US07912148B2
A transmission circuit precisely compensates for an offset characteristic of an amplitude modulation section and operates with low distortion and high efficiency over a wide output power range. A signal generation section outputs an amplitude signal and an angle-modulated signal. An amplitude amplifying section supplies, to the amplitude modulation section, a voltage corresponding to a magnitude of an inputted amplitude signal. The amplitude modulation section amplitude-modulates the angle-modulated signal by the voltage supplied from the amplitude amplifying section, thereby outputting a resultant signal as a modulation signal. A temperature measuring section measures a temperature of the amplitude modulation section. An offset compensation section calculates an offset compensation value in accordance with a change, in temperature of the amplitude modulation section, from the temperature of the amplitude modulation section in an initial state, and adds the calculated offset compensation value to the amplitude signal.
US07912144B2
A modulating means for modulating and/or demodulating data for transmission from a first device to a second device, wherein the modulating means is capable of modulating and/or demodulating data according to at least a first and a second modulation technique.
US07912136B2
A receiver that receives a digital signal transmitted on the basis of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) method. This receiver comprises a demodulation unit for demodulating the digital signal, a demapping unit for demapping demodulated data output from the demodulation unit, a frequency deinterleave unit for executing a frequency deinterleaving process on data output from the demapping unit, a delay unit for delaying control information superposed on the digital signal by a prescribed time period, and a time deinterleave unit for executing, on the basis of the interleave length specified by the control information delayed by the delay unit, a time deinterleaving process on data on which the frequency deinterleaving process has been executed.
US07912135B2
Provided is a resource allocation method that considers frequency scheduling gain and frequency diversity gain when uplink packet data is transmitted in a wireless communication system based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). A method is provided in which Localized Frequency Division Multiple Access (LFDMA) technology capable of obtaining the frequency scheduling gain and Distributed Frequency Division Multiple Access (DFDMA) technology capable of obtaining the frequency diversity gain are mixed. A method is provided which signals sub-carrier sets mapped to the DFDMA and LFDMA, to terminals.
US07912134B2
When building a sub-frame for a wireless transmission that distributes the data over multiple simultaneous sub-channels, fragmenting the data to fit into the sub-frame may leave wasted space in the sub-frame because the minimum allowable size of the fragments leaves gaps. To increase overall throughput, these gaps may be wholly or partly filled in with another type of data that has smaller minimum size fragments. In some embodiments, the sub-frame may use orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) protocols, and the two data types may be classified as automatic repeat request (ARQ)-enabled and non-ARQ-enabled data.
US07912133B2
A method and device for transmitting a first and second uplink signal, each having data and control information is provided. The method includes channel encoding the control information of the second uplink signal based on a number of symbols of control information to produce. The channel encoding includes determining the number of symbols in accordance with a payload size of the data of the first uplink signal and a total number of transmissible symbols of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) of the first uplink signal.
US07912127B2
A method for transcoding from an H.264 format to a VC-1 format. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the H.264 format to generate a picture having a plurality of macroblock pairs that used an H.264 macroblock adaptive field/frame coding; (B) determining a mode indicator for each of the macroblock pairs; and (C) coding the macroblock pairs into an output video stream in the VC-1 format using one of (i) a VC-1 field motion compensation mode coding and (ii) a VC-1 frame motion compensation mode coding as determined from the mode indicator.
US07912121B2
An apparatus for processing a video signal with N frames is provided. The apparatus includes an encoding module and a selecting module. The encoding module performs a 1st through a Nth encoding procedure. The 1st through the Nth encoding procedure respectively encodes the 1st through the Nth frame among the N frames in a full-image-encoding mode, encodes other frames in an adaptive-image-encoding mode, and calculates the data amount of the N encoded frames in each encoding procedure, respectively. The selecting module selects the N encoded frames with the smallest data amount among the encoding procedures been performed.
US07912119B2
A method used in an adaptive survivor based channel equalizer, the method comprises selecting at a decision time a survivor in a Viterbi trellis and a corresponding equalizer, adaptively updating at the decision time the corresponding equalizer to define a new corresponding equalizer for use at a next decision time, retrieving the new corresponding equalizer as defined at an earlier decision time, and using the new corresponding equalizer as defined at an earlier decision time as an equalizer for other survivors in the Viterbi trellis at the next decision time. A corresponding adaptive survivor based channel equalizer includes a fixed pre-filter configured to provide a pre-filtered signal to a reduced state sequence estimator (RSSE) which is configured for providing recovered symbols. A coefficient adaptor is coupled to the RSSE and configured to essentially perform the method.
US07912112B2
A spectrum spreading circuit, includes a control portion that repeats a sequence in which the control portion generates a designation signal for designating all of plural frequencies in prescribed order by selecting a next frequency from the frequencies which have not been selected, and a signal generating portion that sequentially generates output signals having the designated frequencies respectively on the basis of the designation signal.
US07912107B2
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser capable of efficiently injecting carries into an active region directly under a photonic crystal mirror is provided. The vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes a first reflective mirror 102 constituting a lower mirror, a second reflective mirror 112 constituting an upper mirror, and an active layer 106 provided between the reflective mirrors on a substrate 100. The second reflective mirror 112 includes a periodic refractive index structure periodically arranged in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate, which structure is composed of a first medium 1100 having conductivity and a second medium 1102 having a refractive index lower than that of the first medium 1100. A layer structure by a third medium 1104 having a refractive index lower than that of the first medium 1100 is embedded in the first medium 1100 on the lower side of the periodic refractive index structure.
US07912105B2
A VCSEL which can be easily manufactured and can selectively suppress only high-order transverse mode oscillation is provided. The VCSEL includes a resonator, a first current confinement layer, and a second current confinement layer. The resonator includes an active layer having a light emitting region, and a pair of first multilayer reflector and a second multilayer reflector provided with the active layer in between, and resonate is generated in a given wavelength. The first current confinement layer has a current injection region is a region corresponding to the light emitting region, and is formed at a region including an antinode of a standing wave. The second current confinement layer has a current injection region with a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first current injection region and is formed at a region including a node standing wave.
US07912098B2
The invention provides for systems, methods, and a transport re-encapsulator/tagger for delivering streaming media to customer premises equipment. A digital streaming media system broadcasts streaming media to provider networks which use middleware which has certain requirements for the transport encapsulation and tagging of headers of the streaming media. The invention provides for re-encapsulating/tagging of media broadcasts having one type of transport encapsulation/tagging into a type of transport encapsulation/tagging required by the middleware.
US07912097B2
Systems and methods for conveying multiple low-bit-rate data streams over a data transport medium which is configured to transport data in a single, high-bit-rate data stream. In one embodiment, a plurality of low-bit-rate signals are received and a corresponding data rate is determined. Each of the signals is formatted in frames comprising a payload and overhead data. The high-bit-rate signal is also formatted in frames comprising a payload and overhead data, but the frames (including payload and overhead) contain more bits than those of the low-bit-rate frames. The payloads of the low-bit-rate frames are mapped into the payloads of the high-bit-rate frames. The overhead and timing data of the low-bit-rate frames are mapped into the unused portion of the overhead of the high-bit-rate frames. After the high-bit-rate signal is transported, the payload, overhead and timing data of each of the low-bit-rate signals is extracted, and the corresponding signals are reproduced.
US07912082B2
A system includes one or more processing units coupled to a network interface unit. The network interface unit may include a network port for connection to a network and a virtual interface that may be configured to distribute an available communication bandwidth of the network port between the one or more processing units. The network port may include a shared media access control (MAC) unit. The virtual interface may include a plurality of processing unit resources each associated with a respective one of the one or more processing units. Each of the processing unit resources may include an I/O interface unit coupled to a respective one of the one or more processing units via an I/O interconnect, and an independent programmable virtual MAC unit that is programmably configured by the respective one of the one or more processing units. The virtual interface may also include a receive datapath and a transmit datapath that are coupled between and shared by the plurality of processing unit resources and the network port.
US07912077B2
A multi-queue single-FIFO scheme for quality of service oriented communication. According to the invention, an arbiter maintains a number of next access pointers for multiple queues storing data packets to be transmitted. The arbiter also determines which queue is to be serviced next contingent upon a quality of service policy and then fetches at least one data packet, identified by the chosen queue's next access pointer, through a peripheral bus by means of direct memory access (DMA). A single FIFO buffer is connected to the arbiter to store and manage the fetched data packet in a first-in-first-out manner. Following the FIFO buffer, physical layer interface logic accepts each data packet, if available, and prepares the data packet for transmission on a physical medium.
US07912076B2
A method and an apparatus for managing domains are provided. The method of managing one or more domains performed by a domain manager located in a home network includes determining whether to register a first device located in the home network to a domain, and providing data required to share content between the first device and a second device registered to the domain according to the determination. In the method and apparatus, content can be shared by connecting the devices with one another including a user, and the burden of content providers for management can be reduced.
US07912074B2
Telecommunication equipment of the present invention includes a switch for receiving data from a plurality of ports and inserting a unique port identifier in the data from each port to identify the source port of the data. The equipment also includes a multiplexer coupled to the switch and operable to multiplex the data from the plurality of ports into a single serial data stream. A method of the present invention includes the steps of receiving data from a plurality of ports, adding a unique port identifier to the data from each port to identify the port from which the data came, and multiplexing the data from the plurality of ports into a single data stream for transmission.
US07912073B2
Synchronizing multiple-phase data converters by exchanging terminal count pulses via a bidirectional link. Multiple-phase data converters such as analog to digital converters (ADCs) or digital to analog converters (DACs) are synchronized to operate at the same phase by exchanging terminal count (TC) pulses and capturing counter state, representing a time offset from TC. Time offset and the symmetrical delay introduced by the link are used to solve for the delay introduced by the link and the off-set between devices. The offset information is used to align the devices. The process may be repeated to correct for drift.
US07912071B2
A passive optical network (PON) system includes at least one optical line terminal (OLT), a plurality of optical network units (ONUs) connected to each OLT, and an OLT management server used to manage the OLT. The OLT management server creates a VLAN access control table in response to a user's request to indicate a VID translation relation among different VLAN identifiers (VIDs) and sends a VID translation relation described in the VLAN access control table to the OLT, and the OLT creates a VLAN translation table indicating a correspondence relation between a source VID and a destination VID, which are waiting for translation, based on the received VID translation relation. If the OLT determines that a VID included in a received frame must be translated based on the VLAN translation table, the OLT references the VLAN translation table to translate the VID included in the received frame to a corresponding destination VID.
US07912069B2
A virtual segmentation system and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the virtual segmentation system includes a protocol data unit receiver subsystem configured to (i) receive at least a portion of a protocol data unit and (ii) store the at least a portion of the protocol data unit in at least one block, and a virtual segmentation subsystem, associated with the protocol data unit receiver subsystem, configured to perform virtual segmentation on the protocol data unit by segmenting the at least one block when retrieved without reassembling an entirety of the protocol data unit.
US07912059B1
An aggregation device that connects a plurality of internal sub-networks processes a packet that is destined for one of the plurality of sub-networks. The aggregation device receives the packet and determines an internal sub-network identification value based on the combination of an external sub-network identification value that is in the packet, and a port of the aggregation device to which the one of the plurality of internal sub-networks is connected. The aggregation device may also determine an external sub-network identification value based on an internal sub-network identification value that is associated with a port of the aggregation device to which one of the plurality of internal sub-networks is connected. The external sub-network identification value is stored in the packet and the packet is transmitted on the port of the aggregation device to which the one of the plurality of internal sub-networks is connected.
US07912054B2
A multicast packet readout control method is disclosed. An input multicast packet is temporarily stored in a multicast queue of a packet buffer. The multicast packet is read from the multicast queue, and converted into a unicast packet addressed to each of the destinations of the multicast packet. The converted unicast packet is stored in a unicast queue of the packet buffer. The converted unicast packet is then read from the unicast queue and transmitted to the destination.
US07912053B2
Method and system for decreasing routing latency for switching platforms with variable configuration
A method for decreasing routing latency of a switching platform comprises identifying ports which have changed their operational state and modifying the port polling code associated with the respective ports so that operational ports are polled for frames to be routed, while non-operational ports are not polled. In one embodiment, the method is implemented in a fiber channel switch. Non-operational ports are identified as having operational states below a pre-determined threshold level of functionality. The polling code for the ports is modified while polling operations are carried out in the switch. The code for a newly operational port is modified by copying into the code one or more instructions that poll the port for a frame and routes the frame. The code for a newly non-operational port is modified by copying into the code a branch instruction that bypasses the remainder of the polling code for the port. The frame routing latency of the switch is reduced because ports which are non-operational and will not produce frames are not polled.
US07912052B2
A way to assign flexible prefixes to Switches in Fiber Channel Fabrics while using the currently defined FC_ID address space. This allows end devices in different Fiber Channel Fabrics to communicate with one another, without requiring modifications to existing end devices, nor to perform Network Address Translation between Fabrics. The existing address space for each Switch includes a dynamically configurable number of host bits sufficient to address all the end devices coupled to the Switch and the Switch itself. The remaining bits, called the Switch prefix, are used to identify the Switch in the switching Fabric. In an alternative embodiment, the Switch prefix bits may be further configured into a first sub-set of bits used to identify a specific Fabric (Fabric prefix) and a second sub-set of bits used to identify the Switch in the Fabric (Switch_ID). The flexible addressing scheme enables end devices in different Fabrics to communicate with one another without expanding the Fiber Channel address space or the need to perform Network Address Translations.
US07912044B2
The present invention relates to an expandable structure for peripheral storage devices. The expandable structure includes an interface controller having a plurality of connecting ports for serial data transmission; and a Port Multiplier electrically connected to one of the connecting ports of the interface controller for serial data transmission, and the Port Multiplier having a plurality of expanded connecting ports, wherein each of the expanded connecting ports is capable of connecting to a peripheral storage device with a parallel data transmission mode or a peripheral storage device with a serial data transmission mode.
US07912043B2
A packet-based, hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. The network accommodates real time voice transmission both through dedicated, scheduled bandwidth and through a packet-based routing within the confines and constraints of a data network. Conversion and call processing circuitry is also disclosed which enables access devices and personal computers to adapt voice information between analog voice stream and digital voice packet formats as proves necessary. Routing pathways include wireless spanning tree networks, wide area networks, telephone switching networks, internet, etc., in a manner virtually transparent to the user. A voice session and associate call setup simulates that of conventional telephone switching network, providing well-understood functionality common to any mobile, remote or stationary terminal, phone, computer, etc.
US07912040B2
Bandwidth of a subscriber line, such as a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), that carries Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone calls and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) transmissions is allocated. A message is sent from a VoIP call processor that is associated with the subscriber line and a video server that is associated with the subscriber line, so as to allow a VoIP call to take place at a desired quality of service, notwithstanding concurrent transmission of IPTV to the subscriber line by the video server. The message may be sent by the VoIP call processor in response to initiating setup of a VoIP call for the subscriber line by the VoIP call processor.
US07912036B2
An approach is provided for supporting telephony services over a data network. A communication network establishes a voice session from a calling station to a called station associated with a user. A service platform, in communication with the communication network, obtains Caller ID information corresponding to the voice session, and determines an instant communication client of the user. The Caller ID information is transmitted over the data network to the instant communication client for display of the Caller ID information.
US07912035B1
Communicating packets along a bearer path includes providing a home network address and a visited network address to an access terminal. The home network address corresponds to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal, and the visited network address corresponds to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network. Packets are received from the access terminal. The packets are communicated along the home anchored bearer path if the packets use the home network address. The packets are communicated along the visited anchored bearer path if packets use the visited network address.
US07912031B2
An apparatus and method are provided for setting gain factors for dedicated physical channels in a mobile communication system. The UE receives configuration information indicating uplink dedicated physical channel configuration. The UE sets a gain factor of a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH) to 1 in the case that no DPDCH is configured. The UE calculates a gain factor of a enhanced dedicated physical control channel (E-DPCCH) using the gain factor of the DPCCH.
US07912030B2
A base station includes: a first reception timing detecting unit configured to detect a reception timing of a packet received from a first mobile station of multiple mobile stations which is situated in a first sector; a second reception timing detecting unit configured to detect a reception timing of a packet received from a second mobile station of the multiple mobile stations which is situated in a second sector; a transmission timing determining unit configured to determine transmission timings of signals transmitted from the first mobile station and the second mobile station based on the reception timings detected by the first reception timing detecting unit and the second reception timing detecting unit; a control information generating unit configured to generate transmission timing control information for the first mobile station and the second mobile station based on the transmission timings; and a radio resource allocating unit configured to allocate orthogonal radio resources to the first mobile station and the second mobile station.
US07912026B2
In a wireless communication network having a plurality of devices operating at different data rates that contend for access to the network, an apparatus is provided that assigns network access parameters so as to control throughput on the network.
US07912024B2
A network device for implementing high-rate greenfield transmission in a mixed mode frame structure. The network device is configured to transmit a mixed mode frame on two adjacent channels. The mixed mode frame comprises at least two backward compatible portions of a first frequency and a greenfield portion of a second frequency.
US07912018B2
An apparatus and method for controlling transmission rate by determining whether a data transmission failure is caused by a channel error or a data collision in order to reduce a collision-caused rate decrease or a collision-caused rate increase delay in a WLAN. A collision-caused data transmission failure and if the number of data transmission failures reaches a predetermined threshold, data is retransmitted by means of an RTS/CTS exchange.
US07912009B2
Various embodiments are described for supporting mobility in an inter-technology network. Such a network (300, e.g.) includes multiple interconnected access networks, utilizing various access technologies, and perhaps having overlapping, but non-aligned coverage areas. The prior art relies on remote units to originate registration signaling as they move from one service coverage area or registration region to the next, for each of the various access networks. In contrast, embodiments of the present invention utilize network originated signaling to update overlapping networks/network nodes of mobility events of which one access network (120-122, e.g.) is aware but of which other access networks (130, 131 and 133, e.g.) may not be aware.
US07912003B2
A method of transmitting data across a wireless mesh network is described which uses network coding at each of the intermediate nodes between the source node and the destination node. Each intermediate node also controls the rate at which it broadcasts packets based on link congestion and the backlog of packets at each of the possible next-hop nodes for the data flow.
US07912000B2
Apparatus and a method for handling discard of a service data unit in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment. Strategies for the radio resource control entity to handle discard of a service data unit by the radio link control entity are presented.
US07911999B2
The invention relates to a radio transmission system comprising a plurality of processing layers for the transmission of data packets between various radio appliances in a radio channel. A first functional unit in a physical radio transmission layer analyses the radio channel and determines the quality (QoC) of the radio channel. A second functional unit in a back-up layer controls the access to the radio channel according to the actual quality (QoC) of the radio channel and the priority of the data packets to be transmitted according to the quality (QoS) of the service carried out by the data packets. A third functional unit in a switching layer controls the switching of the data packets. A control unit then releases the data packets for switching by means of the third functional unit only when the quality (QoS) of the service carried out by the data packets corresponds sufficiently with the quality (QoC) of the radio channel determined in the first functional unit.
US07911996B2
Methods, mobile stations and networks are provided that cause a packet data service reconnect to be performed automatically after the occurrence of an event triggering registration, even in some circumstances where such a data service reconnect would not normally occur. This avoids complications that can arise due to the packet data service being discontinued upon registration and the resulting inability to reach the mobile station.
US07911995B2
A method and system handles at least one connection to at least one terminal in an access network. The access network includes a radio interface and at least one router. A link layer address is assigned to the at least one terminal, and a cell-specific radio link identifier is used at the radio interface for identifying a radio link to the router. An identifier for identifying the terminal or terminals preferably includes an RLI field for identifying the radio link, and a LLA Mapping field for identifying the terminal.
US07911990B2
A software architecture providing ad hoc wireless networking capabilities. The software architecture may be compatible with wireless devices, such as ultra wideband (UWB) devices operating according to the WiMedia Logical Link Control Protocol (WLP) communication protocol. The software architecture may include user mode and kernel mode modules, and may include a multiplexing driver framework to enable system connection to multiple ad hoc networks.
US07911985B2
A repeater environment is provided operative to deploy a feedback cancellation loop that is adaptively coupled with an antenna array such that a selected metric can be derived by deploying a selected filter bank having an automatic gain control operative to process the signal on a bin by bin basis and the derived metric can be applied to the antenna array and feedback cancellation loop combination to improve signal integrity and amplification. In an illustrative implementation, an exemplary repeater environment comprises, a transmitter, a receiver, an equalized feedback cancellation loop circuitry comprising a filter bank, the cancellation loop being operatively coupled to an antenna array. In the illustrative implementation, the feedback cancellation loop can receive signals as input from a cooperating antenna array and provide output signals such as a feedback leakage signal to a cooperating antenna array.
US07911984B2
A method and system for using half-duplex base stations and half-duplex nodes in a Frequency Division Duplexing region to provide wireless connectivity between the half-duplex base stations and customers in multiple sectors of a cell. The method and system can use two physical channels to form two logical channels. Each logical channel shares both physical channels during alternating frames of time. The half-duplex nodes can include a millimeter-wave band frequency synthesizer configured to transmit and receive on different channels to and from the half-duplex base station. Re-use patterns of the physical channels are used for deployment of half-duplex base stations and half-duplex nodes in the FDD region to minimize co-channel interference and interference due to uncorrelated rain fade. Additional methods and systems utilize full-duplex base stations and smart antenna to communicate with the half-duplex nodes.
US07911970B2
A method for presenting data via a display on a first computing device according to a user-selected format is described. One of a plurality of data format structures is selected. The structure comprises one or more predetermined data segments according to the selected format. A bus data stream comprising a plurality of data segments is received from a second device. The plurality of data segments being in one of a plurality of possible predetermined formats. The plurality of data segments is decoded in one or more data structures according to the selected format. The contents of the one or more data structures are displayed on a screen. A user analyzes the displayed contents and determines whether to execute debugging operations for the second device according to the contents of the displayed data structures.
US07911967B2
A master station has a master-station transmission circuit that extracts a serial monitor signal so as to convert a control data signal into monitor data by changing a duty ratio of negative and positive voltage-level periods, converting the control signal into a serial pulsing voltage signal, transmitting a monitor data signal that is superimposed on the serial pulsing voltage signal, and detecting the presence or absence of a signal of a current that flows during the negative and positive voltage-level periods. A plurality of slave stations respectively have a slave-station transmission circuit that identifies a duty ratio of the positive and negative voltage-level periods relative to each serial pulsing voltage signal, that extracts a control data signal so as to output the data to a controllable unit of the slave station.
US07911963B2
A method of transmitting packets over a network includes steps of partitioning a packet delivery schedule into discrete time slots; transmitting a plurality of test packets from a first endpoint on the network to an intended recipient in the network using different time slots; evaluating the reliability of the network to transmit the plurality of test packets in each time slot; and selecting one or more time slots in the delivery schedule according to the evaluation step.
US07911960B1
A data flow control method and system within a data switch. The data switch includes a plurality of input sections each having an associated input buffer and each transmitting data to an output section. In response to a detection of congestion within the output section, data transmissions from the plurality of input sections to the output section are paused. Input buffer occupancies of each of the input sections are then determined. Thereafter, and in response to a backpressure relief signal, the restart of said data transmission from each of the input sections to the output section is delayed in inverse proportion to each of the determined input buffer occupancies.
US07911952B1
An interface between electronic devices uses a credit-based flow protocol with sustained bus signals. An initiating device waits for credit to issue a command to a target device. When credit is available, the initiating device issues the command to the target device such that the command is accessible by the target device until a new command is issued. The command may include a read or write request to the target device.
US07911951B2
A method is disclosed including: measuring sending amounts of packet data that are input from each of ports providing minimum bandwidth guarantee type and best-effort type communication service; calculating statistical information corresponding to an accounting subject time period of the sending amounts of the packet data of the best-effort bandwidth of each of the ports, based on the result of the measurement; changing a value of a peak information rate of a port sending out more of the packet data at a contracted communication rate to be low based on the statistical information; and impartially allocating the best-effort bandwidth to each of the ports based on the value of the peak information rate and a minimum bandwidth guarantee rate.
US07911949B2
The method for the network transmission adjusts retransmission timeout timer (RTO) with the fuzzy rule to make the value of RTO change with network traffic. The method not only minimizes retransmission and lost packets, but also keeps utilization higher. The method is used to solve the congestion collapse problem in network transmission.
US07911942B2
Methods and systems for use in connection with an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) system being available to provide voice service and data service to the customer's premises. One service of the voice service or the data service is in use at the customer's premises, and the exemplary methods and systems detect a request for provision of the other service. In response to the detection, impact information may be provided on performance of the one service in light of concurrent use of the other service. A list of modes of operation of the other service is provided. The subscriber may consider the impact information and the list of modes and respond with a selected mode of operation of the other service. The selected mode is detected and the other service is operated pursuant to the selected mode to the customer's premises.
US07911939B2
A system enabled for fault-tolerant symmetric multi-computing using a group of nodes is described hereon. A symmetrical group of nodes networked using a reliable, ordered, and atomic group-to-group TCP communication system is used in providing fault-tolerance and single system image to client applications. The communication between the client and the group is standards based. The processing load is shared among a group of nodes with transparent distribution of tasks to application segments. The system is fault-tolerant in that if a node fails remaining replicas if any continue service without disruption of service or connection. Nodes may be added to or retired from the group in a manner transparent to the client as well as server applications.
US07911938B2
Various systems and methods for preventing loops in the presence of control plane failures are disclosed. For example, one method involves sending a special data packet in response to detection of a break in a network loop and then unblocking a port if the special data packet fails to circumnavigate the network loop. Prior to detection of the break, the port was blocked by a loop prevention protocol, such as a spanning tree protocol. If the special data packet successfully circumnavigates the network loop, the port will not be unblocked.
US07911931B2
In an optical disk including at least a rewritable phase change material and comprising a recording layer having a reflectivity of more than 15%, an address output value as an address pit signal component occupying in a reproduced signal in a non recording state is prescribed to be 0.18 though 0.27 or a numerical aperture of an address pit signal occupying in a reproduced signal in a non recording state is prescribed to be more than 0.3.
US07911930B2
An information recording medium includes a plurality of layers for recording or reproduction of information by irradiation, wherein each of the layers includes an emboss portion and wobble portion including wobbles of a first frequency and a second frequency that is different from the first frequency. The first frequency is constant in each of the plurality of layers, and a different signal is obtained from the wobbles of the first and second frequencies in each of the plurality of layers.
US07911928B2
A high density data storage device and a data recording or reproduction method using the same, which can record or reproduce high density data without contact, thereby preventing data errors due to contact are provided. The high density data storage device uses a recording medium and a probe. The recording medium is a thin film made from phase change material or oxide resistance change material, and the probe has a tip formed in a lower portion thereof, which moves with a spacing from the top of the recording medium. Further, recording or reproduction of data is performed through electric field or heat emission, which is generated in the tip of the probe, without direct contact between the recording medium and the probe, so that it is possible to remove instability caused by contact between the recording medium and the probe and to stably record or reproduce data in or from the recording medium without errors.
US07911917B2
A recording/reproducing method and recording/reproducing apparatus, which use an information storage medium by adaptively preparing a standard for distinguishing bit 0 from bit 1 of data read from a holographic information storage medium, and a holographic information storage medium. At least one record unit data is recorded on the holographic information storage medium. The record unit data is divided into at least one sub area, and information about the distribution of bits included in the sub area is arranged in the sub area.
US07911916B2
A beam applying method includes the steps of: rotationally driving an optical recording medium, in which a signal is recorded and reproduced by applying a beam thereto and which has a recording layer on which the signal is recorded, a polarization element formed below the recording layer, and a reflecting film formed below the polarization element; and applying a beam to the rotating optical recording medium through a half-wavelength plate that is rotationally driven with the rotation of the optical recording medium.
US07911913B2
An information recording apparatus for recording information on a multi-layered optical information recording medium having a recording material, which has light reaction property and which changes quality due to heat generated by an irradiated light, and having an altered layer in which the recording material is already altered and a non-altered layer in which the recording material is not yet altered alternately existing in plurals is provided. The information processing device includes a light source for emitting a recording light having a predetermined wavelength; a focal position control unit for controlling a focal position of the recording light emitted from the light source; and an objective lens, arranged at a post-stage of the focal position control unit, for collecting the recording light; wherein the recording material at the focal position is altered through heat by the recording light to record information on the recording medium as a recording mark.
US07911911B2
According to one embodiment, an optical disk device includes a laser light source that emits laser light to be applied to an optical disk, an automatic power control circuit that controls a laser output of the laser light source, and a control processor that performs a setting data transmission process for the automatic power control circuit. The automatic power control circuit includes an operation setting module that makes an operation setting according to setting data obtained in the setting data transmission process of the control processor and a condition determining module that determines whether an operation setting permission condition containing the number of clocks during a transmission period of the setting data is adequate, and inhibits the operation setting of the operation setting module when the operation setting permission condition is not adequate.
US07911909B2
A jitter counter according to the present invention is connected to a PLL circuit for generating a clock signal, which is necessary for signal processing, from a binary signal, and counts jitters of the binary signal. The jitter counter comprises: a determination signal generation circuit which uses an output signal from a VCO constituting the PLL circuit and the like to generate a determination signal that has a given pulse width having the phase center at the position of a pulse edge of the clock signal; a phase determination circuit which at every time when logic inversion of the binary signal occurs, determines whether or not the inversion position is present in a determination section given by the pulse width of the determination signal based on an output signal from a phase comparator constituting the PLL circuit and on the determination signal; a phase counter which counts the number of times that inversion positions of the binary signal are not present in the determination section (or times that inversion positions of the binary signal are present in the determination section) based on an output signal from the phase determination circuit, wherein a count value of the phase counter is output as a jitter count value.
US07911905B2
A write-once optical disc and a method and apparatus for recording management information on the optical disc are provided. The optical disc includes at least one recording layer and a plurality of temporary defect management areas (TDMAs) on the at least one recording layer. At least one of the TDMAs includes an indicator indicating which one of the TDMAs has an in-use status.
US07911902B2
An optical disc includes a data area, a first test recording area, a second test recording area, and a recording information management area. The first test recording area extends inward of the data area, and has a portion which has undergone test recording. The second test recording area extends outward of the data area, and has a portion which has undergone test recording. The recording information management area includes an address information area storing an address of the portion of the first test recording area and an address of the portion of the second test recording area. The recording information management area may further include a recording condition information area storing information representing a condition of the test recording the portion of the first test recording area has undergone and information representing a condition of the test recording the portion of the second test recording area has undergone.
US07911899B2
An optical disc reproducing apparatus includes an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter which converts an analog signal obtained from an optical disc to a digital signal; an asymmetry compensator which detects and corrects an offset of the digital signal; a phase locked loop (PLL) which estimates a clock of the digital signal and compensates for a frequency error; a binary module which converts the digital signal to binary data; an equalizer which equalizes a particular frequency of the digital signal; and a channel identifier which detects a reference level of the binary module, based on an input signal of the equalizer.
US07911886B2
A system for preparing a first multimedia stream, for use with an environment comprising a repository for storing a plurality of tracks. Each track may be associated with at least one second multimedia stream. A track may comprise a single type of data (e.g., audio, video, etc.). The method may comprise receiving a request comprising an associated parameter (e.g., a position parameter) and determining at least two of the plurality of tracks associated with the parameter. The at least two tracks may have associated information that matches the position parameter. Responsive to determining the at least two tracks, the determined at least two tracks may be collated in order to generate the first multimedia stream.
US07911881B2
A distance and temperature sensing unit is used on paving vehicles. The unit has a first set of range sensors of a first diameter and a second set of range sensors of a second diameter. The unit calculates a weighted average distance to a road surface based on ranges measured by the multiple sensors. The unit also has a temperature sensor on a temperature bar. The bar is affixed to the unit by a flexible connection preventing break-off when the bar encounters obstacles, like the road surface, while the paving vehicle is moving.
US07911879B2
A method of acoustic telemetry in a drill string in a wellbore, comprises; transmitting an acoustic signal related to a parameter of interest from a transmitting location into the drill string; detecting signals propagated through the drill string at a receiving location, where the detected signals including noise; determining a drill string transfer matrix defining the propagation of signals through a transfer interval between the receiving location and the transmitting location; and using the detected signals and the drill string transfer matrix for obtaining an estimate of the acoustic signal.
US07911877B2
Passive suppression of casing signals is used to improve the ability to measure formation velocities. Passive suppression includes the use of a magnet slidably coupled to the casing.
US07911876B2
A method for initializing the input of each of m receiver channels of a receiving transducer in a well logging tool comprising the steps of selecting a logging tool having a multi-element receiving transducer wherein each element of the multi-element receiving transducer operates in an anti-resonant mode below its resonant frequency, and executing a routine in an initialization mode wherein a predetermined number of run cycles are operated and receiver input responses are measured and averaged for each of the m channels while transmitter firing signals are disabled.
US07911875B2
An address counting circuit includes a counter configured to sequentially count from an initial address in response to a clock signal in order to output counted addresses. The address counting circuit also includes a code conversion unit that is configured to output converted addresses such that only one address bit of the converted addresses with respect to the previous converted addresses are toggled to output the converted addresses. The converted addresses output form the code conversion unit do not overlap with one another.
US07911870B2
A fuse data read circuit includes a fuse data holding unit which holds fuse data, a fuse data read unit which detects fuse data, and a bias voltage generating circuit which generates a bias voltage. The fuse data read unit includes a current mirror circuit and a control circuit provided between the current mirror circuit and the fuse data holding unit. The bias voltage generating circuit applies the bias voltage to the control circuit.
US07911868B2
A self-refresh period measurement circuit of a semiconductor device is disclosed, herein which includes a period measurement start signal generator configured to receive a self-refresh signal and an oscillation signal, to allow a self-refresh operation to be performed, and generate a period measurement start signal, to set the time that the oscillation signal is enabled, and a refresh period output unit configured to receive the period measurement start signal and the oscillation signal, and generate a refresh period output signal that is enabled for a period from the time that the period measurement start signal is enabled to a time that the oscillation signal is enabled.
US07911852B2
A p-type well region is formed at a main surface of a semiconductor substrate. An n-type impurity region is located under the p-type well region. A first insulating layer is formed on the main surface of the semiconductor substrate and on the p-type well region. A charge-storage insulating layer is formed on the first insulating layer. A gate electrode layer is formed on the charge-storage insulating layer. An erase operation is performed by applying a forward bias to the p-type well region and the n-type impurity region to generate hot carriers and inject the hot carriers into the charge-storage insulating layer.
US07911850B2
Flash memory devices include a memory array having a plurality of NAND strings of EEPROM cells therein. A word line driver is provided to improve programming efficiency. The word line driver is electrically coupled to the memory array by a plurality of word lines. The word line driver includes a plurality of pass voltage switches. These switches have outputs electrically coupled by diodes to the plurality of word lines. Methods of programming flash memory devices include applying a pass voltage to a plurality of unselected word lines in a non-volatile memory array while simultaneously applying a sequentially ramped program voltage to a selected word line in the non-volatile memory array. The sequentially ramped program voltage has a minimum value that is clamped by a word line driver to a level not less than a value of the pass voltage.
US07911846B2
The unintentional programming of an unselected (or inhibited) non-volatile storage element during a program operation that intends to program another non-volatile storage element is referred to as “program disturb.” A system is proposed for programming and/or reading non-volatile storage that reduces the effect of program disturb. In one embodiment, different verify levels are used for a particular word line (or other grouping of storage elements) during a programming process. In another embodiment, different compare levels are used for a particular word (or other grouping of storage elements) during a read process.
US07911845B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array having electrically rewritable and non-volatile memory cells arranged; a data register circuit configured to hold write data to be written into the memory cell array; and an address decode circuit configured to decode a write address signal and control the write data-loading in the data register circuit, the address decode circuit being settable in such a multiple selection mode that the same write data is loaded in multiple registers in the data register circuit in correspondence to multiple addresses.
US07911843B2
A method of programming a non-volatile memory device employing program loops. Each program loop comprises a programming operation and a subsequent plurality of verifying operations. The method includes preventing the next program loop based on the results of performing the plurality of verifying operations of a current program loop each verifying operation verifying whether the selected memory cell transistors are program-passed. The decision to re-program may be based on a program pass number of the memory cell transistors obtained as a result of the plurality of verifying operations of the current program loop.
US07911839B2
Systems and methods to control one time programmable (OTP) memory are disclosed. A method may include determining a functionality for a hardware capability bus in an integrated circuit. The method may also include storing data in a first register of the integrated circuit based on the functionality. The method may also include disabling the functionality in the integrated circuit by setting at least one bit in a one time programmable memory bank in the integrated circuit based on the data.
US07911820B2
An apparatus for regulating eFUSE programming current includes a current control generator receiving an input reference current through a first current path of reference fuses, the input reference current proportional to a desired eFUSE programming current; a second current path including a reference programming FET and a second group of reference fuses; and a voltage comparator coupled to a gate terminal of the reference programming FET so as to adjust the gate voltage of the reference programming FET to equalize a first voltage across the first current path with a second voltage across the second current path. The gate voltage of the reference programming FET is an output of the current control generator, coupled to corresponding gates of one or more selected programming devices of an eFUSE array such that the selected programming devices source the desired eFUSE programming current to a selected eFUSE to be programmed.
US07911817B2
An AC-DC adapter is provided with an auto-sensing capability to sense when no DC load is present at the output (secondary side) of the adapter by monitoring for absence of load-indicative signals, such as power supply identifier (PSID) signals communicated to the adapter from a coupled DC-powered device. Upon detection of a no load condition, the adapter enters a no load mode during which the adapter output is turned off in order to reduce energy consumption by the adapter, and only produces short recurring voltage pulses (hiccups) at the adapter output. Upon detection of load-indicative signals communicated to the adapter from a coupled DC-powered device, the adapter output enters normal mode and provides its normal regulated power value to the adapter output for powering the coupled DC-powered device.
US07911816B2
A method and apparatus is featured for providing linear control of a regulated electrical property (e.g., current or voltage) in a switch mode power supply of a thermal processing system that includes an inductive element and at least one switching element. The method and apparatus feature structure, or steps, for generating a nonlinear model that predict values for a regulated electrical property of the inductive element based on a given duty cycle of the at least one switching element and structure, or steps, for generating a nonlinear model that determines a duty cycle for the at least one switching element based on the nonlinear predictive model for the regulated electrical property, the nonlinear model determining the duty cycle such that a linear relationship results between the regulated electrical property and a selected value. A method and apparatus is also featured for providing cross regulation between pre-regulator and post-regulator power stages of a switch mode power supply of a thermal processing system.
US07911805B2
A method of forming contacts for an interconnection element, includes (a) joining a conductive element to an interconnection element having multiple wiring layers, (b) patterning the conductive element to form conductive pins, and (c) electrically interconnecting the conductive pins with conductive features of the interconnection element. A multiple wiring layer interconnection element having an exposed pin interface, includes an interconnection element having multiple wiring layers separated by at least one dielectric layer, the wiring layers including a plurality of conductive features exposed at a first face of the interconnection element, a plurality of conductive pins protruding in a direction away from the first face, and metal features electrically interconnecting the conductive features with the conductive pins.
US07911800B2
Electrical apparatus is provided including a housing for containing one or more electrical components therein. The housing has at least one connector means (29) for allowing the connection of at least one electrical cable thereto. Channel means (28) are provided adjacent the connector means for containing at least a part of the electrical cable adjacent a connection end thereof which is to be connected to the connector means on the housing in use.
US07911790B2
An electronic assembly comprising one or more high performance integrated circuits includes at least one high capacity heat sink. The heat sink, which comprises a number of fins projecting substantially radially from a core, is structured to capture air from a fan and to direct the air to optimize heat transfer from the heat sink. The heat sink fins can be formed in different shapes. In one embodiment, the fins are curved. In another embodiment, the fins are bent. In yet another embodiment, the fins are curved and bent. Methods of fabricating heat sinks and electronic assemblies, as well as application of the heat sink to an electronic assembly and to an electronic system, are also described.
US07911784B2
A device for use with a portable computer includes a base, a stand having an upper portion and an adjustable linkage, and a connection mechanism. The base is adapted to rest upon a surface and includes a keyboard that is physically integrated with the base. The stand is attached to the base. The upper portion is adapted to provide a surface upon which a portable computer rests. The upper portion includes an attachment mechanism adapted to attach to a portable computer resting upon the upper portion to secure the portable computer physically to the upper portion. The adjustable linkage is connected to the base and is connected to the upper portion of the stand on another end. The adjustable linkage is adapted to position the upper portion of the stand. The connection mechanism provides data communication from the integrated keyboard to a portable computer resting upon the upper portion.
US07911772B2
Assembly aid for installing or replacing keys on a telephone or other device with a key pad. The assembly aid has a retainer with recesses or apertures for holding keys. The keys are held in the retainer by means of an interference fit. The arrangement of keys on the retainer corresponds in layout to the layout of keys on the key pad. The retainer is placed against the inside surface of the face plate of the key pad, with the keys aligned with their appropriate apertures in the face plate. The keys are released from the retainer into the apertures simply by applying pressure against the key from the rear side of the retainer.
US07911771B2
An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may include a first component. The electronic device may also include a metal-ceramic composite component coupled to the first component and configured to reinforce at least a portion of the first component in a first direction.
US07911769B2
This invention prevents a deterioration of efficiency of a power supply apparatus due to a semiconductor power supply voltage drop, prevents an increase in wasted power, and prevents erroneous operations due to feeder wire voltage drop. In the mounting structure of electronic circuits having a plurality of busbars as current paths on a printed circuit board, the plurality of busbars have almost parallel portions spaced a predetermined distance apart; a span of the parallel portions of the plurality of busbars is greater than the predetermined distance; and in the parallel portions of the plurality of busbars, the plurality of busbars are connected by a wiring pattern. In the switching power supply apparatus built on a printed circuit board, with its output voltage of less than 2 V and its output current of more than 100 A, a means is provided for making the power efficiency higher than 70%.
US07911750B2
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device (41, 51, 61, 71, 81) coupled across input-output (I/O) (22) and common (23) terminals of a core circuit (24) that it is intended to protect from ESD events, comprises, one or more serially coupled resistor triggered ESD clamp stages (41, 41′, 41″; 71, 71′, 71″), each stage (41, 41′, 41″; 71, 71′, 71″) comprising first (T1, T1′, T1″, etc.) and second transistors (T2, T2′, T2′″ etc.) having a common collector (52, 52′, 52″) and first (26, 26′, 26″) and second (36, 36′, 36″) emitters providing terminals (32, 42; 32′, 42′; 32″, 42″) of each clamp stage (41, 41′, 41″; 71, 71′, 71. A first emitter (25) of the first stage (41, 71) couples to the common terminal (23) and a second emitter (42″) of the last stage (41″, 71′) couples to the I/O terminals (22). Zener diode triggers are not used. Integrated external ESD trigger resistors (29, 29′, 29″; 39, 39′, 39″) (e.g., of poly SC) are coupled between the base (28, 28′, 28″; 38, 38′, 38″) and emitter (26, 26′, 26″; 36, 36′, 36″) of each transistor (T1, T1′, T1″; T2, T2′, T2″). Different resistor values (e.g., ˜0.5 k to 150 k Ohms) give different ESD trigger voltages. Cascading the clamp stages (41, 41′, 41″; 71, 71′) gives even higher trigger voltages. The ESD trigger resistances (29, 29′, 29″; 39, 39′, 39″) are desirably located outside the common collector-isolation wall (741, 742, 743; 741′, 742′, 743″) surrounding the transistors (T1, T1′, T1″; T2, T2′, T2″).
US07911748B1
In an actively triggered ESD protection structure, the control electrode is triggered by an RC circuit, wherein the capacitor is a diffusion capacitor implemented as one or more forward or reverse biased p-n junctions.
US07911747B2
Systems and methods for dynamically clearing faults in a power transmission line involve automatically terminating ends of a section of the power line while preserving electrical and/or physical continuity of the power line. The terminating of the ends is reversed at about voltage zero-crossings in the power line to clear a fault.
US07911733B2
The present invention provides a multilayer tape for simultaneously providing shielding of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and evidence of tampering with an electronic device to which it is applied. The multilayer tape can be attached to an electronic device to cover a seam or other opening in the electronic device. An embossed surface provides evidence of the disruption of the tape, and the tape includes a conductive adhesive to provide EMI shielding. The multilayer tape is particularly useful for sealing the seams of a disk drive device.
US07911731B2
A tape library system includes a plurality of conductive track assemblies including at least one linear conductive strip, and at least one guide track. The system further includes a first fiber brush assembly and a second fiber brush assembly separated from each other by a predetermined separation distance, each of the first and second fiber brush assemblies comprising a spring biasing a track wheel, and a fiber brush attached to the fiber brush assembly and in electrical contact with the conductive strip. The fiber brush assembly linearly translates along the conductive track assembly on an axis parallel to the conductive strip.
US07911716B1
A lens module including a first lens group, a second lens group, a third lens group, and an aperture stop is provided. The first lens group disposed between a magnified side and a reduced side has a positive refractive power. The second lens group disposed between the first lens group and the reduced side has a negative refractive power. The third lens group disposed between the second lens group and the reduced side has a positive refractive power. The aperture stop is disposed between the first lens group and the second lens group. Additionally, the distance from a center of the second surface to a center of the third surface is L1, an effective focal length is f, and the lens module satisfies 0.4
US07911701B2
A micro lens array sheet includes a sheet type base and a plurality of micro lenses arranged on the base. The surface of each micro lens includes a convex part and a peripheral edge part. The convex part has a spherical or elliptical surface. The peripheral edge part is formed between the convex part and the base and curved in a concave shape. Since the surface of the peripheral edge part is curved in a concave shape, the flat part can be narrower than a conventional micro lens array sheet. Therefore, luminance unevenness attributable to the flat part can be suppressed.
US07911690B2
A viewing device (10) includes a body enclosing a first reflective surface or mirror (40), second reflective surface or mirror (42) and a mechanism for securing the body to a conventional sighting device or telescope (82) on a firearm. First mirror (40) is adapted to direct an incoming light beam (44) onto second mirror (42) so that an outgoing light beam (70) is angled relative to the incoming light beam (44). In use, viewing device (10) can be releasably attached to rear end (80) of telescope (82) and allows a user (90) to remain partially hidden behind obstacle (92) whilst viewing through sighting device (82) and using the firearm. The angular offset of respective light beams (44, 70) is between 35° and 60°.
US07911684B1
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for variable gain optical fiber amplifiers. In one implementation, a variable gain optical amplifier is provided. The amplifier includes a first erbium doped fiber configured to receive an input optical signal, a second erbium doped fiber configured to output an output optical signal, a gain flattening filter positioned between the first erbium doped fiber and the second erbium doped fiber, a pump laser configured to provide energy to the first erbium doped fiber and the second erbium doped fiber, a thermo electric cooler configured to control a temperature of one or more of the first erbium doped fiber and the second erbium doped fiber, and a controller configured to adjust an output from the pump laser and a temperature of at least one of the first erbium doped fiber and the second erbium doped fiber to provide a variable flat spectral gain output.
US07911683B2
A harmonic wave oscillating system includes a solid-state laser oscillator, a converting waveguide converting a wavelength of a laser light oscillated from the solid-state laser oscillator to oscillate a harmonic wave, an incident-side end face of the laser light, an emitting-side end face of the harmonic wave, a first side face and a second side face. The emitting-side end face includes a polished surface 6 formed on the side of the first side face 1a and a light scattering surface formed on the side of the second side face 1b. The first side face 1a and polished surface 6 are intersected at an obtuse angle θ, and the second side face 1b and light scattering surface 5 are intersected at an obtuse or right angle α.
US07911677B2
A MEMS device is electrically actuated with a voltage placed across a first electrode and a moveable material. The device may be maintained in an actuated state by latch electrodes that are separate from the first electrode.
US07911675B2
An optical modulation device includes: an optical splitter for splitting input light into a first input beam and a second input beam; an optical intensity modulator for modulating the intensity of the first input beam in response to a modulating signal; a variable optical phase shifter for shifting the phase of the second input beam; and an optical combiner for combining an output beam of the optical intensity modulator and an output beam of the variable optical phase shifter into a combined beam and outputting the combined beam. The amount of phase shift produced by the variable optical phase shifter is externally controlled.
US07911673B1
The invention is a multi-color display screen that has built in optical memory for each pixel location. The optical memory is optically read and optically programmed. The screen itself distinguishes between the specific colors from which a full-color (or multi-color) image is constructed and modulates the intensities of the component colors that it directs toward a viewer. The screen provides enhanced image resolution and reduces information bandwidth required to control the display the image.
US07911671B2
An true time delay in optical signals using a Fourier cell is provided. One embodiment includes: an input array for inputting an array of light beams; at least a portion of a lens; a plurality of micromirrors located at a distance away from the lens that is approximately equal to the focal length of the lens; one or more mirrors located at a distance away from the lens that is approximately equal to the focal length of the lens; and one or more delay blocks, at least a portion of which are located at a distance away from the lens that is approximately equal to the focal length of the lens. The micromirrors may include a plurality of individually controllable pixels for directing one or more light beams in the array of light beams through the lens and onto either a mirror or a delay block.
US07911669B2
An optical scanning device includes a condensing optical system for collecting a light beam emitted from light source means, a deflecting system for scanningly deflecting the light beam collected by the condensing optical system, and an imaging optical system configured to image the light beam scanningly deflected by the deflecting means, on a surface to be scanned, the deflecting means having a deflecting surface reciprocally movable within a main-scan sectional plane to scanningly deflect the light beam from the condensing optical system, wherein, when the deflecting surface reciprocally moves within the main-scan sectional plane, the deflecting surface receives an angular acceleration which is able to cause deformation being asymmetric with respect to a sub-scan direction, and wherein the condensing optical system collects the light beam from the light source means to a region of the deflecting surface which is at a side of a central line of the deflecting surface with respect to the sub-scan direction where an amount of asymmetric deformation of the deflecting surface in the sub-scan direction is smaller than that at the other side.
US07911668B2
A scanning optical system including an optical source configured to generate an ultra-short light pulse, a dispersion compensation system disposed such that the ultra-short light pulse travels through the dispersion compensation system, an optical deflector configured to rotate about an axis such that the ultra-short light pulse is deflected through a scan angle, and an f-theta scan lens having a group delay (GD) variation versus relative pupil height and group delay dispersion (GDD) variation versus the scan angle that are substantially minimized. The f-theta scan lens is disposed such that the ultra-short pulse is incident on the f-theta scan lens.
US07911666B2
An apparatus for reading a hologram, in particular a computer-generated hologram, that includes a radiation source for irradiation of the hologram with a read beam composed of electromagnetic radiation, and an outlet opening for receiving an image that is produced from the hologram. The apparatus may allow both greater variability and greater convenience in use with a simple design. The apparatus further includes optics having at least two lenses in which a focal point of the first lens and a focal point of the second lens are each arranged essentially on one plane, and in which the hologram is arranged in front of the second lens as viewed along the beam direction.
US07911653B2
The present invention relates to an image forming device using a low visibility information embedding technique to manage a copy history of an original. The image forming device embeds history information with the use of small dots disappearing by copying, and coordinate information on a region embedded with the history information with the use of large dots not disappearing even by copying. Upon first copying, the image forming device newly creates both of the large dot coordinate information and the small dot history information, and embeds them. Upon second or later copying, the image forming device updates the history information having been read out of the original with that on the current copying, and embeds the updated history information in the history information region indicated by the coordinate information.
US07911650B2
Development of uneven gloss is reduced when printing mutually adjacent printing regions with pigment ink while overlapping boundary regions each other. A joint section and a non-joint section employ mutually different image processing such that a larger amount of ink having a relatively higher gloss level is used in the joint section as compared to the non-joint section. In this way, it is possible to uniform gloss impression between the non-joint section and the joint section and thereby to reduce uneven gloss.
US07911646B2
Method and apparatus for font/line art rendering via multi-level halftoning including the selecting or generating of halftone cell patterns related to the minimal stable pixel of a rendering electrography (EP) engine and image processors including EP engines.
US07911644B2
An image forming apparatus for forming a print image, which is composed of a first color image and a second color image, on a print medium, including: a test pattern printing portion that prints a test pattern including the first color and the second color; an image pickup portion that pictures an image of the test pattern printed by the test pattern printing portion; and a registration failure discrimination portion that discriminates a registration failure between the first color and the second color according to the pictured image of the test pattern pictured by the image pickup portion.
US07911623B2
Disclosed is a microelectromechanically tunable Fabry-Perot device and method of manufacturing tunable Fabry-Perot device and method of manufacturing. The F-P device comprises a first and second substrate which has partially reflective planar surfaces, and the partially reflective planar surfaces are separated by a predetermined separation distance and aligned to provide a F-P cavity, where one or more piezoelectric members are adapted to displace the first and second substrates when an electric field is applied.
US07911614B1
The non-contact measurement probe is capable of dimensional measurement of a workpiece while it is being machined, and reporting dynamic error for real-time compensation by the machining tool. Measurement includes diameter and roundness of the workpiece. The measurements are automatically fed back to a machine controller for intelligent error compensation. Based on known laser Doppler techniques and real time data acquisition, the probe delivers dimensional accuracy at few microns over a range of 100 mm. The measurement probe employs a differential laser-Doppler arrangement, allowing acquisition of information from the workpiece surface. Moreover, the measurements are traceable to standards of frequency allowing higher precision.
US07911608B2
A new method and strategy for the quantitative determination of enantiomeric purity that combines polarimetry, spectroscopy, and chemometric modeling. Spectral data is collected after a light beam is passed through a first polarimeter, a sample of a chiral compound, and a second polarimeter oriented at a 45 degree angle relative to the first polarimeter. The spectral data for samples of known enantiomeric composition is subjected to a type of multivariate regression modeling known as partial least squares (“PLS-1”) regression. The PLS-1 regression produces a mathematical model that can be used to predict the enantiomeric composition of a set of samples of unknown enantiomeric purity.
US07911605B2
A method of developing a multivariate optical element for an optical analysis system includes forming an optically absorptive spectral element having an optically absorptive material, the optically absorptive material being absorbing in a predetermined spectral region; and utilizing the optically absorptive spectral element in the optical analysis system.
US07911604B2
Method and apparatus for screening objects using Raman scattering methods to detect the presence of predefined substances or classes of substances. The predefined substances may be hazardous, toxic, or explosive. Radiation is supplied to an incident region of an object. Scattered light is collected from a collection region on the surface of the object spaced from the incident region. The characteristics of the scattered light include Raman features related to the predefined substances. The Raman features allow the presence, or not, of the predefined substances to be determined.
US07911602B2
An inspection device (1) for inspecting container closures (10), having an illumination device (4) which is situated above the container closures (10) to be inspected and illuminates the container closures, an image recording device (2) which is situated above the container closures (10) to be inspected and which records the radiation directed from the illumination device (4) onto the container closures (10) and reflected back by the container closures (10) and outputs a locally resolved image of the container closures. The distance between the image recording device (2) and the container closure (10) to be inspected is less than ten times the height of the container closure (10), and the image recording device (2) has a lens (8) which has a focal length of less than 10 mm.
US07911600B2
The mask blank inspection apparatus is constituted of a stage for mounting a reflective mask blank thereon, a light source for generating inspection light, a mirror serving as an illuminating optics, an imaging optical system, a beam splitter, two two-dimensional array sensors, signal storage units, an image processing unit, a main control unit for controlling operation of the whole apparatus, the first sensor being located at a position which is displaced by a predetermined distance from the focal plane of a first light beam, the second sensor being located at a position which is displaced by a predetermined distance from the focal plane of a second light beam along a opposite direction, whereby accurately and conveniently inspecting presence/absence and types of defects in reflective mask blank.
US07911593B2
A laser driver (4) causes a semiconductor laser (1) to operate such that a first oscillation period of monotonically increasing the oscillation wavelength and a second oscillation period of monotonically decreasing the oscillation wavelength alternately exist. A photodiode (2) converts laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser (1) and return light from a measurement target (12) into electrical signals. A counting unit (13) counts the number of interference waveform components obtained from an output signal from the photodiode (2) in each of the first oscillation period and the second oscillation period. A computing device (9) calculates the distance to the measurement target (12) and the velocity of the measurement target (12) from a shortest Lasing wavelength and a longest Lasing wavelength in a period during which the counting unit (13) counts the number of interference waveform components and the counting result obtained by the counting unit (13). This makes it possible to measure the distance to the moving measurement target (12) and the velocity of the measurement target (12).
US07911588B2
An exposure apparatus configured to expose a pattern of an original onto a substrate includes a wire electrode row that includes plural parallel wire electrodes, and that is opposed to the original, and a power source that applies an AC voltage to the plural wire electrodes, wherein the wire electrode row includes a first electrode group, and a second wire electrode group to which an AC voltage having a phase different from that of an AC voltage applied to the first electrode group is applied.
US07911583B2
An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a predetermined pattern through a liquid onto the substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate, and a liquid supply mechanism which supplies the liquid onto the substrate to form a liquid immersion area on a part of the substrate including a projection area of the projection optical system. The liquid supply mechanism is isolated from the projection optical system in terms of vibration.
US07911575B2
It is disclosed a liquid crystal display having an electrode pad for compensating for differences in resistance of electrode links. The liquid crystal display including a pixel area and a driving circuit, comprises at least two electrode links each extended from the pixel area; and at least two pads in contact with the driving circuit and the electrode links, each pad being in contact with each electrode link and having a non-resistivity that depends on a length of the each electrode link. Accordingly, resistance differences that depend on the length of the electrode links are compensated for using electrode pads, thereby making signal conductors with substantially equal resistances.
US07911572B2
A liquid crystal display device and fabrication method is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing each other and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates. Gate and data lines disposed on the first substrate cross each other to define a pixel region. A first protrusion extends from the gate line at a crossing of the gate line and the data line. A second protrusion extends from the data line at the crossing of the gate line and the data line. A thin film transistor is connected to the gate line and the data line. A pixel electrode in the pixel region is connected to the thin film transistor.
US07911568B2
A thin film transistor array panel is provided, which includes: a semiconductor layer; a first insulating layer on the semiconductor layer; a gate line including a first amorphous silicon layer and a metal; a second insulating layer covering the gate line; and a data line formed on the second insulating layer. A variously tapered structure of the signal line may be formed by providing an amorphous silicon layer having good adhesion characteristics. The adhesion between the metal layer and the amorphous silicon layer may be improved by performing a thermal treatment process such that the contact resistance may be reduced therebetween. Accordingly, the characteristics and reliability of the TFT may be improved.
US07911563B2
A method for making a polarizer-and-compensator assembly includes: (a) forming an alignment film on a releasable substrate; (b) forming a liquid crystal film on the alignment film so as to form a compensator layer on the releasable substrate; and (c) transferring the compensator layer from the releasable substrate to a polarizer plate by removing the releasable substrate from the compensator layer and attaching the alignment film to the polarizer plate.
US07911558B2
An image display apparatus includes a backlight unit including a plurality of light sources arranged in a flat, a reflecting portion for reflecting light from the light sources, a diffuser for diffusing the light from the light sources and the light reflected from the reflecting portion, and a chassis for maintaining or supporting the light sources, the reflecting portion and the diffuser; and a liquid crystal display unit which receives the light diffused by the diffuser of the backlight unit. Concave portions are formed in the chassis at positions corresponding to electrodes of the plurality of light sources, positions corresponding to light-emitting portions of the light sources are arranged in a flat, and a circuit for driving the liquid crystal display unit is provided on a rear surface of a planar portion of the chassis. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a thin lightweight backlight with high luminance and high luminance uniformity.
US07911552B2
A display substrate includes a signal line formed on a substrate, a connection pad receiving a driving signal from the signal line, at least one repair line formed along an outer periphery of the substrate, a first auxiliary repair line overlapping the signal fine at a first position with an insulating layer disposed therebetween, a second auxiliary repair line overlapping the signal line at a second position with the insulating layer disposed therebetween, and a connection line connecting the second auxiliary repair fine to the at least one repair line.
US07911547B2
A scanning backlight for a stereoscopic 3D liquid crystal display apparatus includes a light guide formed from a plurality of segments. Each segment has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a first surface extending between the first and second sides and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface substantially re-directs light and the second surface substantially transmits light. The plurality of segments are arranged substantially in parallel and with the second surfaces transmitting light in substantially the same direction to provide backlighting for a stereoscopic 3D liquid crystal display. A first light source is disposed along the first side of each segment for transmitting light into the light guide from the first side, and a second light source is disposed along the second side of each segment for transmitting light into the light guide from the second side. Each segment first and second light source is selectively turned on and off in a particular pattern and each segment light source selectively transmits light into the light guide first side or light guide second side to form a scanning backlight.
US07911544B2
Technology for carrying out a luminance range expansion process is provided. In the technology, the luminance range expansion process is carried out in a manner appropriate to the luminance histogram of image data. Using the white peak value WP which represents the maximum value of luminance and the APL which represents the mean value thereof in the luminance histogram of image data, an expansion coefficient for use in the luminance range expansion process is derived by referring to an expansion coefficient lookup table 210. On the basis of the expansion coefficient, the luminance range expansion process is performed on the image data.
US07911543B2
A remote control for a digital video recorder includes an integrated display screen configured to display a recording list including programs scheduled to be recorded.
US07911520B2
A data conversion/output device includes a number of sensors, voltage-time conversion circuits that are arranged adjacent to respective sensors and change output levels upon the lapse of times corresponding to output voltage values from the sensors after a conversion operation start point in order to convert voltage outputs of the sensors into times. The device also includes sensed data generation circuits for outputting, as digital data, lapse times until the output levels of the voltage-time conversion circuits change after a conversion start point. The sensed data generation circuits include a counter for counting a clock signal. An operation start of the voltage-time conversion circuits and a start of count operation of the counter are staggered.
US07911510B2
An imaging apparatus includes an operating unit that is capable of inputting a first operation input in acquiring generic image data and a second operation input in acquiring key image data in different operation forms. In addition, the imaging apparatus stores the generic image data and the key image data in an identical storage medium in expressions distinguishable from each other.
US07911503B2
A measurement line segment projection unit (400) projects, onto a sensed image, a three-dimensional model which is arranged at the position and orientation of a physical object (199). A search range is set for each side of the virtual object projected onto the sensed image, near the side of the virtual object in the sensed image based on a positional relationship between the side and other sides of the virtual object. A side of the physical object (199) on the sensed image is searched for within the search range for each side of the virtual object. The position and orientation relationship between the physical object (199) and an image sensing device (50) is calculated using the correspondence relationship, determined based on the search result, between each side of the three-dimensional model projected onto the sensed image and each side of the physical object (199) located on the sensed image.
US07911500B2
An image processing device includes: a connecting unit that connects a projecting device and an image capture device, at least one of the projecting device and the image capture device having an adjustable position; an acquiring unit that acquires an image captured by the image capture device capturing an image of a reference pattern that is projected by the projecting device and indicates an effective projecting range of the projecting device; a color converting unit that extracts the reference pattern from the captured image, and performs a color conversion on the extracted reference pattern; an enlarging/reducing unit that enlarges or reduces the color-converted reference pattern in accordance with the ratio between the maximum effective imaging range of the image capture device and the effective projecting range of the projecting device; a superimposing unit that superimposes the enlarged or reduced reference pattern on a reference pattern yet to be projected; and an output unit that outputs the reference pattern superimposed by the superimposing unit to the projecting device.
US07911493B2
A portable wireless system that comprises a display accessory in communication with a mobile device. The mobile device is configured to communicate with a base station. The mobile device has a memory component configured to receive and store compressed audio video content. The display accessory comprises a controller module, a local power supply, a display, and an auditory output device. The controller module is configured to communicate with the mobile device and receive the stored audio video content through a connection medium. The local power supply supplies energy to the display accessory. The display depicts video signals received from the controller module and receives power from the local power supply. The auditory output device processes audio signals from the controller module and receives power from the local power supply.
US07911477B2
A method and apparatus that provides adaptation in the content delivered to a palmtop computer. Connections between a palmtop computer and the Internet can vary from low speed dial-up to very high speed. Also, a palmtop computer's display, memory and processing power can vary considerably. Communication with the Internet is generally through a proxy server that can deduce these considerations from the palmtop computer's serial number and/or other information specified by user. The proxy server can then adapt the content based upon these considerations (e.g. only send two bit gray scale images to non-color palmtop computer, only send first frame of animated gif to low processing power palmtop computer, etc.).
US07911473B2
A display controller coupled to a display device by way of a display interface and to a host device by way of a data port that includes a processor arranged to process executable instructions and associated data, a single memory device for storing the executable instructions and associated data and EDID corresponding to the display device, and a bridge portion coupling the single memory device to the host device by way of the data port, wherein the bridge portion is always in a powered on state thereby providing access to the single memory device by the host device even when the display controller is in a powered off state such as during a boot up process when the display controller is in the powered off state.
US07911467B2
An animation file player can display animation files with an embedded system graphics application programming interface (graphics API). In an example implementation, an animation file comprises a Flash® animation file such as, a Shockwave Flash® animation file, and the embedded system graphics API comprises an OpenGL®|ES graphics API. The present invention is not intended to be so limited, and other types of animation files and embedded system graphics APIs can be used.
US07911458B2
A display control circuit includes a driver circuit DR which drives a plurality of pixels, and a driver control circuit which controls the driver circuit. The driver control circuit includes a control bus which transfers instruction data, an operation setting unit which executes operation settings in accordance with the instruction data from the control bus, and a gateway unit provided for a case in which the instruction data is internally generated and output to the control bus, and is capable of enabling or disabling an instruction data output to the control bus in accordance with a control input signal.
US07911452B2
A pen input device and method for a pen computing system. This device includes a touch screen panel mounted on a display screen, an electronic device interfaced with the panel, and a pen for inputting data. When a user handwrites a character, or a symbol on the screen panel, a stream of points is displayed on the touch screen panel to express the handwritten character equivalent to a character handwritten on a paper using a pen. When a user draws a boundary line having a specific shape on the touch screen panel using a pen, the pen input device forms a new entry field inside the boundary line. The user can enter a handwritten character or number in the entry field. In response to this entry, the pen input device converts the entered handwritten character or symbol to a computer text or instruction word. The pen input device also enables the user to determine the attributes and size of the generated entry field.
US07911443B2
A driving-control device of a backlight module receives a first digital burst signal and includes a start signal generating unit, a counter unit, a memory unit, a comparator unit and a driving unit. The start signal generating, unit generates a digital start signal on receiving the first digital burst signal. The counter unit is electrically connected to the start signal generating unit and sequentially generates counting values on receiving the digital start signal. The memory unit stores at least one target counting value. The comparator unit is electrically connected to the counter unit and the memory unit and sequentially generates triggering signals according to the counting values and the target counting value. The driving unit is electrically connected to the comparator unit and outputs sequentially delayed driving signals on receiving the triggering signals.
US07911442B2
A backlight unit usable in an LCD for dynamically expanding color gamut of the LCD. In one embodiment, the backlight unit has a plurality of light emitting elements, and a control unit electrically coupled with the plurality of light emitting elements for controlling intensity of light emitting from each of the plurality of light emitting elements in response to a frame of image data applied to the plurality of pixels, wherein the control unit is configured such that when the frame of image data applied to the plurality of pixels is in a red color, a green color, or a blue color, the intensity of light from the red color, the green color, or the blue color emitting from each of the plurality of light emitting elements is adjusted to its corresponding maximal value so as to expand the red, the green, or the blue area of the color gamut of the LCD panel accordingly.
US07911440B2
A backlight driving apparatus of a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus including a master trans and a slave trans for supplying a current to a plurality of lamps, and a master driver and a slave driver for driving the lamps, includes an operated condition unit that converts an AC voltage generated in accordance with a phase difference between a master AC voltage and a slave AC voltage fed back from the master trans and the slave trans, respectively, into an analog DC voltage; a protect controller that determines an error is generated during an operation of the lamps using the analog DC voltage and outputs an operating error signal when an error is generated; and a lamp driving controller that stops driving the master driver and the slave driver in response to the operating error signal.
US07911439B2
A liquid crystal display with improved display characteristics is disclosed. An OLED element is used as backlighting device resulting in a very flat liquid crystal display with a backlighting device. At least the front OLED drive electrode is formed such that it is at least partly light-transmissive, so that light from the OLED can be incident on the LCD element. The combination of an LCD element having internal reflectors or internal scattering elements and an OLED backlighting yields a thin overall display element which can be illuminated by sunlight during daytime and which can be illuminated using the OLED backlighting. Both the LCD element and the OLED element or OLED backlighting may represent information. For example, the actual information can be displayed on the LCD element, while the OLED element, primarily functioning as a backlighting device, can additionally represent a logo.
US07911427B2
A data driving circuit for driving pixels of a light emitting display to display images with uniform brightness may include a current sink that is capable of receiving, via a data line, a predetermined current from a pixel to enable the data driving circuit to generate a compensation voltage for the pixel. The compensation voltage may compensate for variations among the pixels of the display. Variations among the pixels may result from different electron mobilities and/or threshold voltages of transistors included in the pixels. The value of the predetermined current may be equal to or higher than a value of a minimum current employable by the pixel to emit light of maximum brightness. The maximum brightness of the pixel may correspond to a brightness emitted by the pixel when a highest one of a plurality of set gray scale voltages is applied to the pixel.
US07911421B2
A plasma display apparatus and a method of driving the plasma display apparatus are provided. According to an embodiment, the plasma display apparatus is driven by dividing a sub-field into at least an address period and a sustain period. The apparatus includes a timing controlling unit to vary a length of the sustain period according to a data pattern associated with at least one address electrode.
US07911412B2
A scanning laser system has a scan position controller to control an X-Y beam translator and a beam power controller to control a light source. A processor has accessible a table having a matrix of elements representing regions having spatial coordinates in at least two dimensions. A plurality of regions is required to define a space approximately sized as a human head. Each element contains a beam power variable indicative of radiation exposure at a corresponding region. Software resident in the processor has code for receiving a value of beam power incident on each region being scanned, for incrementing a stored beam power variable for each region if the beam power value is above a predetermined threshold, and for outputting to at least one of the scan position and the beam power controller a signal indicative of each region at which the beam power variable is above a predetermined value.
US07911403B2
An antenna for communicating with a satellite from a moving vehicle. The antenna comprises a transmitter for generating a transmission signal, main and sub reflectors, and a waveguide associated with the transmitter for conducting the transmission signal toward the sub reflector. The sub reflector is configured for redirecting the transmission signal toward the main reflector; the main reflector is configured for projecting the redirected transmission signal as an antenna beam toward the satellite.
US07911402B2
An antenna comprising an IMD element, and one or more parasitic and active tuning elements is disclosed. The IMD element, when used in combination with the active tuning and parasitic elements, allows antenna operation at multiple resonant frequencies. In addition, the direction of antenna radiation pattern may be arbitrarily rotated in accordance with the parasitic and active tuning elements.
US07911390B2
An antenna structure includes a radiation element, a grounding element, a short point, and a feeding point. The radiation element includes a first radiator and a second radiator. The second radiator partially surrounds the first radiator and there is a predetermined distance included between the first radiator and the second radiator for matching impedance. The short point is coupled between the second radiator and the grounding element. The feeding point is coupled between a joint point of the first radiator and the second radiator and the grounding element.
US07911385B2
A system for geolocating a radio frequency (RF) transmitter in the presence of multipath interference may include a plurality of RF receivers arranged in spaced relation. The system may also include a controller coupled to the plurality of receivers and configured to generate a plurality of measurements associated with the RF transmitter. The controller may also compute a plurality of ambiguity functions based upon the plurality of measurements and due to the multipath interference, and project the plurality of ambiguity functions onto a common geo-referenced grid. The controller may also detect a peak on the common geo-referenced grid indicative of a geolocation of the RF transmitter.
US07911379B2
In a method for construction equipment component location tracking, a wireless mesh network communication is initiated between a component monitor and a component information unit which is mechanically coupled with the component. An identity of the component is received at the component monitor via the wireless mesh network communication. A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver of the component monitor is utilized to ascertain a location of the component at a completion of an inventory action.
US07911378B2
A method and system for approximating a position using a Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS) having a plurality of GNSS satellites and an augmentation system, the method including the steps of obtaining an initial code pseudorange measurement and an initial carrier phase measurement from a signal transmitted by a GNSS satellite in the GNSS system, receiving a code correction from the augmentation system, using the code correction to correct the initial code pseudorange measurement and the initial carrier phase measurement to mitigate for errors in the signal, to result in a corrected code pseudorange measurement and a corrected carrier phase measurement, and using a code dominated measurement in a filter which outputs apposition and ambiguity estimate.
US07911370B2
A pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) comprises a plurality of pipeline stages is disclosed. The first pipeline stage has programmable gain function. The first pipeline stage includes a sub-analog-to-digital converter (sub-ADC) and a multiplying digital-to-analog converter (MDAC) implemented by switched capacitor (SC) circuits. Different capacitances in the sub-ADC and MDAC are provided so as to provide different gains by controlling switches in the SC circuits.
US07911358B2
A wireless control system is configured to be trainable to control any number of remotely controlled devices. The system can be configured to gather and learn information relating to a signal transmitted by the original transmitter in a manner that is blind to a user of the system. The system can be designed to learn signals automatically such that fewer steps are necessary for a user to train the system to control a particular remotely controlled device. The system can train to remotely controlled devices in this manner with little or no user action required.
US07911341B2
Methods, systems, gateways, and servers are provided for by-exception notification to a user when an event does not occur at a premises. An interface is provided through which a user can define a time window and an event capable of being sensed by a device at the premises. A server records the first event and the first time window and communicates these to a gateway at the premises. A gateway sets up an automation to detect the first event during the first time window. Devices detect if the first event occurs during the first time window. If the first event does not occur during the time window, the gateway indicates to the server the non-occurrence of the first event. The server sends notification to the user of the by-exception event. Methods, systems, gateways, and servers combine event notification upon the occurrence of an event with by-exception event notification.
US07911337B2
A remote keyless entry system is provided comprising a handheld remote keyless entry transmitter in selectable wireless communication with a car based entry system. The handheld remote keyless entry transmitter comprises an integrated electronic compass element and logic adapted to store a first compass direction when activated and directed towards a destination. The logic further is adapted to display a return compass direction and a return distance from the car based entry system when activated leaving the destination.
US07911329B2
A system and method for adaptive motion sensing with location determination is described. In one embodiment, the adaptive motion sensor is based on vibration sensor readings and can identify different states of motions based on modifiable parameters.
US07911325B2
A communication system wherein each endpoint device which has received an interrogating signal from an interrogator responds with a reflected signal generated by modulating the interrogating signal with appropriate information, wherein each endpoint device includes a distance detecting portion operable to detect a distance between the interrogator and the endpoint device, a reflecting portion operable to receive and reflect the interrogating signal, an information generating portion operable to generate replying information to be transmitted to the interrogator, a band determining portion operable to determine, on the basis of the detected distance, a frequency band of a modulating signal used to modulate a reflected signal generated by the reflecting portion, and a modulating-signal generating portion operable, according to the replying information, to generate the modulating signal having a frequency within the determined frequency band. The distance detecting portion may be provided in the interrogator, rather than in the endpoint device. The frequency of the modulating signal may be determined on the basis of the number of the endpoint devices ready for communication with the interrogator, or a distribution of overall frequency utilization ratio of the reflected signals received from the individual endpoint devices.
US07911323B2
Embodiments of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag response modulation are described.
US07911319B2
A resistor includes a substantially cylindrical resistive element having a resistance of less than about 1 mΩ, a substantially cylindrical first termination electrically connected to the resistive element and a second termination electrically connected to the resistive element. The substantially cylindrical first termination is hollow to allow for accepting a connection such as from a battery cable. In addition there may be sense leads present on the resistor. A method of forming a substantially cylindrical resistor includes forming a hollow cylindrical resistor body by rolling a flat sheet comprising a resistive element and a first termination and a second termination joined on opposite ends of the resistive element.
US07911318B2
The present invention relates to an adjustable resistor embedded in a circuit board and a method of fabricating the same. The adjustable resistor comprises a resistor with a number of connection terminals, and a number of via holes extending to contact with the resistor. The resistive value of the resistor is variable depending on the size of the via holes, the number of the via holes, or the distance between the via holes.
US07911300B2
A MEMS RF-switch is provided for controlling switching on/off of transmission of AC signals. The MEMS RF-switch of the present invention includes: a first electrode coupled to one terminal of the power source; a semiconductor layer combined with an upper surface of the first electrode, and forming a potential barrier to become insulated when a bias signal is applied from the power source; and a second electrode disposed at a predetermined distance away from the semiconductor layer, and being coupled to the other terminal of the power source, wherein the second electrode contacts the semiconductor layer when a bias signal is applied from the power source. Therefore, although the bias signal may not be cut off, free electrons and holes are recombined in the semiconductor layer, whereby charge buildup and sticking can be prevented.
US07911289B2
A filter includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, an insulating layer, a plurality of coils, a first non-magnetic layer and a second non-magnetic layer. The insulating layer is disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and the coils are disposed in the insulating layer. The first non-magnetic layer is disposed on one side of the first magnetic layer, which is far away from the insulating layer, and the second non-magnetic layer is disposed on one side of the second magnetic layer, which is far away from the insulating layer.
US07911286B2
Circuitry and methods are provided. Voltage and current of an electrical load are scaled, biased and alternately sampled to derive a multiplexed signal. The multiplexed signal is used to control an oscillator so as to provide a multiplexed frequency-modulated signal. The multiplexed frequency-modulated signal is processed to improve linearity and to time-correlate signal content with discrete samplings of the load voltage and current. Control of a printer or other device is performed using the processed signal.
US07911285B2
A reference frequency control circuit comprising: a frequency voltage converting circuit configured to receive an oscillation signal from an oscillator circuit, and output an output voltage corresponding to a frequency of the oscillation signal, the oscillator circuit being a circuit configured to oscillate at a frequency corresponding to a level of an input signal; and a control circuit configured to control a level of the input signal so that the output voltage is at a predetermined level.
US07911282B2
A voltage-controlled oscillator includes a delay circuit. The delay circuit includes a first buffer inverter which receives one of the differential input signal and outputs an other of the differential output signal, a second buffer inverter which receives the other of the differential input signal and outputs the one of the differential output signal, a first latch inverter which receives the one of the differential output signal, and includes an output connected to an output of the first buffer inverter, and a second latch inverter which receives the other of the differential output signal, and includes an output connected to an output of the second buffer inverter. The first latch inverter and the first buffer inverter receive a current produced from different voltage-current conversion circuits.
US07911281B2
A PLL circuit includes: a voltage-controlled oscillator including: a first oscillating portion configured to generate first differential signals; and a second oscillating portion configured to generate second differential signals with a phase difference of 90 degrees from the first differential signals; a phase detector configured to compare phases of third differential signals based on the first and second differential signals with a phase of a reference signal; and a loop filter configured to generate a control voltage for controlling the voltage-controlled oscillator based on a result of the comparison in the phase detector.
US07911275B2
This disclosure relates to maintaining constant gain within multi-stage amplifiers.
US07911267B2
A sigma-delta class-D amplifier includes a quantizer to quantize an input to produce a digital signal, and an output stage to produce an output according to the digital signal. The quantizer has a smaller step size so that the digital signal has at least five logical levels, and the sigma-delta class-D amplifier is thus improved to have wider stable modulation range and less switching loss.
US07911265B2
This invention concerns interfacing to electronic circuits or systems operating at low temperature or ultra-low temperature using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Low temperature in this case refers to cryogenic temperatures in particular, but not exclusively, to the 4.2 K region. Ultra-low temperatures here refers to the sub-1 K range, usually accessed using dilution refrigerator systems. The electronic circuits comprise a controller (for writing and manipulation), an observer (for readout and measurement) circuits, or both, fabricated from ultra-thin silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS technology.
US07911257B2
A circuit includes an input terminal adapted to receive an input voltage, a MOSFET having its drain terminal and its source terminal connected together, a first switching arrangement configured to be controlled by a first clock signal and adapted to selectively couple the gate terminal to the input terminal, and a further switching arrangement configured to be controlled by a further clock signal in timing relationship with the first clock signal and adapted to selectively couple the source terminal and a first voltage which is capable of pulling carriers out of a channel when the first switching arrangement is not coupling the input terminal to the gate terminal.
US07911249B2
A combinational circuit is connected to a flip-flop circuit. A clock buffer supplies a clock to the flip-flop circuit. A control circuit controls a delay time of the flip-flop circuit and a delay time of the combinational circuit independently.
US07911244B2
A differential drive circuit includes at least a first or second drive system. The first drive system has first and second field effect transistors, first and second resistors, and first and second circuits controlling the source voltages of the first and second field effect transistors to equal first and second drive target voltages, the first and second field effect transistors having sources connected to a power potential via the first and second resistors, respectively. The second drive system has third and fourth field effect transistors, third and fourth resistors, and third and fourth circuits controlling the source voltages of the third and fourth field effect transistors to equal third and fourth drive target voltages, the third and fourth field effect transistors having sources connected to a reference potential via the third and fourth resistors, respectively. A common-mode voltage is driven to form a constant differential signal across a load resistance.
US07911242B2
There is provided a signal generating apparatus for generating an output signal corresponding to pattern data supplied thereto. The signal generating apparatus includes a timing generating section that generates a periodic signal, a shift register section including a plurality of flip-flops in a cascade arrangement through which each piece of data of the pattern data is propagated sequentially in response to the periodic signal, a waveform generating section that generates the output signal whose value varies in accordance with a cycle of the periodic signal, based on data values output from the plurality of flip-flops, and an analog circuit that enhances a predetermined frequency component in a waveform of the output signal generated by the waveform generating section.
US07911241B1
A frequency synthesizer circuit that reduces undesired spurious sidebands while maintaining phase noise performance having a phase locked loop circuit comprising at least a phase detector, a controlled oscillator, a frequency divider coupled to the controlled oscillator for adjusting a frequency division of the frequency divider in response to a received control signal generated from a divisor value, a dithering circuit for providing a dither signal, and a sigma-delta modulator comprising an input for receiving a multi-bit input signal indicative of at least part of the divisor value. The input of the sigma-delta modulator is coupled with the dithering circuit for receiving the dither signal as a most significant bit of the multi-bit input signal.
US07911236B2
A detection circuit includes a bias circuit configured to generate a first bias voltage and a second bias voltage. The detection circuit further includes a storage device configured to store a detection value corresponding to an amplitude of a radio frequency signal received at a detector input. A series connection of a first diode element and a second diode element includes first tap to receive the first bias voltage and the radio frequency signal, a second tap which is coupled to a connection node of the first and the second diode element to receive the second bias voltage and a third tap to provide the detection value.
US07911232B2
To easily judge a transmission signal outputted from an own electronic device. A transmission part 7 outputs a transmission signal to a transmission path 1 side. Switching parts Q1 and Q2 are connected between a constant voltage power source and the transmission path 1, to switch on/off of a signal supplied from the constant voltage power source, being the transmission signal from the transmission part 7, and output it to the transmission path 1. A reception part 9 receives the transmission signal from the transmission path 1. A detection part 13 is connected between the constant voltage power source and the switching parts Q1, Q2, to detect the transmission signal from the transmission part 7 flowing through the switching parts Q1 and Q2. A selection part 15 selects the reception part 9, when the transmission signal from the transmission part 7 is not detected by the detection part 13.
US07911231B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device 1 includes a plurality of basic cells 5 each having therein a logic transistor 2 that performs logical operations, and a power switching transistor 3 that can interrupt leakage current when the logic transistor 2 is not operated. The semiconductor integrated circuit device 1 further includes a wiring 6 that connects virtual power nodes 4 as the connection points between the logic transistors 2 and the power switching transistors 3, between individual basic cells 5a and 5b included in a plurality of basic cells 5. Here, a basic cell includes a power switching transistors 3 that can interrupt leakage current when the logic transistors 2 are not operated, in addition to the logic transistors 2. Thereby, switching transistors 3 can be disposed in the optimal positions of the cells 5, and basic cells 5 having a small restriction in disposition and wide scope of application can be provided.
US07911224B2
A signal transmitting circuit includes a circuit block having a driving circuit and an intra-block transmission line for transmitting a signal from the driving circuit, a circuit block having a receiving circuit and an intra-block transmission line for transmitting the signal to said receiving circuit, and a main interblock transmission line for propagating a signal between the driving and receiving circuit blocks. The inter-block transmission line is terminated by a resistor having substantially the same impedance as the interblock transmission line. The intra-block transmission lines are provided with a resistance element having a resistance substantially equal to a value derived by subtracting half of an impedance of the inter-block transmission line from an impedance of the intra-block transmission line, to lower signal amplitude and suppress reflections of a signal at branch points along the main interblock transmission line, thereby enabling a high-speed signal transfer.
US07911219B2
Wiring pattern characteristic evaluation mounting boards in which characteristics of wiring patterns formed on the mounting boards are previously evaluated when the mounting boards are manufactured in mass-production, and more particularly relates to such wiring pattern characteristic evaluation mounting boards in which characteristics of wiring patterns to a high frequency pulse signal or a high speed pulse signal are evaluated.
US07911207B2
The present invention discloses a method for determining location and movement of a moving object. One embodiment of the method tracks the movement of a target during medical imaging scanning and transmits the position shift to the medical imaging scanning device in real time. The method includes the steps of projecting structured light on the target, receiving the reflection of structured light, converting the received structured light into spatial positions, and transmitting the positional shift to the medical imaging scanning device. The method further includes the step of adjusting the medical imaging scanning device in response to the positional change to increase accuracy.
US07911200B2
A multimeter includes a case defining an interior cavity in which components of the multimeter are located. The case has a top portion defining a plurality of first button apertures. A rotary selector knob is also provided for selecting a multimeter function. The multimeter further includes a separate front panel juxtaposed to the top portion of the case. The front panel has a plurality of second button apertures in respective register with at least some of the first button apertures. The top portion of the case may define a recess in which the front panel is received.
US07911198B2
An arrangement and a method are used for measuring current flowing in an electrical conductor with a magnetic circuit that has an air gap for coupling to the electrical conductor. The air gap of the magnetic circuit contains a magnetic-field-sensitive component that is used to measure the magnetic field generated by the electrical conductor, wherein, the air gap of the magnetic circuit contains a control core, wherein the control core has a control winding for the magnetic saturation of the control core. In the vicinity of the magnetic-field-sensitive component there are several additional elements that are suitable for conducting interfering magnetic fields in the surroundings of the magnetic-field-sensitive component independent of the control cores.
US07911184B2
A system for optimizing battery pack charging is provided. In this system, during charging the coupling of auxiliary systems (e.g., battery cooling systems) to the external power source are delayed so that the battery pack charge rate may be optimized, limited only by the available power. Once surplus power is available, for example as the requirements of the charging system decrease, the auxiliary system or systems may be coupled to the external power source without degrading the performance of the charging system.
US07911171B2
In a device, such as measuring or control signal transmitter, generating an analog current or voltage output signal, absolute values of output variables are continuously measured and regulated to ensure the correctness of the signal. The actual current or voltage value of an analog output signal is measured and digitized (206), a difference (e) between the digitized actual current or voltage value and the desired current or voltage value is defined (300), and the generation (200, 202, 204, 205) of the analog output signal is controlled (304) by means of a digital control signal (Enable, Direction) so as to decrease the difference.
US07911167B2
A control device of a vehicle motor includes a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of each coil, each coil supplying an alternating current to a corresponding phase of the motor and a controller that controls a torque of the vehicle motor; detects a stalled state of a vehicle; detects a current phase angle of the vehicle motor; and selects one of the temperatures detected by the temperature sensor based on a detected current phase angle, wherein the torque of the vehicle motor is reduced when the stalled state of the vehicle is detected and when a selected temperature exceeds a restrictive temperature.
US07911154B2
The invention relates to an electronic ballast comprising a converter which is used to operate a discharge lamp, for example, a low pressure discharge lamp, for selectively operating, in a direct manner, the supply network or a phase section dimmer. Jumps in the supply voltage are decoupled by a differential which is connected between at least one of the network lines and the reference potential of the ballast and transmitted to a control of the ballast, such that the control of the converter can distinguish between the operation on the phase section dimmer and on the network supply.
US07911149B2
There is provided lamp ballast impedance controlled electronic lamp circuit, powered by a lamp ballast, for controlling a set of light emitting devices and being, comprising at least one connector, for connecting to the lamp ballast; and for receiving an AC signal; at least one filament control, associated with one of the at least one connector; a circuit for transforming the AC signal to a DC signal; a power convertor circuit; for receiving the DC signal and for processing the DC signal to provide a signal to power to the set of light emitting devices; a control and monitoring circuit; wherein the control and monitoring circuit monitors the DC signal and controls the impedance of either the at least one filament control or the power convertor circuit to control the set of light emitting devices.
US07911136B2
A polarizer and an organic light emitting display apparatus including the polarizer. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a polarizer includes a substrate and a plurality of electrode units separated from each other on the substrate and formed in a stripe pattern. Each of the electrode units includes a first surface facing the substrate and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface having a width smaller than a width of the second surface.
US07911134B2
There is provided a new process for forming a light-emitting diode device having first, second, and third subpixel areas. In the process a hole injection layer is applied over an anode layer. The hole injection material has a conductive polymer and a fluorinated acid polymer. A hole transport layer is applied over the hole injection layer. A first electroluminescent material which is either green or blue, is applied to the first subpixel areas. A second electroluminescent material which is either blue or green, is applied to the second subpixel areas. A red electroluminescent material is applied overall, followed by deposition of a cathode. The second electroluminescent material emits a color different from that of the first electroluminescent material.
US07911127B2
The present invention relates to phosphor blend for wavelength conversion and a white light emitting device using the same. The phosphor blend of the invention comprises three phosphors, A5(PO4)3Cl:Eu2+, D2SiO4:Eu and MS:Eu at a composition where near ultraviolet radiation is converted into light positioned at a CIE coordinate (x, y), where 0.25≦x≦0.45 and 0.25≦y≦0.43, wherein A comprises at least one of Sr, Ca, Ba, and Mg, D comprises at least one of Ba, Sr, and Ca, and M comprises at least one of Sr and Ca. Furthermore, the present invention provides a new white light emitting device in combination of the phosphor blend and a near ultraviolet LED.
US07911124B2
An electron emission display, including an electron emission unit on a first substrate, a light emission unit on a second substrate, the second substrate affixed to the first substrate and having the electron emission unit and the light emission unit positioned therebetween, and a plurality of spacers disposed between the first and second substrates, wherein each spacer of the plurality of spacers includes a spacer body and at least one coating layer disposed on the spacer body, and wherein each spacer of the plurality of spacers satisfies the proviso that 0.02<ρ2/ρ1<100, where ρ1 is a specific resistivity of an outer-most coating layer disposed on the spacer body and ρ2 is a specific resistivity of an element in direct contact with the outer-most coating layer.
US07911119B2
A heat dissipating device includes a heat dissipater and a turbine ventilator. The heat dissipater includes a plurality of heat dissipating fins arranged at interval, wherein a heat dissipating passage is defined between two adjacent heat dissipating fins. The turbine ventilator is connected to one side of the heat dissipater, and the turbine ventilator has a central axis and the axial line of the central axis is in parallel to the heat dissipating passage. An LED lighting module can be attached to one side of the heat dissipater of the heat dissipating device. Therefore, the heat dissipating device dissipates heat of the LED lighting module without consuming additional electrical power.
US07911112B2
An ultrasonic actuator includes: a piezoelectric element 1 for generating a bending vibration and a stretching vibration; and a driver element 2 attached to a surface of the piezoelectric element 1 facing the direction of the bending vibration in point contact with the piezoelectric element 1 and actuated in accordance with the vibration of the piezoelectric element 1 to output driving force.
US07911111B2
A surface acoustic wave device has a supporting substrates, a propagation substrate A made of a piezoelectric single crystal, an organic adhesive layer having a thickness of 0.1 to 1.0 μm and bonding the supporting substrate and the propagation substrate, and a surface acoustic wave filter or resonator provided on the propagation substrate. The temperature coefficient of frequency of the surface acoustic wave device can be thereby reduced.
US07911102B2
A magnetic coupler with hysteresis (1) has an inductor subassembly (2) and an armature subassembly (6) that are capable of rotating one with respect to the other. The inductor subassembly has a plurality of magnetic poles and the armature subassembly (6) has one or more armature permanent magnets with hysteresis (11, 12). The invention is notable in that the or each armature magnet is produced in the form of a ring of one piece in magnetic material with vertical hysteresis and has through-slots for attenuating radial currents each running in the direction of the circumferential spread of the ring. Application to limiting heating and reducing axial bulk.
US07911081B2
In embodiment, a power supply system is configured to use a linear regulator to form a regulated voltage during a standby mode and to use the regulated voltage to form another regulated voltage.
US07911077B2
During temperature rise control of a power storage device, a correction value calculation unit outputs a negative correction value when a voltage value exceeds an upper limit value. Thus, a duty command is corrected to be decreased. That is, duty command is corrected to increase a boost rate of a converter. Meanwhile, correction value calculation unit outputs a positive correction value when voltage value falls below a lower limit value. Thus, duty command is corrected to be increased. That is, duty command is corrected to lower the boost rate of the converter.
US07911075B2
A system is disclosed for capturing and harnessing energy from environmental wind which impinges the outer wall surfaces of a building. The system includes at least one elongated conduit disposed within an enclosure of a building, the conduit having first and second end portions opening to the building outer wall surfaces. A wind deflector mechanism is disposed at each of the first and second conduit end portions. Each such wind deflector mechanism is adapted to direct environmental wind, which impinges against the building outer wall surface proximate the end portion, into the conduit to provide bi-directional air flow passing through the conduit. At least one wind collector device is disposed within the conduit, and the wind collector has air impact elements mounted to a shaft. Each wind collector device is adapted to interact with the bi-directional air flow moving within the conduit originating from either first or second conduit end portions to rotate the wind collector shaft. Finally, a wind turbine device is disposed within the building and is operatively interconnected to the wind collector shaft to generate electricity from the rotation thereof.
US07911068B2
A component and a method for producing a component are disclosed. The component comprises an integrated circuit, a housing body, a wiring device overlapping the integrated circuit and the housing body, and one or more external contact devices in communication with the wiring device.
US07911065B2
A semiconductor package having a stacked wafer level structure includes a base substrate; a semiconductor chip; a redistribution pattern; and a second insulation layer pattern. The base substrate having a chip region and a peripheral region disposed at the periphery of the chip region. The semiconductor chip is disposed over the chip region and has a bonding pad. The first insulation layer pattern covers the chip region and the peripheral region and exposes the bonding pad. The redistribution pattern is disposed over the first insulation layer pattern and extends from the bonding pad to the peripheral region. The second insulation layer pattern is disposed over the first insulation layer pattern and opening some portion of the redistribution pattern disposed in the peripheral region.
US07911061B2
A semiconductor device includes a carrier, a chip including a first face having a contact area, where the chip is attached to the carrier such that the contact area faces away from the carrier, a copper connector configured for attachment to the contact area, and a solder material configured to couple the copper connector to the contact area.
US07911058B2
The present invention has an object to provide a semiconductor chip of high reliability with less risk of breakage. Specifically, the present invention provides a semiconductor chip having a semiconductor silicon substrate including a semiconductor device layer and a porous silicon domain layer, the semiconductor device layer being provided in a main surface region on one surface of the semiconductor silicon substrate, the porous silicon domain layer being provided in a main surface region on a back surface which is the other surface of the semiconductor silicon substrate, and the porous silicon domain layer having porous silicon domains dispersed like islands in the back surface of the semiconductor silicon substrate.
US07911048B2
There is provided a wiring substrate. The wiring substrate includes: a semiconductor substrate having a through hole; an insulating film provided to cover an upper surface, a lower surface and a first surface of the semiconductor substrate, the first surface corresponding to a side surface of the through hole; a through electrode provided in the through hole; a first wiring pattern disposed on an upper surface side of the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the through electrode; and a second wiring pattern disposed on a lower surface side of the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the through electrode. A first air gap is provided between the first wiring pattern and the insulating film formed on the upper surface, and a second air gap is provided between the second wiring pattern and the insulating film formed on the lower surface.
US07911045B2
A semiconductor element is provided with electrode pads which are arranged on a front surface of an element main body, an insulating protection film which covers the front surface of the element main body excepting its outer peripheral area while exposing the electrode pads, and an insulating adhesive layer which is formed to cover a back surface, a sidewall surface and a corner between the front surface and the sidewall surface of the element main body. A plurality of semiconductor elements are stacked on a circuit substrate. The semiconductor elements are adhered via the insulating adhesive layer.
US07911033B2
This invention discloses a novel apparatus of fully depleted emitter so that the built-in potential between emitter and the base becomes lower and the charge storage between the emitter and base becomes small. This concept also applies to the diodes or rectifiers. With depleted junction, this results in very fast switching of the diodes and transistors. Another novel structure utilizes the strip base structure to achieve lower on resistance of the bipolar transistor. The emitter region of the strip base can be a normal emitter or depleted emitter.
US07911031B2
Voltage-controlled semiconductor structures, voltage-controlled resistors, and manufacturing processes are provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a substrate, a first doped well, and a second doped well. The substrate is doped with a first type of ions. The first doped well is with a second type of ions and is formed in the substrate. The second doped well is with the second type of ions and is formed in the substrate. The first type of ions and the second type of ions are complementary. A resistor is formed between the first doped well and the second doped well. A resistivity of the resistor is controlled by a differential voltage. A resistivity of the resistor relates to a first depth of the first doped well, a second depth of the second doped well, and a distance between the first doped well and the second doped well. The resistivity of the resistor is higher than that of a well resistor formed in a single doped well with the second type of ions.
US07911025B2
Techniques are provided for fuse/anti-fuse structures, including an inner conductor structure, an insulating layer spaced outwardly of the inner conductor structure, an outer conductor structure disposed outwardly of the insulating layer, and a cavity-defining structure that defines a cavity, with at least a portion of the cavity-defining structure being formed from at least one of the inner conductor structure, the insulating layer, and the outer conductor structure. Methods of making and programming the fuse/anti-fuse structures are also provided.
US07911018B2
An optical device includes a semiconductor substrate (11) on which a light receiving part (12) (or a light emitting part) and electrodes (13) are formed, and a translucent plate (2) bonded on the light receiving part (12) with a translucent adhesive (5), the semiconductor substrate (11) having a plurality of convex portions (31) formed so as to separate the light receiving part (12) and the electrodes (13) and have proper gaps (32) therebetween.
US07911017B1
An optical module includes an image sensor having an active area and a window mounted directly to the image sensor above the active area. The optical module further includes a mount mounted to the window, the mount supporting a barrel having a lens assembly. By mounting the window directly to the image sensor and the mount directly to the window, the substrate surface area of the optical module is minimized.
US07911016B2
A reusable transfer substrate member for forming a tiled substrate structure. The member including a transfer substrate, which has a surface region. The surface region comprises a plurality of donor substrate regions. Each of the donor substrate regions is characterized by a donor substrate thickness and a donor substrate surface region. Each of the donor substrate regions is spatially disposed overlying the surface region of the transfer substrate. Each of the donor substrate regions has the donor substrate thickness without a definable cleave region.
US07911014B2
An antenna with air-filled trench is integrated with a radio frequency (RF) circuit. The trench locates directly under the metal lines that made up the antenna and is formed by etching from the back side of the semiconductor substrate until all the substrate material in the trench is removed. The air-filled trench greatly reduces the losses due to the semiconductor substrate; therefore the performance of the antenna improves greatly. When the antenna is a large planar spiral inductor, the air-filled trench means the semiconductor substrate inside the spiral inductor is untouched; hence integrated circuit can be built inside the antenna and on that substrate. Therefore the RF integrated circuit has a smaller size. Air-filled trench can also be used to reduce the semiconductor substrate noise coupling between digital circuit block and analog/RF circuit block. This air-filled trench and the air-filled trench under the antenna are formed at the same time.
US07911013B2
Embodiments of a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) array include multiple transistors having source and drain regions, and multiple substantially planar MRAM bits. The MRAM bits have upper and lower electrodes and intervening magnetics layers. The lower electrodes of at least some of the MRAM bits are formed substantially directly on at least some of the source or drain regions without an intervening via. Embodiments of an MRAM array also include a first conductive interconnect layer above and in electrical contact with the upper electrodes of at least some of the MRAM bits, with no metal layers intervening between the upper electrodes and the first conductive interconnect layer.
US07911008B2
A planar pass gate NFET is designed with the same width as a planar pull-down NFET. To optimize a beta ratio between the planar pull-down NFET and an adjoined planar pass gate NFET, the threshold voltage of the planar pass gate NFET is increased by providing a different high-k metal gate stack to the planar pass gate NFET than to the planar pull-down NFET. Particularly, a threshold voltage adjustment dielectric layer, which is formed over a high-k dielectric layer, is preserved in the planar pass gate NFET and removed in the planar pull-down NFET. The combined NFET active area for the planar pass gate NFET and the planar pull-down NFET is substantially rectangular, which enables a high fidelity printing of the image of the combined NFET active area by lithographic means.
US07911004B2
A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode line provided to extend from an N-type area through a device isolation area to a P-type area, and source/drain diffused regions formed in N-type and P-type areas. The gate electrode line includes a first silicide region which configures a P-type MOSFET gate electrode and includes therein a silicide of metal M1, a second silicide region which configures an N-type MOSFET gate electrode and includes therein a silicide of metal M2, and an impurity-doped silicon region which is provided on a device isolation area and includes therein impurities at a higher concentration than both the gate electrodes.
US07910990B2
In an insulated-gate type semiconductor device in which a gate-purpose conductive layer is embedded into a trench which is formed in a semiconductor substrate, and a source-purpose conductive layer is provided on a major surface of the semiconductor substrate, a portion of a gate pillar which is constituted by both the gate-purpose conductive layer and a cap insulating film for capping an upper surface of the gate-purpose conductive layer is projected from the major surface of the semiconductor substrate; a side wall spacer is provided on a side wall of the projected portion of the gate pillar; and the source-purpose conductive layer is connected to a contact region of the major surface of the semiconductor substrate, which is defined by the side wall spacer.
US07910984B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a lateral MOSFET formed in an upper portion of a first region of the semiconductor substrate; a vertical MOSFET formed in a second region of the semiconductor substrate; a backside electrode formed on a lower surface of the semiconductor substrate and connected to a lower region of source/drain regions of the vertical MOSFET; and a connecting member penetrating the semiconductor substrate and connecting one of source/drain regions of the lateral MOSFET to the backside electrode.
US07910978B2
An embodiment of a process is disclosed herein for fabricating a memory device integrated on a semiconductor substrate and comprising at least a nanocrystal memory cell and CMOS transistors respectively formed in a memory area and in a circuitry area. According to an embodiment, a process includes forming a nitride layer having an initial thickness, placed above a nanocrystal layer, in the memory area and the formation in the circuitry area of at least one submicron gate oxide. The process also provides that the initial thickness is such as to allow a complete transformation of the nitride layer into an oxide layer at upon formation of said at least one submicron gate oxide.
US07910975B2
The present invention aims at providing a semiconductor memory device that can be manufactured by a MOS process and can realize a stable operation. A storage transistor has impurity diffusion regions, a channel formation region, a charge accumulation node, a gate oxide film, and a gate electrode. The gate electrode is connected to a gate line and the impurity diffusion region is connected to a source line. The storage transistor creates a state where holes are accumulated in the charge accumulation node and a state where the holes are not accumulated in the charge accumulation node to thereby store data “1” and data “0”, respectively. An access transistor has impurity diffusion regions, a channel formation region, a gate oxide film, and a gate electrode. The impurity diffusion region is connected to a bit line.
US07910970B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a programmable element, may include a semiconductor substrate, source/drain layers formed apart from each other in the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating film including a charge-trapping film containing Hf and formed on a portion between the source/drain layers of the semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film with a program voltage applied to the gate electrode.
US07910963B2
A transistor of a pixel cell for use in a CMOS imager with a low threshold voltage of about 0.3 V to less than about 0.7 V is disclosed. The transistor is provided with high dosage source and drain regions around the gate electrode and with the halo implanted regions and/or the lightly doped LDD regions and/or the enhancement implanted regions omitted from at least one side of the gate electrode. The low threshold transistor is electrically connected to a high voltage transistor with a high threshold voltage of about 0.7 V.
US07910958B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed as having a substrate portion that includes a plurality of diffusion regions that include at least one p-type diffusion region and at least one n-type diffusion region. A gate electrode level region is formed above the substrate portion to include a number of conductive features defined to extend in only a first parallel direction. Each of the conductive features within the gate electrode level region is fabricated from a respective originating rectangular-shaped layout feature. Each of the conductive features within the gate electrode level region has a width less than a wavelength of light used in a photolithography process to fabricate the conductive features. Conductive features within the gate electrode level region form respective PMOS transistor devices and respective NMOS transistor devices. A number of the PMOS transistor devices is equal to a number of the NMOS transistor devices in the gate electrode level region.
US07910936B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device including forming a low-k dielectric material over a substrate, depositing a liner on a portion of the low-k dielectric material, and exposing the liner to a plasma. The method also includes depositing a layer over the liner.
US07910934B2
Optical analysis system fluidically self-assembled using shape-coded freestanding optoelectronic components and a template having shape-coded recessed binding sites connected by an embedded interconnect network. Also includes methods of manufacture and use for optical analyses.
US07910932B2
Disclosed are fully transparent nanowire transistors having high field-effect mobilities. The fully transparent nanowire transistors disclosed herein include one or more nanowires, a gate dielectric prepared from a transparent inorganic or organic material, and transparent source, drain, and gate contacts fabricated on a transparent substrate. The fully transparent nanowire transistors disclosed herein also can be mechanically flexible.
US07910930B2
A thin film transistor is provided. The thin film transistor includes a frame formed on a substrate and having a plurality of grooves, line-shaped semiconductors disposed in at least one of the grooves, a first electrode overlapping with the line-shaped semiconductors, and second and third electrodes connected to ends of the line-shaped semiconductors.
US07910926B2
An electro-optical device includes a switching element with a gate electrode provided opposite to the channel region. The gate electrode has a ring-shaped structure that surrounds a junction region between the channel region and a source/drain region.
US07910918B2
A gated resonant tunneling diode (GRTD) that operates without cryogenic cooling is provided. This GRTD employs conventional CMOS process technology, preferably at the 65 nm node and smaller, which is different from other conventional quantum transistors that require other, completely different process technologies and operating conditions. To accomplish this, the GRTD uses a body of a first conduction type with a first electrode region and a second electrode region (each of a second conduction type) formed in the body. A channel is located between the first and second electrode regions in the body. A barrier region of the first conduction type is formed in the channel (with the doping level of the barrier region being greater than the doping level of the body), and a quantum well region of the second conduction type formed in the channel. Additionally, the barrier region is located between each of the first and second electrode regions and the quantum well region. An insulating layer is formed on the body with the insulating layer extending over the quantum well region and at least a portion of the barrier region, and a control electrode region is formed on the insulating layer.
US07910914B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nonvolatile semiconductor memory including: a plurality of memory devices each having: a resistance change element, and a diode connected serially to the resistance change element; and a source conductive layer spreading two-dimensionally to be connected to one ends of the plurality of memory devices.
US07910912B2
A semiconductor device includes at least one phase-change pattern disposed on a semiconductor substrate. A planarized capping layer, a planarized protecting layer, and a planarized insulating layer are sequentially stacked to surround sidewalls of the at least one phase-change pattern. An interconnection layer pattern is disposed on the planarized capping layer, the planarized protecting layer, and the planarized insulating layer. The interconnection layer pattern is in contact with the phase-change pattern.
US07910899B2
A flat UV light source has a tight packing of UV light-emitting diodes (56) that are arranged in a matrix. These light-emitting diodes are cooled by cooling air flows (66) or by cooling water flows.
US07910896B2
A micro discharge device (MDD) ionizer and a method for fabricating the MDD ionizer are disclosed. The MDD ionizer includes a dielectric barrier having a first open end connected to an electrically conductive capillary tube and a second open end connected to a sample collection capillary tube. A circular high voltage electrode can be positioned around the dielectric barrier in close linear proximity to the conductive capillary tube and sealed by a non-conductive epoxy. A plasma discharge can be formed in a flow path through the dielectric barrier when an AC potential is applied between the high voltage electrode and the electrically conductive capillary tube utilizing an electronic controller. Such a plasma discharge in the flow path of the sample achieves soft ionization of gaseous sample molecules. The high pressure region generally occurs in the plasma region (where the ionization occurs). The ions thus are drawn (i.e., pushed or pulled) toward the high vacuum region located downstream where the detector(s) can be located.
US07910883B2
A method for mass-spectrometric detection of compounds in a gas flow includes: alternatingly forming first and a second beams by switching between electron pulses/pulse trains and photon pulses/pulse trains, the photon pulses/pulse trains being generated by an excimer lamp, and the switching between the electron pulses/pulse trains and the photon pulses/pulse trains occurring at a switching frequency above 50 Hz; disposing the gas flow in an ionization region crossed by the first and second beams so as to ionize volume units in the gas flow so as to form ions of the compounds; deflecting the ions in an effective region of an electric field to a mass-spectrometric device; and sensing the ions with a mass-spectrometric process of the mass-spectrometric device.
US07910862B2
A supporting base, including a supporting plate and holders, holds a sapphire substrate so that one substrate surface faces a hot plate and the other substrate surface faces a radiant heat absorbing plate mounted on the supporting plate. Radiant heat from the hot plate passes through the sapphire substrate and heats the radiant heat absorbing plate. The sapphire substrate is heated from both sides by air warmed by the hot plate and radiant heat absorbing plate, and therefore does not warp. When the temperature of the sapphire substrate has reached the necessary level, the supporting base delivers the sapphire substrate to the surface of the hot plate, then moves away while the sapphire substrate is held against the hot plate and a semiconductor fabrication process is carried out on the sapphire substrate.
US07910854B2
The invention proposes a method of locally colouring a part made of ceramic material of the metallic oxide type mainly including the following steps of taking a support for the part and a laser, able to move relative to each other in an XY plane, performing a plasma treatment of the part using a gas containing one element selected from among nitrogen an carbon, so as to convert a surface layer of metallic oxide, into a substantially stoichiometric ceramic chosen from among metal nitrides and carloides, locally illuminating the part with the laser beam so as to provide sufficient energy to cause a local change in colour by altering the stoichiometry of the surface layer, and scanning the surface of the part using the laser beam so as to form a determined pattern.
US07910845B2
A modular racking system for an electrical switching apparatus is provided. The modular racking system includes a carriage assembly structured to support electrical switching apparatus and at least one cam follower structured to be removably coupled to the electrical switching apparatus.
US07910840B2
A measurement device and method that in one aspect determines and displays percentile information relating to growth indices, such as BMI, weight-for-length, and weight-for-height, based on a subject's age and gender. The device and method may also provide classification information, such as whether the percentile information is considered to be, for example, below normal, normal, above normal, or far above normal. The device and method may additionally indicate, for example, the normal range of the subject's weight based on the subject's height, the subject's height based on the subject's weight and the normal range of BMI based on the subject's age and gender. In still another aspect, the device and method may indicate predictive values of the subject's future weight, height, BMI or head circumference based on the subject's present measurement values and growth percentiles.
US07910836B2
The present invention is to provide a multilayered printed circuit board free from cracks attributed to thermal expansion difference between a solder resist layer and another part and a multilayered printed circuit board of the present invention comprises a conductor circuit and a resin insulating layer serially formed on a substrate in an alternate fashion and in repetition and a solder resist layer formed as an outermost layer, and the solder resist layer contains an inorganic filler.
US07910832B2
A line routing device is provided in order to allow simple, reliable electrical linking, in particular of a motor-vehicle sliding door to a vehicle power supply system. The line routing device includes a housing having a movement opening which extends in longitudinal direction and an outlet opening. A movement element is movably mounted in the movement opening and the cable as well as a spring strip, which is bent in a U-shape, are attached to the movement element. The cable is routed along the spring strip to the outlet opening and an end of the spring strip, which is remote from the movement element, is fixed to the housing.
US07910828B1
A gangable electrical unit for positioning an electrical component beside an electrical outlet box includes a bracket having a wall structure that defines a front opening. First and second arms extend from the bracket. The first and second arms each include an attachment wall extending from a front edge of the bracket and a support wall extending from the bracket behind the attachment wall. The attachment wall includes an electrical box mounting aperture therethrough. The bracket is configured for attachment to an adjacent electrical device mounting box by aligning the electrical box mounting apertures of the first and second arms with electrical box mounting apertures of the adjacent electrical device box. In addition, a gap between the attachment walls of the first and second arms is larger than an outer wall height of the adjacent electrical device mounting box.
US07910825B2
A photosensitive device includes a series of organic photoactive layers disposed between two electrodes. Each layer in the series is in direct contact with a next layer in the series. The series is arranged to form at least one donor-acceptor heterojunction, and includes a first organic photoactive layer comprising a first host material serving as a donor, a thin second organic photoactive layer comprising a second host material disposed between the first and a third organic photoactive layer, and the third organic photoactive layer comprising a third host material serving as an acceptor. The first, second, and third host materials are different. The thin second layer serves as an acceptor relative to the first layer or as a donor relative to the third layer.
US07910811B2
The invention provides seed and plants of the tomato hybrid designated BS 01031842. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of tomato hybrid BS 01031842, and to methods for producing a tomato plant produced by crossing a plant of tomato hybrid BS 01031842 with itself or with another tomato plant, such as a plant of another hybrid. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of tomato hybrid BS 01031842, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US07910810B1
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated XB81H09. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety XB81H09, to the plants of soybean XB81H09 to plant parts of soybean variety XB81H09 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety XB81H09 with another soybean plant, using XB81H09 as either the male or the female parent.
US07910808B1
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated RJS05001. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety RJS05001, to the plants of soybean RJS05001 to plant parts of soybean variety RJS05001 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety RJS05001 with another soybean plant, using RJS05001 as either the male or the female parent.
US07910804B2
The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having alpha-glucosidase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.
US07910802B2
Nucleotide sequences of a Msca1 gene, critical to male fertility in plants are described, with DNA molecule and amino acid sequences set forth. Promoter sequences and their essential regions are also identified. The nucleotide sequences are useful in impacting male fertility in plants.
US07910801B2
The present invention relates to a method for down regulating an Arabidopsis protein phosphatase type 2C gene, referred to as “defense-associated protein phosphatase type 2C one” (DAPP1) that functions as a negative regulator of a plant defense pathway by contacting the gene or gene mRNA with an interfering nucleotide sequence that interacts with the gene and reducing expression thereof. Plants including such interfering nucleotide sequence exhibit increased disease resistance to pathogen even in the absence of R genes. Close homologs of DAPP1 exist in multiple crop species, and as such, the controlled down-regulation of homologous genes in a variety of crop species will enhance disease resistance of target crop species to pathogens.
US07910789B2
A method of treating a wound using a customized dressing. In the method, at least one wound characteristic is evaluated. A treatment need as a function of the at least one wound characteristic is determined. A dressing having a dressing characteristic responsive to the treatment need is fabricated and applied to the wound. A dressing for use therewith and an apparatus and system for fabricating the dressing are provided.
US07910788B2
A system and method is provided for producing a safely disposable end product from waste matter containing undesirable materials, such as infectious, biohazardous, hazardous, or radioactive elements. An apparatus is provided that immerses the biologically infectious waste material in a highly alkaline solvent which is then heated. The waste matter containing the undesirable materials is allowed to remain within the solvent until digested, thereby forming a solution void of any infectious or biohazardous elements and/or containing a decreased concentration of radioisotope.
US07910783B2
A process for preparing a chelating ligand of the formula (II) from a chelating ligand of the formula (I) via an sp2-sp2 or sp2-sp3 coupling reaction with an organometallic compound of the formula (III). wherein B is a bridging group that is bonded to L1 and L2 in formula (I) and to L3 and L4 in formula (II); L1 is a substituted monocyclic or polycyclic ligand that comprises at least one chlorine, bromine, iodine, or sulfonate substituent, directly bonded to an sp2 carbon atom of the ring structure of the ligand; L2 is a monoanionic ligand; or L2 may, independently, be defined as L1; L3 is the same group as L1, but said at least one chlorine, bromine, iodine, or sulfonate substituent is replaced with a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, or substituted halocarbyl fragment; L4 is the same group as L2, though, when L2 is defined as L1, L4 may be the same as L3 or L1; R1 is a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, or substituted halocarbyl; M1 is an element of group 1, 2, 12, 13 or 14 of the Periodic Table of the Elements; each X2, if present, is selected independently from the group consisting of halogen atoms, the hydroxyl group, alkoxy groups, aryloxy groups, mesylate, tosylate and triflate; r is 1, 2 or 3, and t is 0, 1 or 2, where r+t corresponds to the oxidation number of M1.
US07910766B2
A process for preparing at least one partial oxidation and/or ammoxidation product of a hydrocarbon by partially dehydrogenating at least one saturated hydrocarbon H under heterogeneous catalysis and using the resulting product gas mixture A, which comprises the partially dehydrogenated hydrocarbon H, as such or in modified form for heterogeneously catalyzed partial oxidation and/or ammoxidation of the partially dehydrogenated hydrocarbon present in the product gas mixture A, said process including at least one mechanical separating operation inserted between the product gas mixture A and the heterogeneously catalyzed partial oxidation and/or ammoxidation.
US07910761B2
A catalyst precursor composition and methods for making such a catalyst precursor are disclosed. The catalyst precursor comprises at least a promoter metal selected from Group VIII, Group IIB, Group IIA, Group IVA and combinations thereof having an oxidation state of +2 or +4, at least one Group VIB metal having an oxidation state of +6, and at least one organic oxygen-containing ligand. Catalysts prepared from the sulfidation of such catalyst precursors are used in the hydroprocessing of hydrocarbon feeds.
US07910756B2
The invention provides a process for the preparation of 2-substituted-derivatives of estrone and estradiol. The invention also provides several novel compounds, which can be intermediates in the process, and processes to prepare these novel compounds. The invention also provides 2-alkoxy-estrone, 2-alkoxy-estradiol or mixtures thereof essentially free from other estrogenic intermediates.
US07910755B2
The invention relates to methods to prevent, treat, ameliorate or slow the progression of one or more of a blood cell deficiency, unwanted inflammation, allergy, immune suppression condition, immunosenescence, autoimmune disorder, infection, neurological disorder, cardiovascular disorder, pulmonary disorder, trauma, hemorrhage, bone fracture or unwanted or excess bone loss with steroid compounds containing carbon-carbon double bonds within the fused four-ring system such that the steroid compounds are unsaturated. The unsaturated steroid compounds include 3,16α,17β-trihydroxy-7-acetoxy-androst-1,3,5(10),6-tetraene, 3,16α,17β-trihydroxy-7-methoxy-androst-1,3,5(10),6-tetraene, 3,17β-dihydroxy-7-acetoxy-16α-fluoro-androst-1,3,5(10),6-tetraene, 3,17β-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-16α-fluoro-androst-1,3,5(10),6-tetraene, 3,17β-dihydroxy-7,16α-diacetoxy-androst-1,3,5(10),6-tetraene and 3,17β-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-16α-acetoxy-androst-1,3,5(10),6-tetraene.
US07910752B2
The present invention provides a method for easily and inexpensively preparing a racemate or an optically-active 2-(1 -hydroxyethyl)-5-hydroxynaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione in high yields, 2-acetyl-2,3-dihydro-5-hydroxynaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione which is useful as an intermediate for preparing NFD, and an anticancer agent comprising 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-5-hydroxynaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione as an active ingredient.Said 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-5-hydroxynaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione is obtained in 4 or 5 steps by using comparatively inexpensive 5 -hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione (also referred to as juglone) as a starting material.
US07910751B2
A compound represented by formula (I′): (wherein m, n, and p each represent 0 to 2; q represents 0 or 1; R1 represents halogen, a hydrocarbon group, a heterocyclic group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a CN group, an NO2 group, or the like; R2 represents halogen, amino, a hydrocarbon group, an aromatic heterocyclic group, or an oxo group; X1 represents O, —NR3—, or —S(O)r-; X2 represents a methylene group, O, —NR3—, or —S(O)r-; Q′ represents a heteroaryl group, a heteroarylalkyl group, a substituted aryl group, or an aralkyl group; Cycle moiety represents an aryl ring or a heteroaryl ring; and the wavy line represents an E-isomer or a Z-isomer), a salt of the compound, or a solvate of the compound or the salt. A pharmaceutical composition and a transient receptor potential type I (TRPV1) receptor antagonist each contain, as an active ingredient, at least one of the compound, a salt of the compound, and a solvate of the compound or the salt.
US07910746B2
New haloalkyl carboxamides of formula (I) in which R, R1, R2, R3, R4, M and A have the meanings specified in the description, several processes for synthesizing these materials and their use in combating undesirable microorganisms, as well as new intermediate products and their synthesis.
US07910732B2
The present invention relates to processes for preparing a porous metal-organic framework comprising at least two organic compounds coordinated to at least one metal ion, the porous metal-organic frameworks prepared by the process and their use, in particular for gas storage and gas separation.
US07910731B2
The present invention relates methods for treating disease conditions selected from the list consisting of benign or malignant tumors, diseases of the airways and lungs, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the bile duct and the gall bladder by administration to a patient in need thereof of a therapeutically effective amount of a bicyclic heterocyclic groups of general formula wherein said substituents are as defined herein.
US07910730B2
A process for the preparation of delmopinol (3-(4-propylheptyl)-4-morpholinethanol) or a derivative or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, or a solvate thereof, including a hydrate, comprises reacting oxazolidin [2,3-c] morpholine and a Grignard reagent, and optionally converting the delmopinol (or derivative) free base into a pharmaceutically acceptable salt. The oxazolidin [2,3-c] morpholine and the Grignard reagent are useful as intermediates in the production process.
US07910729B2
The present invention provides azulenyl nitrones, such as those having the following general formula: (I) compositions comprising the same and methods of their use for the treatment or prevention of oxidative, ischemic, ischemia/reperfusion-related and chemokine-mediated conditions.
US07910728B2
The present invention relates to a new process for the preparation of macrocyclic HCV protease inhibitor compounds of the formula wherein R1 is an amino protecting group and X is halogen by way of a ring closing metathesis approach.
US07910719B2
Provided is a nucleic acid primer for LAMP amplification for use in the detection of human papilloma virus and identification of its genotype. The present invention also provides a method of detecting human papilloma virus and identifying its genotype, includes a step of amplifying the nucleic acid chains in a sample in LAMP reaction by using multiple primers including at least one primer selected from the nucleic acid primers according to the present invention and a step of detecting presence of amplified products after the amplification reaction and identifying their genotypes.
US07910712B2
The present invention provides isolated DNA encoding a GWT1 protein having activity to confer resistance of a fungus against a compound of formula Ia, and wherein a defect of a function of the GWT1 protein leads to a decrease in the amount of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein in the cell wall of a fungus.
US07910710B2
Methods for the selection of novel signaling allosteric DNA enzymes are provided. In particular, fluorescent signaling allosteric DNA enzymes are described. The selection system is based on the cleavage of an ribonucleotide flanked by a fluorophore modified nucleotide and a quencher modified oligonucleotide. Both cis-acting and trans-acting allosteric DNA enzymes are identified, as well as aptamer/DNA enzyme conjugates.
US07910709B2
Novel β10 polypeptides and heterodimers thereof, and nucleic acid molecules encoding the same are disclosed. The invention also provides vectors, host cells, selective binding agents, and methods for producing β10 polypeptides and heterodimeric forms thereof, specifically α2/β10. Also provided for are methods for the treatment, diagnosis, amelioration, or prevention of diseases with β10 polypeptides and α2/β10 heterodimers or their respective binding agents.
US07910707B2
The present invention relates generally to the generation and characterization of neutralizing anti-IFN-α monoclonal antibodies with broad reactivity against various IFN-α subtypes. The invention further relates to the use of such anti-IFN-α antibodies in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders associated with increased expression of IFN-α, in particular, autoimmune disorders such as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
US07910688B2
A process is described for recycling superabsorbent polymer fines into a process that includes treating the superabsorbent polymer fines with caustic and a polymerization step for making the superabsorbent polymer gel. The process requires treating the superabsorbent polymer fines with a caustic, followed by mixture with polymerizable monomer solution, and polymerizing the mixture of the superabsorbent polymer fines and monomer to form the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer. In the process, the fines are incorporated into the new polymer gel and become indistinguishable there from. The gel may then be comminuted into a particulate dried and then separated into a portion having a desired minimum particle size in a fines portion having less than the desired size. The particulate may then be coated with a surface crosslinking agent and surface additives and heated for surface conversion.
US07910686B2
The present invention relates to a block copolymer having at least one block having an acid group and at least one block having substantially no acid group, wherein one end group of a repeating unit in at least one block of all blocks is oxygen and/or sulfur, and at least one repeating unit of a block having substantially no acid group contains a halogen atom. The block copolymer of the present invention gives a polymer electrolyte membrane which is excellent not only in heat resistance and proton conductivity but also in water resistance and chemical stability, and is useful as an electrolyte for a proton conducting membrane etc. of a fuel cell.
US07910680B2
The present invention relates to new (meth)acrylate compositions, their preparation and their use in ultraviolet light curable applications such as coatings, inks and adhesives.
US07910674B2
Methods for the addition polymerization of cycloolefins using a cationic Group 10 metal complex and a weakly coordinating anion of the formula: [(R′)zM(L′)x(L″)y]b[WCA]d wherein [(R′)zM(L′)x(L″)y] is a cation complex where M represents a Group 10 transition metal; R′ represents an anionic hydrocarbyl containing ligand; L′ represents a Group 15 neutral electron donor ligand; L″ represents a labile neutral electron donor ligand; x is 1 or 2; and y is 0, 1, 2, or 3; and z is 0 or 1, wherein the sum of x, y, and z is 4; and [WCA] represents a weakly coordinating counteranion complex; and b and d are numbers representing the number of times the cation complex and weakly coordinating counteranion complex are taken to balance the electronic charge on the overall catalyst complex.
US07910671B2
Linear perfluoropolyethers of formula: T-O(CF2O)n(CF2CF2O)m(CF2CF2CF2O)r(CF2CF2CF2CF2O)s-T1 (I) wherein n, m, r, s are integers such that the polymer number average molecular weight is comprised between 700 and 100,000 and the n/(n+m+r+s) ratio ranges from 0.05 to 0.40, and respective preparation process by addition of a peroxidic perfluoropolyether of formula (III): T4-O(CF2O)n′(CF2CF2O)m′(O)h-T5 (III) having a PO from 1.8 to 4, to a perfluoropolyether oil preheated at a temperature comprised between 150° C. and 250° C. and subsequent exhaustive fluorination of the obtained compound.
US07910667B1
A heat curable epoxy composition comprising the contact product of an epoxy resin, an epoxy curing agent and an accelerator for the epoxy curing agent, the curing agent or the accelerator comprising the reaction product of (a) a phenolic resin and (b) a urea compound which is the reaction product of an isocyanate and an alkylated polyalkylenepolyamine having one primary or secondary amine and at least two tertiary amines of the general formula: where R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 independently represent hydrogen, methyl or ethyl; n and m are independently integers from 1 to 6 and; X is an integer from 1 to 10.
US07910663B2
Stable water-borne polymer compositions are disclosed. The compositions comprise a water-borne polymer, a metal cross-linking agent and a stabilizing agent comprising from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and at least two functional groups independently selected from hydroxy and carboxy. The stabilizing agent is present a 1.4 mole percent or more of the amount of metal cross-linking agent. Inventive compositions are particularly suitable for use in water-based inks and coatings. Methods of making and using the coating compositions are also described.
US07910661B2
The present invention provides water-soluble, polymer derivatives having a thiol-selective terminus suitable for selective coupling to thiol groups, such as those contained in the cysteine residues of proteins.
US07910657B2
A process comprises depolymerizing, with 1,4-butane diol, a first polymer comprising a polyethylene terephthalate component in the presence of at least one second polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chlorides, polyvinylidene chlorides, polyamides, polylactic acid, and combinations thereof to produce a molten mixture; and polymerizing the molten mixture under conditions sufficient to form a modified polybutylene terephthalate copolymer. The modified PBT comprises (a) at least one polyethylene terephthalate component residue, and (b) a member selected from the group consisting of (i) the at least one second polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chlorides, polyvinylidene chlorides, polyamides, polylactic acid, and combinations thereof; (ii) the at least one residue derived from the second polymer; and (iii) combinations thereof.
US07910655B2
A polymer composition includes a polyarylene sulfide resin, a olefinic graft copolymer, and a fluorinated polyolefin resin. Some embodiments may additionally comprise an epoxy compound and/or a filler. In some embodiments, the compositions have good flame retardancy, impact strength, and flexural strength.
US07910653B2
Aromatic sulfonimide ionene polymers useful as membranes in electrochemical cells are prepared.
US07910650B2
Methods of preparing conductive thermoset precursors containing carbon nanotubes is provided. Also provided is a method of preparing conductive thermosets containing carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes may in individual form or in the form of aggregates having a macromorpology resembling the shape of a cotton candy, bird nest, combed yarn or open net. Preferred multiwalled carbon nanotubes have diameters no greater than 1 micron and preferred single walled carbon nanotubes have diameters less than 5 nm. Carbon nanotubes may be adequately dispersed in a thermoset precursor by using a extrusion process generally reserved for thermoplastics. The thermoset precursor may be a precursor for epoxy, phenolic, polyimide, urethane, polyester, vinyl ester or silicone. A preferred thermoset precursor is a bisphenol A derivative.
US07910641B2
The invention relates to pH modulated films and methods of their preparation. The film compositions include at least one component having a non-neutral pH when combined with water; and a pH modulated polymer system selected to reduce or prevent synerisis when combined with the non-neutral component in combination with aqueous media. The films demonstrate a non-self-aggregating uniform heterogeneity. Desirably, the films disintegrate in water and may be formed by a controlled drying process, extrusion process, or other process that maintains the required uniformity of the film.
US07910640B2
Disclosed is a polycondensation product that is a reaction product of A) an aromatic or heteroaromatic compound containing 5 to 10 C atoms or heteroatoms and is provided with an average of 1 to 300 oxyethylene groups and/or oxypropylene groups per molecule which are linked to the aromatic or heteroaromatic compound via an O atom or N atoms, and B) an aromatic compound and C) an aldehyde selected among the group of formaldehyde, glyoxylic acid, and benzaldehyde or mixtures thereof. Surprisingly, the inventive polycondensation product causes very good liquefaction of hydraulic binding agents, eg. Cement, resulting in substantially improved liquefaction of the construction material at a lower dose while pourability can be maintained over a longer period of time as opposed to naphthalene sulfonates or melamine sulfonates.
US07910631B2
A photosensitive resin composition which is excellent in flame resistance, resolution and flexibility, and substantially free from deposition of components thereof to prevent contamination of a product. The photosensitive resin composition comprises:(A) a cyclic phosphazene compound represented by the following general formula (1): wherein at least one of the Rs is an organic group having the urethane(meth)acrylate structure represented by the following general formula (2) and n is a positive number of 2 to 5: wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; (B) a carboxyl-containing linear polymer obtained by polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated compound through addition polymerization; (C) an epoxy resin; (D) an ethylenically unsaturated group-containing polymerizable compound; and (E) a photopolymerization initiator; wherein the cyclic phosphazene compound (A) is present in a proportion of 5 to 30 wt % based on the total weight of the composition.
US07910629B2
The GTL process of the invention comprises: reacting a combustible carbonaceous material in a syngas reactor, preferably an autothermal reformer, under conditions to produce a synthesis gas; contacting the synthesis gas with an F-T catalyst to form liquid products and a tail gas; separating the tail gas from the liquid products; separating CO2 from the light products in the tail gas; recovering the light products as additional products for sale or other use and utilizing at least a portion of the separated CO2 as a feed stream to the syngas reactor.
US07910623B2
A novel synthesis of scabronines, which are related to a broader class of angularly fused tricyclic diterpenoids known as cyathanes, is provided. Scabronine G, its methyl ester derivative, and other analogs have been shown to have neurotrophic activity. Therefore, these compounds are particularly useful in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's diseases, etc. The invention provides for the synthesis of scabronines as well as analogs thereof. Pharmaceutical compositions and method of using the inventive compounds are also provided.
US07910621B2
The present invention relates to naturally occurring and chemically synthesized small molecule antagonists of XIAP family proteins. In particular, the present invention provides embelin and other XIAP inhibitors and methods of using these compounds as antagonists of the anti-apoptotic effects of XIAP family member proteins. The present invention also provides methods for treating diseases and pathologies (e.g., neoplastic diseases).
US07910619B2
The present invention provides a 1-thio-D-glucitol compound of the following formula, which shows the action of inhibiting the activity of SGLT2, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound, or a hydrate of the compound or the salt; and a pharmaceutical comprising such a compound as an active ingredient, especially, a pharmaceutical for preventing or treating diabetes, diabetes-related disease, or diabetic complication. The invention also provides a method for producing the 1-thio-D-glucitol compound and its intermediate.
US07910615B2
A prophylactic or therapeutic agent for diabetic maculopathy, which can be administered for a long time and exhibits efficacy in a mechanism different from that of existing medicines. The invention relates to a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for diabetic maculopathy, comprising, as an active ingredient, a compound represented by the general formula: wherein X represents a halogen or a hydrogen atom, R1 and R2 concurrently or differently represent a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted C1 to C6 alkyl group, or R1 and R2, together with a nitrogen atom bound thereto and optionally another nitrogen atom or an oxygen atom, are combined to form a 5- to 6-membered heterocycle. Preferably, the compound is (2S,4S)-6-fluoro-2′,5′-dioxospiro[chroman-4,4′-imidazolidine]-2-carboxamide. The invention also provides a model animal with diabetic maculopathy produced by subjecting a diabetic animal to intraocular ischemia/reperfusion to express edema in a retinal visual cell layer or in a macula lutea.
US07910609B2
Novel compounds inhibiting the integrin α2β1/GPIa-IIa receptor are disclosed. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, as well as methods of their therapeutic use. The compounds disclosed are useful, inter alia, as inhibitors of integrin α2β1/GPIa-IIa-mediated activity.
US07910601B2
Novel heterocyclic aromatic compounds are provided that are useful in stimulating endogenous production or release of growth hormone, said compounds having the general structure of formula I wherein R1, R1′, R2, R3, R4, Xa, Y, Z and n are as described herein. The compounds provided herein are useful in treating obesity, osteoporosis (improving bone density) and in improving muscle mass and muscle strength.
US07910598B2
The present invention relates to novel intermediates useful for the preparation of novel phenylaminopyrimidine derivatives, novel phenylaminopyrimidine derivatives. Pharmaceutical composition containing the novel phenylaminopyrimidine derivatives and processes for their preparation. The invention particularly relates to novel Phenyl pyrimidine amine derivatives of the general formula (I). The novel compounds of the formula 1 can be used in the therapy of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). Since the IC50; 191 values of these molecules are in the range 0.1 to 10.0 nm, these novel compounds are potentially useful for the treatment of CML.
US07910593B2
An objective of the present invention is to provide water-soluble prodrugs that can be administered parenterally, and which show excellent water solubility and small interspecies or individual differences and are rapidly converted to the active form by chemical conversion. This invention provides water-soluble prodrugs represented by formula (1), or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, or hydrates or solvates thereof, (wherein, R1 represents a hydrogen atom, or C1-C6 alkyl group; W represents a divalent group comprising a tertiary amino group or sulfonyl group; and Y represents a residue of a compound represented by Y—OH comprising an alcoholic hydroxyl group).
US07910590B2
Disclosed are novel compounds of the formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein R1 is X is —O—, —C(R 14)2— or —N(R)—; Z is —C(R14)2— or —N(R)—; t is 0, 1, 2 or 3; each R and R2 is independently H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, heterocycloalkylalkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl; each R14 is H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, halo, —CN, haloalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, heterocycloalkylalkyl, —OR35, —N(R24)(R25) or —SR35; R41 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, —SO2(alkyl), —C(O)-alkyl, —C(O)-cycloalkyl or -alkyl-NH—C(O)CH3; and the remaining variables are as defined in the specification. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of formula I and methods of treating cognitive or neurodegenerative diseases with compounds of formula I.Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment comprising compounds of formula I in combination with other agents useful in treating cognitive or neurodegenerative diseases.
US07910589B2
The present invention provides low hygroscopic forms of aripiprazole and processes for the preparation thereof which will not convert to a hydrate or lose their original solubility even when a medicinal preparation containing the anhydrous aripiprazole crystals is stored for an extended period.
US07910588B2
The present invention provides selective 5-HT7 receptor antagonist compounds of Formula I and their use in the treatment of migraine: where A is —C(H)═ or —N═ and R1-7 are as defined herein.
US07910587B2
The present invention relates to compounds of Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, or prodrug, thereof: which inhibit serine protease activity, particularly the activity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3-NS4A protease. Consequently, the compounds of the present invention interfere with the life cycle of the hepatitis C virus and are also useful as antiviral agents. The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the aforementioned compounds for administration to a subject suffering from HCV infection. The invention also relates to methods of treating an HCV infection in a subject by administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compounds of the present invention.
US07910577B2
Described are injectable formulations of nanoparticulate olanzapine that produce a prolonged duration of action upon administration, and methods of making and using such formulations. The injectable formulations comprise nanoparticulate olanzapine.
US07910569B2
A composition comprising a copper salt of N′-hydroxy-N-cyclohexyldiazenium oxide (CuHDO) and a diluent is useful for combating and/or killing bacteria, mould, yeast and algae in industrial materials and or industrial processes. In a preferred embodiment CuHDO is generated in-situ within the application or medium. The composition may additionally include at least one of certain other biocidal active components.
US07910552B2
The present invention relates to reindeer bone formation inducing protein called bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), such as BMP-6, containing a heparin binding site and nucleotide molecules encoding the proteins and host cells expressing the proteins. The present invention relates also to the use of the bone morphogenetic protein for treating disorders related to bone and cartilage formation. The present invention further relates to osteogenic devices and pharmaceutical compositions containing the protein.
US07910540B2
Soluble ZcytoR14, anti-ZcytoR14 antibodies and binding partners and methods of using in inflammation
The present invention relates to blocking, inhibiting, reducing, antagonizing or neutralizing the activity of IL-17F, IL-17A, or both IL-17A and IL-17F polypeptide molecules. IL-17A and IL-17F are cytokines that are involved in inflammatory processes and human disease. ZcytoR14 is a common receptor for IL-17A and IL-17F. The present invention includes soluble ZcytoR14, anti-ZcytoR14 antibodies and binding partners, as well as methods for antagonizing IL-17F, IL-17A or both IL-17A and IL-17F using such soluble receptors, antibodies and binding partners.
US07910530B2
A method for improving the air release rate of a Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) base stock and/or base oil by the addition to such base stock and/or base oil of a synthetic ester.
US07910514B2
An inorganic fiber catalyst includes an alumina-silica fiber base material, and a plurality of catalyst component particles contained in the alumina-silica fiber base material. A mean particle diameter of the catalyst component particles contained in at least a surface portion of the alumina-silica fiber base material is 50 nm or less, and a standard deviation of particle diameters of the catalyst component particles is 30 or less.
US07910501B2
The present invention offers sheet molding material for obtaining a thin fuel cell bipolar plate with excellent conductivity and thickness precision, production method thereof, and a fuel cell bipolar plate made by molding the sheet molding material. It relates to sheet molding material for a fuel cell bipolar plate and production method thereof, wherein the sheet molding material has carbon particle layer on at least one surface of the resin sheet, and the percentage of particles of carbon layer in the sheet molding material is 70% to 90% by weight.
US07910497B2
Methods of forming dielectric layers on a substrate comprising silicon and oxygen are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a method of forming a dielectric layer on a substrate includes provide a substrate having an exposed silicon oxide layer; treating an upper surface of the silicon oxide layer with a plasma; and depositing a silicon nitride layer on the treated silicon oxide layer via atomic layer deposition. The silicon nitride layer may be exposed to a plasma nitridation process. The silicon oxide and silicon nitride layers may be subsequently thermally annealed. The dielectric layers may be used as part of a gate structure.
US07910493B2
A nitrided region is formed on a surface of a polysilicon layer by a nitriding treatment wherein plasma of a processing gas is generated by introducing microwaves into a processing chamber by a planar antenna having a plurality of slots. Then, a CVD oxide film or the like is formed on the nitrided region and after patterning the polysilicon layer and the like after the prescribed shape, and then, a thermal oxide film is formed by thermal oxidation on exposed side walls and the like of the polysilicon layer by having the nitrided region as an oxidation barrier layer. Thus, generation of bird's beak can be suppressed in the process at a temperature lower than the temperature in a conventional process.
US07910489B2
A method for etching features into an etch layer disposed below a photoresist mask without an intermediate hardmask is provided. A plurality of etch cycles are provided. Each etch cycle comprises providing a deposition etch phase that etches features into the etch layer and deposits polymer on sidewalls of the features and over the photoresist and providing a cleaning phase that removes polymer deposited on the sidewalls.
US07910483B2
Methods of etching substrates employing a trim process for critical dimension control for integrated circuits are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method of etching includes providing a first hard mask layer over a target layer; providing a second hard mask layer over the first hard mask layer; providing a photoresist layer over the second hard mask layer; forming a pattern in the photoresist layer; transferring the pattern into the second hard mask layer; and trimming the second hard mask layer with the photoresist layer on top of the second hard mask layer. The top surface of the second hard mask layer is protected by the photoresist and the substrate is protected by the overlying first hard mask layer during the trim etch, which can therefore be aggressive.
US07910464B2
A semiconductor device of the present invention includes: a III-V nitride semiconductor layer including a channel region in which carriers travel; a concave portion provided in an upper portion of the channel region in the III-V nitride semiconductor layer; and a Schottky electrode consisting of a conductive material forming a Schottky junction with the semiconductor layer, and formed on a semiconductor layer, which spreads over the concave portion and peripheral portions of the concave portion, on the III-V nitride semiconductor layer. A dimension of the concave portion in a depth direction is set so that a portion of the Schottky electrode provided in the concave portion can adjust a quantity of the carriers traveling in the channel region.
US07910463B2
A SIMOX wafer is produced by implanting an oxygen ion, in which a hydrogen ion is implanted at a dose of 1015-1017/cm2 before or after the step of the oxygen ion implantation.
US07910460B2
A metallic electrode forming method includes: forming a bed electrode on a substrate; forming a protective film with an opening on the bed electrode to expose the bed electrode from the opening; forming a metallic film covering the protective film and the opening; mounting the substrate on an adsorption stage, and measuring a surface shape of the metallic film by a surface shape measuring means; deforming the substrate by a deforming means so that a difference between the principal surface and a cutting surface is within a predetermined range; measuring a surface shape of the principal surface, and determining whether the difference is within a predetermined range; and cutting the substrate along with the cutting surface so that the metallic film is patterned to be a metallic electrode.
US07910455B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing an SOI wafer, having at least a step of a bonding heat treatment for increasing bonding strength by heat-treating a bonded wafer obtained by bonding a base wafer and a bond wafer, in which argon is ion-implanted from a surface of either the base wafer or the bond wafer at a dosage of 1×1015 atoms/cm2 or more at least before the bonding step, the surface ion-implanted with argon is used as a bonding surface in the bonding step, and an increase rate of temperature to a treatment temperature of the bonding heat treatment is 5° C./minute or higher. Thus the present invention provides a method for producing an SOI wafer facilitating the efficient production of an SOI wafer having in the neighborhood of a buried insulator layer thereof a polycrystalline silicon layer uniform in thickness introduced and having high gettering ability toward metal contaminations in the SOI layer by a simple and low-cost method.
US07910451B2
A node dielectric, an inner electrode, and a buried strap cavity are formed in the deep trench in an SOI substrate. A buried layer contact cavity is formed by lithographic methods. The buried strap cavity and the buried layer contact cavity are filled simultaneously by deposition of a conductive material, which is subsequently planarized to form a buried strap in the deep trench and a buried contact via outside the deep trench. The simultaneous formation of the buried strap and the buried contact via enables formation of a deep trench capacitor in the SOI substrate in an economic and efficient manner.
US07910449B2
In a semiconductor device according to the present invention, two epitaxial layers are formed on a P type substrate. In the substrate and the epitaxial layers, isolation regions are formed to divide the substrate and the epitaxial layers into a plurality of islands. Each of the isolation regions is formed by connecting first and second P type buried layers with a P type diffusion layer. By disposing the second P type buried layer between the first P type buried layer and the P type diffusion layer, a lateral diffusion width of the first P type buried layer is reduced. By use of this structure, a formation region of the isolation region is reduced in size.
US07910419B2
A method for making a transistor with self-aligned gate and ground plane includes forming a stack, on one face of a semi-conductor substrate, the stack including an organometallic layer and a dielectric layer. The method also includes exposing a part of the organometallic layer, a portion of the organometallic layer different to the exposed part being protected from the electron beams by a mask, the shape and the dimensions of a section, in a plane parallel to the face of the substrate, of the gate of the transistor being substantially equal to the shape and to the dimensions of a section of the organometallic portion in said plane. The method also includes removing the exposed part, and forming dielectric portions in empty spaces formed by the removal of the exposed part of the organometallic layer, around the organometallic portion.
US07910406B2
An electronic circuit device includes at least one semiconductor element, a plurality of external connection terminals, connecting conductors electrically connecting the semiconductor element and external connection terminals, and an insulating resin covering the semiconductor element and supporting the connecting conductors integrally. The semiconductor element is buried in the insulating resin, and terminal surfaces of the external connection terminals are exposed from the insulating resin.
US07910403B2
A flip chip mounting process wherein a semiconductor chip and a circuit substrate are electrically interconnected. The process includes the steps of preparing a semiconductor chip on which a first plurality of electrodes are formed and a circuit substrate on which a second plurality of electrodes are formed; supplying a composition onto a surface of the circuit substrate, such surface being provided with second plurality of electrodes; bringing the semiconductor chip into contact with a surface of said composition such that the first plurality of electrodes are opposed to the second plurality of electrodes; and heating the circuit substrate, and thereby electrical connections including a metal component constituting the metal particles dispersed in the composition are formed between the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes. Also, a thermoset resin layer is formed between the semiconductor chip and the circuit substrate.
US07910399B1
The thermal management and method for large scale processing of CIS and/or CIGS based thin film overlaying glass substrates. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a copper indium diselenide semiconductor film. The method includes providing a plurality of substrates, each of the substrates having a copper and indium composite structure. The method also includes transferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of the plurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respect to a direction of gravity, the plurality of substrates being defined by a number N, where N is greater than 5. The method further includes introducing a gaseous species including a selenide species and a carrier gas into the furnace and transferring thermal energy into the furnace to increase a temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature ranging from about 350° C. to about 450° C. to at least initiate formation of a copper indium diselenide film from the copper and indium composite structure on each of the substrates.
US07910394B1
A method for forming a photodiode cathode in an integrated circuit imager includes defining and implanting a photodiode cathode region with a photodiode cathode implant dose of a dopant species and defining and implanting an edge region of the photodiode cathode region with a photodiode cathode edge implant dose of a dopant species to form a region of higher impurity concentration than the photodiode cathode impurity concentration.
US07910385B2
Microelectronic devices and methods for manufacturing microelectronic devices are described herein. An embodiment of one such method includes attaching a plurality of singulated microelectronic dies to a removable support member with an active side of the individual dies facing toward the support member, depositing a flowable material onto the dies and a portion of the removable support member such that the flowable material covers a back side of the individual dies and is disposed between adjacent dies, and removing the support member from the active sides of the dies.
US07910383B2
The invention concerns a method for preparing a molecular fingerprint comprising sites for identifying at least one target molecule, the fingerprint being obtained from at least one master molecule of polymeric type, called master polymer. The invention is characterized in that the master polymer is different from the target molecule(s), and is capable of being eliminated by degradation and/or washing, and that at least 5% in number of monomer units constituting the master polymer are involved in the formation of the sites for identifying the target molecule(s).
US07910381B2
A chromatographic specific binding assay strip device, comprising: a non-permeable platform strip; a permeable membrane testing strip positioned on top of said non-permeable platform strip, with the testing strip comprising at least one capture reagent site containing a capture reagent for at least one specific analyte, a sample receiving pad positioned on top of and at a proximal end of the non-permeable platform strip, with the sample receiving pad having contact with a proximal end of said permeable membrane testing strip, a reservoir pad positioned on top of and at a distal end of said non-permeable membrane testing strip, with the reservoir pad having contact with a proximal end of said permeable membrane test strip; a supporting strip attached to and extending from the proximal end of said non-permeable platform strip; and a conjugate pad positioned on said supporting strip, said conjugate pad comprising a semi-permeable membrane containing a colorant conjugate. The semi-permeable membrane acts as a barrier between the conjugate pad and the sample receiving pad, regulating the flow through the semi-permeable membrane and overall flow of the assay by dipping the conjugate pad into a sample solution, there will be increased binding between the analyte in the sample and the conjugate (preferably colloidal gold), thereby giving improved results on the lateral flow assay.
US07910379B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for ejecting droplets using charge concentration and liquid bridge breakup. The droplet ejection apparatus includes a reservoir storing a liquid; a capillary nozzle having a lower end submerged in the liquid stored in the reservoir and an upper end exposed outside the surface of the liquid, the capillary nozzle transferring the liquid to the upper end using capillary force; a potentiostat for applying a voltage to the liquid; a substrate mount on which a substrate is disposed to face the upper end of the capillary nozzle; and a distance adjusting unit for reciprocatingly moving the substrate between first and second positions with respect to the capillary nozzle, wherein the first position denotes a position where a distance between the upper end of the capillary nozzle and the surface of the substrate is less than a effective distance.
US07910372B2
The present inventor has established protein abundance index (PAI, π) to determine the protein contents in a protein mixture solution using nanoLC-MSMS data. Digested peptides were analyzed by nanoLC-MS/MS and the obtained results were applied to a Mascot protein identification algorism based on tandem mass spectra. For absolute quantitation, PAI was converted to exponentially modified PAI (EMPAI, m π), which is proportional to protein contents in the protein mixture. EMPAI was successfully applied to comprehensive protein expression analysis and performed a comparison study between gene and protein expression in an HCT116 human cancer cells. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method and a computer program for quantifying the protein contents based on the protein abundance index.
US07910367B2
Described is a multicellular model including at least, as cell type: keratinocytes, melanocytes, and nerve cells, in which the keratinocytes and the melanocytes form a first cell layer, and the nerve cells form a second cell layer devoid of physical contact with the first cell layer, with the first and second cell layers being arranged so as to be compatible with a manifestation of at least one cellular chemical exchange.
US07910360B2
An apparatus and method for inoculating a biological substrate with cells include provision for rotating a container in which the substrate and a cell suspension are received about first and second axes of rotation. The apparatus comprises said container, first drive means for rotatably supporting the container about the first axis, and second drive means for rotatably supporting the first drive means about the second axis. The first and second axes of rotation do not lie in the same plane and extend in different directions so that the container revolves around the second axis while the container is rotating about the first axis. The inoculation method utilizes this apparatus.
US07910359B2
A device for receiving implanted biological material includes a porous outer wall defining an inner space, a fluid manifold assembly for selectively infusing at least one of immunosuppressive and growth factor media to said space, and a pump structure operatively coupled to the manifold assembly. The device may comprise an additional plunger body for being disposed in said space and so as to define a peripheral gap between the plunger and the perforated wall of the device.
US07910358B1
An ethanol distillation system that aims to increase the yield from an ethanol distillation process from 17 percent to a number approaching 100 percent through the use of a series of P-traps, condensers, heaters and coolers. A series of 4 P-traps are placed in-line in relation to one another, with exit lines exiting each P-trap. Each P-trap has its own pair of heating elements and a single distillation apparatus, with the distillation apparatus condensing evaporated alcohol into liquid form and placing it into the exit line so it can be collected. Any liquids left over after it has passed through the series of 4 P-traps and a cold condenser will enter into a return pipe to be reused by the yeast in this process.
US07910354B2
The present invention is related generally to analysis of polynucleotides, particularly polynucleotides derived from genomic DNA. The invention provides methods, compositions and systems for such analysis. Encompassed by the invention are arrays of polynucleotides in which the polynucleotides have undergone multiple rounds of amplification in order to increase the strength of signals associated with single polynucleotide molecules.
US07910351B2
A mutant strain of Francisella tularensis has attenuated virulence and has a mutation in the gene coding for a putative peroxynitrite resistance protein A (prpA) which prevents normal function of the protein. The mutant is useful as a vaccine against type A and B virulent strains of F. tularensis, and is produced by obtaining a virulent F. tularensis strain and mutating the gene, FTT0918, that codes for prpA.
US07910350B2
The present invention provides adapter-directed display systems for expressing exogenous polypeptide within a host cell and/or displaying the exogenous polypeptide on the outer surface of a genetic package. This subject systems are particularly useful for displaying a genetically diverse repertoire of monomeric and multimeric polypeptides. The invention also provides both expression and helper vectors and kits containing components of the subject display systems. Also provided are genetic packages displaying the exogenous polypeptides of particular interest. Further provided by the invention are methods of using the subject display systems.
US07910346B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders. The invention provides isolated nucleic acids molecules, designated DGAT2 family member nucleic acid molecules, which encode diacylglycerol acyltransferase family members. The invention also provides recombinant expression vectors containing DGAT2 family member nucleic acid molecules, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced, and nonhuman transgenic animals in which a DGAT2 family member gene has been introduced or disrupted. The invention still further provides isolated DGAT2 family member proteins, fusion proteins, antigenic peptides and anti-DGAT2 family member antibodies. Methods of use of the provided DGAT2 family member compositions for screening, diagnostic and therapeutic methods in connection with obesity disorders are also disclosed.
US07910342B2
Methods for the fermentative production of isobutanol is provided by the fermentative growth of a recombinant microorganism expressing a highly active ketol-acid reductoisomerase enzyme in addition to other enzymes required for conversion of glucose to isobutanol.
US07910340B2
The present invention relates to a process for producing reduced coenzyme Q10 which comprises obtaining microbial cells containing reduced coenzyme Q10 at a ratio of not less than 70 mole % among the entire coenzymes Q10, optionally disrupting the cells and recovering thus-produced reduced coenzyme Q10. The present invention also relates to a process for producing oxidized coenzyme Q10 which comprises either recovering oxidized coenzyme Q10 after oxidizing the above-mentioned microbial cells or disrupted product thereof, or recovering reduced coenzyme Q10 from the above-mentioned microbial cells or disrupted product thereof to oxidize thus-obtained reduced coenzyme Q10 thereafter. According to the processes of the present invention, reduced coenzyme Q10 and oxidized coenzyme Q10 can be produced simply on the industrial scale.
US07910338B2
The present invention provides a method for treating biomass composed of integrated feedstocks to produce fermentable sugars. One aspect of the methods described herein includes a pretreatment step wherein biomass is integrated with an alternative feedstream and the resulting integrated feedstock, at relatively high concentrations, is treated with a low concentration of ammonia relative to the dry weight of biomass. In another aspect, a high solids concentration of pretreated biomass is integrated with an alternative feedstream for saccharifiaction.
US07910334B2
The present invention relates to a biotransformation process, effected by means of selected microbial strains, for the preparation of 3-O-glycosyl derivatives of colchicinoid compounds.
US07910332B2
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a recombinant polyclonal protein composition, in particular a recombinant polyclonal antibody composition. The method comprises obtaining a collection of cells transfected with a collection of variant nucleic acid sequences, wherein each cell in the collection is transfected with and capable of expressing one member of the collection, which encodes a distinct member of a polyclonal protein. The cells are cultured under suitable conditions for expression of the polyclonal protein, which is obtained from the cells or culture supernatant. The nucleic acid sequence is introduced into the cells by transfection with a collection of vectors. The present method is suitable for manufacturing recombinant polyclonal antibodies for therapeutic uses.
US07910322B2
Methods for identifying compounds that modulate the T1R1/T1R3 umami taste receptors are provided. These methods comprise screening one or more compounds in a binding assay which identifies compounds that specifically bind to a T1R1/T1R3 taste receptor or which specifically modulate the specific binding of another compound to a T1R1/T1R3 taste receptor, and identifying compounds that elicit or modulate T1R1/T1R3 taste.
US07910320B2
A method for identifying compounds that inhibit amyloid-beta precursor protein processing in cells, comprising contacting a test compound with a GPCR polypeptide, or fragment thereof, and measuring a compound-GPCR property related to the production of amyloid-beta peptide. Cellular assays of the method measure indicators including second messenger and/or amyloid beta peptide levels. Therapeutic methods, and pharmaceutical compositions including effective amyloid-beta precursor processing-inhibiting amounts of GPCR expression inhibitors, are useful for treating conditions involving cognitive impairment such as Alzheimers Disease.
US07910319B2
The disclosure provides a method of labeling of cellular glycans bearing azide groups via a fluorescent labeling technique based on Cu(I)-catalyzed [3+2]cycloaddition (click activation) of a probe comprising an alkynyl group. The method entails generating a fluorescent probe from a nonfluorescent precursor, 4-ethynyl-N-ethyl-1,8-naphthalimide, by Cu(I)-catalyzed [3+2]cycloaddition of the alkyne group of the probe with an azido-modified sugar. The disclosure further provides a method of incorporating an azido-containing fucose analog into glycoconjugates via the fucose salvage pathway. The disclosure provides a method of fluorescent visualization of fucosylated cells by flow cytometry when cells treated with 6-azidofucose are labeled with the click-activated fluorogenic probe or biotinylated alkyne. A method of visualizing the intracellular localization of fucosylated glycoconjugates by fluorescence microscopy is also disclosed.
US07910318B2
A method comprising: providing a biological sample from a subject (subject sample); and detecting the expression level of each of the markers FGF-2 and CA125 in the subject sample. A kit comprising means for detection of an expression level of each of markers CA125 and FGF-2 in a biological sample from a subject (subject sample), and instructions to use said markers in a method of the present invention.
US07910314B2
This invention provides methods for determining whether a breast, prostate or ovarian tumor or tumor cell is aggressive, based on the quantitative measurement of p66-Shc and phosphorylated Shc. This invention also provides related methods of determining the likelihood of tumor recurrence. This invention further provides a method for determining whether a tumor can be successfully treated using a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Finally, this invention provides antibodies and kits for practicing the instant methods.
US07910309B2
The invention provides highly sensitive and specific assays for the major citrus pathogens Xylella fastidiosa and Xanthomonas axonopodis, including a field deployable multiplexed assay capable of rapidly assaying for both pathogens simultaneously. The assays are directed at particular gene targets derived from pathogenic strains that specifically cause the major citrus diseases of citrus variegated chlorosis (Xylella fastidiosa 9a5c) and citrus canker (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri). The citrus pathogen assays of the invention offer femtomole sensitivity, excellent linear dynamic range, and rapid and specific detection.
US07910307B2
The present invention is directed to eubacterial tmDNA sequences and the corresponding tmRNA sequences. The present invention is further directed to alignments of eubacterial tmDNA sequences and the use of the sequences and sequence alignments for the development of antibacterial drugs. The present invention is also directed to the use of the sequences for the development of diagnostic assays.
US07910303B2
The present invention is based on the discovery of genetic polymorphisms that are associated with coronary heart disease and in particular VT and response to drug treatment. In particular, the present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules containing the polymorphisms, variant proteins encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, reagents for detecting the polymorphic nucleic acid molecules and proteins, and methods of using the nucleic acid and proteins as well as methods of using reagents for their detection.
US07910297B2
Methods are described for improvement of the serum half life of therapeutic nucleic acids by 3′ conjugation to useful target proteins, or other large molecules with useful function. In one embodiment, a 3′ A, C or G overhang is added to ds-DNA and the primary amines conjugated using biocompatible bifunctional linkers to proteins. The resulting nucleic acid-3′-conjugates are serum nuclease-resistant and retained in vivo for long periods without rapid kidney clearance. Further, the choice of conjugate imparts additional functionality to the nucleic acid-3-conjugate.For example, if the protein in the DNA-protein conjugate is the first component of the complement cascade (Clq or Clqrs) and the DNA aptamer has been developed against surface components of a target cell, it can be used to treat bacterial or parasitic infections and cancers. If the protein is serum albumin or another common (nonimmunogenic) blood protein and the aptamer is directed against a toxin or venom, the aptamer-protein conjugate can be used as an antidote that binds and neutralizes the toxin or venom. Similar DNA (aptamer)-nanotube, -enzyme, and -toxin conjugates could also be used to target and selectively kill bacteria, parasites, and cancer cells in vivo. If the protein is an Fc antibody fragment or C3b protein from the complement system and the aptamer is developed against a bacterial cell capsular material, other cell surface component or viral cell surface component, then the aptamer-3′-protein conjugate can aid in opsonization of the target cells or viruses by phagocytic leukocytes.
US07910293B2
The present invention relates to biomarkers that are useful for the detection of cancer. The invention further relates to biomarkers and methods of using biomarkers for the early detection of head and neck cancer.
US07910289B2
In accordance with the invention, there are methods of making an integrated circuit, an integrated circuit device, and a computer readable medium. A method can comprise forming a first layer over a semiconductor substrate, forming a first mask layer over the semiconductor substrate, and using the first mask layer to pattern first features. The method can also include forming a second mask layer over the first features, using the second mask layer to pattern portions of the first features, removing the second mask layer, and removing the first mask layer.
US07910283B2
A composition for forming an antireflective coating for use in a photolithography process using exposure light of up to 200 nm comprises a silicon-containing polymer obtained through hydrolytic condensation of a silicon-silicon bond-containing silane compound having formula: R(6-m)Si2Xm wherein R is a monovalent hydrocarbon group, X is alkoxy, alkanoyloxy or halogen, and m is 3 to 6. The composition allows the overlying photoresist film to be patterned to a satisfactory profile and has a high etching selectivity relative to organic material so that a substrate can be processed at a high accuracy.
US07910277B2
A method of predicting a Lewis acid-base relative humidity (RH) ratio in a two-component developer comprised of at least a toner and a carrier including selecting a candidate toner, selecting a candidate carrier, and determining the Lewis acid and Lewis base constants for the candidate toner and candidate carrier. In addition, calculating the Lewis acid-base RH ratio wherein the calculated Lewis acid-base RH ratio is related to charge RH ratio.
US07910274B2
An electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided in which both a potential variation over a long time period and a potential variation within a short time period are suppressed. A method of producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each having the electrophotographic photosensitive member are also provided. In the electrophotographic photosensitive member, an intermediate layer is a layer formed by coating and drying a coating liquid for an intermediate layer, containing an acidic titania sol and an organic resin, and the acidic titania sol is an acidic sol containing anatase-type titanium oxide crystal particles having an average primary particle diameter of 3 nm or more and 9 nm or less.
US07910268B2
A method for fabricating a fine pattern in a photomask includes forming a light shielding layer over a substrate; forming a first resist layer pattern over the light shielding layer to expose the light shielding layer with a first critical dimension; forming a groove by etching the portion of the light shielding layer exposed by the first resist layer pattern to a first depth; exposing an upper surface of the light shielding layer by removing the first resist layer pattern; forming a second resist layer pattern over the exposed upper surface of the light shielding layer so that a bottom of the groove is partially exposed; and forming a light shielding layer pattern by etching the portion of the light shielding layer exposed by the second resist layer pattern to a second depth so that the substrate is exposed with a second critical dimension which is smaller than the first critical dimension.
US07910260B2
A novel method of altering extruded membrane films for PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) fuel cells in such a manner that the membrane films swell substantially uniformly in both the in-plane x and y directions when immersed in water or ionomer solution is disclosed. The invention includes cutting a membrane film from an extruded membrane sheet in a diagonal orientation with respect to the membrane process direction of the membrane sheet. The membrane film exhibits reduced internal stress as compared to conventionally-prepared membrane films and allows a more even distribution of pressure in a fuel cell stack, thereby reducing the incidence of swollen membrane-induced failure mechanisms in the fuel cell stack.
US07910250B2
A power supply system for powering an electric motor (16) in an electric vehicle includes a metal-air converter (12) connected to the motor (16) for driving the motor (16) and a generator (10) connected to the metal-air converter (12) for recharging the metal-air converter (12). The generator (10) may also directly provide electricity to the motor (16) simultaneously with the metal-air converter (12). The system further includes a structure for providing a supply of fuel to the generator (10) that in turn converts the fuel to electricity.
US07910245B2
A positive active material for rechargeable lithium battery includes an active material that can reversibly intercalate and deintercalate lithium; and polyether modified silicone oil supported on the active material. The positive active material is not deteriorated during charge and discharge, and has high-capacity, an excellent cycle characteristic and good safety.
US07910241B2
A battery outer case can provide space saving by reducing the length of protrusion of joint portions between a metal container main body and a metal lid, is free from a thermal influence, and can make it unnecessary to employ additional or extra parts such as a gasket. The battery outer case includes the metal container main body having at least one surface opened with a flat battery pack composed of flat type batteries received therein, and a metal lid for closing an opening formed in the metal container main body. The inside of the container is in communication with the outside thereof so as to have air permeability, and an open end periphery of the metal container main body and a lid end periphery of the metal lid are joined to each other by seaming.
US07910236B2
To provide an electrolyte material for polymer electrolyte fuel cells having a high softening temperature and being excellent in durability, and an electrolyte membrane and a process for producing a membrane-electrode assembly using it.An electrolyte material made of a polymer containing a segment A of a polymer containing repeating units based on a perfluoromonomer having an ion exchange group and having a polymerizable double bond, at least one of carbon atoms in the polymerizable double bond being a carbon atom contained in an alicyclic structure, and a segment B of a fluoropolymer containing substantially no ion exchange group, and an electrolyte membrane and a membrane-electrode assembly using it.
US07910235B2
A lithium battery includes a lithium battery body, and a generating device; the generating device is fitted on one side of the lithium battery body, and it includes a motive power mechanism, and a magnetic line of force cutting mechanism; the magnetic line of force cutting mechanism is connected to wires connected to inside of the lithium battery body; the motive power mechanism has a magnetic element therein, which will move so as to cause the magnetic line of force cutting mechanism to produce an induced current to charge the lithium battery body the when the lithium battery is manually moved.
US07910232B2
Information storage devices and methods of manufacturing the same are provided. An information storage device includes a magnetic layer formed on an underlayer. The underlayer has at least one first region and at least one second region. The first and second regions have different crystallinity characteristics. The magnetic layer has at least one third region formed on the at least one first region and at least one fourth region formed on the at least one second region. The third and fourth regions have different magnetic anisotropic energy constants.
US07910229B2
A coated article is provided for use in an IG unit. The article includes a substrate and a coating formed over at least a portion of the substrate. The coating includes a plurality of separation layers having one or more dielectric layers and a plurality of infrared reflective layers. The coating can be positioned on the #2 or #3 surface of the IG unit and can provide a reference solar heat gain coefficient of less than or equal to 0.35.
US07910224B2
Fine-gained (average grain size 1 nm to 1,000 nm) metallic coatings optionally containing solid particulates dispersed therein are disclosed. The fine-grained metallic materials are significantly harder and stronger than conventional coatings of the same chemical composition due to Hall-Fetch strengthening and have low linear coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs). The invention provides means for matching the CTE of the fine-grained metallic coating to the one of the substrate by adjusting the composition of the alloy and/or by varying the chemistry and volume fraction of particulates embedded in the coating. The fine-grained metallic coatings are particularly suited for strong and lightweight articles, precision molds, sporting goods, automotive parts and components exposed to thermal cycling. The low CTEs and the ability to match the CTEs of the fine-grained metallic coatings with the CTEs of the substrate minimize dimensional changes during thermal cycling and prevent premature failure.
US07910219B1
A cermet armor material for highly effective ballistic performance which is comprised of a layer of base metal in which is deposited a layer or layers of ceramic and a compatible metal such that the deposited metal in combination with the base metal forms a continuous matrix around the ceramic particles. The body has a structure which is continuously graded from a highest ceramic content at the outer surface (strike face) decreasing to zero within the base substrate, and contained no abrupt interfaces.
US07910211B2
The present invention is a process for producing multilayer coatings. The present invention is a process for the production of coatings having a low total coating thickness in the desired color shade without separate baking of the primer surfacer layer.
US07910203B2
A selectively metallized heat transfer label for transfer to a substrate includes a support portion having a carrier layer and a release layer applied to the carrier layer, and a transfer portion including a protective layer applied to the release layer, a metallizable layer applied to the protective layer, a metal layer applied to the metallizable layer, a metal transferring adhesive layer applied to the metal layer and configured to adhere to both the metal layer and the desired substrate and a non-metal transferring ink layer applied to the metal layer and configured to adhere to the desired substrate but not to the metal layer. When heat and pressure are applied to the carrier, the metal transferring adhesive adheres to both the metal layer and the substrate while the non-transferring ink layer adheres only to the substrate.
US07910202B2
Epoxy laminates, e.g. CEM-1 laminates, include polymeric particles, particularly core-shell particles having an average diameter of about 0.05 to 30 μm, which reduce the dust produced during manufacture of printed circuit boards.
US07910201B2
A porous resin film which is obtained from a compound prepared by kneading a composition comprising 30 to 100% by weight of a thermoplastic resin comprising a hydrophilic thermoplastic resin and 0 to 70% by weight of an inorganic and/or an organic powder in an intermeshing twin-screw extruder at a screw shear rate of 300 sec−1 or higher and which has a liquid absorbing capacity of 0.5 ml/m2 or more as measured in accordance with the method specified in Japan TAPPI Standard No. 51-87.
US07910197B2
A multicoat system on a substrate, comprising at least one radiation-curable coating system (F) and at least one elastic intercoat (D) which is located between substrate and radiation-curable coating system (F) and has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −20° C. or less.
US07910192B2
The invention is principally to provide an archival optical recording medium of high quality which has satisfactory recording/reading characteristics when used in high-speed recording and high-density recording. The invention accomplishes the object with an optical recording medium comprising a resin substrate, a recording layer comprising an organic dye, and a reflective layer, wherein the reflective layer has a first reflective layer and a second reflective layer in this order from the side close to the recording layer, the second reflective layer has a thermal conductivity lower than the thermal conductivity of the first reflective layer, and the first reflective layer has a film thickness larger than the thickness of the second reflective layer.
US07910186B2
A multilayered volume hologram structure of the invention comprises a substrate 2 for a certificate or the like, and an adhesive layer 5, a volume hologram layer 5 and a surface protective film 7 laminated on the substrate in the described order. When a multilayer structure consisting of the volume hologram layer 5 and surface protective layer 5 is forcibly released from the substrate for the purpose of making a photograph replacement or falsifying a personal information area, the volume hologram image can break down certainly, thereby ensuring prevention of falsification. A multilayered volume hologram structure-making label is useful for making a multilayered volume hologram structure.
US07910185B2
An oxygen absorbing resin comprising a carbon atom bonded to a carbon to carbon double bond group and further bonded to one hydrogen atom, the carbon atom contained in an alicyclic structure, which oxygen absorbing resin having been exposed to radiation. Further, there is provided an oxygen absorbing resin comprising a carbon atom bonded to both of the structure (a) carbon to carbon double bond group and (b) heteroatom-containing functional group or, as a bonding group derived from the functional group, carbon to carbon double bond group or aromatic ring, and further bonded to one or two hydrogen atoms, the carbon atom contained in an alicyclic structure.
US07910179B2
Disclosed are a vinylsulfone derivative, a liquid crystal composition comprising the same, and a compensation film for a liquid crystal display device using the same liquid crystal composition. More particularly, the vinylsulfone derivative is a liquid crystal material of a high-quality view angle compensation film, which improves a contrast ratio measured at a tilt angle when compared to a contrast ratio measured from the front surface and minimizes color variations in a black state depending on view angles.
US07910173B2
A thermal barrier coating and deposition process for a component intended for use in a hostile thermal environment, such as the turbine, combustor and augmentor components of a gas turbine engine. The TBC has a first coating portion on at least a first surface portion of the component. The first coating portion is formed of a ceramic material to have at least an inner region, at least an outer region overlying the inner region, and a columnar microstructure whereby the inner and outer regions comprise columns of the ceramic material. The columns of the inner region are more closely spaced than the columns of the outer region so that the inner region of the first coating portion is denser than the outer region of the first coating portion, wherein the higher density of the inner region promotes the impact resistance of the first coating portion.
US07910167B2
A film-forming method of forming a film on a substrate includes performing a surface-improving treatment on the substrate, determining whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since the surface-improving treatment has been performed on the substrate, applying a film-forming solution to the substrate when it is determined that the predetermined amount of time has not passed, and repeating the surface-improving treatment on the substrate when it is determined that the predetermined amount of time has passed.
US07910159B2
A radial magnetic field reset apparatus including a housing having a cavity with a soft magnet rod disposed at its center and a permanent magnet disposed around the cavity. The cavity and thickness of the soft magnet rod are sized to permit a cassette of disks to be inserted into the housing with the soft magnet rod disposed within the inner diameter holes of the disks contained in the cassette. The soft magnet rod at the center of the housing attracts the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet, which results in a substantially uniform, radial magnetic field inside the housing.
US07910153B2
Acceptance/rejection of a deposition condition is judged by detecting an exothermic quantity of a deposition portion 3 by using an infrared beam sensor 2 during laser deposition of a resin material 4 having transmissibility to a laser beam and a resin material 5 having absorptivity to the laser beam L. The exothermic condition of the deposition portion is detected by using an infrared beam sensor matching with a wavelength of an infrared beam having a high transmission factor from infrared beam transmission characteristics of the transmissible resin to judge whether or not suitable energy is applied to the deposition portion and whether or not the deposition portion is formed. The exothermic quantity of the transmissible resin is detected by an infrared beam sensor 2A to judge acceptance or rejection of the deposition portion even when the applied energy changes.
US07910152B2
A method of forming a coating on a medical device having a controlled morphology is described.
US07910145B2
Taught herein are a precharged ground coffee capsule comprising a polygonal cross-section container body made of a liquid-impermeable material, the container body having an open end and a large axial opening formed in a bottom wall of the container body, two walls made of a liquid-permeable material being arranged on the open end and at the bottom wall respectively, the liquid-impermeable material comprising a metallic material support layer and a thermoplastic material layer, the thermoplastic material layer facing the interior of the container body, the permeable walls being coupled to the container body through the thermoplastic material layer, an outwardly projecting radial flange being provided at the open end of the container body; a method for producing the capsule; and an apparatus for implementing the method.
US07910144B2
The present disclosure provides compositions intended for the prophylaxis or the treatment of disorders related to GHLO infections in pets, the compositions are prepared using at least one strain of lactic bacteria and/or one of its metabolites or a medium fermented by at least one lactic bacteria that has been isolated and selected for its ability to display a strong anti-Helicobacter bactericidal activity in vitro.
US07910143B2
The present invention relates to a process for the extraction of soluble dietary fiber from oat and barley grains using enzymatic hydrolysis treatment, wherein the grain is milled and any endosperm depleted fractions thereof being rich in B-glucans are recombined, without further heat treatment, dispersed in water and then subjected to sequential enzymatic treatment with starch degrading enzymes, followed by an optional step of enzyme inactivation by wet heat treatment, and a subsequent step wherein the hydrolysate mixture is spontaneously or centrifugally separated into at least 3 distinct fractions: a first fraction, which comprises the soluble dietary fiber complex, containing more than 20% B-glucan on a dry matter basis, a second aqueous fraction, and a third fraction comprising most of the protein and oil together with the insoluble fibrous material from the milled grain.
US07910142B2
A method of producing seaweed paste including the steps of: placing seaweed, a chelating agent and water in a tank; and stirring the resulting composition at 0-20° C. to cut the seaweed, wherein the interior of the tank is in a vacuum state. A method of producing seaweed paste having good texture, smell and flavor and seaweed paste obtained by such a method are provided. A method of producing seaweed paste having good quality, which does not require treatment at a high temperature and thus can give a color and smell inherent to seaweeds and seaweed paste obtained by such a method are provided. A method of producing seaweed paste which requires a short treatment time, has good productivity and can reduce production costs, and seaweed paste obtained by such a method are provided.
US07910137B2
Metal carnitine chelates comprising carnitine chelated to a nutritionally relevant metal can be used for general nutrition as well as well as to treat a variety of health related problems and symptoms. For example, metal carnitine chelates can be used to maintain good cardiovascular health, increase male fertility, enhance weight loss, provide mineral and/or carnitine supplements for mineral- and/or carnitine-deficient subjects, and reduce alcohol dependency and associated symptoms. Nutritionally relevant metals that can be used include copper, zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, chromium, and manganese, to name a few.
US07910133B2
The invention relates to liquid pharmaceutical formulations for oral administration with the modified release of amoxicillin, said formulations consisting of suspensions of coated particles of amoxicillin (microcapsules). According to the invention, the microcapsules constituting the disperse phase of the suspension are designed to allow the modified release of the amoxicillin according to a profile that does not change during the storage of the liquid suspension. To do this the inventors propose the selection of a specific coating composition for the microcapsules which consists of at least four components that allow these microcapsules to be stored in water without modifying their properties of modified release of the amoxicillin, this liquid phase furthermore being saturated with amoxicillin.
US07910132B2
A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of acute disorders is described. The composition comprises an essentially water-free, ordered mixture of at least one pharmaceutically active agent in the form of microparticles which are adhered to the surfaces of carrier particles which are substantially larger than the particles of the active agent or agents, and are essentially water-soluble, in combination with the bioadhesion and/or mucoadhesion promoting agent. The invention also relates to a method for preparing the composition and to the use of the composition for the treatment of acute disorders.
US07910129B2
A synthetic composition is provided which includes an acid-functional polymer having at least one pendant acid group, an amine-functional polymer having at least one pendant amine group, and a coupling agent. The synthetic composition can be used in human and animal medical applications as an adhesive or sealant.
US07910128B2
Disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions, particularly oral dosage forms, which comprise two or more enteric coating materials, either as a coating or as part of a matrix dosage form, and methods of making and using the same. The compositions are characterized by having a sustained release profile at lower pH and an accelerated dissolution profile at higher pH.
US07910127B2
This invention relates to the selection and use of nonpathogenic, lysine-uptake stimulating lactic acid bacteria strains, and products and methods using such strains for example for improvement of fur-coat and claws quality in pet-animals.
US07910122B2
The present invention relates to active compound-containing moulded bodies for external use against parasites on animals.
US07910121B2
An article having a support in the form of at least one sheet containing fibers that are water-soluble at a temperature of 0-30° C., the support having a density less than or equal to 0.1 g/cm3, and a composition carried by the support, containing at least one compound with a thermal effect. The article can have a hot or cold effect depending on the nature of the compound(s) with thermal effect that is(are) present.
US07910113B2
Described herein is the development of fusion proteins useful for inducing tolerance in a subject. In particular embodiments, the tolerizing agents are useful for influence autoimmune, inflammatory, and/or allergic reactions. Example tolerizing fusion proteins contain a targeting portion (which delivers the fusion protein) and a toleragen or allergen or other antigen to which tolerance is desired in a subject. In particular examples, it is demonstrated that a pσ1 fusion protein, when administered orally, facilitates systemic and mucosal tolerance. Also described is the nasal delivery of fusion proteins, for instance for restoring immunogenicity.
US07910107B2
The disclosure provides novel molecules related to growth and differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8), in particular mouse and humanized antibodies, and antibody fragments, including those that inhibit GDF-8 activity and signaling in vitro and/or in vivo. The disclosure also provides methods for diagnosing, treating, ameliorating, preventing, prognosing, or monitoring degenerative orders of muscle, bone, and insulin metabolism, etc., in particular amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition, the disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of such disorders by using the antibodies, polypeptides, polynucleotides, and vectors of the invention.
US07910099B2
Antibodies that specifically bind to VLA-1 integrin and methods of using these antibodies to treat immunological disorders in a subject. Also included are crystal structures of complexes formed by VLA-1 antibodies and their ligands, and VLA-1 antagonists and agonists identified by using the structure coordinates of these structures.
US07910093B2
Disclosed herein are methods for identifying cancer cells and monitoring anti-cancer therapy in the body of a mammal by systemically delivering Sindbis viral vectors. The vector can specifically target and identify tumor cells in mice growing subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, intrapancreatically, or in the lungs. These findings demonstrate the remarkable specificity of the Sindbis vector system that is relatively safe and can specifically target tumor cells throughout the body via the bloodstream.
US07910075B2
A method of protecting a NOx reducing catalyst 140 from fouling, where the NOx reducing catalyst 140 is downstream of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler 120 and upstream of a particulate removal device 150. The method includes introducing a SOx removing reagent 212 in a calcium to sulfur molar ratio greater than that required for SO2 removal from a flue gas 122 generated by a CFB 120, thereby preventing SO3 formation and fouling of the NOx reducing catalyst 140.
US07910073B2
The microfluidic system is constituted of modules that comprise one microfluidic unit and one corresponding electric control unit each and that are retained on a rear panel unit next to each other in a row. To prevent the formation of accumulation of ignitable or toxic gas mixtures a fluid conduit for a rinsing fluid extends through the rear panel unit. Branches lead from said fluid conduit to the modules, and said branches flowing into respective distributor compartments that extend vertically across the module height in the modules. Said distributor compartments are delimited in relation to the interior of the respective module by a distributor panel that is provide with openings. The interior of the respective module comprises, on its lower or rear surface, an exit opening for the rinsing fluid.
US07910072B2
An apparatus for deactivating medical instruments and devices, comprised of a decontamination chamber dimensioned to receive medical instruments and devices to be microbially deactivated. A circulation system is provided to circulate a deactivating fluid through the deactivation chamber. The circulation system has a first fluid path connected to the decontamination chamber and a second fluid path is connected to the first fluid path. A water inlet line introduces water into the apparatus. The water inlet line is connected to the second fluid path. A filter is disposed within the second fluid path to filter fluid within the apparatus. A first pump is disposed in the first fluid path to circulate fluid in the first fluid path. A second pump is disposed in the second fluid path to circulate fluid in the second fluid path.
US07910067B2
A sample tube holder having sample tube compartments with sets of spaced finger springs provided therein for maintaining sample tubes in substantially upright orientations. A guide structure having a series of openings is used to direct sample tubes into the sample tube compartments and to restrict lateral movement of sample tubes held thereby. A retainer is releasably engaged by the guide structure and has openings sized to provide access to sample tubes held by the sample tube compartments but which restrict vertical movement of the sample tubes. Tabs at a base of the sample tube holder and hold-downs fixed to a stationary structure adjacent a conveyor cooperate to restrict vertical movement of the sample tube holder during automated sampling procedures.
US07910061B2
In a colorimetric absorbance measurement apparatus, a filter assembly on which a plurality of filters are arranged in a circular pattern is continuously rotated by a motor at a regular speed based on a motor drive signal fed from a motor drive circuit, each of the filters being characterized by passing only such light components that have wavelengths falling within a range centering on a specific wavelength. The motor drive signal produced by the motor drive circuit is also fed into a timing generator circuit. The timing generator circuit supplies an A/D conversion start signal to an A/D converter in synchronism with the timing at which a selected one of the multiple filters is positioned on the optical axis of a measuring light beam.
US07910060B2
An apparatus is described for treating prepared specimens. The apparatus comprises at least two container rows arranged in parallel to each other, each comprising a plurality of reagent containers and a transport mechanism for transporting at least one transport container that receives at least one carrier holding at least one prepared specimen. The transport mechanism is movable along an X and Z axis. A rotation unit is provided comprising holding arms and at least one holding element. The container rows are received rotatably at the ends of the holding arms of the at least one holding element that is connected to a rotation shaft such that it co-rotates with the rotation shaft that extends parallel to the X axis. The rotation unit is adapted to assume at least one working position allowing the transport mechanism to have access to the reagent container.
US07910059B2
This invention pertains to methods, kits and/or compositions for the determination of analytes by mass analysis using unique labeling reagents or sets of unique labeling reagents. The labeling reagents can be isomeric or isobaric and can be used to produce mixtures suitable for multiplex analysis of the labeled analytes.
US07910056B2
A portal apparatus in the form of an arch-shaped pipe fitting (10) for use with a fumigation chamber that in part incorporates a flexible canopy. The pipe fitting (10) can be seated on the ground (12) so as to be positioned between the canopy and the ground (12). A sealing surface (22) on the pipe fitting (10) is contactable with the flexible canopy so as to provide a gas-tight seal. An assembly for directing the flow of gas in general, the assembly being operable in various configurations, and comprising first and second gas inlets and outlets respectively. An assembly for operatively coupling gas extraction, treatment and recirculation apparatus, and comprising first and second gas inlets and outlets respectively that can be selectively coupled in first and second configurations. A method of fumigating a product in a fumigation chamber, and comprising the operative coupling of fumigant introduction, extraction, absorption and recirculation apparatus in a stepwise fashion, thus enabling fumigant to recirculate during fumigation while, at the conclusion of fumigation, allowing the gas carrying the fumigant to recirculate while fumigant is absorbed. A method of fumigating a product in a fumigation chamber, and comprising the steps of providing an inlet and outlet port, providing fumigant via the inlet port, controlling a flow of displacement gas to selected parts of the chamber and extracting the fumigant.
US07910054B1
In one embodiment, contaminates are removed from a material by contacting an activated carbon fabric wetted with a solvent with the surface of the material. The activated carbon fabric is maintained in contact with the surface in a substantially vapor-tight environment to allow the solvent to dissolve the contaminants, the contaminates to diffuse in the solvent, and the contaminates to be adsorbed by the activated carbon fabric. Thereafter, the activated carbon fabric containing the contaminates is removed and the any remaining solvent is allowed to evaporate. In another embodiment, contaminates are removed from a material by maintaining a solvent wetted fabric in contact with the surface of a material, while exposing at least an upper face of the fabric to a surrounding environment to promote evaporation of the solvent. The evaporation of the solvent from the upper face migrates contaminates from the surface into the fabric where they are contained.
US07910052B2
A near-beta titanium alloy having higher strength than ‘Ti-17’ is provided, while suppressing cost increase. Such a near-&bgr; titanium alloy consists of, in weight percent, 0.5-7% of V, 0.5-2.5% of Fe, 0.5-5% of Mo, 0.5-5% of Cr, 3-7% of Al, and the balance of Ti and impurities. When the weight % of V content is expressed as XV, the weight % of Fe content is expressed as XFe, the weight % of Mo content is expressed as XMo, and the weight % of Cr content is expressed as XCr; the value of XV+2.95XFe+1.5 XMo+1.65XCr is 9-17%.
US07910047B2
A method for molding through parts employs gas-assist molding techniques. The method includes closing a mold to create a part cavity, injecting resin into the mold, injecting a gas into a resin stream to create hollow sections in the part, opening the mold, and ejecting a part using conventional mold ejection techniques. The final step of the process includes trimming the as-molded part to expose the through section of the fitting. The fitting may be molded with sealing features for use in tubing assemblies. Advantages of this process include higher working pressure ranges, as well as reduced manufacturing costs and assembly time. The molded tubing fitting formed in this process invention is a through fitting which incorporates features representing o-rings installed on a part into the mold and ultimately into the exterior surface of the molded fitting. This process may eliminate injection molded o-ring fittings from the connection entirely. Further applications may include manifolds or parts with internal passageways.
US07910043B2
A tire building and cure station coupling apparatus and method for molding a green tire into a finished tire having a tread pattern. The green tire is constructed on a toroidally shaped core formed by a plurality of core segments each having an outer surface portion which together define a toroidal outer surface surrounding a central axis. The core is adapted to hold a green tire on said toroidal outer surface. A first spindle section is configured to be placed on a first side of the core along the central axis and a second spindle section is configured to be placed on a second side of the core along the central axis and opposite to the first side. At least one electrically operated heating element is coupled with each said core segment and at least one spindle connector is configured to mechanically couple the first and second spindle sections with said plurality of core segments located therebetween and electrically connect with the electrically operated heating elements for supplying electrical power thereto during a tire curing operation. One or more curing line docking stations are provided, each having docking apparatus for mechanically coupling with a spindle end of a spindle sections for a docking time interval, the docking apparatus including a docking connector configured to mechanically and electrically couple with the spindle connector for supplying electrical power to the electrically operated heating elements for at least a portion of the docking time interval.
US07910041B1
A method for building a three-dimensional object, the method comprising extruding a build material having a temperature profile between a surface and a central region of the extruded build material in which the surface has a higher temperature than the central region of the build material. The build material comprises a carrier material and nanofibers.
US07910030B2
An apparatus for wet granulating a powder material comprises: —a barrel having a granulation chamber and being provided with a first inlet (1) for receiving said powder material and for supplying it to said granulation chamber and with a second inlet (2) for receiving a granulating liquid and for supplying it to said granulation chamber, said granulation having an aperture (9) for discharge of granules from said barrel, and —a transporting means (S) for advancing said powder material toward the end of said granulation chamber while granulating it with the aid of said granulating liquid, said transporting means (S) comprising a first transport zone (4) at its rear end, an agglomeration zone (5) downstream from the first transport zone (4) and a second transport zone (8) at its front end, said first inlet (1) and said second inlet (2) being positioned above the first transport zone (4), wherein said aperture (9) has a shape tightly fitting the terminal portion of the transporting means (S) for directly discharging said granules from the granulation chamber. The apparatus is useful for continuously wet granulating biologically-active ingredient formulations, chemicals, detergents and foodstuffs.
US07910026B2
The electrical contact enhancing coating is a composition that includes finely divided precious metal particles mixed with a dielectric carrier to form a coating. The dielectric carrier is a vegetable oil (preferably soybean-based) carrier of the type used as a dielectric coolant in power transformers, and is preferably high in antioxidant content. In a first embodiment, the precious metal is 100% silver having an average particle size of about 5-10 μm. In a second embodiment, the precious metal is about 65-85% silver and 15-35% gold (average particle size 0.5-1.8 μm), by weight. In a third embodiment, the precious metal is about 65-85% silver, 12.5-30% gold, and 2.5-5% palladium (average particle size 0.5-1.8 μm), by weight. The precious metals may be cryogenically treated prior to mixing with the dielectric carrier.
US07910015B2
A polymer electrolyte for dye sensitized solar cell is provided. The electrolyte contains a porous hybrid polymer (the components were listed in formula (1) and formula (2)) and the electrolyte solution (the components were shown in formula (3)). The weight ratio of PEOPPO to PVDF-HFP is from 1˜80%The weight ratio of EO to PO in PEOPPO is from 30 to 80% EC/PC/LiI/I2/TBP Formula (3) EC is ethylene carbonate PC is propylene carbonate TBP is 4-tert-butylpyridine The weight ratio of EC to PC is 0.1˜5; the ratio of EC to LiI is 0.1˜2; the ratio of EC to I2 is 0.01˜0.2; the ratio of EC to TBP is 0.1˜1; wherein the range of n and m for PEOPPO is n=20˜150, and m=10˜80.
US07910004B2
A monitoring system and a method for monitoring a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane in an RO unit is capable of detecting the formation of mineral salt crystals on the surface of the RO membrane. The monitoring system includes a reverse osmosis monitoring cell coupled to the RO unit so as to receive a sample stream taken from either the feed stream to, or the concentrate stream from, the RO unit. The cell has a visually observable RO membrane that is visible to an imaging system that creates and collects images of the visually-observable RO membrane, and that conveys an image data signal to a data processing system that is operable to translate the image data signal into visual images for display, and to correlate the data in the image data signal with a scaling condition on the RO membrane in the RO unit.
US07910000B2
A seal ring holder for membrane elements which is capable of attaining an increase in the area of membranes packed per element; and a membrane element using the seal ring holder, are provided. The seal ring holder for membrane elements which is disposed at an end part of a spiral wound membrane element to hold a ring seal ring on the outer periphery thereof while allowing a raw liquid to flow into a membrane end part of the membrane element, includes: a first ring part which has a side wall facing an upstream-side membrane end part of the membrane element and is inserted into an end part of a sheathing member of the membrane element; a projecting ring part which has been formed upstream from the first ring part and has side walls respectively on both sides, an edge face of the sheathing member and the downstream-side edge face of the seal ring being fixable respectively to the side walls; a second ring part which is formed upstream from the projecting ring part and to the outer periphery of which the seal ring is to be fitted; and a third ring part which is formed upstream from the second ring part and to which the upstream-side end face of the seal ring is fixable.
US07909998B2
A water treatment system is provided having an encapsulate manifold with a reverse osmosis cartridge and one or more filter cartridges. The filter cartridge includes a detent for being received within a slot in the manifold head for secure locking engagement. The water treatment system further includes a single probe conductivity monitoring system for monitoring the performance of a reverse osmosis membrane. The water treatment system is also provided in a modular arrangement wherein manifold heads are physically and fluidly coupled together via a clip which interfaces with the modular manifold heads. The water treatment system also allows for a retrofit application to include a permeate pump. The cartridges are also designed to provide a minimum annular inlet gap to minimize spillage during changing of the cartridges.
US07909997B2
A water treatment system is provided having an encapsulate manifold with a reverse osmosis cartridge and one or more filter cartridges. The filter cartridge includes a detent for being received within a slot in the manifold head for secure locking engagement. The water treatment system further includes a single probe conductivity monitoring system for monitoring the performance of a reverse osmosis membrane. The water treatment system is also provided in a modular arrangement wherein manifold heads are physically and fluidly coupled together via a clip which interfaces with the modular manifold heads. The water treatment system also allows for a retrofit application to include a permeate pump. The cartridges are also designed to provide a minimum annular inlet gap to minimize spillage during changing of the cartridges.
US07909995B2
An economical, integrated system works in series with anaerobic digestion of animal waste to recover nitrogen and phosphorous, while also scrubbing the produced biogas.
US07909989B2
A method and a system for obtaining bitumen from tar sand are disclosed. The disclosed method can include two extraction steps, such as a first extraction step using a light aromatic solvent and a second extraction step using a volatile hydrocarbon solvent. The light aromatic solvent and the volatile hydrocarbon solvent both can be recycled and used in multiple extractions. Each extraction and recycling step can include a separation. The disclosed system can include separators configured to perform these separations. Some of these separators also can function as mixers. Using the disclosed method and system, it is possible to achieve a high degree of bitumen recovery while minimizing undesirable complications, such as swelling of clays in the tar sand and/or precipitation of asphaltenes.
US07909982B2
A single anode system used in multiple electrochemical treatments to control steel corrosion in concrete comprises a sacrificial metal that is capable of supporting high impressed anode current densities with an impressed current anode connection detail and a porous embedding material containing an electrolyte. Initially current is driven from the sacrificial metal [1] to the steel [10] using a power source [5] converting oxygen and water [14] into hydroxyl ions [15] on the steel and drawing chloride ions [16] into the porous material [2] around the anode such that corroding sites are moved from the steel to the anode restoring steel passivity and activating the anode. Cathodic prevention is then applied. This is preferably sacrificial cathodic prevention that is applied by disconnecting the power source and connecting the activated sacrificial anode directly to the steel.
US07909981B2
The present teachings relate to systems and methods for oxidizing a sensor having a substrate, an electrode in contact with the substrate, and an electrolytic material in contact with the electrode, where oxidizing includes applying an oxidizing potential (between approximately 350 mV and 700 mV) to the electrode. In some embodiments, the methods and systems include hydrating the sensor by applying a hydrating potential (between approximately 0 mV and −500 mV) to the electrode. In some embodiments, the applied potential can vary cyclically between an oxidizing and hydrating potential.
US07909980B2
Process for production of hydrogen of high purity by photoelectrochemical means with low energy consumption. The process is carried out in an electrochemical cell which comprises at least one anodic chamber with an anode and at least one cathodic chamber with a cathode, in which the two chambers are separated by an ion-exchange membrane, where: i) the anodic chamber contains an aqueous anodic solution which comprises the Fe2+ion, and the aqueous solution is adjusted to a pH less than or equal to 5; ii) a sacrificial substance is added to the anodic chamber; iii) the anodic solution is irradiated with ultraviolet light and/or visible light; iv) the cathodic chamber contains an aqueous cathodic solution which has a proton concentration equal to or higher than 10−3 M; and v) electric current is fed between the anodic chamber and the cathodic chamber separated by the membrane, this membrane being a proton-selective ion-exchange membrane impermeable to the iron and impermeable to the sacrificial substance.
US07909972B2
An electrochemical sensor is provided that includes a housing having an outer wall, an axial bore circumscribed by the outer wall, and a barrier wall that aids in defining a reference cavity. The housing further including a plurality of cross members in spaced relation to one another disposed between the axial bore and the outer wall, each cross member defining an aperture. A junction plug is disposed at the distal end of the housing. The junction plug comprises a porous material that enables ionic flow through the junction plug. The sensor enables ionic communication between the target fluid and the reference electrode within the reference cavity through the apertures of the plurality of cross members. In this manner, the sensor provides generally a long, tortuous flow path, or salt bridge, between the target fluid and the reference electrode, resulting in a high resistance factor for the sensor.
US07909960B2
Improved mechanisms of removal of etch byproducts, dielectric films and metal films near the substrate bevel edge, and etch byproducts on substrate backside and chamber interior is provided to avoid the accumulation of polymer byproduct and deposited films and to improve process yield. An exemplary plasma etch processing chamber configured to clean a bevel edge of a substrate is provided. The chamber includes a bottom edge electrode surrounding a substrate support in the plasma processing chamber, wherein the substrate support is configured to receive the substrate and the bottom edge electrode and the substrate support are electrically isolated from each other by a bottom dielectric ring. The chamber also includes a top edge electrode surrounding a gas distribution plate opposing the substrate support, wherein the top edge electrode and the gas distribution plate are electrically isolated from each other by a top dielectric ring, and the top edge electrode and the bottom edge electrode are configured to generate a cleaning plasma to clean the bevel edge of the substrate.
US07909958B2
An optical switch includes an optical waveguide to route an input optical beam. At least one polarization switch receives the input optical beam from the optical waveguide. At least one birefringent wedge is associated with the at least one polarization switch. The at least one polarization switch and at least one birefringent wedge operate to direct the input optical beam to two or more output locations through control of the polarization switch.
US07909956B2
A method for producing disposable undergarments is disclosed. The method generally comprises combining a first layer, comprising an elastic material sandwiched between layers of nonwoven material, and a second layer, comprising a backing material and a graphically printed applied patch of material layer.
US07909952B2
A method for assembling a main wing having an upper skin and plurality of spars is disclosed. The front spar and rear spar are fastened to a back surface of the upper skin using an adhesive agent without using rivets, whereby the front surface of the upper skin becomes smooth.
US07909949B2
Provided is a surface processing method of a sputtering target, wherein a target surface in which intermetallic compounds, oxides, carbides, carbonitrides and other substances without ductility exist in a highly ductile matrix phase at a volume ratio of 1 to 50% is preliminarily subject to the primary processing of cutting work, then subsequently subject to finish processing via polishing. The sputtering target subject to this surface processing method is able to improve the target surface having numerous substances without ductility, and prevent or suppress the generation of nodules and particles upon sputtering.
US07909948B2
When starting raw material powder is passed through a pair of rolls (2a), plastic working is applied to the starting raw material powder, and the crystal grain diameter of a metal or alloy constituting a matrix of the powder particle after processed is miniaturized. According to the thus provided alloy powder raw material, the maximum size of the powder particle is not more than 10 mm and the minimum size of the powder particle is not less than 0.1 mm, and the maximum crystal grain diameter of the metal or alloy constituting the matrix of the powder particle is not more than 30 μm.
US07909945B2
Disclosed are soft magnetic alloys that consist essentially of 10% by weight ≦Co≦22% by weight, 0% by weight ≦V≦4% by weight, 1.5% by weight ≦Cr≦5% by weight, 1% by weight ≦Mn≦2% by weight, 0% by weight ≦Mo≦1% by weight, 0.5% by weight ≦Si≦1.5% by weight, 0.1% by weight ≦Al≦1.0% by weight, rest iron. Also disclosed are methods of making the alloys, and products containing them, such as actuator systems, electric motors, and the like.
US07909943B2
A process for hardening a work piece of stainless steel through diffusion of the elements carbon and/or nitrogen into the work piece surfaces. The work piece is submerged into a molten salt bath and subjected to the molten salt bath for a period ranging from 15 minutes to 240 hours at temperatures below 450° C. In addition to potassium chloride and lithium chloride, the molten salt bath contains an activator substance consisting of barium chloride, strontium chloride, magnesium chloride and/or calcium chloride, and a free or complex cyanide as carbon-donating substance.
US07909942B2
A pet waste disposal device having a motor driving a set of cutting blades inside of an open ended plenum. A water supply such as a garden hose provides water to a nozzle or jet inside of the plenum, the water washes away the waste as it is chopped by the blades. The motor may be electrical, gasoline driven, or water driven. The plenum may have a safety screen across the open end. In preferred embodiments, the device may be mounted on an elongated support with a hand grip at one end and the plenum and motor at the other end.
US07909928B2
Reactive polymer coatings that undergo regioselective reactions with target biomolecules are provided. The polymers of the coatings are deposited via chemical vapor deposition and comprise one or more functional groups that exhibit regioselective bonding with a functional group or a target molecule. Such polymers include poly-xylylenes having functional groups such as alkynes or azides. The regioselective bonding of the reactive polymers provide stable immobilization of target molecules and/or ligands and can create biofunctional surfaces having a wide range of applications.
US07909920B2
The invention concerns a desiccant box for dehumidifying air, with a cylindrical outer housing (10), a lid (11) that closes the outer housing, and an inner housing (12) to accommodate desiccant (13). The lid (11) features at least one inflow opening (14) and at least one outflow opening (15), the contour of the outer housing opposite the lid being curved. Moreover, another inner housing (17) is provided which is located in the area of the contour (16) and runs approximately along this contour, this inner housing being also filled with desiccant (18), and the two inner housings (12 and 17) being connected to each other.
US07909919B2
A vaporized fuel treatment apparatus having comprising a first adsorbent having a honeycomb structure capable of adsorbing and desorbing vapor contained in fuel evaporation gas, a case configured to house the first adsorbent therein, and a holding device configured to elastically hold the first adsorbent within the case. The first adsorbent has a circumferential surface and at least one end surface intersecting with the circumferential surface at a corner portion. The holding device comprises a holding member having a first portion and a second portion configured to contact with the circumferential surface and the at least one end surface, respectively. The holding member does not contact with the corner portion of the first adsorbent. The vaporized fuel treatment apparatus can include a sealed container disposed in a canister for controlling temperature alteration in the canister.
US07909917B2
A porous substrate with a seed crystal-containing layer for manufacturing a zeolite membrane includes: a ceramic porous substrate, and a seed crystal-containing layer containing a zeolite powder to function as a seed crystal for forming a zeolite membrane and a ceramic powder and being loaded on a surface of the ceramic porous substrate and fired to fix the seed crystal-containing layer on the porous substrate. The porous substrate with a seed crystal-containing layer used for manufacturing a zeolite membrane inhibits a defect such as a crack from being generated in the zeolite layer upon manufacture or use by manufacturing a zeolite membrane by the use of the substrate which then can be subjected to air-spraying, washing, and processing for the purpose of removing a foreign substance, etc., prior to hydrothermal synthesis.
US07909916B2
Provided is a method for performing maintenance of a particulate which can reliably remove combustion residue by means of backwash air without use of hot water and the like while cutting equipment expenses, so that substantial increase in exhaust pressure and deterioration of fuel economy during operation can be prevented.When maintenance of the particulate filter 4 is to be performed, a filler 13 is filled to each of passages 8 with outlets unplugged with plugs 9 so as to reduce an inner volume of the passage 8, and then backwash air 12 is blown into the passages 8 with the unplugged outlets.
US07909915B2
The invention concerns a process and a device for generating a current of humid air having a defined relative humidity especially for the mixing treatment of a liquid on a liquid carrier (42). The process comprises the following steps: generating a current of air in a tubing arrangement (8), generating hot water vapour in an evaporator (10), introducing the water vapour into the air current to generate flowing hot humid air, passing the hot humid air through a water separator (20) while lowering the temperature of the humid air, heating the humid air coming from the water separator (20) to a certain temperature to lower the relative humidity to a defined value in a collecting chamber (30), and discharging the humid air from the tubing arrangement (8) as a current of humid air.
US07909913B2
Hydrogen sulfide is removed from a hydrogen rich gas stream using adsorbents having a low loss of carbon dioxide adsorption capacity upon sulfur loading including high purity silica gels, titania or highly cross-linked, non-chemically reactive resins. The adsorbents may be used to adsorb both carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, or may be used as a guard bed upstream of a separate carbon dioxide adsorbent.
US07909910B2
A vacuum clean-out system including a separator chamber and associated collection chamber for removing liquid material and debris from a vacuum output and providing a vacuum return line free of contaminants. A vacuum exhaust line is coupled to a cyclonic separator chamber that induces a circular rotation within the incoming vacuum stream, causing the liquid and debris to impinge the chamber's surfaces and fall to the bottom thereof while the “clean” vacuum is drawn upwards into a return line. The collection chamber is maintained at the same negative pressure as the separator chamber so that the accumulating liquid and debris easily drains into the collection chamber. A sensor associated with the collection chamber may be used to determine when the collection chamber is full and needs to be discharged. At that point, the separator chamber is isolated from the collection chamber, the collection chamber is vented and the accumulated material is discharged and/or analyzed. Advantageously, the separator chamber remains under negative pressure and continues the vacuum clean-out process uninterrupted.
US07909905B2
A cermet comprises a binding phase made of a binding metal including Co and/or Ni. The binding phase is 5 to 30 mass %. The cermet further comprises a plurality of hard particles bound each other with the binding phase. The hard particles comprise core-containing structure particles having cores and shells both including TiCN. The core-containing structure particles comprise first core-containing structure particles of which shells contain the binding metal and second core-containing structure particles of which cores and shells both contain the binding metal.
US07909903B2
Disclosed herein is an air filter device, installed on a line of a pneumatic circuit to remove harmful impurities. The device (10) includes a main body (20) having a casing shape, a cylindrical filter cartridge (30), and a cap (40). The main body includes air inlet and outlet ports (22, 24) on opposite sides thereof. A guide ring (26) is provided adjacent to an inner wall (20a) to have a predetermined height, with a hole (28) formed in the guide ring to directly communicate with the air outlet port. The filter cartridge is accommodated in an inner space (S3) of the guide ring (26), with a filter material (34) horizontally disposed in the filter cartridge. The cap is fastened to an opening of the main body, and includes a spacer (44) which compresses the upper end of the filter cartridge.
US07909899B2
Method and apparatus for generating a low tar, renewable fuel gas from biomass and using it in other energy conversion devices, many of which were designed for use with gaseous and liquid fossil fuels. An automated, downdraft gasifier incorporates extensive air injection into the char bed to maintain the conditions that promote the destruction of residual tars. The resulting fuel gas and entrained char and ash are cooled in a special heat exchanger, and then continuously cleaned in a filter prior to usage in standalone as well as networked power systems.
US07909898B2
Hydrogen (H2) gas and crude carbon dioxide (CO2) gas are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof. Combustible gas(es) in the crude CO2 gas are combusted to produce heat, at least a portion of which is recovered by indirect heat exchange with at least a portion of the separated H2 gas or a gas derived therefrom. The invention may be integrated with coal-fired power stations to reduce or eliminate emission of harmful components into the atmosphere.
US07909895B2
In the processes for treating municipal sewage and storm water containing biosolids to discharge standards, biosolids, even after dewatering, contain typically about 80% water bound in the dead cells of the biosolids, which gives biosolids a negative heating value. It can be incinerated only at the expense of purchased fuel.Biosolids are heated to a temperature at which their cell structure is destroyed and, preferably, at which carbon dioxide is split off to lower the oxygen content of the biosolids. The resulting char is not hydrophilic, and it can be efficiently dewatered and/or dried and is a viable renewable fuel. This renewable fuel can be supplemented by also charging conventional biomass (yard and crop waste, etc.) in the same or in parallel facilities. Similarly, non-renewable hydrophilic fuels can be so processed in conjunction with the processing of biosolids to further augment the energy supply.
US07909884B2
A suspension liner system adapted to provide an interface between a residual limb and a prosthetic socket, the liner sleeve including an elongate generally conical liner sleeve including proximal and distal end areas, and a sealing member arranged to removably fit onto the distal end area of the liner sleeve. The sealing member has proximal and distal end areas, and defines a resilient seal element located at the proximal end area and a receiving portion formed from the distal end area. The seal element outwardly protrudes relative to the receiving portion of the liner sleeve and is arranged for deflection against the liner sleeve.
US07909883B2
A percutaneous implant device is biologically attached to bone and soft tissue of a broken limb or amputated limb without longitudinal or lateral movement. Bone and soft tissue in-growth are promoted. The percutaneous implant device has a bio-compatible metal alloy stem member, having an integral tapered fluted section designed to fit into a taper reamed bone canal. A precisely dimensioned cylindrical central core cooperates with a suture ring and an external extension member, facilitating attachment of the percutaneous implant device to a hand or foot prosthesis. A porous metal outer body having a female taper at one end and the capacity to promote growth of bone and soft tissue, is press fitted on the central core contacting suture ring. The assembled implant is inserted into a taper reamed bone cavity until the male taper-reamed bone free end contacts the female taper. Soft skin is extended over the outer surface of the porous metal outer body and the surrounding suture ring.
US07909880B1
Toe cap implant for correction of Hallux Rigidus has a cap having a head with a convex articular surface and opposite the articular surface an attaching feature that can attach the cap to a bone screw. The cap and screw can provide for an ensemble or a kit.
US07909870B2
A height-adjustable implant for insertion between vertebrae, includes first and second sleeve parts which are rotationally fixed in coaxial alignment and interconnected in an axially displaceable manner. The first sleeve part has an internal thread. A nut is positioned coaxially in an inner space surrounded by the sleeve parts and is fixed to the second sleeve part so that it can rotate but is axially fixed. The nut has an external thread which engages in the internal thread of the first sleeve part. A toothed ring extends coaxially with the central longitudinal axis of the sleeve parts and is located on the nut. The second sleeve part has a radial access opening in the vicinity of the toothed ring.
US07909869B2
An artificial functional spinal unit is provided comprising, generally, an expandable artificial intervertebral implant that can be placed via a posterior surgical approach and used in conjunction with one or more artificial facet joints to provide an anatomically correct range of motion. Expandable artificial intervertebral implants in both lordotic and non-lordotic designs are disclosed, as well as lordotic and non-lordotic expandable cages for both PLIF (posterior lumber interbody fusion) and TLIF (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion) procedures. The expandable implants may have various shapes, such as round, square, rectangular, banana-shaped, kidney-shaped, or other similar shapes. By virtue of their posteriorly implanted approach, the disclosed artificial FSU's allow for posterior decompression of the neural elements, reconstruction of all or part of the natural functional spinal unit, restoration and maintenance of lordosis, maintenance of motion, and restoration and maintenance of disc space height.
US07909849B2
Apparatus is provided for protecting a patient's limb from tourniquet-related injury, comprising: a tourniquet cuff having a length sufficient for encircling a limb protection sleeve applied to a limb at a location having a limb circumference of not less than a predetermined minimum limb circumference and not more than a predetermined maximum limb circumference; limb protection sleeve adapted for applying to the limb at the location, wherein the sleeve has a tubular shape and a tubular circumference predetermined to be less than the predetermined minimum and wherein the sleeve is formed to allow elastic stretching of the tubular shape sufficient to increase the tubular circumference to be substantially equivalent to the limb circumference at the location when the sleeve is applied to the limb, thereby applying a pressure to the limb that is greater than a predetermined minimum pressure and less than a predetermined maximum pressure; and identification means perceptible to a user for providing an indication to the user of the predetermined minimum limb circumference and the predetermined maximum limb circumference.
US07909847B2
A vessel filter having a first region having a first set of struts forming a mounting portion and a filter portion having a converging region at a first portion to direct particles toward the center of the filter. The mounting portion is flared in the expanded position to have a transverse dimension increasing toward a second portion opposite the first portion. A second set of struts forms a second mounting portion flared in the expanded position. A plurality of spaced apart struts extend between the first and second regions.
US07909823B2
A disposable open electrosurgical forceps for sealing tissue is disclosed in the present disclosure. The disposable open electrosurgical forceps comprise a pair of first and second shaft members containing a fiber reinforced thermoplastic blend material having fiber strands of at least 2 millimeters in length. Each shaft member includes a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof which are movable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least one subsequent position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. Each of the jaw members also includes an electrically conductive sealing plate for communicating electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween. At least one of the jaw members includes a knife channel defined along a length thereof which is dimensioned to reciprocate a cutting mechanism therealong. An actuator is included for selectively advancing the cutting mechanism from a first position wherein the cutting mechanism is disposed proximal to tissue held between the jaw members to at least one subsequent position wherein the cutting mechanism is disposed distal to tissue held between the jaw members. The actuator includes a trigger which cooperates with a rack and pinion system to advance the cutting mechanism from the first to second positions through tissue held therebetween.
US07909810B2
A guiding catheter for providing proximal occlusion while intubating a branch vessel lumen in a patient. The catheter comprises an elongate hollow shaft having open proximal and distal ends and a resiliently compressible occluder fixed about the shaft adjacent the distal end, the occluder having a relaxed shape that tapers distally from a major diameter greater than a diameter of the vessel lumen. The occluder may comprise elastic foam material or an impermeable flexible cover clingingly enclosing a resilient support member.
US07909805B2
A wound treatment appliance is provided for treating all or a portion of a wound. In some embodiments, the appliance comprises an impermeable flexible overlay that covers all or a portion of the wound for purposes of applying a reduced pressure to the covered portion of the wound. In other embodiments, the impermeable flexible overlay comprises suction assistance means, such as channels, which assist in the application of reduced pressure to the area of the wound and removal of exudate from the wound. In other embodiments, the wound treatment appliance also includes a vacuum system to supply reduced pressure to the wound in the area under the flexible overlay. In yet other embodiments, the wound treatment appliance also includes wound packing means to prevent overgrowth of the wound or to encourage growth of the wound tissue into an absorbable matrix comprising the wound packing means. In still other embodiments, the appliance may include a suction drain. In other embodiments, the appliance may include a collection chamber to collect and store exudate from the wound. In yet other embodiments, a suction bulb may be used to provide a source of reduced pressure to an impermeable overlay that covers all or a portion of the wound. Finally, methods are provided for using various embodiments of the wound treatment appliance.
US07909804B2
An implantable port with an integral attachment mechanism. The implantable port includes one or more suture needles enclosed within a port body, the suture needle(s) coupled to a movable member such that movement of the movable member results in movement of the suture needle(s) out of the port body and into the tissue of a body into which it is implanted. The movable member can be a cam or tensioning member that rotates about a central port axis. The movable member can be coupled to a gear to permit movement of the movable member following implantation of the port within a subcutaneous pocket.
US07909803B2
A partially-implantable pneumostoma management device maintains the patency of a pneumostoma while controlling the flow of material through the pneumostoma. A tube of the pneumostoma management device is placed through the chest wall into the lung. The tube comprises a plurality of holes in the distal end to allow the entry of gases and non-gaseous discharge from the lung. A contact surface prevents over-insertion of the tube while releasably securing the device to the chest of the patient. The contact surface has features to reduce irritation of the skin of the chest.
US07909798B2
A percutaneous peel-away vascular introducer that includes an elongated tubular sheath having opposed proximal and distal ends, and a pair of diametrically opposed peel lines that extend along the length of the sheath from the proximal end thereof to the distal end thereof, wherein the diametrically opposed peel lines have an axially extending pitch. The introducer further includes a pair of spreadable handles associated with the proximal end of the sheath for splitting the sheath along the peel lines.
US07909789B2
Devices, methods and kits are described for reducing intraocular pressure. The devices include a support that is implantable within Schlemm's canal and maintains the patency of the canal without substantially interfering with transmural fluid flow across the canal. The devices utilize the natural drainage process of the eye and can be implanted with minimal trauma to the eye. Kits include a support and an introducer for implanting the support within Schlemm's canal. Methods include implanting a support within Schlemm's canal, wherein the support is capable of maintaining the patency of the canal without substantial interference with transmural fluid flow across the canal.
US07909788B2
Apparatus and methods for removing carbon dioxide from whole blood. Hydrogen ions are generated from water in the blood, resulting in the formation and release of carbon dioxide from the blood.
US07909787B2
A method and apparatus for eliminating or otherwise reducing or mitigating pressure on an individual's heel while the leg is in an extended position, while allowing for ambulation without completely removing the device. An apparatus comprises a support member configured to be attached to a lower leg portion of an individual between the calf and heel region, the support member having an inner surface portion to be disposed facing the leg when attached thereto, and having an opposite outer surface; and a reconfigurable elevation member configured (i) to be disposed at the outer surface of the support member such that when the support member is attached to the lower leg portion of the individual the elevation member is selectively capable of providing elevation of the heel from an underlying surface in the event that the lower leg portion is extended above the underlying surface, and (ii) to be reconfigured for ambulation without removing said support member from the lower leg. In some implementations, the reconfigurable elevation member is integral with the support member and is inflatable and deflatable. In other implementations, the reconfigurable elevation member is removably attachable to the support member, and may be removed for ambulation while the support member remains securely in place such that the elevation member may be reattached thereto.
US07909784B2
The present invention deals with a simple device to aid in cardiac compression to assist in reestablishing normal heart rhythm. The design and size of the device is particularly useful in morbidly obese individuals that require cardiac compressions in order to optimize resuscitation efforts.
US07909779B2
A catheter body includes a coil body (10) which is formed by winding or stranding metal wires (12) and having a distal portion (16) and a proximal portion. The distance between coils (12) adjacent to each other in the distal portion (16) is greater than the distance between coils (12) adjacent to each other in the proximal portion (18 or 14). The pitch in the distal portion (16) of the coil body (10) is substantially or nearly the same as the pitch in the proximal portion (18 or 14).
US07909774B2
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in a body fluid sampling system for use on a tissue site that includes an electrically powered drive force generator. A penetrating member is operatively coupled to the force generator. The force generator moves the member along a path out of a housing having a penetrating member exit, into the tissue site, stops in the tissue site, and withdraws out of the tissue site. A cartridge houses the penetrating member. The cartridge has first and second seals coupled to the penetrating member to maintain a sterile environment around a portion of the penetration member prior to penetrating member actuation. A user interface is configured to relay at least one of, penetrating member performance or a penetrating member setting.
US07909769B2
An implanted heart monitor includes sensors that measure various aspects of the heart failure patient's heart. A remote heart monitoring system connects the implanted heart monitor to a care provider, such as a physician. The data provided by the implanted heart monitor permits the care provider to obtain valuable data on the heart in order to make health care decisions affecting the heart failure patient's treatment. In many cases, the measurement of core body temperature and other patient data will enable the care provider to alter the patient's treatment to address the patient's condition. The implanted heart monitor can communicate over a wireless communication link with an external monitor. The implanted heart monitor may be implemented as part of a pacing device (i.e., pace maker) or may be a separate unit devoted to monitoring functions. The external monitor communicates with a monitoring station over a communication link. The monitoring station can operate as a centralized data collection unit, collecting data from multiple external monitors and multiple implanted heart monitors. Various other aspects of a heart failure patient's heart and/or body can be monitored, such as heart rate, blood pH levels, blood CO2 levels, and any other indications of the heart failure patient's activity. Various predetermined thresholds may be set to trigger alarms and/or data reports.
US07909768B1
Methods, systems and devices are provided for reducing the amount of data, processing and/or power required to analyze hemodynamic signals such as photoplethysmography (PPG) signals, pressure signals, and impedance signals. In response to detecting a specific event associated with a cyclical body function, a hemodynamic signal is continuously sampled during a window following the detecting of the specific event, wherein the window is shorter than a cycle associated with the cyclical body function. The hemodynamic signal is then analyzed based on the plurality of samples.
US07909762B2
The invention provides a system and method for harvesting a vessel section. The system comprises an endoscope, at least one harvesting tool, and an elongated instrument comprising a shaft and a housing. The shaft includes a viewable region along a length of the shaft and a lumen to slidably receive the endoscope. The housing is releasably engaged with the shaft and includes an elongated opening to provide a working area adjacent to a vessel for the harvesting tool. The method includes making an incision at a point corresponding to the proximal end of the vessel section to be harvested. A shaft is inserted through the incision and adjacent to the vessel section. A housing is slidably engaged with the inserted shaft. Harvesting operations are performed in a working area defined by sidewalls of the housing. The harvesting operations are visually monitored through the shaft.
US07909760B2
An incrementally adjustable wound retractor, which provides access to a body cavity, includes an inner ring having a diameter greater than the desired diameter of the wound incision, an outer ring having an annular axis and a diameter greater than the desired diameter of the wound incision, and a flexible sleeve disposed in a generally cylindrical form between the inner and outer rings. The outer ring includes first and second circular tubes spaced apart axially with each including a lumen having a rigid, noncompliant split hoop placed therein. The outer ring may be rolled over itself and around the annular axis to retract the sleeve with sufficient force to stretch the incision to the desired diameter. A gel cap seal may be coupled to the outer ring outside of the biological body to seal the opening produced by the wound retractor between the body cavity and outside the body cavity.
US07909758B2
This invention provides a laryngoscope blade, wherein the blade comprises a tube having an opening along one side. This invention further provides a laryngoscope blade comprising at its front portion a first surface for lifting the epiglottis of a patient and a second surface for fixing the portion of the posterior part of the vocal cords of the patient.
US07909754B2
A food intake restriction device for forming a restriction in a patient's gastro-intestinal tract and non-invasively communicating pressure data regarding the restriction to an external monitor. The device includes a food intake restriction device implanted substantially about a patient's gastro-intestinal tract to form a restricted opening in the tract. A port is connected to the restriction device. The port contains a working fluid for affecting the size of the restricted opening. A pressure sensing system communicates with the working fluid to measure the pressure of the working fluid. A transmitter communicates the measured fluid pressure to the external monitor.
US07909744B2
An exercise device made up of a flexible bar with weights provided on both ends of the bar and with a grip element on the bar between the two bar ends.
US07909727B2
A continuously variable transmission (CVT) having a main shaft configured to support and position various components of the CVT. Shift cam discs cooperate with ball-leg assemblies to shift the transmission ration of the CVT. Load cam discs, a torsion disc, rolling elements, and a hub cap shell are configured to generate axial force, transmit torque, and manage reaction forces. In one embodiment, a splined input shaft and a torsion disc having a splined bore cooperate to input torque into the variator of the CVT. Among other things, various ball axles, axle-ball combinations, and reaction force grounding configurations are disclosed. In one embodiment, a CVT having axial force generation means at both the input and output elements is disclosed.
US07909725B2
An automatic transmission includes a first planetary gear set; a second planetary gear set; a third planetary gear set; and at least five friction elements. The at least five friction elements includes a first clutch adapted to selectively connect a first carrier with a second carrier; a first brake adapted to selectively stop a rotation of the second carrier; a second brake adapted to selectively stop a rotation of a rotating member having a first sun gear, a second ring gear, and a third carrier; a third brake adapted to selectively stop a rotation of a third sun gear; and a second clutch adapted to selectively connect the first carrier with a second sun gear. Each of at least seven forward speed-ratios and one reverse speed-ratio is achieved by engaging two friction elements selected from the first and second clutches and the first to third brakes.
US07909724B2
An automatic transmission includes a first planetary gear set; a second planetary gear set; a third planetary gear set; and at least five friction elements. The at least five friction elements includes a first clutch adapted to selectively connect a first carrier with a second carrier; a first brake adapted to selectively stop a rotation of the second carrier; a second brake adapted to selectively stop a rotation of a rotating member having a first sun gear, a second ring gear, and a third carrier; a third brake adapted to selectively stop a rotation of a third sun gear; and a second clutch adapted to selectively connect the first carrier with a second sun gear. Each of at least seven forward speed-ratios and one reverse speed-ratio is achieved by engaging two friction elements selected from the first and second clutches and the first to third brakes.
US07909722B2
Surface abrasion in an eccentric part of a crank pin or breakdown of the crank pin of an eccentric oscillation speed reducer is effectively prevented. A value N obtained by dividing reduction ratio M in an eccentric oscillation speed reducer by a diameter D passing a center of pin teeth is set to be smaller than 0.20. As the results, temperature of lubricant in the eccentric oscillation speed reducer can be depressed below 60° C., even though an output rotation speed at a rated torque of the eccentric oscillation speed reducer has become 28 rpm or more as required from a tact time or so in a factory, whereby a region between the eccentric part of the crank pin and a needle-shaped roller bearing is always lubricated with the lubricant which exerts required lubricating function.
US07909710B2
The invention provides a multi-piece solid golf ball composed of a solid core, a cover, at least one intermediate layer situated therebetween, and a plurality of dimples on a surface of the ball. The diameter of the solid core, the deflection of the core when compressed under a final load of 130 kgf from an initial load of 10 kgf, the hardness at the center of the core, the hardness in a region 5 mm to 10 mm from the center of the core, the hardness 15 mm from the center of the core, and the surface hardness are set within specific ranges. The intermediate layer is composed primarily of a material obtained by mixing under applied heat a specific resin composition, and the thickness and material hardness of the intermediate layer, as well as the hardness difference between the surface of the solid core and the intermediate layer are set within specific ranges. The cover is formed primarily of polyurethane, and has a thickness and a material hardness set within specific ranges. The golf ball of the invention has an excellent flight performance, feel, controllability and scuff resistance.
US07909702B2
A shaft mounting structure of a constant velocity joint is capable of ensuring sufficient strength of a fitting portion between an inner ring and a shaft. In the shaft mounting structure, a groove is formed on the shaft middle side compared to the position of a male spline of a shaft and the outside diameter of a bottom portion of the groove is set at a value larger than the root diameter of the male spline.
US07909696B2
A gaming machine is described having a gaming controller operable to control one or more games of chance played on the gaming machine. A memory stores 3-D data corresponding to a 3-D gaming environment. Gaming logic renders a plurality of images of the 3-D gaming environment for presentation on the machine's display. The images depict manipulation of one or more aspects of the 3-D gaming environment by a user. A user interface provides user input to facilitate the manipulation of the one or more aspects of the 3-D gaming environment by the user.
US07909694B2
A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage to implement a disbursement of potential awards in a wagering game that have not been fully awarded yet. In a wagering game that comprises multiple states, a value of a favorable state relative to a prior state can be banked for later redemption by a player.
US07909683B1
A knife for producing a butterfly cut of meat, the knife having a handle and a first knife blade attached at one end thereof to the handle, the first knife blade having a first distance between the top and the bottom thereof and being sharpened on the bottom thereof. A second knife blade is operatively attached at one end thereof to the handle, the second knife blade having a fixed position disposed generally parallel to the first knife blade, the second knife blade having being sharpened on the bottom thereof, the bottom of the second knife blade being disposed above and at a predetermined distance to one side of the bottom of the first knife blade over a major portion of the first and second knife blades when the second blade is attached to the handle in the fixed position thereof.
US07909678B2
A method of manufacturing silicon wafers that include a front surface and a block surface and lateral edges, includes forming a silicon wafer by separating a rectangular, in particular, silicon block with lateral surfaces and before separation, grounding and/or polishing the lateral surfaces of the silicon block parallel to the edge of the silicon wafer.
US07909673B2
A device includes a body portion having a cavity therein. A reservoir is positioned within the body portion. A portion of the reservoir forms an abdominal region of the animal shaped body. An actuating mechanism is further coupled to the body. A motorized bubble making unit is disposed within the cavity to expel a stream of bubbles from the animal shaped body. The actuating mechanism activates the motorized bubble making unit to expel a stream of bubbles from the animal shaped body.
US07909664B2
An electrical termination and method comprising an element and a conductive member is disclosed. A wire is manually or tool-lessly securable in electrical communication with the conductive member.
US07909656B1
A plug including first, second, third, and fourth pairs of contacts connected to first, second, third, and fourth wire pairs, respectively. The first pair of contacts is positioned between first and second contacts of the third pair of contacts, the second pair of contacts is positioned alongside the first contact, and the fourth pair of contacts is positioned alongside the second contact. A first and second capacitive coupling member each including a sleeve and contact member are spaced from the plug contacts. The second wire pair extends through the sleeve of the first coupling member and the contact member of the first coupling member is electrically connected to the wire connected to the second contact. The fourth wire pair extends through the sleeve of the second coupling member and the contact member of the first coupling member is electrically connected to the wire connected to the first contact.
US07909644B1
A card edge connector assembly is provided with a first connector, a second connector and a printed circuit board (PCB). The first/second connector respectively comprises a first/second insulative housing with a plurality of first/second terminals mounted therein. The first/second insulative housing has a first/second upper wall, a first/second lower wall and a first/second mating cavity defined therebetween for receiving the first/second memory module therein. The PCB defines a first and a second solder regions at a top face thereof, on which the first and second terminals are respectively soldered. The first and second memory modules are respectively inserted into the first and second mating cavities along different directions so as to avoid interference between the memory modules during the assembling process.
US07909636B2
An adjustable connector for an electrical cable formed from a body, a hub and a coupling nut. The body has a flanged end with a scalloped edge and a face that is angularly disposed to the longitudinal axis and a cable connecting end. The hub includes an end with a mating surface that has a dovetail extending around about one half of the outer perimeter and the mating surface is angularly disposed to the central axis. The coupling nut has first and second ends and an opening extending therebetween with internal threads. The dovetail on the mating surface of the hub is adapted to receive the flanged end of the body and the coupling nut is threaded onto the hub to secure the flanged end in the dovetail.
US07909632B2
An cable assembly includes an insulative housing with a plurality of terminals; a cable having a plurality of wires respectively connected to the plurality of terminals; a latching member mounted to the insulative housing, the latching member including two latching arms spaced apart from each other along a transversal direction and a connecting portion with two opposite ends thereof joined with the two latching arms, at least one resilient tab extend downwardly from the connecting portion; and an external cover enclosing the insulative housing and the latching member, the external cover having a deformable button disposed proximate to the connecting portion of the latching member.
US07909629B2
A computer device comprising a connector configured to be coupled to an external device, the connector configured to be disposed flush with an opening in a housing of the computer device in an extended position, the connector configured to retract from the opening in a retracted position.
US07909626B2
The invention is a 2-piece electrical connector cover for protecting electrical connectors having a plug and a socket. A first piece has an internal diameter and an external diameter. The internal diameter is frictionally equivalent to the external diameter of the plug, so that the first piece fits snugly on the plug and protects it. The second piece of the electrical connector cover also has an internal and an external diameter. The external diameter of the second piece is frictionally equivalent to the internal diameter of the socket so that the second piece fits snugly into the socket and protects it. The external diameter of the first piece is frictionally equivalent to the external diameter of the second piece, so that the first piece fits snugly into the second piece, thereby holding the two pieces together when they are not being used to protect the electrical connector.
US07909617B2
An electrical connector (1) for connecting a land grid array (LGA) chip with a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a housing (10), and terminals (11) received in passageways (104) of the housing. The housing has a base (100) and sidewalls (12, 14), the base and the sidewalls cooperatively defining a space therebetween for retaining the LGA chip. The base has a multiplicity of walls respectively between every two adjacent passageways along a length thereof, and four raised portions (102) extending upwardly around the base. A multiplicity of protrusions (106) is respectively extended upwardly from the walls. When a force is exerted down the LGA chip to make the LGA chip engage with the terminals, the protrusions and the four raised portions can support the force for separate the force without making the LGA chip deforming downwardly. This ensures that engagement between the connector and the LGA chip is accurate and reliable.
US07909615B1
An electrical connector. An electrical connector comprising a connector body having a first channel and a first conductive element extending through the first channel in a first tip section. The first tip section having a first moment arm that, when forced in contact with a first conductive surface, twists the first conductive element to produce a torsion force. The torsion force holds the first tip section in contact with the first conductive surface.
US07909605B2
An enossal screw implant is inserted cortically into the jawbone as an implant base and a mount for the superstructure of a tooth replacement or a substructure. A break point is provided in the abutment head above a bending zone. Key surfaces are above and below the break point. Solutions to ease adjustment of the inserted implant to the natural tooth position and which can reduce the danger of loosening of the inserted implant in the jawbone are coated on the implant.
US07909604B2
Root apex position model data associated with electrical characteristic values between a measurement electrode and a mouth electrode in a state in which the distal end of the measurement electrode is located at a root apex position of a root canal is stored in a storage unit. A power supply applies measurement signals of 500 Hz and 2 kHz between the measurement electrode and the mouth electrode. Two different current values flowing between the measurement electrode and the mouth electrode are detected. These current values are compared with the root apex position mode data stored in the storage unit. If the root apex position data includes any data which coincides with the current values, it is detected that the distal end of the measurement electrode is located at the root apex position.
US07909603B2
An orthodontic bracket having a bracket body configured to be mounted to a tooth includes an archwire slot having a base surface defining a base plane and a slide engagement track defining a translation plane. The translation plane is angled with respect to the base plane. A ligating slide is engaged with the slide engagement track of the bracket body and movable along the slide engagement track and parallel to the translation plae between an opened position, in which an archwire is insertable into the archwire slot, and a closed position, in which the archwire is retained within the archwire slot. The translation plane is angled with respect to the base plane so as to prevent the ligating slide from contacting the gingiva surrounding the tooth when the ligating slide is moved to the opened position.
US07909592B2
A scroll compressor is provided which has favorable assembling property, does not require a thrust bearing, has a bearing structure for bearing a compression section at both sides thereof and has a simple structure of a scroll. The scroll compressor includes a compression section constituted of an orbiting scroll which is provided in a closed container, and in which volutes are substantially symmetrically formed on both surfaces of an orbiting base plate, and a main shaft is penetrated through and fixed to a center portion thereof, and a pair of fixed scrolls and that have the main shaft penetrated through and are placed on both the surfaces of the orbiting scroll, and have volutes which correspond to the respective volutes to respectively form compression chambers, and a motor which is provided in the closed container and drives the main shaft, a suction pipe which is provided in the closed container, and after a suction gas is introduced into the closed container and cools the motor, causes the gas to be sucked into the compression section, and a discharge pipe which is provided in the closed container and discharges the suction gas compressed by the compression section.
US07909589B2
A downhole pump has a barrel and a plunger which reciprocate with respect to each other. The plunger has a first portion with a first seal, a second portion and a third portion with a second seal. The second portion is intermediate the first and second portions. A balancing chamber is formed between the plunger second portion and the barrel. The balancing chamber communicates with the plunger interior by way of an opening. A sand snare chamber is provided with respect to the opening so as to prevent sand from contacting the seals in the balancing chamber.
US07909585B2
A power engine natural gas compressor system to optimize the extraction of natural gas from a reservoir and related gathering systems. The system is controlled by a distributed control system, which is a computer readable program, and allows for humane machine interface allowing for a more efficient use of the available power supply resulting in increased efficiency. Through the use of an integrated control system the present invention achieves a precise control of the overall operation of the system, which would be impossible to achieve through manual manipulation. The system of the present invention is a system capable of multiple functions with minimal losses with respect to efficiency. Different from the compressors found in the market the system uses a sophisticated process and control system, and is constructed and arranged in such a way that someone with little to no training can operate and maintain it.
US07909580B2
Disclosed are methods for designing vanes that, in use, are expected to be exposed to vibratory loading, in particular rotor or stator vanes for aero engines or turbomachinery. A quantitative characteristic (modeshape) is used which is a measure of correlation between the excitation force to which the vane is to be subjected in use and a vibrational mode of the vane, corresponding to a characteristic frequency of the excitation. The modeshape of the first design is determined. Then the first design is modified to give a second design, by one or more of leaning, sweeping or twisting the blade design, or by altering the local shape of the design, or by altering the material of the design. Then the modeshape of the second design is determined. The design modification gives rise to a reduction in the forced response levels.
US07909562B2
A material handling apparatus for use with a material carrier board including an aperture, the material handling apparatus being configured to couple to a lifting portion of a lift truck that includes forks, the material handling apparatus including a mount configured to be coupled to the lifting portion of the lift truck, a backrest having a bottom edge and a front face, a scissor structure coupled to the mount and to the backrest, the scissor structure being configured to operate between extended and retracted states, wherein when the scissor structure is operated from the retracted state to the extended state, the backrest is extended from a proximal end of the forks towards a distal end of the forks, the stop plate being attached to the backrest such that the horizontal planar portion is substantially perpendicular to the front face of the backrest, the vertical planar portion is substantially parallel to and offset from the front face of the backrest, the horizontal planar portion of the stop plate forming an aperture, a first actuator coupled to the mount and the scissor structure being configured to actuate the scissor structure between the extended and retracted states, a second actuator coupled to the backrest, a stud and configured to operate between extended and retracted states, the stud being configured to extend through the aperture formed in the carrier board when the stud is actuated from the retracted to the extended state, wherein the material handling apparatus is configured to pull the carrier board onto the forks by, when the stud is in the extended state, actuating the scissor portion from an extended state to a retracted state.
US07909558B2
A system and method for the safe storage of vehicles wherein a storage structure is provided having a first section in which vehicles are stored in vertically oriented cells with each vehicle being carried within a vehicle storage unit such that the units may be stacked one upon another and wherein at least one transfer vehicle is provided for selectively engaging and conveying the vehicle storage units along an overhead grid track system between the first section and a second section wherein the grid track system is at least partially oriented over a roadway such that the at least one transfer vehicle may be used to either lift or lower a vehicle contained within a vehicle storage unit relative to the roadway and move the vehicle storage unit to and from a storage position in one of the vertical storage cells of the first section of the storage structure.
US07909554B2
An inflatable cargo dunnage bag comprises an inflatable bladder, a first inner bag, and a second outer bag, wherein the inner and outer bags are fabricated from polywoven thermoplastic material so as to render the dunnage bag light in weight and moisture resistant whereby the dunnage bag can be used in the maritime industry. The first inner and second outer bags are also provided with exterior coating so as to enhance the impact resistance, perforation resistance, and abrasion resistance of the dunnage bag. The dunnage bag is also provided with handles which not only facilitate the manipulation and handling of the dunnage bag, but in addition, permits the dunnage bag to be suspendingly attached to cargo loads so as not to be displaced from the cargo loads.
US07909553B2
A cargo bed storage structure is provided for a vehicle. The cargo bed storage structure includes a cargo bed having a floor and a wall. The wall has a first portion extending substantially perpendicularly from the floor and a second portion extending inboard from the first portion. An attachment member is fixed to a lower surface of the second portion of the wall. A tie-down device has a first end that is fixed to the first portion of the wall. The tie-down device is operative in a stowed configuration and a usage configuration. The second end of the tie-down device is releasably engaged with the attachment member when the tie-down device is in the stowed configuration such that the tie-down device is disposed entirely outboard of an inboard distal end of the second portion of the wall.
US07909543B2
An insert clamping wedge for clamp-fixing a cutting insert, seated in an insert attachment seat formed in a cutter body, to a recessed portion formed in the insert attachment seat is provided, the insert clamping wedge including: a wedge body, wherein the insert clamping wedge is pressed into the cutter body, wherein the wedge body includes a clamp surface which comes into close contact with the cutting insert and a wedge surface of which a gap between itself and the clamp surface becomes smaller in a press-insertion direction of the wedge body, and wherein the section perpendicular to the press-insertion direction of the wedge body from the wedge surface to the clamp surface being formed in a bell shape.
US07909542B2
A mine support having a ductile metal sleeve, an interior of which is filled with a first aerated cementitious material of a first density which extends over at least 60% of the axial length of the sleeve. The interior of the sleeve is also filled with a second aerated cementitious material of a second density, which is less than the first density, and which fills the remainder of the interior of the sleeve.
US07909536B2
A point absorber wave energy apparatus is provided. The point absorber wave energy apparatus includes first and second devices. The first device being a surface float. The second device a submerged body. Linkages are provided between the first and second devices so that energy resulting from relative motion between the two devices is extracted. The apparatus may be tuned to the prevailing sea conditions.
US07909524B2
A media edge guide assembly for use in an imaging apparatus having a media supply source includes a first edge guide portion and a second edge guide portion. The first edge guide portion and the second edge guide portion are arranged to have an axis of rotation passing through the first edge guide portion and the second edge guide portion. The first edge guide portion and the second edge guide portion are laterally interconnected to facilitate movement as a unit in a lateral direction along the axis of rotation, and the first edge guide portion and the second edge guide portion are configured to be rotationally disconnected with respect to the axis of rotation to permit the first edge guide portion to rotate around the axis of rotation independent of the second edge guide portion.
US07909522B2
A portable printer includes a housing having a cavity defined therein which supports a roll of stock material for printing indicia thereon. The housing has a drive motor assembly configured to move the stock material through a paper path defined in the housing. A battery is loadable within a battery compartment disposed in the cavity and a cover assembly is pivotably supported on the housing and moveable from an open configuration for loading the roll of stock material to a closed configuration to enable printing. A selectively adjustable media support assembly supports the roll of stock material and includes a paper tray having a cam-shaped stanchion which is slideable within a media support tray from a first position for supporting a roll of stock material of a first size to a second position for supporting a roll of stock material of a second size. The cam-shaped stanchion is also rotatable from a first orientation which allows selective, sliding adjustment of the paper tray and cam-shaped stanchion to a second orientation which locks the cam-shaped stanchion against the media support tray.
