlorobutene-1, or 2) a ferric carboxylate catalyst of the formula where R, R′ and R″ are independently alkyl or alkenyl groups of 4-18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl groups of 6-18 carbon atoms or aryl groups selected from phenyl, benzyl, xylyl, tolyl, and naphthyl groups, the sum of m, n and o is 3 and m, n and o are independently 0, 1 or 2, whereby a portion of the 1,4-dichlorobutene-2 is isomerized to form 3,4-dichlorobutene-1.
US07872158B2
Chemical production processes are provided that can include exposing a reactant composition to a catalyst composition to form a product composition. The reactant composition can include a multihydric alcohol compound and the product composition can include a carbonyl compound. The catalyst composition can include a metal effective to facilitate catalyst activation. Processes disclosed also include supplementing a dehydration catalyst with a promoter, and activating the supplemented catalyst in the presence of oxygen. Processes also include providing a supplemented dehydration catalyst to within a reactor, and exposing a multihydric alcohol compound to the dehydration catalyst, with the exposing forming coke within the reactor. Oxygen can be provided to the reactor to remove at least a portion of the coke.
US07872156B2
Novel fluorophosphite compounds having the structure of general formula (I): where Ar1 and Ar2 are aryl groups containing 4 to 30 carbon atoms; R1 to R6 are H or alkyl or aryl hydrocarbon radicals containing 1 to 40 carbon atoms; and X is a connecting group or a simple chemical bond, were developed and found to be very active for hydroformylation processes for ethylenically unsaturated substrates. Catalyst solutions prepared from these compounds with a Rh metal show an unusual “ligand acceleration effect” for simple alkenes, i.e., the hydroformylation activity increases as the concentration of ligand increases, and are capable of producing linear or branched aldehydes under typical hydroformylation conditions.
US07872137B2
A process for preparing the [R—[R*,R*-(E)]]-2,2′-(1,8-dioxo-4-octene-1,8-diyl) bis(oxy-3,1-propanediyl)bis(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-2-methyl-1-[(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl) methyl]isoquinolinium) dichloride, commonly known as mivacurium chloride, useful as short-duration neuromuscular blocking agent.
US07872134B2
2-{[2-(Substituted amino)ethyl]sulfonyl}ethyl N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)phosphorodiamidates and their salts, their preparation and intermediates in their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, and methods of treatment using them. The compounds are useful for treating cancer and autoimmune diseases, alone and in combination with other therapies.
US07872130B2
For the reproducible manufacturing of particularly uniform and brilliant i.e., highly bright copper coatings that are leveled and ductile as well, a copper plating bath is utilized that contains as an additive a mixture of oligomeric phenazinium compounds. The mixture contains at least one phenazinium compound selected from the group comprising compounds containing two monomeric units and compounds containing three monomeric units having the general chemical formulae and
US07872128B2
The present invention comprises a new class of compounds capable of modulating the c-kit protein kinase and, accordingly, useful for treatment of c-kit mediated diseases including, without limitation, autoimmune disease, allergies, mastcytosis, mast cell related tumors and various fibrotic diseases. The compounds have a general Formula I wherein R1-5, X, Y and Z are defined herein. The invention further comprises pharmaceutical compositions, methods for treatment of c-kit mediated diseases, and intermediates and processes useful for the preparation of compounds of the invention.
US07872124B2
Compounds, pharmaceuticals, kits and methods are provided for use with DPP-IV and other S9 proteases that comprise a member selected from the group consisting of: wherein E is CH or N, Q is selected from the group consisting of CO, CS, SO, SO2, or C═NR4, and L, X, Z, R2 and R3 are as defined herein.
US07872121B2
Nitrogen-protecting groups are removed from the exocyclic nucleobase portion of a 2′-O protected nucleotide or 2′-halo nucleotide by contacting the nucleotide with an inorganic base. Typical is the removal of t-butylphenoxyacetyl protecting groups from the nucleobase portion of a 2′-O protected nucleotide on which the 2′-O protecting group is t-butyldimethylsilyl, removal or deprotection being accomplished by contact with a potassium carbonate solution.
US07872112B2
The present invention relates to isolated and/or purified rat apoptosis-specific eucaryotic initiation Factor-5A (eIF-5A) and deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) nucleic acids and polypeptides. The present invention also relates to methods of modulating apoptosis using apoptosis-specific eIF-5A and DHS, and antisense oligonucleotides and expression vectors of apoptosis-specific eIF-5A and DHS useful in such methods.
US07872110B2
Deimmunized monoclonal antibodies for protection against HIV exposure and treatment of HIV infection
This invention is directed to deimmunized antibodies that are useful as immunotherapeutic drugs against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and CD4-mediated autoimmune disorders. More specifically, antibodies expressed by clones, Clone 7 containing the recombinant genes B4DIVHv1/VK1CHO#7, Clone 16 containing the recombinant genes B4DIVHv1/VK1#16, and clone 21 containing the recombinant genes B4DIVHv1/VK1#21, are derived from mouse monoclonal B4 antibody (mAb B4). The antibodies were produced by removing particular murine determinants recognized as foreign by the human immune system. These recombinant antibodies were generated by the chimerization and deimmunization of the Fv region of mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) B4. For improved safety, the coding sequence may further be mutated to express an aglycosylated IgG1 antibody that is unable to bind complement. The deimmunized antibodies retain the specificity of the murine mAb B4 for a receptor complex involving CD4 on the surface of the host T cells, and retain the characteristic ability of mAb B4 to neutralize primary isolates of HIV.
US07872108B2
Compositions and methods for the isolation and manipulation of misfolded, or partially misfolded, proteins present in blood and other biological materials are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the compositions, hereinafter termed “proteons” are comprised of misfolded proteins. Also provided are compositions and methods for the isolation and manipulation of proteon nucleation centers (PNCs) upon which the proteons of the present in blood and other biological materials form. In another aspect of the invention, the PNCs are comprised of metallic nanoclusters.
US07872103B2
The invention provides methods for modulating the immune system using anti-CD83 antibodies that can influence CD83 function.
US07872097B2
The present invention relates to a new cyclic peptide compound or a salt thereof, which has anti-hepatitis C virus activities based on inhibitory activity against the RNA replication of hepatitis C virus replicon, to a process for preparation thereof comprising a rearrangement reaction under a mild acidic condition and the following amino acid changing reactions etc., to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same, and to a method for prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment of hepatitis C in a human being or an animal.
US07872096B2
The invention provides methods and compositions for production of a cyclic polymer in a cell free system. In general, the methods of the invention involve ligating first and second recombinant intein domains to a linear synthetic polymer to form a compound containing the structure: D1-X(n)-D2, where D1 is a first catalytic domain of an intein; D2 is a second catalytic domain of an intein; where the second catalytic domain has at its N-terminus a first reactive site for the intein; and X(n) is a polymer of a number n of monomer X, where the polymer N-terminus has a second reactive site for the intein. D1-X(n)-D2 compounds autocatalytically cyclize the X(n) polymer to produce a cyclic polymer. The invention finds use in a variety of drug discovery, clinical and therapeutic applications.
US07872095B2
An insulin compound coupled to a modifying moiety having a formula: —X—R1—Y-PAG-Z—R (Formula VI) where, X, Y and Z are independently selected linking groups and each is optionally present, and X, when present, is coupled to the insulin compound by a covalent bond, either R1 or R2 is is a lower alkyl, optionally including a carbonyl group, and when R1 is a lower alkyl, R2 is a capping group, and PAG is a linear or branched carbon chain incorporating one or more alkalene glycol moieties, and optionally incorporating one or more additional moieties selected from the group consisting of —S—, —O—, —N—, and —C(O)—, and where the modifying moiety has a maximum number of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, or 25 heavy atoms.
US07872087B2
Golf ball compositions, and components formed therefrom, including trifunctional materials, such as trifunctional isocyanates, polyols, and amines, that have improved performance and durability characteristics, e.g., improved heat resistance, improved resiliency, and dimensional stability.
US07872086B2
Disclosed herein is a polymer composition, its manufacture and use, said composition may comprise greater than about 90 mole % propylene monomer, and having a unique combination of properties, including one or more of the following: a heat of fusion of more than about 108 J/g, a melting point of 165° C. or higher, a Melt Flow Rate so low that it is essentially not measurable and a molecular weight of greater than about 1.5×106. Further disclosed herein are blends or mixtures of the present novel polymer composition and products, such as, for example, microporous film structures and the like comprising same.
US07872079B2
The present invention is intended to provide a novel naphthoxazine composition having a smaller amount of volatile components (weight reduction) upon curing, and is to provide a naphthoxazine composition characterized in that a naphthoxazine compound having a phenolic hydroxyl group in the same molecule is further added with an epoxy resin, and a molded product obtained by molding the naphthoxazine composition.
US07872078B2
The present invention is directed to curable film-forming compositions comprising: (a) a polymeric binder comprising a polyester having hydroxyl functional groups; and (b) a curing agent comprising a polyisocyanate having at least three isocyanate functional groups. In certain embodiments, after application to a substrate as a coating and after curing, the compositions demonstrate a Fisher microhardness of at least 120 at ambient temperatures of 15 to 25° C. and a softening point greater than or equal to 35° C. Additionally, in certain embodiments, after application to a substrate as a coating and after curing, the compositions demonstrate a 20° gloss recovery of at least 75% when subjected to the DRY ABRASION TEST METHOD.
US07872076B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a particulate water-absorbent resin composition and its production process, wherein the particulate water-absorbent resin composition is an enhanced one in both of the “liquid permeability” and “liquid-sucking-up property” (which have hitherto been antithetical physical properties) of the water-absorbent resin. As a means of achieving this object, a first particulate water-absorbent resin composition according to the present invention is a particulate water-absorbent resin composition comprising a water-absorbent resin (A) of a crosslinked structure obtained by polymerizing an acid-group-containing unsaturated monomer, with the composition being characterized by: having a particle size such that particles in the range of 850 to 150 μm (but not including 850 μm) account for not less than 90 weight % of the entirety; and containing a tetra- or more functional polyol (B) at least on surfaces.
US07872074B2
The present invention provides polyolefin composition comprising a 50-80 wt % of propylene homopolymer or copolymer and a first and a second ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer, said composition having good stress whitening resistance and gloss, in combination with a good balance of mechanical properties.
US07872060B2
An inkjet ink composition includes a polyurethane material having a weight-average molecular weight ranging from about 50,000 to about 500,000. The polyurethane material is present in an effective amount ranging from about 0.2 wt. % to about 5 wt. %. The composition also includes a solvent present in an effective amount ranging from about 5 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, and an anionic surfactant present in an effective amount ranging from about 0.01 wt. % to about 3 wt. %. The inkjet ink composition is adapted to exhibit enhanced decap.
US07872058B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a photopolymerizable dental composition which causes less change in a color tone before and after curing and exhibits excellent photopolymerizability to irradiation in a wide wavelength range, and has also excellent thin-layer surface curability, and to provide a photopolymerization initiator used therefor.Disclosed is a visible light-polymerizable dental composition which does not substantially contain an amine compound as a photosensitizer, comprising 0.01 to 10 parts by weight of a (bis)acylphosphine oxide compound, 0.01 to 10 parts by weight of an α-diketone compound and 100 parts by weight of a polymerizable monomer.
US07872053B2
The present invention relates to new organodisilanes or carbodisilanes, a process for manufacturing the same and their use, in particular, as surface active agents, especially as spreading agents.
US07872045B2
A method is disclosed herein comprising administering a compound and a second drug to an eye of a mammal for the treatment of glaucoma or the reduction of intraocular pressure, said compound represented by the general formula I; wherein A, B, D, X, Y, Z, R1, R3 and R4 are as defined in the specification.
US07872042B2
The present invention provides methods for elevating IKBKAP gene expression and the level of functional IKAP protein in cells, which are beneficial to human individual, such as an individual suffering from Familial Dysautonomia, by providing one or more tocotrienols alone or in combination with one or more tocopherols to the cells. The present invention also provides methods for treating Familial Dysautonomia by providing tocotrienols alone or in combination with one or more tocopherols to a patient having Familial Dysautonomia. Related therapeutic kits are also provided.
US07872038B2
The invention relates to 1-(2,4,6-trisubstituted-phenyl)-5-amino-4-substituted-pyrazole derivatives of formula (I) or salts thereof wherein the various symbols are as defined in the description, to processes for their preparation, to compositions thereof, and to their use for the control of pests (including arthropods and helminths).
US07872037B2
Compounds, methods and pharmaceutical compositions for treating viral infections, by administering certain novel compounds in therapeutically effective amounts are disclosed. Methods for preparing the compounds and methods of using the compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof are also disclosed. In particular, the treatment and prophylaxis of viral infections such as caused by hemorrhagic fever viruses is disclosed, i.e., including but not limited to, Arenaviridae (Junin, Machupo, Guanarito, Sabia, Lassa, Tacaribe, Pichinde, and LCMV), Filoviridae (Ebola and Marburg viruses), Flaviviridae (yellow fever, Omsk hemorrhagic fever and Kyasanur Forest disease viruses), and Bunyaviridae (Rift Valley fever).
US07872036B2
To provide novel 3-triazolylphenyl sulfide derivatives having excellent soil treatment activity as insecticides, miticides or nematicides for agricultural and horticultural plants.3-Triazolylphenyl sulfide derivatives represented by the formula [1]: wherein R is a cyclopropylmethyl group or a trifluoroethyl group, B2 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or a methyl group, B4 is a halogen atom, a cyano group, a nitro group or a C1-C6 alkyl group, and each of A1 and A3 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C1-C6 alkyl group which may be substituted or an amino group which may be substituted.
US07872026B2
Novel ligand compounds having the structural formula (I): in which: Ar is a radical selected from among the radical of formulae (a) to (c) below: are formulated into pharmaceutical compositions suited for administration in human or veterinary medicine, or, alternatively, into cosmetic compositions.
US07872020B2
The present invention provides crystalline 2-(6-methyl-pyridin-2-yl)-3-[6-amido-quinolin-4-yl)-5,6-dihydro -4H-pyrrolo[1,2-b]pyrazole monohydrate.
US07872014B2
The present invention comprises compounds and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds that are inhibitors of ALK. The invention also comprises methods of using the compounds and compositions to treat diseases mediated by ALK, including diseases such as cancer, immunological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and other degenerative disorders.
US07872010B2
Provided herein are compositions of a class of substituted diazabicycloalkane derivative compounds, which are useful as modulators of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The compounds are useful in treating conditions and disorders prevented by, or ameliorated by, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
US07872007B2
It is disclosed a process for the preparation of 2-(4-hydroxy-3-morfolinyl)-2-cycloesenone (BTG-1675A) comprising the steps of: i) reacting N-hydroxymorpholine with cycloesanone in the presence of an oxidation agent thus obtaining an isoxazolidine of Formula IV; and ii) converting the isoxazolidine of Formula IV into 2-(4-hydroxy-3-morfolinyl)-2-cycloesenone. Advantageously, the oxidation agent of the step i) is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, esters and amides of the azodicarboxylic acid and the step ii) of conversion is carried out by basic catalysis followed by trituration in an aromatic hydrocarbon, preferably toluene. The process disclosed allows to obtain BTG-1675A according to the invention in an amount of hundreds of grams and on an industrial scale. The invention further concerns a new process for preparing hydroxylamines, particularly N-hydroxymorpholine, which is used in the process for preparing BTG-1675A.
US07872004B2
The present invention relates to a compound represented by the following formula [I] wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a solvate thereof, and a pharmaceutical composition, an anti-HIV agent and an HIV integrase inhibitor containing such compound. The compound of the present invention has an HIV integrase inhibitory activity, and is useful as an anti-HIV agent, or as an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of AIDS. In addition, by the combined use with other anti-HIV agents such as a protease inhibitor, a reverse transcriptase inhibitor and the like, it can be a more effective anti-HIV agent. Because it shows integrase-specific high inhibitory activity, the compound can be a pharmaceutical agent safe on human body, which causes only a fewer side effects.
US07872000B2
Bicyclic aryl substituted triazoles or heteroaryl substituted triazoles and pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds are disclosed as being useful in inhibiting the activity of the receptor protein tyrosine kinase Axl. Methods of using the compounds in treating diseases or conditions associated with Axl activity are also disclosed.
US07871998B2
Compounds of formula (I): (wherein variable groups are as defined within) pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, solvates of such salts and prodrugs thereof and their use as cholesterol absorption inhibitors for the treatment of hyperlipidaemia are described. Processes for their manufacture and pharmaceutical compositions containing them are also described.
US07871996B2
The present invention provides methods of inhibiting nitric oxide synthase (NOS) using corrin derivatives that bind NOS but do not bind NO. It also provides methods of inhibiting NOS in vivo by administering corrin derivatives, and methods of treating diseases and medical conditions using this inhibition of NOS.
US07871992B2
The present invention describes organophosphorus compounds of general formula (I) their preparation and their uses in the activation of gamma/delta T-cells, in the screening of GcpE and LytB enzyme inhibitors and in the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases in humans and animals.
US07871988B1
The invention discloses the nanoparticles composed of chitosan, poly-glutamic acid, and at least one protein drug or bioactive agent characterized with a positive surface charge and their enhanced permeability for paracellular protein drug and bioactive agent delivery.
US07871980B2
Human adult hepatocytes are transplanted into an immunodeficient hepatopathy mouse and then human growth hormone is administered to the mouse to thereby elevate twice or more the replacement ratio by the human adult hepatocytes having been transplanted. Further, human growth hormone is administered to an immunodeficient hepatopathy mouse carrying human young hepatocytes transplanted thereinto so as to improve fatty liver of the mouse in which about 70% or more of the hepatocytes have been replaced by the human hepatocytes.
US07871974B2
A process for making bleach granules comprising a bleach selected from the group of diacyl, tetraacyl peroxide and mixtures thereof, selected from diacyl peroxides of the general formula: R1—C(O)—OO—(O)C—R2 in which R1 represents a C6-C18 alkyl group and R2 represents an aliphatic group compatible with a peroxide moiety, such that R1 and R2 together contain a total of 8 to 30 carbon atoms; the tetraacyl peroxide is selected from tetraacyl peroxides of the general formula: R3—C(O)—OO—C(O)—(CH2)n-C(O)—OO—C(O)—R3 in which R3 represents a C1-C9 alkyl group and n represents an integer from 2 to 12, wherein the process comprises the step of dry granulating the diacyl and/or tetraacyl peroxide.
US07871970B2
Carboxylic acid diesters are employed for treating, in particular for cleaning textile and other materials, and more particularly for removing paint stains from textile fibers to improve the cleaning thereof; the subject formulations contain at least one dicarboxylic acid diester having the formula (I), R1—OOC-A-COO—R2, in which R1 and R2, which may be the same or different, are each a linear or branched, cyclic or non-cyclic C1-C20 alkyl, aryl, alkyaryl, or arylalkyl radical; and the group A is a branched divalent alkylene radical; and including at least one nonionic polyalkoxylated terpene surfactant.
US07871967B2
The present invention is generally directed to diester-based lubricant compositions. The present invention is also directed to methods of making these and other similar lubricant compositions. In some embodiments, the methods for making such diester-based lubricants utilize a biomass precursor and/or low value Fischer-Tropsch (FT) olefins and/or alcohols so as to produce high value diester-based lubricants. In some embodiments, such diester-based lubricants are derived from FT olefins and fatty acids. The fatty acids can be from a bio-based source (i.e., biomass, renewable source) or can be derived from FT alcohols via oxidation.
US07871962B2
A drilling fluid having an oleaginous fluid that forms the continuous phase; a non-oleaginous fluid, which is the discontinuous phase; a primary emulsifier in sufficient concentration to stabilize the invert emulsion; and a rheology modifier, which serves to moderate the rheology change across a temperature range of 40 to 150° C. The rheology modifier may be a dimer poly-carboxylic C12 to C22 fatty acid, trimer poly-carboxylic C12 to C22 fatty acid, tetramer poly-carboxylic C12 to C22 fatty acid, mixtures of these acids, or a polyamide wherein the polyamide is the condensation reaction product of a C12-C22 fatty acid and a polyamine selected from the group consisting of diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine; and pentaethylenetetramine. The drilling fluid preferably includes a weighting agent or bridging agent which may be selected from galena, hematite, magnetite, iron oxides, illmenite, barite, siderite, celestite, dolomite, calcite as well as combinations and mixtures of these and similar compounds. Optionally organophillic clay, fluid loss agents, alkali reserve materials, and other conventional invert emulsion drilling fluid components may be added to the drilling fluid.
US07871959B2
A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, having a support and a receptor layer containing at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyester polymers and polycarbonate polymers, and further having between the support and the receptor layer an intermediate layer containing hollow polymer particles.
US07871957B2
A durable catalyst support/catalyst is capable of extended water gas shift operation under conditions of high temperature, pressure, and sulfur levels. The support is a homogeneous, nanocrystalline, mixed metal oxide of at least three metals, the first being cerium, the second being Zr, and/or Hf, and the third importantly being Ti, the three metals comprising at least 80% of the metal constituents of the mixed metal oxide and the Ti being present in a range of 5% to 45% by metals-only atomic percent of the mixed metal oxide. The mixed metal oxide has an average crystallite size less than 6 nm and forms a skeletal structure with pores whose diameters are in the range of 4-9 nm and normally greater than the average crystallite size. The surface area of the skeletal structure per volume of the material of the structure is greater than about 240 m2/cm3. The method of making and use are also described.
US07871956B2
This invention relates to a cerium-zirconium-base composite oxide, which is useful, e.g., for the purification of exhaust gas discharged from combustion engines such as internal combustion engines and boilers and can release a high level of oxygen in a low temperature region, a method for producing the same, an oxygen storage/release component using the same, an exhaust gas purification catalyst, and an exhaust gas purification method. The cerium-zirconium-base composite oxide satisfies requirements (1) that the oxygen release initiation temperature is 380° C. or below, (2) that the oxygen release amount is not less than 485 μmol/g, and further (3) that the oxygen release amount at 400° C. is not less than 15 μmol/g. The cerium-zirconium-base composite oxide can be produced, for example, by mixing a starting material for cerium and a starting material for zirconium at a predetermined mixing ratio together, melting the starting material mixture at a temperature at or above the melting point, then cooling the melt to form an ingot, then optionally grinding the ingot to prepare powder, subsequently removing strain within powder crystal grains under heating, and then grinding to a further fine state.
US07871950B2
This invention provides a colored zirconia-based sintered body, mainly composed of zirconia containing a stabilizer, which contains alumina and nickel spinel, and has a novel color tone, and a method for manufacturing such a zirconia-based sintered body. The colored zirconia-based sintered body is applicable not only to a highly decorative product such as a watch, but also to knives, tweezers, machining jigs and holding jigs for electronic parts, and sliding members.
US07871943B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods for making an integrated circuit comprising providing a substrate, forming a structured layer stack on the substrate comprising a dielectric layer located on the substrate and an oxide-free metallic layer located on the dielectric layer, wherein the metallic layer comprising a transition metal. The method further comprises oxidizing the metallic layer, thereby increasing a work function of the metallic layer. Moreover, a substrate for making an integrated circuit is described.
US07871941B2
By providing a silicon cap layer on a compressive silicon nitride layer, the diffusion of nitrogen into sensitive resist material may be efficiently reduced, while the silicon may be converted into a highly compressive silicon dioxide in a later manufacturing stage. Consequently, yield loss due to contact failures during the formation of semiconductor devices requiring differently stressed silicon nitride layers may be reduced.
US07871940B2
A silicon nitride thin film formation apparatus is provided for stationary and moving substrates and a process for forming such films. The process provides high uniformity of film thickness and film properties as well as a high deposition rate. The film properties are adequate for application as an antireflection layer or passivation layer in solar cell devices or as dielectric layer in thin film transistors. The apparatus includes a number of metal filaments. In the space within the formation apparatus opposite to the substrate with respect to the filaments, a gas dosage system is arranged at a predetermined distance of the filaments. The film formation apparatus for stationary substrates also contains a shutter to control the starting and ending conditions for film formation and to control the film thickness.
US07871938B2
Disclosed is a producing method of a semiconductor device produced by transferring a plurality of substrates into a processing chamber, supplying oxygen-containing gas and hydrogen-containing gas into the processing chamber which is in a heated state to process the plurality of substrates by oxidation, and transferring the plurality of the oxidation-processed substrates out from the processing chamber, wherein the hydrogen-containing gas is supplied from a plurality of locations of a region corresponding to a substrate arrangement region in which the plurality of substrates are arranged in the processing chamber.
US07871934B2
A process is provided for forming vertical contacts in the manufacture of integrated circuits and devices. The process eliminates the need for precise mask alignment and allows the etch of the contact hole to be controlled independent of the etch of the interconnect trough. The process includes the steps of: forming an insulating layer on the surface of a substrate; forming an etch stop layer on the surface of the insulating layer; forming an opening in the etch stop layer; etching to a first depth through the opening in the etch stop layer and into the insulating layer to form an interconnect trough; forming a photoresist mask on the surface of the etch stop layer and in the trough; and continuing to etch through the insulating layer until reaching the surface of the substrate to form a contact hole. The above process may be repeated one or more times during the formation of multilevel metal integrated circuits.
US07871931B2
The present invention provides a method for planarizing a metal layer, and a method for manufacturing a micro pixel array. The method for planarizing the metal layer, without limitation, may include the steps of forming a metal layer over a photoresist layer, and then planarizing the metal layer using a chemical mechanical planarization process.
US07871929B2
Methods for improving electrical leakage performance and minimizing electromigration in semiconductor devices containing metal cap layers. According to one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes planarizing a top surface of a workpiece to form a substantially planar surface with conductive paths and dielectric regions, forming metal cap layers on the conductive paths, and exposing the top surface of the workpiece to a dopant source from a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to form doped metal cap layers on the conductive paths and doped dielectric layers on the dielectric regions. According to some embodiments, the metal cap layers and the doped metal cap layers contain a noble metal selected from Pt, Au, Ru, Rh, Ir, and Pd.
US07871925B2
A stack package comprises a substrate having a circuit pattern; at least two semiconductor chips stacked on the substrate, having a plurality of through-via interconnection plugs and a plurality of guard rings which surround the respective through-via interconnection plugs, and connected with each other by the medium of the through-via interconnection plugs; a molding material for molding an upper surface of the substrate including the stacked semiconductor chips; and solder balls mounted to a lower surface of the substrate.
US07871919B2
Structures with improved solder bump connections and methods of fabricating such structures are provided herein. The method includes forming a plurality of trenches in a dielectric layer extending to an underlying metal layer. The method further includes depositing metal in the plurality of trenches to form discrete metal line islands in contact with the underlying metal layer. The method also includes forming a solder bump in electrical connection to the plurality of metal line islands.
US07871912B2
Various methods for forming active electronic devices, such as field-effect transistors, and devices made using these methods are disclosed. Some of the methods include growing freestanding nano-, micro- and milli-scale semiconducting structures that are used for the active semiconducting channels of the active electronic devices. Others of the methods include forming strands of active electronic devices along a wire. Yet others of the methods utilize both of these concepts so that the active electronic devices on a particular strand include freestanding semiconducting structures.
US07871890B2
A semiconductor device having a resistor and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first circuit region and a second circuit region. A lower interlayer insulating layer is provided over the semiconductor substrate. A first hole passing through the lower interlayer insulating layer in the first circuit region and a second hole passing through the lower interlayer insulating layer in the second circuit region are provided. A first semiconductor pattern and a second semiconductor pattern are sequentially stacked in the first hole. A first resistor having the same crystalline structure as the second semiconductor pattern is provided in the second hole.
US07871888B2
A p− RESURF region is formed as a surface layer in an n− semiconductor layer. Then, trenches, gate insulating films, and a thick insulating film, gate electrodes, and a gate polysilicon interconnection are formed in this order. Subsequently, a p-well region is formed using the gate polysilicon interconnection as a mask. Then n+ source regions are formed. Since the p− RESURF region is formed and the p-well region is formed after forming the gate electrodes and the gate polysilicon interconnection, the severeness of a high-temperature heat history is lowered and the diffusion depth of the p-well region is decreased. The formation of the p− RESURF region and the shallow p-well region makes it possible to reduce the on-resistance while increasing the breakdown voltage, as well as reducing the gate capacitance.
US07871862B2
A ball grid array package stacking system includes: forming a heat spreader having a centrally located access port; mounting a substrate in the heat spreader for providing a connection pad in the centrally located access port; coupling an integrated circuit die to the substrate; and coupling a system interconnect to the integrated circuit die, the connection pad, or a combination thereof.
US07871856B2
A method of manufacturing a stacked-type semiconductor device, comprises: arranging a plurality of stacked chips obtained by stacking semiconductor chips on a plurality of stages on a support substrate; connecting a semiconductor chip of each stage in each stacked chip and the support substrate by wire while performing heating in units of stacked chips; performing plastic molding of each stacked chip; and separating the stacked chips from each other; an apparatus for manufacturing a stacked-type semiconductor device, comprising divided heater blocks formed under a support substrate on which a plurality of stacked chips obtained by stacking a plurality of semiconductor chips are arranged, the divided heater blocks being formed with respect to the stacked chips, and a heating device to selectively transmit heat to a stacked chip subjected to a wire bonding.
US07871852B2
A method for fabricating a carbon-enriched film includes the following steps. First, a substrate is provided. Next, a CFx film (fluorinated carbon films) containing carbon-fluoride bonded molecules is formed on the substrate. Next, a treatment process is performed on the CFx film to convert the carbon-fluoride bonded molecules into carbon-carbon bonded molecules.
US07871847B2
A method for creating an array of thermoelectric elements includes applying a first coating of dielectric material to P-type wafers and N-type wafers to form coated P-type wafers and coated N-type wafers. A P/N-type ingot is formed from the coated P-type wafers and the coated N-type wafers. The coated P-type wafers and the coated N-type wafers are alternatingly arranged in the P/N-type ingot. P/N-type wafers comprising P-type elements and N-type elements are sliced from the P/N-type ingot and a second coating of the dielectric material is applied to the P/N-type wafers to form coated P/N-type wafers. Furthermore, a P/N-type array from the coated P/N-type wafers.
US07871839B2
The present invention relates to a light emitting element with arrayed cells, a method of manufacturing the same, and a light emitting device using the same. The present invention provides a light emitting element including a light emitting cell block with a plurality of light emitting cells connected in series or parallel on a single substrate, and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting cells includes an N-type semiconductor layer and a P-type semiconductor layer, and the N-type semiconductor layer of one light emitting cell is electrically connected to the P-type semiconductor layer of another adjacent light emitting cell. Further, the present invention provides a light emitting device including a light emitting element with a plurality of light emitting cells connected in series. Accordingly, it is possible to simplify a manufacturing process of a light emitting device for illumination capable of being used with a household AC power source, to decrease a fraction defective occurring in manufacturing a light emitting device for illumination, and to mass-produce the light emitting device for illumination. Further, there is an advantage in that DC driving efficiency can be enhanced in an AC operation by installing a predetermined rectifying circuit outside the light emitting element.
US07871831B1
An automated system and method for determining flip chip connections involves generating a first projection that includes representations of bumps arranged over a core of the flip chip and generating a second projection that includes representations of I/O pads arranged around the core. The first projection is generated by drawing a line through each bump between a location of the flip chip and an outer portion of the flip chip and marking a location where the line terminates at the outer portion with a representation of the bump. The outer portion of the flip chip is traversed, and the first projection is generated based on the order in which bump representations are encountered. The second projection is generated by drawing a line through each I/O pad between a location of the flip chip and an outer portion of the flip chip and marking a location where the line terminates at the outer portion with a representation of the I/O pad. The outer portion of the flip chip is traversed, and the second projection is generated based on the order in which I/O pad representations are encountered. Connections between bump and I/O representations are made and connecting between bumps and I/O pads determined based on the connections between bump and I/O pad representations of respective first and second projections. The determined connections can be adjusted according to a hierarchy of bump representations to reduce or eliminate congestion, e.g., by changing a sequence of or deleting bump representations.
US07871826B2
A method for determining a carbon content value of a hydrocarbon-containing mixture. At least one composition-dependent bulk property of the hydrocarbon-containing mixture is measured and optionally at least one non-hydrocarbon component concentration is measured with the resulting measurements used in a carbon content correlation for calculating the carbon content of the hydrocarbon-containing mixture. The carbon content may be used in a hydrogen and/or synthesis gas production process for calculating a target flow rate of steam to be combined with the hydrocarbon-containing mixture to form a mixed feed having a target steam-to-carbon ratio.
US07871824B2
A flow chamber having a vacuum chamber and a specimen chamber. The specimen chamber may have an opening through which a fluid may be introduced and an opening through which the fluid may exit. The vacuum chamber may have an opening through which contents of the vacuum chamber may be evacuated. A portion of the flow chamber may be flexible, and a vacuum may be used to hold the components of the flow chamber together.
US07871823B2
Data on a secular change of each denitration catalyst is managed based on data obtained by a periodic maintenance and a daily management. Management of a secular change and prediction on performance variations that occur until a next periodic check is performed. It is determined whether the denitration catalyst is deteriorated such that an exhaust-gas denitration system cannot maintain its performance. When the denitration catalyst is deteriorated, regeneration, replacement, or addition of the denitration catalyst is performed, and the denitration catalyst is altered as necessary. When the denitration catalyst is usable, the denitration catalyst is not replaced nor regenerated.
US07871819B2
The invention provides a recombinant vector comprising an ovine adenovirus genome and a sequence encoding a heterologous polypeptide, wherein the sequence encoding the heterologous polypeptide is inserted between E4 and E3 transcription units of the ovine adenovirus genome.
US07871814B2
The present invention provides recombinant bicistronic flaviviruses, particularly live attenuated recombinant bicistronic flavivirus, which comprise, in order from 5′ to 3′, a viral 5′UTR, an ORF encoding all viral proteins, an internal ribosome entry site, an exogenous nucleotide sequence that encodes an exogenous polypeptide, and a viral 3′UTR. Infection of a host cell with a recombinant flavivirus provides for expression of the exogenous nucleic acid in a host cell. Such recombinant flavivirus are useful for delivering a protein to a mammalian host; and for eliciting an immune response to the exogenous polypeptide.
US07871812B2
An embodiment of a scanning system is described including optical elements that direct an excitation beam at a probe array, detectors that receive reflected intensity data responsive to the excitation beam, where the reflected intensity data is responsive to a focusing distance between an optical element and the probe array, a transport frame that adjusts the focusing distance in a direction with respect to the probe array, an auto-focuser that determines a best plane of focus based upon characteristics of the reflected intensity data of at least two focusing distances where the detectors further receive pixel intensity values based upon detected emissions from a plurality of probe features disposed on the probe array at the best plane of focus, and an image generator that associates each of the pixel intensity values with at least one image pixel position of a probe array based upon one or more position correction values.
US07871809B2
Methods for production of highly unsaturated fatty acids by marine microorganisms, including the heterotrophic marine dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium, using low levels of chloride ion are disclosed. Specifically, methods of increasing production of highly unsaturated fatty acids by marine microorganisms while growing in low chloride media by manipulating sodium ion and potassium ion levels. The invention also relates to methods of production of highly unsaturated fatty acids by marine organisms at low pH levels, and includes methods for generation of low pH tolerant strains.
US07871791B2
A method for preparing a biofilm includes the steps of rinsing the biofilm. There is the step of staining the biofilm with potassium permanganate and water.
US07871789B2
An albumin denaturing agent for digesting an albumin by a protease efficiently is provided. The albumin denaturing agent contains quaternary ammonium having a hydrocarbon group with a carbon number of 12 or more, or a salt of the quaternary ammonium. The albumin in a sample is digested by the protease in the presence of the albumin denaturing agent, a glycated part of the thus obtained albumin digestion product and a FAOD effect a reaction, and a redox reaction between the glycated part and the FAOD is measured, thereby determining a ratio (GA (%)) of the glycated albumin of the glycated albumin with respect to the albumin.
US07871786B2
The present invention relates to diagnosing abnormal cell proliferation in biological samples and screening for drugs which inhibit, reduce or abolish cell growth, especially tumorigenic cell growth, by detecting a phosphovariant isoform of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor biomarker, such as the novel GEF-H1S.
US07871783B2
A method of activating an antigen is herein described. The method comprises providing an antigen activation solution and contacting the cell with the solution to activate the antigen. A method of detecting a cell fixed by a nonbridging fixation solution is also described. The method comprises providing an antigen activation solution, contacting the cell with the solution, immunostaining the cell, and detecting the stained cell. The solution used for these methods comprises an agent for breaking a hydrogen bond, and is also described herein.
US07871782B2
The present invention provides specific binding members that bind synaptophysin and which comprise: an antibody VH domain selected from the group consisting of the C1-3 VH domain (SEQ ID NO. 2) and a VH domain comprising a VH CDR3 with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO. 12 and optionally one or more VH CDR's with an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO. 10 and SEQ ID NO. 11; and/or an antibody VL domain selected front the group consisting of the C1-3 VL domain (SEQ ID NO. 4) and a VL domain comprising one or more VL CDR's with an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO. 13, SEQ ID NO. 14 and SEQ ID NO. 15. The invention further provides related materials such as nucleic acids, kits and compositions, and also methods of use of the binding member, for instance in targeting entities to hepatic stellate cells which are implicated it liver fibrosis.
US07871777B2
A nanoprobe for sequencing of nucleic acid molecules is provided, as well as methods for using the nanoprobe. In particular examples, the probe includes a polymerizing agent and one or more molecular linkers that carry a chemical moiety capable of reversibly binding to the template strand of a nucleic acid molecule, without being detached from the linker, by specifically binding with a complementary nucleotide in the target nucleic acid molecule. The reversible binding of the chemical moiety on the linker with a complementary nucleotide in the target nucleic acid molecule is indicated by emission of a characteristic signal that indicates pairing of the chemical moiety on the linker with its complementary nucleotide. An example of such a chemical moiety is a nonhydrolyzable nucleotide analog. In particular examples, the polymerizing agent and the chemical moiety are associated with a tag, such as a donor fluorophore and acceptor fluorophore characteristic of the particular type of chemical moiety.
US07871775B2
Compositions and methods for the identification, assessment, prevention and therapy of human cancers
The present invention is directed to the identification of markers that can be used to determine whether tumors are sensitive or resistant to a therapeutic agent. The present invention is also directed to the identification of therapeutic targets. The invention features a number of “sensitivity markers.” These are markers that are expressed in most or all cell lines that are sensitive to treatment with an agent and which are not expressed (or are expressed at a rather low level) in cells that are resistant to treatment with that agent. The invention also features a number of “resistance markers.” These are markers that are expressed in most or all cell lines that are resistant to treatment with an agent and which are not expressed (or are expressed at a rather low level) in cells that are sensitive to treatment with that agent. The invention also features marker sets that can predict patients that are likely to respond or not to respond to an agent.
US07871772B2
Compositions and methods for the isolation and manipulation of misfolded, or partially misfolded, proteins present in blood and other biological materials are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the compositions, hereinafter termed “proteons” are comprised of misfolded proteins. Also provided are compositions and methods for the isolation and manipulation of proteon nucleation centers (PNCs) upon which the proteons of the present in blood and other biological materials form. In another aspect of the invention, the PNCs are comprised of metallic nanoclusters.
US07871771B2
This invention provides methods for nucleic acid analysis. A closed complex of nucleic acid template, nucleotide and polymerase can be formed during polymerase reaction, absent divalent metal ion. This is used to trap the labeled nucleotide complementary to the next template nucleotide in the closed complex. Detection of the label allows determination of the identity of this next correct nucleotide. Identification can be either in place, as part of the complex, or as the dye is eluted from the complex when the reaction cycle is completed by the addition of divalent metal ion. In this way, sequential nucleotides of a DNA can be identified, effectively determining the DNA sequence. This method can be applied to nucleic acid single molecules or to collections of identical or nearly identical sequence such as PCR products or clones. Multiple templates can be sequenced in parallel, particularly if they are immobilized on a solid support.
US07871764B1
The present invention relates to a method for extracting nucleic acids from biological samples. More specifically the invention relates to a universal method for extracting nucleic acids from unidentified biological samples. An advantage of the presently invented method is its ability to effectively and efficiently extract nucleic acids from a variety of different cell types including but not limited to prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells and/or recalcitrant organisms (i.e. spores). Unlike prior art methods which are focused on extracting nucleic acids from vegetative cell or spores, the present invention effectively extracts nucleic acids from spores, multiple cell types or mixtures thereof using a single method. Important that the invented method has demonstrated an ability to extract nucleic acids from spores and vegetative bacterial cells with similar levels effectiveness. The invented method employs a multi-step protocol which erodes the cell structure of the biological sample, isolates, labels, fragments nucleic acids and purifies labeled samples from the excess of dye.
US07871759B2
A resist film is formed on a substrate, and a barrier film including a compound whose alkali-insoluble property is changed to an alkali-soluble property through molecular structure change caused by an alkaline solution is formed on the resist film. Thereafter, with an immersion liquid provided on the barrier film, pattern exposure is performed by selectively irradiating the resist film through the barrier film with exposing light. After the pattern exposure, the barrier film is removed and the resist film is developed. Thus, a resist pattern made of the resist film is formed.
US07871753B2
A positive resist composition of the present invention includes a resin component (A) which displays increased alkali solubility under the action of an acid, and an acid generator component (B) which generates an acid upon exposure, wherein the resin component (A) includes a structural unit (a0) containing a carboxyl group, and at least one structural unit (a1) selected from the group consisting of a structural unit represented by a general formula (a1-2) and a structural unit represented by a general formula (a1-4) shown below: (in the formula, Y represents an aliphatic cyclic group or a lower alkyl group; n represents an integer from 0 to 3; m represents 0 or 1; R represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group, or a halogenated lower alkyl group; and R1′ and R2′ each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms.).
US07871742B2
A method for controlling phase angle of a mask is provided. A mask comprising a substrate and an absorber is formed. A nitrogen-containing plasma treatment is performed on the mask to reduce the phase angle. Alternatively, a nitrogen-containing plasma treatment is performed on the mask, followed by a vacuum ultraviolet treatment to form a passivated layer on the mask.
US07871727B2
Alloy compositions, lithium ion batteries, and methods of making lithium ion batteries are described. The lithium ion batteries have anodes that contain an alloy composition that includes a) silicon, b) aluminum, c) transition metal, d) tin, e) indium, and f) a sixth element that contains yttrium, a lanthanide element, an actinide element, or a combination thereof. The alloy composition is a mixture of an amorphous phase that includes silicon and a crystalline phase that includes an intermetallic compound of 1) tin, 2) indium, and 3) the sixth element.
US07871722B2
Disclosed herein are an electrode assembly including a plurality of unit cells folded by a continuous separation film wherein the unit cells are arranged on the separation film such that electrode taps of the unit cells face each other, the separation film has openings corresponding to the electrode taps of the unit cells, and the electrode assembly is manufactured by folding the unit cells in the longitudinal (lengthwise) direction of the separation film while the unit cells are disposed such that the electrode taps of the unit cells are inserted into the corresponding openings, and an electrochemical cell, such as a secondary battery, including the same. The electrode assembly according to the present invention is a hybrid type electrode assembly solving the problems of the jelly-roll type electrode assembly and the stacking type electrode assembly. Consequently, when external impacts are applied to the electrode assembly, for example, the electrode assembly falls, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of internal short circuits and thus to improve the safety of the electrode assembly. Furthermore, it is possible to perform the process for impregnating (wetting) the electrolyte into the electrodes in a short time during the assembly of the electrochemical cell.
US07871717B2
An optical film according to the present invention comprises a transparent base, and an anti-reflection layer that is disposed on one main face of the transparent base. The anti-reflection layer includes a hard coating layer, and a low refractive index layer that is disposed on the hard coating layer in this order from the side of the transparent base. The hard coating layer is formed using a resin containing an ionizing radiation setting resin. The hard coating layer contains a conductive metal oxide in an amount of at least 5 wt % and at most 30 wt % with respect to the total weight of the hard coating layer. The hard coating layer is formed using a coating solution containing water in an amount of at least 0.05 wt % and at most 5.0 wt %.
US07871713B2
An electroluminescent element is disclosed, comprising an electroluminescent material and a fluorescent substance emitting light having an emission maximum at the wavelength different from that of light emitted from the electroluminescent material upon absorption of the light emitted from the electroluminescent material. A color conversion filter is also disclosed, comprising a fluorescent substance emitting light having an emission maximum at the wavelengths of 400 to 700 nm upon absorption of the light emitted from the electroluminescent material.
US07871708B2
Composite coated metal and/or polymer substrates are provided having a powder basecoat thereon formed from at least one film-forming material comprising a thermosettable polyester and a curing agent; at least one reaction product of at least one cyclic carboxylic acid anhydride, at least one alkene and at least one reactant selected from the group consisting of primary amines, aliphatic polyamines, primary amino alcohols, alcohols, isocyanates and mixtures thereof, the copolymer having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 1,000 to about 20,000; and at least one flow control agent; and a topcoat deposited from a liquid or powder slurry topcoating composition applied over the basecoat to form a composite coating providing good adhesion and chip and cratering resistance.
US07871707B2
A flexible electrode array of silicone containing oxide particles of SiO2, TiO2, Sb2O3, SnO2, Al2O3, ZnO, Fe2O3, Fe3O4, talc, hydroxyapatite or their mixtures and at least one metal trace in a silicone-containing polymer.
US07871706B2
Graded glass/zirconia/glass structures for damage resistant ceramic dental and orthopedic prostheses
The present invention provides a functionally graded glass/ceramic/glass sandwich system for use in damage resistant, ceramic and orthopedic prosthesis. The functionally graded glass/substrate/glass composite structure comprises an outer residual glass layer, a graded glass-ceramic layer, and a dense interior ceramic. The functionally graded glass/substrate/glass composite structure may further comprise a veneer on an exterior surface.The present invention also provides a method for preparing a functionally graded glass/ceramic/glass sandwich system. A powdered glass-ceramic composition is applied to the accessible surfaces of a presintered zirconia substrate to thereby substantially cover the substrate surfaces. The glass of the composition has a CTE similar to that of the substrate material. The glass-ceramic composition is infiltrated into and densifies the substrate by heating the assembly to at least the sintering temperature of the substrate.
US07871699B2
An object of the invention is to provide an iodine-containing hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive that can be melted and coated at a temperature not higher than 100° C., and that can retain stability of the iodine in the adhesive through all stages of making, storage and use thereof, without utilizing any harmful organic solvent, while utilizing the antimicrobial efficacy of iodine.
US07871697B2
A peelable sealing structure includes a sealing layer and one or more optional additional layers. The peelable sealing structure includes a sealing surface that is formable into a peelable seal upon contact with a sealing substrate at all temperatures in a peelable seal temperature range. Moreover, the peelable sealing structure comprises a thermoplastic polymer and an additive dispersed within at least a portion of the thermoplastic polymer with the peelable sealing structure defining the sealing surface.
US07871689B2
A honeycomb structure includes at least one honeycomb unit having a first end face and a second end face. The at least one honeycomb unit includes an inorganic binder, inorganic particles, and cell walls extending from the first end face to the second end face to define a plurality of cells. The inorganic particles include ceria particles doped with zirconia. A percentage by weight of zirconia doped in ceria in the ceria particles is in a range of about 20% to about 50%.
US07871687B2
A microstructure device is made by processing a material substrate consisting of e.g. a first process layer, a second process layer and a middle layer arranged between the first and the second process layers. The microstructure device includes a first structural part and a second structural part that has a portion facing the first structural part via a gap. The first and the second structural parts are connected to each other by a connecting part extending across the gap. This connecting part is formed in the first process layer to be in contact with the middle layer. The microstructure device also includes a protective part extending from the first structural part toward the second structural part or vice versa. The protective part is formed in the first or second process layer to be in contact with the middle layer.
US07871682B2
A composite laminate material is supported during the roll press processing thereof by an assembly having: first and second perforated films disposed adjacent to first and second opposing surfaces of a mixture of uncured resin and fibers defining the composite laminate material, a gas permeable encasement surrounding the mixture and the first and second films, a gas impervious envelope sealed about the gas permeable encasement, and first and second rigid plates clamped about the gas impervious envelope.
US07871680B2
An optical film has a transparent film including light output portions distributed over one of opposite surfaces of the transparent film so as to make the total luminous transmittance and the haze of the optical film be set in a range of from 75 to 92% and in a range of from 4 to 20% respectively, the light output portions being constituted by concave or convex portions having optical path changing slopes each inclined at an inclination angle of from 35 to 48 degrees with respect to a film plane of the transparent film. A liquid-crystal display device has an optical film defined above, and a liquid-crystal display panel, wherein the optical film is disposed on one of opposite surfaces of the liquid-crystal display panel so that a surface of the film in which the light output portions of the optical film are provided faces outward.
US07871644B2
The present invention presents a pharmaceutical composition for oral use with improved absorption, which comprises drug, aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer E, and acidic substance and is obtained by bringing said 3 components together and uniformly mixing at least this polymer and this acidic substance, and a method of improving oral absorption/by using this pharmaceutical composition. Moreover, the present invention presents an agent for improving oral absorption that increases drug permeability of the digestive tract mucous membrane and/or mucous layer present on the surface of this membrane, whose active ingredient is aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer E. In addition, the present invention presents an oral agent for improving absorption by increasing drug permeability of the digestive tract mucous membrane and/or the mucous layer distributed over this mucous membrane, whose effective component is aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer E.
US07871643B2
A pharmaceutical form, contains an active compound-containing core, which is covered with a coating layer of a gastric juice-resistant, intestinal juice-soluble (meth)acrylate copolymer, a separating layer situated between said core and said coating layer, the separating layer containing a film-forming water-soluble polymer, wherein the separating layer contains at least two layers: an inner layer containing a water-repellent substance, and thereon a layer comprising the film-forming water-soluble polymer.
US07871639B2
Biocompatible phase invertable proteinaceous compositions and methods for making and using the same are provided. The subject phase invertable compositions are prepared by combining a proteinaceous substrate and a cross-linker. The proteinaceous substrate includes one or more proteins and an adhesion modifier, and may also include one or more of: a plasticizer, a carbohydrate, or other modification agent. In certain embodiments, the cross-linker is a heat-treated dialdehyde, e.g., heat-treated glutaraldehyde. Also provided are kits for use in preparing the subject compositions. The subject compositions, kits and systems find use in a variety of different applications.
US07871638B2
This invention relates to a scaffold consisting of a biodegradable polymeric material with a composition gradient of calcium phosphate that is capable of effectively regenerating the hard/soft tissue interface and an implant for hard/soft tissue filling with the utilization of such scaffold.
US07871629B1
A method for immunizing fish against pathogenic infection is disclosed. More particularly, this invention provides a method of immunizing fish against bacterial and viral infection which comprises immersing the fish in a solution comprised of an effective amount of dead or attenuated, whole-celled recombinant bacteria, the recombinant bacteria having a eukaryotic expression vector (plasmid) incorporated therein having DNA of interest encoding at least one protein antigen for each of the pathogens, the method characterized in that the protein antigen is produced by the fish.
US07871628B2
The present invention relates to peptide mimics of a conserved gonococcal epitope of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which epitope is not found on human blood group antigens. This invention also relates to methods and compositions using such peptide mimics for the prophylaxis of gonorrheal infections.
US07871623B2
Briefly described, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and compositions for imaging pain and/or stress in a subject and methods and compositions for treating associated conditions. In particular, the present disclosure relates to the use of labeled compounds to provide objective diagnosis of pain and/or stress, for imaging regions associated with pain and/or stress, and for treating pain in a subject.
US07871622B2
The present invention concerns methods and compositions for stably tethered structures of defined compositions with multiple functionalities and/or binding specificities. Particular embodiments concern stably tethered structures comprising a homodimer of a first monomer, comprising a dimerization and docking domain attached to a first precursor, and a second monomer comprising an anchoring domain attached to a second precursor. The first and second precursors may be virtually any molecule or structure, such as antibodies, antibody fragments, antibody analogs or mimetics, aptamers, binding peptides, fragments of binding proteins, known ligands for proteins or other molecules, enzymes, detectable labels or tags, therapeutic agents, toxins, pharmaceuticals, cytokines, interleukins, interferons, radioisotopes, proteins, peptides, peptide mimetics, polynucleotides, RNAi, oligosaccharides, natural or synthetic polymeric substances, nanoparticles, quantum dots, organic or inorganic compounds, etc. The disclosed methods and compositions provide a simple, easy to purify way to obtain any binary compound attached to any monomeric compound, or any trinary compound.
US07871611B2
The present invention provides compositions and methods relating to or derived from anti-IGF-1R antibodies. In particular embodiments, the invention provides fully human, humanized, or chimeric anti-IGF-1R antibodies that bind human IGF-R, IGF-1R-binding fragments and derivatives of such antibodies, and IGF-1R-binding polypeptides comprising such fragments. Other embodiments provide nucleic acids encoding such antibodies, antibody fragments and derivatives and polypeptides, cells comprising such polynucleotides, methods of making such antibodies, antibody fragments and derivatives and polypeptides, and methods of using such antibodies, antibody fragments and derivatives and polypeptides, including methods of treating or diagnosing subjects having IGF-1R-related disorders or conditions.
US07871604B1
Disclosed is an Environmentally Limited Viability System (ELVS) for microorganisms based on temperature differences between permissive and non-permissive environments. Viability of the microorganisms are limited to the permissive environment by specifically expressing one or more essential genes only in the permissive environment, or expressing one or more lethal genes only in the non-permissive environment. Environmentally Limited Viability Systems are also disclosed involving coordinate expression of a combination of required genes and lethal genes. Microorganisms containing an Environmentally Limited Viability System are useful for release into a permissive environment. Temperature regulated Environmentally Limited Viability Systems are particularly suited for use with recombinant avirulent Salmonella vaccines by limiting their growth to the warmer environment inside the host. Such vaccines can be administered to protect humans or warm-blooded animals against bacterial, viral, mycotic and parasitic pathogens, especially those that colonize on or invade through mucosal surfaces. This antigen delivery system can also be used for expression of gamete-specific antigens to induce immune responses to block fertilization, or to induce immune responses to tumor antigens. In the event that an individual sheds live vaccine into the environment, the presence of the ELVS prevents survival of the vaccine. When environmentally regulated lethal genes are present on an extrachromosomal element and are regulated by chromosomal genes, transfer of the extrachromosomal element to other microorganisms will be limited by unregulated expression of the lethal genes in the recipient microorganism.
US07871600B2
A leave on hair care composition comprising a) a wax dispersion; and b) an aqueous oil emulsion wherein the oil phase is a liquid and comprises: i) one or more non-volatile oils, where the dynamic viscosity of any single non-volatile oil or the dynamic viscosity of a blend of non-volatile oils is less than 1000 mPa·s at 35° C. and 5 s-1; ii) an oil dispersible structurant such that the dynamic viscosity of the structured oil phase at 35° C. prior to formation of the emulsion is at least 50,000 mPa·s at a shear rate of 0.5 s-1 and is less than 6,000 mPa·s at a shear rate of 500 s-1.
US07871592B2
A method for preparing a carbon/carbon (C/C) composite comprising carbonizing a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite precursor by heating the precursor in an inert atmosphere with a heating rate greater than 20° C./min up to 1500° C./min.
US07871589B2
Provided is a pyrogenically prepared SiO2 powder in the form of aggregated primary particles having a statistical thickness surface area (STSA) of 10-500 m2/g, a thickening action based on the STSA of 4-8 mPas·g/m2, and a micropore volume of 0.03-0.07 cm3/g, and a process for preparing the pyrogenic SiO2 powder, which involves: introducing hydrolyzable silicon compounds, a primary gas comprising oxygen, and a primary combustion gas into a mixing chamber to produce a mixture; igniting the mixture in a burner to produce a flame, which is burned into a reaction chamber to produce the pyrogenic SiO2 powder and gaseous substances; and separating the pyrogenic SiO2 powder from the gaseous substances, wherein a ratio of the amount of primary combustion gas introduced to a stoichiometric amount of primary combustion gas required is referred to as gammaprimary and has a value of less than 1, and wherein a ratio of the amount of primary gas comprising oxygen introduced to a stoichiometric amount of primary gas comprising oxygen required is referred to as lambdaprimary and has a value of greater than 1.
US07871583B2
A process for recovery of silica and alumina from fly ash, in which, Si is leached out from the fly ash in the form of Na2SiO3 using a NaOH solution of NaOH >40% (w/w), followed by separation to obtain a Na2SiO3 solution and a residue having Al—Si ratio ≧2; vaporizing the solution to obtain Na2SiO3 solutions of various concentrations, or producing silica by carbonation, and producing Al2O3 by prior art methods from residues obtained after alkali-leaching, ultimately producing filler or cement from the residue after the recovery of Al. The method permits recovery of Al2O3 directly from fly ash by removing Si before recovering the Al, which raises the Al—Si ratio of the residue after alkali-leaching and thus simplifies the recovery of Al2O3 and raises the rate of Al recovery from fly ash. The invention further includes calcining high Al coal gangue, kaolinite and middle-low-class bauxite at 900-1100° C.
US07871571B2
A biomolecule analyzing system (10) that provides an expeditious, accurate and reliable method for analyzing a biomolecule (150). The system (10) includes two substrates (12,28) each having an inner edge (14,30), an outer edge (16,32) and an inner surfaces (20,36) from where extends a multiplicity of cilia (22). To the inner edges (14,30) is attached an input tube (82) that is also attached to a biomolecule sample reservoir (90). To the outer edges (16,32) is attached an output tube (106) that is also attached to a sample deposit chamber (120). The tubes (82,106) include a plurality of conductive plates (98) that are applied an electrical charge that causes the biomolecule (150) to traverse through the tubes (82,106). When the biomolecule (150) passes through the cilia (22) signals are produced that are applied to a pair of image capturing devices (40,50). Each device (40,50) produces a signal that is applied to an electronic data processor from where a three-dimensional image of the biomolecule (150) is produced and viewed on a data monitoring device (70).
US07871569B2
Systems and methods for detecting the presence of biomolecules in a sample using biosensors that incorporate resonators which have functionalized surfaces for reacting with target biomolecules. In one embodiment, a device includes a piezoelectric resonator having a functionalized surface configured to react with target molecules, thereby changing the mass and/or charge of the resonator which consequently changes the frequency response of the resonator. The resonator's frequency response after exposure to a sample is compared to a reference, such as the frequency response before exposure to the sample, a stored baseline frequency response or a control resonator's frequency response.
US07871568B2
Provided herein are methods and devices for rapid testing of solid, semi-solid, or liquid specimens, such as stool, blood, urine, saliva, or swab specimens of the cervix, urethra, nostril, and throat, and for environmental testing.
US07871564B2
In order to obtain a high purity sputtered film for a capacitor electrode of a semiconductor memory and to make the sputtered film have uniform thickness and good adhesiveness with Si substrate, a high-purity Ru alloy target is provided, wherein a total content of the platinum group elements excluding Ru is in a range of 15 to 200 wtppm and remnants are Ru and inevitable impurities. Also, provided is a manufacturing method of the high-purity Ru alloy target, comprising the steps of mixing Ru powder having a purity of 99.9% or higher and powder of platinum group elements excluding Ru, performing press molding of the mixed powder to obtain a compact, performing electron beam melting of the compact to obtain an ingot, and forging the ingot at 1400 to 1900° C.
US07871560B2
A metallurgical vessel having support brackets mounted on a vessel wall. The support brackets are mounted by a mounting system on a support body that does not completely surround the circumference of the vessel. The mounting system includes clamps that act on the support brackets. A coupling device is provided, which has, a first coupling component designed as a male part mounted on the support body and a second coupling component designed as a female part mounted on the vessel wall. The first and second coupling components are configured and arranged so as to automatically engage when the clamps are in the engaged position and to automatically disengage when the clamps are not in the engaged position. The coupling device has sealing elements and a coupling mechanism of the first coupling component relative to the second coupling component.
US07871559B2
An inspection hole structure 1 forming a furnace inspection hole 2 installed on the reaction shaft ceiling 104 of a flash smelting furnace, comprising a lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A having an opening 3Aa at the center; an upper-stage water-cooling jacket 3B which is connected integrally to an upper part of said lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A and forms said inspection hole 2 at the center in cooperation with said lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A; and a bottom cover water-cooling jacket 4 provided in said lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A to open or close said opening of said lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A.
US07871546B2
In one aspect, the present invention provides a dielectric fluid for use in electrical equipment comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. In another aspect the invention provides devices for generating and distributing electrical energy that incorporate a dielectric fluid comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. Methods of retrofilling electrical equipment with vegetable oil based dielectric fluids also are provided.
US07871537B2
A method for fabricating a magnesium-based hydrogen storage material according to the present invention comprises a) forming a mixture of a magnesium hydride powder and a transition metal halide powder, b) adding the mixture and balls into a vessel, c) filling the vessel with an inert gas or hydrogen, and d) subjecting the mixture to high energy ball milling.
US07871535B2
A composition for dust-preventive treatment including an aqueous dispersion of fluorine-containing polymer showing a low potential for environmental concerns and a dust prevention effect as high as that of known composition for dust-preventive treatment. The composition for dust-preventive treatment includes an aqueous dispersion of fluorine-containing polymer containing 50 ppm or less of a fluorine-containing emulsifier. The composition for dust-preventive treatment comprising aqueous dispersion of fluorine-containing polymer containing 50 ppm or less of a fluorine-containing emulsifier can preferably be obtained by removing the fluorine-containing emulsifier from a polymer dispersion prepared by polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene using the fluorine-containing emulsifier.
US07871524B2
The use of a coupling agent containing a mercapto, disulfide, tretrasulfide and/or polysulfide end group provides a mercury removal media having increased reactivity, stability, and mercury removal ability. The mercury removal media described herein is prepared by reacting an organophilic clay containing onium ions with a mercapto, disulfide, tetrasulfide, and/or polysulfide end moiety. Alternatively, the clay can be made organophilic by onium ion reaction prior to or simultaneously with the coupling reaction of the mercapto- or sulfide- end group-containing coupling agent.
US07871523B2
A process for providing water with a lowered salinity and which produces at least one recoverable waste stream containing a useful by-product, the process including treating raw water which includes an undesirably high concentration of cations, including Ca2+ and Na+, in a cation exchange stage which includes first and second cation exchangers. The first cation exchanger having a selectivity towards di-valent cations and the second cation exchanger being downstream of the first cation exchanger, to retain at least a portion of the cations of the raw water in or on the first and second cation exchangers, thereby providing upgraded water of a lowered salinity containing no or a low concentration of the cations of the raw water. The process further includes from time to time, regenerating the first cation exchanger with an acid to produce a first recoverable waste stream which includes a calcium salt and removing Na+ from the second cation exchanger to produce a second recoverable waste stream which includes a sodium compound, and then regenerating the second cation exchanger.
US07871522B2
A system which includes a separation element (11) employing semipermeable membrane material (17), which system is designed so that it can operate either in an RO mode to produce high quality water or in a PRO mode to generate power from two aqueous solutions of different salt concentrations. In a preferred embodiment, a rotary pressure transfer device (29) is included to transfer pressure from an outlet stream exiting the separation element to an inlet stream being supplied to the separation element.
US07871515B2
A filter assembly (100) may comprise a filter cartridge (102) and a filter housing (101) which may include a cylindrical support (121) and a removable portion (110).
US07871509B2
Apparatus for modifying bitumen. The apparatus includes a multi-section loop tube reactor A circulation pump (11) circulates bitumen in the reactor (10) and air is introduced at air injection point (13). Bitumen is introduced into the reactor (10) at inlet (14) by variable speed pump P1. A plurality of mixers (15) are located between the air injection point (13) and a head section (24) beyond which is an outlet (27) where modified bitumen is drawn off by variable speed pump P2.
US07871505B2
The present invention pertains to a sputtering target transport box having a void the size of a sputtering target, wherein supports for mechanical transport are provided to the bottom plate of the transport box, and a wheel for man-powered transport is provided to the edge portion of the bottom plate. Provided thereby is a sputtering target transport box in which the removal and transport of a sputtering target is easy, and which enables the transport of a sputtering target without causing any damage thereto.
US07871502B2
A method for fabricating a chalcopyrite-type thin film solar cell includes a first step of forming onto a Mo electrode layer 2 a precursor including an In metal layer and a Cu—Ga alloy layer by sputtering, a second step of attaching an alkali-metal solution onto the precursor, a selenization step of subjecting the substrate 1 which has undergone both the first and the second steps to a selenization treatment, and a transparent electrode forming step of depositing an optically transparent conductive layer. As the alkali-metal solution, an aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound, such as sodium tetraborate, sodium sulfide, and sodium aluminum sulfate, can be used.
US07871498B2
Forming fabrics for making tissue webs are provided with structural icons on the side of the fabric that does not contact the tissue web during formation. The resulting tissue web has good formation without pinholes, yet contains a watermark corresponding to the shape of the structural icon.
US07871490B2
An antenna adapted to apply uniform electromagnetic fields to a volume of gas and including radiating elements connected in parallel with evenly distributed input terminals for receiving electromagnetic energy into the antenna and output terminals for grounding. In the illustrative embodiment, the antenna has three radiating elements connected in parallel. Each radiating element is a conductor wound in a circular shape with the same diameter. Each radiating element is connected to the input terminal on one end and an output terminal on the other. The input terminal of the second element is 120° rotated counterclockwise from the first and the input terminal of the third is rotated by 120° counterclockwise from the second. The ground terminals of each radiating elements are located in the same manner as the input terminals. Each element is feed by a feeder coil. While the antenna elements are disposed around a chamber, the feeder coils are disposed above the chamber to improved the distribution of electromagnetic energy within the chamber.
US07871474B2
A method for manufacturing bodies formed from insulated soft magnetic metal powder by forming an insulating film of an inorganic substance on the surface of particles of a soft magnetic metal powder, compacting and molding the powder, then carrying out a heat treatment to provide a body formed from insulated soft magnetic metal powder the method comprising: compacting and molding the powder; then magnetically annealing the powder at a high temperature above the Curie temperature for the soft magnetic metal powder and below the threshold temperature at which the insulating film is destroyed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, such as a vacuum, inert gas, or the like; and then carrying out a further heat treatment at a temperature of from 400° C. to 700° C. in an oxidizing atmosphere, such as air, or the like.
US07871473B2
A method and device for maintaining air boost system performance is provided. One or more stages of the air boost system can be connected by tubing to a cleaning system that includes a fluid reservoir (135, 235) containing cleaning fluid and a means of conveying the cleaning fluid into at least one stage of the air boost system. The air boost system can also include a means for detecting (150, 250) at least one fouling parameter of said air boost system. Mien the fouling parameter meets a pre-determined condition, a control means (155, 255) can trigger the cleaning means and inject cleaning fluid into the stage or stages to be cleaned.
US07871459B2
Disclosed is a doped cerium oxide sorbent that can effectively and regenerably remove H2S in the temperature range of about 500° C. to about 1000° C. Regenerable sorbents (e.g., ZnO, La2O3, CeO2) and methods of using them are disclosed that allow cyclic desulfurization from about 300-500° C., 350-450° C., and at about 400° C. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of desulfurizing fuel gas comprising passing the fuel gas through the sorbent at a space velocity wherein the sulfur compounds are adsorbed substantially on the surface of the sorbent; and regenerating the sorbent by passing a regenerating gas through the sorbent, wherein substantially all of the sulfur compounds are desorbed from the sorbent surface. In a further embodiment, the method of desulfurizing fuel gas further comprises repeating the aforementioned steps while the fuel processor is in operation. In another embodiment, the step of passing the fuel gas may be preceded by reducing the sorbent by passing a reducing gas through the sorbent. In another embodiment, the sorbent may be fully sulfided, i.e., sulfided on its surface and bulk (internally).
US07871438B2
A tissue marking implant includes a matrix material and a dye marker. The implant, which can be formed entirely of bioresorbable material such as a collagen foam, is sized and shaped to replace excised tissue. The implant supports surrounding tissue upon implantation, while allowing for in-growth of fibrous tissue to replace the implant. According to various alternative embodiments, the implant is elastically compressible, or can be formed from self-expanding foam or sponges, and can be implanted through a cannula or by injection, as well as by open procedures. The implant can carry therapeutic and diagnostic substances. The dye marker leaches from the implant such that a surgeon, upon subsequent surgical intervention, visibly recognizes the tissue marked by the dye marker.
US07871436B2
A replacement prosthetic heart valve for engagement with a structure of a previously implanted prosthetic heart valve, the replacement heart valve including a stent structure and at least two leaflets attached within the interior area of a tubular body portion of the stent structure. The stent structure includes a generally tubular body portion having an interior area, at least two upper flange portions for positioning at an outflow end of the previously implanted heart valve, wherein the upper flange portions extend radially outward from the tubular body portion and are biased toward an inflow end of the replacement heart valve, and at least one lower flange portion for positioning at an inflow end of the previously implanted heart valve, wherein the lower flange portions extend radially outward from the tubular body portion and are biased toward an outflow end of the replacement heart valve.
US07871435B2
An anatomically approximate prosthetic heart valve includes dissimilar flexible leaflets, dissimilar commissures and/or a non-circular flow orifice. The heart valve may be implanted in the mitral position and have one larger leaflet oriented along the anterior aspect so as to mimic the natural anterior leaflet. Two other smaller leaflets extend around the posterior aspect of the valve. A basic structure providing peripheral support for the leaflets includes two taller commissures on both sides of the larger leaflet, with a third, smaller commissure between the other two leaflets. The larger leaflet may be thicker and/or stronger than the other two leaflets. The base structure defines a flow orifice intended to simulate the shape of the mitral annulus during the systolic phase. For example, the flow orifice may be elliptical. A relatively wide sewing ring has a contoured inflow end and is attached to the base structure in such a way that the valve can be implanted in an intra-atrial position and the taller commissures do not extend too far into the left ventricle, therefore avoiding injury to the ventricle.
US07871430B2
A delivery system (10) for implanting a medical device (30) such as a venous valve into the vasculature of a patient. The delivery system includes a delivery catheter (11) having a device-containing portion (15) adjacent to the distal end (14) thereof, and an inner member (16) extending through the catheter and beyond the distal end thereof, to an atraumatic distal tip portion (17) forward of the catheter distal end. The inner member extends through the medical device in the device-containing region, includes a proximal portion (18) with a sufficiently large diameter to prevent longitudinal movement of the device as the catheter is retracted during deployment, and centers the device upon release from the distal catheter end during deployment.
US07871412B2
An orthopaedic cutting tool which includes a partially hemispherical shell having a shell radius, and a base including a first circumferential base segment and a second circumferential base segment. The shell has a first part on one side of the first circumferential base segment and the second circumferential base segment, and a second part on another side of the first circumferential base segment and the second circumferential base segment. A first non-planar surface is connected to the first part, and the first non-planar surface has a first curvature not equal to the shell radius. A second non-planar surface is connected to the second part, and the second non-planar surface has a second curvature not equal to the shell radius.
US07871405B2
Medical devices can be positioned within a patient by use of apparatus and methods according to the invention. The apparatus and methods permit insertion of the medical devices into various locations of the patient's body without requiring removal and reinsertion of already-inserted medical devices. The apparatus and methods are typically used to place medical devices into a male patient's urinary system to treat a disease or condition. The medical devices can be cryoablation probes that are inserted into the prostate gland to treat prostate cancer, for example.
US07871392B2
An ultrasonic horn assembly is configured so that irrigating fluid can be supplied only to a vibrating tip portion of the ultrasonic horn and so that suction aspiration can occur through a portion of the ultrasonic horn not in contact with the irrigating fluid. Controllers supplying irrigation fluid during a surgical procedure and controlling suction aspiration via monitoring of fluid level in the patient cavity are operatively coupled one to another to coordinate control of the fluid level in the patient cavity. Circuitry controlling power, frequency and amplitude of the tip of the ultrasonic horn occurring as a result of operation of a source of ultrasonic signal generating power controls either or both the supply of irrigation fluid and the suction aspiration so as to minimize damping of vibration of the tip of the ultrasonic horn. An optical viewing element is provided to view the tip of the ultrasonic horn.
US07871390B2
A continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) device is provided that weighs between 2 and 10 pounds. The CRRT device can be portable, mobile or completely worn on the person of the patient. Blood and dialysate are each pumped in a pulsed or pulsatile manner through a dialyzer such that a significant portion of the peak pulse of the blood flow coincides with a significant portion of a low pulse portion of the dialysate flow. An differential pressure between a dialysate inlet of the dialyzer and the blood inlet of the dialyzer periodically changes from a high differential pressure of between 70 and 120 mmHg for a first time period and a low differential pressure of between −10 and 10 mmHg for a second time period. The frequency of the high and low differential pressure cycle is between about 0.5 and 4 Hz.
US07871384B2
A biopsy device having a translating and rotating cutter is disclosed. The translational speed of the cutter is varied using a variable pitch member. The variable pitch member can include a shaft having a relatively coarse threaded portion for rapid cutter advance and a relatively finer threaded portion for cutter advance during tissue severing.
US07871383B2
An arrangement for taking a sample of cells from a suspicious lesion or a tumor with the so called fine needle aspiration technique, provides a good penetration of tumors, especially small and/or hard fibrous tumors, and in the meantime yielding an increased amount of cells in the sample, by applying a longitudinal movement to the needle when the needle is penetrating the tumor and by applying both a rotational and a longitudinal movement to the needle when the needle is positioned inside the tumor. The arrangement is further provided with heat generating elements in order to apply a short pulse of heat to the needle in order to lower the risk for the tumor to spread.
US07871378B1
This invention is a system, an apparatus and a method for measuring biomechanical properties of cornea and the intraocular pressure in vivo. More than one dimensional topographic information of the cornea is recorded and analyzed before and during the fluid discharge and converted to the stress-strain relationship and other cornea parameters, for example the cornea thickness and radius of curvature, etc. The deformation of cornea is initiated by a non-contact fluid discharge whose profile is predetermined and monitored in real time. Utilizing this non-contact topographer, the true intraocular pressure can be derived from the response of the cornea due to the impact of fluid discharge and the corneal topographic parameters. One embodiment of this invention includes the use of a multiple color strobe light/multiple detector system to record the corneal topographic deformation due to the impact of fluid discharge.
US07871377B2
The present invention provides a method of evaluating the human subconscious response to smell and a method of evaluating a subject's subconscious response to an aroma stimulus.
US07871372B2
An endoscope includes an insertion portion; a channel member that has one opening at a distal portion of the insertion portion and other opening at a portion other than the distal portion; an exterior member opening that communicatively connects an interior of the endoscope to outside; and a filter that is provided at the exterior member opening to prevent at least one of intrusion of dust into the interior and leakage of a lubricant agent stored in the endoscope out of the endoscope.
US07871369B2
Cardiac assist sleeve and methods for using and making the cardiac assist sleeve that includes first elongate strips and second elongate strips of memory alloy that change shape to change a volume of cardiac assist sleeve.
US07871363B1
A bumper pad for use in cushioning and protecting packaged articles is provided. The bumper pad is made primarily from paper and comprises an arced top member glued or otherwise affixed to a flat base along longitudinal edges. The bumper pad can be placed around the packaged article between the article and the outer packaging, which can be a cardboard sleeve, stretch wrap film or other packaging material. The arced top member preferably is formed using a linear draw process.
US07871355B2
A training device includes a motor including a sensor member connected therewith which is electrically connected to a vibration control unit which controls the motor via commands from a user. A torque output unit is connected with an output shaft of the motor and transfers a resistant force to users and to transfers the force from the user to the motor. The torque output unit includes a speed reduction unit and a tension unit so as to transfer proper force between the motor and the users. The vibration control unit sensing status of the motor according to input commands so as to control the motor simultaneously to generate vibration and resistant force on user's muscles by rotating to-and-fro repetitively.
US07871354B2
A procedure for increasing the readiness of crossover gearshifts in an automatic transmission which, with the switching command or immediately thereafter, a motor fueling is provided through which a snatch operation of the disengaging switching element and/or an increase of the rotational speed gradient (turbine revolution speed) is achieved.
US07871344B1
A dart with a dart tip and a cylindrical body. The tail end of the dart is smoothly contoured to promote end-over-end tumbling of the dart as it is thrown towards the dart board.
US07871341B2
The invention provides a golf ball material composed of (i) a non-ionomeric thermoplastic resin, (ii) an ionomeric resin and/or an acid-containing polymer which is the base resin of an ionomeric resin, and (iii) at least one compound selected from among N,N-dialkylaminoalkyl(meth)acrylamide, N,N-dialkylaminoalkyl(meth)acrylate and derivatives thereof. Methods for preparing such a material, and a golf ball which includes as a component therein a molded part made of the golf ball material are also provided. The golf ball material has a good thermal stability, flow and processability, and can thus be used to obtain high-performance golf balls having an excellent rebound resilience, an outstanding durability and a good flexibility.
US07871327B2
Gaming systems and methods of operation thereof are disclosed. Such gaming systems and methods allow a player of a gaming device, such as a slot machine or an arcade video game, to access entertainment services, such as broadcast television programming, web sites, pay-per-view services and shared-revenue telephone services, such as 900 or 976 services, for enhanced player retention. In accordance with one or more embodiments, when play is initiated, a predefined establishment-specific criteria is evaluated to determine whether the player should be provided with access to entertainment services. A player entitled to access such services may be presented with a list of available entertainment services. Upon receipt of the player's selection, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a connection may be established between the gaming device and the provider of the selected entertainment service. In accordance with one embodiment, the content that is the entertainment service is store in the memory of the gaming device or a peripheral device and output to the player. The player's level of play may be monitored to ensure that the establishment-specific criteria for maintaining access to such entertainment services is being met.
US07871324B2
A gaming device including a video display containing multiple or split screens displayed at one time. Each of the screens displays indicia relating to a single event and thus each of the screens preferably displays indicia relating to the other screens of the display. The screens preferably present the event a chronological or otherwise sequential manner. The screens can show different views of the event occurring at one time of the event and can show the same view of different times of the event in one display. At some point, in accordance with the event or theme of the bonus round, the game provides an award to the player in such a way that is exciting to the player. The game can employ one or more of the screens in awarding the player, wherein one or more screens displays the award, and wherein other screens celebrate the award.
US07871322B2
A game device provides a question to a plurality of players. The game device counts the number of players each having provided an answer to the question or each having provided a correct answer to the question. When the counted number of players reaches a predetermined number of players, a predetermined time limit is set. The game device measures an elapsed time from when the time limit has been set (i.e., a correct answer elapsed time), and stops accepting an answer to the question when the correct answer elapsed time reaches the time limit.
US07871309B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a polishing pad capable of high precision optical detection of an endpoint during polishing in progress and prevention of slurry leakage from between a polishing region and a light-transmitting region during the use thereof even after the polishing pad has been used for a long period. It is a second object of the invention to provide a polishing pad capable of suppression of deterioration of polishing characteristics (such as in-plane uniformity) and generation of scratches due to a difference in behavior of a polishing region and a light-transmitting region during polishing. It is a third object of the invention to provide a polishing pad having a polishing region and a light-transmitting region with a concentration of a specific metal equal to or lower than a specific value (threshold value).
US07871306B1
A lapping tool for lapping a wafer section in a well controlled manner, has a head with an actuator for bending the row tool, and a force multiplier coupled between the actuator and row tool to multiply the force generated by the actuator for application of greater bending force to the row tool than can be generated by the actuator. Furthermore, at least two actuators, which are controlled together, simultaneously apply force to one force multiplier, so as to further increase bending force. The increase in available force permits the use of a row tool of a ceramic or other material that is substantially stiffer than stainless steel, such as a row tool having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is substantially similar to that of the rowbar itself. The tool further includes structures for tilting or otherwise orienting the wafer section relative to the lapping plate.
US07871299B2
A connector of the present invention comprises a jack socket with a plurality of first terminals disposed at a cylindrical inner wall at predetermined intervals in a depth direction, a plug with a plurality of second terminals disposed at an outer wall thereof, constituting a plurality of electrical contacts by individually making contact with each of the first terminals in a state of insertion into the jack socket, and ring-shaped elastic seal members that seal each of the electrical contacts when the plug is inserted in the jack socket.
US07871298B2
A stacked card connector (100) has a terminal module with a set of first terminals (2). The first terminals (2) have cantilever beams (22) and the cantilever beams (22) substantially spread in a plane, the first terminals vertically extend a leg (21) from the plane to a bottom face of stacked card connector; the first set of terminals (2) have a front row of terminals and a rear row of terminals, the first terminals (2) have contact portions (231) and transverse beams (222) connecting the contact portions (231) and the cantilever beams (22), the cantilever beams (22) of the front row of terminals branching vertically to the cantilever beam form a cross bar (221), the transverse beams (222) of the rear row of terminals extend lengthwise poles intersecting the cross bar (221) at nodes (223). The nodes (223) keep the first terminals (2) in a plane before injecting molding, and are cut off through the cutouts (113) to form a hole (224), the nodes (223) can make the first terminals have good flatness.
US07871275B1
An interposer frame assembly includes a static frame and a biasing frame. The static and biasing frames include legs joined with and oriented at an angle with respect to one another. The legs include mounting surfaces and opposite upper surfaces that are interconnected by an inner side. The mounting surfaces have outwardly protruding posts and the inner sides have protrusions extending away from the legs. The posts are received in openings of an interposer assembly such that the static frame and the biasing frame are aligned on opposite sides of a contact field of the interposer assembly. The protrusions of the static frame and the biasing members of the biasing frame guide and retain a circuit board with contacts into a mated relationship with corresponding contacts in the contact field of the interposer assembly.
US07871269B2
The present invention relates to an improved dental impression tray and related methods. In one embodiment, a dental impression tray includes a first portion for receiving impression material from a source and a second portion is configured for receiving a patient's upper or lower teeth and will at least partial define a cavity shaped to receive the teeth during use. In use, impression material introduced into the first portion can pass through openings and into the second portion and around a patient's teeth.
US07871268B2
A method and system for selecting dental constructions using translucent materials that match an individual's preexisting tooth appearance uses a set of reference templates. The reference templates are constructed from layers of various translucent dental materials positioned on bases constructed from actual or simulated tooth structures. The layers of translucent materials have a thickness that varies in increments that correspond to the likely thicknesses of the materials when used in dental constructions. A reference table is created based upon color measurements of each of the reference templates. A color measurement of the individual's preexisting teeth is then compared to the reference table to determine which particular dental construction will most closely match the individuals preexisting teeth.
US07871263B2
A system for controlling air/fuel ratio in an air/fuel mixture supplied to a premix burner for gaseous fuels includes a blower (310) for inducting and pressurising combustion air, a Venturi-pipe (330) for governing a rate of gas to be mixed into the combustion air, and a pressure regulator (230) interconnecting a source of gaseous fuel to a supply point in the Venturi pipe (330). A preheated reaction chamber (500) and a lambda sond (620) are connected to a controller (350) controlling an amount of air bypassing said Venturi-pipe (330).
US07871253B2
The invention relates to a clamping device which clamps the pump stator with the pump housing and an additional pump end part. The width of the clamping bars is at least 20% of the cross section of the pump stator in order to stabilise the clamping device and the simplify handling. All parts which are required to clamp the pump end part remain on the clamping bars.
US07871250B2
A chemical liquid supplying apparatus can discharge chemical liquid with high accuracy and monitor a leakage of an incompressible medium from a region between a piston and a cylinder. A pump has a flexible tube for partitioning a pump chamber and a drive chamber, and the incompressible medium is supplied to the drive chamber by the piston reciprocating in a cylinder hole of the cylinder. A bellows cover is provided between the piston and the cylinder, and forms a seal chamber contiguous to a sliding face of the piston. A seal-chamber pressure sensor is attached to the cylinder so as to detect the pressure of the incompressible medium for sealing enclosed in the seal chamber, and a deterioration degree of a seal member is determined by detecting the pressure in the seal chamber.
US07871247B2
A high modulus component, such as an aircraft engine turbine blade, is formed from a base metal that has a high modulus crystallographic orientation that is aligned with the primary, i.e. radial, direction of the turbine blade. The base metal is Ni, Fe, Ti, Co, Al, Nb, or Mo based alloy. Alignment of a high modulus direction of the base metal with the primary direction provides enhanced high cycle fatigue life.
US07871245B2
Two pairs of ribs define three intermediate cooling chambers. Each rib in each pair extends parallel to the other rib in the pair. The ribs in a first pair are non-parallel to the ribs in a second pair. A first rib from the first pair is positioned spaced toward the leading edge. A first rib of the second pair is then serially positioned spaced toward the trailing edge. A second rib of the first pair is then positioned toward the trailing edge relative to the first rib in the second pair. A second rib in the second pair is then positioned toward the trailing edge relative to the second rib in the first pair.
US07871243B2
A containment system comprises at least one passage obstructer extending from a housing inlet cover through a diffuser passage and into a housing back cover. The passage obstructer includes a fastener portion, such as a bolt, and an obstructing portion extending from and integral to a shaft of the fastener portion. The diameter of the obstructing portion is less than the diameter of the shaft, allowing the obstructing portion to bend upon impact with a burst impeller fragment.
US07871240B2
A damped spring assembly includes a helical spring. The helical spring is movable along an axis and has a winding direction. A damper is movable along the axis and includes a helical shape. The damper is wound in a direction opposite the winding direction. The damper applies a radial load to the spring for damping movement of the spring along the axis as the spring vibrates. The damper has a very low axial spring rate and it contributes very little to the axial load provided by the spring.
US07871238B2
A vapor lock in a fuel pump can be prevented by reducing the formation of vapor within the fuel. A first group of concavities may be formed in an inner circumferential region of an intake side face of an impeller, and a second group of concavities may be formed concentrically in a region outside of the first group of concavities. A third group of concavities that communicates with the second group of concavities may be formed in a discharge side face of the impeller. The impeller is housed within a casing. A first groove that faces the first group of concavities and a second groove that faces the second group of concavities may be formed in the face of the casing that faces the intake side face of the impeller. A third groove that faces the third group of concavities may be formed in the face of the casing that faces the discharge side face of the impeller.
US07871235B2
An improved front loading or side loading refuse collection body includes an ejector panel which is moveable from a position immediately adjacent the front end of the storage compartment of the refuse collection body to a second position at the open rear end of the storage compartment. A compaction blade in a compaction chamber adjacent the front end of the storage compartment is independently driven by a second hydraulic ram. The ejector panel has an opening which is in registry with the compaction blade such that refuse propelled by the compaction blade moves into the storage compartment when the ejector panel is positioned adjacent the front end of the storage compartment.
US07871234B2
A cart transport apparatus for automatically transporting carts in which trays with medicine contained therein can be stored. The carts have a plurality of support panels (38) juxtaposed to each other, a lower connection member (41) connecting lower end portions of the plurality of support panels (38), and casters (44) positioned below the lower connection member (41). The cart transport apparatus includes a frame (51) having wheels (50) that can be rotatably driven. The frame (51) is movable beneath the lower connection member (41) of the cart (8). Also, the cart transfer apparatus is provided with grip members (55) for gripping the lower connection member 41 of the cart 8.
US07871228B2
The device (1) for stowing a vehicle when it is transported on a bearing plane (9) by one of its wheels or from an anchorage on the chassis is characterized in that it is constituted by the following means: a link (2) that has a coupling end (5) provided to engage with a tensioning and retaining mechanism (3), a tensioning end (6), and a sliding sheath (7) for support on a tyre, a mechanism for tensioning and retaining the link (2) that has a roll axis (10) of sufficient length to offer numerous transverse coiling positions of the strap, and a coupling and return assembly (4) passed through by the link (2). Said device therefore enables vehicles to be stowed in two ways: a) by coupling to the vehicle chassis and b) by stowing the vehicle by link (2) on its tyres. This invention relates to the transportation of vehicles on Lorries or railway trucks.
US07871225B2
A machine tool has a work space (17) in which a device (15) for accommodating workpieces (16) to be machined is arranged. The machine tool further has a work spindle (18) for machining the workpieces (16) and a slide (34) which carries the work spindle (18) and is traversable in a longitudinal direction relative to the device (15), a respective cover (25), variable in length in the longitudinal direction (x), for the work space (17) being provided on the slide (34) on each of its sides, said cover (25) being connected with its respective first end to the slide (34) and with its respective second end to a side wall (21, 22; 51) of the work space (17). Each cover (25) variable in length has a respective rear wall (26) and a respective top (27), whereby the top (27) is connected to the rear wall (26) in a detachable, push-in, manner. A further flexible cover (31) is arranged in front of the slide (34) to protect the work space (17) at the bottom. The flexible cover (31) is variable in a direction (y) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (x) and is partly designed as a link apron (54).
US07871223B2
A retaining wall block has parallel top and bottom faces, a front face, a rear face, first and second side wall faces and a vertical plane of symmetry extending between the front and rear faces. The block is formed as a body portion including the front face, a head portion including the rear face and a neck portion connecting the body portion and the head portion. The body, head and neck portions each extend between the top and bottom faces and between the first and second side wall faces. An opening extends through the neck portion from the top face to the bottom face, dividing the neck portion to into first and second neck wall members extending rearwardly from the body portion to the head portion.
US07871221B2
An anchoring base for a delineating pole using the reconfiguration of protruding resilient mechanical members to facilitate insertion and resist the subsequent extraction force on the pole. The mechanical members extend outwards relative to the insertion rod longitudinal axis, and bend or configure upon insertion of the anchoring base, into a first position that facilitates insertion while impeding and resisting axial extraction forces, and upon subsequent rotation of the anchoring base, the mechanical members bend or reconfigure into a second position such that the extraction resistance force is significantly reduced. The anchoring base design may be used in conjunction with a spring cartridge having a plurality of interlocking members forming a rigid mechanical structure during rotation.
US07871217B2
A pump dispenser has a large ergonomic actuator designed to ergonomically deliver a composition to a substrate in the consumer's hand without the consumer having to pick up the pump dispenser. The ergonomic design allows the composition to be delivered in a proper aspect ratio to the substrate. The composition can be delivered in such a way that the composition is not aerosolized into the air or delivered to an unintended surface. The method of delivery can be made intuitive to the consumer by providing an actuator skirt that suggests the pumping mechanism or by providing a depiction of a hand or substrate over the pump dispenser. The pump dispenser is also useful for compositions or substrates that are not stable together.
US07871215B2
A mailing machine for processing mailpiece envelopes, wherein a print station thereof is reconfigurable to process envelopes in two operating modes. The reconfigurable print station includes a displacement device having an integrated cutting mechanism to perform both printing and cutting operations. The displacement device includes a displacement surface for urging the mailpiece envelopes against a registration surface to facilitate print operations and a cutting mechanism coupled to the displacement device for cutting the sheet material in a direction substantially parallel to the processing path of the mailpiece envelope. The cutting device is adapted to be repositioned relative to the displacement surface such that, (i) in a first operating mode, the cutting device is retracted beneath or below the plane of the displacement surface, and (ii) in a second operating mode, the cutting device is extended above the plane of the displacement surface to cut the sheet material as it traverses the processing path. In the first operating mode, the print station is adapted to print delivery information/images, such as postage indicia, on a face surface of the mailpiece and, in the second operating mode, the print station is adapted to cut an edge of the mailpiece to open the envelope. The print heads may remain operational in the second operating mode to print mailpiece opening information such as the date, time, and/or location of mailpiece processing.
US07871212B2
A label producing apparatus has a pressure roller drive shaft for feeding a cover film supplied from a cartridge storing a cover film capable of supply, acquires the arrangement information by accessing a database storing and holding arrangement information of the article to be arranged, and has a print head and a cutter for producing an auxiliary label by forming the acquired arrangement information for the cover film fed by the pressure roller drive shaft.
US07871206B2
An imaging apparatus includes: an apparatus body having a substantially box-like shape and having an imaging lens provided on the front side; and a cover member including a sliding portion slidably supported on the front surface of the apparatus body, a pivotal portion pivotally supported at a side portion of the apparatus body and including a standing piece that faces the front surface of the apparatus body, and a connecting portion that connects the standing piece to the sliding portion, wherein causing the standing piece to face the front surface of the apparatus body produces a lens blocking state in which the imaging lens is blocked, whereas causing the standing piece to stand on the front surface of the apparatus body not only forms a grip formed of the pivotal portion and the connecting portion but also produces a lens unblocking state in which the imaging lens is unblocked.
US07871200B2
Provided is an aerostatic bearing spindle system using a unidirectional porous metal. The aerostatic bearing spindle system using a unidirectional porous metal may be used to serve as bearings in a region is in contact with the unidirectional porous metals when the unidirectional porous metals are rotated at a high speed, the unidirectional porous metals being manufactured with high porosity and directionality using the metallurgical method.
US07871199B2
A bitewing x-ray film holder for interproximal radiographic analysis. The device includes a bite block including a biting portion, a dental medium holder for placement of a dental x-ray imaging medium, and an alignment guide extending along the biting portion to aid a dental professional in achieving a perpendicular or near perpendicular relationship of the x-ray medium to the interproximal region of clenched maxilliary and mandibular teeth. The bite block also includes a textured portion extending substantially adjacent to the alignment guide to provide friction between the biting surfaces of the teeth and the bite block.
US07871183B2
A light source for an atomizing device, specifically an atom absorption spectrometer comprising one, two, or more lamps, whose ray can be selected by means of at least one two-dimensionally moveable optical selection element, and which can be directed in the direction of atomizing device. Fine-tuning is thereby achieved quickly with little constructive expenditure and with low costs. A very high degree of accuracy is possible from the selector through a rotational and highly adjustable rotation spindle.
US07871182B2
A light bulb cover for use with a recessed lighting fixture consisting of a rigid glass envelope having the outer shape of a flood light and mounting hardware for securing the glass envelope to a light bulb.
US07871173B2
A lighting device. The lighting device includes a base portion, a diffuser portion having a wall defining an inner cavity, wherein the wall includes a plurality of colors, the plurality of colors defining a color pattern, and a light source for illuminating the diffuser portion.
US07871172B2
A light diffusion plate includes a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first surface defines a plurality of first elongated arc-shaped grooves and a plurality of second elongated arc-shaped grooves therein. A width of the first elongated arc-shaped grooves decreases and a width of the second elongated arc-shaped grooves increase along the direction from one side to another side. The second surface forms a plurality of first elongated arc-shaped protrusions and a plurality of second elongated arc-shaped protrusions thereon. A width of the first elongated arc-shaped grooves decreases gradually and a width of the second elongated arc-shaped grooves increases gradually along the direction from one side to another side. A width of the first elongated arc-shaped protrusions decreases gradually and a width of the second elongated arc-shaped protrusions increases gradually along the direction from one side to another side.
US07871167B2
A projection image display apparatus includes a lens unit into which light modulated in accordance with an image signal is entered, a first reflecting mirror having a reflecting surface into which the light passing through the lens unit is entered and by which the light is converged, a second reflecting mirror for reflecting the light reflected by the first reflecting mirror, and a mirror actuator for changing a tilt angle of the second reflecting mirror with respect to the light.
US07871164B2
A homogeneously illuminating ophthalmic instrument includes an illumination device having a source of illumination, a homogenizing unit and a projection device, at least one organic or inorganic source of radiation with spectrally selective emission being used as a source of illumination. The illumination generated in this way enables correspondingly adapted visual and/or digital observation, recording or display of the examined regions of the eye by a visualizing unit.
US07871161B2
The invention relates to the devoid of a strap spectacles comprising two spectacle glasses (1, 2) which are arranged above the nose and each of which is preferably provided with a notch (3) embodied where said two glasses are jointed, wherein said glasses are paired by a connection element (5) which comprises a tongue (7) forming a lug for assembling the glasses (1, 2), the connection element (5) for the glasses and a kit for producing the spectacles.
US07871159B2
A system for use with a solid ink delivery system of a phase change ink imaging device comprises an insertion opening configured to enable insertion of ink sticks therethrough and into the ink delivery system. An insertion key is movably supported adjacent the insertion opening such that a portion of the insertion key protrudes into the insertion opening. The portion of the insertion key has a shape that is complementary to a key contour on a first ink stick and a second ink stick. A key positioner is operably coupled to the insertion key to move the insertion key between at least two different predetermined positions on the perimeter of the insertion opening. The predetermined positions include a first position that is complementary to a position of the key contour of the first ink stick and a second position that is complementary to a position of the key contour of the second ink stick.
US07871158B2
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a main tank, a sub tank, a negative pressure state indicator, a position detector, and a sub tank position indicator. The recording head discharges recording liquid. The main tank supplies the recording liquid. The sub tank is supplied with the recording liquid from the main tank and supplies the recording liquid to the recording head. The negative pressure state indicator is displaced according to a negative pressure state of the sub tank to indicate the negative pressure state of the sub tank. The position detector detects the displacement of the negative pressure state indicator as position information. The sub tank position indicator is detected by the position detector and indicates a position of the sub tank without being displaced according to the negative pressure state of the sub tank.
US07871157B2
Provided is a liquid-jet apparatus which can suppress liquid consumption by preventing air that can turn into bubbles from entering a liquid introducing columnar body in replacement of a liquid storage member and thus reducing a frequency of execution of a cleaning operation for discharging the bubbles inside a liquid passage. An ink introducing needle in a printer includes: a needle-like protrusion having a tapered portion whose diameter is gradually increased toward its base from its tip; and a straight portion formed linearly and continuously from the tapered portion. In the tapered portion of the needle-like protrusion in the ink introducing needle, groove portions extending to an edge portion of the tapered portion are provided.
US07871147B2
An image forming apparatus, for ejecting liquid from openings to form an image on a printing medium, includes a head cap for covering the opening surface through which the openings open when a liquid ejection head in which the openings are formed is not in use and for protecting the openings from external air, a rechargeable battery for activating the image forming apparatus, a fuel cell for charging the rechargeable battery, and a liquid path along which water generated as the fuel cell is activated is introduced into the head cap. With this arrangement, when the liquid ejection head is not activated, the moisture retention in the head cap can be achieved.
US07871146B2
The cleaning process best suited to the condition of an inkjet printer is selected and run, thereby removing nozzle clogging without wastefully consuming ink. The first time a cleaning switch 7 is operated a CL1 cleaning process is run. If the cleaning switch 7 is pressed a second time and the print pass count is less than e.g., 400, a CL2 cleaning process that uses more ink than the CL1 process is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used. If the print pass count is less than 400 the third time the switch is operated, the CL2 cleaning process is used, but the CL1 cleaning process is used if the print pass count is 400 or more. If the cleaning switch 7 is operated four or more times and the print pass count is less than 400, a YCL cleaning process that consumes substantially no ink is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used.
US07871138B2
An appliance includes a chassis defining a cavity and having an opening for accessing the cavity and a door assembly joined to the chassis. The door assembly includes a door for closing access to the opening, and the door assembly further includes a door lift sub-assembly having a horizontal slide and a vertical slide. The door is coupled to one of the horizontal slide and the vertical slide. The horizontal slide is moveable between a recessed position and an extended position and is configured to move the door in a substantially horizontal direction. The vertical slide is moveable between a closed position and an open position and is configured to move the door in a substantially vertical direction.
US07871128B2
A seat-back motion controller is used in a foldable vehicle seat to control motion of a seat back relative to a seat base. The motion controller includes a seat recliner configured to be locked to retain the seat back in a selected reclined position and unlocked to free the seat back to be pivoted forwardly to assume a forward-leaning seat-back dumping position to facilitate passenger access to a back seat area in a vehicle.
US07871124B1
The invention is an improved child safety seat that is integrated into a vehicle seat back. The seat back rotates vertically to allow the child safety seat to be revealed and integrated into the back of the vehicle seat. The child safety seat is capable of facing either forward or rear.
US07871121B1
An aerodynamic air dam device comprising a polychloroprene panel adapted for mounting on the front bumper of a vehicle, wherein the polychloroprene panel can wrap around the outer side corners of the bumper; a mounting strip positioned along the top edge of the panel for holding the panel in place by clamping the panel between the mounting strip and the bumper; a bolt for inserting through a coinciding strip aperture, panel aperture, and bumper of a vehicle, wherein the bolt together with a nut secure the mounting strip and the panel to the bumper.
US07871119B2
A door trim panel including a cover stock, an armrest coupled to the cover stock and having a first density, an upper energy absorber disposed above the armrest and having a second density higher than the first density, and a lower energy absorber disposed below the armrest and having a third density higher than the first density.
US07871111B2
A clamp is disclosed which structurally replaces a cracked P3a weld in the piping of a BWRi's core spray line. The clamp includes upper and lower clamp bodies that are joined together by clamp bolts held by keeper nuts with crimp collars engaging the bolts. Upper and lower curved jaws of the clamp bodies contact the piping at a plurality of contact points to form gaps between the piping and curved jaws to thereby ensure that the clamp engages the piping and seals the cracked weld. Conically shaped ends of stop bolts inserted into the upper curved jaw seat into conical holes machined in the core spray line piping to prevent the piping cracked weld from separating after the clamp is installed.
US07871109B1
A drain basin has a basin with walls and a cavity therein. The basin can have one or more sleeves coupled thereto. The sleeves are in communication with the cavity. The sleeves form pipe couplings to the basin. Each sleeve has a free end and a fixed end. The fixed end is coupled to the basin. The sleeve has an inside diameter that decreases toward the fixed end, which inside diameter is structured and arranged to receive the outside diameter of a small pipe. The sleeve also has an outside diameter that increases toward the fixed end, which outside diameter is structured and arranged to receive the inside diameter of a larger pipe. In addition, catches are provided to couple a corrugated pipe to the sleeve. The catches comprise fingers that flex or projections on ribs. Thus, the drain basin allows several diameters of several different pipes to be coupled to the drain basin.
US07871108B2
A mount for a machine includes a mounting member having an insertion portion and a shoulder portion. During assembly, the insertion portion is swaged into an opening in the frame. A mating member attached to a machine structure is seated on the shoulder portion, and a cap may be attached to the shoulder portion such that the mating member is disposed between the cap and the shoulder portion.
US07871103B2
A bezel (44) of a coat hook-equipped roof side register (42) is fixed by fastening, at the coat hook main body portion (50) side, to a mount bracket (76) on a body side by a mount bolt (72), and is elastically engaged, at a louver (84) side, with a mount bracket (108) on the body side by an engaging member (106). Furthermore, a first end portion (110A) of a strap (110) is fixed to the bezel (44) by a screw (114). A second end portion (110B) of the strap (110) is fastened together with the coat hook main body portion (50) to the mount bracket (76) by the mount bolt (72).
US07871102B2
A fastener assembly includes a metal first component having two flange portions defining a receiving slot therebetween, and a polymeric component received in the receiving slot in an assembled position. When rotated 90 degrees the second component outwardly displaces first and second deflectable wings of the first component to extended positions.
US07871097B2
A hitch assembly that comprises a coupling tongue with a first end and a second end, a substantially U-shaped clevis that is substantially flat in cross section, pivotally coupled to the second end of the coupling tongue by a hitch pin, and an opening formed by the coupling tongue and the clevis, sized to receive a towing member. The hitch assembly is particularly suited for connecting a tow strap or belt to a commercially available tubular trailer hitch receiver, for use in towing operations.
US07871089B1
A trash container hand truck system includes a container that has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall. Wheels are attached to the peripheral wall and a cover is hingedly coupled to the container. A post has a bottom end, a top end and a front side. A plate is attached to the front side of the post adjacent to the bottom end. The plate is positionable under the bottom wall. A support is attached to the post and extends laterally away in opposite directions from the front side of the post. A pair of hooks is attached to the support and engage the handle. An arm has a first end and a second end. The first end is hingedly coupled to the post and extends rearward of the front side. A wheel is rotatably coupled to the second end of the arm.
US07871084B2
A telescopic actuator includes a motor, an input flange rotated by the motor, a male screw member coupled to the input flange, a female screw member threadedly engaged with the male screw member, an output rod coupled to the female screw member, the output rod being moved in an axial direction thereof to output a thrust force when the input flange is rotated, and a housing inside which the male screw member and the female screw member are accommodated. The input flange is supported by the housing such that a relative movement of the input flange with respect to the housing is allowed in a radial direction but restricted in the axial direction.
US07871082B2
Anti-roll system especially for a vehicle, comprising system control means, a tank (4) and a pump (3) for a hydraulic fluid, and two or more stabilizers, each stabilizer comprising an actuator (5, 6) which is arranged to control the relevant stabilizer's moment in dependency of the hydraulic pressure at the actuator's terminals. Each actuator has either one or both of its terminals (A, B) connected to a first terminal (I) of a pressure control module (8) which has a second terminal (II) connected to the tank's inlet side and a third terminal (III) to the pump's outlet side. The control means and each control module are arranged to supply a fluid pressure at its first terminal under control of said control means. The pressure control modules (8) may comprise a series connection of two pressure control valves (1, 2) e.g. pressure relief or limitation valves. As an alternative the pressure control modules (8) comprise a three-way pressure control valve (9), e.g. a three-way pressure reduction valve. To minimize energy consumption of the pump during moderate cornering and straight line driving a pressure control valve is provided in parallel to the three-way pressure control valve.
US07871079B2
A sealing assembly having a flexible sleeve and a means for sealing a top portion of the sleeve around a plurality of cables, such as by a hook and loop type fastener attached at the top portion of the sleeve. The sleeve is configured to receive at least one cable therethrough and a bottom portion of the sleeve is configured to be secured to a surface. The sleeve can also be electrically conductive such that the sleeve dissipates static electricity from the cable to the surface. The sealing assembly can also have a grommet positioned adjacent the bottom portion of the sleeve. The grommet has a first wall having a plurality of apertures for connecting the grommet to a surface and a second wall that extends substantially perpendicular to the first wall and is configured to extend through an aperture in the surface. The second wall is flexible to protect the cable from sharp edges associated with the aperture in the surface.
US07871078B2
A piston ring includes a running surface having a running surface profile, and an upper flank surface and a lower flank surface. At least the running surface is provided with a vapor-deposited layer such that part of the running surface is provided with a removable cover enabling an essentially sharp-edged running edge to be formed between the running surface and at least one of the flank surfaces, once the vapor-deposited layer has been produced and the cover has been removed.
US07871077B2
In certain embodiments, the present invention relates to poker dice and methods of gameplay using poker dice that (i) allows game participants to roll all of the common poker hands (high card, pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush), in an efficient manner, (ii) enhances the gameplay of the poker-related dice game by using six-sided dice, and (iii) enhances the gameplay of the poker-related dice game by allowing wildcards to be incorporated into the poker dice.
US07871075B2
An image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path, a pair of rollers configured to rotate in a conveyance direction to convey a sheet in the path by holding the sheet, and to reversely rotate in a direction opposite thereto. The reverse rotation is regulated so that the pair of rollers may reversely rotate within a predetermined amount. A sub-unit is releasable from a body of the image forming apparatus.
US07871069B2
Disclosed is a sheet roller capable of achieving compactness and thinness, and improves space usability and design freedom. The sheet roller includes a roller body coupled with the rotation shaft, a plurality of coupling members coupled with a side surface of the roller body in order to surround a part of an outer peripheral surface of the roller body, and disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body in such a manner as to be spaced apart from one another, and an elastic sheet interposed between the roller body and each of the plurality of coupling members. The roller body is formed to have a predetermined thickness thereof while maintaining a predetermined shape and strength thereof, and thus, improving space usability and the design freedom of an automatic transaction machine where the sheet roller is mounted.
US07871064B2
A repair fixture for supporting large cylindrical objects such as a generator rotor, to facilitate field maintenance operations. The fixture has two spaced Vee-blocks that are supported by and moved within vertical channels formed within peripheral stanchions. Clevises are rotatably connected at one end to both lateral sides of the Vee-block and at the other end to a hydraulic piston that is employed to raise and lower the Vee-blocks in unison to accommodate various maintenance requirements.
US07871060B2
A solenoid actuator includes a generally cylindrical armature captured to a generally annular coil tube by means of interference geometry. A major portion of the coil tube has a first inside diameter and a second portion of the coil tube has a second, smaller inside diameter. A first portion of the armature has an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the first portion of the coil tube, and a second portion of the armature has an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the second portion of the coil tube. The armature is inserted within the coil tube such that the second portion of the armature is free to slide through the second end of the coil tube. A coil tube end closure, for example, a plug, is joined to the first portion of the coil tube. An O-ring provides a seal between the end closure and the tube. A wound electromagnetic coil surrounds the coil tube and can be selectively energized to displace the armature.
US07871054B2
The present invention is a formliner apparatus comprising a plurality of substantially planar layers. The formliner further comprises a plurality of ribs extending in a direction away from the substantially planar layers and defining a plurality of recesses within the formliner in conjunction with the substantially planar layers, each of the plurality of ribs extending to a preselected rib plane. The present invention further comprises at least one resilient ridge on each rib defining each recess, each at least one resilient ridge extending into an adjacent recess, wherein each substantially planar layer is substantially parallel with the rib plane and located a preselected variance depth distance from the rib plane, each variance depth distance for at least some of the substantially planar layers being preselected from a preselected variance depth distance range, wherein each preselected variance depth distance not being equal to every other variance depth distance.
US07871042B2
A toroidal shaped or ring fuel tank located within the loft line of a blended wing body aircraft is disclosed. The ring tank may be used in an aircraft to store liquid hydrogen fuel with a reduced tank weight. The ring tank may be continuous with no tank end domes typically found on cylindrical pressure tanks, reducing tank weight for a given fuel volume. The ring tank configuration avoids increasing the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft and does not encroach on usable passenger or payload areas of the aircraft. In one example the ring tank may be configured in a nose down position such that the forward portion of the ring tank is outside the pressurized cabin area.
US07871036B2
A balloon launch unit produces lift gas to enable balloon launch or to allow the prolongation of balloon flight. A method of using the balloon launch unit can include reforming a fuel source by reaction with water to generate hydrogen-rich lift gas mixtures, and injecting the lift gas into a balloon. A reforming operation can include causing the combustion of a combustible material with ambient oxygen for the release of energy; and heating a reforming combination of reaction fuel and water with the energy released from the combustion of the combustible material, to a temperature above that required for the reforming reaction wherein the fuel and water sources are reformed into lift gas. The amount of the combustible material combusted is sufficient to result in the release of enough energy to heat an amount of the reforming reaction fuel and water sources to the temperature above that required for the reforming reaction.
US07871033B2
An aircraft is equipped with hingeless rotors on tilting nacelles, and the tilt angles of the nacelles are controlled using either or both of an actuator and a mast moment generated by a hingeless rotor. An aircraft with two or more rotors on tilting nacelles can achieve control of yaw orientation by differential tilt of its nacelles or masts. Hingeless rotors can be manipulated to control a tilt angle of a mast by changing the rotor blade pitch to produce a mast moment. The rotor and nacelle tilt of a tiltrotor rotorcraft can be controlled and effected in order to manipulate the yaw orientation and flight mode of a rotorcraft such as a tiltrotor. The use of mast moment to control nacelle tilt angle can reduce tilt actuator loads and allows for the control of nacelle tilt even in the event of an actuator failure.
US07871032B2
A helicopter that adopts a two-stroke internal combustion engine equipped with a centrifugal force-resistant propeller fan or fan turbine, or that can rotate clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) during driving to directly propel the rotors and realize flight using a rotor wing that reconfigures into a hovering state. The helicopter reduces emissions via improved ventilation and a scavenging air system, reduces aerodynamic loss, reduces the access fee, and possesses the functions of a rotor wing that reconfigures into a hovering state.
US07871017B2
Awning of the type that is to be mounted on or in a facade or a wall of a building or on a vehicle, comprising a frame and sunshade means in the form of a screen which, in mounted condition, is movable with respect to the facade or wall. With the frame a spraying installation is integrated for dispersing a spray from the frame. The spraying installation comprises at least one nozzle mounted in the frame for dispersing the spray mainly under the screen. Furthermore, impeller means may be provided for effecting an improved dispersion of the spray.
US07871015B2
A rail joint assembly joining the ends of two rails together includes a pair of joint bars. Each joint bar having one side configured to the rail web side. Mechanical fasteners mount the joint bars to the web sides. Pairs of load bearing keys are embedded in web counter bores at predetermined depths into the webs and embedded in adjacent joint bar counter bores at predetermined depths into the joint bars. The pairs of keys in the webs and the joint bars transfer railway loads through the joint and substantially strengthen the rail joint assembly.
US07871011B2
The chip card comprises a card body and an embedded chip module having a plurality of contact fields connected to respective terminals of the chip. The card body further comprises a positioning feature adapted to univocally identify said contact fields according to their location and orientation on the card body. The positioning feature is a hole or a notch formed on the card body in an area including the chip module such as a contact field which has no electrical functionality as contact field C6 according to ISO 7816-2. The invention is particularly adapted to card bodies including a plug-in removable portion of smaller size comprising said chip module and said positioning feature such as smaller size “mini-plug” SIMs for mobile phones.
US07871000B2
An authentication method includes determining that a unique overt identifier is associated with a product; detecting that a random covert identifier is associated with the product, wherein the covert identifier includes at least one taggant particle, the unique overt identifier is combined with the random covert identifier, and the unique overt identifier is not a function of the random covert identifier; and comparing the unique overt identifier and the random covert identifier respectively to a unique overt number and a random covert number stored in a database.
US07870998B2
A method, system and computer program product for private information exchange in smart card commerce is disclosed. The method includes, in response to determining that an item of biometric data received on a biometric reader corresponds to an authorized user, unlocking a communication channel on a communication port, exchanging public keys between the user and authorized point of sale, receiving an information request from an external point of sale machine across the communication channel, decrypting an information request and parsing a data token. In response to determining that private data has been requested in the information request, a user is prompted for authorization to release the private information, and private information exchange in smart card commerce is performed by, in response to the user pressing a yes button on the smart card, placing an encrypted copy of the private data in the public area of the smart card for transmission across the communication channel to the external point of sale machine.
US07870994B2
A carton for containing a plurality of articles and a blank for forming such carton. The carton has panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton. The panels comprise a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. At least two end flaps are respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels. The end flaps at least partially form a closed end of the carton. A dispenser allows access to the articles in the carton and includes a dispenser panel that is at least partially defined by a tear line in the carton. The dispenser panel is for being at least partially removed for at least further opening a dispenser opening in the closed end. The closed end of the carton comprises an end wall that angles inward toward the interior of the carton.
US07870987B1
A fastener driving tool includes a housing, a nose assembly having a fastener passage configured to allow fasteners to be advanced therethrough, and a safety contact assembly movable in relation to the nose assembly between a disable position and an enable position. A magazine assembly is configured to supply fasteners toward the nose assembly, and a driver is configured to cause a fastener located in the fastener passage to be advanced within the nose assembly. The nose assembly includes (i) a base member defining at least a portion of the fastener passage and has a first recess and a second recess which are spaced apart from each other, (ii) a first protection insert located in the first recess, and (iii) a second protection insert located in the second recess. The base member defines a leading side surface and a trailing side surface. The leading side surface defines an ejection orifice that is aligned with the fastener passage. The leading side surface defines a first opening aligned with the first recess and a second opening aligned with the second recess, and the trailing side surface defines a third opening aligned with the first recess and a fourth opening aligned with the second recess. The first protection insert extends through the first opening and the third opening, and the second protection insert extends through the second opening and the fourth opening.
US07870986B2
A lead-in roller clearance adjustment mechanism includes a pair of lead-in rollers for guiding a web with a clearance therebetween and a clearance adjustment mechanism for adjusting an amount of clearance. The lead-in roller clearance adjustment mechanism further includes motors for driving the clearance adjustment mechanism and potentiometers for detecting output positions of these motors, and adjusts the amount of clearance automatically. A clearance adjustment device includes a control device for an automated paper threading device and for clearance adjustment between the lead-in rollers, a web thickness of the web being inputted in the control device, the control device controlling the motors to set the amount of clearance at a predetermined value before threading the web into a lead-in roller unit, and to set the amount of clearance at a value corresponding to the inputted web thickness of the web after threading the web into the lead-in roller unit.
US07870981B2
The bracelet donning assistance device is a clamping device for holding a bracelet, allowing the user to easily secure the bracelet about his or her wrist, using only his or her other hand to clasp the bracelet. The bracelet donning assistance device includes a tray having a base and at least one sidewall, defining an open interior region therein for storing jewelry. A shaft is provided, with the shaft having opposed upper and lower ends. The lower end thereof is pivotal with respect to an upper surface of the base of the tray. Additionally, a clamp is secured to the upper end of the shaft for releasably holding the bracelet. A pair of lids are pivotally secured to the at least one sidewall for releasably covering and sealing the open interior region of the tray.
US07870980B2
A closure includes a flip-top member including an elongated flange, a base member including a curved flange extending from the base member, and a hinge to connect the flip-top member and the base member. The base member has an opening therein. A portion of the elongated member is configured to reside within the opening when the closure is in a closed position.
US07870979B2
A container for storing pourable contents having a cover with a spout wall upwardly extending from the top surface of the cover. The spout wall has a pouring section which gradually reduces in height to the front of the spout. On either side of the pouring section the spout wall also has a spill inhibiting section to prevent spilling as the contents of the container is poured. The container also has a removable lid which mates with the spout wall to prevent contents from spilling over the spout wall when the container is being used for dispensing.
US07870978B2
The pump for dispensing fluid products includes a pump body (10), a pump chamber (20) at least one piston (72) sliding inside the pump chamber (20) for dispensing a fluid product, a dispensing orifice (45) and a shutter (38) which interacts with the dispensing orifice (45) and is embodied in such a way that it is movable and/or deformable between the closed position of the dispensing orifice (45) and the open position thereof, the shutter being elastically driven to a closed position. The pump includes only one elastic element (50) in the form of a spring for bringing at least one piston (72) to a rest position after actuation and for driving the shutter (38) to a closed position and the pump body (10) is embodied in one piece with the shutter (38).
