US07874167B2
Methods and apparatus for producing saline slush for surgical applications. Producing surgical saline slush in a slush bottle that is a rigid or semi-rigid, high integrity, sturdy container that resists punctures and leaks to better maintain a sterile barrier and does not rely on having an external object placed in the fluid to mix the slush. Slush is agitated by rotating the slush bottle within a slush bottle carriage around an axis of rotation. Agitation of the slush may be increased by including an agitation feature such as at least one fin in one or more sidewalls of the slush bottle. The rotating slush bottle is chilled. One variation is to keep the sterile saline in a flexible container and tumble the flexible container in a rotating slush bottle. Other variations are suggested.
US07874164B2
A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine comprises a nozzle body defining a passage extending therethrough and a flange around the nozzle body extending radially and outwardly from the nozzle body. The flange defines a mounting face thereof and a plurality of mounting holes in the mounting face extending through the flange. The mounting face includes a contacting land protruding from the mounting face for abutting a mounting surface of a support structure of the engine when the fuel nozzle is mounted to the support structure.
US07874159B2
A gas turbine combustion chamber wall has an outer wall skin and an inner wall skin, with the outer wall skin (9) and the inner wall skin (10) being arranged essentially parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other by a gap (14). The outer wall skin (9) is provided with inlet openings (8) for the supply of cooling air. The inner wall skin (10) is provided with dampening openings (17), whose center axes are perpendicular to the inner wall skin (10), and with cooling openings (18), whose center axes are inclined at a certain angle to the inner wall skin (10).
US07874153B2
The invention relates to a hydrostatic drive (1) and to a method of braking a hydrostatic drive (1). In the hydrostatic drive (1), in a closed circuit a hydraulic pump (3) is connected by a first and a second working line (11, 12) to a hydraulic motor (4). The hydrostatic drive (1) comprises a brake actuation device (37) as well as at least one pressure relief valve (26, 30), which is connected to the working line disposed downstream of the hydraulic motor (4). The hydraulic pump (3) upon detection of an actuation of the brake actuation device (37) is adjustable to a braking delivery rate. The hydraulic motor (4) is adjusted in dependence upon the actuating intensity of the brake actuation device (37) in the direction of a larger absorption volume if the actuating intensity of the brake actuation device (37) increases.
US07874143B2
An air-fuel ratio control apparatus and control method thereof performs air-fuel ratio feedback control based on an estimated value (i.e., an upstream side estimated air-fuel ratio) of an air-fuel ratio of gas discharged from a combustion chamber into an exhaust passage and an output value of an air-fuel ratio sensor downstream of a catalyst. This upstream side estimated air-fuel ratio is accurately estimated based on an operating state of the engine and a combustion state (i.e., the degree of misfire in the combustion chamber) of the engine.
US07874140B2
A method of and a power plant for generating power by combusting carbonaceous fuel with substantially pure oxygen, and a method of modifying a process of generating power by combusting carbonaceous fuel from combusting the fuel with air to combusting the fuel with substantially pure oxygen. The methods include feeding substantially pure oxygen into a furnace for combusting fuel with the oxygen to produce exhaust gas including mainly carbon dioxide and water, recovering low-grade heat from the exhaust gas by using multiple exhaust gas coolers arranged in a downstream portion of the exhaust gas channel, wherein a first portion of the recovered low-grade heat is used for preheating feedwater; pressurizing a first portion of the exhaust gas in multiple exhaust gas compressors so as to produce liquid carbon dioxide, recycling a second portion of the exhaust gas to the furnace via an exhaust gas recycling channel, using a first portion of steam extracted from a steam turbine system to preheat feedwater, wherein the first portion of the recovered low-grade heat is more than 50% of the total amount of recovered low-grade heat, or larger than the first portion of the recovered low-grade heat in the air-fired process, allowing minimizing of the first portion of the extracted steam, and the expanding of a second portion of the extracted steam in at least one auxiliary steam turbine for driving at least one compressor or at least one pump of the power plant.
US07874136B2
A containment system for containing fragments of a burst rotor including first and second means for frangibly connecting a containment element to first and second walls, the first and second means rupturing upon being subjected to a load mainly produced by a translational motion of at least one fragment impacting the element.
US07874132B2
A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with flexible cutterbar assembly sections, multiple arms supporting respective cutterbar assembly sections, and a header height sensing system including sensors and a pair of electrical comparator circuits. At least two sensors are provided for each cutterbar assembly section, with each sensor coupled to one of the support arms. The electrical comparator circuits each include sensor inputs in electrical communication with the sensors coupled to the respective cutterbar assembly section to receive arm position signals associated with each cutterbar assembly section.
US07874131B2
A riding stirrup includes a supporting structure terminating in a solid shape and a mechanical assembly pivotably mounted on the supporting structure and around the solid shape. Additionally, the riding stirrup includes a floor assembly including at least one U-shaped profile, a floor, and one or more resilient structures, wherein the floor assembly is mounted on the mechanical assembly for vertical movement relative to an axis of the solid shape.
US07874130B2
An improved wrapping apparatus for an ice-cream sandwich-making machine comprises an oscillating arm and cam which drives a horizontal slider plate connected to a frame, and a pusher unit connected to an air cylinder; an improved paper feeder system, including separate paper and knife drives, air compression springs, and a paper low sensor; and a hinged exit tray.
US07874120B2
Sufficient yield strength is achieved against tensile, compressive and shearing forces working on steel frame columns and steel frame girders by using simply configured connective fittings to reduce costs and construction periods. For this purpose, a connective structure of highly rigid steel frame columns and steel frame girders formed by connecting steel frame columns and steel frame girders each having a web part and flange parts with connective fittings is provided. Each of the connective fittings has a bottom plate part and, on a surface of the bottom plate part, side plate parts which rise at a substantially right angle to the bottom plate part and have inserting areas extending farther than a tip of the bottom plate part in the state of rising at the substantially right angle. On the other hand, slit holes are formed in the flange parts of the steel frame columns in the area where the flange parts cross the flange parts of the steel frame girders, the inserting areas of the side plate parts are inserted into the slit holes, the inserting areas of the side plate parts are fixed in a state of opposing the web parts of the steel frame columns, and the bottom plate parts of the connective fittings are fixed in a state of opposing the flange parts of the steel frame girders.
US07874112B2
Methods of constructing concrete walls that include placing a plurality of cleats along a wall perimeter, securing the cleats to a surface under the wall perimeter, placing a plurality of insulating concrete forms along the perimeter, and placing concrete into the insulating concrete forms to form the insulating concrete wall. The cleats include a base plate, a first vertical flange extending approximately perpendicular from the base plate, and a second vertical flange extending approximately parallel to the first vertical flange. The space defined by the first vertical flange, second vertical flange and the base plate, is adapted to receive a bottom portion of a form component or a bottom portion of a form. The insulating concrete forms are placed along the perimeter such that a bottom portion of the form components or a bottom portion of the form are press fit into the defined space.
US07874109B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for making a fireproof panel. The fireproof panel includes a first ply of material and a ceramic material impregnating at least a portion of the first ply of material, the ceramic material formulated to resist loss of physical properties when exposed to temperatures of at least 1090° C.
US07874108B2
A window frame comprising top, bottom, and opposed side frame elements connected together to define a rectangular frame, each element having front and back faces and inner and outer edges whereby the outer edges define the frame perimeter. An inner channel extends along the outer edges of at least the side elements, closer to the back face than to the front face. The frame optionally has another channel extending along the outer edges of at least the side elements, closer to the front face than to the back face. Mounting strips are located in the inner channels, having outer edges outside the perimeter of the frame, forming a flange for mounting the frame to a wall surrounding the window to be framed.
US07874106B2
Various embodiments of the invention are directed to a sill flashing assembly configured to fit within a lower portion of an opening in a wall. The sill flashing assembly comprises: (1) a central sill flashing member having a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially vertical portion; and (2) at least one end dam member. The substantially vertical portion extends upwardly adjacent an interior edge of the substantially horizontal portion, and the substantially vertical portion defines at least one channel. The end dam member has a planar base and at least one tab extending at an angle greater than zero degrees from an interior edge of the planar base. The tab has a height that is shorter than a height of the interior edge of the planar base, and the tab engages the channel when the end dam member is installed adjacent an end of the central sill flashing member.
US07874104B2
According to the invention, a car door has a window opening defined by an upward part extending from a rear upper end of a door panel and a sash assembly; a stationary panel fitted in a rear window opening defined by the sash assembly and a center sash; a curved edge of the upward part defines a bottom of the window opening; and a weather strip including a part engaging a periphery of the stationary panel, attached to the periphery of the window opening, serving as a seal, and having an inner lip extending from an inner edge of the part engaging the periphery of the stationary panel and an outer lip extending toward and being in contact with an external part of the curved edge of the outer panel.
US07874089B2
A rotation apparatus includes at least one magnet, and a flexible suspension coupled to the at least one magnet. The at least one magnet is suspended from the suspension. Moreover, when the flexible suspension causes rotation in a first direction via a force, the at least one magnet alternately rotates in the first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction.
US07874080B1
A measuring device has a first elongate body element, a second elongate body element, and an elongate ruler element. The first and second elongate body elements slidably engage each other, and the elongate ruler element is slidably engaged adjacent the first elongate body element. A plurality of ruler markings on the elongate ruler element enable measuring the sag of a vehicle. A partial-fastening element fastens the elongate ruler element to the first elongate body element. A body fastening clip is attached to a top end of the first elongate body element for removably engaging a body of the vehicle. A hub engagement post is attached to the second elongate body element for removably engaging a hub of the vehicle. A method of using the measuring device to measure the sag of the vehicle is also disclosed.
US07874067B1
According to certain embodiments of the invention, a single chip COB USB manufacturing is using chip-on-board (COB) processes on a PCB panel with multiple individual USB PCB substrates. This single chip COB USB is laid out in an array of N×M matrixes. The advantages of this method are: 1) use molding over PCBA, versus conventional of using SMT process to mount all necessary component on substrate to form PCBA; 2) simpler rectangular structure to fit any external decorative shell package for added value; and 3) package is moisture resistance if not water proof.
US07874066B2
A device-incorporated substrate and a method of manufacturing a device-incorporated substrate, as well as a printed circuit board and a method of manufacturing a printed circuit board in which a fine-pitch conductor pattern can be formed on an insulating layer with high precision while securing the dimensional stability of the conductor pattern, are provided. A transfer sheet (61) has a structure that includes two layers, a metal base material (62) and a dissolvee metal layer (64), and a conductor pattern (55) is formed on the dissolvee metal layer (64) through electroplating. Then, after the transfer sheet (61) on which the conductor pattern (55) is formed is adhered onto an insulating base material (51), the transfer sheet (61) is removed through a step of separating the metal base material (62) from the dissolvee metal layer (64), and a step of selectively dissolving and removing the dissolvee metal layer (64) with respect to the conductor pattern (55).
US07874062B2
A method of making a magnetic head according to one embodiment comprises forming a shield layer having first and second recesses in first and second end regions which surround a central region; depositing first and second lead layers in the first and the second recesses; and forming a read sensor in the central region such that a first edge of the read sensor is positioned above an edge of the first lead layer and a second edge of the read sensor is positioned above an edge of the second lead layer.
US07874057B1
A wheel trolley assembly that enables easier and more efficient tire rotation is provided. Various service stations, one of which includes the wheel trolley assembly, are arranged sequentially one after the other by means of a series of conveyor means, each positioned in a manner which allows them to rotate independently of one another, while at the same time facilitating the transfer of vehicles from one station to the next. The wheel trolley assembly and series of independently-moving conveyors greatly increase the efficiency and speed of vehicle service, thereby increasing the volume of vehicles which can be serviced as well as customer satisfaction levels.
US07874047B2
A ratcheting tie-down device is provided that includes a main body portion, a hub rotatable relative to the main body portion about an axis, a webbing windable about the hub, and means for attaching at least one end of the webbing to an object. The device further includes means for biasing winding of webbing, a ratchet wheel having a plurality of ratchet teeth, a lock member resiliently biased into locking engagement with at least one ratchet tooth to inhibit unwinding of the webbing about the hub, and a lever arm rotatable about the axis for moving the ratchet wheel and wind the webbing. In one example, the device a rotational support element is provided to maintain orientation of the hub such that it can freely rotate. In another example, means for braking is provided to inhibit winding of at least some portion of the webbing about the hub.
US07874034B1
A multiple use tool providing a variety of different features for use by firefighters as a hose coupling wrenches, pin and lug wrenches, valve wrenches, hose carrying and anchoring hooks, a glass cutting tool, a rope rapelling and belay apparatus and several other common firefighter tools all provided in a single tool, compact and conveniently provided in a single device.
US07874029B2
A retractable toe tent device is provided to elevate the covers at the foot of the bed so that a person may sleep comfortably without the weight of the covers on their feet, thereby preventing pain or discomfort in their toes, feet, ankles, or knees. The device is comprised of a base and a telescoping support which can be raised while in use, or lowered while not in use.
US07874025B2
A grab bar assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes: a grab bar having a first aperture and a second aperture defined along an axis; a post which receives the grab bar; an insert which pass through the first aperture and abut the second aperture; and a fastener mounted through the post and the second aperture along the axis, the fastener receivable into the insert to retain the grab bar within the post.
US07874023B1
A system and method for an inflatable swimming pool cover that is elevated above the water line, particularly for above ground pools, is herein disclosed. The cover is configured with a donut-shaped air pillow around a higher center air pillow. The donut-shaped air pillow maintains the cover above the levels of the pool sidewalls such that rain, snow, leaves and the like are directed off the pool cover to the ground, thus eliminating unwanted debris from accumulating on the cover. Further, since no water can collect on the pool cover, the risk of drowning by young children or pets that may accidentally be trapped upon or within the pool cover is significantly reduced. The two air pillows are interconnected with a tube structure and also an air filling tube that extends to the side of the pool to allow the air pillows to be filled or refilled from the perimeter. A plurality of straps secures the pillows in place to the underside of the pool cover.
US07877816B2
Microscope, in particular a scanning probe microscope, comprising a programmable logic device.
US07877806B2
A method, system, computer program product and/or computer readable medium of instructions for detecting malicious software, comprising intercepting a request to perform an activity in a processing system; determining an entity associated with the activity, wherein the entity comprises at least one of: a requesting entity of the activity; and a target entity of the activity; analysing the entity and the activity to determine if the request is associated with malicious software; and in the event that the request is determined to be associated with malicious software, restricting the request to perform the activity in the processing system.
US07877794B2
A method and system for relaying communications between a communication terminal and a server. The relay apparatus receives from the communication terminal an access request for a service to be performed by the server. The access request identifies the server and the service, designates use of an inter-server encrypted communication system, specifies performing authentication of the relay apparatus, and specifies an authentication server to issue ticket information including an identification (ID) character string that identifies the relay apparatus. The relay apparatus receives the ticket information from the authentication server. The relay apparatus, encrypts the access request and transmits the encrypted access request and the ticket information to the server. The server uses the ticket information to authenticate the relay apparatus. The relay apparatus decrypts the access reply and transmits the decrypted access reply to the communication apparatus.
US07877793B2
A method and apparatus for digital content access control comprises receiving an authenticated digital content request based at least in part on a digital content request comprising a request for digital content, validating the authenticated digital content request and providing the digital content if the authenticated digital content request is valid. The validating comprises indicating the authenticated digital content request is valid if the authenticated digital content request is validly associated with the digital content and if the authenticated digital content request authenticates the digital content request, and indicating the authenticated digital content request is invalid if the authenticated digital content request is not validly associated with the digital content.
US07877785B2
The invention concerns a method of providing a terminal (10) with an emergency access over a WLAN (2) to a LAN (3), and a communication system (1) to execute this method. The LAN (3) comprises one or more access points (20) and an access control function (21) which admits data packets from users of the WLAN (2) associated with a first SSID to the LAN (3). One or more emergency SSIDs dedicated to allow access to the LAN (3) in an emergency case are defined. An emergency call is initiated by sending data packets from the terminal (10) associated with a selected emergency SSID to one of the one or more access points (20). The access control function (21) admits the data packets from the terminal (10) associated with the selected emergency SSID to the LAN (3). The data packets from the terminal (10) associated with the selected emergency SSID are routed, after admission to the LAN (3), to an emergency answering point (60).
US07877783B1
In one embodiment of the present invention, a messaging program at a remote computer can send a first message to a portal computer according to a one-way protocol such as HTTP. A portal program at the portal computer can receive the first message and determine if information should be sent to the portal computer. If so, the portal computer can generate a reply message that includes the information and send the reply message to remote computer on the same connection over which the first message was received. In this manner, the portal computer can send configuration control information and other information to the messaging program without requiring leased lines, dial-up connections or a VPN. Moreover, since the communication according to the one-way protocol was initiated at the remote computer, a firewall will allow the remote computer to receive the reply message.
US07877782B2
A management computer collects, from a storage subsystem via a management network, path definition information including the contents of a security setting made to a path accessible to a volume in the storage subsystem, and when the volume in the storage subsystem is an original volume having a replica volume, replica definition information of the original volume. Based on the replica configuration information thus collected from the storage subsystem, the replica relationship between the volumes is to be grasped. Then, based on the path definition information also collected from the storage subsystem, the contents of the path security setting are verified for the volumes under the same replica relationship, and the verification result is output. In such a structure, consistency verification can be easily done for the security setting of the original and replica volumes.
US07877779B2
A host includes a plurality of High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) ports. A controller is configured to receive a source external to the host. The controller is further configured to collect HDMI information associated with more than one HDMI port in response to the request.
US07877777B2
When a request for a transmitting method of video frames of the client apparatus is received in a communicating unit to communicate with said client apparatus, whether the received request for the transmitting method of the video frames is a request for the transmitting method of the video frames for recording or a request for the transmitting method of the video frames for a live display is discriminated. If the received request for the transmitting method of the video frames is the request for the transmitting method of the video frames for recording, each of the video frames formed in an image sensing unit is temporarily stored in a memory and each of the stored video frames is transmitted. If the received request for the transmitting method of the video frames is the request for the transmitting method of the video frames for the live display, a process for transmitting the latest frame among the video frames formed in the image sensing unit is repetitively executed.
US07877769B2
Disclosed is a type of meta data structure that provides data and/or or a link to such data that is used by an EPG generator in a DTV receiver to display visually-compelling information about an event. Such information can include: an icon associated with the broadcaster of the event and/or the source of the event; a graphic representing a rating of potentially-objectionable content in the event; a still image representative of or having a relation to the event; a video excerpt of or having a relation to the event; an advertisement related to the event, its broadcaster and/or its source; etc.
US07877766B1
A method and system of providing a non-skippable sub-advertisement stream. The general idea of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention is that when a user of an electronic digital recording/play back device causes it to fast forward through or skip over a recorded television advertisement, an overlay screen corresponding to the skipped advertisement is displayed on a portion of a television screen once the user resumes watching the recorded television show in normal play back mode. As such, the user is exposed to content of the skipped advertisement while viewing the recorded television show. In this manner, the user of the electronic digital recording/play back device is unable to easily avoid viewing content corresponding to the skipped advertisement.
US07877758B2
Menu-driven translator software prompts a computer user to create procedures for controlling modules external to the computer. The software prompts a non-programmer to enter familiar terms to create devices having a read or write interface, and to describe device functions for communicating with the external modules. Using created devices, the software conveniently prompts the user to compose sequences for running tests on modules, evaluating module responses, and logging results. Preferred translator software includes a User Module for controlling access rights, a Device Editor for creating devices, a Sequence Editor for creating sequences, a Sequence Execution Module for running sequences, and a Records Module for managing files created by the software and ensuring strict version control. The translator software may be embodied as a computer readable medium storing a series of process steps allowing the user to create the procedures.
US07877752B2
Methods and systems for coordinating the handling of information are disclosed herein and may include scheduling multiple processing tasks for processing multimedia data by a processor. A portion of the scheduled multiple processing tasks may be preprocessed and the preprocessed portion may be buffered within a modifiable buffer that handles overflow and underflow. A portion of the buffered preprocessed portion of the scheduled multiple processing tasks may be executed. The scheduling may utilize a non-preemptive scheduling algorithm, such as an earliest deadline first (EDF) scheduling algorithm and/or a rate monotonic (RM) scheduling algorithm. The scheduled multiple processing tasks may include at least one maximum real deadline. The preprocessed portion of the scheduled multiple processing tasks may be outputted during processing of the blocking task, if a current task of the scheduled multiple processing tasks comprises a blocking task.
US07877746B2
A method includes personalizing a software installation file. The personalizing includes providing the file with a unique identifier included as part of a file name associated with the file. Another method includes installing a software application from the personalized installation file, extracting the indication from the file name and using the indication to personalize the software application.
US07877741B2
A method and corresponding apparatus for compiling high-level languages into specific processor architectures are provided. In this embodiment, the specific processor is encapsulated in a virtual processor interface with simple instruction set architecture, and a compiler translates application programs into corresponding assembly codes. Further, the difficulty of the compiler design is reduced.
US07877728B2
Replacement of a signal address referred to in a sequence program is carried out by storing in advance, before-after replacement information which specifies the relationship between signal addresses before replacement and signal addresses after replacement in a format with a specifying of range. Based on the stored before-after replacement information, all the signal addresses to be replaced are searched for in the editing target sequence program or replacement target symbol information. Replacement of a searched signal address with a corresponding after-replacement signal address is executed in accordance with the before-after replacement information.
US07877727B2
A method, system and apparatus are directed to application generation, and more particularly, to generating a user interface enabled application for an embedded device. A configuration file defining at least a hierarchical state machine (HSM) is received and/or pre-loaded. Based on the received configuration file, an intermediate version of the HSM is generated, wherein a child state of the intermediate version is enabled to pass an unconsumed event to a parent state of the child state. Based on the intermediate version, an invocation of at least one user interface (UI) element associated with a state of the intermediate version is enabled. The intermediate version may be executed and/or interpreted by an event-state engine on an embedded device.
US07877725B2
Many web services require different application programs to access their data. Further, as new web services are developed, they may not be compatible with current application programs. Methods and servers are presented for dynamically generating an application program for interaction with a service, the service interacting with a terminal via a network. One exemplary method comprises obtaining schema definitions of the service, the service interacts with the application executed on a terminal via a network and parsing the schema definition. A plurality of interface element definitions from the parsed schema definition is generated. An application template using the plurality of interface element definitions is assembled and customized. The application is generated using the application template.
US07877723B2
Provided are a method of fabricating a semiconductor and an apparatus using the method, and more particularly, a method of effectively arranging assist features on the mask and an apparatus using the method. The method of arranging mask patterns includes separately calculating contributions of an assist feature to image intensity at an optimal focus and at a defocus position and placing the assist feature at a position where the contribution of the assist feature to the image intensity is greater at the defocus position than at the optimal focus position. The method includes a first operation of obtaining a first contribution function for contribution of an assist feature to image intensity at a main feature at a first focus position; a second operation of obtaining a second contribution function for contribution of the assist feature to the image intensity at the main feature at a second focus position; and a third operation of determining the position of the assist feature to be a position satisfying a condition that a linear combination of the first contribution function and the second contribution function exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
US07877722B2
Systems and methods for creating inspection recipes are provided. One computer-implemented method for creating an inspection recipe includes acquiring a first design and one or more characteristics of output of an inspection system for a wafer on which the first design is printed using a manufacturing process. The method also includes creating an inspection recipe for a second design using the first design and the one or more characteristics of the output acquired for the wafer on which the first design is printed. The first and second designs are different. The inspection recipe will be used for inspecting wafers after the second design is printed on the wafers using the manufacturing process.
US07877707B2
“Real-world” gestures such as hand or finger movements/orientations that are generally recognized to mean certain things (e.g., an “OK” hand signal generally indicates an affirmative response) can be interpreted by a touch or hover sensitive device to more efficiently and accurately effect intended operations. These gestures can include, but are not limited to, “OK gestures,” “grasp everything gestures,” “stamp of approval gestures,” “circle select gestures,” “X to delete gestures,” “knock to inquire gestures,” “hitchhiker directional gestures,” and “shape gestures.” In addition, gestures can be used to provide identification and allow or deny access to applications, files, and the like.
US07877693B2
A method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for facilitating application sharing. In operation, a user selects at least one of a plurality of applications operating on a first computer to share with at least a second computer. The user then selects at least one of a plurality of security measures for preventing a user operating the second computer from performing at least one of a plurality of unauthorized operations. Next, the user initiates applications sharing on the first computer, wherein the user operating the second computer may access or observe an application running on the first computer, but may not perform any unauthorized operations on the first computer.
US07877684B2
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for producing a calendar. A report, which includes an image and is contributed by a contributor, is recorded and distributed. The invention counts the number of viewings of the image in the report by a viewer, and acquires information on a photographing density. This photographing density expresses the number of images photographed or contributed in a predetermined period before and after a time and date when the image in the report was photographed or contributed. The invention extracts an image for a calendar on the basis of the number of viewings and the photographing density from among the images contributed or photographed in a predetermined month. When a calendar production instruction is received, the invention produces a calendar for the predetermined month when the image was contributed or photographed using the extracted image.
US07877683B2
A computer-based method for generating a report. The computer-based method includes: initializing a plurality of report parameters; determining a report editing mode based a selected report editing mode; generating a filtered list of report components based on the plurality of report parameters and the report editing mode; determining a report component based on selection from the filtered list of report components; and inserting the report component into the report at a pre-determined first position derived from a first priority of the report component.
US07877667B2
In order to correct an error in input data to thereby obtain write data, in a memory core, an EXOR element performs arithmetic processing based on an output result of an output data latch for latching read data and a result of inputted array input data, and a selector selects a result of the arithmetic processing to prepare write data. Thus, data obtained after performance of the arithmetic processing can be generated in a semiconductor memory by an operation performed immediately after data read. In addition, it is unnecessary to transfer data to an external logic circuit. Therefore, the result of the arithmetic processing can be written to a memory cell block in a subsequent clock.
US07877662B2
A system is provided to encode data for recording onto media whereby modulation and linear constraints from a concatenated code or product code are imposed. A first array of unencoded user data is generated. Each row is modulation encoded to enforce a first modulation constraint; the array is transformed into a second array which is transformed into a third array having predetermined empty locations in each column interleaved with the modulated data. A C2-parity byte is computed for at least some of the empty locations of the third array and a fourth array is generated. C1-parity symbols in each row are computed, generating a fifth array. A second modulation constraint is enforced on each C1-parity symbol in each row of the fifth array, generating a sixth array. The rows of the sixth array are assembled with header and sync fields for recording onto a recording media.
US07877653B2
The disclosure provides a novel method and apparatus for inputting addresses to devices to select the device TAP for access. Further, the disclosure provides a novel method and apparatus for inputting addresses for selecting device TAPs and for inputting commands for commanding circuitry within the device. The inputting of addresses or the inputting of addresses and commands is initiated by a control bit input on TDI that is recognized during the Run Test/Idle, Pause-DR or Pause-IR TAP states.
US07877640B2
A system and method are provided to provide enhanced exception messages for exceptions thrown by virtual machines. In one embodiment, an exception is detected when it is thrown at a virtual machine when a programming error is detected. A first message is associated to the exception, the first message including a default message. A request is received for a second message to be associated with the exception. The second message is associated to the exception in response to the request, the second message including an extended message explaining the exception.
US07877634B2
This invention intends to provide a data collecting apparatus and a gateway apparatus capable of reducing the labor for setting the threshold value or condition used for a real running point, reducing the number of cases where the threshold value or condition is erroneously set and setting the threshold value or condition within a narrow range.The data collecting apparatus includes device value collecting unit 2 for collecting device values from a plurality of devices, abnormal state storage unit 3 for storing the monitored device to be monitored and the threshold value or condition by which it is determined that the monitored device is abnormal, abnormal state confirming unit 4 for comparing the device values of the plurality of devices with the threshold value or condition by which it is determined that the monitored device is abnormal, determining whether or not the device is abnormal and if abnormal, sending the information that the monitored device is abnormal to a host managing device, device feature information detecting unit for detecting the feature information from device value collected by the device value collecting unit 2 and abnormal state editing unit 8 for editing the threshold value or condition by which it is determined that the monitored device is abnormal, stored in the abnormal state storage unit 3, using the feature information detected.
US07877619B2
In some embodiments, a power up (or power mode) interface is provided whereby a chip's power up signals are encoded into multiple states to provide more functions than the number of signals used to define the states.
US07877614B2
A process for securing the access to the resources of an Information Handling System (I.H.S.) in accordance with the present invention which involves the steps of: initiating a first preliminary qualification process for the purpose of generating a system qualification file (SQF) comprising a list and identifiers of components detected within the system; encrypting the qualification file in order to create a reference system qualification signature (RQS); and storing the reference qualification signature (RQS); and initiating preliminary to a transaction or to a service to be secured, a validation process for the purpose of generating a new system qualification file; encrypting the new system qualification file in order to generate a checking signature; and comparing the checking signature with the reference signature and, in response to the comparison, allowing or denying access to the transaction or service.
US07877613B2
Techniques for using a class loader to protect mobile code against a malicious host. The techniques include using the class loader to extend a class used by the mobile code such that a method is added to the code which authenticates the mobile code. When executed, the method provides a dynamic watermark that authenticates the code. The method may be encrypted until it is added to the code. One such method uses a static watermark in the code to determine whether the code has been modified. The techniques also include using a class loader to extend the class such that obfuscated symbolic names in the program that correspond to symbolic names defined by the class can be resolved. A way of doing this is to include a first association between the obfuscated symbolic names and encrypted forms of the corresponding symbolic names in the program and to make a second association between the encrypted forms of the corresponding symbolic names and information used to resolve the symbolic names defined in the class. The loader then uses the first and second associations to resolve the obfuscated names.
US07877611B2
A distributed Personal Digital Identification (PDI) system and architecture rapidly verifies individuals using biometric data or other tokens prior to approving a transaction and/or granting access to an on-line services and other network services. The architecture that includes a server that has access to template data required to authenticate individuals, and the processing capacity to route authenticated requests to the appropriate downstream entity (Internet Service Provider, Credit Card Company, etc.). The server is connected to requesting users by various network methods to form a client/server architecture. The server and clients each contain discrete subsystems, which provide various levels of authentication services to users of the system.
US07877610B2
A signature scheme is provided in which a message is divided into a first portion which is hidden and is recovered during verification, and a second portion which is visible and is required as input to the verification algorithm. A first signature component is generated by encrypting the first portion alone. An intermediate component is formed by combining the first component and the visible portion and cryptographically hashing them. A second signature component is then formed using the intermediate component and the signature comprises the first and second components with the visible portion. A verification of the signature combines a first component derived only from the hidden portion of the message with the visible portion and produces a hash of the combination. The computed hash is used together with publicly available information to generate a bit string corresponding to the hidden portion. If the required redundancy is present the signature is accepted and the message reconstructed from the recovered bit string and the visible portion.
US07877606B2
A method of authorizing printing of a publication at a printer by a publisher in a network is provided, in which an alias identity of a user is created from both a sensing device identity and an application identity when the user interacts with a printed application tag associated with the publication using the sensing device, the publication is addressed to the user by the alias identity, the publication is signed using a private key of the publisher, the signed publication is sent to the printer, and it is confirmed that the signed publication may be printed at the printer by verifying the private key signature.
US07877599B2
The preferred instance of the present invention is a method and computer program product that specifies an array of elements to be incorporated into a firewall configuration protocol. When added to the configuration protocol, these added attributes allow the existing packet filtering mechanism to accommodate a terminal device that has moved and received a new IP address in a timely and efficient manner.
US07877597B2
An anonymous peer-to-peer network has a security protocol that allows hosts in the network to determine whether data received from the network is valid. The requesting host can explicitly determine the data transfer route in packet header information. Each host address on route is encrypted with a public key of a directly preceding host. Consequently, the requesting host can exclude from the data transfer route any host through which the requesting host does not wish to route data. Error detecting codes are used to validate the transmitted data.
US07877593B2
The present invention presents a non-volatile memory system that adapts its performance to one or more system related situation. If a situation occurs where the memory will require more than the allotted time for completing an operation, the memory can switch from its normal operating mode to a high performance mode in order to complete the operation quickly enough. Conversely, if a situation arises where reliability could be an issue (such as partial page programming), the controller could switch to a high reliability mode. In either case, once the trigging system situation has returned to normal, the memory reverts to the normal operation. The detection of such situations can be used both for programming and data relocation operations. An exemplary embodiment is based on firmware programmable performance.
US07877588B2
This invention provides a remote control capable of automatically sending signals to a variety of electronic devices so that a user does not have to send signals to each of the electronic devices individually. The remote control may include a dedicated button that when activated may send signals to a plurality of electronic devices to perform one or more operations. The remote control may send the signals simultaneously or sequentially. The signals may be also encoded with the specific address for each of the plurality of electronic devices. This way, only the electronic device with the matching address may receive the signal. The signals may be also encoded with any number of commands such as turn “on” or turn “off” so that each electronic device may perform a similar or different operation as other electronic devices. The remote control may be any type of device that may be distinct from the electronic device such as a hand-held device. The electronic devices may be any type of electronic device that may be controlled remotely either through a hardwire or wirelessly.
US07877587B2
A branch prediction mechanism 16, 18 within a multithreaded processor having hardware scheduling logic 6, 8, 10, 12 uses a shared global history table 18 which is indexed by respective branch history registers 20, 22 for each program thread. Different mappings are used between preceding branch behavior and the prediction value stored within respective branch history registers 20, 22. These different mappings may be provided by inverters placed into the shift in paths for the branch history registers 20, 22 or by adders 40, 42 or in some other way. The different mappings help to equalise the probability of use of the particular storage locations within the global history table 18 such that the plurality of program threads are not competing excessively for the same storage locations corresponding to the more commonly occurring patterns of preceding branch behavior.
US07877573B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for computing a parallel prefix sum using one or more cooperative thread arrays (CTA) within a graphics processing unit. The prefix sum input list is partitioned and distributed to each CTA. Within each CTA, the input list is further partitioned for processing by individual threads in a way that avoids access conflicts to memory. Each list partition within the CTA is assigned to one of a plurality of concurrent threads, which executes a prefix sum operation the partition. The final values of the prefix sum operations form a list that is then subjected to a second prefix sum operation. Each element of the second prefix sum operation is added to each element of the subsequent partition, completing the prefix sum operation within the CTA. This technique may be extended to prefix sum operations that span two or more CTAs.
US07877572B2
Apparatus and method are described for a data processing device. The data processor includes features suitable for executing a software virtual machine. The data processor provides an instruction set that supports object-level memory protection suitable for high speed operation. Memory control logic is provided to accommodate a configuration having relatively less random access memory (RAM) as compared to re-programmable, nonvolatile memory, and to improve access to the re-programmable, nonvolatile memory.
US07877562B2
A flash memory stores a boot program of a host system and its backup program. A memory controller determines whether or not the boot program is stored properly in the flash memory when the host system is to be activated. The memory controller reads out the boot program in a case where the boot program is stored properly, and reads out the backup program in a case where the boot program is not stored properly. Then, the memory controller supplies the read-out boot program or backup program to the host system. This makes it possible to avoid a situation that the host system cannot be activated due to the boot program not being able to be executed.
US07877546B2
Upon receiving a request for one or a set of data blocks associated with a given data segment, a disk cache controller may retrieve into cache the some part of the entire data segment from a disk. Each data segment on a disk may include a fixed number of data blocks, and all data segments may include the same number of data blocks. Data segments may be dynamically defined and their locations and sizes may vary from segment to segment. Data segments may be defined when data is written to the disk, or may be defined at a later point. A table associated with a cache controller may store information as to the physical location or address on a disk of the starting point and/or size of each data segment.
US07877544B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a storage manager application implemented in a first computational device maintains a virtual logical volume that has a plurality of segments created by the storage manager application. At least one additional copy of at least one of the plurality of segments is maintained in at least one linear storage medium of a secondary storage. A request for data is received, at the first computational device, from a second computational device. At least one of the plurality of segments and the at least one additional copy are used to respond to the received request for data.
US07877535B2
Disclosed are a processor and an interrupt handling method. The processor of the present exemplary embodiments may include a plurality of processing elements and may predict whether a periodic interrupt occurs during a parallel processing mode before entering a mode in which the plurality of processing elements share a single task to process the single task in parallel. The processor may delay entering the parallel processing mode based on the prediction. The processor may reduce overhead that stores a context of the plurality of processing elements when the interrupt occurs.
US07877530B2
There is provided a method and apparatus for bus negotiation. One such method includes determining a configuration of a first bond pad, the first bond pad indicating whether a host is configured to communicate with a fixed data storage device or a removable data storage device. If the first bond pad indicates the host is configured to communicate with a fixed data storage device, then the method additionally includes determining the configuration of a second bond pad. The second bond pad indicates the supported bus width of the fixed data storage device.
US07877528B2
Methods and systems for input/output pads in a mobile multimedia processor are disclosed and may include receiving data from a host device in an integrated circuit having at least one contact pad and generating at least one control signal that controls the contact pads. The received data may be processed by the MMP based on the generated at least one control signal, or may be passed through the MMP in a bypass mode based on the control signal, thereby allowing the received data to pass through the MMP without processing to an external memory via the at least one contact pad, thereby sharing the external memory with the host device. The data may be transferred to external memory coupled to a contact pad on the MMP when the received data is to be passed through the MMP. The received data may be stored temporarily before transfer to an external device.
US07877527B2
A computer design based on a platform of multiple central processing units (CPUs). When running multiple applications, each of the multiple CPUs performs all the processing for one of the individual applications. All of the multiple CPUs may operate below the physical layer of the OSI model. They may communicate with each other in a various manners, and they each communicate with a “gateway” CPU that is logically disposed above them on the physical level. The gateway CPU acts as a door or clearinghouse to and from the underground layer. The processing that occurs by the multiple CPUs on the underground layer allows a higher level of security, reliability, and speed compared to conventional single-CPU multitasking systems.
US07877519B2
Provided are a method, system, and program for selecting one of a plurality of adapters to use to transmit a packet. A packet is generated by a protocol driver having connection information in a packet header. A determination is made as to whether there is one value in a table for the connection information. The packet and the determined value are forwarded to a network driver in response to determining that the table has one value for the connection information. The network driver uses the forwarded value to determine one of a plurality of adapters to use to transmit the packet over a network.
US07877512B2
An isolation switch blade Fiber Channel switch presents F_ports to form a first Fiber Channel fabric and N_ports to a second Fiber Channel fabric to appear as node devices. The isolation switch blade may be used to connect a plurality of blade servers to a Fiber Channel fabric. Fabric events engendered by the insertion or removal of hot-pluggable devices are handled by the isolation switch blade and “event storms” on the Fiber Channel fabric are avoided. The isolation switch blade presents the blade servers to the FC fabric as a virtualized N_port.
US07877505B1
A method for communication includes associating respective feature chains with a plurality of interfaces of a data switch. The feature chains include service features. A respective failure policy is defined for each of one or more of the service features in each of the feature chains. Upon detecting a failure in a service feature in a feature chain associated with one of the interfaces, data packets are routed through the data switch while applying, responsively to the failure, the respective failure policy to the one of the interfaces.
US07877502B2
Methods and systems for remote data collection and distribution include components and operations for receiving, at a server, data transmitted by a first client device via a communication network. The method may also include selecting, by one or more client devices associated with the communication network, a second device to receive the data. The method may further include establishing a connection between the server and the selected second device via the communication network. The method may also include automatically transmitting the received data to the second device using the connection via the communication network. The method may further include causing, by the one or more client devices, the second device to execute a predefined operation.
US07877500B2
The present invention is directed to voice communication devices in which an audio stream is divided into a sequence of individual packets, each of which is routed via pathways that can vary depending on the availability of network resources. All embodiments of the invention rely on an acoustic prioritization agent that assigns a priority value to the packets. The priority value is based on factors such as whether the packet contains voice activity and the degree of acoustic similarity between this packet and adjacent packets in the sequence. A confidence level, associated with the priority value, may also be assigned. In one embodiment, network congestion is reduced by deliberately failing to transmit packets that are judged to be acoustically similar to adjacent packets; the expectation is that, under these circumstances, traditional packet loss concealment algorithms in the receiving device will construct an acceptably accurate replica of the missing packet. In another embodiment, the receiving device can reduce the number of packets stored in its jitter buffer, and therefore the latency of the speech signal, by selectively deleting one or more packets within sustained silences or non-varying speech events. In both embodiments, the ability of the system to drop appropriate packets may be enhanced by taking into account the confidence levels associated with the priority assessments.
US07877498B2
The invention streams data by identifying an existing streaming data channel and disabling the channel so that data can not be streamed; breaking the channel to form at least one pair of channel connection points; connecting at least one streaming data plug-in between the connection points; and enabling the channel so that streaming data can flow through the channel via the plug-in, wherein the at least one plug-in can process the streaming data as it flows trough the channel.
US07877497B2
A system and method are provided for on-demand media streaming from a user's own media library to a user's receiving device that may be located in a different location from that where the media library is stored. The present invention provides an out-of-the box on-demand media server device that may be used by itself, in conjunction with a personal computer, or in conjunction with a personal home stereo system or video system. The on-demand media server includes security mechanisms that allow a user to establish a private server that only the user may communicate with and gain access to the user's media library. In one particular embodiment, a smart card or other removable media are used as a security device to ensure that access to the media files on the user's personal on-demand media streaming server is limited to the user. In addition, the system and method provides an on-demand conversion of the media in the user's personal media library to an appropriate format.
US07877478B2
A method for evaluating system behavior of an application domain within a grid environment can include the step of identifying a host software object within the application domain. A software object can be associated with the host software object. Within the associated software object, host actions can be replicated. Replicated actions can be recorded. The host software object can move from one grid within the grid environment to a different grid. The associated software object can responsively move within the grid environment in accordance with movement of the host software object.
US07877477B2
A method for discovering managed systems in a network including classifying a first managed system associated with a first active Internet Protocol (IP) address in the network using a plurality of network protocols, identifying a set of drivers using the classification, where the set of drivers are configured to obtain first management information about the managed system, obtaining a first set of drivers, populating a data model with the first management information obtain using at least one of the first set of drivers, and managing the first managed system using the data model.
US07877473B2
A method of exchanging content between a source device and a connected device based on a detected transfer mode. In a first mode, the source device retrieves data from a connected device and revokes the access right information corresponding to the content at the connected device. In a second mode, which is based on the detection of a group identification scheme included in the content, the content may be copied back and forth between the source device and the connected device without any revocation of access rights.
US07877469B2
A system is provided that includes a manager device that executes a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) manager. The system also includes an agent device coupled to the manager device. The agent device executes a SNMP agent that selectively provides access to managed data. The SNMP manager enables a user to issue a login command. The SNMP agent processes the login command and, if the user is authenticated, allows the user to access the managed data using a session identifier.
US07877467B2
This network equipment system is a system of a functional processing system, and is configured so that each network device performs a function assigned to itself whereby the whole system performs the predetermined action. Each network device has a function memory part 10, a variable memory exchanger 11, an execution function selector 12, and a function execution part 13. The variable memory exchanger 11 is connected to each network device through a telecommunications line, and it stores a variable necessary for execution of the functions stored in the function memory part 10 of each network device, and it shares the variable among the network devices. The execution function selector refers the variable stored in the variable memory exchanger, and it selects an executable function out of the functions stored in the function memory part. The function execution part executes the function selected by the execution function selector and updates the variable stored in the variable memory exchanger by the execution result.
US07877459B2
Techniques for modifying requests or browser viewable documents (e.g., markup language documents) are described. By modifying requests or browser viewable documents, access to resources residing on remote servers through an intermediate server is facilitated. In one embodiment, Universal Resource Locators (URLs) associated with requests or markup language documents are modified. The techniques are suitable for both secure and unsecure requests. The techniques can also modify requests or browser viewable documents at the intermediate server, a client device, or both.
US07877456B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for data forwarding storage and search. A method includes, in a network of interconnected computer systems, receiving a request from a source system in the network to store a data file, directing the data file to a computer memory of a first computer system in a network, saving a file name of the data file in an index file associated with a central server in the network, scrambling a copy of the data file, saving the copied scrambled data in a database of scrambled data files associated with the central server, and continuously forwarding the data file from the first computer memory to other computer memories in the network without storing on any physical storage device in the first network.
US07877443B2
The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for web conference participant display render acknowledgment. The method comprises: providing shared information to at least one participant of a web conference; determining a screen rendering status of the shared information in a web browser of each participant of the web conference; obtaining the screen rendering status of the shared information from each participant; and displaying information regarding the screen rendering status of the shared information to a moderator of the web conference.
US07877441B2
A method and system is provided for processing function on demand operation. A user interface at a user site is initiated. A selection of a processing function associated with an application is received via the user interface. A processing function on-demand (PFOD) request is transmitted via a network connection to request the selected processing function. As a response to the PFOD request, a processing function on-demand (PFOD) delivery including the selected processing function is sent. When the PFOD delivery is received, the selected processing function is utilized at the user site.
US07877435B2
A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product are presented for decomposing a transaction pipeline by capturing metric data about the completion of transactions within the transaction pipeline, such as an elapsed time that is required to complete a transaction at each stage of the transaction pipeline. A set of agents are among a set of servers that respond to transaction requests for resources. Two or more servers can be substantially logically grouped into a transaction pipeline in which an upstream server precedes a downstream server if the upstream server initiates a subsequent transaction to the downstream server so as to complete a previous transaction at the upstream server. Each agent is associated with a server in the transaction pipeline. An agent gathers metric data about transactions that are initiated by the agent, which are directed to a downstream server of the server with which each agent is associated.
US07877429B1
FIR filter apparatus comprises an input responsive to an input signal and an FIR filter that comprises three filter stages. A first delay circuit has a first time delay coupled between two of the three filter stages. A second delay circuit has a second time delay coupled between another two of the three filter stages. The first time delay and second time delay are different.
US07877426B2
A performance-enhancing system and method of accessing file system objects are provided. The system and method entail determining a plurality of file system objects that are frequently being accessed. Each one of these file system objects has a pathname and an inode number. The inode number is used to locate the file system object on a storage system. The pathname of each file system object and its inode number are cross-referenced and cached. Having a whole pathname of a file cross-referenced with its inode number and entered into a memory allows the inode number to be obtained with one memory access instead of the many memory accesses that are usually required.
US07877425B2
A computer file management system allowing at least one of one file (F1) and/or one directory (D3) to belong to two or more directories (D1, D2). The file management system is characterized in that a file or directory specified by an operator of the computer or a program operating on the computer as an object to be operated has all the directories present on the directory path as parent directories. This system is a novel file management system capable of classifying/organizing files and directories more easily and naturally than in the conventional system without requiring additional operation.
US07877418B2
A schema for storing the meta data that describes relational databases. Advantageously, the schema can be used in both database vendor environments and toolkit vendor environments, thereby facilitating the sharing of relational database types. In addition, by describing the schema in a standard modeling language, even among multiple implementations of storage systems designed according to the schema, the conceptual structure and understanding of each storage system can be the same.
US07877416B2
The present invention provides a methodology for truncating a logical structure having data matching a predefined pattern. For example, the present invention truncates a logical structure so that branches of the structure are automatically ceased at a recursive ancestor instead of at a descendant. By using the methodology of the present invention, the total number of nodes of the logical structure that will be automatically displayed for a user is represented by the formula N*N+1. Thus, when N=10, the total number of nodes that are automatically displayed for the user is 101. This quantity is far more user friendly than the 9,864,101 nodes that would be displayed when N=10 under previous approaches.
US07877408B2
A system and method are provided for matching a track set from a digital audio recording to metadata relating to the recording. Track duration data is obtained for the track set, and the track duration data is rounded. A search is performed for matching records in a first database based on the rounded track duration data, each resulting matching record having an identifier. Track duration data is retrieved from a second database based on the identifiers associated with the matching records. If more than one matching record is found, the track duration data retrieved from the second database is compared to the track duration data obtained for the track set to find a best matching record of in the second database. Metadata contained in the best matching record of the second database is output.
US07877398B2
A method and system of masking a group of related data values. A record in an unmasked data file of n records is read. The record includes a first set of data values of data elements included in a related data group (RDG) and one or more data values of one or more data elements external to the RDG. A random number k is received. A second set of data values is retrieved from a lookup table that associates n key values with n sets of data values. Retrieving the second set of data values includes identifying that the second set of data values is associated with a key value of k. The n sets of data values are included in the umnasked data file's n records. The record is masked by replacing the first set of data values with the retrieved second set of data values.
US07877391B2
A method is provided for managing resources within an integrated development environment for multiple users. The resources include both content resources and people resources. The method comprises managing a plurality of nodes representing resources. The nodes include content nodes and person nodes. The node contains a resource reference for referencing the resource. The method comprises managing one or more links representing one or more relationships between the resources. Each link comprises node references to identify the nodes in the relationships and an importance value to identify the importance of the relationship. The method further comprises providing an interface for selecting one of the plurality of content nodes or person nodes and estimating, in response to a selected nodes, a node having a likelihood of subsequent selection based on the importance value of its link to the selected nodes. The method comprises providing an interface for selecting said estimated node.
US07877389B2
A system and method are disclosed for identifying the tasks that a user is attempting to perform when submitting a series of search queries. A task may be categorized hierarchically into a mission and a goal in order to classify a series of queries and determine the user's intent. The user's mission may be an extended task and the user's goal may be a specific task. A pair of queries may be analyzed to determine whether those queries have the same mission and/or the same goal. For a series of queries, boundaries may be identified between the queries to identify where a user has changed her goal or changed her mission. The identification of goals, missions and boundaries may be automated based on an analysis of features of the queries that are compared.
US07877384B2
A method and system for determining relevance of a document having text and images to a text string is provided. A scoring system identifies image text associated with an image of the document. The scoring system calculates an image score indicating relevance of the image text to the text string. The image score may be used in many applications, such as searching, summary generation, and document classification, image search, and image classification.
US07877375B1
An improved system and method for name searching. The system and method comprise software routines and a database of names with special indexes to support name-based searches. The special indexes are created using phonetic, nicknames and misspelling algorithms. A software search routine applies progressively fuzzier searches, and ranks the intermediate results according to popularity of names and closeness of names in the query to name records in the database, eliminating unsuitable names, until a predetermined number of candidate names have been found. Highly relevant results are returned even when the user provides incomplete, errant, or exactly matching search queries for the name as indexed. The system and method may be used in any information retrieval system or service that indexes and presents names in search results.
US07877361B2
A management device of a storage device that executes CDP-based recovery comprises: a data protection term acquisition section that acquires a data protection term which is a term in which recovery of a data volume is ensured from a predetermined duration for which a predetermined time is a reference point; and a control section that executes control using the data protection term.
US07877358B2
A method and apparatus for managing spare partition units in a partitionable computing device is disclosed. The method comprises detecting if a spare partition unit is required for addition or replacement in a local operating system and if a spare partition unit is required for addition, initiating an addition of a spare partition unit. If a spare partition unit is required for replacement, a replacement of a failing partition unit with a spare partition unit is initiated; part of the memory of the failing partition unit is passively migrated into the memory of the spare partition unit's partition; part of the memory of the failing partition unit is also actively migrated into the memory of the spare partition unit's partition; and the partitionable computing device is cleaned up. Partition units are replaced without requiring that computer-executable instructions be recompiled.
US07877339B2
A method and system of creating an approximate kernel matrix to train a kernel machine. In one embodiment of the invention, a set of kernel machine training data is partitioned into a set of partitioned training data based on a set of partition parameters. The set of partition parameters includes one or more of, an axis-aligned grid location, or an axis-aligned grid resolution in one embodiment of the invention. A partition matrix that approximates a kernel machine kernel matrix is created from the set of partitioned training data and the partition matrix is used to train a kernel machine in one embodiment of the invention.
US07877332B2
Servicing and/or providing spontaneous collaboration between a shopper and consultants concerning a shopping goal includes deriving information about the shopper's physical or logical proximity to a particular product category, combined with the current contents of his or her shopping cart is used to determine one or more shopping goals; as well as information about each potential consultant, including physical proximity, willingness to consult, areas of expertise and recent experience is used to rank each consultant in terms of relevance to one or more shopping goal.
US07877320B1
A system for facilitating the analysis of a transaction request. The system includes an interface. The interface is configured to receive input data related to the transaction request. The input data includes at least a selection of a variance transaction or a recourse transaction. The system further includes a transaction request processor configured to generate a transaction assessment based on at least the input data and a reporting engine configured to provide the transaction assessment.
US07877315B2
A system and method for an on-line swapping service. The service registers members and allows members to list items that each member is willing to swap in exchange for credits with the service for an item from listed by another member. An example of the items that may be swapped using the swapping service is books, such as paperback books. To facilitate delivery through the mail of an item from one member to another member, a printable mailing wrapper is created by the system with the appropriate destination address. The system emails, downloads or otherwise sends the mailing wrapper to the member who is in position of the item to be shipped. That member simply prints the mailing wrapper on a standard printer, and wraps it around the item to be shipped via standard postal services.
US07877310B1
A method for determining an earnings portion of a distribution from a 529 plan. The method includes receiving information associated with a plurality of 529 plan accounts, identifying related 529 plan accounts, aggregating the information for related 529 plan accounts, and determining an earnings portion of a distribution from at least one of the 529 plan accounts.
US07877307B2
A computer implemented data processing system and method administers a deferred variable annuity contract during the accumulation phase for a relevant life. The annuity contract has a payment base value, a contract value, and a withdrawal percent for determining a lifetime benefit payment amount available for withdrawal without reduction in the payment base. The withdrawal percent is dependent on the age of a relevant life as of the date of a request made by the relevant life for the withdrawal.
US07877304B1
Method and system of analyzing a consumer's credit is provided. The method includes, answering questions about the consumer's credit; analyzing the answers to determine credit data about the consumer; storing the credit data in a leads database; storing the credit data in a credit analysis database; displaying the credit data to the consumer; inquiring into whether the consumer wants to register for managing credit online; and registering the consumer or sending the credit data to a marketing analysis engine to categorize the credit data for future marketing to the consumer. The system includes a user interface for entering user data; a credit score meter for accessing a credit score; and a processing module for segregating credit data items into categories; wherein the processing module calculates a credit score; an interest rate for each of the categories; and payment amounts for each of the categories.
US07877289B1
A controlled offer redemption system used to validate, verify, and redeem manufacturers' offers, retailers' offers, and cooperative offers, to restrict the redemption of retailers' offers and cooperative offers to particular retailers, and to authenticate the offer redemption transactions. The system is a closed system in a controlled environment. The system includes a master registry where offers are registered, an offer redemption terminal in communication with a retailer's point-of-sale (“POS”) system, a store portal and an offer clearinghouse. The store portal communicates with the registry to maintain an updated database of valid offers. The POS system communicates with the offer redemption terminal to validate and verify offers presented for redemption. The offer redemption terminal includes a means to generate an encrypted identifier (“token”) which is unique to each offer redemption transaction. The encrypted token is attached to the purchase event transaction, and the purchase event transaction (including the token) is transmitted to the offer clearinghouse. The clearinghouse independently recreates the token based on the offer redemption record and the purchase event transaction log and authenticates the transaction as having originated under the controlled conditions imposed by the system, which includes destruction of the redeemed offer and limited redemption of retailers' and cooperative offers to the authorized retailer(s).
US07877283B2
A computer-implemented method for configuring a business process includes configuring a solution map and deriving a pre-configured set of collaborative business scenarios based on the solution map. The pre-configured set of collaborative business scenarios is then configured and a pre-configured set of event driven process chains is derived based on the configured set of collaborative business scenarios. Finally, the pre-configured set of event driven process chains is configured.
US07877279B1
A method of improving the loss ratio on a book of insurance including the use of a computer data base with a user interface display including questions for insured entities making up the book of insurance. Spaces are provided on the display for the input of answers from an insured. A survey is used to question the insured entity, the survey eliciting answers to the questions posed. Data is input from the answers received into the computer data base at the spaces provided for. The answers that are collected are compared with answers contained in written documents having information that was supplied by a third party insurance underwriter. Inconsistent answers are identified and the information obtained is reported to the underwriter who can determine whether or not the insurance premium of the insured should be adjusted.
US07877275B2
The invention provides a method and system for communicating a vehicle user's medical information stored in a key device to medical caregivers via a wireless communications network. The method comprises receiving vehicle user medical information in a key device, transmitting the medical information from the key device to a storage unit within a vehicle and transmitting the stored medical information from a telematics unit to a call center responsive to an emergency event.
US07877271B2
A system and method is described that enables a health care provider to monitor and manage a health condition of a patient. The system includes a health care provider apparatus operated by a health care provider and a remotely programmable patient apparatus that is operated by a patient. The health care provider develops a script program using the health care provider apparatus and then sends the script program to a remotely programmable patient apparatus through a communication network such as the World Wide Web. The script program is a computer-executable patient protocol that provides information to the patient about the patient's health condition and that interactively monitors the patient health condition by asking the patient questions and by receiving answers to those questions. The answers to these health related questions are then forwarded as patient data from the remotely programmable patient apparatus to the health care provider apparatus through the communication network. The patient data may also include information supplied by a physiological monitoring device such as a blood glucose monitor that is connected to the remotely programmable patient apparatus. When the patient data arrives at the health care provider apparatus, the patient data is processed for further management of the patient's health condition by the health care provider, such as forwarding another script program to the remotely programmable patient apparatus.
US07877266B2
The present invention provides methods and systems for facilitating business processes in an enterprise application. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises obtaining information regarding one or more entities and analyzing the information regarding the one or more entities to determine one or more paths between the one or more entities and one or more members of an enterprise. Information regarding the one or more entities is distributed to the one or more members of the enterprise where one or more paths exist between the one or more members of the enterprise and the one or more entities.
US07877260B2
The present invention relates to creating a web page and voice browsing of the web page, and more particularly, it improves accessibility for the voice browsing of the web page through a synthetic voice, efficiently with high reliability.A content creation system 20 of the present invention is used for creating a content which may be viewed through the synthetic voice, the system including: a database 22 for storing a structured document; and an information process section 24 for creating a speech node series 18 from the structured document, and calculating a reaching time from starting voice synthesis of the speech node series 18 until each node is outputted as the synthetic voice. The information process section 24 includes a support process section 36 to determine a graphic display corresponding to the reaching time, and to visually display the reaching time to a predetermined node by the voice synthesis on a screen of a display section 26.
US07877254B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for enrollment and verification of speaker authentication. The method for enrollment of speaker authentication, comprising: extracting an acoustic feature vector sequence from an enrollment utterance of a speaker; and generating a speaker template using the acoustic feature vector sequence; wherein said step of extracting an acoustic feature vector sequence comprises: generating a filter-bank for the enrollment utterance of the speaker for filtering locations and energies of formants in the spectrum of the enrollment utterance based on the enrollment utterance; filtering the spectrum of the enrollment utterance by the generated filter-bank; and generating the acoustic feature vector sequence from the filtered enrollment utterance.
US07877253B2
In one configuration, erasure of a significant frame of a sustained voiced segment is detected. An adaptive codebook gain value for the erased frame is calculated based on the preceding frame. If the calculated value is less than (alternatively, not greater than) a threshold value, a higher adaptive codebook gain value is used for the erased frame. The higher value may be derived from the calculated value or selected from among one or more predefined values.
US07877239B2
A method is provided for designing a product. The method may include obtaining data records relating to one or more input variables and one or more output parameters associated with the product and selecting one or more input parameters from the one or more input variables. The method may also include generating a computational model indicative of interrelationships between the one or more input parameters and the one or more output parameters based on the data records and providing a set of constraints to the computational model representative of a compliance state for the product. Further the method may include using the computational model and the provided set of constraints to generate statistical distributions for the one or more input parameters based on a symmetric random scatter process and the one or more output parameters. The one or more input parameters and the one or more output parameters represent a design for the product.
US07877231B2
A system and method are provided for supplying electromechanical actuator (EMA) health status information to a control system. A determination is made as to whether the EMA has experienced a fault. If the EMA has experienced a fault, a fault-based position limit and a fault-based rate limit of the EMA are determined, based on the fault. A design position limit and a design rate limit of the EMA are supplied. An updated position limit of the EMA is determined based on at least the design position limit and the fault-based position limit, and an updated rate limit of the EMA is supplied based on at least the design rate limit and the fault-based rate limit.
US07877218B2
Disclosed are various embodiments for outage detection. In one embodiment, an outage detection system includes a signal sampler configured to sample a signal on a communications link and to determine a noise level and a signal level of the sample. An outage detection system also includes a comparator configured to compare a critical value with a sum of signal and noise of the sample. An outage detection system further includes a binomial probability analyzer configured to calculate a binomial probability of false outage of the sample and the previous N samples.
US07877216B2
A brake, system, and method are presented. The brake includes friction material, a backing pad, sensor-wear material embedded within the friction material, and an electronics assembly. The electronics assembly is configured to measure a characteristic of the sensor-wear material, such as the electrical resistance or the temperature of the sensor-wear material. The sensor-wear material may be applied to the brake using a variety of approaches. A condition of the brake, such as a brake-wear value or an estimated-mileage value is determined, based on the measured characteristic of the sensor-wear material. A brake-wear state may be determined by comparing the brake-wear value to one or more thresholds. The brake-wear value, estimated-mileage value, and/or the brake wear state may be indicated on a brake-wear indicator.
US07877204B2
A navigation device receives a destination location to automatically calculate a route to the destination location over a wireless network. The destination location may be generated by a third party at a remote computer or wireless device. The destination location may be entered into the remote computer or wireless device, or may be automatically generated by the device. The destination location is transmitted from the remote computer or wireless device to the navigation device. Once received, the user of the navigation device may have the option of accepting or rejecting the destination location. The navigation device then uses the destination location to calculate a route which is communicated to the user with minimal to no user interaction. Multiple destinations may be sent to the navigation device, thus allowing advanced programming of an entire trip.
US07877195B2
Method for combustion engine control comprising an engine, at least one sensor and at least one engine control unit (200) arranged to control the engine (100) by the use of real time sensor data S(k) characterized in that a prior (P1(k, j; z), P2(k; X, Y) is used to derive at least one combustion parameter estimate (X(k)) and/or at least one combustion parameter measurement (Y(k)) from the real lime sensor data (S(k)) and that the at least one combustion parameter estimate (X(k)) and/or the at least one combustion parameter measurement (Y(k)) is used in performing said engine control.
US07877192B2
A rotational speed parameter is detected in accordance with a rotational speed of the engine. A reference value of the rotational speed parameter is calculated. For each cylinder, an error between the reference value and the rotational speed parameter detected every predetermined crank angle is calculated as a relative speed parameter. For each cylinder, an integrated value is calculated by integrating the relative speed parameters over a predetermined period. For each cylinder, an average value per cylinder of the sum of the integrated values of all the cylinders is calculated. For each cylinder, an error between the integrated value of the cylinder and the average value is calculated. For each cylinder, the output of the engine is controlled in accordance with the error calculated for the cylinder such that variations in the output between the cylinders are suppressed.
US07877191B2
A process for controlling supplying fuel for an internal combustion engine, employed when the engine is started, including: measuring at least one characteristic value of an engine speed representative of a richness of a fuel/oxidant supply mixture for the engine, comparing the measured characteristic value with a reference value so as to determine a value of the difference between these two values, and controlling the supply unit using a control signal emitted by a control unit (3) and dependent on the difference value. The process also includes an updating step of producing an updated reference value (21), when an aging threshold of the engine is passed.
US07877185B2
A device for controlling an automated transmission of a motor vehicle engine-transmission unit adapted to deliver a torque setpoint signal to be applied to wheels of the motor vehicle including two static and dynamic components produced based on input data delivered by an input unit. The input data includes a recorded list of parameters representing the driver's wishes, the motor vehicle state, and the motor vehicle surroundings. The device includes a first unit capable of calculating a dynamic torque component not adapted to a slope and/or load situation; a second unit for adaptation to the slope and/or load situation delivering a dynamic torque component adapted to the slope and/or load situation; a third unit capable of calculating a static torque component not adapted to the slope and/or load situation; and a fourth unit for adaptation to the slope and/or load situation delivering a static torque component adapted to the slope and/or load situation.
US07877183B2
A power train is provided having an engine operably coupled to a transmission. The power train also has at least one operator interface device, each operator interface device being configured to generate an operator request. In addition, the power train has a controller configured to, in response to a first operator request, override a second operator request for a desired target engine speed by lowering a current engine speed to a modified target engine speed below the desired target engine speed.
US07877178B2
A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a roll rate sensor (34) for generating a roll rate signal, a lateral acceleration sensor (32) for generating a lateral acceleration signal, a longitudinal acceleration sensor (36) for generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, and a yaw rate sensor (28) for generating a yaw rate signal. A safety device or system (44) and the sensors are coupled to a controller. The controller (26) determines an added mass and the height of the added mass on the vehicle, or a roll gradient, a roll acceleration coefficient, and/or a roll rate parameter that take into account the added mass and height from the roll rate, the lateral acceleration, the longitudinal acceleration, and the yaw rate of the vehicle, and controls the safety system in response thereto.
US07877175B2
An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging array sensor and a control. The image array sensor comprises a plurality of photo-sensing pixels and is positioned at the vehicle with a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The imaging array sensor is operable to capture an image exterior of the vehicle. The control may process the captured images and may determine that the imaging array sensor is not aligned within a desired tolerance when the imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle. The control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of the imaging array sensor at the vehicle, may adjust at least one of the captured images or an image data set and the image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined misalignment of the imaging array sensor.
US07877166B2
Disclosed herein are navigational systems for automated robotic floor cleaners. RFID passive tags are positioned at specified areas of a floor to be treated so as to increase or decrease dwell time of the cleaning device adjacent the tags. An RFID interrogator on the robot learns from each tag its nature, and based thereon instructs the device to change the dwell time over specified areas. This permits areas of a carpet or other surface requiring extra or less treatment to be cleaned in an optimal manner.
US07877160B2
A dental prosthesis is made by first forming a model of a patient's dentition. A three dimensional digital data corresponding to the surfaces of the model is then created. Based on this data, a three dimensional digital data file is then created substantially corresponding to the dental prosthesis to be manufactured. The three dimensional digital data of the dental prosthesis to be manufactured is next transmitted to automated prototyping equipment, and using the automated prototyping equipment, a wax pattern of the dental prosthesis is manufactured based upon this three dimensional digital data of the dental prosthesis. Finally, using this wax pattern in the lost wax investment casting process, the dental prosthesis is made. Prior to investment casting, marginal edges of the wax pattern are adjusted manually.
US07877156B2
This invention provides an audio reproducing apparatus which reproduces plural digital audio signals and synchronizes them with each other. The audio reproducing apparatus includes a synchronization setting unit 11 which synchronizes the plural audio signals by allocating, on a time axis, plural pieces of audio reproduction time information of the audio signals and in a manner which maintains a difference between reproduction times indicated by adjacent pieces of the audio reproduction time information of each of the audio signals, and an audio synthesis unit 6 which synthesizes the plural audio signals using the plural pieces of the audio reproduction time information allocated on the time axis.
US07877149B2
Methods of using electrodes to obtain physiological location motion data are provided. Embodiments of the methods include producing an electrode from a broadcasting electrode that is proximal to the physiological location of interest and detecting a change in an induced electric potential at a receiving electrode to obtain the motion data of interest. Also provided are systems and components thereof, e.g., programming, for practicing methods according to embodiments of the invention.
US07877145B2
A method for managing battery longevity of an implantable medical device (“IMD”) battery includes calculating a total IMD battery longevity value for an IMD and determining whether the total IMD battery longevity is below an optimal battery longevity value. At least one IMD parameter to be modified to improve the total IMD battery longevity value is automatically identified. The at least one automatically identified IMD parameter is adjusted to improve the total IMD battery longevity. Additionally, the improved total IMD battery longevity is displayed.
US07877133B2
A solution for forming a marker or filler mass for an intracorporeal site. The solution contains a polar, water soluble non-aqueous solvent such as dimethyl sulfoxide and a bioabsorbable, essentially water insoluble polymer such as polylactic acid, or copolymers of lactic acid and glycolic acid. The solution may be delivered to the biopsy site by a suitable syringe and delivery tube. The delivery tube is preferably provided with a releasable radiopaque element on the distal tip which can be released within the polymeric marker mass formed in the biopsy cavity.
US07877125B2
A portable terminal device can extrapolate the position of a sound source in the thicknesswise direction regardless of the use style. A slide type portable terminal has an upper casing, a lower casing, and a coupling part that couples the casings in such a way that their positional relation is changeable. The upper casing has a plurality of first microphones, and the lower casing has a second microphone. In a handhold style, one of the first microphones and the second microphone are lined in the thicknesswise direction of the cellular phone. As the upper casing is slid, the other one of the first microphones and the second microphone are lined in the thicknesswise direction of the cellular phone. The position of a sound source in the thicknesswise direction can be extrapolated from output signals of a formed microphone array in the thicknesswise direction.
US07877117B2
To reduce the power consumption of a wireless communication hardware device, power conservation scheduling algorithms can be implemented. Reoccurring events, including DTIM intervals and listen intervals can be scheduled as awake times. Similarly expected response intervals can be scheduled as awake times based on information, such as round trip time, that can be passed together with data to be transmitted. The wireless communication hardware device can be placed into a doze state unless it is transmitting data, or unless it is expecting a transmission during one of the scheduled awake times.
US07877111B2
A mobile device for enabling interaction with a printed email document, the email document including human-readable first email information and machine-readable coded data, the mobile device including: a transceiver for sending and receiving signals via a wireless telecommunications network; sensing means for sensing at least some of the coded data while the mobile device is used to interact with the email document; processing means for decoding at least some of the sensed coded data and generating indicating data on the basis of the decoded coded data; the mobile device being programmed and configured to: (a) transmit, using the transceiver, the indicating data to a remote computer system via the wireless telecommunications network; (b) receive, using the transceiver, response data from the computer system; (c) generating, using the processing means, a layout based on the response data, the response data representing further email information; and (d) outputting the layout in a human-readable form.
US07877107B2
Disclosed is a method for transmitting a message during a PTT call service in a mobile communication terminal. The method includes checking whether a message transmission key is input during a PTT call service; when the message transmission key is input, displaying a screen containing a plurality of preset messages; when one message is selected, creating an SMS message using the selected message and transmitting the created SMS message to a pre-selected participant; and when a direct message creation is selected, receiving a selection of a participant to whom a message is to be transmitted, receiving an input message, creating an SMS message using the input message, and transmitting the created SMS message to the selected participant. Accordingly, even a participant having no right to speak can inform other participants of his or her own state.
US07877093B2
Disclosed is a method for enabling a mobile station existing in a serving cell area to perform a handover procedure in a broadband mobile communication system including the mobile station, a serving base station providing a service to the mobile station, and one or more target base stations containing at least one target cell area overlapping with the serving cell area occupied by the serving base station. The method includes transmitting a handover request message from the mobile station to the serving base station when it is detected that a performance of a handover is necessary; and transmitting a handover indication message containing handover cancel information to the serving base station when the mobile station determines a cancel of the handover while the mobile station is being handed over to one or more target base stations by the serving base station.
US07877092B2
A mobile communication terminal operatively coupled to at least two mobile radio communication systems in respectively associated mobile radio networks, each of which provides a user of the communication terminal with a number of services of different type. The user may thus effect efficient management of the services provided for him by virtue of the communication terminal being designed to receive and effect further processing of data records which are associated with one respective type of the services.
US07877082B2
Portable communication devices, such as Bluetooth enabled cellular phones, communicate with and identify like devices that are nearby, and send notification messages to a remote server. When a notification message is received at the server identifying two devices that have come within range of one another, the server compares the profile data associated with each of the two identified devices and facilitates communications between the devices when appropriate.
US07877080B2
The invention instantiates a Personal VLAN bridge, using IEEE Std. 802.11 elements. The result is a bridge, referred to as a public access point, that is better suited for implementing public wireless data networks than the IEEE Std. 802.11 architecture. The invention also provides a location-update protocol for updating the forwarding tables of bridges that connect public access points together. The invention further provides a method for more controlled bridging, which is referred to as fine bridging.
US07877079B2
A method and entity of authorising in a communication system are disclosed. The method includes using authorising data to reference other data to define an authorisation associated with the other data. The authorising data includes one of a data component, data group, or data element. Further, a user profile can be provided and includes a user profile data component and an authorisation data component. The authorisation data component or the user profile data component references another authorisation component. Access is authorised to data associated with the user profile data component in accordance with the authorisation data component.
US07877077B2
A multi-band low noise amplifier (LNA) includes multiple low noise amplifying circuits configured to selectively operate in corresponding frequency bands. The low noise amplifying circuits include corresponding amplifying units and degenerating units. The degenerating units include first inductors, which are arranged in loop patterns isolated from each other on a same layer, such that one first inductor surrounds at least one other first inductor. A current flows through a selected first inductor included in a selected low noise amplifying circuit of the low noise amplifying circuits.
US07877069B2
A system and a method for providing an additional audio content at the input of the car radio (or other radio receiver) by tracking the available channels. The invention provides an invasive and non-invasive way of adding dominant audio content source to the existing car audio systems.
US07877068B2
A demodulation signal is generated by provision of a demodulation signal generation circuit to the semiconductor device capable of wireless communication and by obtainment of a difference between voltages having opposite polarities by the demodulation signal generation circuit. Alternatively, a plurality of demodulation signal generation circuits and a selective circuit which selects a demodulation signal generation circuit depending on characteristics of a received signal are provided, where operation of a second demodulation signal generation circuit stops when a first demodulation signal generation circuit is operated. The selective circuit includes an inverter circuit, a flip-flop circuit, and a selector circuit. When the second demodulation signal generation circuit has a comparator and the like, power consumption thereof is reduced.
US07877065B2
A signal processing circuit having a modulator having frequency conversion circuits, each having a local oscillator and a mixer. The circuit multiplies a signal having a first frequency and a local oscillation signal from the local oscillator at the mixer to convert the frequency of the first frequency signal to a second frequency, outputs a current format frequency converted signal and a first gain control circuit amplifying the current format frequency converted signals from the frequency conversion circuits by a first gain in accordance with a first control voltage. The circuit also outputs the current format amplified signals and a second gain control circuit connected after the first gain control circuit and having at least one gain control circuit which amplifies a current format amplified signal output from the first gain control circuit by a second gain.
US07877058B2
A switch element includes a switch device having a drain, a source and a plurality of gates, and at least one additional interconnect located between the plurality of gates, the additional interconnect operative to establish a constant potential between the at least two gates.
US07877054B1
According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an adaptive blade lubrication apparatus that includes a lubricant unit to place a lubrication stripe of lubricating material on a portion of a main surface; a cleaning blade that engages the main surface to remove excess toner thereon; and a controller configured to control the location of each lubrication stripe of lubricating material, wherein the controller places the lubricating material based on at least one of application frequency, blade lubrication state, blade engagement with the main surface. By varying the location of the lubrication stripe, the cleaning blade is better lubricated over the entire surface of the photoreceptor with the same or less lubricant than used in single location lubrication. Blade life and reliability are improved with more effective lubrication of the blade.
US07877047B2
A developing device, which can inhibit the increase of the rate of uncharged toner caused by long hours of operation and develop an excellent image, and a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus that use such a developing device. A developing sleeve is rotary driven, and has, as magnetic field generating means that is fixedly disposed within the developing sleeve, a magnet roll composed of a plurality of stationary magnets. The magnet roll has five magnetic poles, P1 (south pole), P2 (north pole), P3 (north pole), P4 (south pole) and P5 (north pole), which are arranged in the direction of rotation of the developing sleeve in this order starting from a developing position that is a region facing a photoreceptor. On the periphery of the developing sleeve, there is disposed blade-shaped developer accumulation means, which is attached to a developer container at a position between a doctor blade and a stirring section and in the vicinity of the stirring section, with a predetermined space between the developing sleeve and the developer accumulation means.
US07877046B2
Hard imaging devices and hard imaging methods are described. According to one embodiment, a hard imaging device includes a photoconductor, a developer member configured to move to provide a marking agent upon the photoconductor to develop a latent image upon the photoconductor, and a squeegee member configured to form a nip with the developer member and to move to provide the marking agent upon the developer member, wherein the squeegee member is configured to move at a speed slower than a speed of the developer member during the provision of the marking agent upon the developer member using a squeegee member.
US07877044B2
There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a rotatable image bearing member; an intermediate transfer member which makes contact with the image bearing member and bears a toner image transferred from the image bearing member; a first driving means which transmits driving to the intermediate transfer member; and a second driving means which transmits driving to the image bearing member when rotating speed of the image bearing member is lower than a predetermined speed, wherein the rotatable image bearing member rotates faster than the predetermined speed by receiving rotating friction force from the intermediate transfer member.
US07877038B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive body; a driver to drive the photosensitive body; a supporting bracket to support the driver; and a heat insulator disposed between the supporting bracket and the driver to shield the photosensitive body from heat generated by the driver.
US07877037B2
An image-forming device includes a main casing, a process casing, a photosensitive member, a charger, a first duct member, a fan, and a duct moving unit. The process casing is accommodated in the main casing and removably mounted thereon. The process casing has a casing inlet formed therein. The photosensitive member is disposed in the process casing. The charger is disposed in the process casing for charging a photosensitive member. The first duct member has a duct outlet. The fan blows air on the charger through the duct outlet of the first duct member and the casing inlet. The duct moving unit moves the first duct member between a first position in which the duct outlet of the first duct member is adjacent to the casing inlet formed in the process casing, and a second position in which the duct outlet is separated farther from the casing inlet than in the first position.
US07877029B2
An image forming apparatus includes a fog controller to control a fogging level of a toner image carrier by adjusting a fog control parameter on the basis of the fogging level detected by a fogging level detection section and the target fogging level stored in a memory section. While varying a value of the fog control parameter, the fog controller makes a detection pattern forming section to form a series of detection patterns between toner images for each page on the toner image carrier, makes the fogging level detection section to detect each of fogging levels of the series of detection patterns, determines a target fog control parameter value on the basis of each fogging level of the series of detection patterns detected and the target fogging level stored, and adjusts the fog control parameter on the basis of the target fog control parameter value.
US07877024B2
According to one embodiment, an infrared signal decode circuit includes: a comparator; a correlation signal generator generating a sum of a first detection signal and a second detection signal as a correlation signal, the first detection signal being obtained by performing an absolute value calculation on a first correlation signal, the second detection signal being obtained by performing an absolute value calculation on a second correlation signal, the first correlation signal corresponding to a correlation between a binary signal and a first reference signal with a frequency substantially identical to a base frequency of a subcarrier of an infrared signal, the second correlation signal corresponding to a correlation between the binary signal and a second reference signal with a phase that differ from a phase of the first reference signal by 90 degrees; and a decoder binarizing the correlation signal generated by the correlation signal generator.
US07877014B2
A return path system includes inserting RF packets between regular upstream data packets, where the data packets are generated by communication devices such as a computer or internet telephone. The RF packets can be derived from analog RF signals that are produced by legacy video service terminals. At a data service hub, a digitized-RF-to-packet converter (DRPC) can convert the RF packets into standard sized packets such as Ethernet packets for processing by a video services controller. In this way, the present invention can provide an RF return path for legacy terminals that shares a return path for regular data packets in an optical network architecture.
US07877011B2
An optical switch is constructed by: first and second optical switches each having ports of k inputs and k outputs; a third optical switch of k inputs and k outputs which can perform a bi-directional transmission; 2k first optical circulators; 2k second optical circulators; and 2k selecting switches. First to kth interfaces are connected by the first optical switch. (k+1)th to 2kth interfaces are connected by the second optical switch. The first to kth interfaces are connected to one of the (k+1)th to 2kth interfaces by the third optical switch. An optical crossconnect apparatus is also provided.
US07877009B2
A method and system of measuring the spectroscopic impedance of a sensor and its immediate surroundings. The sensor is disposed on an engineered structure and is coated with a protective coating. The method includes providing a first optical signal having a first modulation frequency and amplitude. The method also includes transmitting the first optical signal and a second optical signal from a first location to a sensor location. The method also includes modulating the second optical signal with a second modulation frequency and amplitude, the second modulation frequency and amplitude converted from the first optical signal. The method also includes comparing the first modulation frequency to the second modulation frequency to determine one of a phase difference and a time lag and calculating the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the sensor and its immediate surroundings as a function of frequency.
US07877000B2
A multimedia optical disc on which a variety of types of video titles are recorded and which enables a reproduction apparatus to instantly distinguish whether emulated AV functions may be performed for any of the titles. The multimedia optical disc includes a manager area which stores playback type information corresponding to the management information for each video title, with the playback type information including a first flag showing whether the present video title is expressed using one or a plurality of sets of route information and a second flag showing whether a title is expressed using any branch information.
US07876980B2
Imaging apparatus and imaging method for outputting a specified number of pixels in a specified area
The resolution, frame rate, or both can be improved when imaging moving subjects in an imaging apparatus using a CMOS image sensor. The imaging apparatus has an image sensor having a two-dimensional array of pixels. Each of the pixels includes an element operable to produce an electric charge by photoelectrically converting light from an imaged subject and a part operable to accumulate the produced charge and output an accumulated charge or a signal representing the accumulated charge. The imaging apparatus also has an area control unit operable to define a specified area of the image sensor containing a plurality of pixels and an area density control unit operable to specify a density of pixels read from the specified area defined by the area control unit.
US07876976B2
A method for resizing an image using a resizing ratio may include receiving DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) coefficients of an input image; calculating a transformation matrix for transforming the input image to an integer aspect ratio closest to the resizing ratio; performing a coarse resizing on the input image in a DCT domain using the transformation matrix; obtaining a spatial image by performing an IDCT (Inverse Discrete Cosine Transform) on the coarse-resized domain; and forming an output image by performing a fine resizing on the spatial image in a spatial domain.
US07876972B2
A method for correcting an image from defects and filtering from Gaussian noise corrects each pixel of the image when it is considered defective and filters it from Gaussian noise in one-pass. The one-pass improves the speed for performing the correcting and filtering. The drawbacks associated with choosing incompatible defect correction and filtering operations are overcome.
US07876971B2
A system renders a primitive of an image to be displayed, for instance in a mobile 3D graphic pipeline, the primitive including a set of pixels. The system locates the pixels in the area of the primitive, generates, for each pixel located in the area, a set of associated sub-pixels, borrows a set of sub-pixels from neighboring pixels, subjects the set of associated sub-pixels and the borrowed set of pixels to adaptive filtering to create an adaptively filtered set of sub-pixels, and further filters the adaptively filtered set of sub-pixels to compute a final pixel for display. Preferably, the set of associated sub-pixels fulfils at least one of the following: the set includes two associated sub-pixels and the set includes associated sub-pixels placed on pixel edges.
US07876970B2
At least one illuminant white point estimate is determined in a color space having radially defined saturation based on a reference image. A chromatic adaptation correction vector (CACV) is determined based on the at least one illuminant white point estimate. Corrected pixels are obtained by applying the CACV (preferably in a cone response color space using a correction matrix based on the CACV) to uncorrected image pixels corresponding to a target image, which may comprise the reference image or another image.
US07876969B2
Reduced complexity inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) masks and a method for reducing the number of IDCT calculations in video decoding are provided. The method comprises: accepting an n×m matrix of DCT coefficients; performing (n−y) horizontal IDCT operations, where y is greater than 0; performing y scaling operations; and, generating an n×m block of pixel information. Some aspects of the method further comprise: performing (m−z) vertical IDCT operations, where z is in the range between 0 and m/2. In some aspects, performing (n−y) horizontal ICDT operations includes performing IDCT operations for the first (n−y) horizontal rows. Then, performing y scaling operations includes: selecting the DC component from the first position of each horizontal row; scaling the selected DC component; and, copying the scaled DC component into the remaining positions of each of horizontal row.
US07876967B2
A method for assigning path address-form location codes to objects represented using aperture 3 hexagon discrete global grid systems in both vector systems and bucket and raster systems in which hexagons in a first resolution are given a linear code and hexagons in subsequent finer resolutions have identifiers added to the linear code, the method iteratively applying the assigning step to further finer resolutions to a maximum resolution. In vector systems each hexagon has seven hexagons in a finer resolution and in raster and bucket systems each hexagon is assigned to be an open or closed generator class, an open generator creating a closed generator in a finer resolution, and a closed generator generating six open generator hexagons and a seventh closed generator hexagon.
US07876965B2
An apparatus and a method for detecting from an image a particular subject corresponding to multiple views of the subject by dividing a particular subject space into a plurality of subject subspaces and further dividing a subject subspace into subject subspaces representing multiple views; configuring a tree-structured detector wherein the tree structure has a root node that covers all subject subspaces and has a plurality of branches, each branch corresponding to a child node that covers at least one subject subspace; training each node to determine which nodes in the adjacent lower layer the images of the subject in the corresponding nodes should be sent.
US07876962B2
Methods for evaluating a pixel signal produced during scanning of a chemical array are provided. In general, the methods involve producing at least two analog signals for a pixel using a multi-gain signal detection system, integrating at least one of these signals, and outputting data representing the pixel. Also provided are systems and computer program products for performing the subject methods, and an array scanner containing these systems and program products.
US07876960B2
A system for recording information from a surface. The system includes a base having a surface provided with a first position code coding locations of a plurality of first points and. In a zone of the surface, a second position code codes locations of a plurality of second points. The system also includes a sensing device having an image sensor for obtaining an image of the surface. A processor is configured for determining whether or not the second position code is present in the image of the surface, determining a location by means of the second position code and determining whether the sensing device is placed in a field on the surface of the base, wherein the field is associated with a function to be performed by the sensing device.
US07876957B2
Methods and apparatuses for noise reduction include embodiments that use a weighted combination based on the presence of edges of two calculated demosaiced signals to produce a noise reduced signal. The noise reduced signal may be sharpened based on a calculated luminance of the two demosaiced signals.
US07876956B2
A method for producing a noise-reduced digital color image, includes providing an image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the image a panchromatic image and at least one color image; and using the panchromatic image and the color image to produce the noise-reduced digital color image.
US07876934B2
A method for segmenting an anatomical structure of interest within an image is disclosed. The anatomical structure of interest is compared to a database of images of like anatomical structures. Those database images of like anatomical structures that are similar to the anatomical structure of interest are identified. The identified database images are used to detect the anatomical structure of interest in the image. The identified database images are also used to determine the shape of the anatomical structure of interest. The anatomical structure of interest is segmented from the image.
US07876929B2
A thin personal identification device that in which the infrared light source, transmission light quantity control element array, and light receiving element array are positioned on the same side of a living body. A microcomputer controls the array to combine a first image, which is obtained from the living body when one region of the living body is radiated with light transmitted from the infrared light source, with a second image, which is obtained when another region of the living body is radiated, and identifies a person in accordance with the combined image.
US07876928B2
In a personal authentication device, a storing unit of each group stores therein biometric information of the persons belonging to that group. When a subject is to be authenticated, an acquiring unit acquires subject biometric information that is biometric information of the subject. A collating unit decides whether the subject is authentic based on whether there is a match for the subject biometric information in the biometric information in the storing unit. If the subject is determined to be not authentic, the subject biometric information is collated with biometric information in the storing unit of another group.
US07876926B2
A method of lane marker detection and detection fitting is provided for lane tracking. A lane marker is modeled and split into left and right steps. A filter response is calculated from a cumulative row sum, and normalized for filter pixel size, lane marker brightness and road brightness. A lane marker response is peak detected for positive and negative peaks and checked for having a magnitude above a threshold and being a local peak in a five point neighborhood. A Hough transform is extended to multiple planes to use lane marker features to determine a best line. Lane marker features include a mean and variance of lane marker brightness, lane marker width, lane marker parallelism to a host vehicle direction of travel, and consistence with a predicted lane marker characteristic. A closest lane marker line to a host vehicle is identified, and refitted to account for any curvature.
US07876924B1
A rigid, flat plate diaphragm for an acoustic device is illustrated. The internal supporting structure of the diaphragm provides a combination of torsional and translational stiffeners, which resemble a number of crossbars. These stiffeners brace and support the diaphragm motion, thus causing its response to not be adversely affected by fabrication stresses and causing it to be very similar in dynamic response to an ideal flat plate operating in a frequency range that extends well beyond the audible.
US07876922B2
Provided is a speaker device for a portable terminal. The speaker device includes a speaker housing which provides a mounting space for accommodating a speaker unit and a resonating space connected to the mounting space and located around the mounting space. The speaker device solves the disadvantages of a small-size speaker unit, i.e., problems in producing a sound in a bass region, thereby producing a “live” sound. Moreover, the characteristics of a sound can be improved using the speaker housing, without addition of a separate speaker unit or addition or change of software or a circuit, thereby improving the performance of a speaker device of the portable terminal at low cost.
US07876921B2
A headset with an active crossover network is provided. The headset is coupleable to a first audio source using a wired connection and to a second audio source using a wireless connection. A controller is used to determine whether the first, or second, audio source is coupled to the active crossover network which, utilizing either analog or digital filtering, divides each channel of the incoming audio signal into multiple frequency regions sufficient for the number of drivers contained within the headphones of the headset. The output from the network's filters is amplified using either single channel or multi-channel amplifies. Preferably, gain control circuitry is used to control the gain of the amplifier(s) and thus the volume produced by the drivers. More preferably, the gain of the gain control circuitry is adjustable. The headset includes a power source that is coupled to the amplifier(s) and, if necessary, the network's filters. The power source can be included within some portion of the headset or included within the wireless interface. Alternately, an external power source can be used, for example one associated with the audio source.
US07876915B2
An audio apparatus comprises a tuner for receiving broadcast waves; a digital reproducing unit; operation switches for operating the tuner and the digital reproducing unit; and a control unit for controlling the tuner and the digital reproducing unit in response to an operation of the operation means. In a first mode of operation, the control unit controls if an audio signal from the tuner is selected as a source such that the power of the digital reproducing unit is turned on, and wherein, in a second mode operation, the control unit controls if an audio signal from the tuner is selected as a source such that the power of the digital reproducing unit is turned off, alternatively if an audio signal from the digital reproducing unit is selected as a source, the power thereof is turned on.
US07876912B2
The invention provides a headset device. The headset device includes a first headset, a second headset, and a transmission line. The first headset includes a first housing; an interface module for receiving an audio signal; a signal processing module for separating the audio signal into a first channel signal and a second channel signal; an amplifying circuit for respectively amplifying the first channel signal and the second channel signal to generate a first amplified signal and a second amplified signal; and a first speaker for outputting audio according to the first amplified signal. The second headset includes a second housing, and a second speaker for outputting audio according to the second amplified signal. The transmission line is for transmitting the second amplified signal to the second headset.
US07876906B2
Various methods and apparatus for processing audio signals are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Received audio signals may be processed to cancel acoustic echo such that undesired sounds received by one or more intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal microphones are eliminated or mitigated. Additionally, a multiband actuation system may be used where two or more transducers each deliver sounds within certain frequencies. Also, the assembly may also utilize the sensation of directionality via the conducted vibrations to emulate directional perception of audio signals received by the user. Another feature may include the ability to vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user along with primary audio signals.
US07876899B2
The present disclosure relates generally to processing media signals such as audio and video. One claim recites a method comprising: obtaining a media signal, wherein the media signal comprises a plurality of samples; identifying characteristics of the media signal, said act of identifying utilizes a programmed electronic processor; utilizing a programmed electronic processor to change some of the plurality of samples at or near the characteristics to degrade the media signal, wherein the changing results in human perceptible degradation, but wherein the degradation is removable according to a process which uses at least some different characteristics of the media signal than were identified by said act of identifying; and communicating the degraded media signal. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.
US07876898B2
In a system, a server provides a digital signal processing function ƒ to an executing device in an obfuscated form. The function ƒ includes a function cascade of signal processing functions ƒi, 1≦i≦N (e.g., FC1(x)≡ƒN∘ . . . ∘ƒ1(x)). The server includes a processor for selecting a set of 2N invertible permutations pi, 1≦i≦2N; calculating a set of N functions gi, where gi is functionally equivalent to p2i−1∘ƒi∘p2i−1, for 1≦i≦N; and calculating a set of N−1 functions hi, where hi is functionally equivalent to p2i−1−1∘p2i−2, for 2≦i≦N. The server equips the executing device with an execution device function cascade that includes yN∘hN∘yN−1∘hN−1∘ . . . ∘y1, where y1, . . . , yN are function parameters (e.g., ED1(y1, . . . , yN)≡yN∘hN∘yN−1∘hN−1∘ . . . ∘y1), and provides the functions g1, . . . gN to the executing device. The executing device obtains the functions g1, . . . , gN and a processor for loading the execution device function cascade and applying the loaded execution device function cascade to the functions g1, . . . , gN (e.g., ED1(g1, . . . , gN)).
US07876897B2
For data protection in a wireless network system, a frame, including its Medium Address Control (MAC) header and payload, is encrypted with an initialization vector modified at each set state in a wireless network system, such that wirelessly transmitted data is prevented from being exposed to unauthorized users.
US07876896B2
A data stream is encrypted to form encryption units that are packetized into RTP packets. Each RTP packet includes an RTP packet header, one or more payloads of a common data stream, and a RTP payload format header for each payload and including, for the corresponding encryption units, a boundary for the payload. The payload can be one or more of the encryption units or a fragment of one of the encryption units. The encryption units are reassembled the using the payloads in the RTP packets and the respective boundary in the respective RTP payload format header. The reassembled of encryption units are decrypted for rendering. Each RTP payload format header can have attributes for the corresponding payload that can be used to render the payload. The RTP packets can be sent server-to-client or peer-to-peer.
US07876895B2
A unified broadcast encryption system divides a media key tree into S subtrees, divides digital content into segments, and converts some of the segments into variations; the number of segments and variations is q. The system subdivides each of the subtrees into q/|S| subdivided subtrees, assigns a key media variant to each of the subdivided subtrees, and generates a unified media key block (MKBu). The system decrypts digital content by obtaining required key media variants from the MKBu, using the key media variant to find an entry in a variant key table, decrypt a title key, and locate a variant number from the variant key table. The system uses the variant number to identify which of the variations may be decrypted by the title key and uses the title key to decrypt segments and variations.
US07876893B2
A logic circuit for calculating an encrypted dual-rail result operand from encrypted dual-rail input operands according to a combination rule includes inputs for receiving the input operands and an output for outputting the encrypted result operand. Each operand may comprise a first logic state or a second logic state. The logic circuit comprises a first logic stage connected between the inputs and an intermediate node and a second logic stage connected between the intermediate node and the output. The logic stages are formed to calculate the first or second logic state of the encrypted result operand from the input operands according to the combination rule and to maintain or change exactly once the logic state of the encrypted result operand, independently of an order of arrival of the encrypted input operands, depending on the combination rule, in order to impress the calculated first logic state or second logic state on the output.
US07876879B2
An X-ray imaging inspection system for inspecting items comprises an X-ray source (10) extending around an imaging volume (16), and defining a plurality of source points (14) from which X-rays can be directed through the imaging volume. An X-ray detector array (12) also extends around the imaging volume (16) and is arranged to detect X-rays from the source points which have passed through the imaging volume, and to produce output signals dependent on the detected X-rays. A conveyor (20) is arranged to convey the items through the imaging volume (16).
US07876878B2
A system, method, and computer program product for performing pan-oral imaging. A plurality of data points are generated which are representative of spatial positions of an actual dentition of a patient with respect to a defined spatial coordinate system. A fitted curve through at least a portion of the spatial positions of the dentition is computed using the plurality of data points. A pan-oral image acquisition trajectory is then computed with respect to a defined spatial coordinate system using the fitted curve. A pan-oral image of the dentition is then acquired along the pan-oral image acquisition trajectory.
US07876877B2
The invention proposes a dental X-ray apparatus comprising a patient-positioning system arranged on a support and having a forehead rest. A horizontally pivotable bearing arm is arranged on the support, and the forehead rest is in turn arranged thereon.
US07876867B2
Techniques for detecting and mitigating intermodulation distortion (IMD) are described. A device (e.g., a cellular phone) obtains digital intermodulation distortion and digitally determines intermodulation distortion in an input signal based on the digital intermodulation distortion. The device may correlate the digital intermodulation distortion with the input signal and determine intermodulation distortion in the input signal based on correlation results. The device may adjust the operation of one or more circuit blocks (e.g., a mixer, an LNA, etc.) in a receiver based on the detected intermodulation distortion in the input signal. Alternatively or additionally, the device may condition the digital intermodulation distortion to obtain conditioned intermodulation distortion matching intermodulation distortion in the input signal and may then subtract the conditioned intermodulation distortion from the input signal.
US07876865B2
Various embodiments are described herein for a system and method of detecting Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals in space and decoding these signals. In one aspect, a system for performing this function is described which includes a receiver configured to receive the plurality of AIS signals and pre-process the plurality of AIS signals to produce digital input data, and a processing unit configured to process the digital input data to identify one or more candidate AIS message signals based on Doppler offsets associated with the digital input data, determine corresponding Doppler offset estimates and time estimates of the one or more candidate AIS message signals, decode the one or more candidate AIS message signals to obtain corresponding message segments and validate the decoded message segments for proper AIS formatting.
US07876864B2
A method and system are provided for enhanced signal detection in a frequency selective fading channel. Improved signal detection is realized by replacing single matched filters with multiple matched filters. The single matched filter spectrum is partitioned by frequency into M matched filter groups, where M is a positive integer greater than one. The filter bandwidth of each of the M matched filters is less than the bandwidth of the single matched filter from which they are derived. The M matched filters are provided to filter in parallel fashion the input signal into M sub-spectrums of the signal. The input signal is filtered through the M matched filters and also sent to the energy detector. The matched filter outputs are combined and the received signal is detected using the combined output and the energy in the received signal.
US07876857B2
A data receiving apparatus which makes it possible to obtain reliable received data during EOP period and a preceding period, and which makes it possible to receive serial data in a reliable manner. Data receiving apparatus 100 is provided with receiving comparator 102 which has first signal line 101a and second signal line 101b for differential input; NOR circuit 105 that outputs a logical output, as a trigger signal, at the time the first signal and the second signal have changed from out-of-phase to in-phase; and D-FF circuit 107 that retrieves, by means of a trigger signal from NOR circuit 105, and holds an output RCV of receiving comparator 102; wherein selection circuit 108 selects the output of receiving comparator 102, when the first signal of first signal line 101a and the second signal of second signal line 101b are out-of-phase with each other, and outputs, as received data, a value held in D-FF circuit, when the first signal and the second signal have changed from out-of-phase to in-phase.
US07876856B2
Methods and apparatus to compensate for I/Q mismatch in quadrature receivers are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein comprises a correction engine using first filter coefficients to compensate for I/Q mismatch present in a received quadrature signal; an adaptation engine to adapt second filter coefficients based on I/Q mismatch present in the received quadrature signal; and coefficient controller to occasionally adjust the first filter coefficients based on the second filter coefficients.
US07876854B2
Closed loop multiple-antenna wireless communications system with antenna weights determined by maximizing a composite channel signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio minimum. Multiplexed symbol streams over subsets of antennas enhance throughout.
US07876851B2
An apparatus and method for controlling amount of information to be fed back in a multiple antenna system in a multi-user environment. The apparatus includes a channel estimator which estimates channel values by using an input signal; a Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) operator which decomposes singular values from the estimated channel values; and a feedback determining unit which uses the singular values to compute channel capacity that can be obtained according to the amount of channel information to be fed back, and selects the channel information to be fed back by using the channel capacity.
US07876847B2
A method for generating soft bit values for a multi-bit symbol encoded in one or more received signals comprises (a) for a plurality of different combinations of multiple bit values, iteratively generating, for each combination, a metric value based on the one or more received signals. The method further comprises (b) for each iteration, maintaining (i) a global extremum register containing a global extremum of the metric values; (ii) a bit occupancy for the global extremum register; and (iii) a plurality of bit bk registers, one for each bit bk in the symbol. Each bit bk register contains an extremum of the metric values corresponding to combinations of multiple bit values whose bit bk value is opposite the bit bk value of the bit occupancy for the global extremum register. The method further comprises (c) generating, for each bit bk in the symbol, a soft bit value based on a difference between the value in the global extremum register and the value in the corresponding bit bk register.
US07876842B2
In a transmitter, at least one pilot carrier which is modulated with a signal sequence including a reference pilot signal sequence represented by any of amplitude modulation vectors {α, α, −α, −α}, {α, −α, −α, α}, {−α, α, α, −α}, and {−α, −α, α, α} where α represents a real number other than 0, is generated, and an OFDM/OQAM multicarrier modulation signal is transmitted. In a receiver, the OFDM/OQAM multicarrier modulation signal is demodulated, and transmission channel characteristics are estimated and corrected based on two successive demodulation vectors in a time direction which are obtained by demodulating the pilot carrier.
US07876841B2
The invention concerns method for scheduling of user terminals (T) to subcarriers in a multi-cell or multi-sector network using FDM transmission with interference coordination and with the frequency band used for FDM transmission being subdivided into at least two frequency subsets (F1, F2 . . . FR), whereby the data throughput of user terminals (T) is measured or modeled by means of the signal to interference ratio measured by said user terminals (T) dependent on the frequency subset (F1, F2 . . . FR), subcarriers are allocated preferably to user terminals (T) with a high signal to interference ratio on said subcarriers, and subcarriers are allocated in clusters to the user terminals (T), whereby all clusters offer the same data throughput for the respective user terminal (T), a base station (BS), a user terminal (T) and a network therefor.
US07876838B2
A digital communications apparatus for processing a data vector includes a transmitter for communicating with a receiver across a channel having channel characteristics. A transmit vector is computed from the data vector and from values defining a basis for a transmit lattice. The transmit lattice defines a set of transmit symbols of length N and is related to an orthogonal receive lattice by the channel characteristics. The computation is performed according to an algorithm of order N complexity.
US07876831B2
A video encoding method includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07876825B2
A video encoding apparatus includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07876820B2
A bit stream representing n-dimensional data structures may be encoded and decoded. A part of the data can be mappable within predefined similarity criteria to a part of the data of another data structure. The similarity criteria may include, a spatial or temporal shift of the data. The data structures are typically sequential video frames such as is used in motion estimation and/or compensation of moving pictures, and a part of the data structure may be a block of data within a frame. The shift may be any suitable shift such as linear translation, rotation, or change of size. Digital filtering may be applied to a reference or other frame of data to generate subbands of a set of subbands of an overcomplete representation of the frame by calculations performed at single rate. The digital filtering may be implemented in a separate filter module or in software.
US07876819B2
This disclosure describes rate control techniques that can improve video coding based on a “two-pass” approach. The first pass codes a video sequence using a first set of quantization parameters (QPs) for the purpose of estimating rate-distortion characteristics of the video sequence based on the statistics of the first pass. A second set of QPs can then be defined for a second coding pass. The estimated rate-distortion characteristics of the first pass are used to select QPs for the second pass in a manner that minimizes distortion of the frames of the video sequence.
US07876811B2
A spreading-code synchronization detection method for a spectrum spreading signal that increases the sensitivity of spreading-code synchronization detection and in which a spreading-code synchronization detection is applied to a spectrum spreading signal obtained by spectrum-spreading data, having a bit transition period equal to a multiple of one period of a spreading code, with the spreading code. A process for obtaining a linear-addition correlation-calculation result equal to a value obtained by linear additions of the results of correlation calculations between the spectrum spreading signal and the spreading code is performed every unit period, which is a multiple of one period of the spreading code and shorter than the bit transition-period. The absolute value of the linear-addition correlation-calculation result obtained every unit period is calculated. The absolute value of the linear-addition correlation-calculation result obtained every unit period is added for a plurality of unit periods. A correlation point is detected from a value obtained by adding the absolute values.
US07876809B2
Upon receiving an instruction to open a radio link, a path management unit designates, for one radio link, a spreading code number for a common pilot channel and a spreading code number for an individual channel to a spreading code generator. The spreading code generator generates spreading codes for the respective channels and sends them to a correlator. The correlator outputs the correlation values between a reception signal (IQ signal), the common pilot channel, and the individual channel. A delay profile unit generates delay profiles concerning the common pilot channel and individual channel by in-phase-adding and power-adding correlation values from the correlator for each channel. The path management unit detects path timings from both the delay profiles concerning the common pilot channel and individual channel, and assigns path timings TM to finger units in descending order of reception power. This improves the stability of reception quality.
US07876799B2
A semiconductor laser (a first semiconductor optical device) and an optical modulator (a second semiconductor optical device) are integrated on the same n-type InP substrate. The semiconductor laser butt-joined to the optical modulator. Each of the semiconductor laser and the optical modulator has a Be-doped p-type InGaAs contact layer. The p-type InGaAs contact layers have a Be-doping concentration of 7×1018 cm−3 or more, and a thickness of 300 nm or less.
US07876796B2
A laser system comprises first and second laser sub-cavities each including a gain medium arranged to produce volume gain gratings. The laser system further includes a beam combiner arranged to combine emission from each cavity and direct emission from one cavity to the other. As a result a stale, phase-locked coherently combined emission system is provided.
US07876794B2
The present invention discloses a laser light source for implementing pulsed oscillation of laser light, which has a laser cavity in which a laser medium for generating emitted light with supply of excitation energy is placed on a resonance path; an excitation device for continuously supplying excitation energy to the laser medium; a monitor part for monitoring a power of light extracted at a middle point of the path of the cavity from the laser medium in accordance with the supply of the excitation energy by the excitation device; a Q-switch for modulating a cavity loss of the laser cavity; and a control part for performing such control as to stabilize a peak power or an energy of laser light pulses outputted in a state in which the cavity loss of the laser cavity is set at a second predetermined loss for oscillation of high-power pulses, based on the power of the emitted light monitored by the monitor part in a state in which the cavity loss of the laser cavity is set at a first predetermined loss for non-oscillation of high-power pulses.
US07876790B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for performing time synchronization by using Global Positioning System (GPS) information in a communication system. The apparatus comprises a grand-master node having a GPS receiver, for generating a synchronizing message required to synchronize time on slave nodes by using Time Of Day (TOD) information received from the GPS receiver and at least one slave node for receiving the synchronizing message required to synchronize time from the grand-master node or from another slave node, for carrying out time synchronization operation by using an Offset and Frequency Compensation Clock (OFCC) synchronization process supporting time offset and frequency separation compensation, and for generating a synchronizing message required to synchronize time on other slave nodes.
US07876786B2
Dynamic time-spectrum block allocation for cognitive radio networks is described. In one implementation, without need for a central controller, peer wireless nodes collaboratively sense local utilization of a communication spectrum and collaboratively share white spaces for communication links between the nodes. Sharing local views of the spectrum utilization with each other allows the nodes to dynamically allocate non-overlapping time-frequency blocks to the communication links between the nodes for efficiently utilizing the white spaces. The blocks are sized to optimally pack the available white spaces. The nodes regularly readjust the bandwidth and other parameters of all reserved blocks in response to demand, so that packing of the blocks in available white spaces maintains a fair distribution of the overall bandwidth of the white spaces among active communication links, minimizes finishing time of all communications, reduces contention overhead among the nodes contending for the white spaces, and maintains non-overlapping blocks.
US07876776B2
A serial intelligent cell (SIC) and a connection topology for local area networks using Electrically-conducting media. A local area network can be configured from a plurality of SIC's interconnected so that all communications between two adjacent SIC's is both point-to-point and bidirectional. Each SIC can be connected to one or more other SIC's to allow redundant communication paths. Communications in different areas of a SIC network are independent of one another, so that, unlike current bus topology and star topology, there is no fundamental limit on the size or extent of a SIC network. Each SIC can optionally be connected to one or more data terminals, computers, telephones, sensors, actuators, etc., to facilitate interconnectivity among such devices. Networks according to the present invention can be configured for a variety of applications, including a local telephone system, remote computer bus extender, multiplexers, PABX/PBX functionality, security systems, and local broadcasting services. The network can use dedicated wiring, as well as existing wiring as the in-house telephone or electrical wiring.
US07876772B2
A system, method and apparatus for providing multiple access modes in a data communications network includes a network access device having a plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports, and a switching fabric for routing data received on the plurality of input ports to at least one of the plurality of output ports. Control logic within the network access device is adapted to determine whether a user device coupled to one of the plurality of input ports supports a user authentication protocol used by a host network. If the user authentication protocol is not supported, then the input port to which the network access device is coupled is placed in a semi-authorized access state that limits access to a pre-configured network accessible via the host network.
US07876768B2
Systems and methods of assembling an elementary stream from an encapsulated multimedia transport stream are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is performed in a digital home communication terminal (DHCT). This method comprises the steps of: receiving a layer-2 packet through a binding to a network interface driver; applying at least one filter to the received packet to determine whether the received packet contains one or more multimedia transport packets meeting criteria associated with the filter; and for each multimedia transport packet meeting the applied filter criteria, copying the respective multimedia transport packet to an elementary stream buffer.
US07876760B2
A method and system for providing single stage pointer and overhead processing is disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, data including bytes of each of multiple types of overhead data is received at a logical element of a communications network. The logical element includes a labeler to label the bytes of each of the multiple types of overhead data and a pointer processor to read the labeled bytes and perform specific operations corresponding to the label, wherein the bytes of at least one type of overhead data are labeled based on feedback provided by the pointer processor to the labeler.
US07876755B2
A method and system for improving a quality of communication based on a label distribution protocol is provided. The method includes the following: When a local label switching router (LSR) finds out a change of a route at an upstream node in a multicast label switching path (LSP), it calculates and sets up a new optimized multicast LSP according to the label distribution protocol (LDP), and delays to send a withdraw request to the upstream node in the former multicast LSP. An interruption of the data stream in the multicast LSP reconstruction procedures can be avoided or reduced, so that the loss of data packets caused by the multicast LSP adjustment is reduced, and the quality of communication of the multicast is improved.
US07876753B2
An IP Video distribution and protection system provides lower cost by using a reduced number of expensive IP multi-cast router high-speed ports. A multi-cast data source comprises at least one multi-cast router and a multi-cast server. The data source is coupled to a plurality of multi-cast data destinations via a data distribution network comprising a first and a second ring. The data destinations are communicatively linked together in the first ring for data flow in one direction. The second ring network communicatively connects the data source to the last data destination in the first ring for data flow in a different direction though the destinations. Each destination includes switching elements enabling the destinations to provide data in either direction to end users linked to the respective data destinations.
US07876739B2
A method for processing data in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes receiving a first uplink scheduling command indicating a first radio resource, receiving a second uplink scheduling command indicating a second radio resource through a random access response, and stopping a procedure associated with the second uplink scheduling command when the first radio resource and the second radio resource collide.
US07876736B2
An address assignment method for a mobile terminal device capable of accessing both a mobile communication network and a local network simultaneously, the method transmitting to a gateway device an inquiry message for inquiring information regarding a location on networks of a correspondent of packet communications to be carried out, from the mobile terminal device through the local network, receiving a response message in response to the inquiry message through the local network at the mobile terminal device, acquiring an address to be used by the mobile terminal device in the packet communications with the correspondent according to the response message, assigning the address to a first communication interface for the local network at the mobile terminal device, communicating with the correspondent using the address assigned to the first communication interface, and judging a manner of utilizing first packet communications carried out through the first communication interface and second packet communications carried out through a second communication interface provided for the mobile communication network in the mobile terminal device according to a prescribed policy, when both the first packet communications and the second packet communications are possible.
US07876731B2
Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for acquiring a code group in an asynchronous Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system. A primary synchronization channel search unit achieves primary synchronization channel slot timing synchronization. Then, the 1-1 search unit and 1-2 search unit of a secondary synchronization channel receive secondary synchronization channels from first and second antennas, respectively, start correlation operations between some of the slots of the received channels and code group candidates, and transmit information about candidates having values exceeding a predetermined threshold value to a determination unit. The determination unit transmits the received information about candidates to a second search unit of the secondary synchronization channel. The second search unit of the secondary synchronization channel calculates correlation characteristics based on the received information about candidates and selects a code group candidate having a highest correlation characteristic.
US07876725B2
A network controller for facilitating roaming of a mobile wireless communications device between access points communicates with at least one access point over a wired network which, in turn, communicate with a mobile wireless communications device over a wireless network. The network controller includes a data processing system including a protocol stack that facilitates a communication session between the mobile device and a network device on the wired network, and a session table identifying session information for each said communication session. The session information identifies the current access point with which the mobile device is currently associated. The protocol stack updates the session table from session information received from the current access point, maintains a first virtual circuit with the network device, maintains a second virtual circuit with the current access point, and bridges communication between the virtual circuits in accordance with the session information.
US07876721B2
Techniques for implementing sleep scheduling in a distributed network environment are described. The sleep scheduling attempts to optimize routing of communication among nodes of the distributed network, while still conserving energy by allowing nodes to occasionally transition to sleep mode. The sleep scheduling is performed as a function of the number of awake neighboring nodes.
US07876717B2
To facilitate simultaneous PLC communication using first and second PLC protocols that are different from each other, frequency bands are dynamically assigned on demand to first and second PLC home networks that use the respective first and second PLC protocols.
US07876712B2
A method and apparatus for processing an overlay network infrastructure. In one embodiment, the method comprises a plurality of transparent access points (TAPs). Each TAP is communicably coupled between one or more clients and servers and a wide area network (WAN) to enable the one or more clients to communicate with the one or more servers, and is coupled to other of the TAPs via permanently, established secure links. The overlay network also comprises a controller coupled to each of the TAPs via a secure connection to configure the TAPs with information to enable each TAP to know what services are available and from which of the TAPs each of the services can be accessed.
US07876710B2
A method may include receiving a packet including a destination address, identifying a destination address entry based on the destination address, the destination address entry including an address identifier, comparing the address identifier to an event identifier, determining whether an event occurred based on the comparison, and forwarding the packet on an alternate path if it is determined that the event occurred.
US07876707B2
In one embodiment, a technique for performing partial build fabric operations when merging two or more Fibre Channel fabrics is provided. By maintaining a Principal Switch already assigned for one of two merging fabrics, a limited “partial build” may be performed for the other merging fabric. As a result, the time required for a Principal Switch selection phase may be greatly reduced.
US07876699B2
A mobile station (200) communicating with an access point (100) includes an association module (202), a mode switching module (204), a verifying module (206), and a recording module (208). The association module associates with the access point via an original address and a virtual address. The mode switching module switches between an active mode and a power saving mode. The verifying module transmits a first test frame, then transmits a data acquiring frame to the access point to acquire the first test frame, presets a period of time for receiving the first test frame, and determines whether a time when the first test frame is received is after or before the preset period of time. The recording module records whether the access point supports Frame Exchange Sequence (FES) to switch between the active mode and the power saving mode according to a determined result of the verifying module.
US07876697B2
The available modulation schemes of a network are analyzed to determine which ones contain excessive phase noise or narrowband interference. A network element is selected and assigned to a test channel at a first modulation scheme at a predetermined power level to achieve a predetermined PER. The network element transmits a test signal and the network controller measures the signal to noise ratio (SNR) in the received test signal. If the SNR is not within a predetermined tolerance range of an estimated SNR for the modulation scheme at the predetermined PER, the modulation scheme is determined to have excessive phase noise or narrowband interference. Each available modulation scheme is tested by instructing the network element to transmit the test signal using each modulation scheme and assigning the power level of each modulation scheme. The suitable modulation schemes may be determined.
US07876691B2
A testing method for a network device includes the steps of communicating with the network device through a network protocol by a testing host; and transmitting at least one first network protocol packet to the network device so as to enable a command line interface (CLI) of the network device through a first testing command by the testing host.
US07876689B2
A method and system for load balancing transmission allocations from a computer system based on network conditions. The system includes at least two network interface adapters that couple to a network and receive network information packets. The system also includes a teaming driver that monitors network information packets for each of the network interface adapters, calculates weights for each of the network interface adapters based on the network information packets and generates a transmission allocation for distributing outgoing packets between the network interface adapters based on the calculated weights.
US07876684B2
A data flow amount control device in a mobile communication system includes a plurality of mobile stations, a control station relaying packets to each of the plurality of mobile stations, and a base station temporarily storing the packets transmitted from the control station in a buffer and transmitting the packets to each of the plurality of mobile stations. The data flow amount control device includes a radio condition acquisition unit configured to acquire a radio condition of each of the plurality of mobile stations; a packet transmission frequency calculation unit configured to calculate a transmission frequency of the packets transmitted from the base station to each of the plurality of mobile stations; and a packet transmission amount control unit configured to control a transmission amount of the packets transmitted from the control station to the base station.
US07876681B2
A network device controls the flow of traffic in a network, such as an Ethernet-based network. The network device detects congestion in the network and identifies at least one upstream device to which to send a flow control message, where the upstream device is a device that is transmitting above a predetermined level. The network device then transmits the flow control message to the identified upstream device. The flow control message instructs the identified upstream device to slow down transmissions to the network device.
US07876664B2
An optical recording medium including three or more recording layers is provided. The optical recording medium includes an L0 layer, an L1 layer, an L2 layer, and an L3 layer as the recording layers and first to third light transmitting spacer layers respectively arranged between the recording layers. A refractive index n3 of the third light transmitting spacer layer is set to satisfy n3
US07876663B2
A scanning system includes a base plate, an anchor structure mounted to the base plate, and a first O-topology bracket moveably mounted along a first axis of an X-Y plane to the anchor structure. The first O-topology bracket is resiliently interconnected to the anchor structure by a plurality of parallelization springs. A second O-topology bracket is moveably mounted along a second axis of the X-Y plane to the first O-topology bracket. The second O-topology bracket is resiliently interconnected to the first O-topology bracket through a second plurality of parallelization springs. The first and second O-topology brackets provide a robust, vibration resistant structure that resists both in-plane and out-of-plane deformations to enable sub-nanometer tracking.
US07876662B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for recording/reproduction of data in a probe-based data storage device (1) in which application of a write signal causes formation of an indentation in a storage surface (5) by a probe of the device (1). Instead of storing information in the presence or absence of indentations on the storage surface as is conventionally done in such devices, information is stored in the form of grooves of variable length separated by lands of variable length. More particularly, a sequence of n>1 successive bits of a first value (typically “1's”) in a recording signal is recorded by applying a series of write signals at respective probe-positions on the storage surface (5). These probe-positions are spaced at w≦M, where M is the indentation merging distance, so that the resulting indentations merge to form a groove in the storage surface (5) spanning n readback sample positions. The readback signal corresponding to the recording signal is sampled at timings corresponding to the readback sample positions to recover the original bit sequence. High density recording is provided because the readback sample position spacing s here satisfies s
US07876660B2
An optical pickup apparatus includes: a first light source for emitting a first light flux; a light-converging optical system including an objective lens and a diffractive structure. When the first light flux from an optical information recording medium enters into the diffractive structure, the diffractive structure emits a main light flux and a secondary light flux. The optical pickup apparatus further includes: a first optical element including a first optical area and a second optical area; a second optical element including a third optical area and a fourth optical area; a light-converging element for converging the main light flux at a position between the first optical element and second optical element; a polarization splitting optical member for splitting the main light flux and the secondary light flux each emitted from the first optical element and second optical element; and a photodetector for receiving the main light flux.
US07876656B2
A method, apparatus and computer readable medium for managing recording medium defects and a defect managed recording medium. The recording medium includes a spare area in which a replacement area, which is a substitute for a defective area of the recording medium, is formed, and a temporary defect management area in which temporary management information that specifies the defective area and the corresponding replacement area is recorded, wherein position information and state information regarding the defective area are recorded in the replacement area. Accordingly, it is possible to restore defect information even if recording medium defect management on the recording medium ended abnormally.
US07876654B2
An IC provided in an optical disk device having an objective lens and a pickup for a disk. The IC has a circuit for holding a signal which drives the objective lens in a focus or tracking direction and for detecting the moving direction of the objective lens, and a circuit for generating a signal which applies an acceleration to the objective lens. When the objective lens passes through a defect on the disk, on the basis of the detected moving direction of the objective lens, the IC applies the acceleration alternately in plus and minus directions to the objective lens to make the objective lens stationary. As a result, after the defect passage, the objective lens can be quickly returned to a focused point or an on-track position and reproducing/recording operation can be resumed.
US07876648B2
An optical element is disposed on an optical path between a beam branching element and a photodetector. The optical element is disposed at a focal position of a stray light beam reflected by a recording layer except a target recording layer, and shields or attenuates the light beam in a region where the stray light beam converges.
US07876647B2
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a program, and a recording medium that facilitate, for example, identification of information recorded on an recording medium. In a disc formatting process 211, a disc-metadata-file creating unit 181 creates a disc-metadata file including various types of label information, using a PROAV-ID copying unit 192 and a representative-image setting unit 194. Furthermore, in a disc-metadata updating process 212, a disc-metadata-file managing unit 182 updates the disc-metadata file, for example, using the representative-image setting unit 194. A disc-metadata-file recording controller 183 executes a process of comparing PROAV IDs using a PROAV-ID comparing unit 193, and records the disc-metadata file on a disc 132 when the PROAV IDs match. The present invention can be applied to an editing apparatus.
US07876646B2
A thermally assisted magnetic head comprises: a slider substrate, a first surface located opposite to a medium-facing surface, and side surfaces located between the medium-facing surface and the first surface; a magnetic head portion having a near-field light generator on the medium-facing surface side, and a magnetic recording element, the magnetic head portion being fixed to one of the side surfaces; and a laser diode element a relative position of which to the slider substrate is fixed so that emitted light thereof can reach the near-field light generator; a relation of λin<λmax is satisfied, where λin is a wavelength of the emitted light from the laser diode element immediately before the emitted light reaches the near-field light generator, and λmax is a wavelength of irradiating light at which an efficiency of generation of near-field light generated from the near-field light generator is maximum.
US07876638B2
The present disclosure includes methods, devices, modules, and systems for storing operational information in an array of memory cells. One method embodiment includes storing data units of operational information in memory cells of at least one row of a first block of memory cells. The method also includes using a column scramble to shift the order of the data units. The method includes storing the data units in memory cells of at least one row of a second block of memory cells, wherein an order of the data units stored in the at least one row of the second block is different than an order of the data units stored in memory cells of the at least one row of the first block.
US07876625B2
A driver power supply circuit stepping down a power supply voltage is arranged at a power supply node of a word line driver. The driver power supply circuit includes a non-silicide resistance element of N+ doped polycrystalline silicon, and a pull-down circuit lowering a voltage level of the driver power supply node. The pull-down circuit includes a pull-down transistor having the same threshold voltage characteristics as a memory cell transistor pulling down a voltage level of the driver power supply node, and a gate control circuit adjusting at least a gate voltage of the pull-down transistor. The gate control circuit corrects the gate potential of the pull-down transistor in a manner linked to variations in threshold voltage of the memory cell transistor.
US07876622B2
Memory devices adapted to process and generate analog data signals representative of data values of two or more bits of information facilitate increases in data transfer rates relative to devices processing and generating only binary data signals indicative of individual bits. Programming of such memory devices includes programming to a target threshold voltage range representative of the desired bit pattern. Reading such memory devices includes generating an analog data signal indicative of a threshold voltage of a target memory cell. Cell reads are performed multiple times and the read threshold voltages averaged to more closely approximate actual threshold voltage and to compensate for random noise.
US07876616B2
An invention is provided for wear leveling in a non-volatile memory system utilizing relative wear counters to indicate relative levels of wear for each memory block in a non-volatile memory system. Whenever a memory block is erased, the associated relative wear counter is incremented. Then, when any relative wear counter reaches a predetermined limit, the value of the lowest relative wear counter is subtracted from each relative wear counter. Thus, each relative wear counter indicates a relative wear level of the associated memory block relative to other memory blocks. In this manner, the relative wear levels are maintained while reducing the amount of memory needed to for each relative wear counter.
US07876608B2
A method of programming a phase change device includes selecting a desired threshold voltage (Vth) and applying a programming pulse to a phase change material in the phase change device. The applying of the programming pulse includes applying a quantity of energy to the phase change material to drive at least a portion of this material above a melting energy level. A portion of the energy applied to the phase change material is allowed to dissipate below the melting energy level. The shape of the energy dissipation from the phase change material is controlled until the energy applied to the phase change material is less than a quenched energy level, to cause the phase change device to have the desired Vth. A remaining portion of the energy applied to the phase change material is allowed to dissipate to an environmental level.
US07876605B2
A phase change memory having a memory material layer consisting of a phase change material, and a first and second electrical contact which are located at a distance from one another and via which a switching zone of the memory material layer can be traversed by a current signal, wherein the current signal can be used to induce a reversible phase change between a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase and thus a change in resistance of the phase change material in the switching zone. The invention also relates to a phase change memory assembly, a phase change memory cell, a 2D phase change memory cell array, a 3D phase change memory cell array and an electronic component.
US07876593B2
An LED chip package structure includes a conductive unit, a first package unit, an ESD unit, a second package unit, a light-emitting unit and a second package unit. The conductive unit has two conductive pins adjacent to each other which form a concave space between each other. The first package unit encloses one part of each conductive pin in order to form a receiving space communicating with the concave space and to expose an end side of each conductive pin. The ESD unit is received in the concave space and electrically connected between the two conductive pins. The second package unit is received in the concave space in order to cover the ESD unit. The light-emitting unit is received in the receiving space and electrically connected between the two conductive pins. The third package unit is received in the receiving space in order to cover the light-emitting unit.
US07876589B2
Occurrence of power supply noise arising in connection with a step-down action at the time of turning on power supply is to be restrained. A step-down unit is provided with a switched capacitor type step-down circuit and a series regulator type step-down circuit, and stepped-down voltage output terminals of the step-down circuits are connected in common. The common connection of the stepped-down voltage output terminals of both step-down circuits makes possible parallel driving of both, selective driving of either or consecutive driving of the two. In the consecutive driving, even if the switched capacitor type step-down circuit is driven after driving the series regulator type step-down circuit first to supply a stepped-down voltage to loads, the switched capacitor type step-down circuit will need only to be compensated for a discharge due to the loads, and a peak of a charge current for capacitors can be kept low. When operation of the switched capacitor type step-down circuit is started, no large rush current arises, and occurrence of noise is restrained.
US07876586B2
An 18n-pulse rectifier for AC drive systems having a separate DC bus for each output phase is provided, where n=any positive integer. The rectifier uses three separate phase rectifiers, one for each output phase of a transformer, each comprised of 2n six-pulse diode bridges connected in series or parallel. Each phase rectifier may be supplied with n unique sets of phase inputs from a transformer secondary winding. In some configurations, the n sets of inputs provided to each rectifier are separated by 60/n degrees of phase (when n is greater than 1), while the corresponding inputs to neighboring rectifiers are separated by 20/n degrees of phase. In a 36-pulse example, the phase offsets for the inputs provided to the rectifiers may be −25° and +5° from the transformer primary winding (for the first rectifier), −15° and +15° from the primary winding (for the second rectifier) and −5° and +25° from the primary winding (for the third rectifier). Each set of inputs may include three lines of in-phase current, and may be coupled to one of the six-pulse diode bridges. In some configurations, two identically-wound transformers may be used to supply output voltages to the rectifiers. The transformers may each supply the same phase offsets to each rectifier, in accordance with the methodology above, which may support higher-capacity applications.
US07876584B2
A secondary FETsc control circuit is disclosed for controlling FETsc of transformer coupled synchronous rectified flyback converter (TCSC). The control circuit includes source-drain voltage VSD sense trigger with output VSD-trigger activated upon positive 0-crossing of VSD. Drain-source current IDS sense trigger with output IDS-trigger activated upon positive 0-crossing of IDS. Secondary coil voltage Vsec sense trigger with output Vsec-trigger activated upon sensing negative Vsec. A multi-trigger gate driver (MTGD) has trigger inputs coupled to VSD-trigger, IDS-trigger, Vsec-trigger and drive output driving the FETsc gate. The MTGD has logic states of state-I where FETsc is turned off and latched, state-II where FETsc is turned off but unlatched, state-III where FETsc is turned on but unlatched. The MTGD is configured to enter state-III upon VSD-trigger, enter state-I upon IDS-trigger and enter state-IT upon Vsec-trigger. The control circuit thus avoids false triggering of the FETsc by numerous undesirable Vsec ringings.
US07876580B2
Embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems for a cable strain relief. One embodiment includes a cable strain relief having a body for supporting cables connected to a computer. A bracket and arm connect to the body so the body can rotate to plural different locked positions.
US07876577B2
A system for connecting electrical devices to one another is provided. This system includes a horizontal or non-horizontal substrate and an anchor connected to or formed integrally with the substrate. The anchor is either a raised structure or a recessed structure, and further includes at least one retention member formed integrally with the anchor. At least one electronic component is mounted within the anchor and the at least one retention member secures the component to the substrate. At least one electrical trace is disposed on the substrate and the at least one electrical trace extends into the anchor, contacts the at least one electronic component, and forms an electrical connection between the substrate and the at least one electronic component.
US07876571B2
A board comprises a cavity for placing an electronic component on a base, a pair of pads for mounting said electronic component, each of said pads is formed on said base, a pair of through holes piercing through said board from said base, each of said through holes includes a land, and wires which electrically connect said lands and said pads, respectively.
US07876568B2
The electronic device has: a housing having an opening; a lid attached to the housing to cover the opening; a first substrate fixed in the housing; and a second substrate that has a first electronic component mounted on a first surface thereof, a first component mounting part on the first surface on which a second electronic component is removably mounted, and a third electronic component mounted on a second surface thereof and is fixed in the housing with the first surface facing the opening and the first component mounting part exposed in the opening.
US07876566B1
For retaining a heatsink in contact with a processor on a board, a plurality of spaced apart mounting studs are mounted on the board. Each mounting stud includes a pivotally mounted resilient arm and a catch. A pair of the studs are positioned such that the resilient arm of one of the studs pivots to extend to engage the resilient arm catch of an adjacent one of the studs.
US07876562B2
An electronic module is provided having enhanced thermal cooling of electronics. The module includes a housing, electronic circuitry contained within the housing, and a fluid cooling chamber extending through the housing. The chamber has generally conical shaped portions at opposite ends. At least one thermal cooling insert extends into the chamber. The insert comprises a plurality of projections for forming fluid flow passages between adjacent projections, wherein the projections engage the generally conical shape portion of the chamber.
US07876561B2
A plastic liquid cooled variable speed drive or inductor provided. The cooler provides lightweight, space conservative, corrosive free cooling to the components as well as provides a mounting area for modules. A cooler can be mounted to the core of an inductor to absorb heat generated by the core losses.
US07876556B2
A disk array system capable of efficiently cooling the canisters and achieving the high-density mounting of the canisters without reducing the number of canisters is provided. In the disk array system having a HDD box which stores a plurality of canisters, a canister on an upstream side of cooling air and a canister on a downstream side of the cooling air both standing upright are arranged with a difference in level therebetween in the HDD box. The canister on the upstream side has a reliability assurance temperature lower than that on the downstream side, and a disk size of the canister on the upstream side is smaller than that on the downstream side. Also, the canister on the downstream side is arranged higher than that on the upstream side so that an alarm indicator LED and a ready indicator LED can be checked visually.
US07876555B2
A portable storage device comprises a protecting housing, a casing, a keystroke, a circuit board, and an electrical plug. There is an orientating hole which comprises the first fixing portion formed on the protecting housing. The casing slides in the interior of the protecting housing, and comprises a flexible arm which corresponds in position to the orientating hole. The keystroke is positioned between the flexible arm and the orientating hole, and fixed with the orientating hole when the second fixing portion formed on the keystroke is latched with the first fixing portion. Such that the electrical plug connected with the circuit board mounted in the casing can be moved selectively in or out of the protecting housing through the keystroke. Thereby, it is convenient for a user to protect the electrical plug of the portable storage device, and the reliability of the device can be improved automatically.
US07876545B2
A protection arrangement for a power semiconductor component made of a plurality of cells, in which a current sensor made of a current sense transistor and current sense resistors and also a temperature sensor, is disclosed. The current sense transistor and the temperature sensor are provided in a gap or in different gaps between the cells, while the current sense resistor is fitted directly on at least one cell. The temperature sensor may, include a plurality of stages which are located from the center of the power semiconductor component to an edge of the latter in the gap between two cells.
US07876544B2
An electrical circuit comprising a power supply, a load and an incendive arc prevention means comprising a monitoring means and an isolation means, in which the monitoring means monitors the electrical circuit by means of a reactor means, in which if a short circuit with the potential to cause an incendive arc occurs in the electrical circuit the reaction of the reactor means is detected by the monitoring means and the isolation means fully or partially isolates the power supply from said short circuit, such that an incendive arc cannot occur, in which if an event with a current and/or voltage pattern which is characteristic of a propagating non-incendive arc occurs in the electrical circuit between the power supply and the load, the reaction of the reactor means is detected by the monitoring means, and the isolation means fully or partially isolates the power supply from said event, such that an incendive arc cannot occur.
US07876538B2
A system is presented. The system includes a micro-electromechanical system switch. Further, the system includes a balanced diode bridge configured to suppress arc formation between contacts of the micro-electromechanical system switch. A pulse circuit is coupled to the balanced diode bridge to form a pulse signal in response to a fault condition. An energy-absorbing circuitry is coupled in a parallel circuit with the pulse circuit and is adapted to absorb electrical energy resulting from the fault condition without affecting a pulse signal formation by the pulse circuit.
US07876520B1
A system comprises a read element, a first differential amplifier, and a second differential amplifier including inputs that communicate with outputs of the first differential amplifier. First and second resistances communicate with the inputs of the first differential amplifier, respectively, and communicate with the outputs of the first differential amplifier, respectively. First and second capacitances communicate with the inputs of the first differential amplifier, respectively. Third and fourth resistances communicate with the first and second capacitances and with the magneto-resistive read element, respectively, and communicate with the outputs of the second differential amplifier, respectively.
US07876514B2
A lens barrel has an elastically deformable moving frame which is a cylindrical frame member having a first groove group, in which a plurality of grooves formed in the circumferential direction are arranged in the optical axis direction, at the outer periphery thereof, and an elastically deformable rotating frame which is a cylindrical frame member engaging with the outer periphery of the moving frame and having a second groove group, in which a plurality of grooves formed in the circumferential direction are arranged in the optical axis direction so as to face to the first groove group, at the inner periphery thereof, the rotating frame being movable relative to the moving frame without interference of the second groove group with the first groove group during the ordinary operation.
US07876509B2
A transport system for moving and positioning an object comprising: a tube (24) having an axis of rotation and formed with threads (36) on at least a portion of its surface; at least one platform (126) to which the object (116) is mountable having threads that mesh with the threads of the tube; at least one linear guide (130) along which the at least one platform moves freely that prevents rotation of the at least one platform when the tube rotates about its axis of rotation; and a piezoelectric motor controllable to rotate the tube and thereby selectively translate the at least one platform in either direction along the tube's axis of rotation.
US07876508B2
A lens drive unit is configured to move a lens holding frame to a desired position by the engagement between a cam groove of a rotary cylinder and a cam follower of the lens holding frame. The lens drive unit includes a second linearly-moving guide cylinder arranged between the lens holding frame and a first linearly-moving guide cylinder. The second linearly-moving guide cylinder can be moved in the optical a direction with rotation of the rotary cylinder by the engagement of a cam follower of the second linearly-moving guide cylinder with a second cam groove of the rotary cylinder. The lens holding frame is guided in the optical axis direction by the second linearly-moving guide cylinder and moved in the optical axis direction with rotation of the rotary cylinder by the engagement of a cam follower of the lens holding frame with a first cam groove of the rotary cylinder.
US07876505B1
An objective lens includes multiple optical elements disposed between a first end and a second end, each optical element oriented along an optical axis. Each optical surface of the multiple optical elements provides an angle of incidence to a marginal ray that is above a minimum threshold angle. This threshold angle minimizes pupil ghosts that may enter an interferometer. The objective lens also optimizes wavefront delivery and pupil imaging onto an optical surface under test.
US07876501B2
An optical sight includes an optical train having an optical path therethrough, an entrance, and an exit. A reticle is visible through the exit of the optical path. An unpowered reticle illumination source has a first light source that illuminates the reticle responsive to the level of ambient light, and a second light source that illuminates the reticle with an unpowered light source. The reticle illumination source preferably has a light filter positioned so that ambient light entering the ambient-light receiver is incident upon the light filter, whereupon the light filter transmits filtered light, a light-gathering prism that receives the filtered light and has a diffusing surface disposed to illuminate the reticle using the filtered light, and an unpowered light source positioned to emit light through the diffusing surface to be incident upon the reticle. The unpowered light source may be a tritium light source.
US07876497B2
There is provided a long-band rare-earth-doped optical amplifier and method for amplifying an optical signal. The optical amplifier has a pre-, a mid- and a post-amplification stage. Only the mid-amplification stage is pumped with a pump light source. The other two are pumped using Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) generated in the mid-amplification stage. An optical coupling device is used to couple the three amplification stages together and to split the ASE generated in the mid-amplification stage and available at one end of the mid-amplification stage. One part of the split ASE is used to pump the pre-amplification stage while the other part is used to pump the post-amplification stage.
US07876493B2
Disclosed is an electrophoretic display (EPD) device capable of delaying or preventing a sealant from leaking down by forming a dam pattern prior to a sealing process using the sealant, and a method for fabricating the same. The EPD device comprises: gate lines and data lines crossing each other to define a pixel region, and formed on a lower substrate; a thin film transistor (TFT) electrically connected to the gate lines and the data lines; a passivation film covering the TFT; a pixel electrode electrically connected to the TFT; a display layer formed on the pixel electrode and the passivation film, and having an electrophoretic substance; a common electrode formed on an entire surface of the display layer; an upper substrate formed on the common electrode; a seal pattern formed on each outer circumferential surface of the lower substrate, the upper substrate, and the display layer; and a dam pattern formed on the lower substrate adjacent to the seal pattern.
US07876490B2
A reflection type display apparatus using an electroplating for modulating light includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte solution arranged between the first and second electrodes. A first electroplating is formed from the electrolyte solution onto the first electrode by setting a first direction of current flowing between the first and second electrodes, and a second electroplating is formed from the electrolyte solution onto the second electrode by setting a second direction of current flowing between the first and second electrodes. A first surface of the first electroplating is formed on the first electrode such that the first electroplating contacts the first electrode through the first surface and is different in at least one of a light reflectance and a light absorptance from a second surface of the second electroplating formed on the second electrode such that the second electroplating does not contact the second electrode through the second surface. Displaying is performed by a reflection light from the first surface in case that the first electroplating is formed on the first electrode, while a displaying is performed by a reflection light from the second surface in case that the second electroplating is formed on the second electrode.
US07876485B2
A light scanning unit by which misalignment in imaging caused by a scanning angle can be reduced. The light scanning unit includes a light source array device having a plurality of light sources, an imaging optics, and an optical deflection module. The plurality of light sources are used selectively in accordance with positions of light beams in a scanning direction on a to-be-scanned surface.
US07876483B2
To provide an optically reconfigurable logic circuit in which a mount area of an optical circuit is reduced as much as possible and a high gate density is realized.In an optically reconfigurable logic circuit 1 provided with a plurality of configuration information input circuits 6 for converting an optical signal including logic circuit configuration information into an electric signal and holding and outputting this electric signal and a logic configuration variable circuit 7 for performing logic configuration on the basis of the logic circuit configuration information, the configuration information input circuits 6 holds the logic circuit configuration information as electric charge with use of a junction capacitance and a floating capacitance of a photoconductive device P. An inter-terminal voltage of the photoconductive device P is converted into binary data by a binary circuit and output as a circuit configuration signal. Then, the logic configuration variable circuit 7 is configured to execute a logic arithmetic processing before the inter-terminal voltage of the photoconductive device P drops to be equal to or lower than a logic threshold of the binary circuit due to a leak current.
US07876480B2
An information processing apparatus includes a selector for selecting removal information concerning contents to be removed, the removal information prepared on a per content basis for the contents to be removed and including a value uniquely determined from data within a data range of whole or part of a content to be removed, a first range that is the data range, and a second range that is a removal range represented by the position of the first range, a detector for detecting a range at a predetermined position within the whole content, having the same range as the first range contained in the removal information selected by the selector and the same value as the value uniquely determined and contained in the removal information, and a remover for removing a predetermined content based on the second range contained in the removal information selected by the selector if the detector detects the range at the predetermined position.
US07876479B2
An automatic document feeder of an image forming apparatus capable of improving a duplex scanning or printing (copying) efficiency includes a single scan path having a document admission passage to admit a document to a document scanning part and a document discharge passage to discharge the scanned document, a duplex scan path having a first document reversing and waiting passage diverged separately from the document discharge passage on the single scan path at the rear of the document scanning part to reverse the document, one surface of which is scanned, and admit the reversed document again to the document scanning part, and a document re-reversing path having a second document reversing and waiting passage diverged separately from the document discharge passage on the single scan path at the rear of the document scanning part to reverse the document, both surfaces of which are scanned, again and send the re-reversed document to the document discharge passage.
US07876478B1
A compact, desktop document processor for capturing data and images from checks and other financial and payment-related documents includes a modular base unit. The modular base unit performs processing actions on financial and payment-related documents. The modular base unit is configured to operate in a teller station apparatus and is configured to operate in a back counter apparatus. The base unit includes an interface for connecting to an add-on component to match the base unit to workflow requirements. The base unit operates as the teller station apparatus when a hand feeder component is connected to the base unit at the add-on component interface. The base unit operates as the back counter apparatus when an automatic feeder component is connected to the base unit at the add-on component interface.
US07876472B2
A handheld portable printer includes a top member, a front member, a bottom member and a handle that are joined together to form a generally O-shaped device. The top member defines a hole through which a scroll dial protrudes and is adapted to support a retractable display on its top surface. The front member provides an area for storing consumables, a battery, and houses a projector to project an image on the print surface of the image to be printed. The bottom member houses optical sensors to detect and measure movement of the handheld printer; and a print head for outputting ink on the print surface. The handle provides additional buttons for inputting command to lock an image or begin printing, and in one embodiment housing electronics for control and projection of the image to be printed, providing user feedback, and communicating with other devices. The present invention also includes a number of novel methods including: a method for printing an image with a handheld printer, a method for projecting an image to be printed, and a method for registering a location of a printer and portions of a printed image.
US07876470B2
It is an object of this invention to provide a user-legible print result in consecutively printing a plurality of pages of images. To this end, it is checked whether there is continuity between data to be printed at the lower end portion of a page and data to be printed at the upper end portion of the next page. If there is continuity, a page break is inserted before the data at the lower end portion of the page, and an image of the data at the lower end portion is printed on the next page. Controlling a printing method in this manner makes it possible to prevent character split due to printing across pages and provide a user-legible print result.
US07876465B2
According to the claimed invention, an information processing apparatus generating a workflow that defines a processing order of a plurality of processes, and having a storage that stores workflow information used to define processing in the respective processes included in the workflow, comprises a reception unit adapted to receive a processing status of a processing step of interest of the plurality of processes defined in the workflow from a device executing the processing step of interest, a checking unit adapted to check if the processing status of the processing step of interest matches a workflow generation condition, and a first generation unit adapted to generate, when the checking unit determines that the processing status of the processing step of interest matches the workflow generation condition, a workflow based on the workflow information stored in the storage unit and the processing status of the processing step of interest.
US07876462B2
An image reading apparatus which can improve the operability in making various settings required for direct transmission of read image data to services on the Internet. The image reading apparatus is connected to at least one external service, which provides at least one service for image data output from the image reading apparatus via a network. Personalized service list information for personalizing the service is acquired so that the operator can use the service. A setting screen, a setting procedure, and contents of setting for the operator are personalized according to the acquired service list information. Various settings based on the setting screen, setting procedure, and contents of setting personalized for the operator are transmitted via the network to the external service, together with the image data.
US07876461B2
An image processing apparatus which is capable of extracting embedded information from the back side of a printed document without causing degradation of reading efficiency. A scanner unit reads an image on a first side of a sheet. An encoded information processing section extracts embedded information embedded in the image read by the scanner unit. When embedded information indicating that embedded information is embedded in an image on a second side of the sheet is extracted by the encoded information processing section, an automatic second-side reading section reads the image on the second side of the sheet, and the encoded information processing section extracts the embedded information embedded in the image read by the automatic second-side reading section.
US07876460B2
Print structure, printing method and reading method for medium surface with print-formed dot pattern
With the aim of realizing an easy and inexpensive method of realizing a “stealth” dot pattern, whose presence on a medium surface is not visually recognizable, merely through minor improvements in the existing printing technology, the present invention provides dots which form a dot pattern by printing these dots using an ink of any color reactive in the infrared or ultraviolet wavelength range on a medium surface on which a dot pattern is to be formed, for use with a dot pattern reading system that irradiates infrared or ultraviolet light on a medium surface having a dot pattern provided thereon, recognizes the dot pattern by reading the reflections of the light with an optical reading means, converts the dot pattern into the corresponding data, and outputs the text, voice, images and so forth contained in the data.
US07876453B1
Techniques for ultrasonic determination of the interfacial relationship of multi-component systems are discussed. In implementations, a laser energy source may be used to excite a multi-component system including a first component and a second component at least in partial contact with the first component. Vibrations resulting from the excitation may be detected for correlation with a resonance pattern indicating if discontinuity exists at the interface of the first and second components.
US07876452B2
Process tools and methods are disclosed that involve interferometric and other measurements of movements and positions relative to a process position, such as movements and positions of a stage relative to a lithographic optical system. An exemplary apparatus includes a stage that places a workpiece relative to the tool, and that is movable in at least one direction relative to the tool. At least one first interferometer system is situated relative to the stage to determine stage position in a movement direction relative to the process position. A movement-measuring device determines displacement of the tool from the process position. Using data from the interferometer system and movement-measuring device a processor determines a position of the stage relative to the tool. The processor also corrects the determined position for displacement of the tool.
US07876445B1
A tunable optical spectrometer is disclosed that includes a medium configured to perform polarization rotation within a frequency band on a linearly polarized test beam, wherein the medium is circularly birefringent, and wherein the polarization rotation is achieved based on two-photon-absorption. The medium includes a gaseous substance, a reference laser beam of circular polarization and a longitudinal magnetic field. The test beam propagates through the medium twice, once in the same direction as the magnetic field, and once in the opposite direction of the magnetic field. The test beam undergoes polarization rotation an amount that depends upon the frequency of the test beam.
US07876438B2
Disclosed are techniques and apparatus are provided for determining overlay error or pattern placement error (PPE) across the field of a scanner which is used to pattern a sample, such as a semiconductor wafer or device. This determination is performed in-line on the product wafer or device. That is, the targets on which overlay or PPE measurements are performed are provided on the product wafer or device itself. The targets are either distributed across the field by placing the targets within the active area or by distributing the targets along the streets (the strips or scribe areas) which are between the dies of a field. The resulting overlay or PPE that is obtained from targets distributed across the field may then be used in a number of ways to improve the fabrication process for producing the sample. For instance, the resulting overlay or PPE may be used to more accurately predict device performance and yield, more accurately correct a deviating photolithography scanning tool, or determine wafer lot disposition.
US07876436B2
Disclosed is an irradiation unit for a flow-cytometry-based analytical instrument and analytical instrument including the same. The irradiation unit includes a light source, a light beam focusing module for focusing the illuminating light beam on an irradiated area, and a light beam shaper disposed between the light source and the light beam focusing module. The light shaper is used for flattening the distribution of light intensity on the irradiated area in a third direction X that is perpendicular to both a first direction in which the light beam spreads and a second direction in which cells to be detected flow. The irradiation unit and the analytical instrument including the same enable the illuminating light beam to form the irradiated area with the uniform distribution of intensity in a predetermined direction to avoid misjudging particles of the same kind entering into different positions of the irradiated area as different, thereby improving accuracy.
US07876433B2
The invention relates to spectrometer optics with a beam path from a beam source to a number of electro-optical sensors without spatial resolution, the beam path comprising an entry slot, a dispersive element, and a number of exit slots arranged on a focal curve, wherein furthermore: a first actuator for changing the angle of incidence ε between the beam from the entry slot to the dispersive element and from the normal to the dispersive element; a number of second actuators for moving the exit slots tangentially with respect to the focal curve or in a peripheral direction along the focal curve and a controller which is adapted to control the first actuator and the second actuators to carry out a calibration is provided.
US07876431B2
A foreign-matter inspection apparatus is implemented which allows the stable detection sensitivity to be maintained. A laser beam emitted from a laser apparatus is applied to a beam irradiation sample via an irradiation unit and a mirror. Then, the laser beam is captured into a beam-capturing camera via an image-forming lens and a beam-direction switching mirror. Based on the captured beam image, an image computational processing unit judges inclination of the laser beam, then adjusting the irradiation unit thereby to correct the inclination of the laser beam. Also, the beam is captured into the beam-capturing camera in specified number-of-times while focus of the laser beam is being changed by an arbitrary amount by the irradiation unit. Based on the captured beam, the focus of the laser beam is corrected by adjusting the irradiation unit.
US07876428B2
A method includes a step of contactless optical measurement of the local value of at least one refringence optical characteristic of the lens over defined local zone around the measurement point of the lens, and at least one step of determining the axial position of the measurement point on one of the faces of the lens; the axial position of the measurement point obtained is compared with the local value of the optical characteristic of the lens at the measurement point as determined from the contactless optical measurement, in order to deduce therefrom at least one vertex optical power of the lens at the measurement point.
US07876425B2
A test cell comprises a test chamber at least partially enclosed by a wall. The test chamber holds a test fluid, and a test material is placed within the test chamber such that at least a portion of the test material is contact with the test fluid and at least a portion of the test material is in optical register with a window of the wall. A first conductive element is in electrical communication with the test fluid but is separated from the test material by a space, and extends to an outside of the cell. A second conductive element is in electrical communication with the test material and also extends to the outside of the cell.
US07876424B2
The determination of an apparent distance between an object and a surface is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises illuminating the object with a spatially inhomogeneous irradiance from the surface, an intensity variation in the spatially inhomogeneous irradiance in a plane parallel to the surface responsive to a distance between the plane and the surface. Next, an image of the object is acquired while the object is illuminated by the spatially inhomogeneous irradiance, and the apparent distance of the object from the surface is determined based on a brightness contrast in the image of the object due to the spatially inhomogeneous irradiance.
US07876411B2
An MVA-LCD panel, including an active component array substrate, an opposite substrate and a liquid crystal layer disposed between is provided. The active component array substrate includes scan lines, data lines, control lines and pixel units. Each of the pixel units includes an active component, a domain division electrode (DDE) and a pixel electrode. The active component is electrically connected with the corresponding scan line and the corresponding data line, the DDE being electrically connected with the corresponding control line, the pixel electrode being electrically connected with the active component. The pixel electrode has first slits, and the first DDE are disposed under the first slits. The opposite substrate has a common electrode layer facing toward the active component array substrate. The common electrode layer includes second slits and at least a part of the second slits is disposed over the first domain division electrode.
US07876407B2
A vertical alignment liquid crystal layer is sealed between a first substrate having a first electrode and a second substrate having a second electrode, each pixel region has a reflective region and a transmissive region, and a gap adjusting section is provided on one of sides of the first substrate and the second substrate which sets a thickness (gap) d of the liquid crystal layer which controls a phase difference of incident light to the liquid crystal layer so that a gap dr in the reflective region is smaller than a gap dt in the transmissive region. An alignment controller which divides alignment of the liquid crystal within a pixel region is provided in the pixel region on at least one of the sides of the first substrate and the second substrate. It is also possible to optimize by changing the gap in red, green, and blue.
US07876406B2
A transflective LCD includes a LC layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and a pair of polarizing films. The LCD device includes a reflection area and a transmission area in each pixel, the transmission area having a reflection film. A retardation film has a first portion in the refection area between the reflection film and the LC layer, and a second portion in the transmission area between the LC layer and the rear polarizing film. The retardation film has a slow axis perpendicular to an initial orientation direction of the LC molecules upon absence of an applied voltage and perpendicular or parallel to the optical axis of the front polarizing film. The orientation of the LC molecules upon display of a dark state has a direction different between the reflection area and the transmission area.
US07876389B2
A display may include a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix. Each pixel may include a first sub-pixel electrode and a second sub-pixel electrode to be charged with a different voltage than the first sub-pixel electrode. A portion of each of the first sub-pixel electrode and the second sub-pixel electrode is V-shaped and the V-shaped portion of the first sub-pixel electrode faces the V-shaped portion of the second sub-pixel electrode. The display further includes a gate line extending in a first direction, a first storage electrode line and a second storage electrode line extending in the first direction and capacitively coupled to the first sub-pixel electrode and the second sub-pixel electrode, respectively, a charge control line extending in the first direction and coupled to the pixel, and a first data line and a second data line extending in a second direction and intersecting the gate line. TFTs may be disposed separately in an area non-overlapped by a sub-crossing pixel electrode.
US07876376B2
An image pickup apparatus capable of preventing a decline of resolution of a still image while keeping a dynamic range of exposure control. The image pickup apparatus capable of photographing with changing over a moving image and a still image, includes an iris mechanism for changing an amount of light input to an image pickup element by changing an aperture diameter, a filter unit, having a single density or a plurality of densities, for changing the amount of the light input to the image pickup element by its advancing towards and withdrawing from the aperture diameter of the iris mechanism, a unit for driving the iris mechanism and the filter unit independently, and a control unit for setting the filter unit in one of two types of states such as fully covering the aperture diameter of the iris mechanism and fully withdrawing from the aperture diameter in the still image photography.
US07876373B2
A camera includes a first image pickup section that photographs a recording-purpose image, a viewfinder optical system, a second image pickup section, a mounting section, a display processing section, a displaying section, and a controlling section. The viewfinder optical system has an eyepiece section that can observe an optical image of a subject with a light flux from a photographing optical path of the first image pickup section. The second image pickup section photographs a view confirming image from an optical path different from that of the first image pickup section. The mounting section acquires focal-length information of an interchangeable lens. The display processing section executes display processing that superimposes a frame indicating a range of a field angle of the first image pickup section, onto the view confirming image. The displaying section provides the eyepiece section with the view confirming image having been processed with the display processing. The controlling section switches between a first state to provide the eyepiece section with the optical image and a second state to provide the eyepiece section with the view confirming image. Then, the displaying section changes a size of a frame based on the focal-length information when in the second state.
US07876365B2
An imaging apparatus that images a photographic subject using an imaging device includes: a signal processing means for performing signal processing on an image signal of the photographic subject imaged by the imaging device and generating an exposure control signal; a photoelectric conversion device that detects an amount of light indicating the brightness under an environment where the brightness changes periodically; and a timing generating means for receiving the exposure control signal from the signal processing means when the amount of light detected by the photoelectric conversion device reaches a predetermined value set beforehand and generating a timing signal for start of exposure and then supplying the timing signal to the imaging device.
US07876361B2
To calibrate images from an overhead camera, two equal-length reference lines at different heights relative to the floor plane are imaged. By comparing the resultant image-width of each of these lines in the view provided by the camera, the effective focal point of the camera is determined. In a preferred embodiment, a doorframe is used to provide equal-length lines at different heights parallel to the floor. The threshold of the doorway at the floor plane is used as a reference plane, and a parallel calibration line at a known/measured height in the doorway is defined. The image produced by a vertically oriented camera of these two equal length lines will show a longer line at the elevated position, the different widths of the images of these lines being dependent upon the camera's effective focal point. From these two projections of the equal-length lines at different heights, the camera's focal point distance from the reference floor plane is determined.
US07876357B2
This disclosure describes a number of devices or techniques that can be capable of obtaining an operational capacity for a shared image device; estimating at least one operational resource to perform a transformation of one or more images based at least in part on the obtaining the operational capacity; and sharing the one or more images with at least one other shared image device in a manner that performs the transformation of the one or more images.
US07876356B2
A method and corresponding systems for using remote control to realize standard colors on displays. Two examples of remote controls are provided, one with color sensors and the other with white LEDs. For each example a calibration pattern is displayed which allows a user to calibrate the display color conveniently. For using the remote control with color sensors, an algorithm for the display to adjust the input RGB color, based on the color measurements from the remote control is provided. This allows the display output RGB color so that the display shows the same color as the input RGB signal is sent to standard color display.
US07876349B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet tray; an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet; a sheet transporting path that allows a transportation of the recording sheet fed from the sheet tray to the image forming unit; and a sheet detecting unit that detects a passage of a rear end, with respect to a direction in which the recording sheet is transported, of the recording sheet along the sheet transporting path. The transportation of the recording sheet is temporarily stopped at the time of, or after a predetermined time from when the rear end is detected by the sheet detecting unit. The transportation of the recording sheet is resumed on the basis of data on a size of the transported recording sheet and a timing of image formation by the image forming unit.
US07876345B2
The ink set includes: a first liquid which contains a coloring material, a polymer, and a dispersion medium composed of water and water-soluble solvent, the coloring material and the polymer being dispersed in the dispersion medium, the coloring material having properties such that when dispersed in an aqueous coloring material solution, a volume-average particle size of the coloring material is changed along with a pH change of the aqueous coloring material solution, the polymer having properties such that when dispersed in an aqueous polymer solution, a volume-average particle size of the polymer is changed along with a pH change of the aqueous polymer solution; and a second liquid which changes pH of the first liquid, wherein a condition of |α−β1|≧|α−β2| is satisfied, where α is pH of the first liquid before the first liquid is subjected to a pH change caused by the second liquid, β1 is pH of the aqueous coloring material solution at which the volume-average particle size of the coloring material reaches 1000 nm along with the pH change of the aqueous coloring material solution, and β2 is pH of the aqueous polymer solution at which the volume-average particle size of the polymer reaches 1000 nm along with the pH change of the aqueous polymer solution.
US07876340B2
In display systems employing spatial light modulators, the OFF-state light from OFF-state pixels of the spatial light modulator can be captured and directed back to the pixels of the spatial light modulator so as to recycle the OFF-state light in the display system. Bitplanes derived from the desired image to be produced are calibrated to include the recycled off-state light to properly produce the desired image using the display system.
US07876327B1
Display data and video data are stored within a graphics processing unit to reduce power consumed by the computing device during video playback. Storing display data and video data within the GPU reduces power consumption, because bus transaction activity is reduced and the need to read data from a larger, common main memory is avoided.
US07876325B1
A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for editing an image comprising a first spatial dimension and a second spatial dimension. Input specifying one or more key locations on a first spatial coordinate line may be received. The first spatial coordinate line may correspond to the first spatial dimension of the image, and boundaries for a plurality of partitions of the image may be determined by the one or more key locations on the first spatial coordinate line. Input specifying one or more respective parameter values for an effect at each of the one or more key locations on the first spatial coordinate line may be received. The effect may be automatically applied within each of the plurality of partitions of the image based on the one or more parameter values at the respective boundaries for each of the plurality of partitions.
US07876324B2
A method and system for developing a strategy for use in a controller and storage medium for storing instructions which effectuate the method are provided. A computer graphical approach of at least one embodiment of the invention eliminates computer programming by presenting a user with a blank 2-dimensional graph on a computer screen along with X and Y axes. Using available toolbars and palettes, the user drags appropriate graphical objects into the graph. Each object represents an operation to perform data analysis or monitoring such as: data acquisition, data transformation or operating limits.
US07876323B2
A display apparatus that displays an image includes: an image converting unit converting a photographed image signal, which is an image signal from a photographing unit that photographs an object, into a high-quality image signal of an image higher in quality than an image corresponding to the photographed image signal according to an arithmetic operation between the photographed image signal and a tap coefficient obtained by learning performed in advance; and a display control unit causing a display to display the image corresponding to the high-quality image signal in a display format determined by learning performed using an image higher in quality than the image corresponding to the high-quality image signal.
US07876320B2
A face image synthesis apparatus includes a storage device (2) and an arithmetic processing unit (1). The storage device (2) stores a plurality of face images and a plurality of feature points including an origin. The plurality of feature points are set to each of the plurality of face images. The arithmetic processing unit (1) generates a plurality of deformed face images by deforming the plurality of face images so that the origin and the other feature points thereof are matched to each other and generates a synthesized face image from the deformed face images.
US07876311B2
The identification of low noise stimulation frequencies for detecting and localizing touch events on a touch sensor panel is disclosed. Each of a plurality of sense channels can be coupled to a separate sense line in a touch sensor panel and can have multiple mixers, each mixer using a demodulation frequency of a particular frequency, phase and delay. With no stimulation signal applied to any drive lines in the touch sensor panel, pairs of mixers can demodulate the sum of the output of all sense channels using the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signals of a particular frequency. The demodulated outputs of each mixer pair can be used to calculate the magnitude of the noise at that particular frequency, wherein the lower the magnitude, the lower the noise at that frequency. Several low noise frequencies can be selected for use in a subsequent touch sensor panel scan function.
US07876310B2
Techniques for identifying an object in close proximity to, but not in contact with, a multi-touch touch-screen device are described. By way of example, a cheek or ear hovering a short distance from the touch-surface (e.g., approximately 1 to 3 centimeters) may be identified and distinguished from physical contacts to the surface.
US07876300B2
A driving method and apparatus for a liquid crystal display uses a comparison between the previous frame and the current frame to expand the contrast ratio and reduce the manufacturing cost. A limited amount of data from the current image may be used: either using a limited area of the image or merely the amount of green in the overall image or the limited area. In the apparatus, an image signal modulator expands the contrast of the input data when the previous image is analogous to the current image to thereby generate output data. A timing controller re-arranges the output data to apply the output data to a data driver.
US07876290B2
A device for controlling a matrix screen includes a scanning circuit. The scanning circuit includes a row control block which successively selects each row, and a column control block which, for each selected row, selects or deselects a set of columns of the screen with the aid of column selection or deselection signals. The temporal evolution of each column selection signal and of each column deselection signal includes a first and a second part separated by an intermediate porch. The column control block, for each column of the screen, determines if the corresponding column has to be selected or deselected, determines the value of the capacitance seen by the column termed the column-capacitance, and adjusts temporal evolution characteristics of the selection or deselection signal of at least one column to be selected or deselected as a function of the determined value of its column-capacitance.
US07876283B2
An antenna is formed with a self-supporting structure (1), a dielectric structure (2), and a conducting structure (3), each structure being formed from at least one structural element (10; 21, 22; 31-34). The structural elements of the different structures (1, 2, 3) constitute a stack in which these elements (10; 21, 22; 31-34) are connected to each other, and the dielectric structure (2) is formed in the stack by nano-imprinting.
US07876277B2
An antenna coil formed on a substrate surface of an insulating substrate has conductor lines forming four sides of a basic loop shape. Furthermore, the antenna coil has corner lines at a corner portion of the loop. For example, by forming trimming lines on the inner side of one of the corner lines, it becomes possible to adjust the resonant frequency in various ways without considerably disturbing the shape of distribution of magnetic flux density generated by the antenna coil as a whole.
US07876275B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a housing, an antenna and a supporting portion. The antenna has a communication face. The supporting portion is between the housing and the antenna. The supporting portion is configured to support the antenna to be slidable between the first position where the antenna is inside the housing and the second position where the antenna is out of the housing, and also to be pivotable at the second position.
US07876271B2
In a portable radio apparatus, the antenna performance is improved while fitting conductor elements into an inside of a case without an increase in size of the case when two cases are closed. A monopole antenna arranged in an inside of a first case of a portable radio apparatus includes an element 11 on the power feed side, an element 12 on the open end side, and a resonance circuit 13. A width of the element 12 on the open end side, which comes close to an electronic parts 10 arranged in an inside of a second case and containing a metal in a folded mode, is set smaller than a width of the element 11 on the power feed side, which does not come close to the electronic parts 10.
US07876264B2
The present invention provides a method of source number estimation based on eigenspace in DOA estimation, including: (1) obtaining signals received by uniform linear array; (2) calculating a covariance matrix according to the received signals; (3) calculating a complex-valued covariance matrix or a covariance matrix after real-valued computations; (4) conducting eigendecomposition to the covariance matrix to obtain its eigenvector matrix; (5) calculating a source number decision based on the eigenvector; (6) calculating a ratio; and (7) source number estimation. The present invention can accurately estimate source number and save huge amounts of computation during signal processing in DOA estimation, and lower the cost of hardware.
US07876263B2
An asymmetrically thinned transmit/receive (TR) module and antenna architecture is provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to an active antenna assembly including at least one multi-channel transmit/receive (TR) module for reducing power consumption, the antenna assembly including the at least one TR module including a first phase shifter, a first switch coupled to the first phase shifter, the first switch configured to switch between a transmit circuit and a receive circuit, the transmit circuit including a plurality of first power amplifiers coupled to the first switch, the receive circuit including a low noise amplifier coupled to the first switch and to a plurality of second switches, where each of the plurality of second switches is configured to switch between one of the plurality of first power amplifiers and the low noise amplifier.
US07876257B2
A method compresses synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data by sampling the SAR data into blocks and transforming each block to a corresponding block of transform coefficients. Each block of transform coefficient is quantized according to a quantization parameter to obtain a corresponding block of quantized transform coefficients, which are demultiplexed into sets of blocks of quantized transform coefficients. The quantized transform coefficients in the blocks in each set are arithmetically encoding in parallel according to a probability model to produce an intermediate bitstream for each set of blocks. The encoding of the quantized transform coefficients of one block is independent of the quantized transform coefficients of a successive block. The intermediate of bitstreams are then multiplexed to a compressed bitstream, which can be transmitted, or stored, for subsequent decoding to construct an SAR image.
US07876244B2
The invention relates to a method and circuit for aligning a serial bit stream with a parallel output. The method comprises latching Q bits from the serial bit stream into a register, locating a position P of a first bit of a start of frame delimiter (SFD) in the register and discarding P-1 bits from the serial bit stream, before the position of the first bit of the SFD, thereby aligning the serial bit stream with the parallel output. The circuit comprises a latch, a fault tolerant analysis logic (FTAL) for locating a position P of a first bit of a start of frame delimiter (SFD) in the register and a shift register for discarding P-1 bits from the serial bit stream, before the position of the first bit of the SFD, thereby aligning the serial bit stream with the parallel output.
US07876239B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for notification or messaging systems that give confidence to the notification-receiving party that a notification concerning the travel status of a mobile thing is from a proper authorized source. One representative method, among others, comprises the following steps: monitoring travel data associated with a mobile thing; communicating a notification involving a delivery or pickup task associated with the mobile thing to a personal communications device associated with a party; and providing authentication information to the personal communications device that indicates to the party that the notification is from an authorized source. A representative system, among others, comprises a computer system that is programmed to perform each of the foregoing steps.
US07876216B2
A system verifies torquing of pressure fittings in an aircraft wheel well. A strain gauge and an ultra-wide band (UWB) pulse signal generator are placed on a wrench used to torque the fittings. The strain senses the torque applied by the wrench, and the pulse signal generator generates UWB pulse signals indicating the location of the fitting and the torque applied to the fitting. The pulse signals are received by UWB radios within the wheel well, which generate location measurements based on the received pulse signals. A processor automatically calculates the location of the fitting being torqued based on the location measurements, and a display produces a 3-dimensional image of the fittings and their torque status.
US07876212B2
There is provided a security system for an electrical device connected to a mains electricity supply, the security system comprising a confirmation transmitter interposed between the electrical device and the mains electricity supply. The transmitter is arranged to send a confirmation message via the mains supply to a control unit that is operatively connected to the mains supply. The control unit is arranged to activate an alarm if the control unit does not receive the confirmation message.
US07876208B2
The invention relates to a system for signalling and locating vehicles involved in accidents, stopped vehicles and vehicles with mechanical problems in daytime and night-time conditions as well as in adverse weather conditions. According to the invention, the occupants of the vehicle can raise the alarm without leaving the vehicle such as to avoid any physical risk. The invention comprises a case and a hinged cover housing an air container. One end of the air container is connected to a gaseous fluid outlet pipe and to a manual quick-opening non-return valve which is located in the mouth of an empty aerostatic inflatable fluorescent body. The aforementioned body is folded inside the case when not in use and is deployed in the event of a vehicle impact by means of a device comprising an inertia sensor which is activated by a deceleration force exceeding 3G and which is powered by a power source comprising batteries or accumulators belonging to the electric circuit of the vehicle or independent batteries. Said source is solidly connected to an electrically-conductive cable terminating in a connector which is associated with a light flashing apparatus comprising an electronic flash unit, a light sensor which operates at night and a satellite-based mini-localizer comprising a global positioning system (GPS).
US07876198B2
An adaptive intelligent electronic horn (100) comprises a mechanical soniferous apparatus (112), an electromagnetic coil (106), a driver circuit (104) and an oscillating circuit (102). A sensor (110) is provided between the mechanical soniferous apparatus (112) and the oscillating circuit (102). An on-off ratio adjusting circuit (108) is provided at the input end of the oscillating circuit (102). The sensor (110) measures the oscillation frequency of the mechanical soniferous apparatus (112) and feedbacks the measured oscillation frequency signal to the oscillating circuit (102). The on-off ratio adjusting circuit (108) controls a pulse width of an oscillation signal from the oscillating circuit (102) based on a voltage of power supply and/or an ambient temperature. The oscillating circuit (102) outputs corresponding oscillation signal to the driver circuit (104) based on the oscillation frequency signal received from the sensor (110) and/or the control signal from the on-off ratio adjusting circuit (108).
US07876194B2
According to a first preferred embodiment, a resistor arrangement with resistor elements is specified whose first electrodes are conductively connected to each other by means of a flexible, conductive connection element that is curved. The connection element has changes in curvature in the regions arranged between two adjacent resistor elements. According to a second preferred embodiment, a resistor arrangement with resistor elements is specified that are connected to each other by a flexible connection element. The resistor elements each have an arrangement of slot-like recesses.
US07876191B2
A power converter employing a magnetic device including a magnetic core and first and second tapped windings. Each winding of the magnetic device has first and second winding sections, respectively, coupled to the magnetic core, wherein the first and second winding sections are formed from a formed and folded planar conductive sheet. The magnetic core includes a common leg, a plurality of outer legs, and a top plate. The first and second winding sections are constructed with a formed and folded planar conductive sheet formed with structures usable as pins in a through-hole, surface-mount, or combined printed wiring board assembly process. The outer legs at either end of the magnetic core are positioned back from magnetic core ends, and the magnetic core is formed with a stepped structure to accommodate winding pins in a surface-mount printed wiring board assembly process.
US07876187B2
With variable airgap reluctance actuators problems arise due to the relationship between actuator mass and displacement range. By providing opposed surfaces in the actuator stator core and armature which have undulations typically in the form of grooves, slots and projections, a greater displacement range can be achieved whilst maintaining performance above a rated displacement force characteristic. In such circumstances by establishing a necessary rated displacement force characteristic, an actuator can be tailored and designed to meet that characteristic over a desired displacement range which has significantly less mass in comparison with a prior actuator arrangement having flat surfaces.
US07876183B2
This electromagnetic switching device comprises an electromagnetic device 1 in which a movable core 15 comes into contact with or separates from a fixed core 14 in response to energization of an excitation coil 11 wound around a coil bobbin 10 a contact device 2 with a fixed contact 21 and a movable contact which comes into contact with or separates from the fixed contact in conjunction with a movement of the movable core 15 of the electromagnetic device, and a boxy case 3 configured to house the electromagnetic device and the contact device. The coil bobbin 10 has a flange 10a at its end in an axis direction of the coil bobbin, and the case 3 has, on its inner surface, a recess 31 into which a periphery of the flange 10a of the coil bobbin is fitted, and a cushioning member 32 for absorbing an impact which is transmitted from the electromagnetic device to the case is disposed in the recess, and the flange of the coil bobbin is supported by the recess through the cushioning member whereby the electromagnetic device is supported in the case.
US07876181B2
A circuit breaker for overcurrent protection and earth leakage protection includes a main housing, a circuit board, a zero-phase current transformer, an earth leakage detection circuit, a trip coil, a sensitivity current-switch, an action time switch, and an earth leakage test switch. The earth leakage detection circuit, the sensitivity current-switch, the action time switch, and the earth leakage test switch are mounted on the circuit board and installed in the main housing.
US07876178B2
A composite filter downsized without degrading its characteristics is disclosed. The filter includes a surface acoustic wave filter and an LC filter coupled to the surface acoustic wave filter. The LC filter is formed by combining a π-shaped LC filter formed of two capacitors and an inductor coupled together in a π-shape with a capacitor coupled in parallel to the inductor. The two capacitors of the π-shaped LC filter are placed on a piezoelectric substrate with their comb-shaped electrodes opposed to each other. This opposing direction differs from an opposing direction of comb-shaped electrodes of a surface acoustic wave resonator.
US07876171B2
A balance-unbalance conversion element that easily adjusts the phase balance between two balance signals. The balance-unbalance conversion element includes a dielectric substrate and an electrode pattern on a surface of the dielectric substrate. The electrode pattern includes a first ¼-wavelength resonance line coupled to a first balance terminal; a second ¼-wavelength resonance line coupled to a second balance terminal; a ½-wavelength resonance line having a first open end coupled to an unbalance terminal and the first ¼-wavelength resonator and a second open end coupled to the second ¼-wavelength resonator; and a balance characteristic adjustment electrode having a tip end opposed to a side of the ½-wavelength resonance line and a base end electrically coupled to a ground electrode. A center line of the electrode pattern on the surface of the dielectric substrate and the center of the tip end of the balance characteristic adjustment electrode are separated from each other.
US07876167B1
A hybrid system having a non-MEMS device and a MEMS device is described. The apparatus includes a non-MEMS device and an integrated circuit including a MEMS device, the integrated circuit formed on a substrate. The integrated circuit includes a control circuit for the non-MEMS device and a MEMS control circuit for the MEMS device.
US07876163B2
To set a best oscillation state of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit, it is necessary to evaluate variability of manufactured ICs to specify set values based on the variability. Provided is an oscillator including: a terminal receiving a first signal; a VCO coupled to the terminal, the VCO oscillating to generate a second signal and to change a frequency of the second signal in response to an amplitude of the first signal, and revealing gain-slope characteristics in the frequency of the second signal versus the amplitude of the first signal; and a control circuit coupled to the VCO to alter the gain-slope characteristics in response to the amplitude of the first signal, the VCO having so-called self regulating characteristics in which the VCO is locked up based on the variability of the manufactured ICs without depending on external control.
US07876161B2
An amplifier circuit includes a first amplifying section for amplifying a signal, and a second amplifying section for amplifying the signal amplified by the first amplifying section. A capacitive element connects the output of the first amplifying section to the input of the second amplifying section. When power is applied to the amplifier circuit, a bypass circuit causes the electric current flowing from a first power supply toward the input of the second amplifying section through the first amplifying section and the capacitive element to be bypassed to a second power supply.
US07876147B1
The present disclosure describes methods and apparatus for compensating DC offset in a filter having a plurality of transconductance pieces. In one implementation, the method includes measuring a corresponding DC offset associated with each transconductance piece of the plurality of transconductance pieces; storing each measured DC offset corresponding to each transconductance piece of the plurality of transconductance pieces; selecting one or more of the plurality of transconductance pieces to be used during operation of the filter; deriving an aggregate amount of DC offset for the one or more selected transconductance pieces, the aggregate amount of DC offset being derived based on each stored DC offset value corresponding to each selected transconductance piece; and applying the derived aggregate amount of DC offset to the one or more selected transconductance pieces to compensate for the DC offset during the operation of the filter.
US07876137B2
A configurable architecture, hybrid analog/digital delay locked loop and technique with fast open loop digital locking for integrated circuit dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices and devices incorporating embedded DRAM. The DLL design and technique disclosed employs a hybrid analog/digital delay line, but does not use conventional closed loop architecture during the digital phase of the locking process.
US07876133B1
An output driver circuit can include at least a first driver transistor having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node. A first variable current supply can generate a current having at least one component that is inversely proportional to a power supply voltage. A first driver switch element can be coupled in series with the first variable current supply between a gate of the at least first driver transistor and a second power supply node.
US07876126B2
In one embodiment, the integrated circuit has a L-level permutable switching network (L-PSN) comprising L levels of intermediate conductors. The integrated circuit can be used in electronic devices, such as switching networks, routers, and programmable logic circuits, etc.
US07876125B1
Systems and methods provide register data retention techniques for a programmable logic device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, a programmable logic device includes a plurality of logic blocks adapted to generate user data during operation of the programmable logic device; a plurality of registers adapted to store the user data during a reprogramming operation of the programmable logic device; and configurable routing resources adapted to provide a programmed data path between the logic blocks and the registers.
US07876123B2
An input/output (I/O) cell including one or more driver-capable segments and one or more on-die termination (ODT) capable segments. The I/O cell may be configured as an output driver in a first mode and Thevenin equivalent termination in a second mode.
US07876105B2
A sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electrode array having plural electrodes arranged in an array manner, a signal generator configured to generate a first signal having a first frequency, and apply the first signal to the plural electrodes, and a detection unit configured to, when the first signal is applied to the plural electrodes, and a second signal having a second frequency is applied to an object to be detected, detect a distance between each electrode included in the electrode array and the surface of the object, using an interference wave between the first signal applied to each electrode and the second signal applied to the object, or detect irregularities on the surface of the object, using a signal generated by using the interference wave outputted from one electrode and the interference wave outputted from another electrode.
US07876101B2
As the static magnetic field used in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (“MRI”) instruments increases the resonance frequency also increases. Consequently, the signal lost due to the coil becomes an issue. To compensate for this loss, it is possible to use an active device, such as a diode, a transistor, etc., with the radio frequency coil, MRI arrangement and method according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention to generate negative resistance to cancel the coil loss resistance. In this manner, the efficiency of the RF coil at high frequency can be improved.
US07876086B2
A current measurement device is configured to measure electrical current in a primary conductor that is electrically insulated from the current measuring device. The current measuring device includes a transformer with a saturable magnetic core formed with a central aperture and a current measuring circuit. The electrical conductor in which electrical current is to be measured is disposed in the central aperture of the magnetic core. The current measuring circuit includes a current source driven by a voltage ramp generator that is connected to the secondary winding in a direction opposite the flow of electrical current in the primary conductor. When the magnetic flux in the transformer core is equal and opposite the magnetic flux generated as a result of the electrical current flowing in the primary conductor, the voltage of the voltage ramp generator is representative of the DC or AC electrical current flowing in the primary conductor.
US07876079B2
In an embodiment, a method for controlling an output voltage of a power supply system is disclosed. The method includes regulating the power supply to a first voltage. After regulating the power supply to a first voltage, the power supply is regulated to a second voltage, which includes changing an input to the power supply system, and altering charge at an output of the power supply system until the output voltage reaches the second output voltage.
US07876070B2
An electronic timepiece with a generator function according to a first aspect of the invention has a generator, a storage unit that stores electrical energy produced by the generator, a timekeeping controller that is driven by the electrical energy stored in the storage unit, a time display that is controlled by the timekeeping controller and displays time, a voltage detector that detects the voltage of the storage unit, and a discharge unit that discharges the charge stored in the storage unit when the voltage of the storage unit detected by the voltage detector reaches a preset first setting.
US07876068B2
The resistors R1 and R2 are applied to terminals 1 and 8, respectively, of the switched-mode power supply 26. These resistors R1 and R2 are current-limiting resistors and function to control the output power and current. A standard buck regulator may be coupled to terminal 5 of the switched-mode power supply 26. The buck regulator includes a diode D7 and an inductor L1. The diode D7 and inductor L1 provide DC rectification and filtering of the high-frequency switch voltage from the switched-mode power supply 26.
US07876065B2
A method for extending the time a battery-operated electrical generator may operate by recharging the battery, at the same time it is being used as a power source, by using a portion of the electrical output to operate an alternator to produce low current and low voltage electrical power to recharge the battery, while supplementing from another source, including solar or wind, the power used to operate the alternator.
US07876064B2
An inverter for driving a motor includes one or more power stages for producing one or more power signals for energizing the motor, each power stage including first and second III-nitride based bi-directional switching devices connected in series between a DC voltage bus and ground.
US07876060B2
The electronic ballast comprises a series half bridge resonant inverter and a control circuit for the inverter with dimming capability. The inverter includes a first and a second voltage feedback circuits including first and a second charge pumps coupled in between inverter output and the dimming input of the control circuit. The feedback circuits generate a reference control signal to control operation after starting and an error control signals when the inverter output voltage exceeds a predetermined value.
US07876057B2
To provide an image display apparatus having: an electron source; a light-emitting member for emitting a light by irradiation with electrons emitted from the electron source; an anode electrode, which is arranged being opposed to the electron source; a high-voltage generating circuit for generating a potential which rises in a predetermined period; a wiring for connecting the anode electrode to the high-voltage generating circuit; a comparator; a first circuit for applying a first potential satisfying a positive correlation with the potential on the wiring to the comparator; and a second circuit for applying a second potential, which continuously rises or rises in stepwise manner in the predetermined period, to the comparator. The comparator outputs a result of comparison between the first potential and the second potential.
US07876052B2
The invention relates to a novel compact fluorescent lamp with a helical discharge tube 2 and a tube piece 8 which is fitted to it and can serve to accommodate an Hg source 14 and also as an exhaust tube, and to a corresponding production process.
US07876050B2
A plasma display panel includes a discharge space between two substrate assemblies opposed to each other, wherein a priming particle-emitting layer containing magnesium oxide crystals to which a halogen element is added in an amount of 1 to 10000 ppm is placed in such a way that the priming particle-emitting layer is exposed to the discharge space.
US07876048B2
The present embodiments provide a plasma display panel includes first and second substrates facing each other, barrier ribs dividing a plurality of discharge cells between the first and second substrates, phosphor layers coated in the discharge cells, display electrodes extending in a first direction corresponding to the discharge cells between the first and second substrates, address electrodes arranged on the first substrate corresponding to the discharge cells and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a dielectric layer formed on the first substrate while covering the address electrodes. Each of the address electrodes includes an insulating glass layer formed along a periphery of the electrode. The dielectric layer includes TiO2 within a range of 5-15% by weight.
US07876039B2
A flat panel display, and method of fabricating the same, including a substrate having a display portion and a pad that is arranged on the substrate and is electrically coupled with the display portion. The pad includes a pad electrode arranged on the substrate, a passivation layer arranged on the pad electrode and having only one contact hole that exposes the pad electrode, and a transparent electrode arranged on the passivation layer and the pad electrode. The passivation layer may alternatively have a plurality of contact holes that expose the pad electrode. In this case, the reflective layer pattern is arranged on the passivation layer and the pad electrode, and it exposes portions of the pad electrode in the contact holes. Furthermore, the transparent electrode would be arranged on the reflective layer pattern and the exposed portions of the pad electrode.
US07876036B2
A light emitting apparatus, includes: a light emitting device accommodating body, which has a recessed portion wherein a light emitting device is accommodated; a wiring pattern, which is provided for the light emitting device accommodating body 11 and is electrically connected to the light emitting device; a light transmitting substrate, which is mounted on the light emitting device accommodating body and completely closes the recessed portion; and a phosphor-containing, ultraviolet curing resin, which is so deposited that, opposite to the light emitting device accommodating body, the face of the light transmitting member is covered.
US07876035B2
A pixel tube for a field-emission illumination/display device includes a sealed container, an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a shielding electrode. The sealed container has a light permeable portion. The anode electrode is disposed in the sealed container and adjacent to the light permeable portion. The cathode electrode is arranged in the sealed container facing the anode electrode and includes a cathode supporter and a carbon nanotube yarn, the carbon nanotube yarn attached to the cathode supporter and extending toward the anode electrode for emitting electrons therefrom. The shielding electrode is disposed on a surface of the sealed container and surrounds/encircles the carbon nanotube yarn.
US07876019B2
A device for generating electrical or mechanical output, comprising a stator coil, a stator assembly, a rotor coil, a rotor assembly rotational about an axis, the rotor assembly at least partially surrounding the rotor coil, rotator extensions capable of induced magnetization and extending from the rotator, each rotator extension having a rotor extension surface, wherein magnetic flux leakage between the rotator extension surfaces is prevented or reduced via permanent magnet elements located at the rotator extension surfaces. Stator and rotor may be reversed in operation.
US07876017B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a commutator or brush material for a small electric DC motor which enables a lengthened operating life of a spindle motor for a DVD controlled using a pulse current. A commutator material for a small electric DC motor in accordance with the present invention is characterized by being composed of 6.0 to 10.0 wt % of Cu, 1.0 to 5.0 wt % of ZnO, and a balance of Ag and in that Cu metal particles and ZnO particles are dispersed in an AgCu matrix. A brush material for a small electric DC motor in accordance with the present invention is characterized by being composed of 0.1 to 5.0 wt % of MgO and a balance of Ag and in that MgO particles are dispersed in an Ag matrix, or is characterized by being composed of 5.0 to 15.0 wt % of Ni and a balance of Pt and in that Ni is dissolved in a Pt matrix.
US07876016B2
A stator assembly includes a stator core and at least one conductive bundle. The stator core has a first end, a second end, and a plurality of slots extending from the first end to the second end. The conductive bundle includes a plurality of individually insulated conductive wires. At least one portion of the at least one conductive bundle extends from the first end to the second end of one slot of the plurality of slots. The at least one portion is twisted by a predetermined amount within the one slot to minimize a circulatory current along the plurality of individual insulated conductive wires in the at least one portion.
US07876011B2
A method is provided for encapsulating permanent magnets of a rotor of a generator. Magnets, which are shorter than a rotor yoke in an axial direction, are placed outside of the yoke leaving a short portion of the yoke free at both ends. Spacers of a non-magnetic material are placed between the magnets. End barriers are placed on the free portions of the yoke. A thin sheet of a non-magnetic material is folded around the magnets and the spacers, covering the entire length of the rotor, including the barriers. An air tight membrane is placed on the outside of the sheet and sealed to the ends of the yoke so that the membrane and the yoke together form an air tight enclosure. A vacuum is applied to the air tight enclosure between the membrane and the yoke. Resin is infused into the air tight enclosure and set.
US07876010B2
A journal bearing provides vertical and radial stability to a rotor of a passive magnetic bearing system when the rotor is not rotating and when it is rotating. In the passive magnetic bearing system, the rotor has a vertical axis of rotation. Without the journal bearing, the rotor is vertically and radially unstable when stationary, and is vertically stable and radially unstable when rotating.
US07876008B2
Axially upper and lower end surfaces of the stator core 41 are substantially covered by the first insulator 421 and the second insulators 422, both of which are made of resin. A boss 4222 is arranged circumferentially between the two neighboring teeth 411. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, three bosses 4222 are arranged at three out of four positions defined between any two neighboring teeth 411. A conductor pin 43 is inserted into each boss 4222 along the axial direction. The boss 4222 includes a hole extending axially upward from the axially lower end thereof, in which a conductor pin 43 is fitted. An axially lower position of the conductor pin 43 axially downwardly protrudes from the boss 4222. Into each of the notched portions 441 arranged to the circuit board 44, the conductor pin 43 is inserted and is soldered with the circuit board 44 such that the conductor pin 43 and the circuit board are electrically connected.
US07876007B2
This device is an Improved Automotive Rectifier Bridge Assembly device for use in the automotive components re-manufacturing and original equipment alternator products. Particularly this device improves the electrical connections, prevents failures related to poor connections and heat variations, and improves and facilitates the assembly and disassembly processes in the remanufacturing of automotive alternators. This device may also be featured as an original equipment rectifier bridge in the automotive applications to improve the quality and durability of the alternator. The preferred embodiment of the device is comprised essentially of an improved “top hat” connection method to the positive heat sink, a fully threaded B+ battery terminal, and a hexagon configured spacer/fastener that has full internal threads to enable easy assembly and secure fastening of the spacer and/or fastener to the B+ stud terminal of the rectifier bridge assembly.
US07876000B2
The present invention provides a power path control circuit comprising: an input node for receiving an external power; a first power transistor electrically connected between the input node and a first node, for controlling power supplied from the input node to the first node; a second power transistor electrically connected between the first node and a battery, for controlling power supplied from the battery to the first node; an error amplifier including an output electrically connected with a gate of the second power transistor, a first input terminal electrically connected with the first node, and a second input terminal electrically connected with the battery, wherein a voltage difference is allocated between the two input terminals.
US07875995B2
A power system is designed for providing reliable electrical power to a facility and/or associated devices. The system includes one or more fuel cells and a circuit adapted to receive power from the one or more fuel cells. The circuit is electrically connected to a device receiving the electrical power from the system. Additionally, the system includes one or more capacitors included in the circuit, and being adapted for maintaining power in the circuit when the one or more fuel cells are temporarily unavailable.
US07875989B2
An aircraft engine power distribution system for an aircraft engine controller, such as a FADEC, is provided where the power source is independent from the conventional airframe power system, without the need for a back-up battery. The aircraft engine power distribution system includes a magnetic generator operated by an aircraft engine. The aircraft engine power distribution system also includes a power distributor that rectifies the generator output and provides the rectified power to the engine controller as its primary source of power. In this configuration, as long as the aircraft engine is able to operate the magnetic generator, the engine controller receives power. Accordingly, the engine controller operates regardless of the operational status of the airframe power system.
US07875988B2
A substrate for fixing an integrated circuit element includes: a plurality of metal columns that are aligned in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction in a planar view, each of the plurality of metal columns having a first face and a second face facing opposite direction to the first face; and a connecting part that connects the plurality of metal columns one another at a part of each of the plurality of metal columns between the first face and the second face. In the substrate, a recognition mark is formed on the first face of one of the plurality of metal columns.
US07875985B2
A memory device comprising at least one memory stack of stacked memory dies which are staggered with respect to each other, each stacked memory die of said memory stack comprising along its edge die pads for bonding said stacked memory die to substrate pads of said memory device connectable to a control circuit, wherein each die pad of a stacked memory die which connects said memory die individually to said control circuit comprises an increased distance (di) in comparison to die pads of said stacked memory die which connect said stacked memory die in parallel with corresponding die pads of other stacked memory dies of said memory stack to said control circuit.
US07875979B2
A metal line of a semiconductor device having a diffusion barrier including CrxBy and a method for forming the same is described. The metal line of a semiconductor device includes an insulation layer formed on a semiconductor substrate. The insulation layer is formed having a metal line forming region. A diffusion barrier including a CrxBy layer is subsequently formed on the surface of the metal line forming region and the insulation layer. A metal line is finally formed to fill the metal line forming region of the insulation layer on the diffusion barrier including a CrxBy layer.
US07875976B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate, a silicide layer provided on the semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer provided on the semiconductor substrate, a contact layer provided on the silicide layer, a metal layer provided in the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the silicide layer via the contact layer, a diffusion barrier layer provided between the dielectric layer and the metal layer, wherein the contact layer includes a first metal element provided in the metal layer, a second metal element provided in the diffusion barrier layer and at least one of a third metal provided in the silicide layer and Si element.
US07875974B2
To provide a stacked mounting structure in which the number of semiconductor chips that can be stacked is greater than conventionally, as well as a method for fabricating the same, each semiconductor chip has electrodes provided at least at one end in the stacked mounting structure, and a board holding the semiconductor chips at the one end is folded with at least two of the semiconductor chips being stacked so as to at least partially overlap with each other.
US07875969B2
A rigid-flex PCB includes at least one rigid PCB (RPCB) and at least one flexible PCB (FPCB). Each RPCB has a connection section; first and second sections separately extended from two lateral edges of the connection section and having at least one FPCB bonding side each; and a weakening structure formed along each joint of the connection section and the first and second sections. Each FPCB has a bending section corresponding to the connection section on the RPCB; first and second sections separately extended from two lateral edges of the bending section and having at least one RPCB bonding side each corresponding to the FPCB bonding sides of the first and second sections of the RPCB. When a proper pressure is applied against the weakening structures, the RPCB may be easily bent broken at the weakening structures to remove the connection section therefrom.
US07875962B2
A package for a semiconductor die includes a die attach pad that provides an attachment surface area for the semiconductor die, and tie bars connected to the die attach pad. The die attach pad is disposed in a first general plane and the tie bars are disposed in a second general plane offset with respect to the first general plane. A molding compound encapsulates the semiconductor die in a form having first, second, third and fourth lateral sides, a top and a bottom. The tie bars are exposed substantially coincident with at least one of the lateral sides. The form includes a discontinuity that extends along the at least one of the lateral sides, the discontinuity increasing a creepage distance measured from the tie bars to the bottom of the package.
US07875958B2
Structures include a tunneling device disposed over first and second lattice-mismatched semiconductor materials. Process embodiments include forming tunneling devices over lattice-mismatched materials.
US07875951B2
A semiconductor with active component and method for manufacture. One embodiment provides a semiconductor component arrangement having an active semiconductor component and a semiconductor body having a first semiconductor zone, a third semiconductor zone, and also a drift zone arranged between the first semiconductor zone and the third semiconductor zone. A patterned fourth semiconductor zone doped complementarily to the drift zone is arranged in the drift zone. A potential control structure is provided, which is connected to the patterned fourth semiconductor zone. The potential control structure is designed to connect the patterned fourth semiconductor zone, in the off state of the semiconductor component, to an electrical potential lying between the electrical potential of the first semiconductor zone and the electrical potential of the third semiconductor zone.
US07875950B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor structure comprises a multi-portioned guard ring that includes a first portion and a second portion formed in a region of semiconductor material. A conductive contact layer forms a first Schottky barrier with the region of semiconductor material. The conductive contact layer overlaps the second portion and forms a second Schottky barrier that has an opposite polarity to the first Schottky barrier. The conductive contact layer does not overlap the first portion, which forms a pn junction with the region of semiconductor material.
US07875937B2
A semiconductor device is described. That semiconductor device comprises a high-k gate dielectric layer that is formed on a substrate that applies strain to the high-k gate dielectric layer, and a metal gate electrode that is formed on the high-k gate dielectric layer.
US07875936B2
Power MOS device of the type comprising a plurality of elementary power MOS transistors having respective gate structures and comprising a gate oxide with double thickness having a thick central part and lateral portions of reduced thickness. Such device exhibiting gate structures comprising first gate conductive portions overlapped onto said lateral portions of reduced thickness to define, for the elementary MOS transistors, the gate electrodes, as well as a conductive structure or mesh. Such conductive structure comprising a plurality of second conductive portions overlapped onto the thick central part of gate oxide and interconnected to each other and to the first gate conductive portions by means of a plurality of conducive bridges.
US07875934B2
Disclosed is a method of forming a substrate having islands of diamond (or other material, such as diamond-like carbon), as well as integrated circuit devices formed from such a substrate. A diamond island can form part of the thermal solution for an integrated circuit formed on the substrate, and the diamond island can also provide part of a stress engineering solution to improve performance of the integrated circuit. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07875925B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a source region and a drain region spaced from each other in a surface of a semiconductor layer, a tunnel insulating film provided on the semiconductor layer between the source region and the drain region, a charge storage film provided on the tunnel insulating film, a block insulating film provided on the charge storage film, and a control gate electrode provided on the block insulating film. The block insulating film is made of (Rm1−xLnx)2−yAlyO3+δ, where Ln is one or more selected from Pr, Tb, Ce, Yb, Eu, and Sm, Rm is one or more selected from La, Nd, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Lu, Y, and Sc, 0
US07875913B2
A transistor contact over a gate active area includes a transistor gate formed on a substrate of an integrated circuit. A gate insulator is formed beneath the transistor gate and helps define an active area for the transistor gate. An insulating layer is formed over the transistor gate. A metal contact plug is formed within a portion of the insulating layer that lies over the active area such that the metal contact plug forms an electrical contact with the transistor gate.
US07875911B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including an active element or an integrated circuit and a plurality of connection electrodes to be electrically connected to the integrated circuit; a first resin layer formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate on which the connection electrodes are formed in such a manner avoiding the connection electrodes; a connection wiring layer formed between the semiconductor substrate and the first resin layer and connected to one of the plurality of connection electrodes; a Cu wiring layer connected at one end thereof to the connection wiring layer and formed on the surface of the first resin layer; a passive element composed of the connection wiring layer and the Cu wiring layer; a second resin layer for covering a surface of the Cu wiring layer; and an external terminal electrically connected to some of the plurality of connection electrodes and formed such that a portion of the second resin layer protrudes from the second resin layer.
US07875903B2
A magnetic memory device includes a magnetoresistive element and a first wiring layer. The magnetoresistive element includes a fixed layer, a recording layer, and a non-magnetic layer interposed therebetween. The first wiring layer extends in a first direction and generates a magnetic field for recording data in the magnetoresistive element. The recording layer includes a base portion extending in a second direction rotated from the first direction by an angle falling within a range of more than 0° to not more than 20°, and first and second projections projecting from the first and second sides of the base portion in a third direction perpendicular to the second direction. The third and fourth sides of the base portion are inclined with respect to the third direction in the same rotational direction as a rotational direction in which the second direction is rotated.
US07875894B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip having electrode pads, and a rewiring pattern having interconnects which are connected to the electrode pads and extend over an insulation film. The semiconductor device also includes columnar electrodes each of which has a main body section and a protrusion section, and a sealing section which has a top face having a height the same as the top faces of the protrusion sections. The semiconductor device also includes solder balls formed on the protrusion sections. The semiconductor device also has trenches in the sealing section. Each trench has a depth which reaches the boundary between the main body and protrusion of the electrode. The side faces of the protrusion section are exposed face defined by the trenches. Each solder ball is electrically connected to the top face and side faces of the protrusion section of each electrode.
US07875891B2
A light source device includes a lead frame, a first solid-state lighting chip, a first transparent encapsulation, a second solid-state lighting chip, and a second transparent encapsulation. The first solid-state lighting chip and the second solid-state lighting chip are respectively located at two opposite sides of the lead frame and electrically connected to the lead frame. The first transparent encapsulation and the second transparent encapsulation respectively encapsulate the first solid-state lighting chip and the second solid-state lighting chip.
US07875890B1
Structures and methods to improve the crosstalk between adjacent pixels of back-illuminated photodiode arrays on a substrate having first and second surfaces, including providing a first matrix of regions of a first conductivity type of a higher conductivity than the substrate extending into the substrate from the first surface and surrounding each photodiode of the array, and providing a second matrix of regions of a first conductivity type of a higher conductivity than the substrate extending into the substrate from the second surface, the second matrix being a mirror image of and aligned with the first matrix, the matrices extending into the substrate less than one half the thickness of the substrate so as to not touch each other. The methods and corresponding structures may be applied to p/n diodes, pin diodes, avalanche photodiodes, photoconductive cells (no p-n junction at all), or similar photosensitive device arrays.
US07875886B2
The present invention has an object to provide an active-matrix liquid crystal display device that realizes the improvement in productivity as well as in yield. In the present invention, a laminate film comprising the conductive film comprising metallic material and the second amorphous semiconductor film containing an impurity element of one conductivity type and the amorphous semiconductor film is selectively etched with the same etching gas to form a side edge of the first amorphous semiconductor film 1001 into a taper shape. Thereby, a coverage problem of a pixel electrode 1003 can be solved and an inverse stagger type can be completed with three photomask.
US07875879B2
A substrate including a semiconductor layer, where characteristics of an element can be evaluated with high reliability, and an evaluating method thereof are provided. A substrate including a semiconductor layer of the invention has a closed-loop circuit in which an antenna coil and a semiconductor element are connected in series, and a surface of an area over which the circuit is formed is covered with an insulating film. By using such a circuit, a contactless inspection can be carried out. Further, a ring oscillator can be substituted for the closed-loop circuit.
US07875870B2
According to the present invention, during identification of recording medium type, positioning of a recording medium at a measurement position for measuring the recording medium is facilitated, and the number of sensors for measuring the recording medium is reduced. In addition to identifying recording medium type, the top/reverse of the inserted recording medium can also be identified by way of a simple construction. A recording medium identification device, which identifies the type of a recording medium inserted through an insertion slot, comprises a plurality of sensors arranged in a band-like region having a predetermined width, in a depth direction, and a plurality of sensors arranged in a band-like region having a predetermined width, in a width direction. Data of two types of dimensions, combining dimensions of the recording medium in the depth direction and the width direction, is acquired by respectively arranging the a plurality of sensors in two partially overlapping band-like regions arrayed forming an L-shape. A plurality of types of recording media can be identified with increased identification precision by identifying the type of the recording medium based on such combined data of two types of dimensions.
US07875869B1
Apparatus is provided, for sanitizing feet of persons entering a particular area, such as a residential area, having a platform for transmitting sanitizing ultraviolet light to feet of persons standing upon upper portions of the platform, a germicidal light source for directing sanitizing UV-C ultraviolet light through upper portions of the platform, a power supply for energizing the germicidal light source, a switching device coupled between the power supply and the germicidal light source for energizing the germicidal light source and wherein the switching device energizes the germicidal light source in response to the presence of the person positioned upon upper portions of the platform. The germicidal ultraviolet light source includes one or more elongated bulbs, or one or more elongated linear arrays of solid state devices and a central light reflective wall portion is positioned to enhance support of the upper portions of said platform.
US07875865B2
The disclosure relates to an EUV (extreme ultraviolet) illumination system. The system can include at least one EUV light source, and an aperture stop and sensor arrangement for the measurement of intensity fluctuations and/or position changes of the EUV light source, in particular in the range of the effectively utilized wavelengths, or of one of the intermediate images of the EUV light source. The aperture stop and sensor arrangement can include an aperture stop and an EUV position sensor. The aperture stop and sensor arrangement can be arranged in such a way that the aperture stop allows a certain solid angle range of the radiation originating from the EUV light source or from one of its intermediate images to fall on the EUV position sensor.
US07875863B2
An EUV illumination system, for example, for use in a photolithographic apparatus is configured to condition a radiation beam. A hydrogen radical source configured to supply gas containing hydrogen or hydrogen radicals into the illumination system. The hydrogen gas is effective to remove carbonaceous contamination from the surface of a mirror in the illumination system or to form a buffer against unwanted gases. In order to prevent damage by hydrogen that penetrates the mirror, the mirror comprises a layer made of metal non-metal compound adjacent a reflection surface of the mirror. A transition metal carbide, nitride, boride or silicide compound or mixture thereof may be used for example.
US07875856B2
In a radiation detector according to this invention, a portion of a semiconductor, located in a connection of a common electrode to a lead wire, is dented in a recess form from other portions of a semiconductor, in a range short of a radiation detection effective area. An insulating seat is disposed to fill the portion located in the connection. The common electrode is formed to cover at least part of the seat. The lead wire is connected to a portion of the incidence surface of the common electrode located on the seat. Thus, the detector can avoid performance degradation resulting from connection of the lead wire to the common electrode, and avoid problems of heat deformation stress and radiation attenuation.
US07875853B2
A passive infrared sensor (PIR) for detecting infrared radiation which includes a lens positioned in a sensor housing, and a pyroelectric element electrically connected to a circuit board within a filter housing positioned in the sensor housing. A microprocessor is electrically connected to a main circuit board and controls a liquid crystal display (LCD) attached to the sensor housing. The lens overlaps the LCD. The LCD has LCD regions corresponding to lens regions of the lens. Using the microprocessor, the LCD regions selectively prevent radiation energy from passing to the pyroelectric element, and the LCD regions selectively allow radiation energy to pass to the pyroelectric element. A signaling device communicates an alarm signal indicating when radiation energy within a specified wavelength band reaches the pyroelectric element.
US07875845B2
An apparatus and method for purifying a forensic sample using an automated extraction and purification system includes optical tweezers; an input channel through which the sample is introduced; a chamber which receives the sample from the input channel; a collection channel through which selected particles of the sample are removed; and an output through which unselected particles of the sample are removed. At least one buffer input channel is provided. The input channel may allow sedimentation of the sample into the chamber by gravity. In another arrangement, the system includes an optical trapping system; a first channel through which the sample is introduced; a second channel through which buffer is introduced; wherein the optical tweezers are used to move selected particles of the sample from the first channel to the second channel. The selected particles may be sperm. The optical tweezers preferably utilize holographic optical trapping.
US07875840B2
An imager device having a recessed color filter array formed in a trench of a material layer above a pixel array. Light-sensitive pixels are formed in the center area of the array, while non-light-sensitive pixels are formed in a buffer region adjacent the light-sensitive pixels and beneath an area of the color filter array having a non-uniform thickness. The non-light-sensitive pixels may be anti-fuse pixels functioning as individual, programmable memory cells, thereby providing in-pixel memory for the imager device.
US07875834B2
An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising: an enclosure (2) for receiving the food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, the enclosure (2) comprising two horizontal walls forming respectively a bottom wall (9) and a top wall (10), interconnected by at least two vertical side walls (7, 8), the enclosure (2) being closed by at least one door (5) that is likewise vertical, and communicating with the outside via an exhaust opening (28) for exhausting gas inside the enclosure (2) and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and a heater device (11) for heating the cooking atmosphere.
US07875832B2
A ceramic heater, heat exchange unit, and warm water washing toilet seat are provided having excellent temperature rise characteristics and a shortened heating time to reach a predetermined water temperature. A ceramic heater having a pattern watt density of 50 W/cm2 and above, and a surface watt density of 25 W/cm2 and above has a short start-up time and excellent temperature rise characteristics. Further, the thickness of a core is reduced to between 0.5 mm and 1.9 mm (circular tube thickness is between 1 mm and 2.4 mm), which enables efficient transfer of heat from the ceramic heater to water flowing in the circular tube. Accordingly, a gap between a heat exchanger and the ceramic heater is not necessarily narrowed, such that air bubbles are not likely trapped and breakage of the ceramic heater by thermal shock can be suppressed.
US07875827B2
The present invention provides a method for laser brazing a first member to a second member using a laser brazing head. The laser brazing head has means for generating a first laser beam and a second laser beam. The method comprises the steps of: arranging the first member in contact with the second member such that a junction is formed there-between; providing a filler material in the vicinity of said junction, and passing the laser brazing head along the junction such that the first laser beam melts the filler material to at least partially fill said junction to form a brazed joint. The second laser beam then effects a post heat treatment of the brazed joint.
US07875825B2
A method for generating plasma and a method for elemental analysis, each comprising the steps of providing a narrow portion in a flow channel made of an insulation material, the narrow portion having a cross-sectional area markedly smaller than a cross-sectional area of the flow channel; filling the flow channel and the narrow portion with a conductive liquid, and thereafter applying an electric field to the narrow portion, to conduct the electric field through the narrow portion, thereby generating plasma at the narrow portion. An apparatus for generating plasma, the apparatus for generating plasma comprising a narrow portion in a flow channel made of an insulation material, the narrow portion having a cross-sectional area markedly smaller than a cross-sectional area of the flow channel; and a means of applying an electric field to the narrow portion to conduct the electric field through the narrow portion; and an apparatus for emission spectroscopic analysis comprising the apparatus for generating plasma as defined above.
US07875818B1
A switch module includes a casing containing a power supply module and a press button, and recessions of the casing for accommodating and fixing first and second power conductive plates. The second power conductive plate is connected to the power supply module, and two positioning portions are protruded from the recession. A first conductive clamping plate is contained in one positioning portion and riveted with the corresponding power conductive plate, and the other one of the positioning portions contains an isolated portion and a second conductive clamping plate. A conductive extension plate of the second conductive clamping plate is passed through both sides of the casing and connected to another conductive portion of the power supply module, such that the second conductive clamping plate has a power polarity of the second power conductive plate when the power supply module is at a connection status.
US07875817B2
An electronic apparatus includes plural operation buttons, through which each switch on a board can be compressed, and a connection part configured to connect two operation buttons out of the plural operation buttons with each other while maintaining the two operation buttons apart from each other, and to return a compressed operation button through an elastic force, wherein the connection part is arranged below an operation button that is located between the two operation buttons among the plural operation buttons.
US07875809B2
A circuit board includes a core layer substrate having a plated through hole filled with a dielectric material. The plated through hole has a sidewall coated with an inner electroless copper layer, and an electroplated metal layer plated on the inner electroless copper layer before the plated through hole is filled with the dielectric material. The outer portion of the filled plated through hole is thicker than the center portion and tapered toward the center portion to form a depressed surface on the filled plated through hole. The core layer substrate is covered with a patterned electroless copper layer and a patterned electroplated copper layer that connect with the inner electroless copper layer and electroplated metal layer of the plated through hole. The patterned electroplated copper layer forms a flat copper pad above the plated through hole.
US07875800B2
The present invention relates to cables made of twisted conductor pairs. More specifically, the present invention relates to twisted pair communication cables for high-speed data communications applications. A twisted pair including at least two conductors extends along a generally longitudinal axis, with an insulation surrounding each of the conductors. The conductors are twisted generally longitudinally along the axis. A cable includes at least two twisted pairs and a filler. At least two of the cables are positioned along generally parallel axes for at least a predefined distance. The cables are configured to efficiently and accurately propagate high-speed data signals by, among other functions, limiting at least a subset of the following: impedance deviations, signal attenuation, and alien crosstalk along the predefined distance.
US07875799B2
A cover plate for an angled patch panel is described. The angled patch panel has a frame which has mounting members on opposite longitudinal ends of the frame, where the mounting members are for mounting the angled patch panel to a plurality of locations on a network rack. The frame has a longitudinal profile at least a portion of which is angled with respect to a line extending between the longitudinal ends of the frame to define an area bounded by the longitudinal profile and the line extending between the longitudinal ends of the frame. The cover plate for the angled patch panel includes a plate having a shape substantially the same as this area. Further, the cover plate includes a plurality of plate mounting members to mount the plate at the plurality of locations on the network rack.
US07875795B2
An energy generating device for lighter-than-air vehicles having a gas impervious outer flexible fabric including a flexible photovoltaic array located on the outer layer of the gas impervious fabric; a thermocouple array located between the photovoltaic cells and the gas impervious fabric; a thermally conductive layer or heat spreader between the thermocouple array and the photovoltaic array and between the thermocouple array and the gas impervious flexible fabric; an electrically conductive means connected to said thermocouple array for drawing electrical power away from said thermocouple array; and an electrical load, such as an electrical storage device or a device that consumes electricity, for drawing electricity from the thermocouple array.
US07875787B2
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for visualization of music and other sounds using note extraction. In one embodiment, the twelve notes of an octave are labeled around a circle. Raw audio information is fed into the system, whereby the system applies note extraction techniques to isolate the musical notes in a particular passage. The intervals between the notes are then visualized by displaying a line between the labels corresponding to the note labels on the circle. In some embodiments, the lines representing the intervals are color coded with a different color for each of the six intervals. In other embodiments, the music and other sounds are visualized upon a helix that allows an indication of absolute frequency to be displayed for each note or sound.
US07875786B2
An instructional device and method for illustrating note positions in combinations corresponding to chords formed on a musical instrument is provided. The device includes a display that defines a plurality of note positions along each of a plurality of lines. The note positions correspond to the positions along the strings of the instrument such as the fret positions along the strings of a guitar. A plurality of markers are disposed along each of the lines, and each marker is configured to adjust between the note positions along a respective one of the lines, i.e., to positions corresponding to each of the notes along the corresponding string of the instrument. The markers are structured to be adjusted to a first predetermined configuration in which indicia on the markers indicate a chordal relationship between the corresponding note positions, and relative to a select note.
US07875776B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV842141. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV842141, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV842141 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 CV842141 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 CV842141.
US07875768B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated D5232543. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety D5232543. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety D5232543 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety D5232543 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07875752B2
The present invention provides a method for conducting a chemical reaction in a non-fluorous medium using a fluorous compound in the presence of a solid adsorbant containing a fluorous domain and at least one chemical reactant, comprising contacting the fluorous compound and at least one chemical reactant under conditions that form at least one product.
US07875744B2
The invention features 4-((phenoxyalkyl)thio)-phenoxyacetic acids and analogs, compositions containing them, and methods of using them as PPAR modulators to treat or inhibit the progression of, for example, dyslipidemia.
US07875741B2
The present invention relates to compounds of structural formula I as site-specific inhibitors of histone methyltransferase, where R1 and R1 is —OCH3 or —OH, R2 and R2 is —OH or —OAc; a process of isolating compound of structural formula Ia, where R1 and R1 is —OCH3, R2 and R2 is —OH; a process of preparation of compound of structural formula Ib, where R1 and R1 is —OCH3, R2 and R2 is —OAc; a process of preparation of compound of structural formula Ic, where R1 and R1 is —OH, R2 and R2 is —OH; and use of compounds of structural formula I for manufacture of a medicament for management of cancer and/or disease conditions in a subject in need thereof.
US07875739B2
Methods and kits for decomposing organophosphorus compounds in non-aqueous media at ambient conditions are described. Insecticides, pesticides, and chemical warfare agents can be quickly decomposed to non-toxic products. The method comprises combining the organophosphorus compound with a non-aqueous solution, preferably an alcohol, comprising metal ions and at least a trace amount of alkoxide ions. In a first preferred embodiment, the metal ion is a lanthanum ion. In a second preferred embodiment, the metal ion is a transition metal.
US07875738B2
This invention relates to an amorphous non-glassy ceramic composition that may be prepared by curing, calcining and/or pyrolyzing a precursor material comprising silicon, a Group III metal, a Group IVA metal, and/or a Group IVB metal.
US07875730B2
The invention relates to a novel process for the manufacture of Carvedilol of high HPLC purity (>99.5%) having individual impurity less than 0.1%. The product is isolated from reaction mass as a salt with suitable organic acids which on further purification is converted into the free base i.e., Carvedilol.
US07875729B2
Asenapine and related trans-isomer bicyclic compounds can be obtained by reducing a compound of formula (C) to preferentially form a trans-isomer compound of formula (D), followed by subsequent ring closure to form a compound of formula (B) such as asenapine.
US07875728B2
Pharmaceutical compositions and compounds are provided. The compounds of the invention demonstrate anti-proliferative activity, and may promote apoptosis in cells lacking normal regulation of cell cycle and death. In one embodiment of the invention, pharmaceutical compositions of the compounds in combination with a physiologically acceptable carrier are provided. The pharmaceutical compositions are useful in the treatment of hyperproliferative disorders, which disorders include tumor growth, lymphoproliferative diseases, angiogenesis. The compounds of the invention are substituted pyrazoles and pyrazolines.
US07875726B2
The invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one thiazolidin-4-one derivative to prevent or treat disorders associated with an activated immune system. Furthermore, the invention relates to novel thiazolidin-4-one derivatives notably for use as pharmaceutically active compounds. Said compounds particularly act also as immunosuppressive agents.
US07875725B2
The present invention provides a compound of the formula (Cat)+z[M++(5-nitro-1H-tetrazolato-N2)−x(H2O)y] where x is 3 or 4, y is 2 or 3, x+y is 6, z is 1 or 2, and M++ is selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, chromium, and manganese, and (Cat)+ is selected from the group consisting of ammonium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium. A method of preparing the compound of that formula is also disclosed.
US07875724B2
Methods of synthesizing nicotine analogs and derivatives are described. The methods are particularly useful for the regioselective production of enantiomerically pure nicotine analogs having substituents at the C4 position. Intermediates useful for the synthesis of such compounds are also described.
US07875723B2
The present invention discloses a process for preparing a magnesium salt of S-omeprazole. The S-omeprazole salt preferably has a water content below about 4.8% by weight, a magnesium content of about 3.4-4.0% by weight, calculated on the weight of anhydrous, solvent free S-omeprazole magnesium, and has an optical purity of at least about 85% entantiomeric excess (“e.e.”). In addition, the present invention provides a magnesium salt of S-omeprazole which is substantially free of neutral omeprazole, meaning that the product contains less than about 3% by weight of a sum of neutral S-omeprazole and neutral omeprazole. Moreover, the S-omeprazole magnesium according to the invention preferably has assay of related substances and degradation products of less than about 0.1% by weight as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
US07875707B2
Methods are described for the preparation of combinatorial libraries of potentially biologically active disaccharide compounds. These compounds are variously functionalized, with a view to varying lipid solubility size, function an other properties, with the particular aim of discovering novel drug or drug-like compounds, or compounds with useful properties. The invention provides intermediates, processes and synthetic strategies for the solution or solid phase synthesis of disaccharides, variously functionalized about the sugar ring, including the addition of aromaticity and charge, and the placement of pharmaceutically useful groups and isosteres.
US07875695B2
A hydrophilic organopolysiloxane composition of the hydrosilylation reaction cure type for use as dental impression material is characterized by comprising as essential components (A) a diorganopolysiloxane having at least 0.1 silicon-bonded alkenyl group in a molecule, (B) a liquid or solid organopolysiloxane having average compositional formula (1), comprising SiO2 units and R3SiO1/2 units (R is a monovalent hydrocarbon, alkoxy or hydroxyl group) and having a viscosity of at least 10 mPa-s at 23° C., (C) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane having at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in a molecule, (D) a hydrosilylation catalyst, and (E) a polyether having average compositional formula (2).
US07875690B2
A process for the production of an ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer is disclosed. The process includes polymerizing ethylene and at least one alpha-olefin by contacting the ethylene and the at least one alpha-olefin with a metallocene catalyst in at least one gas phase reactor at a reactor pressure of from 0.7 to 70 bar and a reactor temperature of from 20° C. to 150° C. to form an ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer. The resulting ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer may have a density of 0.927 g/cc or greater and environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR) of 500 hr or more when measured according to ASTM 1693/B in 10% Igepal.
US07875688B2
The invention is based on the discovery that certain polyester compounds bearing are useful as b-stageable and/or liquid adhesives for the microelectronic packaging industry.
US07875672B2
Two component (2K) waterborne polyurethane coating compositions which when cured achieve excellent anti-graffiti properties at low VOC level (below 100 g/L) are disclosed. The composition comprises (A) a fluorinated polyol and optionally a non-fluorinated polyol; and (B), a blend of polyisocyanates comprising a hydrophilically modified trimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDT) and a hydrophilic ally modified trimer of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDT). The glass transition temperature of the ambient cured coatings, crosslinked network structure, and fluorine content at the surface enable excellent anti-graffiti properties. The waterborn coatings of the invention have excellent recoatability and exceptional chemical resistance.
US07875670B2
The present invention relates to articles made from plasticized polyolefin compositions comprising a polyolefin and a non-functionalized hydrocarbon plasticizer.
US07875666B2
Disclosed are thioethers, methods for preparing such thioethers, and curable compositions, such as coating and sealant compositions, that include such thioethers. The thioethers can be the reaction product of (a) an alpha, omega dihalo organic compound, (b) a metal hydrosulfide, and (c) a metal hydroxide.
US07875660B2
Biomedical devices, such as ophthalmic lenses, and methods of making such devices having a surface coating including at least one polyionic layer. A preferred method involves spray coating a polycationic material onto a core lens, rinsing and drying the lens, followed by spray coating a polyanionic material, rinsing and drying. The coating process may be applied a plurality of times to achieve a multi-layer coating on the lens surface. A particularly preferred embodiment is a contact lens comprising a highly oxygen permeable hydrophobic core coated with a 5 to 20 bilayers of hydrophilic polyionic materials.
US07875657B2
The present invention relates to a composition based on trans-1,2-dichloroethylene. A subject-matter of the invention is more particularly a nonflammable composition comprising trans-1,2-dichloroethylene and at least two hydrofluorocarbons and its uses.
US07875654B2
The invention is a method of forming Janus particles, that includes forming an emulsion that contains initial particles, a first liquid, and a second liquid; solidifying the first liquid to form a solid that contains at least a portion of the initial particles on a surface of the solid; and treating the exposed particle sides with a first surface modifying agent, to form the Janus particles. Each of the initial particles on the surface has an exposed particle side and a blocked particle side.
US07875638B2
The present invention provides compounds of formula (I): as described generally and in classes and subclasses herein. The present invention additionally provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of formula (I) and provides methods of treating cancer comprising administering a compound of formula (I).
US07875624B2
Methods of using compounds having Structure I or the salts or tautomers of the compounds in the treatment of disorders relating to cell adhesion and metastatic processes are presented herein.
US07875611B2
Ion channel modulating compounds are disclosed. The compounds of the present invention may be incorporated in compositions and kits. The present invention also discloses a variety of in vitro and in vivo uses for the compounds and compositions, including the treatment of arrhythmia and the production of analgesia and local anesthesia.
US07875605B2
N-arylsulfonyl-3-substituted indole compounds, derivatives, analogs, tautomeric forms, stereoisomers, geometric forms, N-oxides, polymorphs and pharmaceutically acceptable salts.
US07875590B2
Methods of using an injectable or implantable rod-shaped formulation for delivery of osteogenic proteins to treat osteoporotic and/or osteopenic bone are disclosed. The formulation comprises hyaluronic acid derivatives and osteogenic proteins, and optional excipients and active ingredients such as a bone resorption inhibitor.
US07875587B2
The present invention provides peptide analogues which are antagonists of gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP). The peptides, based on GIP 1-42 include substitutions and/or modifications which have enhanced resistance to degradation by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV). The invention also provides a process of N terminally modifying GIP and the use of the peptide analogues for treatment of diabetes.
US07875575B2
Viscoelastic surfactant (VES) based fluid systems for zone isolation and flow control are effective in water and/or gas shutoff applications. The fluid systems may include brine, a viscosity enhancer, as well as the VES, and optionally a stabilizer for high temperature applications. The stabilizer may be an alkali earth metal oxide, alkali earth metal hydroxide, alkali metal oxide, alkali metal hydroxide, Al2O3, and mixtures thereof. The viscosity enhancer may include pyroelectric particles, piezoelectric particles, and mixtures thereof. The fluid system is easy to pump into the formation, and after pumping, the fluid system will generate very high viscosities to prevent the VES fluid from flowing back to stop undesirable water and/or gas production.
US07875568B2
The present invention provides a method for supporting a nonmetallocene olefin polymerization catalyst, comprising the following steps: a carrier reacts with a chemical activator to obtain a modified carrier; a magnesium compound is dissolved in a tetrahydrofuran-alcohol mixed solvent to form a solution, then the modified carrier is added to the solution to perform a reaction, then filtered and washed, dried and suction dried to prepare a composite carrier; a nonmetallocene olefin polymerization catalyst is dissolved in a solvent, and then reacts with said composite carrier, then is washed and filtered, dried and suction dried, to prepare a supported nonmetallocene olefin polymerization catalyst. The present invention further relates to a supported nonmetallocene olefin polymerization catalyst as prepared by this method. The present invention further relates to the use of the supported nonmetallocene olefin polymerization catalyst in an olefin polymerization and an olefin copolymerization between two or more different olefins. In one specific embodiment, the present invention relates to the use of the supported nonmetallocene olefin polymerization catalyst in a slurry ethylene polymerization. The present invention provides a new type of catalyst that improves the polymer morphology, increases polymer bulk density and enhances polymerization activity.
US07875566B2
A method of making refractory alkaline earth silicate fibers from a melt, including the use as an intended component of alkali metal to improve the mechanical properties of the fiber in comparison with a fiber free of alkali metal.
US07875565B1
The invention is directed to transparent glass-ceramic materials for use in transparent armor systems. Applications include armor systems for ground vehicles and aircraft as well as personal protective equipment. The glass-ceramic materials according to the invention exhibit a ballistic limit vs. areal density line slope of 1.0 or greater, preferably 1.1 or greater and more preferably 1.2 or greater. The crystalline phase of the glass ceramic materials may include β-quartz, spinel, spinel solid solutions, mullite and phases known in the art to be transparent.
US07875564B2
A multilayer fire-resistant material is provided, which comprises two or more layers formed of homogeneous or heterogeneous materials, with at least one layer being an organic/inorganic composite. The organic/inorganic composite comprises an organic component of a polymer, oligomer, or copolymer having a first reactive functional group, and inorganic particles having a second reactive functional group. The inorganic particles are chemically bonded to the organic component via a reaction between the first and the second reactive functional groups.
US07875560B2
A semiconductor having an optimized insulation structure which is simple and inexpensive to produce and can be made smaller than LOCOS insulation structures is disclosed. An implantation mask on a surface of a semiconductor substrate is used to implant elements into the semiconductor substrate, which elements, on thermal activation, form an insulation region together with the further elements of the semiconductor substrate. The thermal activation is effected by means of laser irradiation, during which the semiconductor substrate is briefly melted and then recrystallizes during the subsequent cooling, so that the implanted elements form the insulation region together with the further elements of the semiconductor substrate.
US07875555B2
A method for treating a substrate with plasma over a wide pressure range is described. The method comprises exposing the substrate to a low pressure plasma in a process chamber. Further, the method comprises exposing the substrate to a high pressure plasma in the process chamber.
US07875553B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor package, including at least a step A that forms a first transforming portion by irradiating a laser beam on at least a portion of a first substrate; a step B that joins together the first substrate and a second substrate in which a functional element is disposed; a step C that removes the first transforming portion that is disposed on the first substrate by etching; and a step D that forms a conductive portion in the first substrate by filling a conductive material in a portion where the first transforming portion has been removed.
US07875548B2
Methods of fabricating semiconductor structures on a substrate, where the substrate has transistors formed thereon, are provided. One method includes forming interconnect metallization structures in a plurality of levels. The forming of the interconnect metallization structures includes depositing a sacrificial layer and performing a process to etch trenches, vias, and stubs into the sacrificial layer. The method further includes filling and planarizing the trenches, vias, and stubs that were etched and then etching away the sacrificial layer throughout the plurality of levels of the interconnect metallization structures. The etching leaving a voided interconnect metallization structure that is structurally supported by stubs that are non-electrically functional.
US07875543B1
Recesses are formed in the drain and source regions of an MOS transistor. An ohmic contact layer is formed in the recesses, and a stressed silicon-nitride layer is formed over the ohmic contact layer. The recesses allow the stressed silicon nitride layer to provide strain in the plane of the channel region. In a particular embodiment, a tensile silicon nitride layer is formed over recesses of an NMOS transistor in a CMOS cell, and a compressive silicon nitride layer is formed over recesses of a PMOS transistor in the CMOS cell. In a particular embodiment the stressed silicon nitride layer(s) is a chemical etch stop layer.
US07875537B2
A method is disclosed for forming a high electron mobility transistor. The method includes the steps of implanting a Group III nitride layer at a defined position with ions that when implanted produce an improved ohmic contact between the layer and contact metals, with the implantation being carried out at a temperature higher than room temperature and hot enough to reduce the amount of damage done to the Group III nitride layer, but below a temperature at which surface problems causing leakage at the gate or epitaxial layer dissociation would occur. An ohmic contact selected from the group consisting of titanium, aluminum, nickel and alloys thereof is added to the implanted defined position on the Group III nitride layer.
US07875533B2
LED epitaxial layers (n-type, p-type, and active layers) are grown on a substrate. For each die, the n and p layers are electrically bonded to a package substrate that extends beyond the boundaries of the LED die such that the LED layers are between the package substrate and the growth substrate. The package substrate provides electrical contacts and conductors leading to solderable package connections. The growth substrate is then removed. Because the delicate LED layers were bonded to the package substrate while attached to the growth substrate, no intermediate support substrate for the LED layers is needed. The relatively thick LED epitaxial layer that was adjacent the removed growth substrate is then thinned and its top surface processed to incorporate light extraction features. There is very little absorption of light by the thinned epitaxial layer, there is high thermal conductivity to the package because the LED layers are directly bonded to the package substrate without any support substrate therebetween, and there is little electrical resistance between the package and the LED layers so efficiency (light output vs. power input) is high. The light extraction features of the LED layer further improves efficiency.
US07875530B2
First semiconductor integrated circuits and second semiconductor integrated circuits arranged over a first substrate so that each of the second semiconductor integrated circuits is adjacent to one of the first semiconductor integrated circuits are transferred to additional substrates through multiple transfer operations. After the first semiconductor integrated circuits and the second semiconductor integrated circuits formed over the first substrate are transferred to the additional substrates (a fourth substrate and a fifth substrate) respectively, the circuits are divided into a semiconductor device corresponding to each semiconductor integrated circuit. The first semiconductor integrated circuits are arranged while keeping a distance from each other over the fourth substrate, and the second semiconductor integrated circuits are arranged while keeping a distance from each other over the fifth substrate. Thus, a large division margin of each of the fourth substrate and the fifth substrate can be obtained.
US07875526B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate divided into a cell array region, a core region, and a peripheral region. Bit lines are formed in the respective regions. Storage node contact plugs are formed in the cell array region, and blocking patterns are simultaneously formed around the bit lines of the core region and the peripheral region. Capacitors are formed in the cell array region to come into contact with the storage node contact plugs, and metal contact plugs are formed to come into contact with the capacitors of the cell array region and the bit lines of the core region and the peripheral region. In the semiconductor device, even if the metal contact plugs are not aligned with the bit lines, the blocking pattern works to stabilize the contact between the metal contact plugs and the bit lines.
US07875521B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed that is able to suppress a short channel effect and improve carrier mobility. In the method, trenches are formed in a silicon substrate corresponding to a source region and a drain region. When epitaxially growing p-type semiconductor mixed crystal layers to fill up the trenches, the surfaces of the trenches are demarcated by facets, and extended portions of the semiconductor mixed crystal layers are formed between bottom surfaces of second side wall insulating films and a surface of the silicon substrate, and extended portion are in contact with a source extension region and a drain extension region.
US07875517B2
The invention includes a laterally double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) having a reduced size, a high breakdown voltage, and a low on-state resistance. This is achieved by providing a thick gate oxide on the drain side of the device, which reduces electric field crowding in the off-state to reduce the breakdown voltage and forms an accumulation layer in the drift region to reduce the device resistance in the on-state. A version of the device includes a low voltage version with a thin gate oxide on the source side of the device and a high voltage version of the device includes a thick gate oxide on the source side. The LDMOS may be configured in an LNDMOS having an N type source or an LPDMOS having a P type source. The source of the device is fully aligned under the oxide spacer adjacent the gate to provide a large SOA and to reduce the device leakage.
US07875510B2
A method for manufacturing a thin-film device includes forming a separation layer on a substrate, forming a support layer of mainly clay containing silicate mineral having a layered crystal structure on the separation layer, forming a thin-film functional member on the support layer, applying an energy to the separation layer to reduce the adhesion between the substrate and the support layer, and removing the substrate from the support layer and the thin-film functional member.
US07875502B2
A chip fabrication method. A provided structure includes: a transistor on a semiconductor substrate, N interconnect layers on the semiconductor substrate and the transistor (N>0), and a first dielectric layer on the N interconnect layers. The transistor is electrically coupled to the N interconnect layers. P crack stop regions and Q crack stop regions are formed on the first dielectric layer (P, Q>0). The first dielectric layer is sandwiched between the N interconnect layers and a second dielectric layer that is formed on the first dielectric layer. Each P crack stop region is completely surrounded by the first and second dielectric layers. The second dielectric layer is sandwiched between the first dielectric layer and an underfill layer that is formed on the second dielectric layer. Each Q crack stop region is completely surrounded by the first dielectric layer and the underfill layer.
US07875491B2
A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor may include: a semiconductor substrate; a photodiode formed on a first portion of the semiconductor substrate; a transfer gate formed on the semiconductor substrate, near the photodiode, to transfer optical charges accumulated in the photodiode; a floating diffusion area formed on a second portion of the semiconductor substrate, on an opposite side of the transfer gate from the photodiode, to accommodate the optical charges; and/or a channel area formed under the transfer gate and contacting a side of the photodiode to transfer the optical charges. The transfer gate may be formed, at least in part, of transparent material. A method of manufacturing a complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor may include: forming the photodiode; forming the floating diffusion area, separate from the photodiode; and/or forming the transfer gate, near the photodiode, to transfer optical charges accumulated in the photodiode.
US07875489B2
A CMOS image sensor and a fabricating method for a semiconductor device are disclosed. Embodiments provide a CMOS image sensor having an improved structure using a light reflection system, with a fabricating method thereof to simplify the fabrication process and maximize a light receiving area. Embodiments may be applied to a semiconductor device having a lamination structure.
US07875458B2
Rapid determination of low temperature residual wax contamination in basestock oil provides a basis for real time correlation of basestock quality with the low temperature viscometric properties of fully formulated oils made using said basestock oil.
US07875457B2
To address counterfeit problems, for example, we propose a secure, flexible, and cost-effective authentication solution that can be integrated into conventional distribution logistic systems. The proposed solution for product authentication and distribution channel validation comprises three major components: 1) machine-readable Raman-active chemical taggant; 2) a taggant reader; and 3) a taggant eraser. The proposed solution is to control and validate the distribution channel by authenticating the origin of products. Authentication is accomplished by verification of distinct taggants associated with the articles, such as on its label, along with other product distribution information in optical, spatial-encoding indicia, such as a barcode. The taggant information is used to identify, validate, and distinguish the origin of the source of the articles, such as goods or products. The taggant material is thereafter rendered unreadable by modifying the taggants to make obtaining the information unfeasible, thereby controlling the taggants' lifecycle.
US07875456B2
An automated discrete fluid sample analyzer includes a sample preparation module. The sample preparation module includes a well configured to receive a sample deposited by a pipettor and a sample preparation device in fluid communication with the well. The fluid sample is transferred from the well to the sample preparation device, and the sample preparation device prepares the fluid sample. The pipettor then aspirates the prepared fluid sample. The prepared fluid sample may be transferred from the sample preparation device back to the well, and the pipettor aspirates the prepared fluid sample from the well. In one embodiment, the sample preparation device includes a receptacle having a catalyst disposed therein. The catalyst may include a noble metal catalyst, such as cadmium. In another embodiment, the sample preparation device includes an ultraviolet lamp configured to apply ultraviolet light to the fluid sample. In yet another embodiment, the sample preparation device includes a heater configured to heat the fluid sample. In another aspect, a fluid sample is agitated to place more of the fluid sample in contact with the catalyst.
US07875454B2
A method of delivering an active agent to a target tissue, particularly neoplastic tissue, vascular anomaly or tumor tissue, in a vertebrate subject. The method includes the steps of exposing the target tissue to ionizing radiation; and administering a delivery vehicle to the vertebrate subject before, after, during, or combinations thereof, exposing the target tissue to the ionizing radiation. The delivery vehicle includes the active agent and delivers the agent to the target tissue. Representative delivery vehicles include platelets; leukocytes; proteins or peptides which bind activated platelets; antibodies which bind activated platelets; microspheres coated with proteins or peptides which bind activated platelets; liposomes conjugated to proteins or peptides, platelets, or leukocytes which bind activated platelets, or antibodies which bind activated platelets; and combinations thereof.
US07875452B2
There exists a need in the art for high throughput screening assays that can identify compounds that specifically modulate the activity of fast-acting ion channels, such as TRPM5. Current methods, especially electrophysiological, suffer from a lack of sensitivity, rapid signal loss, low throughput, and are labor intensive. The claimed methods and compositions provide electrophysiology methods that allow prolonged sample testing and fluorescent assays with an optical readout that gives rapid readout of the results, has a high signal to noise background ratio, are easy to use, can be modified for automation and miniaturization, and provide verification that a compound specifically modulates TRPM5.
US07875449B2
Low molecular weight low molecular weight chitosan oligomers were able to self-assemble siRNA into nanosized particles, provide protection against enzymatic degradation, and mediate gene silencing that is stable over a long period of time in vitro. The control of structural variables in formulating complexes of siRNA with low molecular weight chitosans provides an efficient alternative delivery system for siRNA in vitro and in vivo.
US07875446B2
A process is described for purifying vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) from cell culture fluid of a mammalian cell culture infected with VSV, the process comprising: clarifying the cell culture fluid by low-speed centrifugation and recovering the VSV in the supernatant; filtering the supernatant through a 0.2 to 0.45 μm filter and recovering the VSV in the filtered solution; loading the VSV filtered solution onto a anion exchange membrane adsorber equilibrated with a first pH buffered salt solution, eluting the VSV from the anion exchange membrane adsorber with a second pH buffered salt solution and recovering the eluted VSV fractions; purifying the recovered VSV by tangential flow filtration (TFF) using a TFF membrane having a molecular weight cutoff between 300 kDa and 1,000 kDa and recovering the VSV in the retentate, and filtering the VSV retentate through a 0.2 to 0.22 μm filter and recovering the VSV in the filtered solution.
US07875441B2
Oligonucleotides targeted to HPV Type 16 and/or Type 18 nucleic acid sequences which are particularly useful to aid in detecting HPV type 16 and or 18 are described. The oligonucleotides can aid in detecting HPV Type 16 and/or Type 18 in different ways such as by acting as hybridization assay probes, helper probes, and/or amplification primers.
US07875440B2
The present invention relates to a novel method for analyzing nucleic acid sequences based on real-time detection of DNA polymerase-catalyzed incorporation of each of the four nucleotide bases, supplied individually and serially in a microfluidic system, to a reaction cell containing a template system comprising a DNA fragment of unknown sequence and an oligonucleotide primer. Incorporation of a nucleotide base into the template system can be detected by any of a variety of methods including but not limited to fluorescence and chemiluminescence detection. Alternatively, microcalorimetic detection of the heat generated by the incorporation of a nucleotide into the extending template system using thermopile, thermistor and refractive index measurements can be used to detect extension reactions.
US07875431B2
The present invention provides for a method of detecting the presence of inflammatory bowel disease in gastrointestinal tissues or cells of a mammal by detecting increased expression of LY6 genes in the tissues or cells of the mammal relative to a control.
US07875429B2
The invention provides DNA compositions that relate to transgenic insect resistant maize plants. Also provided are assays for detecting the presence of the maize DAS-59122-7 event based on the DNA sequence of the recombinant construct inserted into the maize genome and the DNA sequences flanking the insertion site. Kits and conditions useful in conducting the assays are provided.
US07875424B2
According to the invention, tumour-associated gene products and nucleic acids coding therefor were identified. The present invention relates to the therapy and diagnosis of diseases wherein said tumour-associated gene products are expressed aberrantly. The invention also relates to proteins, polypeptides and peptides which are expressed in a tumour-associated manner and the nucleic acids coding therefor.
US07875420B2
To improve the surface roughness of a resist film formed on a wafer.In a coating and developing treatment system, a wafer W on which a resist film has been formed and subjected to exposure and developing treatment is adjusted to a predetermined temperature. A solvent gas is supplied to the surface of the temperature-adjusted wafer W to dissolve the surface of the resist film. The wafer W is then heated to volatilize the solvent in the resist film to thereby heat shrink the resist film. This levels the projections and depressions on the surface of the resist film so as to improve the surface roughness of the resist film.
US07875404B2
Fuel cells, fuel cell membranes, micro-fuel cells, and methods of fabricating each, are disclosed.
US07875403B2
The present invention provides a solid oxide fuel cell system, which comprises a central support means, a fixture means, a current collection means, a manifold, and at least one fuel cell means, wherein the fuel cell means and the current collection means are moveable in the direction parallel to the axis of the fuel cell means.
US07875402B2
The present invention provides an improvement in the process of producing energy from fuel cells. A cyclic reforming process, referred to as temperature swing reforming, provides an efficient means for producing a hydrogen containing synthesis gas for use in proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell applications. In one embodiment, at least some synthesis gas which is first produced in the temperature swing reforming process is combusted with air to provide the heat for the regeneration step of the temperature swing reforming process. The syngas produced in TSR is particularly well suited for use in proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell applications.
US07875399B2
A stop method for a fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell unit in which hydrogen is supplied to an anode, and air is supplied to a cathode so as to generate electrical power via an electrochemical reaction. The stop method includes the steps of stopping supply of hydrogen to the anode, and supplying air to the anode so as to discharge water remaining at the anode.
US07875397B2
An inlet fuel distributor (10-10d) has a permeable baffle (39, 54, 54a, 60) between a fuel supply pipe (11, 83) and a fuel inlet manifold (12, 53, 53a, 63) causing fuel to be uniformly distributed along the length of the fuel inlet manifold. A surface (53, 68) may cause impinging fuel to turn and flow substantially omnidirectionally improving its uniformity. Recycle fuel may be provided (25, 71) into the flow downstream of the fuel inlet distributor. During startup, fuel or inert gas within the inlet fuel distributor and the fuel inlet manifold may be vented through an exhaust valve (57, 86) in response to a controller (58, 79) so as to present a uniform fuel front to the inlets of the fuel flow fields (58).
US07875395B2
A nonaqueous electrolytic cell manufacturing method is characterized in that a nonaqueous electrolyte containing vinylene carbonate is used, a coating on the surface of the negative electrode is formed at the initial charging/discharging in such a way by lowering the negative electrode potential to less than 0.4 V with relative to the lithium potential, wherein the nonaqueous electrolytic cell comprises a nonaqueous electrolyte containing an electrolytic salt and a nonaqueous solvent, a positive electrode, and a negative electrode containing a negative electrode material into/from which lithium ions are inserted/desorbed at a potential higher than the lithium potential by 1.2 V. The nonaqueous electrolytic cell is used in a range of negative electrode potential nobler than the lithium potential by 0.8 V.
US07875388B2
Provided is an electrode composition comprising a powdered material capable of undergoing lithiation and delithiation, and a non-elastomeric binder comprising lithium polyacrylate, along with methods of making and using the same, as well as electrochemical cells incorporating the same.
US07875382B2
The present invention provides battery cell having low resistance internal connections and compact, low volume terminal connections in order to maximize power-producing volume. The battery of the present invention may be created using a novel fold geometry to fold electrode tabs into compact, low profile tabs having a low total volume. The battery cell provides a means for equalizing path lengths from each electrode active area to the point of connection to the terminal and also reducing path length, thereby further reducing resistance of the battery. The connection means of the present invention consumes less internal battery space than connection means of prior art electrode stacks. Accordingly, the electrode stack of the present invention disposes more or larger battery cells in the battery than the prior art and thus provides more power than the prior art battery. The present invention is designed to overcome prior art difficulties in preparing a battery.
US07875379B2
An electrochemical cell comprising a cathode material contacted to a perforated current collector having a portion left uncovered and an anode material contacted to an anode current collector is described. A separator sheet segregating the anode from direct contact with the cathode is folded back upon itself along a crease with an upper portion at least partially sealed to a lower portion along an aligned peripheral edge to form an envelope. A first envelope portion houses the cathode having the uncovered portion of the cathode current collector spaced from the crease and a second envelope portion houses the anode. The first envelope portion is sealed to the second envelope portion through the uncovered perforations of the cathode current collector to lock the anode aligned with the cathode. The anode and cathode are then wound into a jellyroll electrode assembly housed in a cylindrical casing and activated with an electrolyte.
US07875377B2
A fuel cell system is described that enables discharge of moisture generated by the fuel cell system based on pressure differences between components of the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that discharges oxidant offgas via a cathode discharge pipe and discharges fuel offgas and moisture to an anode drain opening that in turn discharges the fuel offgas and the moisture to a gas-liquid separator via an anode drainpipe. A throttle valve establishes a pressure difference downstream within the anode drainpipe to enable movement of the fuel offgas and the moisture from the anode drain opening to a lower pressure area of the gas-liquid separator. In addition, the pressure difference enables the fuel offgas to flow from the gas-liquid separator to the cathode discharge pipe through the throttle valve.
US07875375B2
An inexpensive battery pack including a battery module wherein a safety valve is provided for each cell in which battery pack gas leakage can be prevented. A battery pack 100 has a plurality of battery modules 110 each including a plurality of cells 120 respectively provided with a safety valve 123. The plurality of cells 120 included in each battery module 110 are arranged such that safety-valve mounting walls 121a are oriented in the same direction. Each battery module 110 comprises a gas duct member 130 covering all the safety valves 123 of the cells 120 included therein and forming a gas discharge path 131 between the gas duct member 130 and the safety-valve mounting walls 121a, and a sealing member 160 for hermetically sealing the gaps between each cell case 121 and the gas duct member 130.
US07875367B2
A cyclopentaphenanthrene-based compound is easy to prepare and excellent in solubility, color purity, and color stability. The cyclopentaphenanthrene-based compound is useful as a material for forming an organic layer, in particular, an emitting layer, in an organoelectroluminescent device, and as an organic dye or an electronic material such as a nonlinear optical material.
US07875365B2
An optical recording medium is provided with inorganic bi-layer films that were prepared by magnetic sputtering. A first recording layer containing an element selected from Si or Ge, and a second recording layer contacts with the first recording layer and containing a primary component selected from Ta, Ni or Mo. This optical media can record information by way of microscopic structure changing of bi-layer recording films after laser irradiation.
US07875361B2
Relates to the use of a thermoplastic polymer molding compound for producing metallically coated light-reflecting components based on thermoplastics, which are suitable for operating temperatures of at least 200° C. The polymer molding compound used according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises polyamides which are selected from a group which comprises homopolyamides, copolyamides, and mixtures (blends) made of homopolyamides and copolyamides and mixtures made of homopolyamides or copolyamides, these polyamides being selected from a group which comprises amorphous and transparent polyamides, and these polyamides having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least 205° C. Light-reflecting components produced according to the use according to the present invention are suitable for operating temperatures of at least 200° C. and comprise reflectors for traveling lights of vehicles, for signal and lighting devices, and reflectors for solar collectors.
US07875359B2
A self-stabilizing dispersion composition having a copolymer having at least one polymerizable acid-containing moiety, wherein the at least one acid-containing moiety is at least partially neutralized before or during polymerization, and at least one hydrophobic moiety. A process for producing such compositions is also provided, as well as a process for encapsulating water-insoluble actives in such copolymers.
US07875356B2
Item comprising a first transparent thermoplastic (i) coated with a coating (ii) comprising at least one organosilicon compound, wherein, on at least one portion of the surface, on the side facing away from the first plastic (i), the coating (ii) has been adhesive-bonded, without chemical adhesion promoter, to a second thermoplastic (iii).
US07875354B2
An erosion system including a toughened resin for improving erosion resistance, the toughened resin including a resin and a toughening agent, and a support for retaining the toughened resin where at least one layer of the erosion system is applied to a component to provide from about a 50% increase to about a 400% increase in erosion resistance to the component per layer of the erosion system.
