US07917206B2
Method and apparatus for detecting possible interference in a neurological signal received from a monitoring element of a medical device system. The monitoring element monitors a condition or a symptom of a nervous system disorder being treated and provides a neurological signal to the medical device system for purposes of providing closed-loop feedback control. The system analyzes various parameters of the received signal by taking instantaneous measurements of data points in moving window and thereby determining whether the signal is of poor quality. If the signal is of determined poor quality, it is removed from consideration in the closed-loop feedback control system until it is determined that the signal quality has sufficiently been restored.
US07917202B2
Monitoring the hydration and/or nutrition status of a patient by bioimpedance. A bioimpedance method and device that makes use of a refined model by which the conductivity contributions from intracellular tissues can be taken better into account to enable an improved assessment of the body composition of a patient with increased accuracy. The intracellular volume (ICV) of a patient is determined by determining an intracellular electrical resistance Rmix of the patient and deriving the intracellular volume ICV using Rmix by taking into account that a cell of a kind of tissue contributes differently to the electrical resistance Rmix of the intracellular volume ICV compared with a cell of a second kind of tissue. The application also relates to a device for carrying out the method according to the invention and to a computer program product to be used on such a device.
US07917200B2
A polymer linear actuator for a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) and a micro manipulator for a measurement device of cranial nerve signal using the same are provided. The polymer linear actuator has first and second bodies positioned spaced apart to a distance from each other, and one or more pairs of V-type moving units connecting the first and second bodies together, wherein the moving units in pair are opposed to each other to convert a rotation motion of the respective moving units into a linear motion, thereby causing the first and second bodies to move linearly.
US07917194B1
Conditions resulting from acute decompensation such as pulmonary edema may be indicated based on analysis of respiration signals. In some embodiments a respiration signal is derived from an intracardiac electrogram (“IEGM”) signal. In some embodiments one or more non-rate-based parameters are derived from a detected respiration signal to identify a pulmonary edema condition. In some embodiments a warning may be generated or therapy administered to a patient in response to an indication of pulmonary edema.
US07917186B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for calibrating a continuous analyte sensor, such as a continuous glucose sensor. One such system utilizes one or more electrodes to measure an additional analyte. Such measurements may provide a baseline or sensitivity measurement for use in calibrating the sensor. Furthermore, baseline and/or sensitivity measurements may be used to trigger events such as digital filtering of data or suspending display of data.
US07917172B2
The invention relates to an accessory (18) for connection to an electrical interface (16) of a portable electronic device (10), which interface comprises a pair of bias voltage providing connection points including a first connection point (42) and a second connection point (44) for biasing a signal providing element (22) that may be provided in the accessory. The accessory includes a first electrical branch comprising a first voltage dividing element (R1) and a first switch (32) that can be actuated mechanically. The branch has a first end to be connected to one connection point (42) in the pair and a second end to be connected to another connection point (46) for changing the voltage level of the connection point connected to the first end to a certain voltage level when the first switch interconnects the first voltage dividing element and this connection point.
US07917168B2
A mobile phone including a phone body defining front and rear faces, the front face having a keypad and display and the rear face having a removable cover, the phone body further defining a recess between the front and rear faces within which recess a supply of print media is received; a camera fitted to the body and configured to capture an image; a print media stock container adapted to fit within the recess and accessible with the cover removed; and a printer assembly fitted within the body, proximate to a base end of the body. The printer assembly includes an ink ejection printhead configured to print the captured image upon print media, and a feed means provided between the print media stock container and the base end of the body. The feed means is configured to feed print media from the stock container and past the printhead during printing.
US07917145B2
An apparatus and a method for routing data in a radio data communication system having one or more host computers, one or more intermediate base stations, and one or more RF terminals organizes the intermediate base stations into an optimal spanning-tree network to control the routing of data to and from the RF terminals and the host computer efficiently and dynamically. Communication between the host computer and the RF terminals is achieved by using the network of intermediate base stations to transmit the data.
US07917138B2
A terminal and method and system for processing SUPL are discussed. According to one embodiment, the invention provides a method of processing a SUPL request for a terminal that has performed roaming, the method comprising: receiving a SUPL INIT message from a home SLP entity, the SUPL INIT message including an indicator that indicates whether a home SLP entity uses a proxy mode or a non-proxy mode; checking the indicator to determine whether a first message or a second message should be transmitted to the home SLP entity; and transmitting the first message or the second message to the home SLP entity according to a result of the checking step.
US07917135B2
Communications are conducted between a space-based component of the wireless communications system and radioterminals using a plurality of forward link cells and a plurality of return link cells, the return link cells having a greater number of cells per frequency reuse cluster than the forward link cells. At least some of the forward and return link cells may use at least some frequencies of a terrestrial wireless communications system having an adjacent and/or overlapping coverage area. Forward links of the at least some of the forward and return link cells may have a greater link bandwidth than return links of the at least some of the forward and return link cells.
US07917132B2
A voice data and RF integrated circuit (IC) includes an RF transceiver module that produces received data based on a received RF signal and that produces a transmitted RF signal based on transmit data. A memory module includes a first read only memory (ROM) segment for storing a first plurality of operational instructions, and a first random access memory (RAM) segment for storing a second plurality of operational instructions. A first processing module executes the plurality of operational instructions that include baseband processing to generate input data from the received data, and to produce the transmit data from input data. A first memory interface provides direct downloading of the second plurality of operational instructions from the external memory to the first RAM segment.
US07917131B2
A system and method for processing calls in a communication system utilizing distributed signaling. When a call signal having distributed identification data is received on a communication channel, the call information (such a voice, data, video, etc.) is initially passed through the system without verification until sufficient identification data (such as the color code) has been obtained to determine whether the source of the call is valid. Once sufficient identification data has been obtained, the source is verified. If the source is valid, the call information continues to be passed through the system. However, if source is invalid, the call information is blocked for the present call as well as for subsequent calls on the same communication channel, and passing of the call information through the system does not resume until a received call is subsequently assessed to be valid.
US07917130B1
A system and method for broadcast response generally employing RDS, DARC, or similar technology is provided, including a method for responding to a broadcast comprising extracting an event identifier from a broadcast signal; detecting a response by a user to the broadcast signal; polling a communications device to determine a user identifier; and communicating the event identifier and the user identifier when the user response is detected.
US07917128B2
The invention relates to a method and system for inserting at least one multimedia message multiple element into a multimedia message. The method comprises the following steps transmitting at least one multimedia message multiple from a network element to a mobile station, transmitting one first multimedia message from the network element to the mobile station, and inserting the multimedia message multiple element into the first multimedia message. Preferably, insertion occurs in the mobile station, and the multimedia message multiple element is only transmitted once by the network element to the mobile station and is inserted into a plurality of multimedia messages.
US07917120B1
An RF mixer provides extended dynamic range with reduced noise by utilizing degeneration inductors in the RF input section of a doubly balanced mixer. Degeneration inductors are also utilized in a mixer having a class AB input section. A current mirror in the class AB input section is also inductively degenerated for further noise reduction. The input section is biased by an all-NPN bandgap reference cell which is tightly integrated into the input section so as to reduce the power supply voltage required for the reference cell. The mixer can be optimized for wide input voltage ranges or low distortion.
US07917118B2
A receiver apparatus includes a band-pass filter having a variable frequency band coupled to a node for receiving a received signal including a plurality of channels to output at an output node thereof a limited-band signal made by limiting a frequency band of the received signal to a frequency band of a desired channel, a frequency conversion unit coupled to the output node of the band-pass filter to output at an output node thereof an intermediate frequency signal made by converting frequencies of the limited-band signal, and a control unit configured to adjust an intermediate frequency of the intermediate frequency signal by controlling the frequency conversion unit in response to at least one of a signal speed and a channel frequency interval of the received signal.
US07917116B2
Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for antenna selection diversity with prediction. An antenna diversity system may use information that it has stored on the antenna selection process in previous frames to predict the starting receiving antenna and the starting transmission antenna for the next frame. The prediction may be based on which antennas were selected in previous frames or may be based metrics associated with performance of the antennas. Prediction may be based on a majority polling scheme of previously selected antennas in a determined number of previous frames. Prediction may also be based on a weighted sum of at least one selection metric for all antennas in a determined number of previous frames. Antenna prediction provides a significant performance improvement by reducing the processing and operational overhead in cases where a transmit or a receive antenna dominates.
US07917115B2
Methods and systems for auto detecting and auto switching antennas in a multi-antenna FM transmit/receive system are disclosed and may include detecting when an external antenna may be coupled to an external port of the wireless device and utilizing the external antenna for transmitting and/or receiving FM signals. The decoupling of an external antenna from an external port may be detected, which may cause the FM radio transmitter/receiver to be configured to transmit and/or receive FM signals utilizing antennas internal to the wireless device. One or more test signals, which may include AC signals, may be generated within the chip for detecting whether an external antenna may be coupled to an external port. A reflected signal from an external port may be measured and compared to a prestored value corresponding to a reflection due to an open circuit at the one or more external ports of the wireless device.
US07917114B2
The present invention relates to a DC offset canceling circuit. In one aspect of the invention, a DC offset canceling circuit with independently configurable gain and roll-off frequency is provided. In one embodiment of the present invention, the DC offset canceling circuit is used in the receive path of a down-conversion wireless receiver. In another aspect of the invention, a method for independently varying the gain and the roll-off frequency of the DC offset canceling circuit is provided. In one embodiment, the method is used to independently operate a gain control scheme and a DC offset cancellation strategy in a DC canceling circuit.
US07917113B2
A method for synchronizing measurements in a mobile communication apparatus having a first active radio access means (100) adapted to communicate according to a first radio access technology (RAT) and at least a second passive radio access means (200) adapted to communicate according to a second RAT. A time reference common to the first and the second access means (100) is generated. At least one time schedule is obtained, said schedule indicating at least one time gap wherein the second access means (200) is allowed to be active. The activation time of the schedule is based on the common time reference. An arrangement adapted to generate the common time reference and the time schedule is also disclosed.
US07917110B2
A cognitive radio system includes: a state detecting device that scans a frequency band allocated to another radio system than the cognitive radio system to detect a first use-state of the frequency band; a first server including a first gathering unit that receives first information relating to the first use-state and a second gathering unit; a second server that stores a second use-state of the frequency band allocated to the other radio system, the second server configured to provide second information relating to the second use-state to the second gathering unit; and a notifying unit that notifies a terminal device in the cognitive radio system of information of an available channel based on the first information and the second information.
US07917109B2
To make possible communication between a MOST network and an external receiver and an external transmitter, the MOST network is connected to an interface, which transforms data in the MOST standard into a standard suitable for the external receiver, and transforms data received from the external transmitter into the MOST standard.
US07917108B2
A system and method for processing signals are disclosed. The method may include scrambling a first composite signal comprising N orthogonal sequences to generate a set of N channel signals. A second composite signal including M orthogonal sequences may be scrambled to generate a set of M channel signals. The M orthogonal sequences may be a subset of the N orthogonal sequences. The generated set of N channel signals and the generated set of M channel signals may be combined to generate K channel signals. K multiplexed channels may include the N channel signals and the M channel signals. The N channel signals may correspond to N antenna elements, and the M channel signals may correspond to M antenna elements. Each of the N channel signals may be spread utilizing a corresponding one of the N orthogonal sequences.
US07917107B2
A method for selecting antennas in a multiple-input, multiple-output wireless communications network that includes multiple stations is presented. Each station includes a set of transmit RF chains and a set of receive RF chains, and each RF chain is connectable to a set of antennas. A first station transmits a training frame for each possible subset of the set of antennas, and the set of transmit RF chains are connected to the subset of antennas according to a connection mapping rule while transmitting each training frame. A subchannel matrix is estimated in a second station for each frame. The subchannel matrices are combined to obtain a complete channel matrix. A particular subset of the antennas is selected according to the complete channel matrix. The set of transmit RF chains is connected to the selected particular subset of antennas to transmit data from the first station to the second station.
US07917106B2
An RF power amplifier system comprises an amplitude control loop and a phase control loop. The amplitude control loop adjusts the supply voltage to the power amplifier based upon the amplitude correction signal indicating the amplitude difference between the amplitude of the input signal and an attenuated amplitude of the output signal. The phase control loop adjusts the phase of the input signal based upon a phase error signal indicating a phase difference between phases of the input signal and the output signal. The phase control loop may comprise one or more variable phase delays introducing a relative phase delay to allow the phase differences between the input and output signals of the PA circuit to be within a range compatible with a phase comparator generating the phase error signal, and a low frequency blocking module that removes the larger extent, lower frequency components of the phase error signal.
US07917104B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; and wherein the RF matching network is tuned to optimize the RF matching network and wherein said tuning is limited by a predetermined number of tuning steps that are taken within a transmit burst and/or limited by the magnitude of each step taken within a transmit burst and/or limited to the steps only being allowed between bursts.
US07917101B2
Certain aspects of a method and system for processing signals in a communication system may include maximizing system capacity for a time division duplex (TDD) multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink system, based on a single signal for a single user within a reduced search range or the single signal for the single user and at least one other signal for one other user within a remaining portion of the reduced search range. The reduced search range may be generated by sorting a plurality of signals based on a channel gain corresponding to each of the plurality of signals. The single signal for the single user may be selected from the reduced search range corresponding to a channel gain that is greater than a channel gain corresponding to a remaining portion of the reduced search range.
US07917094B2
A method and apparatus to reduce the overhead of frequently sent signaling messages is provided. Various methods are presented which facilitate conveying information that is unchanged from information in the earlier part of the message, or in a previous signaling message, without sending the previous information in its entirety.
US07917093B2
A wireless monitoring system using a base station and a child station, includes the base station including a base-station transmitting and a base-station receiving antenna, and the child station including a child-station receiving antenna, a nonlinear, a smoothing circuit, a first high-frequency band-pass filter, an intermediate-frequency band-pass filter, a demodulator, a baseband, a modulator, and a child-station transmitting antenna. The base-station transmitting antenna and the child-station receiving antenna include circularly-polarized antennas which have a same rotating direction, and the child-station transmitting antenna and the base-station receiving antenna include circularly-polarized antennas which have a polarization characteristic rotating in a direction opposite to the base-station transmitting antenna and the child-station receiving antenna.
US07917086B2
A charger and an electronic instrument include a planar air-core coil, a magnetic sheet disposed on a side of the planar air-core coil that is opposite to a transmission side, and a housing disposed at a position that faces the transmission side of the planar air-core coil. The housing includes a positioning protrusion that is formed on an inner surface of the housing and positions the planar air-core coil, and a positioning protrusion or a positioning depression formed by an outer surface.
US07917082B2
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling access of a mobile audio device to a cluster of compatible devices. More particularly, the invention pertains to a method to establish communications between a portable audio player and one or more audio players within a cluster. By way of example, users can use identifiers and matching to decide whether to accept or reject a requesting audio player to join the cluster. Further, the identifiers may be stored on the audio players for future reference. Also, directional exchange of information can allow a user to visually select members of the cluster. In a further example, a mobile audio device is configured to communicate within a cluster of audio devices. In addition, the broadcasting responsibility can be transferred among members of the group.
US07917077B2
A waste-toner housing device that is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus for housing waste toner includes a waste-toner container and a first conveying member and a second conveying member that convey the wasted toner. The first conveying member and the second conveying member are arranged inside the waste-toner container in such a manner that the second conveying member is located at an elevated level with respect to the first conveying member.
US07917073B2
A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure member that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, and at least one fixed sliding member on which the fixing belt slides. The fixed sliding member contacts the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt. At least one of the fixing belt and the fixed sliding member includes a non-continuous diamond-like carbon layer on a sliding surface between the fixing belt and the fixed sliding member. The non-continuous diamond-like carbon layer is formed from a plurality of diamond-like carbon layer portions that are separated from one another by grooves.
US07917068B2
A developing device is disposed facing an image bearing body that bears a latent image. The developing device includes a developer bearing body that bears a developer for developing the latent image. The developer includes mother particles and external additives. A liberation amount T (weight parts) of the external additives liberated from the mother particles with respect to 100 weight parts of the mother particles, a surface roughness Rz (m) of the developer bearing body, and a circumferential speed Vd (mm/s) of the developer bearing body satisfy the following relationships: 1.326×10−1≦T≦2.142×10−1 (weight parts), 7.1×10−6≦Rz≦15.0×10−6 (m), 161.5≦Vd≦189.2 (mm/s), and 4.98×10−6≦(T×Rz/Vd)≦1.99×10−5 (s).
US07917064B2
A charge roll includes a roll member that contacts an image carrier and rotates, the roll member including a conductive material that charges the surface of the image carrier, and the roll member having particles on the outer circumferential surface of the roll member to have a surface roughness within a predetermined range.
US07917051B2
An image forming apparatus wherein a printing medium can be prevented from being stained with toner leaking out of a developing device. As a photosensitive drum rotates in a direction, an air flow in the rotating direction is generated around the photosensitive drum. Guides that define a part of a sheet path are disposed to guide a sheet to between a transfer roller and the photosensitive drum. The guides are located in positions downstream from the developing device and upstream from the transfer roller with respect to the rotating direction of the photosensitive drum and face the photosensitive drum. A fan is disposed to generate an air flow passing below the guides. An air passage for directing part of the air flow generated around the photosensitive drum to the air flow passing below the guides is made in a position upstream from the sheet path and downstream from the developing device with respect to the rotating direction of the photosensitive drum.
US07917049B2
A control method for monitoring the cleaning performance of a single or multiple blade xerographic cleaning subsystem includes looking at the photoreceptor post-cleaner with a full width array sensor and adjusting the blade load on the photoreceptor to the minimum required to maintain effective cleaning. Blade load is adjusted using a stepper motor. Monitoring of cleaning failures can be done during non-print time, when a toner patch is developed to evaluate cleaning. Re-adjustment is needed periodically since environmental stresses can change, and the blade ages due to set and wear. Two toner patches at the ends of the blade with two stepper motors can be used to assure the same load from end to end.
US07917046B2
The first direct-current bias power supply applying the first direct-current bias Vdc1 and the first alternating-current bias power supply applying the first alternating-current bias Vac1 are connected to a development roller. The second direct-current bias power supply applying the second direct-current bias Vdc2 and the second alternating-current bias power supply applying the second alternating-current bias Vac2 are connected to a magnetic roller. The peak-to-peak value Vpp of the first alternating-current bias Vac1 applied to the development roller remains the same, and the second alternating-current bias Vac2 that is in phase with the first alternating-current bias Vac1 and that has a peak-to-peak value of a predetermined value or above is applied to the magnetic roller. Thus, the potential difference between the peak voltage of the development bias on the opposite polarity side to the polarity of the toner and the peak voltage of a supply bias is set at a predetermined value or below.
US07917044B2
A consumable component sorting system which make it possible to prolong the service life of a consumable component and reduce cost burdened on a user. An image forming apparatus collects information on its own operational environment or operational condition. A data server estimates a change in characteristics of the consumable component used in the image forming apparatus based on the information on the operational environment or the operational condition of the same collected thereby. A component managing server sorts out a consumable component suited to the operational environment or the operational condition of the image forming apparatus, based on the result of the estimation of the data server.
US07917042B2
A novel 100+ Gbit/s opto-electronic receiver uses hybrid integration of a photodiode and a demultiplexer. The photodiode converts a high speed optical data stream to an electrical data stream that is input to an electronic demultiplexer. The photodiode and the demultiplexer are connected together by a novel planar microwave transmission structure.
US07917039B1
Methods, apparatus and systems for an optical system for data harvesting and pattern recognition. The system includes a mode locked laser for producing a comb of optical frequencies that is split into two identical combs, a wavelength division demultiplexer separate the individual optical frequency components of one comb and modulates each optical frequency component with a different one of plural target objects. A second modulator modulates an input signal with the second comb and an optical splitter splits the modulated signal into plural optical frequency components each containing the input signal. An optical combiner simultaneously combines the components containing the real time signal with one of the components containing a target object to produce a temporally modulated interferogram, and a comparator simultaneously compares the two on a comb by comb basis using balanced differential detection to determine any of the plural target objects are found in the input signal.
US07917038B2
An optical transmitting circuit (2) modulates multimode oscillation light using an information signal, subjects at least one oscillation-mode light beam of the multimode oscillation light to a predetermined operation, and outputting the result to an optical transmission channel. An optical receiving circuit (8) receives an optical signal transmitted through the optical transmission channel, subjects the received optical signal to an operation reverse to the predetermined operation to recover an optical signal as it was before being subjected to the predetermined operation, and converting the recovered optical signal into an electrical signal, thereby reproducing the information signal.
US07917037B2
A shield device for preventing the emission of electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) from an optoelectronic device, such as an optical transceiver, is disclosed. In particular, an EMI shield is disclosed for placement within an optical transceiver module in order to intercept and absorb EMI produced by electronic components included within the transceiver. This absorption by the EMI shield prevents EMI from escaping the optical transceiver module and interfering with other electronic components that are typically placed in close proximity to the transceiver. The EMI shield in one embodiment includes a sheet of EMI absorbing material that is sized for placement within the transceiver. The EMI shield can be interposed between an outer shell of the transceiver and electronic components located on a printed circuit board that is disposed within the transceiver. The proximity of the EMI shield to the EMI-producing electronic components maximizes EMI absorption by the shield.
US07917031B2
A device and method for stabilizing the polarization of polarization multiplexed optical radiation includes an identified channel which is provided with a pilot signal. The device and method are based on providing to the polarization multiplexed optical radiation a controllable polarization transformation; measuring the optical power of a polarized portion of the identified channel downstream the polarization transformation; controlling, responsively to the optical power, the controllable polarization transformation so that the identified channel downstream the polarization transformation has a predefined polarization azimuth; providing to the optical radiation downstream the polarization transformation a further controllable polarization transformation; measuring the optical power of a polarized portion of the identified channel downstream the further controllable polarization transformation; and controlling, responsively to the optical power, the further controllable polarization transformation so that the identified channel downstream the further controllable polarization transformation has a predefined state of polarization.
US07917020B2
An information processing device includes a processing unit that recognizes an action based on sensor data output by a sensor and obtained in a same timing as a photographing timing of an image string. The processing unit associates information indicating the action as information for a selection of a reproduction position at a time of a reproduction of the image string with the image string. In addition, the processing unit extracts a plurality of features from the sensor data. The processing unit recognizes the action based on a time series of the plurality of features using a model for a recognition.
US07917000B2
A video recording apparatus provides a slow motion effect or a quick motion effect by digitally converting the frame-rate instead of by changing the playback speed of the film, and using few recording media without requiring any special device at playing. A picture encoding part encodes only valid frames by changing a rate-controlling method so that a predetermined playing frame-rate is obtained at a standard data-rate at playing. And a TS multiplexing part multiplexes by converting a frequency of a standard STC clock by only a ratio of valid frame-rate and playing frame-rate, and generating values for PCR, PTS, and DTS.
US07916965B2
A method includes making a first determination as to whether a current pixel has a value which reflects a mosquito noise artifact, and determining whether to apply a filtering process at the current pixel based on a result of the first determination. In addition, or alternatively, a method includes making a second determination as to whether a current pixel has a value which reflects a ringing artifact, and determining whether to apply a filtering process at the current pixel based on a result of the second determination.
US07916964B2
An image processing apparatus and an image processing method for amplifying an image signal are provided without reducing an image size and without lowering a sense of resolution. An edge-direction detecting arithmetic section (2) detects an edge minimum direction from extracted Bayer data (BAY). An assigning arithmetic section (4) assigns a coefficient in which weighting is applied in the edge minimum direction of the extracted Bayer data (BAY) at a higher distribution ratio than other directions to a spatial filter kernel. In other words, the coefficient of the spatial filter kernel is changed in accordance with the edge minimum direction. A pixel adding arithmetic section (5) performs a sensitization process of extracted Bayer data (BAY). Therefore, it becomes possible to selectively perform a low-pass filtering process in the edge minimum direction. As a result, a sense of resolution can be prevented from being lost during the low-pass filtering process, and the sharpness of the outline of an image can be maintained.
US07916963B2
The present invention introduces an intuitive system for digital processing. The system of the present invention allows a user to enhance digital images that appear dark or dull. In one embodiment, the user activates an image enhancement button on a graphical user interface using cursor control device such as a mouse button. In one embodiment, the digital image enhancement system is implemented using a nonlinear brightness level transformation correction and a pseudo gamma correction. The parameters for both the nonlinear brightness level transformation correction and a pseudo gamma correction are determined from examining the properties of the image to be enhanced.
US07916958B2
Image pixel intensity data is transformed to a holographic representation of the image. A subset of the holographic representation is modeled. Model parameters constitute a compressed image representation. A two-dimensional Fourier transform can be applied to obtain the holographic image. Modeling includes applying an analysis portion of an adaptive analysis/synthesis prediction methodology to a subset of the holographic representation. Linear prediction can be the adaptive analysis/synthesis prediction methodology. Prior to modeling, one-dimensional Fourier transform can be performed on the holographic representation and the linear prediction is one-dimensional. Model parameters are preferably quantized. Embodiments include determining error between the model and the model's input data. There the compressed image representation the error, which also can be quantized. The subset of the holographic representation can be less than all the representation. The subset can be a plurality of complete rows; preferably substantially symmetric about 0 Hz.
US07916956B1
A display encoding system is disclosed. The display encoding system includes at least one processor, an encoding circuit, the encoding circuit having a structure separate from the structure of the processor(s), a communication connection to a computer network, a drawing memory, a traffic manager, and a memory access circuit. The processor(s) are configured to execute drawing commands, access the drawing memory via the memory access circuit to store image representation(s) in the drawing memory. The encoding circuit is configured to access the drawing memory to encode at least a portion of the image representation(s) stored in the drawing memory based on the executed drawing commands. The traffic manager is configured to transmit the encoded image over the communication connection to at least one display device.
US07916951B2
A color-based imaging system and method for the detection and classification of insects and other arthropods are described, including devices for counting arthropods and providing taxonomic capabilities useful for pest-management. Some embodiments include an image sensor (for example, a digital color camera, scanner or a video camera) with optional illumination that communicates with a computer system. Some embodiments include a color scanner connected to a computer. Sampled arthropods are put on a scanner to be counted and identified. The computer captures images from the scanner, adjusts scanner settings, and processes the acquired images to detect and identify the arthropods. Other embodiments include a trapping device and a digital camera connected by cable or wireless communications to the computer. Some devices include a processor to do the detection and identification in the field, or the field system can send the images to a centralized host computer for detection and identification.
US07916941B2
Methods and apparatuses for color image restoration and enhancement. In at least one embodiment, color signals for individual channels of an image (e.g., red, green, or blue) are adjusted based on a weighted set of averages (e.g., of the entire image, the center portion, the surrounding portion, or other portions). In one example, pixels with extreme values of color signals (e.g., pure black or white pixels) are ignored for the purposes of restoring color; and, the different averages are weighted according to the pixel location (e.g., the distance from the pixel to a center point). In one example, after color restoration for individual channels, the luminance of each pixel is adjusted back to their original levels; and the range of luminance of the image is further adjusted to provide improved brightness and contrast, where in determining the luminance the red, green and blue color channels are given an equal weight.
US07916940B2
A full color output image is estimated from a mosaic digital image, the output image is transformed from an original color space into a luminance/chrominance color space, chrominance components of the transformed output image are smoothed, the image is re-transformed back to its original color space, and corresponding pixels in the re-transformed image are re-set to sampled values.
US07916937B2
An image processing device performs image processing to an image represented by a plurality of color component planes and includes a correction unit and an erroneous correction detection unit. The correction unit corrects a color shift in the image. The erroneous correction detection unit judges that the correction unit has made an erroneous correction by comparing the images before and after the correction. More preferably, the erroneous correction detection unit judges the erroneous correction when a chrominance of a portion to be processed of the image after the correction is not within an allowable range which is set using the image before the correction as a reference.
US07916935B2
An image containing one or more types of objects to be located is analyzed to locate linear features within the image. The objects have edges having known spatial relationships. The linear features and identified virtual lines are analyzed to find groups of linear features and/or virtual lines that have one of the known spatial relationships. These relationships can include parallel edges, edges that meet at certain angles or angle ranges, the number of lines meeting a vertex and the like. The identified group is compared with projected 2-dimensional representation(s) of the object(s) to determine whether any additional lines appear in the image that are part of the located object. In various exemplary embodiments, two or more hypotheses for how the identified group of linear features maps to the 3-dimensional representation of the object can be generated. The best fitting hypothesis becomes the recognized 3-dimensional shape and orientation for that object.
US07916928B2
A real-time dispenser fault detection and classification method for monitoring adhesive dots dispensed on a substrate by a dispenser includes dispensing adhesive on the substrate by the dispenser so as to form a plurality of adhesive dots on the substrate, capturing images formed on the substrate by the adhesive dots as soon as the adhesive dots are formed on the substrate, and comparing topology data of the images with predetermined topology data based on a predetermined comparison rule so as to create data about the operation condition of the dispenser.
US07916927B2
Building of a model profile for a target is disclosed. An embodiment of the method includes importing an image of a known object and superimposing, on this image, either by hand or automatically, an estimated profile. The estimated profile is defined mathematically and adjusted segment by segment in order to match the image such that the adjusted estimated profile may be stored alongside a diffraction spectrum associated with the image. Alternatively or additionally, a user may trace (or free-draw) the profile of a known image and subsequently map a shape-definer of a mathematical function such as a polynomial equation, a spline or a vector onto the estimated profile in order to obtain a profile and one or more variables of that profile that may be used to reconstruct the profile of an unknown object from its diffraction pattern.
US07916925B2
A system and method for accessing data to generate documents for use in MICR line testing. The system comprises a MICR testing station for testing MICR processing. The MICR testing station comprises a MICR line testing module for generating at least one MICR testing document for use in testing MICR processing. The MICR line testing module further comprises: (1) an application determination module for determining an application based on a bank selection provided by a tester, (2) a routing/transit number determination module for determining a routing/transit number based on the bank and the application determined, and (3) a tran code determination module for determining a tran code based on the routing/transit number determined; and at least one client station connected to the MICR testing station via a communications network, the at least one client station being used by at least one tester to provide particulars about at least one MICR line.
US07916922B2
In a method, apparatus, and computer program encoded with a data structure, for processing radiographic images and digital fluoroscopy radiographic (DFR) images acquired with the same imaging system using a single detector, three different types of image orientation are defined. These are a “system flip/rotation” that is dependent on the imaging system, a “pre-flip/rotation” orientation that is applied before the images are shown on a monitor, and a “post-flip/rotation” that is applied after an image is shown on the monitor. For this orientation change, the original image must be stored and subsequently manipulated. For pre-processing, DFR images are subjected only to the system flip/rotation, whereas radiographic images are subjected to the system flip/rotation as well as the pre-flip/rotation. For post-processing, both the DFR images and the radiographic images are subjected to the post-flip/rotation.
US07916920B2
A magnetic resonance tomograph is provided with a magnetic resonance system comprising at least two high-frequency transmitting/receiving units, each containing 1) a high-frequency transmitting/receiving coil, 2) a high-frequency current source that can be coupled to the high-frequency transmitting/receiving coil for transmitting, and 3) an amplifier that can be coupled to the high-frequency transmitting/receiving coil for receiving. A selector switch is provided, which keys a supply voltage to disconnect the amplifier during a transmission operation and the high-frequency current source during a receiving operation from the high-frequency transmitting/receiving coil. An inductor and a capacitor are provided between the high-frequency transmitting/receiving coil and the amplifier and form a series resonating circuit at the magnetic resonance frequency. A first diode is disposed between the selector switch and the capacitor of the series resonance circuit, and a second diode is disposed between the high-frequency current source and the high-frequency transmitting/receiving coil, such that the magnetic resonance system can be placed in a transmission mode by means of the selector switch, in that the first diode conducts and the high-frequency current source applies a high-frequency coil current to the high-frequency transmitting/receiving coil, and can be placed in a receiving mode, in that the second diode has high resistance and a voltage is applied to the amplifier from the high-frequency transmitting/receiving coil via the inductor and the capacitor.
US07916918B2
A method includes acquiring first imaging information of a region of interest, said first imaging information providing data correlated to three spatial dimensions of a reference frame including said region of interest; acquiring second projection imaging information of said region of interest, said second imaging information providing data correlated to said reference frame but is lacking information concerning at least one spatial dimension; and processing said first and second imaging information such that said first imaging information is registered with said second imaging information. An apparatus includes a first imaging system for acquiring imaging information of a region of interest, said first imaging information providing data correlated to three spatial dimensions of a reference frame including said region of interest; a second imaging system for acquiring second imaging information of said region of interest, said second imaging information providing data correlated to said reference frame but is lacking information concerning at least one spatial dimension; and a processor for processing said first and second imaging information such that said first imaging information is registered with said second imaging information.
US07916916B2
A method of providing remote navigation of a specimen includes receiving a command to remotely control a microscope and a camera coupled with the microscope to view a portion of a specimen disposed on the microscope, capturing a digital image of the portion with the camera in response to the command, representing the digital image as a plurality of digital image components, each of the digital image components providing a different level of detail of the image, and transmitting the components in sequential order of increasing level of detail from least detailed to most detailed.
US07916914B2
A method for processing findings entered in a mammogram. A digital mammogram is displayed via an evaluation device. Via an input device the findings are entered directly into the displayed mammogram and are automatically transferred from the mammogram into a findings input mask. To transfer the findings from the mammogram into the findings input mask, a contour line of an object area surrounding an object of the mammogram is determined. An object area of the mammogram is divided into two partial areas. Each partial area is imaged onto an allocated mask region of the findings input mask. The entered findings are allocated to one of the partial areas and are transferred into the findings input mask with reference to the allocated partial area. In this manner, a location of findings entered in a mammogram relative to the nipple can reliably be determined and transferred into a findings input mask.
US07916911B2
Method and system for managing multiple impressions of a patient's jaw for an orthodontic treatment is provided. The method includes scanning at least a first impression and a second impression of same jaw for the orthodontic treatment; determining if the first jaw impression and the second jaw impression have distortion in different areas; selecting the first jaw impression or the second jaw impression as a base impression; and replacing a distorted tooth data from the base impression with data for the same tooth from a non-base impression. The method also includes scanning at least a first jaw impression for the orthodontic treatment; scanning a bite impression for the orthodontic treatment; matching the scanned first jaw impression with the scanned bite impression; comparing bite information with a tooth occlusal surface; and determining if reconstruction is to be performed on the tooth occlusal surface.
US07916909B2
A method and means enabling identification in an NMR image, being one of a time-sequence of images recording induced changes in pixel values of successive images of a subject (such as post-contrast dynamic images), the contribution to the image arising from the presence within the image subject of a specified tissue (e.g. fat). This identification is done using a statistical measure derived from the dynamic data (e.g. pixel value changes due to contrast agent uptake) taken from a plurality of the separate images forming the time-sequence.
US07916908B1
A fingerprint imager uses a non-rectangular image readout to reduce the bandwidth and data size of the read-out image. Narrow-width rows in the central portion of the image are used to align successive partial image frames of the fingerprint to reconstruct a full image of the fingerprint using full-width rows of the fingerprint frames.
US07916905B2
The subject application is directed to a system and method for image facial detection employing skin tones. Image data comprised of a plurality of pixels encoded in at least a three dimensional component space is received and sub-sampled region data is generated from the received image data. A percentage of pixels having a low chroma value below a threshold value is then calculated and tested against a predetermined percentage threshold value. Each pixel is then classified in accordance with a skin tone model. Skin tone map data is then generated based on classification and a skin tone mask is output form the map data.
US07916904B2
An image capturing section captures a face of an observed person. A position detecting section detects, from a face image expressing the face captured by the image capturing section, one of a position expressing a characteristic of a nose and a position expressing a characteristic of a region between eyebrows. A computing section computes a past relative position of a predetermined region of the face that is based on the position detected in the past by the position detecting section. A region position detecting section detects a position of the predetermined region on the basis of the past relative position computed by the computing section and the current position detected by the position detecting section.
US07916899B2
A parameter selection section selects one from a plurality of image synthesis parameters stored in a parameter storage section according to an output of a vehicle state detection section. An image synthesis section reads out camera images from frame memories according to the selected image synthesis parameter and generates a synthesized image showing a state of vehicle surroundings. A moving object detection section detects, in the thus generated synthetic image, a moving object region estimated as a region where a moving object is present.
US07916898B2
A method and system for identifying an edge of a crop facilitates guidance of an agricultural machine or other work vehicle along an edge of a crop at an interface between harvested and unharvested portions of a field. A transmitter emits a plurality of a transmitted radiation pattern of one or more generally linear beams spaced apart within a defined spatial zone. A receiver collects an image of the defined spatial zone. A detector detects a presence of crop edge between a harvested and unharvested portion of a field based on an observed illumination radiation pattern on the unharvested portion formed by at least one of the generally linear beams. A data processor identifies coordinate data, in the collected image, associated with the detected crop edge.
US07916896B2
A motion information obtaining step successively obtains motion information from a motion sensor. An imaging information obtaining step successively obtains imaging information from an imaging means. An invalid information determination step determines whether the imaging information is valid information or invalid information for predetermined processing. A motion value calculation step calculates a motion value representing a magnitude of a motion of the operation apparatus in accordance with the motion information. A processing step executes, when the imaging information is determined as the invalid information in the invalid information determination step and when the motion value calculated in the motion calculation step is within a predetermined value range, predetermined processing in accordance with most recent valid imaging information among valid imaging information previously obtained.
US07916889B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing including a top wall, a keyboard supported on the top wall, and a speaker contained in the housing. A region of the top wall positioned on the front side of the keyboard comprises a palm-rest surface on which a user's hand is to be placed, and a speaker exposure surface including an opening part exposing the speaker to an outside of the housing. The speaker exposure surface is depressed and lower than the palm-rest surface.
US07916878B2
An acoustic device comprising a diaphragm (10) having an area and having an operating frequency range and the diaphragm (10) being such that it has resonant modes in the operating frequency range, an electromechanical transducer having a drive part coupled to the diaphragm (10) and adapted to exchange energy with the diaphragm, and at least one mechanical impedance means (20,22,24) coupled to or integral with the diaphragm, the positioning and mass of the drive part (26) of the transducer and of the at least one mechanical impedance means (20,22,24) being such that the net transverse modal velocity over the area of the diaphragm (10) tends to zero.A method of making an acoustic device having a diaphragm having an area and having an operating frequency range which includes the piston-to-modal transition, comprising choosing the diaphragm parameters such that it has resonant modes in the operating frequency range, coupling a drive part of an electro-mechanical transducer to the diaphragm to exchange energy with the diaphragm, adding at least one mechanical impedance means to the diaphragm, and selecting the positioning and mass of the drive part of the transducer and the positioning and parameters of the at least one mechanical impedance means so that the net transverse modal velocity over the area tends to zero.
US07916876B1
A system and method is disclosed for reconstructing high frequency components of a digital audio signal using a harmonic enhancer in a baseband integrated circuit of a receiver handset. The original spectrum of the digital audio signal is upsampled in a times two (2) upsample unit to double the size of the bandwidth. A low pass filter then removes a high frequency alias of the original spectrum. The spectrum is then modulated with a first carrier frequency and sent to a first filter bank where a low pass filter and a high pass filter shape the modulated harmonic spectrum. After gain adjustment, the modulated harmonic spectrum is added to a delayed version of the original spectrum. Additional harmonic spectra are similarly created at other carrier frequencies and added to the audio output spectra to reconstruct high frequency components of the audio signal.
US07916873B2
A parametric representation of a multi-channel audio signal having parameters suited to be used together with a monophonic downmix signal to calculate a reconstruction of the multi-channel audio signal can efficiently be derived in a stereo-backwards compatible way when a parameter combiner is used to generate the parametric representation by combining a one or more spatial parameters and a stereo parameter resulting in a parametric representation having a decoder usable stereo parameter and an information on the one or more spatial parameters that represents, together with the decoder usable stereo parameter, the one or more spatial parameters.
US07916870B2
Systems and methods for document control using public key encryption are provided. An interface program serves as a software interface between user applications used to create and access documents and a data storage system that stores the documents in an encrypted form. When a document is saved for the first time, information corresponding to the destruction of that document is obtained either from a user or in accordance with predefined criteria. The document is encrypted and stored with a pointer to an encryption key on a token/key server. When the document is subsequently accessed, the interface program will read the pointer and attempt to retrieve the key. If the key has expired in accordance with the destruction policy, the document is inaccessible. Otherwise, the document is decrypted using the key. Multiple documents may be saved according to the same destruction policy and even the same key, thereby greatly enhancing the ability to “destroy” documents regardless of their location with minimal process.
US07916865B2
A method for generating a plurality of control words, each control word controlling access to an object. The method includes providing a control word packet (CWP), generating a first control word (CW) from the CWP, providing a second CW generation input and producing a second CW based, at least in part, on both of the following the first CW and the second CW generation input. Control word generating apparatus for generating a plurality of control words is also disclosed.
US07916857B2
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for selectively processing or redirecting SCCP messages. According to one method, an SCCP message addressed to an STP and sent route-on-PC-SSN is received at the STP. It is determined whether the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP. In response to determining that the SCCP message can be processed locally by the STP, the SCCP message is terminated, processed locally, and a response is sent to the message originator. In response to determining that the message cannot be processed locally at the STP, the SCCP message is redirected to a destination.
US07916852B2
A method and system for providing a telephone caller information assistance such as driving directions from a starting location to a destination location. To obtain information assistance, the caller places a telephone call to access the system. If the geographical location of the caller can be determined by an automatic location identification system it is displayed on an operator console where the caller's request is transferred to be handled by a live operator. The operator receives the caller's destination request and queries the system for the street route driving instructions to the requested destination. After obtaining the street route driving instructions, the call can be transferred to an audio box having an interactive user interface capable of replaying the desired information to the caller. In an illustrative embodiment, the interactive user interface is capable providing functions to stop, start, pause, and replay the information to the caller.
US07916844B2
To facilitate real-time pricing, an embodiment of the invention retrieves multiple quotes from multiple databases associated with multiple service providers. Information regarding a customer's location, and the locations of multiple service providers are used to determine the cost of services associated with each of the multiple service providers in real-time. The retrieved quotes are compared, and quotes below a pre-determined price threshold are provided to a user in real-time (e.g., via the Internet). The user can select a desired quote from the quotes provided, and purchase or request more information regarding the desired quote online.
US07916837B2
A system and method for controlling the radiation emissions from an x-ray tube having an anode, a cathode, and a grid is disclosed. The system and method uses a continuous high voltage across the cathode and the anode of the x-ray tube, so that a high voltage is continuously applied to the x-ray tube between the cathode and the anode. The flow of electrons between the cathode and the anode is then controlled by a pulsed high voltage to the grid, the pulsed high voltage being of substantially the same magnitude as the continuous high voltage and being switched at a frequency of about one microsecond to provide alternate the polarity of the switched high voltage to the grid, so that voltage between the cathode and the anode is switched by the voltage applied to the grid by the source of pulsed high voltage, so that soft radiation emissions from the x-ray tube are minimized or eliminated.
US07916833B2
An extra-oral digital panoramic dental x-ray imaging system for multi-layer panoramic and transverse X-ray imaging provided with an X-ray source and a digital imaging device providing real time frame mode output and autofocusing. The X-ray source and imaging device are mounted in a mechanical manipulator defining the trajectory of a predetermined image layer. The imaging device communicates with a processor that generates a frames memory from which an image reconstruction mechanism composes the final images.
US07916831B2
An X-ray detector includes a single-layered semiconductor substrate having an array of detection cells which directly convert photons of X-rays into electrical signals; a first data collecting device which collects data with respect to the array of detection cells in a photon counting mode; and a second data collecting device which collects data with respect to the array of detection cells in a current measuring mode.
US07916827B2
The invention relates to a method for evaluating projection datasets of an object undergoing examination. Each projection dataset is assigned a swiveling angle and a recording instant. Each data element of each projection dataset defines a projection line along which an X-ray beam has traveled from an X-ray source to an X-ray detector. The projection datasets form recording groups each of which corresponds with the projection datasets that were recorded during a single swiveling action. A computer determines reconstruction datasets using the projection datasets. Each reconstruction dataset contains at least one reconstruction data value assigned to a reconstruction line. Using a temporal interpolation, the computer determines the reconstruction datasets in such a way that they refer to a uniform reconstruction time. The computer determines a reconstruction of the object undergoing examination using the reconstruction datasets.
US07916824B2
A method of operating a phase locked loop (FIG. 5) for a wireless receiver is disclosed. The method includes receiving a reference signal (503) having a first and a second plurality of cycles and receiving a feedback signal (512) having the first and the second plurality of cycles. The feedback signal is compared (504) to the reference signal. A plurality of phase errors is produced for each cycle of (UP, FIG. 10A) the first plurality of cycles in response to the step of comparing.
US07916823B1
Audio streaming is made available throughout the signal processing path of a speech (or audio) processor of a cochlear implant system. Audio streaming allows one to “listen in” to what a cochlear implant patient may be hearing. As an audio signal stream is received and digitally processed, it may be sampled at any of a number of sample points. The signal at a selected sample point allows appropriate diagnostics to be performed. An auto-referencing mixed-mode phase locked loop processes an asynchronous stream of digital audio samples that arrive at a consistent, but unknown, average rate. Once received, the average sample rate is extracted, and a local clock is generated at the average frequency. The incoming audio streaming samples are then re-synchronized with the local clock in order to allow digitally phase locked playback of the audio stream.
US07916820B2
A dual mode clock and data recovery (CDR) system is disclosed. A fast locking, oversampling CDR acquisition module can begin the process to quickly create a data acquisition clock signal in start up data acquisition conditions. When at least some data can be extracted from the incoming data stream, the CDR system can indicate such stability and switch to accept control from a low power CDR maintenance module. The low power CDR maintenance module can then fine tune and maintain the timing of the data acquisition signal. If the quality of the data lock under CDR maintenance module control degrades to a sufficient degree, the high power CDR acquisition module can be re-enables and re-assert control from the low power module until such time as the lock quality is again sufficient for the low power module to be used.
US07916819B2
A receiver system is provided. The receiver system includes a control unit for outputting a control signal and a selective signal, a PLL unit for generates PLL clock signals based on an initial clock signal, a phase select unit for selecting one of the PLL clock signals as a base clock signal according to the selective signal, a DLL unit for generating DLL clock signals based on the base clock signal, a sampling clock unit for generating left and right clock signals based on the DLL clock signals and a data latch unit for sampling bit data according to the left, DLL, and right clock signals to obtain left, middle and right data, which are feedback to the control unit for outputting the control signal and the selective signal to adjust the left, DLL and right clock signals or select the base clock signal for next bit data.
US07916818B2
A method is for estimating drift between a first clock used in a digital transmission processing of a first Ultra Wide Band (UWB) pulse train signal and a second clock used in a digital reception processing of a second UWB pulse train signal resulting from a transmission of the first UWB pulse train signal. The method may include sampling the second UWB pulse train signal, and calculating trellis information representative of a trellis having reference paths respectively associated to different reference values of the drift and including sample transitions of a sampled third signal from the sampled second UWB pulse train signal. The method may further include processing the sampled third signal along the trellis for obtaining a path metric for each processed reference path, and selecting the processed reference path having a greatest path metric, the drift being the reference value associated to the selected processed reference path.
US07916817B2
A method for reducing interference from at least one narrowband interferer in a pilot symbol assisted receiver (10) includes the steps of; receiving a stream of received data, passing the stream of received data through an adaptive filter that reduces interference from any narrowband interferer, passing the filtered data through a correlator (7, 8) arranged to detect pilot symbols, when a pilot symbol is detected passing the stream of received data to a receiving apparatus without first passing the received data through the adaptive filter (3), and wherein the pilot symbol includes one or more repetitions of known data or pseudo noise.
US07916814B2
A real-time pulse parameter estimator is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus has pulse detection logic, an abnormal pulse filter, and a pulse parameter estimator. The pulse detection logic is operable to detect pulses and to record an arrival time of each detected pulse. The abnormal pulse filter is operable to analyze the arrival time of the detected pulses and to determine whether there are any abnormal pulses based on the analysis. In one embodiment, the abnormal pulse filter generates an adjusted time difference of arrival (TDOA) signal for a pulse, based on a determination that the pulse is abnormal. The pulse parameter estimator is operable to estimate a pulse parameter for the signal based on an analysis of the arrival times of the detected pulses and information pertaining to there being any abnormal pulses in the signal.
US07916808B2
A modulation circuit uses pre-calculated and stored data to generate the modulated output. The modulator architecture uses pre-calculated, Gaussian filtered sine and cosine responses that are stored in a ROM (read-only memory) or other memory structure. The modulator output is then calculated as a simple sum of values read from the ROM and controlled by the input burst data stream.
US07916797B2
An error tracking apparatus and method for tracking a residual frequency error, a phase error, a timing error, and a signal amplitude variation to enhance a phase error tracking performance and a tracking speed in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system is provided. The error tracking apparatus and method include: a frequency error corrector for correcting a frequency at a time domain by adding a tracking carrier error estimating value to an initial carrier frequency error estimating value; a signal amplitude tracking corrector for controlling a signal amplitude by multiplying an input signal converted by a fast Fourier transform (FFT) by an output value corresponding to a calculated power of a receive pilot signal; a channel corrector for outputting a channel correcting signal by multiplying the receive pilot signal by a complex conjugate of a frequency channel response of the receive pilot signal; a carrier frequency error estimator for estimating a carrier frequency error parameter using the channel-corrected pilot and providing the tracking carrier frequency error estimating value; a time offset estimator for estimating a time offset parameter using the channel-corrected pilot; and a carrier phase error estimator for estimating a carrier phase error parameter using the channel-corrected pilot.
US07916794B2
A system and process for broadcast and communication with bi-level or sketch video at extremely low bandwidths is described. Essentially, bi-level and sketch video presents the outlines of the objects in a scene being depicted. Bi-level and sketch video provides a clearer shape, smoother motion, shorter initial latency and cheaper computational cost than do conventional DCT-based video compression methods. This is accomplished by converting each color or gray-scale image frame to bi-level or sketch image frame using adaptive thresholding method, compressing bi-level or sketch image frames into bi-level or sketch video using adaptive context-based arithmetic coding method. Bi-level or sketch video is particularly suitable to such small devices as Pocket PCs and mobile phones that possess small display screen, low bandwidth connection, and light computational power.
US07916792B2
Disclosed is a management apparatus and method of 32-bit double VLD buffers capable of reading a bitstream for video decoding in a digital TV receiver in a predetermined bit data unit length. Particularly, the first VLD buffer is used for directly storing an input stream in bytes, and the second VLD buffer is used for reading and storing the bitstream from the first VLD buffer, reading the bitstream with the required bit length of the VLD by bit unit, and outputting it to the VLD. As a result, 32-bit data can be processed at once. In addition, the double VLD buffer structure also reduces the number of accesses to the VLD buffer and thus, the repetitive memory access procedure can be simplified for the VLD.
US07916778B2
A method analyzes a radio signal received via a wireless channel. The radio signal includes multiple frames representing a transmitted symbol. Energy of each frame is sampled during multiple of non-overlapping time windows. The sampled energies are stored in an energy matrix indexed by the number of frames and the number of time windows in each frame to analyze the radio signal.
US07916771B2
A method and apparatus for acquiring and tracking a BOC signal in a satellite navigation receiver includes a synthesized acquisition test function or a discriminator for code delay provided by combining a BOC autocorrelation function and a BOC/PRN cross-correlation function.
US07916769B2
An optical package includes a semiconductor laser, an adjustable mirror and a wavelength conversion device comprising a waveguide portion. The semiconductor laser, adjustable mirror, and wavelength conversion device are oriented to form an optical pathway between an output of the semiconductor laser and an input of the wavelength conversion device. The beam of the semiconductor laser is directed along the optical pathway and onto the adjustable mirror where the beam is reflected by the adjustable mirror onto the waveguide portion of the wavelength conversion device. The adjustable mirror may also be either thermally or mechanically deformable such that, when the adjustable mirror is deformed, the path of the beam along the optical pathway is altered thereby focusing the beam on the waveguide portion of the wavelength conversion device. The adjustable mirror may be adjusted such that the beam of the semiconductor laser is positioned on the waveguide portion of the wavelength conversion device.
US07916768B2
A Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) is disclosed, comprising an optical cavity bounded by a top mirror and a bottom mirror, wherein the top mirror has multiple layers of alternating refractive index, of which the bottom three or more layers of the top mirror are deep oxidation layers having an increased oxidation length, a light emitting active region between the top mirror and the bottom mirror, and an aperture with tapered edges between the active region and the top mirror, wherein the aperture has a thickness, a taper length, an oxide aperture length, a taper angle, and an aperture opening diameter designed to reduce an optical mode's diameter without significantly increasing the optical mode's round trip scattering loss.
US07916765B2
A control circuit for a laser diode is disclosed, in which the driving current may be suppressed even when the monitor PD breaks down to make the APC feedback control inoperable. The control circuit comprises an LD driver to supply the driving current to the LD, a monitor PD to detect a portion of output light from the LD, and the APC controller to adjust the driving current. The current limiter, when the driving current reaches or exceeds the threshold, controls the driving current Id so as to keep the current in a preset value or a value just before the extraordinary increase of the driving current occurs.
US07916759B2
A method of generating a code sequence and method of adding additional information using the same are disclosed, by which a code sequence usable for a channel for synchronization is generated and by which a synchronization channel is established using the generated sequence. The present invention, in which the additional information is added to a cell common sequence for time synchronization and frequency synchronization, includes the steps of generating the sequence repeated in time domain as many as a specific count, masking the sequence using a code corresponding to the additional information to be added, and transmitting a signal including the masked sequence to a receiving end.
US07916750B2
A system, method, and device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the device comprises logic to determine whether a received transaction layer packet (TLP) has a compressed header and, if the received TLP has a compressed header, logic to decompress the header.
US07916728B1
Upon detecting a data event initiating an update to a table, a first classifier index associated with the data event is identified. From a classifier table, the current position in a first dimension of the table associated with the classifier index is determined. An open position in the first dimension of the table is also identified. Updated data is stored in the open position within the table. In the classifier table, the open position storing the updated data is associated with the classifier index.
US07916713B2
The present invention provides methods and systems for detecting a start symbol of a second zone of a frame. One or more symbol indices corresponding to one or more symbols of the second zone of a frame are derived. One or more codes on pilot sub-carriers corresponding to the one or more symbol indices may also be derived. Based on the one or more symbol indices a set of possible start symbol indices is established. Thereafter, a frame is received comprising one or more of a preamble symbol, a first zone and the second zone. It is determined if the received frame comprises the second zone. If the second zone is present in the received frame, the start symbol index of the second zone of the received frame is determined based on the detection of one or more codes and the set of possible start symbol indices. The present invention further provides methods and systems for detecting a Nth symbol of a frame.
US07916709B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for a full duplex wideband communications system for a local (e.g. in-home) coaxial network. The system employs a Frequency-division duplex (FDD) scheme that allows identical wideband modems to communicate with each other. To achieve this, the wideband modems contain a duplexer and a switch that allows reversing the connection of the wideband transmitter and receiver to the duplexer. Each wideband modem includes a control modem that is used to control access to the wideband channels. A wideband transmitter, which may be included in a modem associated with a server set-top terminal (STT), transmits a video presentation to a wideband receiver, which may be included in a modem associated with a client STT.
US07916708B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to partitioning access points into two or more network access layers, such as overlay and underlay network access layers. According to one implementation of the present invention, a wireless network management system partitions a set of wireless access points into an overlay network for low-functionality clients and an underlay network for high-functionality clients. As described in further detail below, each of the overlay and underlay networks provides a class of network service, where each class of network service differs relative to at least one attribute (e.g., type of 802.11 access, data rates, High-Density, Quality-of-Service, encryption, compression, etc.). For didactic purposes, the overlay network is also referred to as the overlay network service layer (NSL) and the underlay network is referred to as the underlay NSL. In one implementation of the present invention, a partitioning algorithm is used to partition wireless access points into overlay and underlay networks. As described in further detail below, the partitioning algorithm, in one implementation, automatically assigns access points to the overlay and underlay networks based on the coverage needs of each network and the coverage parameters of each access point. In one implementation, the partitioning algorithm can be configured such that the overlay network provides maximum coverage for low-functionality clients, and the underlay network enables maximum performance for high-functionality clients.
US07916707B2
Techniques are provided for the relating identity information with wireless configuration information for a wireless device or a wireless network. A trusted system may be used to generate wireless configuration parameters for a wireless network based on identity information. The identity-based wireless configuration information may be stored on the trusted system remote to the wireless network and accessible to the wireless device. The wireless configuration may be migrated from the trusted system to the wireless device.
US07916704B2
A method of communication scheduling in a multihop network is provided. The multihop network comprises a base station and at least one relay station. The method includes allocating a downlink relay to a relay station; assigning a first one or more connection identifiers to be locally scheduled at the relay station for communication on a first portion of the downlink relay; and assigning a second one or more connection identifiers to be centrally scheduled by the base station for communication on a second portion of the downlink relay.
US07916703B2
In a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a method of transmitting a frame in the WLAN, mode information and an available data transfer rate of each wireless terminal located within a coverage of an Access Point (AP) are collected. A determination is made as to whether or not the AP transmits a Clear To Send (CTS) frame depending upon an existence of wireless terminals corresponding to the collected mode information before the AP transmits a data frame to at least one wireless terminal. A data transfer rate of the CTS frame is adjusted based on the collected available data transfer rate of each of the wireless terminals to transmit the CTS frame at the adjusted data transfer rate. Therefore, both the stability and the bandwidth effectiveness may be enhanced.
US07916698B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) base station having a wireless transceiver, and a controller to manage the wireless transceiver. The controller can direct a communication device requesting wireless access to another WiMAX base station upon determining that granting wireless access to the communication device reduces an operating performance of the WiMAX base station below its operating threshold. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US07916678B2
A system and method of providing advertisements to vehicles is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller adapted to communicate with a wireless access point and a database where the wireless access point is deployed in proximity to a target location and where the database stores format information associated with a type of media file supported by a media system of a vehicle, determine a location of a communication device that can communicate with a data network independently of the media system as the communication device travels in the vehicle, determine whether the communication device is within a target region, determine the type of media file supported by the vehicle media system using the database, transmit media content in the desired format via the wireless access point to the communication device for presentation on the media system when the communication device enters the target region, and cease transmission of the media content when the communication device leaves the target region. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US07916677B2
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to wireless systems, and also relating to power control techniques for wireless devices. One disclosed embodiment comprises a wireless receiver that includes a processing circuit. In one example embodiment, at least a portion of the processing circuit may process only a portion of an ID packet. The portion of the ID packet that is received and processed may be less than a full ID packet, which may provide power savings.
US07916674B2
When an intermittent communication mode is entered, a check period and intermittent reception mode period thereof are determined and the intermittent reception mode is reentered through an ignored process, that is, when the intermittent reception mode is entered, the check period and intermittent reception mode period are determined in overhead 101 thereof and data 102, 103 is transmitted/received thereafter through an ignored process.
US07916670B2
An apparatus and method for block acknowledgements with reduced recipient state information are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises the storing of a receive state for a block of frames received during a transmission opportunity (TXOP) with an on-chip state memory. Once stored, an immediate block acknowledgement, including the receive state information, may be transmitted to an originator according to a block acknowledgement request (BAR) received during the TXOP. In the embodiments described, the BAR is received during the TXOP in which the block of data frames were transmitted to a recipient. In one embodiment, the recipient is free to discard the receive state information to free space within the on-chip system memory by requiring the originator to maintain the receive state information of blocks of data frames transmitted during TXOPs. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07916665B2
A method provides for building a network coding scheme for the transmission of data between multiple source nodes and multiple destination nodes in a communications network having multiple nodes. The method includes the steps of: for each destination node, determining a first set of source nodes from which there exist disjointed paths, in the communications network, to reach the destination node; determining a second set of source nodes which is the intersection of the first determined sets for the destination nodes; and determining a sub-network for implementing the network coding. The sub-network includes source nodes which belong only to the second set of source nodes, the multiple destination nodes, and nodes included in the disjointed paths connecting the source nodes of the second set of source nodes and the destination nodes. The method also includes the step of building a network coding scheme based on the determined sub-network.
US07916663B2
A method of configuring an ad-hoc wireless network between an authenticator and a plurality of wireless devices seeking authentication includes assigning a wireless device as the authenticator and receiving a first setup message transmitted from a first device seeking authentication to the authenticator and initiating a first handshake process between the authenticator and the first device seeking authentication. The method also includes receiving a second setup message transmitted from a second device seeking authentication to the authenticator. The second setup message is received by the authenticator prior to completion of the first handshake process. The method further includes initiating a second handshake process between the authenticator and the second device seeking authentication. The second handshake process is initiated prior to completion of the first handshake process. Moreover, the method includes completing the first handshake process and completing the second handshake process.
US07916661B2
A method for estimating position using WLAN access point radio propagation characteristics in a WLAN location based service is provided. A location-based services system has a plurality of Wi-Fi access points in a target area. The Wi-Fi access points are positioned at geographic locations and have signal coverage areas. A method of characterizing at least one of the Wi-Fi access points comprises determining the geographic location of the Wi-Fi access point, dividing the signal coverage area of the Wi-Fi access point into at least one section, and determining radio propagation characteristics for each section. The radio propagation characteristics of each section characterize a radio channel of the Wi-Fi access point, and the characterization can be used in a location algorithm.
US07916657B2
Network performability characteristics with improved accuracy are derived by taking into account, in the various analyzed network failure states, attributes of elements at the logical level other than just the capacities of edges, as well as by taking into account one or more “abstract components,” such as scheduled maintenance, and by using multiple traffic matrices.
US07916643B2
A method, system and computer program product for limiting extreme loads and reducing fluctuations in load at session servers. An admission rate controller of a SIP router calculates the “deflator ratio” equal to the average number of in-dialog messages received over a first fixed interval of time divided by the average number of out-of-dialog messages received over a second fixed interval of time. Further, the admission rate controller calculates the “dampening ratio” equal to the maximum number of messages allowed over a period of time divided by the number of messages admitted over a previous time interval. When an overload condition has been detected, the admission rate controller calculates the maximum number of out-of-dialog messages to be sent to its associated SIP server based on the deflator and dampening ratios. In this manner, a smoother transition from the overload condition to the non-overload condition may occur.
US07916632B1
A packet header processing engine receives a header of a packet. The received header includes a size of the packet. A maximum transfer unit size of a destination interface of the packet may be determined. The packet header processing engine determines whether the size of the packet exceeds the maximum transfer unit size of the destination interface. If the size of the packet does not exceed the maximum transfer unit size of the destination interface, the packet header processing engine generates a new header from the received header. If the size of the packet exceeds the maximum transfer unit size of the destination interface, the packet header processing engine generates a fragment header from the received header. The packet header processing engine may recycle the fragment header for further processing in addition to forming a first fragment packet from the fragment header.
US07916631B2
A scalable messaging system for data transmission between the network devices, such as set top boxes, and a central system server, such as a server which maintains a database of event logs for the network. Individual routers at the data center broadcast an announcement packet indicating that they are available to accept messages from the network devices. The announcement message contains at least an identification of the router and the manner in which messages may be sent to it, e.g., one or more connection socket numbers and/or network addresses. The frequency at which availability messages are sent by the routers is preferably dependent upon the relatively loading of the individual router. Thus, the more heavily loaded a particular router becomes, the less often it will broadcast an availability message; the more lightly loaded it becomes, the more often such messages are broadcast. The network devices then transmit messages to the data center only in response to having received such a router availability announcement. The information in a router availability message can be used in various ways to construct a payload message back to the data center, such as by using ports numbers, persistent identification numbers, or Media Access Control (MAC) layer addresses, depending upon the topology of the data network. This protocol thus permits control over the generation of messages, such as connection request messages, which might otherwise flood a network with large numbers of end node devices.
US07916629B2
In order to overcome the defects of the centralized subscriber data management in the telecommunication network, a highly effective distributed data management system for the communication network is achieved in the present invention through improving and applying the distributed Hash table (DHT) technology to subscriber data management in the communication network, which overcomes the deficiencies of the conventional centralized data management. A method for processing subscriber data in a communication network based on a DHT is provided, which includes the following steps. A first node in a DHT overlay network receives subscriber data to be stored. The subscriber data to be stored is regarded as backup data divided into L/K portions. L is greater than or equal to a ratio of a node working bandwidth of a second node to a node recovering bandwidth for data recovery of the second node in the DHT overlay network. K is a total number of backup data and is an integer greater than zero. The subscriber data to be stored is regarded as master data, and the master data and K×L/K divided backup data are, respectively, stored in 1+K×L/K DHT nodes.
US07916625B2
Messages transmitted between a receiver and a transmitter are used to maximize a communication data rate. In particular, a multicarrier modulation system uses messages that are sent from the receiver to the transmitter to exchange one or more sets of optimized communication parameters. The transmitter then stores these communication parameters and when transmitting to that particular receiver, the transmitter utilizes the stored parameters in an effort to maximize the data rate to that receiver. Likewise, when the receiver receives packets from that particular transmitter, the receiver can utilize the stored communication parameters for reception.
US07916621B2
The present invention relates to a method for data transmission in a communication system. The method including, determining, at the transmitter, whether to transmit data signal using a single codeword or two codewords, when it is determined that the single codeword transmission is used, coding, by the transmitter, a control signal by using a first signal format, with the control signal coded by the first signal format carrying information regarding the single codeword, when it is determined that the two codewords transmission is used, coding, by the transmitter, the control signal by using a second signal format, with the control signal coded by the second signal format carrying information regarding both of the two codewords, transmitting the data signal and the control signal according to the determined transmission format from the transmitter to the receiver.
US07916607B2
In a recordable data storage medium on which property data was recorded after having been modulated and on which data that is decodable by a cryptographic key to be generated from the property data was recorded, the property data was preferably modulated by a different method from that applied to a read-only data storage medium. Then, an optical disc drive, having no ability to distinguish the recordable data storage medium from the read-only data storage medium, cannot read the recordable data storage medium. Consequently, a greater number of drives should be equipped with the function of recognizing the type of a given data storage medium and the copyright protection function should be consolidated.
US07916601B2
A write strategy method, medium, and apparatus. The method includes writing a signal to a storage medium by using a predetermined power and an initial write strategy, calculating variation characteristics of a data signal which separately correspond to variations of write strategy parameters, if the written signal does not satisfy initial quality standards, and calculating correlations among periods of the data signal and correlations among the write strategy parameters by using the variation characteristics of the data signal, and determining the write strategy parameters based on the correlations among the periods of the data signal and the correlations among the write strategy parameters.
US07916599B1
A method to balance spindles in a plurality of disk drives is disclosed and claimed. An initial imbalance and initial phase for one of the plurality of disk drives is determined, the determination depending upon an amplitude and phase calibration. One of a plurality of balancing masses is selected based on the initial imbalance and attached at an angular position selected based upon the initial phase. A final imbalance after attachment is similarly determined. These determinations are repeated for each of the plurality of disk drives, with the final imbalance and the initial imbalance recorded for each. The amplitude calibration is adjusted based on a comparison of a measured distribution and a theoretical distribution of the final imbalance versus the initial imbalance.
US07916595B2
A reproducing apparatus provided with identifying information acquisition means to read recording medium identify information recorded on a recording medium and a storage unit to store the recording medium identify information acquired by the identifying information acquisition means so that the recording media which have been played are registered as library information. When a recording medium is to be played, this library information is used to determine whether to allow bonus images to be reproduced.
US07916594B2
A data processing apparatus utilized for reproducing data from an optical storage medium has individual checking modules for separately controlling a data outputting operation of a data buffering unit according to the data buffered in the data buffering unit and a primary defect list, and for controlling a decoding operation of a decoding unit according to the data stored in a memory unit and a secondary defect list. The flow path of the related data processing method is therefore simplified because all the checking operations of the defective status of the data read from the optical storage medium are accomplished by the checking modules.
US07916591B2
An optical disk, which has a storage area is disclosed. Data is recorded and reproduced by emitting laser light into the storage area on the optical disk Power condition information and recording write strategy information which correspond to recording speed information for recording and reproducing data are recorded. The recording speed information is indicative of constant linear velocity and different linear velocity from the constant linear velocity.
US07916590B2
A specific recording pattern is sequentially written onto an optical disc using each of three sets of recording pulse conditions as trial writing. The recording patterns are reproduced sequentially. Edge shift amounts of a mark which corresponds to each of three sets of recording pulse conditions are measured from a reproduction signal. Compensation values for the recording pulse conditions are obtained from calculation by linear approximation based on the measured values.
US07916571B2
An apparatus comprising plurality of functional integrated circuit blocks, each manufactured with different oxide thicknesses on a monolithic integrated circuit die, is described. Using different gate oxide thicknesses for different functional integrated circuit blocks provides reduced power consumption and increases performance in processing systems. Several embodiments comprising different combinations of functional integrated circuit blocks, including processor cores and memory elements, are presented.
US07916570B2
In a memory device having a memory core and a signal interface, receiving a command that specifies at least a portion of a memory access. During the memory access, transferring data between the memory core and the signaling interface, and transferring the data between the signaling interface and an external signal path, and prior to transferring the data between the signaling interface and the external signal path, receiving enable information to selectively enable at least a first memory resource and a second memory resource, wherein each of the first memory resource and the second memory resource performs a control function associated with the memory access.
US07916566B2
A voltage control apparatus and a method of controlling a voltage using the same. A voltage control apparatus includes a signal generator configured to output a burn-in control signal and a burn-in precharge signal in response to an all bank precharge command, and a voltage controller configured to supply either a first voltage or a second voltage lower than the first voltage to a word line in response to the burn-in control signal and the burn-in precharge signal.
US07916565B2
A semiconductor memory device including a test circuit capable of reducing test time includes a test circuit for generating leakage current in the semiconductor memory device in a standby state in response to a test mode signal and a standby signal that provides standby state information of the semiconductor memory device.
US07916562B2
A clock driver device includes a driving controller configured to generate a clock output enable signal enabled in response to an internal read pulse signal and disabled in response to a data output enable signal and an internal clock signal, and a clock driver configured to generate a driving clock signal by driving the internal clock signal in response to the clock output enable signal and a power-down signal.
US07916557B2
A NAND interface having a reduced pin count configuration, in which all command and address functions and operations of the NAND are provided serially on a single serial command and address pin adapted to receive all commands and addresses, and data communication is performed on a number of data communication pins.
US07916556B2
A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell; a sense line; and a sense amplifier circuit connected to the memory cell via the sense line. The sense amplifier circuit includes a differential sense amplifier, a pull-up section, a read gate transistor, and a threshold correction section.
US07916554B2
Systems and methods for reducing delays between successive write and read accesses in multi-bank memory devices are provided. Computer circuits modify the relative timing between addresses and data of write accesses, reducing delays between successive write and read accesses. Memory devices that interface with these computer circuits use posted write accesses to effectively return the modified relative timing to its original timing before processing the write access.
US07916553B2
A processor-based system includes a processor coupled to core logic through a processor bus. This includes a dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”) memory buffer controller. The DRAM memory buffer controller is coupled through a memory bus to a plurality of a dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”) modules and a flash memory module, which are at the same hierarchical level from the processor. Each of the DRAM modules includes a memory buffer to the memory bus and to a plurality of dynamic random access memory devices. The flash memory module includes a flash memory buffer coupled to the memory bus and to at least one flash memory device. The flash memory buffer includes a DRAM-to-flash memory converter operable to convert the DRAM memory requests to flash memory requests, which are then applied to the flash memory device.
US07916547B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device has a NAND string, in which multiple memory cells are connected in series. A read procedure is performed for a selected memory cell in the NAND string on the condition that the selected memory cell is applied with a selected voltage while unselected memory cells are driven to be turned on without regard to cell data thereof. In the read procedure, a first read pass voltage is applied to unselected memory cells except an adjacent and unselected memory cell disposed adjacent to the selected memory cell, the adjacent and unselected memory cell being completed in data write later than the selected memory cell, and a second read pass voltage higher than the first read pass voltage is applied to the adjacent and unselected memory cell.
US07916545B2
A semiconductor memory device includes memory cells, word lines, a driver circuit, and a control circuit. The driver circuit repeats a programming operation of selecting any one of the word lines, of applying a first voltage to selected one of the word lines, and of applying a second voltage to unselected one of the word lines, to write data to selected one of the memory cells connected to the selected one of the word lines. The control circuit, while the driver circuit is repeating the programming operation, steps up the first voltage and keeps the second voltage constant until the first voltage reaches a first threshold. The control circuit steps up the second voltage after the first voltage has reached the first threshold.
US07916543B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, devices, modules, and systems for programming memory cells. One method includes determining a quantity of erase pulses used to place a group of memory cells of the array in an erased state, and adjusting at least one operating parameter associated with programming the group of memory cells at least partially based on the determined quantity of erase pulses.
US07916517B2
A circuit arrangement having complementary data lines of a dual rail data bus, wherein in a regular operating phase the complementary data lines carry complementary signals, and in a precharge phase the complementary data lines assume an identical logic state or the same electrical potential. The circuit arrangement also has a device for detecting manipulation attempts, the device having a detector circuit, which outputs an alarm signal upon the occurrence of an identical logic state on both data lines in the regular operating phase.
US07916513B2
A data storage device comprising a ferroelectric layer, a perovskite structure, and at least one sensor, where the perovskite structure has a polarity discontinuity configured to generate capacitance voltages in the perovskite structure based on polarization charges of the ferroelectric material, and where the at least one sensor is configured to read the capacitance voltages from the perovskite structure.
US07916507B2
Disclosed is a high voltage inverter for converting DC power to AC power with one or more AC output phases. The inverter has for each AC output phase an AC input phase circuit comprising first and second cold cathode field emission controllable electron tubes of triode, tetrode or pentode structure. Each electron tube has a first input node for connection to a high voltage DC potential in excess of 20 KV and a second input node for connection to ground. First electron tube is serially connected between a first end of a primary winding and ground, and second electron tube is serially connected between a second end of the primary winding and ground. Control circuitry controls the electron tubes so that the first and second electron tubes alternatively conduct so as to alternately bring the first and then second end of the primary winding approximately to the potential of ground.
US07916505B2
A method and apparatus for recovering leakage energy during DC power to AC power conversion. The apparatus comprises a leakage energy recovery circuit for storing leakage energy from a transformer and selectively coupling stored leakage energy to an input of the transformer.
US07916491B2
An electronic control unit includes: a printed circuit board, which supports an electric circuit, a plurality of electronic components electrically connected to the electric circuit, and at least one connector electrically connected to the electrical circuit. A housing accommodates therein the printed circuit board and comprises a base which supports the printed circuit board and a lid which closes over the base. At least one deformable, elastic, expanded blocking block is fixed to an internal surface of the lid near at least one electronic component, has sufficient thickness to vertically interfere with the first electronic component to be compressed between the lid and the first electronic component. It presents a larger area than the first electronic component to laterally encompass the first electronic component.
US07916489B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, a mounting structure includes a housing, an electronic component mounted at the housing, a pin-shaped terminal arranged upright at the housing, a circuit board having a mounting through-hole into which the in-shaped terminal is inserted, and a mounting support member positioned between the housing and the circuit board and fixed to the housing with the circuit board. In the mounting structure, the mounting support member includes a through-hole for positioning the pin-shaped terminal and an inclined guiding surface formed continuously with the through-hole for guiding a distal end of the pin-shaped terminal into the through-hole.
US07916488B2
A chip card holding module (24) having a connector portion (26) and a securing member (28) is described. The connector portion includes a base (261) defining two latching slots (263) on two lateral sides and a plurality of terminals (30) arranged on two opposite ends (261c, 261d) of the base. The securing member comprising a resisting plate (281) and a pair of connecting plates (282) respectively extends from two ends of the resisting plate, the connecting plates being inserted into the latching slots so as to define a space for receiving a chip card.
US07916485B2
A heat sink includes two heat spreaders spaced from each other and a heat dissipation fin disposed and connected between the two heat spreaders. The heat dissipation fin includes a plurality of hollow tubular heat dissipation units arranged linearly from one of the heat spreaders to the other one of the heat spreaders. The heat dissipation units are connected together with their axes along length directions thereof being parallel to each other. Each of the heat dissipation units can resiliently deform to change a distance between the two heat spreaders. The present disclosure also discloses an electronic device incorporating such a heat sink.
US07916480B2
A busbar assembly is configured such that the power devices (e.g., IGBT die) and diodes are directly mounted to the busbars. The busbars act as heat sinks, and may be cooled using micro channels, micropin fins, direct cooling, or any other heat transfer method. One assembly includes a plurality of busbars, a plurality of power semiconductor devices bonded to the plurality of busbars, and an integrated cooling system within one or more of the busbars.
US07916479B2
A heat dissipating system includes a chassis, a motherboard mounted in the chassis, a number of connectors mounted on the motherboard in parallel to form a passage between every two adjacent connectors, and a heat dissipating element mounted to the chassis and aligned with the passages. Each of the connectors includes a socket and an inserting portion. The socket defines a slot. The inserting portion includes a main body and a protrusion extending from the main body towards the slot. A cross-section of the protrusion is trapezoidal-shaped. A side surface of the protrusion is inclined to form an airflow guiding structure.
US07916478B2
The invention discloses an electronic device comprising a casing and a stand. The stand is detachably disposed on the casing for supporting the electronic device on a plane and rotatably disposed at a first position or a second position with respect to the casing. The casing has a first engaging portion located on a first side thereof. The stand comprises a second engaging portion pivotally connected to the first engaging portion along a first direction. An incline extending along a second direction different from the first direction is disposed on the casing. Once the electronic device is hit by a force and the stand is at the second position, the stand will slide along the incline and then the second engaging portion will depart from the first engaging portion, so as to make the stand depart from the casing.
US07916473B2
An open/close mechanism of a portable terminal is provided. The portable terminal is configured such that when applying a force to an upper body in a horizontal direction with respect to a lower body, a slide-slip module allows the upper body subsequently to slide in the horizontal direction and slip in a longitudinal thickness direction with respect to the lower body so as to implement an open state, whereby a step generation between an upper surface of the upper body and an upper surface of the lower body can be minimized, so as to achieve a structurally stable portable terminal.
US07916470B2
A docking plenum for a rack is disclosed. The docking plenum includes a pair of sides that are coupled to first and second panels at the top of the docking plenum. The panels at the top of the docking plenum are separated from one another by an aperture. The docking plenum includes a front opening and a rear opening between the two sides. Each of the front opening and the rear opening are sized to receive a rack. The placement of a first rack in the front opening and a second rack in the rear opening creates a heated air cavity that is formed by the racks, the floor of the docking plenum, and the panels at the top of the docking plenum. When the racks are placed in the opening, and when one or more fans in the computer systems are activated, the fans draw air from outside the plenum across the interior of the computer systems. Heated air exits the computer systems and enters the heated air cavity. The heated air exits the heated air cavity through the aperture in the top of the docking plenum. Each rack may include wheels.
US07916459B2
A key structure includes a key body, a key portion disposed on the key body and installed inside a slot formed on a case of an electronic device in a movable manner, and an actuating portion disposed on the key body and synchronally movable with the key portion. The actuating portion includes two actuators for respectively actuating a corresponding electronic switch of the electronic device.
US07916458B2
The present invention provides a modular controller that connects to irrigation modules with varying station terminals and a standard footprint size. Additionally, the modular controller includes surge protection options, wireless communication with PDA's and other external devices, no required position for each controller module to be connected, immediate display of station modules on the LCD display, retention of a water program if module is removed, communications module for flow monitoring, a modular transformer, rain sensor receiver within the housing, an improved 9-volt batter holder, and other aspects described in the present application.
US07916457B2
A multi-layered solid electrolytic capacitor including capacitor elements, each comprising an anode body having an anode portion and a cathode portion having a dielectric oxide film and a cathode layer formed in succession on a surface of the anode body, the capacitor elements being stacked on top of one another and the anode portions being weld-secured to anode mounting surfaces of anode mounting parts provided in an anode terminal. The multi-layered solid electrolytic in which the anode mounting parts are provided such that the anode mounting parts are disposed parallel to each other, and adjacent anode mounting parts are joined to each other by a joint part.
US07916451B2
A dielectric ceramic composition in a multilayer ceramic capacitor with a composition of formula: {[(CaO)t(SrO)1-t]m[(ZrO2)v(TiO2)1-v]}1-s-xAsEx wherein: A is a transition metal oxide; E is an oxide of an element selected from the group consisting of Ge, Si, Ga and combinations thereof; m is 0.98 to 1.02; t is 0.50 to 0.90; v is 0.8 to 1.0; s and x are selected from the group consisting of: a) 0≦x≦0.08, 0.0001≦s≦0.043 and x≧1.86s; and b) 0≦x≦0.0533, 0.0001≦s≦0.08 and x≦0.667s.
US07916449B2
The method for forming the microelectronic device having at least one two or three dimensional capacitor includes creating, on a substrate, a plurality of components and a number of superimposed metal interconnection levels. An insulating layer is formed above a metal interconnection level, and a horizontal metal zone of a next metal interconnection level in which one or more of the insulating blocks created from this insulating layer are incorporated is formed therein. The zone is designed to form a lower structural part of the capacitor.
US07916443B2
An antistatic device with multiple discharging intervals is applied to electrical components for providing an optimized protection against ESD (Electrostatic Discharge). The antistatic device includes a trace, a discharging portion and multiple grounding portions. The trace allows electrostatic current to pass through. The discharging portion is coupled to the trace. The grounding portions are placed around the discharging portion. A discharge interval between each of the grounding portions and the discharging portion allows the electrostatic current to be discharged through any of the grounding portions. Each of the discharging intervals is equidistant to facilitate equal discharge probabilities.
US07916441B2
A protection device for protecting an electronic circuit against a fault is described. The electronic circuit includes an output stage for driving a load and a driving circuit for driving the output stage. The driving circuit is configured to produce a drive signal in response to at least one input signal. The protection device includes a gating circuit and control means. The gating circuit has a first input configured to receive the drive signal, a second input configured to receive a control signal, and an output configured to activate and deactivate the output stage based on the drive signal and control signal. The control means produce the control signal in response to a detection signal representative of detection of the fault either of the load or of the output stage.
US07916412B2
A lens driving device has a stationary part including an iron shell, a movable part including a lens holder for holding a lens therein, and a driving part for moving the movable part relative to the stationary part. The driving part includes a plurality of magnets fixed to the iron shell, and at least one coil fixed to the lens holder. The magnets are divided into at least two layers stacked in the direction of the optical axis of the lens and a plurality of groups along the circumferential direction of the lens. Each magnet is polarized in the radial direction of the lens. The polarities of two adjacent stacked magnetic poles in the same group are opposite to each other so as to cooperatively form a magnetic circuit in a plane parallel to the optical axis direction. The coil includes an axis about which the coil is wound. The coil axis is perpendicular to the optical axis. The coil has an upper part facing one layer of magnets and a lower part facing the other layer of magnets.
US07916401B2
An optical lens system for taking image comprises, in order from the object side to the image side: an aperture stop; a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a plastic second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface, a convex image-side surface and at least one aspheric surface; a plastic third lens element with negative refractive power having a convex object-side surface, a concave image-side surface and at least one aspheric surface. The number of the lens elements with refractive power being limited to three. Focal lengths of the optical lens system, the first lens element, the second lens element and the third lens element are f, f1, f2, f3 respectively; Abbe numbers of the first and second lens elements are V1, V2 respectively, an on-axis distance between second and third lens elements is T23, and they satisfy the relations: 0.8
US07916398B2
This high performance front objective lens system intended primarily for use with a video inspection apparatus has a first lens set in the form of a doublet, with a second lens set intermediate the first lens set and the imaging plane. The second lens set includes a doublet and an adjacent lens. The overall system has an effective focal length of 50 mm, a front focal length of 38.75 mm, and a numerical aperture greater than 0.2. Further, the material of the doublets is chosen to have a small, gradual transition in index between the elements of the lens and the cement, minimizing back reflections and thereby eliminating the need for index matching coatings on the cemented surfaces of the doublets. Finally, the imaging plane of the system matches that of standard ring lights used with video inspection apparatus.
US07916386B2
Optical apparatus includes a multimode, gain-producing fiber for providing gain to signal light propagating in the core of the fiber, and a pump source for providing pump light that is absorbed in the core, characterized in that (i) the pump source illustratively comprises a low brightness array of laser diodes and a converter for increasing the brightness of the pump light, (ii) the pump light is coupled directly into the core, and (iii) the area of the core exceeds approximately 350 μm2. In one embodiment, the signal light propagates in a single mode, and the pump light co-propagates in at least the same, single mode, both in a standard input fiber before entering the gain-producing fiber, and a mode expander is disposed between the input fiber and the gain-producing fiber. In another embodiment, multiple pumps are coupled into the core of the gain-producing fiber. The pumps may generate light of the same wavelength or of different wavelengths. In accordance with a particular embodiment of our invention, we have demonstrated amplification of nanosecond optical pulses at 1545 nm in a single clad Er-doped fiber having a core area of 875 μm2; the core was pumped by a high brightness Raman laser at 1480 nm; and the pulses had a record peak power of several hundred kW.
US07916380B2
Various structures for variable reflectance rearview mirrors and variable transmittance windows are disclosed. One embodiment pertains to the provision of a polarized reflector in a rearview mirror. Another embodiment pertains to the provision of a switchable cholesteric liquid crystal element in a window. Yet another embodiment pertains to the provision of a plurality of apertures in a reflector layer of a rearview mirror where the apertures are sized and positioned in alignment with light emitting areas of a display positioned behind the reflector layer. In another embodiment, a moveable display or mirror element is attached to a rearview mirror housing.
US07916374B2
An optical scanning device is configured to identify a light-emitting unit at the start of writing on the basis of a sub-scanning resist displacement and selects a combination of four light-emitting units according to the light-emitting unit at the start of writing. The optical scanning device predicts the amount of deformation of pixel according to the combination and adjusts a light volume of light emission from a light-emitting unit to be corrected using the amount of deformation. Thereby, a pixel with an excellent shape quality can be constantly formed regardless of the combination of the light-emitting units and a pixel formed of multiple dots can be accurately and stably formed.
US07916366B2
An image forming apparatus which is capable of suppressing occurrence of color moire. A second storage unit stores image data associated with at least two colors. A controller reads out the stored color-specific image data while designating a reading position in a sub scanning direction of the image data. A transfer unit transfers a color image onto a recording medium based on the read-out image data of each color. An image processing unit corrects the reading position in the sub scanning direction of the image data of each color according to profile data of each color defined based on position curve information in the main scanning direction of the transfer unit, when the controller reads out the image data. The controller regenerates the profile data if at least two pieces of the profile data satisfy a predetermined condition.
US07916361B2
A double side image scanner includes a frame, a two-way roll feeder, a one-way roll feeder and an image sensor. The frame includes a track that has an entrance, a scanning line joined to the entrance and a circuit line joined to the scanning line. The circuit line is designed to return the medium to the scanning line. The circuit line has a junction point where the circuit line meets with the scanning line, an inlet through which the medium comes into the circuit line from the scanning line and an outlet through which the medium goes out of the circuit line toward the scanning line. A driving means mounted to the frame for driving the two-way roll feeder and the one-way roll feeder. The image sensor obtains image data by scanning the front and rear surfaces of the medium.
US07916349B2
What is disclosed is a system and method for diffusing pixel error in a halftoning process in a color management system. The present method divides a modified CMYK input into a real and imaginary portions. The real portion is the coverage achieved by a physically realizable positive dot. The imaginary portion comprises a an imaginary negative dot and an imaginary excess dot. Each of these dots are processed separately, on a per-pixel basis, in a novel CMYK to CMYKKpRGB conversion discussed in detail herein. Hierarchical thresholding is preformed on the conversion output to produce a high-quality halftone result. A cumulative pixel error sum is derived therefrom and combined with the input CMYK coverages of a next pixel. All pixels are processed. The halftone output generated hereby has the pixel error compensated. Other embodiments are provided.
US07916346B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium within a predetermined width for image formation, a deviation amount obtaining unit that obtains an amount of a deviation formed on a recording sheet by the image forming unit, a correcting unit that corrects image data of an image to be formed by the image forming unit, on the basis of the obtained amount of a deviation, a deficiency amount calculating unit that calculates an amount of a deficiency of an image which occurs in an area beyond the predetermined width for image formation as a result of the correction by the correcting unit, and the correcting unit is further configured to correct image data of an image to be formed by the image forming unit, on the basis of the calculated amount of a deficiency.
US07916343B2
There is disclosed a method of encoding a latent image. The method comprises providing a latent image to be encoded, the latent image having a plurality of latent image elements, each latent image element having a visual characteristic which takes one of a predetermined set of values, providing a secondary pattern having a plurality of secondary image elements, the secondary pattern being capable of decoding the latent image once the latent image has been encoded, relating the latent image elements to the secondary image elements, and forming a primary pattern comprising a plurality of primary image elements which correspond to the secondary image elements displaced in accordance with the value of the visual characteristic of the latent image elements to which said secondary image elements are related.
US07916340B2
A print system in which an image supply apparatus and a print apparatus directly communicate with each other, and the print apparatus prints an image based on image data supplied from the image supply apparatus, the image supply apparatus comprises a designating unit adapted to designate a print image from image data which is stored in a storage unit; a setting unit adapted to set a printing condition including a trimming range and a print size of the print image; a modifying unit adapted to resize image data of the print image based on the printing condition set by the setting unit; and a transferring unit adapted to transfer the image data of the print image resized by the modifying unit, and information of the trimming range to the print apparatus, the print apparatus prints an image based on the image data and the information of the trimming range.
US07916339B2
This invention relates to a technique that prevents an image from falling outside a given range when a printer is controlled to form an image on an arbitrary medium while assuring a margin of a predetermined amount. A host computer shifts an image by only a partial amount of a target margin amount in a predetermined direction within an effective print range of a medium. Furthermore, the host computer controls a printer to form the image by further shifting the image by nearly the remaining amount of the target margin amount so as to form an image within the effective print range. In this way, since the host computer and printer add a margin in two steps, print data can be prevented from falling outside a given range upon processing a binding margin on the printer side.
US07916337B2
A printing apparatus connected to an external apparatus for temporarily storing a print job including a plurality of pages of image data, receives image data related to the print job from the external apparatus and performs printing using the received image data, comprising a storage unit for temporarily storing the image data received from the external apparatus, a printing unit for performing printing using the image data stored in the storage unit, a determination unit for determining an amount of free area in the storage unit and a control unit for performing a control to switch storage of the image data in the storage unit from storing all of the pages of the image data to storing some of the pages of the image data, in response to the amount of free area determined becoming smaller than a predetermined area during printing.
US07916332B2
The present invention enables page-level or document-level print setup of an XPS document via a user interface. The print ticket of a page of interest is obtained by merging a job-level print ticket 1804, to which the page of interest belongs, a document-level print ticket 1805, to which the page of interest belongs, and a page-level print ticket 1806 of the page of interest. The obtained individual page print tickets are compared with the job-level print ticket and if there are differences, it is determined that this particular page has exception settings and the exception settings are saved and displayed.
US07916326B2
A system and method for efficient transfer of image data to a service provider comprises a digital image source, an image pump, and a communication path to the service provider. The digital image source may be connected to the image pump using any appropriate communication configuration. Digital image data from the digital image source is transferred to the image pump, which may format the digital image data to conform to requirements of the particular service provider. The image pump may also attach customer account information and user service selections to the digital image data. The image pump may then send the digital image data and any attached information to the service provider. The service provider responsively may perform the requested services and return a finished product to the user.
US07916325B2
This invention provides appropriate information of the next action or operation to be taken by the user on the basis of the property of a print job and status sent from a printer when paper-out information is sent from the printer while the print job is output to the printer having a plurality of paper supplying ports. To this end, it is monitored whether or not a paper-out message is received during output of a print job to the printer having the plurality of paper supplying ports. If a paper-out state has occurred, when the user has explicitly designated one paper supplying port, it is determined that the paper supplying port cannot be switched, and information that prompts the user to re-set paper sheets is displayed. On the other hand, when the user has not explicitly designated any paper supplying port, information indicating that another paper supplying port is selectable is displayed.
US07916321B2
A document processing apparatus reads document data and carries out a preflight check. In the preflight check, the content of the document is interpreted page by page to determine resources that are needed for output. Then, it is determined for each page whether the resources needed for output are available in a printing system. If a resource that is not available is needed, a warning is issued for the page. If the resources are available, intermediate data for a printed output is generated for the page. Then, a result of the preflight check is output.
US07916318B2
There is provided an image forming system that automatically discharges paper sheets other than poorly fed ones without making an emergency stop, even when poor paper feeding is caused due to a paper jam or the like. At paper feeding, information showing poor paper feeding is transmitted when the poor paper feeding is detected in supplying the paper sheets. At image forming, a determination is made whether the paper conveyance in forming the image is continued or stopped when an instruction, based on the information showing the poor paper feeding. At paper discharging, a determination is made whether the paper conveyance in discharging the paper sheets is continued or stopped when an instruction, based on the information showing the defective conveyance.
US07916316B2
Described are a printer and a method of controlling it, wherein when an out-of-paper error occurs and printing stops, a control unit clears any data in a receive buffer, and reports the out-of-paper error and print stoppage to a host computer. When a clear buffer command is then received from the host computer, the control unit clears the receive buffer again.
US07916314B2
The invention provides a facsimile apparatus that includes: a receiving section that receives facsimile data; a print head that discharges ink from nozzles so as to print out an image; a cleaning unit that cleans the nozzles of the print head; and a controlling section that controls the operations of the print head and the cleaning unit. In such a configuration of the facsimile apparatus according to an aspect of the invention, the controlling section commands the print head to perform facsimile printing by means of the received facsimile data only after the execution of nozzle-cleaning operations, which are executed by the cleaning unit under the control of the controlling section, if it is judged on the basis of the print image resolution of the received facsimile data that the execution of the nozzle-cleaning operations is necessary.
US07916306B2
The present invention provides an optical device, comprising an optical fiber and a cantilever that is arranged on an end of the optical fiber; The cantilever may be an integral part of the optical fiber, and may have a length that is substantially equal to a diameter of the optical fiber. Measurement means for measuring a displacement of the cantilever are connected to an opposite end of the, optical fiber. A method of measuring a displacement using the optical device comprises the steps of: —arranging measurement means, comprising a light source, on an opposite end of the optical fiber; —using the light source to send a beam of light into the optical fiber; —measuring the interference of light that is reflected on the end op the optical fiber and light that is reflected on the cantilever; and determining the displacement of the cantilever relative to an intermediate position dependent on the measured interference.
US07916289B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining the shear sensitivity of particles in solutions and methods of determining the respective shear velocities or the respective shear stress.
US07916284B2
In a scatterometric method differential targets with different sensitivities to parameters of interest are printed in a calibration matrix and difference spectra obtained. principal component analysis is applied to the difference spectra to obtain a calibration function that is less sensitive to variations in the underlying structure than a calibration function obtained from spectra obtained from a single target.
US07916283B2
A biological information imaging apparatus includes: a light source; an acoustic wave detector that detects an acoustic wave generated from a light absorption material in a living body that has absorbed a part of energy of light irradiated from the light source to the living body, and converts it into a first electric signal; a photodetector that detects optical intensity of a portion of the light irradiated from the light source to the living body and propagating in the living body, and converts it into a second electric signal; and a calculation unit that calculates optical property distribution information on the living body by making use of an analytical result of one of the first electric signal and the second electric signal for analysis of the other electric signal.
US07916282B2
The surface detection system includes a source of an optical interrogating signal (44) which accompanies a droplet spray in an oral cleaning device directed to an oral surface (46). The interrogating optical signal is reflected from the oral surface which the spray impacts and detected (48). A selected characteristic of the reflected signal, such as intensity, is indicative of the nature of the oral surface, such as either gum tissue or a tooth surface. The detected reflected signal is then processed to determine the nature of the oral reflecting surface. The processor (50) then provides a resulting output signal which can be used to either warn the user concerning the nature of the oral surface or to change the characteristics of the spray appropriately according to the surface (51).
US07916279B2
A measuring system includes a measuring apparatus provided at an already-known point, a plurality of light-receiving apparatuses provided at measured points, and a main calculating apparatus for instructing to the measuring apparatus and to the light-receiving apparatus, the measuring apparatuses including a wireless communication section for communicating a measurement data with the light-receiving apparatus or with the main calculating apparatus, wherein the measurement data includes an angle detected by the emission-direction detecting section and a distance measured by the distance-measuring section, the light-receiving apparatus including a light-receiving side wireless communication section communicating the measurement data of the measured point with the measuring apparatus or with the main calculating section, the main calculating sections including a main memory collecting and storing the measurement data which is measured by the measuring apparatus and by the plurality of light-receiving apparatuses.
US07916278B2
A computationless system is provided for determining the direction of and distance to a target, involving bathing an area surrounding an area to be protected with a polyspectral series of narrow fan beams of different colors from at least two spaced-apart projectors. The differently colored beams go out at different angles, thus to color-code map the area surrounding the protected space where beams of different colors cross to form color-coded cells. Light reflected back to the area to be protected from a threat has a color code corresponding to the colors associated with beams that cross at the threat, thus to identify by the reflected colors where in space the threat is located.
US07916272B2
This exposure system projects a pattern image onto a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid to expose the substrate, with a space between the projection optical system and the substrate filled with the liquid. The exposure system is provided with a vaporization preventing unit for preventing the vaporization of the liquid.
US07916269B2
An immersion lithographic apparatus is cleaned by use of a cleaning liquid consisting essentially of ultra-pure water and (a) a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ozone, or (b) hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of up to 5%, or (c) ozone at a concentration of up to 50 ppm, or (d) oxygen at concentration of up to 10 ppm, or (e) any combination selected from (a)-(d).
US07916258B2
An IPS-LCD panel includes first and second substrates, and a liquid crystal interposed therebetween. The first substrate includes common and pixel electrodes that are formed of a transparent conductive material. Because the common and pixel electrodes are transparent, aperture ratios of the inventive IPS-LCD panel are increased. Another IPS-LCD panel includes opaque pixel electrodes and transparent common electrodes. In forming the opaque pixel electrodes, a black matrix of the same material as the pixel electrodes is also formed on the first substrate. Because the inventive black matrix is much smaller than a conventional one, the aperture ratios of the second inventive IPS-LCD panel become higher.
US07916257B2
An LCD device includes a first substrate having a first base substrate, patterns disposed at different heights with respect to the first base substrate, and an insulation layer formed on the first base substrate and the patterns. The insulation layer has raised portions corresponding to the patterns. A side of the raised portions forms an inclination angle of no more than about 45° when a height of the raised portions is more than about 3000 angstroms, the side of the raised portions forms an inclination angle of no more than about 50° when a height of the raised portions is in a range of about 2000 angstroms to about 3000 angstroms, and the side of the raised portions forms an inclination angle of no more than about 90° when a height of the raised portions is more than about 2000 angstroms. Therefore, light leakage may be minimized.
US07916255B2
A liquid crystal device is provided, having one or several display segments, a first display substrate, a second display substrate, a layer of liquid crystal material disposed between the first and second substrate; and layer of conductive material disposed on the substrates. The conductive layers form electrodes for applying an electric field across the liquid crystal for switching the liquid crystal material between a first optical state and a second optical state different from the first optical state. Image features of the display are further defined by the inclusion of a layer of patterned non-conductive or passive dielectric material on at least one of the substrates, the patterned material forming a mask defining image elements of the display segments.
US07916233B2
An active device array substrate, including a substrate, a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines and a plurality of pixel units is provided. The scan lines, data lines and pixel units are disposed on the substrate. Each of the pixel units includes a first active device, a first pixel electrode, a first resistive device, a second active device, and a second pixel electrode. The first pixel electrode is electrically connected to a corresponding scan line and a corresponding data line through the first active device. The first resistive device is electrically connected between the first active device and the first pixel electrode. Additionally, the second pixel electrode is electrically connected to a corresponding scan line and a corresponding data line through the second active device.
US07916231B2
A display device comprising a plurality of scan signal lines; a plurality of picture signal lines three-dimensionally intersecting the plurality of scan signal lines; and numerous TFT elements arranged in a matrix; and having a display panel in which each of the TFT elements has a gate connected to one of the plurality of scan signal lines, and a drain or source connected to one of the plurality of picture signal lines; wherein the TFT elements respectively differ in terms of channel width, channel length, or both, depending on a distance from a signal input terminal of the scan signal line to which the gate is connected and a distance from a signal input terminal of the picture signal line to which one of the drain and the source is connected.
US07916215B2
A detection system and method for detecting received video signal type within a video device. The video device comprises a plurality of signal receivers; the signal receiver is used for receiving a signal, wherein each of the signal receivers receives one type of the corresponding video signal. First, the video device receives the signal, wherein the receivers receives a signal, directly detects one of the signal receivers which is carrying the video signal, and determines the type of the video signal being inputted to the signal receiver; and finally sending the video signal to an image processor for image processing.
US07916207B2
An apparatus for generating a focus data in an image sensor, the apparatus includes a green interpolation unit for generating a M×N green plane from the RGB bayer pattern of a predetermined selected image window through a green interpolation; and a focus data generation unit for extracting the focus data from the M×N green plane, wherein M and N are positive integers.
US07916202B2
If an image reproducing apparatus has a device-dependent color space conversion function that converts the color space of processing target image data to a device-dependent color space using a particular color space, (i) reproduction image data is generated by carrying out basic color space conversion to image data for which the color space specified by color space identification information is the standard color space, and (ii) reproduction image data is generated by carrying out device-dependent color space conversion to image data for which the specified color space is the particular color space. If the image reproducing apparatus does not have the device-dependent color conversion function, (i) reproduction image data is generated by carrying out basic color space conversion to image data for which the specified color space is the standard color space, but (ii) a notification indicating that the specified color space is not the standard color space is output where the specified color space is the particular color space.
US07916201B2
A mobile device, method and computer program product are provided for displaying a predefined subset of images captured on a display screen of a mobile device, thus eliminating the need to access a gallery, or image storage, application installed on the mobile device and, in some instances, open the mobile device, in order to view recently captured images. In particular, a user is able to define the subset of the images to be displayed as, for example, all images taken within the last day, week, month or even year, or all images taken at a certain location or at the location corresponding with the most recently captured image. Depending upon how the user has defined the subset, the mobile device will automatically update the subset of images displayed based upon the occurrence of various events (e.g., where the oldest picture of the subset was taken more than one day ago).
US07916200B2
The invention relates to image sensors using a chip with cut corners. The sensor comprises a chip with cut corners comprising a matrix (10) of horizontal lines and vertical columns of photosensitive members, the matrix having a generally rectangular shape of horizontal width W and having four bevels, the sensor comprising as many current or voltage read blocks as there are matrix columns, in order to read the image signals detected by the photosensitive members, characterized in that the current or voltage read blocks are placed in a row (30, 30′) along a horizontal edge of the matrix of width W′ and are all housed within a vertical strip, the width W1 of which is substantially less than the maximum width W of the matrix. There are two superposed rows of current read blocks with blocks distributed at the same pitch as the pixel columns, or there is a single row with read blocks distributed with a pitch less than that of the pixel columns. The invention can be applied to CMOS technology intraoral radiological sensors.
US07916194B2
An image pickup apparatus includes an element-including optical system, a detector, and a converter. The element-including optical system has an optical system and an optical wavefront modulation element which modulates an optical transfer function. The detector picks up an object image that passes through the optical system and the optical wavefront modulation element. The converter generates an image signal with a smaller blur than that of a signal of a blurred image output from the detector by performing a filtering process of the optical transfer function to improve a contrast. A focal position of the element-including optical system is set by moving the element-including optical system to the focal position which is corresponding to a predetermined object distance using a contrast of the object based on the image signal.
US07916191B2
An image processing apparatus includes: imaging means for capturing an image of an object of shooting; defective-position storing means for storing a position of a defective pixel of the imaging means; arraying means for arraying a plurality of pixels in a certain range of the vicinity of a noticed pixel of the image of the object of shooting output by the imaging means; when the noticed pixel is the defective pixel, prediction-pixel obtaining means for obtaining prediction pixels located at relative positions predetermined with respect to the noticed pixel and to be used for correcting the defective pixel out of the arrayed pixels; prediction-coefficient supplying means for supplying prediction coefficients corresponding to the prediction pixels; and calculation means for calculating a correction value of the noticed pixel by the sum of the products of the prediction pixels and the prediction coefficients.
US07916190B1
A digital camera has an integral flash and stores and displays a digital image. Under certain conditions, a flash photograph taken with the camera may result in a red-eye phenomenon due to a reflection within an eye of a subject of the photograph. The digital camera has a red-eye filter which analyzes the stored image for the red-eye phenomenon and modifies the stored image to eliminate the red-eye phenomenon by changing the red area to black. The modification of the image is enabled when a photograph is taken under conditions indicative of the red-eye phenomenon. The modification is subject to anti-falsing analysis which further examines the area around the red-eye area for indicia of the eye of the subject.
US07916189B2
In a color-noise reduction circuit in which a color-difference signal of a target pixel is substituted in a random substitution circuit (104) by a color-difference signal of another pixel within an area including the target pixel, a pixel-substitution color-difference signal that is the substituted signal whose high-frequency components are removed in an LPF (106) and the color-difference signal of the target pixel are added together in a summation circuit (108) at a predetermined ratio obtained by a pixel-substitution utilization rate calculation circuit (107), and is outputted as a noise-reduced color-difference signal of the target pixel. Therefore, efficient color-noise reduction and suppression of occurrence of color jitters can be realized.
US07916184B2
A moving image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit adapted to acquire moving image data captured with an image capturing unit and image capturing information of the image capturing unit associated with each image frame constituting the moving image data; and an addition unit adapted to add marker information for performing display control of a marker display to the moving image data, in association with an image frame that has been designated from the moving image data.
US07916178B2
Disclosed herein is a camera system and camera controller having a modularized design. Camera control functions within the controller are distributed among a number of modules, each module performing a component task of controlling a camera. Individual modules can perform tasks such as generating clock signals, digitizing an analog video signal, and providing multiplexed digital video output. Modules communicate with each other over a common bus sufficient to carry the signals necessary to control the camera. The system implements a RAM-based digital sequencer that provides the capability of loading bit patterns into memory and using these patterns to generate waveforms for clocking a CCD. Clock and readout sequences can be composed in a high level language, compiled and uploaded into the controller. Adjustable clamp and sample signal delays used in digitizing an analog video signal provide the capability to optimize the performance of the system in a given application.
US07916177B2
In an image-capturing apparatus and image-capturing method which can, in electronic image blur correction, correct camera motion-caused blurring occurring in one frame, an image-capturing apparatus (100) includes: a first picture feature amount transforming unit (104) transforming picture feature amount of input picture (117); a blur detecting unit 105 detecting blurring by evaluating input picture feature amount (118) chronologically; a blur synthesizing unit (107) artificially causing blurring in blur-free image-captured picture (129) by using blur model (124), and generating blur-synthesized picture (130); a blur removal picture feature amount replacement table unit (110) for replacing picture feature amount of a blurred picture with picture feature amount of a blur-free picture; and a closest-picture feature amount detecting unit (113) outputting, as blur-removed picture feature vector picture (133), picture feature amount of a blur-free image-captured picture that pairs with picture feature amount closest to picture feature amount of input picture feature amount (118).
US07916173B2
A method of determining a quality value for an image frame is disclosed. The method comprises dividing (in a step 202) the frame into a plurality of tiles (906) and determining attributes (in a step 206) of each said tile based upon pixel values of the tile, and pixel values of a corresponding tile of a preceding frame. The method then establishes (in steps 210, 212) the quality value of the frame by testing the tile attributes of the frame against pre-determined criteria. The method then defines (in a step 220) the quality value of the frame depending upon results of the testing.
US07916168B2
An arrangement of a panoramic video is obtained by applying navigation commands to said panoramic video. In accordance with the invention, the navigation commands are formed either by navigation commands given at will by the user, or by predefined navigation commands associated with said panoramic video. The choice of the type of navigation command used at a given instant is controlled either automatically or by the user. The invention thus permits to avoid a user losing the thread of the action when navigates freely through a panoramic video.
US07916163B2
An exposure head, includes: an imaging optical system; a first light emitting element that emits a light which is to be focused by the imaging optical system; a second light emitting element that emits a light which is to be focused by the imaging optical system; a first TFT circuit that is connected with the first light emitting element via an interconnection wire; and a second TFT circuit that is connected with the second light emitting element via an interconnection wire, wherein the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element are provided between the first TFT circuit and the second TFT circuit.
US07916156B2
A method of determining implied sample areas for each data point of each color in a source pixel data specified in a first sub-pixel format is used for sub-pixel rendering an image on a display specified in a second sub-pixel format. Each of the first and second sub-pixel formats comprises a plurality of colored sub-pixels. The method comprises determining a geometric center of each colored sub-pixel of the first format to define a sampling point; and defining each implied sample area by forming lines that are substantially equidistant between the sampling point of one colored sub-pixel and the sampling point of another neighboring same color colored sub-pixel. A similar technique may be used for determining resample areas for computing color values for rendering an image specified in a first sub-pixel format on a display substantially comprising a plurality of colored sub-pixels arranged in a second sub-pixel format.
US07916153B1
Embodiments of the present invention generally provide m Methods and apparatus for reducing power consumption of backlit displays are described. Power consumption is reduced by dimming backlighting by a first scale factor and boosting pixel values by a second scale factor to compensate for the dimming. The scale factors may be constant values. Alternately, one or both of the scale factors may be determined based on pixel values for one or more frames to be displayed and/or one or more frames that have been displayed. For example, scale factors may be calculated based on an average linear amplitude of one or more frames of pixel values or from a maximum pixel value of one or more frames of pixel values. A graphical processing system is described including an integrated circuit capable of transforming a pixel value from a gamma-compensated space to a linear space.
US07916152B2
Systems and methods for processing data representative of a full color image. Such systems may comprise the steps of assisting a color blind person to indicate portions of an image which to their color-deficient vision are indistinguishable, and altering the image to cause those portions to become distinguishable and identifiable.
US07916136B2
A timing controller receiving image data using an input clock signal and transferring the received image data and an output clock signal to a source driver. The received image data is transferred to the source driver through an output buffer. A frequency detection circuit detects a frequency of the input clock signal. A power supply circuit provides power to the output buffer, wherein power level is determined by the detected frequency.
US07916132B2
A representative AC signal generating circuit includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch. The first capacitor is coupled between a first node and an AC signal. The second capacitor is coupled between a second node and the AC signal. The first switch is coupled between the first node and a first DC signal. The second switch is coupled between the second node and a second DC signal. The third switch is coupled between the first node and an output terminal. The fourth switch is coupled between the second node and the output terminal. The first switch and the fourth switch are synchronous, the second switch and the third switch are synchronous and the first switch and the second switch are asynchronous.
US07916129B2
An interactive display system is introduced herein. The interactive display system includes a mirror and a display unit. The display unit is built in the mirror, for providing auxiliary showing an image of a user in front of the display system. The image of the user can be automatically enlarged or shrunk and displayed on the display unit when the user moves forward to or away from the interactive display system.
US07916128B2
Surface impacts are located and characterized based on an acoustic signal produced by the impact despite the presence of signal dispersion. Acoustic signals from the surface may be compared to acoustic signals detected external to the surface in order to eliminate spurious impact sensing due to external sounds. Low-frequency acoustic signals may be sensed and identified as explicit hard “bangs” which are of limited utility for pointing and tracking applications.
US07916119B2
An inverter for a liquid crystal display and its driving method are disclosed. The inverter includes: a DC/AC converting unit that converts DC power supplied from a voltage source into AC power; a transformer that converts the AC power supplied from the DC/AC converting unit into a high voltage AC; and a frequency controller that determines the frequency of an output of the DC/AC converting unit such the output of the DC/AC converting unit has an initial driving frequency during an initial driving time that beings upon initiating driving of the liquid crystal panel and such that that the output of the DC/AC converting unit has a normal driving frequency larger than the initial driving frequency after the initial driving time.
US07916117B2
A lighting arrangement for a field unit screen is provided. The lighting arrangement comprises a circuit arrangement for a field unit with a power measuring device, a power distribution device, and a luminous device. The power measuring device and the power distribution device are adapted for determining an existing power and forwarding a surplus power to a screen light drive device. The screen light drive device determines whether the existing power is sufficient for lighting, and drives a luminous device when sufficient power is available. The luminous device comprises a light distribution device and a light generating device.
US07916109B2
A panel of a liquid crystal display panel with a plurality of pixels is disclosed, wherein each pixel comprises one switch, one pixel electrode and one floating line. The switch comprises a gate, a source, and two drains. The pixel electrode can be electrically connected to the switch through the drain. Besides, each floating conductive line and two drains of the same switch are crossed but electrically disconnected. Hence, the design of the dual drain (or dual source) illustrated above and the combined the technique of laser welding can be used to repair the source-drain leakage of the substrate of the liquid crystal display device.
US07916095B2
A wireless communication device coupled to a wave antenna that provides greater increased durability and impedance matching. The wave antenna is a conductor that is bent in alternating sections to form peaks and valleys. The wireless communication device is coupled to the wave antenna to provide wireless communication with other communication devices, such as an interrogation reader. The wireless communication device and wave antenna may be placed on objects, goods, or other articles of manufacture that are subject to forces such that the wave antenna may be stretched or compressed during the manufacture and/or use of such object, good or article of manufacture. The wave antenna, because of its bent structure, is capable of stretching and compressing more easily than other structures, reducing the wireless communication device's susceptibility to damage or breaks that might render the wireless communication device coupled to the wave antenna unable to properly communicate information wirelessly.
US07916093B2
A multiband antenna includes a conductive sheet, a feeding point, and a grounding point. The conductive sheet defines a first slot, a second slot, a third slot, a fourth slot, a fifth slot, a sixth slot, and a seventh slot thereon. The second slot and the third slot extend from a same short side of the first slot and are parallel to each other. The fourth slot, the fifth slot, the sixth slot, and the seventh slot extend perpendicularly from a short side of the third slot away from the first slot in sequence. The feeding point is formed on the conductive sheet at a long side of the first slot away from the third slot. The grounding point is formed on the conductive sheet at a margin of the slots different from the location of the feeding point.
US07916087B2
A multiple-band antenna having first and second operating frequency bands is provided. The antenna includes a first patch structure associated primarily with the first operating frequency band, a second patch structure electrically coupled to the first patch structure and associated primarily with the second operating frequency band, a first slot structure disposed between a first portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure and associated primarily with the first operating frequency band, and a second slot structure disposed between a second portion of the first patch structure and the second patch structure and associated primarily with the second operating frequency band. A mounting structure for the multiple-band antenna is also provided. The mounting structure includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to and overlapping the first surface. The first and second patch structures are mounted to the first surface, and a feeding point and ground point, respectively connected to the first and second patch structures, are mounted to the second surface.
US07916086B2
An antenna component suited for small-sized radio devices for forming a dielectric antenna. A small auxiliary circuit board (210) is used for the matching of the antenna, the matching being based on a conductor pattern on it. A substrate chip (220), on the surface of which the radiator is, and the auxiliary board are fastened to each other, whereby the radiator is electrically connected to said conductor pattern. The radiator, its substrate and the auxiliary board form a unitary, solid antenna component (200), which is mounted on the circuit board (PWB) of the radio device. The antenna with its feed and matching circuits can be designed and tested as a whole of its own, in which case the reproducibility is good. In the design of the circuit board of the radio device, the antenna needs to be taken into account only by reserving a space for the antenna component on the circuit board.
US07916069B2
A radar device is provided in this disclosure. The radar device includes an area determination module for performing a determination of a noise superior area or a target-echo superior area for each divided area of a radar-search area defined in advance, a noise-level calculation module for calculating a noise level for a divided area based on received signals from the divided area that is determined as the noise superior area, and an interpolation module for interpolating or extrapolating the calculated noise level for the divided area that is determined as the noise superior area, to obtain a noise level for a divided area that is determined as the target-echo superior area.
US07916058B1
In accordance with at least some embodiments, an electronic device comprises a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) having a DAC element array. Reference-rotated data weighted averaging (RRDWA) is applied to the DAC element array.
US07916057B2
A circuit includes a digital-to-analog converter configured to produce an analog output signal (1) proportional to a reference signal and (2) as a function of a digital input signal. The converter comprises a plurality of non-trivially complex admittances configured so that each non-trivially complex admittance can be selectively switched as a function of the digital input signal so as to be coupled between a reference terminal configured to receive a reference signal and an output terminal. The method comprises selectively switching non-trivially complex admittances as a function of the digital signal between a reference terminal and an output terminal.
US07916054B2
A K-Delta-1-Sigma modulator filters or integrates (Sigma) the difference (Delta) between K-feedback paths and an input signal. By using K-feedback paths the topology enables sample rates that are K times the clock frequency of any one feedback path. The sigma block can be implemented in a number of ways including an active or passive integrator or a filter with specific characteristics. When implemented as an integrator, the sigma block is common to all the feedback paths, so that the modulation noise is pushed to a portion of the spectrum where it can be reduced by filtering. The delta block can be implemented in a number of ways including analog adders or switched capacitors.
US07916052B2
A system for characterizing a compressed sensing apparatus is described which broadly includes a random vector generator for generating an input vector, a waveform generator in communication with the random vector generator for converting the input vector into an analog signal, a compressed sensing apparatus in communication with the digital-to-analog converter for determining a digital bit stream from the analog signal, a serial-to-parallel converter for converting the digital bit stream into an input vector; and an electronic processor in communication with the random number generator and the serial-to-parallel converter configured for determining a compressed sensing matrix.
US07916050B1
Previously, when designing receivers for radio frequency (RF) or wireless communications, designers chose between time-interleaved (TI) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for intermediate frequency architectures and dual channel ADCs for direct conversion architectures. Here, similarities between TI ADCs and dual channel ADC were recognized, and an ADC that has the capability of operating as a TI ADCs and dual channel ADC is provided. This allows designer to have greatly increased flexibility during the design process which can greatly reduce design costs, while also allowing the manufacturer of the ADC to realize a reduction in its operating costs.
US07916047B2
Systems and methods of storing previously transmitted data and using it to reduce bandwidth usage and accelerate future communications are described. By using algorithms to identify long compression history matches, a network device may improve compression efficiently and speed. A network device may also use application specific parsing to improve the length and number of compression history matches. Further, by sharing compression histories, compression history indexes and caches across multiple devices, devices can utilize data previously transmitted to other devices to compress network traffic. Any combination of the systems and methods may be used to efficiently find long matches to stored data, synchronize the storage of previously sent data, and share previously sent data among one or more other devices.
US07916046B2
A method is for input of text symbols into an electronic device having a reduced keyboard. The reduced keyboard has keys representing a plurality of characters. The method includes receiving character inputs from the reduced keyboard and identifying symbol variants based on the received character inputs. A list of symbol variants is displayed. An input symbol from the list of symbol variants is selected, wherein the input symbol is a Korean Hangul syllable. At least one Chinese Hanzi syllable is designated, to correspond to at least one Korean Hangul syllable. The Korean Hangul syllable is replaced with a Chinese Hanzi syllable.
US07916045B2
A scale for a photoelectric encoder effectively protects the base of the scale from corrosion, rust, and flaws. The scale includes a base, a light-absorbing layer including a DLC layer formed on at least one surface of the base, and light-reflecting layers with a higher reflectance than that of the light-absorbing layer with respect to light falling within a wavelength range and formed into a grating on the light-absorbing layer.
US07916044B2
A graphical mapping system configured to display mapping information on a handheld device is disclosed. The system includes an image map database configured to store map data for a plurality of geographic areas, which is useful for generating graphical maps. The system further includes a vector map database configured to store vector map data, which is useful for generating vector “overlays” that correspond to the graphical maps. In response to a mapping request from a handheld device, a set of image mapping data and a corresponding set of vector mapping data, both associated with a given geographic location, are retrievable.
US07916031B2
A server component includes a network interface and an analysis component. The server component is at least partially implemented by an operative set of processor executable instructions configured for execution by at least one processor. The network interface is in operative communication with a network and is configured to communicate with at least two nodes of different node types. The network interface is also in operative communication with a local RFID tag attached to a corresponding module. A node of the at least two nodes is a printer-based node associated with a printing machine. The analysis component is configured to utilize the network interface to communicate with the node associated with the printing machine such that the analysis component is in operative communication with the local RFID tag attached to the corresponding module. The node associated with the printing machine interrogates the local RFID tag to retrieve information relating to the corresponding module and communicates the information to the server component.
US07916028B2
Moving a mobile RFID reader with an area in a systemic manner to do non-inventory tasks, while doing the non-inventory tasks, integrating RFID tags associated with inventory, and updating a database with the inventory information obtained from the RFID tags.
US07916024B2
Muster apparatus for registering the arrival of a person at a location includes detector means for detecting the arrival of the person at the location and a controller, the detector means being in signal communication with the controller. The apparatus includes output means for communicating information from the controller to an operator. The apparatus is arranged so that the information communicated is dependent on the arrival of the person at the location.
US07916022B2
An agricultural portal system for use along a transportation route upon which agricultural containers having a responding device are transported, the agricultural portal system including at least one movable support, at least one identification system connected to the movable support and a communications system. The at least one identification system is directed toward the transportation route. The at least one identification system receives a signal from the responding device thereby obtaining information about the agricultural containers. The communications system communicates the information.
US07916018B2
A system and method for securing a structure, such as a residence or other building, against intrusion, while reducing generation of false alarms when an occupant of the structure inadvertently trips a contact detector by opening an entry point (door, window, etc.) is provided. The contact detector is coupled with a motion detector that is directed to monitor motion within the structure at a location proximate to the entry point being monitored by the contact detector. Generally, when the contact detector detects that the entry point is being opened, a fault is issued to a control panel, which in turn generates an alarm. However, if motion is detected within the structure and proximate to the entry point prior to the contact detector registering an opening of the entry point, no fault is generated.
US07916005B2
An anti-theft system for a vehicle, includes certifying means of an electronic key for getting in the vehicle, human body certification information certifying means, door lock control means for unlocking a vehicle door in a case where the electronic key is certified by the certifying means of the electronic key for getting in the vehicle and the human body certification information of the person is confirmed by the human body certification information certifying means in a state where the door is unlocked; memory means for memorizing ID information of the electronic key; certifying means of an electronic key for starting an engine; and engine starting control means for starting the engine of the vehicle in a case where the electronic key is certified by the certifying means of the electronic key for starting the engine and the electronic key is an electronic key whose ID information is memorized in the memory means, after the vehicle door is unlocked by the door lock control means.
US07915997B2
A system and method for remote activation of a device includes, in one embodiment, transmitting a command message according to a first modulation, and transmitting a signal representing the command message for the device according to a second modulation. The signal representing the command message transmitted according to the second modulation may be transmitted within the command message transmitted according to the first modulation.
US07915995B2
A resistive circuit includes a first terminal and a second terminal and polycrystalline first and second resistive segments coupled between the first and second terminals. A third terminal A is coupled to the first resistive segment, and a third terminal B is coupled to the second resistive segment. The third terminal A has a first voltage with respect to the first terminal, and the third terminal B has a second voltage with respect to the second terminal. With this arrangement, the non-linearity of resistance of the first resistive segment at least partially compensates for non-linearity of resistance of the second resistive segment.
US07915988B2
The present invention relates to a field coil assembly of an electromagnetic clutch for a compressor. The present invention comprises a core 210, and a coil 240 installed to the core 210 and formed by winding a unit wire 250. At this time, the unit wire 250 wound on the coil 240 is made of aluminum, and an area ratio R of an inner sectional area M of the core 210 to a cross-sectional area of the unit wire 250 is 400 to 640. According to the present invention as above, since the unit wire 250 used for the coil 240 is made of aluminum with a small specific weight and low price rather than copper, the weight of the field coil assembly 200 is decreased to improve fuel efficiency of a vehicle and decrease a production cost of the field coil assembly 200.
US07915987B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus that reduces an audible noise produced in a power supply. The apparatus includes: (1) a housing; (2) an inductor coil formed from a coil of wire enclosed in the housing; (3) a set of wires that are coupled from the inductor coil to the outside of the housing through corresponding apertures in the housing, comprising electrical leads for the inductor coil; and (4) a predetermined amount of adhesive in the apertures that bonds the wires to the housing to reduce an audible noise produced when the current through the inductor coil is cycled quickly.
US07915982B2
A device for detecting three states, namely ‘on’, ‘off’ and ‘triggered’ of an electric circuit breaker. The device includes a mobile magnetic device, movable between three positions corresponding to the three states of the circuit breaker, and at least one permanent magnet generating a magnetic field provided with magnetic field lines for driving two DIP switches via the magnetic effect. In each of the magnetic device's positions, the two DIP switches are controlled in either an open or closed position to form a specific combination representing one of the three states of the circuit breaker.
US07915970B1
A bi-phase modulator including a driver and a mixer. The driver includes a prescaler having an input for receiving a signal and an output for outputting a baseband signal. The mixer includes a mixer having an input coupled to the output of the prescaler for receiving the baseband signal output by the prescaler. The baseband signal output by the prescaler drives the mixer so as to output a modulated waveform from an output of the mixer.
US07915962B2
Embodiments of the invention include a method for use in a device having a local oscillator. The method includes performing, for the local oscillator that is disciplined by an external reference signal, while locked to the external reference signal, training at least two mathematical models of the oscillator to determine a predicted correction signal for each mathematical model based at least in part on a correction signal that is a function of the external reference signal and which is used to discipline drift in the oscillator. The method also includes selecting a mathematical model of the at least two mathematical models that results in a smallest time error when disciplining the oscillator to use when the external reference signal is unavailable and an alternative correction signal is to be used to discipline drift in the oscillator. The method further includes testing the selected mathematical model using a sampled version of the correction signal such that the selected mathematical model can be used without the need for a testing duration that is in addition to a period of time used for the training.
US07915958B2
An amplifier comprises an input terminal that inputs an AC voltage signal; an amplifying unit having a transistor for amplifying the input AC voltage signal; a current detecting unit connected internally of said amplifying unit; and a control-current source controlled by said current detecting unit that drives an input stage of the transistor.
US07915957B2
Provided is a distributed amplification apparatus that outputs an output signal obtained by amplifying an input signal input thereto, comprising an input-side transmission line that transmits the input signal; an output-side transmission line that transmits the output signal; and a plurality of amplifiers that are provided in parallel between the input-side transmission line and the output-side transmission line, the amplifiers each amplifying the input signal transmitted on the input-side transmission line and supplying the amplified signal to the output-side transmission line. Each amplifier includes a transistor; a capacitor provided on a line that transmits the input signal to a gate terminal of the transistor; and a gate-ground resistance that is provided between the gate terminal of the transistor and a ground potential.
US07915953B2
In one embodiment, an amplifier circuit is formed to minimize pop and click noise on the outputs of the amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit is configured to place an output stage of the amplifier circuit in a high impedance state to minimize the pop and click noise. In another embodiment, the amplifier circuit is configured to couple the inputs of two amplifiers together to minimize the pop and click noise.
US07915926B2
A semiconductor chip includes a plurality of pads, input circuits or output circuits that are electrically connected to the pads, a main control unit that outputs a read access signal, the read access signal controlling reading of signals from an external circuit or an internal circuit, and activation control units that control activation of the input circuits or the output circuits that are electrically connected to the pads based on the read access signal, the pads receiving the signals from the external circuit or the internal circuit.
US07915922B2
A method for increasing responding speed and lifespan of a buffer includes detecting an edge of an input signal of the buffer, triggering a pulse signal with a predetermined period according to the detected edge, and driving the buffer for generating an output signal according to the pulse signal and the input signal.
US07915917B2
The present invention provides integrated circuits with improved logic cells. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit having a plurality of logic cells (LC) is provided, each LC comprising: a lookup table having a LUT output terminal; and, a first multiplexer; wherein, a first multiplexer input terminal is connected to of a first input terminal of the LC, a second multiplexer input terminal is connected to the LUT output terminal, a multiplexer output terminal is connected to a first output terminal of the LC, and a multiplexer select terminal is connected to a second input terminal of the LC so as to select which of the signals appearing at the first and second multiplexer input terminal to pass through; wherein, by coupling in chain the first input terminal of one LC to the first output terminal of another LC, a WLUT chain is formed.
US07915912B2
Embodiments of a memory controller are described. This memory controller communicates signals to a memory device via a signal line, which can be a data signal line or a command/address signal line. Termination of the signal line is divided between an external impedance outside of the memory controller and an internal impedance within the memory controller. The memory controller does not activate the external impedance prior to communicating the signals and, therefore, does not deactivate the external impedance after communicating the signals. The internal impedance of the memory controller can be enabled or disabled in order to reduce interface power consumption. Moreover, the internal impedance may be implemented using a passive component, an active component or both. For example, the internal impedance may include either or both an on-die termination and at least one driver.
US07915907B2
A system is provided that facilitates locating long dangling metal routes in a semiconductor chip design. The system includes mechanisms for partitioning metal features of the chip design to discover dangling metal routes that could be potential violations. The system further comprises mechanisms for determining if the dangling metal routes of the chip design exceed a length limit that could result antenna violations, undesired noise in the circuit, circuitry breakdown or the like. The system enables excessively long dangling metal routes to be allowed as exceptional cases. Machine learning is provided to receive feedback to refine the exceptional cases and enable more efficient fault detection.
US07915899B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for monitoring an electrical flat wire. An appropriate safety device is utilized to monitor the electrical flat wire. The safety device includes a line side input configured to connect a line side power source and receive an electrical power signal from the line side power source. Additionally, the safety device includes a flat wire connection configured to connect to an electrical flat wire. The safety device further includes at least one relay configured to control the communication of the electrical power signal onto the electrical flat wire. The safety device also includes a control unit configured to test the electrical flat wire for at least one of miswires, wire faults, or abnormal conditions and, based at least in part on the results of the testing, to control the actuation of the at least one relay.
US07915889B2
A linear displacement detection apparatus is configured to convert a linear displacement of a shaft into a rotary displacement of a sensor rotor of a rotary displacement sensor so as to detect the linear displacement. A sensor lever is fixed to the sensor rotor and rotatable about an axis of the sensor rotor. A sensor rod is located closer to the shaft than the sensor lever and configured to transmit the linear displacement of the shaft to the sensor lever. A bearing member is located closer to the shaft than the sensor rod and configured to release rocking of the shaft.
US07915884B2
Electronic component validation testing is facilitated by a method, system and program product which allows the importation of virtual signals derived from simulation verification testing of the electronic component design into electronic test equipment employed during validation testing of the actual electronic component. The method includes: storing simulation data resulting from simulation testing of an electronic component's design; employing electronic test equipment to perform real-time testing of the actual electronic component and obtain real-time test signals therefor; automatically correlating the stored simulation data with the actual real-time test signals; and performing at least one of overlaying and/or displaying the correlated simulation data as virtual signals with the real-time test signals; and employing a trigger event automatically ascertained from the stored simulation data and triggering the electronic test equipment based thereon, thereby automatically controlling real-time testing of the electronic component via the stored simulation data.
US07915882B2
A current reference circuit is disclosed. A small startup current is defined as the base current into a bipolar transistor with its collector-emitter path connected in series with a resistor between the power supply voltage and ground. This startup current is conducted via a diode-connected MOS transistor in a first leg of a current mirror. Temperature compensation is maintained by a reference leg in the current mirror that includes a bipolar transistor having an emitter area N times larger than that of a bipolar transistor in a second leg of the current mirror, to establish a temperature-compensated current in the reference leg. A compensation capacitor connected between the collector and base of a bipolar transistor in the first leg suppresses oscillation, and can be modest in size due to the Miller effect.
US07915877B2
A power supply circuit (1), particularly for a microcontroller of a transmission control unit, comprises a first output (3) supplying a first output voltage (UOUT1) and a second output (4) supplying a second output voltage (UOUT2), the first output voltage (UOUT1) being different from the second output voltage (UOUT2). The power supply circuit (1) also comprises a unit (OP1, T2, OP2, T3) adjusting the first (UOUT1) and second output voltage (UOUT2) and a controller (OP3-OP5, T2, T3) limiting the voltage difference between the first (UOUT1) and second output voltage (UOUT2).
US07915876B2
A buck or boost converter, which includes a first inductor, a controlled switch, a main diode, and an output capacitor, also includes a snubber circuit to reduce losses. The snubber circuit includes a second inductor in a path in series with the switch and main diode of the converter, a series-connected resistor and diode connected directly in parallel with the second inductor, and a capacitance in parallel with the main diode and which can be constituted partly or entirely by parasitic capacitance of the main diode.
US07915870B2
In one embodiment, a current sense circuit is formed with a pair of series connected switches that are used to steer a load current and form a current sense signal.
US07915864B2
Transient processing mechanisms for power converters. Error generation circuitry in a power converter may generate an error signal based on the difference between a power converter output voltage and a reference voltage. Transient detection circuitry may detect whether the error signal exceeds at least a first threshold. If the first threshold is exceeded, timing control logic may generate a low band correction pulse to adjust the power converter output voltage, and thereby adjust the error signal to a level within the first threshold. If the error signal exceeds a second threshold, the timing control logic may generate a high band correction pulse to adjust the power converter output voltage, and thereby adjust the error signal to a level within the second threshold. The timing control logic may initiate a low band blanking period following the low band correction pulse and high band blanking period following the high band correction pulse.
US07915854B2
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, energy storage and a control subsystem. The energy storage supplements a power that is provided by the fuel cell stack. The energy storage is coupled to the fuel cell stack and has a voltage. The control system regulates a peak of the voltage based on a temperature of the energy storage.
US07915851B2
Initial speeds in the move commands for respective control axes at servo-on are determined according to parameter setting, or the comparative relationship or difference in speed among the actual speeds of the control axes so that difference in position between the control axes does not increase as the move commands are executed after the servo-on. The actual speeds of the control axes are set as initial speeds in the move commands, and a target axis is specified on the basis of the comparative relationship among their actual speeds and the other control axes are accelerated or decelerated at the acceleration or deceleration rate specified in the move commands to attain the position and speed of the target axis, so that differences in position and speed among the control axes are gradually decreased as the move commands are executed after the servo-on, thereby preventing abrupt speed changes and suppressing mechanical shocks.
US07915847B2
A method of constant airflow control includes various controls to accomplish a substantially constant airflow rate over a significant change of the static pressure in a ventilation duct. One control is a constant I·RPM control, which is primarily used in a low static pressure range. Another control is a constant RPM control, which is primarily used in a high static pressure range. These controls requires neither a static pressure sensor nor an airflow rate sensor to accomplish substantially constant airflow rate while static pressure changes.
US07915837B2
A lighting ballast is programmable as to input and output parameters. Both operational characteristics and sensed data are used to control the ballast parameters. The ballast is configured to recapture as electrical energy heat produced by the lamp. The ballast is constructed in modular fashion with a power factor correction circuit module and a ballast control circuit module that snap together to achieve a large number of input voltage and lamp type variations with a small number of separate units.
US07915832B2
A drive circuit for driving a plasma display panel (PDP) includes a pulse voltage generator that contains main switching elements disposed on a high voltage side and on a low voltage side, is operable to generate a pulse voltage by operating the main switching elements in accordance with an output voltage from a first power supply and apply the pulse voltage to a PDP scan electrode and sustain electrode, and a reset voltage generator operable to generate a reset voltage in accordance with an output voltage from a second power supply and apply it to the PDP. The pulse voltage generator contains a first diode that prevents the voltage output by the reset voltage generator from being applied backward to the first power supply and a first switching element connected to the first diode in parallel.
US07915829B2
An emergency lighting system includes a plurality of emergency lights and a plurality of emergency power systems. Each of the plurality of emergency power systems is electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of emergency lights through a respective one of a plurality of power switches. The emergency lighting system also includes a plurality of processors. Each of the plurality of processors is electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of emergency power systems and executes software that monitors a status of a respective one of the emergency power systems and controls a state of the plurality of power switches. The emergency lighting system also includes a plurality of radio transceivers. Each of the plurality of radio transceivers is electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of processors and communicates with other radio transceivers in the plurality of radio transceivers that are in radio wave proximity. In addition, a gateway node radio transceiver routes signals to and from the plurality of radio transceivers.
US07915827B2
A microwave generation device includes: a magnetron having a cathode containing a filament and an anode containing a hollow resonator arranged to oppose to each other; a filament current measuring unit; and an application voltage measuring unit for measuring voltage applied to the filament. Based on the current and the voltage obtained by the current measuring unit and the voltage measuring unit, a resistance value calculation unit obtains a resistance value of the filament. A temperature calculation unit calculates the filament temperature from the resistance value and the resistance-temperature dependent characteristic. A filament power source is controlled by a power control unit so that the filament temperature is within a predetermined temperature range.
US07915824B2
An organic EL display device includes a substrate, a plurality of first electrodes formed on the substrate, a plurality of partition walls for sectioning the first electrodes and for locating the first electrodes in different pixels, a hole transport layer including an inorganic layer, the hole transport layer formed on the first electrode, an organic light emitting layer formed on the hole transport layer, and a second electrode covering an entire surface of the hole transport layer with the organic light emitting layer.
US07915819B2
A novel laminate is provided to improve the operating stability of thioaluminate based phosphors used in ac thick film dielectric electroluminescent displays. The novel structure comprises a rare earth activated alkaline earth thioaluminate phosphor thin film layer and a magnesium oxide or magnesium oxide containing layer provided directly adjacent and in contact with the bottom of the phosphor thin film layer. The invention is particularly applicable to phosphors used in electroluminescent displays that employ thick dielectric layers subject to high processing temperatures to form and activate the phosphor films.
US07915809B2
The present invention provides an electrophosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (OLED). The electrophosphorescent OLED includes a substrate having a first opposing surface and a second opposing surface, a first electrode layer overlying the first opposing surface, and a light-emitting element overlying the first electrode layer. The light emitting element includes a hole injection layer and a phosphorescent emissive layer. The hole injection layer is formed of a crosslinked polysiloxane, which includes at least one siloxane unit R—Y—Siθ3/2 having at least one aromatic amine group (R) and at least one divalent organic group (Y). The aromatic amine group includes at least one of a carbazolyl group, a substituted carbazolyl group, a triarylamine group, and a substituted triarylamine group.
US07915807B2
A light emitting device is provided which has a structure for lowering energy barriers at interfaces between layers of a laminate organic compound layer. A mixed layer (105) composed of a material that constitutes an organic compound layer (1) (102) and a material that constitutes an organic compound layer (2) (103) is formed at the interface between the organic compound layer (1) (102) and the organic compound layer (2) (103). The energy barrier formed between the organic compound layer (1) (102) and the organic compound layer (2) (103) thus can be lowered.
US07915793B2
A compact resonator has a wide bandwidth and a small variation of the specific vibration frequency. The resonator is a thin film tuning-fork type inflection resonator in which a thin film made of a piezoelectric material is formed on a substrate on which a lower electrode is formed, and an upper electrode is formed on the piezoelectric thin film.
US07915790B2
Electroactive polymer transducers are disclosed. They are biased in a manner that provides for increased force and/or stroke output, thereby offering improved work potential and power output capacity. The biasing may offer additional or alternate functional advantage in terms of matching transducer performance with a given application such as a normally-closed valve. The improved biasing (including increased output biasing) may utilize negative spring rate biasing and/or a combination of negative or zero-rate biasing with positive rate biasing to achieve the desired ends.
US07915789B2
Devices employing electroactive polymer actuators are disclosed. Acrylic dielectric material based actuators are optionally provided in which architectures are presented that allow for improved power output as compared with other known acrylic dielectric material based transducers. Such technology may be applied in motor-driven applications, lightweight flight applications and lighting applications among others.
US07915785B2
Reflective and slanted array channelized sensor arrays having a broadband source providing acoustic energy to a reflective or slanted array that reflects a portion of the incident signal to one or more sensing films wherein the response is measured.
US07915773B2
A robot includes a plurality of motors that drive respective joint shafts and gas-tight chambers in which the motors are disposed. The robot is placed in a second ambience, and at least one of the joint shafts is provided with a hollow motor integrated with a reduction gear.
US07915770B2
A cooling device for current lines of a superconducting rotating machine, which is capable of removing heat generated from the current lines of the superconducting rotating machine, thereby effectively preventing a superconducting coil from being deformed due to the heat generated from the current lines, is disclosed. The cooling device includes heat conduction members respectively mounted to outer surfaces of the current lines. Each heat conduction member is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the stator such that the heat conduction member transfers, to the stator, heat generated from a corresponding one of the current lines. The heat conduction member further includes insulators each surrounding a corresponding one of the current lines between a corresponding one of the heat conduction members and a power slip ring arranged in the stator, to thermally insulate the heat generated from the corresponding current line.
US07915767B2
A linear synchronous motor, in which one or more intermediate annular magnetic pole portions and yoke assemblies can be connected easily while positioning the intermediate annular magnetic pole portions. A fitting concave portion that is opened in an axial direction and a direction away from a direct drive shaft is formed in each connected portion of the intermediate annular magnetic pole portions. A plurality of fitting grooves are formed on an outer peripheral surface of a pair of magnetic cylindrical members at a plurality of portions facing the plurality of intermediate annular magnetic pole portions. The intermediate annular magnetic pole portions are fixedly positioned between the pair of magnetic cylindrical members by fitting a peripheral portion defining the fitting concave portion of the intermediate annular magnetic pole portion into the corresponding fitting groove of the magnetic cylindrical member.
US07915757B2
Disclosed is a multi-output DC/DC converter controlling power-conversion switching in synchronization with a frequency of one output voltage among multiple output voltages in an LLC resonant DC/DC converter. The multi-output DC/DC converter includes a power conversion circuit performing alternate switching on an input DC voltage to output multiple DC voltages including a first DC voltage and a second DC voltage each having a preset voltage level, and a control circuit controlling the alternate switching of the power conversion circuit in synchronization with a preset resonant frequency.
US07915742B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for determining the placement of a standard cell, representing a semiconductor component in a design stage, on an integrated circuit die. One embodiment of a method, among others, comprises analyzing regions of a semiconductor die with respect to the susceptibility of the region to be exposed to radiation. This method further comprises placing the standard cell in one of the analyzed regions of the semiconductor die, the standard cell being placed based on the sensitivity of the standard cell to radiation. The method may also comprise running an algorithm, e.g. using a component placement engine, for determining the placement of semiconductor components on an integrated circuit die.
US07915741B2
Disclosed is an under bump metallization structure including a plurality of metal or metal alloy layers formed on chip bond pads. The disclosed UBM structure has a stress improvement on the semiconductor device because the thickness of the copper-base layer is reduced to between about 0.3 and 10 microns, preferably between about 0.3 and 2 micron. The presence of the pure tin layer prevents oxidation and contamination of the nickel-base layer. It also forms a good solderable surface for the subsequent processes. Also disclosed are semiconductor devices having the disclosed UBM structure and the methods of making the semiconductor devices.
US07915736B2
Methods for forming interconnects in microfeature workpieces, and microfeature workpieces having such interconnects are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of forming an interconnect in a microfeature workpiece includes forming a hole extending through a terminal and a dielectric layer to at least an intermediate depth in a substrate of a workpiece. The hole has a first lateral dimension in the dielectric layer and a second lateral dimension in the substrate proximate to an interface between the dielectric layer and the substrate. The second lateral dimension is greater than the first lateral dimension. The method further includes constructing an electrically conductive interconnect in at least a portion of the hole and in electrical contact with the terminal.
US07915735B2
Selective deposition of metal over dielectric layers in a manner that minimizes or eliminates keyhole formation is provided. According to one embodiment, a dielectric target layer is formed over a substrate layer, wherein the target layer may be configured to allow conformal metal deposition, and a dielectric second layer is formed over the target layer, wherein the second layer may be configured to allow bottom-up metal deposition. An opening may then be formed in the second layer and metal may be selectively deposited over the substrate layer.
US07915731B2
In a semiconductor device, a region under a pad electrode with a bump can be utilized efficiently and a large amount of force is prevented from applying locally to a semiconductor substrate under the bump when the semiconductor device is mounted. A first layer metal wiring is formed on the semiconductor substrate. A pad electrode is formed on the first layer metal wiring through an interlayer insulation film. The pad electrode is connected with the first layer metal wiring through a via hole that is formed in the interlayer insulation film. A protection film is formed on the pad electrode. The protection film has an opening to expose the pad electrode and an island-shaped protection film formed in the opening. An Au bump connected with the pad electrode through the opening in the protection film is formed on the pad electrode. The via hole is formed under the island-shaped protection film, and incompletely filled with a portion of the pad electrode.
US07915725B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor silicon wafer having an electric power supply affixed to the backside of the wafer. By fabricating the electric power supply onto the backside of the wafer that has been left unused, the semiconductor chip can have a self-supplied power, realizing the self-powered semiconductor chip with an increased efficiency. Further, since the electric power supply is installed on the wafer, not the semiconductor chip, the fabrication procedure becomes very simple, and the battery can be mounted on any type of chip.
US07915718B2
A method and apparatus for increasing the integrated circuit density in a flip-chip semiconductor device assembly including an interposer substrate facilitating use with various semiconductor die conductive bump arrangements. The interposer substrate includes a plurality of recesses formed in at least one of a first surface and a second surface thereof, wherein the recesses are arranged in a plurality of recess patterns. The interposer substrate also provides enhanced accessibility for test probes for electrical testing of the resulting flip-chip semiconductor device assembly.
US07915710B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having an active surface, thinning the substrate by removing material from a second surface of the substrate opposite the active surface, bonding a metal carrier to the second surface of the thinned substrate, forming a via opening in the thinned substrate, forming a conductive member in the via opening, and patterning the metal carrier bonded to the second surface of the thinned substrate to form a metal pattern.
US07915705B2
A SiC semiconductor device includes: a SiC substrate; a SiC drift layer on the substrate having an impurity concentration lower than the substrate; a semiconductor element in a cell region of the drift layer; an outer periphery structure including a RESURF layer in a surface portion of the drift layer and surrounding the cell region; and an electric field relaxation layer in another surface portion of the drift layer so that the electric field relaxation layer is separated from the RESURF layer. The electric field relaxation layer is disposed on an inside of the RESURF layer so that the electric field relaxation layer is disposed in the cell region. The electric field relaxation layer has a ring shape.
US07915699B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides an integrated circuit chip, including an active face upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a back face opposite the active face. The integrated circuit chip additionally comprises an electromagnetic via that facilitates communication between signal pads on the integrated circuit chip and signal pads on a second integrated circuit chip. The electromagnetic via couples a signal pad on the active face of the integrated circuit chip to the back face of the integrated circuit chip so that the integrated circuit chip can communicate with the second integrated circuit chip while the back face of the integrated circuit chip is adjacent to the active face of the second integrated circuit chip. Moreover, the electromagnetic via operates by facilitating non-conductive signaling through the integrated circuit chip.
US07915694B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a novel semiconductor device are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes sputtering a capping layer in-situ on a gate dielectric layer, before any high temperature processing steps are performed.
US07915682B2
Semiconductor structures in which the gate electrode of a FinFET is masked from the process introducing dopant into the fin body of the FinFET to form source/drain regions and methods of fabricating such semiconductor structures. The gate doping, and hence the work function of the gate electrode, is advantageously isolated from the process that dopes the fin body to form the source/drain regions. The sidewalls of the gate electrode are covered by sidewall spacers that are formed on the gate electrode but not on the sidewall of the fin body.
US07915672B2
In one embodiment, a structure for a semiconductor device having a trench shield electrode includes a control pad, control runners, shield runners, and a control/shield electrode contact structure. The structure is configured to use a single level of metal to connect the various components. In another embodiment, a shield runner is placed in an offset from center configuration.
US07915669B2
An NROM flash memory cell is implemented in an ultra-thin silicon-on-insulator structure. In a planar device, the channel between the source/drain areas is normally fully depleted. An oxide layer provides an insulation layer between the source/drain areas and the gate insulator layer on top. A control gate is formed on top of the gate insulator layer. In a vertical device, an oxide pillar extends from the substrate with a source/drain area on either side of the pillar side. Epitaxial regrowth is used to form ultra-thin silicon body regions along the sidewalls of the oxide pillar. Second source/drain areas are formed on top of this structure. The gate insulator and control gate are formed on top.
US07915661B2
The present invention provides semiconductor device and a fabrication method therefor. The semiconductor device includes trenches (11) formed in a semiconductor substrate (10), first ONO films (18) provided on both side surfaces of the trenches, and first word lines (22) provided on side surfaces of the first ONO films (18) and running in a length direction of the trenches (11). According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a semiconductor device and a fabrication method therefor, in which higher memory capacity can be achieved.
US07915659B2
A method that includes forming a semiconductor fin, forming a sacrificial material adjacent the semiconductor fin, covering the sacrificial material with a dielectric material, forming a cavity by removing the sacrificial material from under the dielectric material, and forming a gate in the cavity. System and devices are also provided.
US07915655B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a metal-oxide semiconductor transistor. A first dielectric layer of the metal oxide semiconductor transistor overlaps source and drain electrodes and a channel region of the transistor. A first drain region is away from the channel region and the first dielectric layer. A second drain region is between the first drain region and the channel region. A gate electrode is on the first dielectric layer and connected to a gate wire, and includes first and second gate layers and a dielectric layer therebetween. The first gate layer has one edge laterally spaced from the first drain region and resting over the second drain region, and is isolated from the gate wire. The second gate layer is over the first gate layer and is connected to the gate wire.
US07915652B2
An integrated infrared (IR) and full color complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imager array is provided. The array is built upon a lightly doped p doped silicon (Si) substrate. Each pixel cell includes at least one visible light detection pixel and an IR pixel. Each visible light pixel includes a moderately p doped bowl with a bottom p doped layer and p doped sidewalls. An n doped layer is enclosed by the p doped bowl, and a moderately p doped surface region overlies the n doped layer. A transfer transistor has a gate electrode overlying the p doped sidewalls, a source formed from the n doped layer, and an n+ doped drain connected to a floating diffusion region. The IR pixel is the same, except that there is no bottom p doped layer. An optical wavelength filter overlies the visible light and IR pixels.
US07915649B2
A light emitting display device includes a light emitting diode and a thin film transistor on a substrate, the light emitting diode and thin film transistor being electrically coupled to each other, and a photo diode on the substrate, the photo diode including an N-type doping region, a P-type doping region, and an intrinsic region between the N-type doping region and the P-type doping region, the intrinsic region including amorphous silicon.
US07915642B2
Embodiments of an apparatus and methods for providing three-dimensional complementary metal oxide semiconductor devices comprising modulation doped transistors are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07915638B2
The present invention discloses a symmetric bidirectional silicon-controlled rectifier, which comprises: a substrate; a buried layer formed on the substrate; a first well, a middle region and a second well, which are sequentially formed on the buried layer side-by-side; a first semiconductor area and a second semiconductor area both formed inside the first well; a third semiconductor area formed in a junction between the first well and the middle region, wherein a first gate is formed over a region between the second and third semiconductor areas; a fourth semiconductor area and a fifth semiconductor area both formed inside the second well; a sixth semiconductor area formed in a junction between the second well and the middle region, wherein a second gate is formed over a region between the fifth and sixth semiconductor areas.
US07915634B2
A laser diode epitaxial wafer includes an n-type GaAs substrate, an n-type cladding layer formed on the n-type GaAs substrate, an active layer formed on the n-type cladding layer, and a p-type cladding layer formed on the active layer. The n-type cladding layer, the active layer, and the p-type cladding layer include an AlGaInP-based material. The p-type cladding layer has carbon as a p-type impurity. The p-type cladding layer has a carrier concentration between 8.0×1017 cm−3 and 1.5×1018 cm−3.
US07915627B2
A light emitting device comprises an excitation source (20), one or more light emitting diode(s) operable to generate excitation light of a first wavelength range (λ1) and a light emitting surface (14) having a phosphor material (26) which absorbs at least a part of the excitation light and emits light of a second wavelength range (λ2), wherein light (32) emitted by the device comprises combined light of the first and second wavelength ranges emitted by the light emitting surface. The device is characterized by the light emitting surface having one or more window areas (28) which does not include a phosphor material and which are substantially transparent to light of the first and second wavelengths. The light emitting surface can comprise a transparent substrate (14) having a pattern of phosphor material on a surface thereof with the one or more window areas evenly distributed over the light emitting surface.
US07915625B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor light emitting device including: a light emitting part formed of a multilayer structure arising from sequential stacking of a first compound semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second compound semiconductor layer; a current block layer; and a burying layer, wherein a planar shape of the active layer is a strip shape in which a width of a center part is smaller than a width of both end parts, the current block layer is composed of third and fourth compound semiconductor layers, the burying layer is formed of a multilayer structure arising from sequential stacking of a first burying layer and a second burying layer, and an impurity for causing the second burying layer is such that a substitution site of the impurity in the second burying layer does not compete with a substitution site of an impurity in the third compound semiconductor layer.
US07915624B2
A light emitter includes a first mirror that is an epitaxially grown metal mirror, a second mirror, and an active region that is epitaxially grown such that the active region is positioned at or close to, at least, one antinode between the first mirror and the second mirror.
US07915620B2
Disclosed is a light-emitting device. The light-emitting device includes an EL layer and a heat dissipation layer. The EL layer includes a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, and an active layer, the first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type that is one of n type and p type, the second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type that is opposite to the first conductivity type, the active layer being provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. The heat dissipation layer has the first conductivity type and is bonded to a side of the EL layer closer to the second semiconductor layer than the first semiconductor layer.
US07915614B2
A display substrate includes a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer, a color filter layer and a pixel electrode formed on a substrate. The TFT layer includes a gate line, a data line electrically insulated from the gate line and extending in a direction different from the gate line, a TFT electrically connected to the gate line and the data line, and a storage electrode formed from the same layer as the gate line in each pixel. The color filter layer includes a storage hole extending to a portion of the TFT layer corresponding to the storage electrode. The storage hole has a horizontal cross-sectional area greater than the storage electrode, wherein the horizontal cross-sectional area is measured in a plane parallel to the substrate. The pixel electrode is formed on the color filter layer and in the storage hole to form a storage capacitor with the storage electrode.
US07915590B2
This invention relates to a method and an apparatus, primarily a radiation imaging apparatus and an array of coded aperture masks, for use in diagnostic nuclear medicine. The coded aperture masks are fitted with radiation attenuation tubes, each of which extends from each side of the mask in the direction of the mask apertures. The tubes are made from lead and have parallel sides. The masks are configured for gamma ray usage and are made from tungsten having a thickness of between 1 and 2 mm.
US07915587B2
Rapid, voltage controlled phase modulation of continuous wave THz radiation is demonstrated. By transmitting an infrared laser beam through a phase modulator, the phase of the THz radiation which is generated by the photomixing of two infrared beams can be directly modulated through a 2π phase shift. The 100 kHz modulation rate that is demonstrated is approximately three orders of magnitude faster than what can be achieved by mechanical scanning.
US07915571B2
Disclosed is a method of executing an electrical function, such as a fusing operation, by activation through a chip embedded photodiode through spectrally selected external light activation, and corresponding structure and circuit. The present invention is based on having incident light with specific intensity/wave length characteristics, in conjunction with additional circuit elements to an integrated circuit, perform the implementation of repairs, i.e., replacing failing circuit elements with redundant ones for yield and/or reliability. Also to perform disconnection of ESD protection device from input pad one the packaged chip is placed in system. No additional pins on the package are necessary.
US07915564B2
A laser energy microinscribing system, comprising a semiconductor excited Q-switched solid state laser energy source; a cut gemstone mounting system, allowing optical access to a mounted workpiece; an optical system for focusing laser energy from the laser energy source onto a cut gemstone; a displaceable stage for moving said gemstone mounting system with respect to said optical system so that said focused laser energy is presented to desired positions on said gemstone, having a control input; an imaging system for viewing the gemstone from a plurality of vantage points; and a rigid frame supporting said laser, said optical system and said stage in fixed relation, to resist differential movements of said laser, said optical system and said stage and increase immunity to vibrational misalignments. The laser energy source is preferably a semiconductor diode excited Q-switched Nd:YLF laser with a harmonic converter having an output of about 530 nm. The system may further comprise an input for receiving marking instructions; a processor for controlling said displaceable stage based on said marking instructions and said imaging system, to selectively generate a marking based on said instructions and a predetermined program; and a storage system for electronically storing information relating to images of a plurality of workpieces. A secure certificate of authenticity of a marked workpiece is also provided.
US07915558B2
A circuit breaker is provided having three horizontal circuit breakers coupled together with a base housing. Each of the horizontal circuit breakers comprising a tank secured in the housing, first and second current transformers extending from the tank and exit and entrance insulators extending from the first and second current transformers. The housing is mountable on a support frame. To facilitate shipping and field assembly, the circuit breaker includes an control panel moveably coupled to the housing.
US07915552B2
A control panel assembly is disclosed for making it easy to manipulate buttons of home appliances, the control panel including at least one LED connected to a circuit board for selectively emitting light, a switch connected to the circuit board and provided adjacent to the LED for controlling a home appliance, a control panel provided in front of the LED and having at least one first hole, and at least one elastic button coupled with an edge of the first hole for selectively coming into contact with the switch in response to a user pressing the button, the elastic button having a pushing member including a first light-transmitting part for transmitting therethrough light emitted from the LED.
US07915537B1
An interposer is made of nested drawn copper shells with insulation between them. The shells are etched using methods of ordinary printed wiring fabrication, but being three dimensional, straight runs from the die to the motherboard can be made optimally short and wide without passing through any vias. Some shells can extend upward for top connections, and vias and crossing landlines can be used as required in the areas away from the die.
US07915531B2
A cable assembly may have a conductor core and a binding element. The binding elements may be configured helically around the conductor core. In addition, the binding element may be configured to, when the cable assembly is pushed through a conduit having at least one sweep, eliminate buckling of the cable assembly.
US07915517B2
This invention provides a bifacial photovoltaic device to enhance the conversion of solar energy into electricity with a layer by layer additive structure. The bifacial photovoltaic device comprises an electrically conductive core electrode, a plurality of semiconductor layers covering one end region of the core electrode and at least a portion of the two faces of the core electrode, a first counter electrode, a second counter electrode, and a third counter electrode connecting the first and the second counter electrodes. The device may also comprise a light reflective layer and an anti-reflective layer. This invention also provides an array of bifacial photovoltaic cells with simple interconnection schemes.
US07915515B2
A device for digitally producing signals representative of sounds having a sonority simulating that of an instrument with keyboard and strings that are linked to a sounding board of the instrument, these sounds each corresponding to a note of the instrument. The device produces at least one signal representative of a keyboard and stringed instrument sound on the basis of at least one trigger signal and parameters, termed physical parameters. The physical parameters include at least one parameter, the so-called sounding-board parameter, characteristic of a sounding board of a keyboard and stringed instrument to be simulated. Furthermore, the physical parameters according to the invention comprise at least one parameter, termed the string(s) parameter, characteristic of at least one string of the keyboard and stringed instrument to be simulated. The device includes elements (9, 10, 11, 33) for inputting at least one physical parameter.
US07915513B2
An automatic accompaniment generating apparatus capable of generating automatic accompaniment as intended by a user. In an arpeggio sounding data generation mode, when key depression tones are input by a user's key depression operation after arpeggio pattern data is selected and a loop count is set to a value of “1” by the user, the sounding of the key depression tones is started, and the generation of a sounding data list is started based on the tone pitches of the key depression tones and sounding pattern data included in the selected arpeggio pattern data. In the case of the loop count being set to “1”, the reproduction of the sounding data list is completed at the end of one bar, and thereafter only the key depression tones are sounded until a key release operation is performed by the user.
US07915510B2
A tuning device includes an input terminal configured to receive an input electrical signal and a pitch detector to detect a pitch of the input electrical signal. A manual pitch designator designates a standard pitch from pitches of a scale. An automatic pitch designator designates a standard pitch from a scale that is closest to the pitch of the input electrical signal. A mode selector selects either a manual mode where the standard pitch is designated by the manual pitch designator, or an auto mode where the standard pitch is designated by the automatic pitch designator. A pitch comparator compares the pitch of the input electrical signal and the standard pitch and a display device displays the results of the comparison. The display device is configured such that when the standard pitch is designated by the automatic pitch designator, the standard pitch is not displayed.
US07915500B1
A novel maize variety designated PH3AG and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH3AG with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH3AG through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH3AG or a trait conversion of PH3AG with another maize variety. Inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PH3AG, methods for producing other inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PH3AG and the inbred maize varieties and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07915498B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH730660. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH730660, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH730660 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH730660.
US07915481B2
The present invention provides new methods of delaying senescence in a plant by inhibiting ACC oxidase, or EIN2 activity in the plant. In particular, it is directed to producing green leaves in maize through inhibition of ethylene. The genes involved in producing this phenotype include ACC deaminase, ethylene response sensor (“ERS”), ethylene resistant (“ETR”), and ethylene insensitive (“EIN”). The delay in senescence can be achieved through the production of ACC deaminase, mutated ETR1 and ERS2 proteins, as well as overexpression of wild-type ETR1 and ERS2 proteins.
US07915477B2
A disposable wearing article has its outer surface formed from a nonwoven fabric of thermoplastic synthetic fibers. A tape strip constituting each of the tape fasteners is folded in Z- or inverted Z-shape and attached in such folded state to the outer surface of the wearing article by means of first adhesive. As for a spot at which the tape strip is attached to the outer surface of the wearing article, the nonwoven fabric at least partially presents a film-like outer surface.
US07915467B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor wafer which is characterized in that a resin layer composed of a resin composition containing a cyclic olefin resin (A) having an epoxy group and a photoacid generator (B) is arranged on a surface on which a circuit element is formed, and the residual stress of the resin layer after curing is 1-20 MPa. Also disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising such a semiconductor wafer.
US07915462B2
A process for converting natural gas to liquid hydrocarbons comprising heating the gas through a selected range of temperature for sufficient time and/or combustion of the gas at a sufficient temperature and under suitable conditions for a reaction time sufficient to convert a portion of the gas stream to reactive hydrocarbon products, primarily ethylene or acetylene. The gas containing acetylene may be separated such that acetylene is converted to ethylene. The ethylene product(s) may be reacted in the presence of an acidic catalyst to produce a liquid, a portion of which will be predominantly naphtha or gasoline. A portion of the incoming natural gas or hydrogen produced in the process may be used to heat the remainder of the natural gas to the selected range of temperature. Reactive gas components are used in a catalytic liquefaction step and/or for alternate chemical processing.
US07915457B2
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a compound of the formula B having the following steps: provision of a compound of the formula A intramolecular reaction of the compound of the formula A in the presence of an aluminium siloxide of the formula (Ia) or (Ib).
US07915454B2
The invention relates to a process for preparing ethylenediamine by hydrogenation of aminoacetonitrile over a catalyst, wherein the hydrogenation is carried out in a solution comprising aminoacetonitrile, water in a proportion of from 0 to 60% by weight and a solvent and the aminoacetonitrile comprised in the solution is fed into the reaction vessel at a rate which is not greater than the rate at which the aminoacetonitrile reacts with hydrogen in the hydrogenation.
US07915449B2
The invention relates to a method for preparing a sulphoxide compound of formula (I) either as a single enantiomer or in an enantiomerically enriched form, comprising the steps of: a) contacting a pro-chiral sulphide of formula (II) with a metal chiral complex, a base and an oxidizing agent in an organic solvent; and optionally b) isolating the obtained sulphoxide of formula (I). wherein n, Y, R1, R1a, R2 and R2a are as defined.
US07915437B2
A process for benzylating an alcohol includes mixing 2-benzyloxy-1-methylpyridinium triflate in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent having a predetermined boiling point; adding an acid scavenger to the mixture; combining the alcohol to be benzylated with the mixture; reacting the alcohol with the 2-benzyloxy-1-methylpyridinium triflate by heating above ambient temperature to generate the benzylated alcohol; and separating the benzylated alcohol from the mixture.
US07915431B2
A method for producing flake-like dried DOG by making DOG containing from 10 to 50% by mass of a liquid go through a continuous melt-drying step of a specified condition and then making it go through, as a next step, a vacuum-drying step of a specified condition or a ventilation-drying step of a specified condition while holding a molten state thereof, to obtain DOG in which the liquid in DOG is reduced to not more than 0.5% by mass (dried DOG), and flaking the obtained dried DOG in a flake production step.
US07915422B2
The present invention relates to a process for enantioselective synthesis of substituted pyridinylmethyl sulfinyl-benzimidazole of compound of Formula (I). The process includes enantioselective catalytic oxidation of a substituted pyridinylmethyl prochiral sulfide derivative of compound of Formula (II) with an oxidizing agent in the presence of a chiral transition metal complex and a base in the absence of an organic solvent.
US07915420B2
The invention provides novel GlyT2 inhibiting compounds useful in modulating, treating, or preventing: anxiolytic disorders; a condition requiring treatment of injured mammalian nerve tissue; a condition amenable to treatment through administration of a neurotrophic factor; a neurological disorder; or obesity; an obesity-related disorder.
US07915418B2
Provision of a commercially advantageous method for producing an intermediate which is important for producing the antibacterial and which has a mother nucleus common to the antibacterial, and intermediates produced by such method.A method for producing a compound represented by formula (VI): which comprises the steps of treating a compound represented by formula (IV): with a base in the presence of a base to produce a compound represented by formula (V): and hydrolyzing this compound; a compound represented by formula (II): a compound represented by formula (Ia): a compound represented by formula (V): and a compound represented by formula (VI).
US07915415B2
Compounds comprising phosphorescent metal complexes comprising cyclometallated imidazo[1,2-f]phenanthridine and diimidazo[1,2-a:1′,2′-c]quinazoline ligands, or isoelectronic or benzannulated analogs thereof, are described. Organic light emitting diode devices comprising these compounds are also described.
US07915387B2
The present invention provides an isolated specific binding member capable of binding a sialyltetraosly carbohydrate and directly inducing cell death without the need for immune effector cells. Such a binding member may be an antibody or a part thereof. Also provided are the use of such binding members in medicine and nucleic acids encoding such binding members.
US07915381B2
The invention provides an immunomodulatory flagellin peptide having at least about 10 amino acids of substantially the amino acid sequence GAVQNRFNSAIT (SEQ ID NO:2), or a modification thereof, and having toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) binding. Methods of inducing an immune response are also provided.
US07915372B2
Thermoplastic polyurethane comprising the reaction product of an isocyanate (a) with a compound (i) having at least one group which is reactive toward isocyanates and also at least two organosilicon groups.
US07915368B2
A method is presented for making alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes (AMS) or co-alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes (co-AMS,) comprising the steps of (a) combining as a reaction mixture (i) water, (ii) an acid-stable solvent for the water, (iii) a solid strong cationic hydrolysis and condensation catalyst, and (iv) a trialkoxysilane compound, (b) allowing the reaction mixture to react for about 0.5 hours to about 200 hours to form the alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes; and (c) recovering the alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes from the reaction mixture. The use of solid strong cationic catalysts in this reaction system is advantageous because they remain as solids throughout the reaction, allowing simplified separation of the solid catalyst from the soluble AMS or co-AMS products, resulting in total or near total recovery of the AMS or co-AMS products, the products being free of, or substantially free of residual acid catalyst, as well as virtual total recovery of the catalyst for recycling. The improved AMS and co-AMS compounds, vulcanizable rubber compounds containing them, and a pneumatic tire having a component made from the vulcanized rubber compounds are also presented.
US07915361B2
The present invention has for its object to provide a fluorocopolymer which is available at low cost, has fluidity at room temperature, and is curable, a method of producing the same copolymer and a curable composition having good processability and in situ moldability. The present invention is directed to a fluorocopolymer which is fluid at room temperature and curable, and which is obtainable from a trifluorovinyl group-containing monomer with an ethylenically unsaturated double bond moiety being a trifluorovinyl group.
US07915360B2
The present invention provides a new supported catalyst for olefin polymerization prepared by reacting a novel transition metal compound on a cocatalyst-supported support, in which the transition metal compound is coordinated with a monocyclopentadienyl ligand to which an amido-quinoline group is introduced, a method for preparing the same, and a method for preparing a polyolefin using the same. The transition metal catalyst compound used in the present invention is configured such that an amido group is linked in a cyclic form via a phenylene bridge. Thus, a pentagon ring structure of the transition metal compound is stably maintained, so that monomers easily approach the transition metal compound and the reactivity is also high. Accordingly, if the supported catalyst for olefin polymerization prepared according to the present invention is applied to the copolymerization of ethylene and monomers having large steric hindrance in a slurry or a gas phase process, a linear, a linear, high molecular weight polyolefin having a very low density of 0.900 to 0.970 g/cc or less can be obtained.
US07915357B2
Disclosed herein are various processes, including continuous fluidized-bed gas-phase polymerization processes for making a high strength, high density polyethylene copolymer, comprising (including): contacting monomers that include ethylene and optionally at least one non-ethylene monomer with fluidized catalyst particles in a gas phase in the presence of hydrogen gas at an ethylene partial pressure of 100 psi or more and a polymerization temperature of 105° C. or less to produce a polyethylene copolymer having a density of 0.945 g/cc or more and an ESCR Index of 1.0 or more wherein the catalyst particles are prepared at an activation temperature of 700° C. or less, and include silica, chromium, and titanium.
US07915354B2
Disclosed herein is a multimodal polymer composition comprising 45 to 75 wt % of a first polymer fraction, 25 to 55 wt % of a second polymer fraction, and from 10-50 phr of an extender oil. The multimodal polymer composition has an overall Mooney viscosity of less than 90 ML(1+4@125° C.), and each polymer fraction comprises an ethylene, C3-C10 alpha-olefin, non-conjugated diene polymer, wherein the first polymer fraction has a Mooney viscosity of greater than or equal to about 150 ML(1+4@125° C.), the second polymer fraction has a Mooney viscosity from about 20 to about 120 ML(1+4@125° C.). A process for making the multimodal polymer composition comprising a process utilizing two or more reactors in series is also disclosed.
US07915352B2
Compositions for golf balls that include organically modified silicates and the golf balls formed using the compositions are described. In particular, the compositions of the invention, which are based on a polyurethane and polysiloxane, polyurea and polysiloxane, and/or epoxy and polysiloxane, and, thus, have the benefits of increased COR, adhesion, and shear and impact resistance. The compositions of the invention may be used in any layer of a golf ball, e.g., an outer cover layer or inner cover layer, or may be used as a coating to be disposed over a structural outer layer of a golf ball.
US07915351B2
A process for producing a solution blend of a polybenzimidazole (PBI) and a polyetherketoneketone (PEKK). The PBI is mixed with sulfuric acid at a temperature between 40° C. and 80° C. for 30 minutes to 2 hours to produce a PBI solution then cooled to room temperature to form a cooled PBI solution. Then PEKK is added to the cooled PBI solution to form a mixture and that mixture is stirred from 30 minutes to 2 hours at room temperature to form a stirred mixture. The stirred mixture is poured into an excess of water being stirred swiftly to form an aqueous mixture. The aqueous mixture is filtered to produce a blend. The blend is washed with water and dried. The resulting blend can yield a blend in all proportion from 1/99 PBI/PEKK to 99/1 PBI/PEKK.
US07915350B2
Compositions are described comprising a) polyoxymethylene, b) thermoplastic elastomer having active hydrogen atoms, c) polyoxymethylene which differs from component a) and contains active hydrogen atoms, d) reagent for covalent coupling of components b) and c), and e) if appropriate, another impact modifier, which differs from component b).The compositions feature improved toughness and can be used for production of moldings.
US07915345B2
This invention relates to the preparation of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) with unique morphological features, more specifically, this invention relates to a method for preparing TPV compositions wherein the mixing of plastomers and elastomers are carried out in solvent with curatives to induce cross-linking.
US07915341B2
An ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and a molded article thereof are disclosed. The ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer has improved stretching properties and provides the molded article with excellent gas barrier properties, appearance and strength. The ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer comprises the structural unit of formula (1): (wherein X represents any binding chain excluding an ether bond, each of R1 to R4 represents independently any substituent and n represents 0 or 1.).
US07915336B2
Crosslinkable compositions based on polyamide and on α-olefin-vinyl acetate copolymers, where the compositions comprise a crosslinking initiator, and also a co-crosslinking agent, and crosslinkable compositions based on polyamides and on α-olefin-vinyl acetate copolymers, where these compositions comprise a crosslinking initiator and the amount of polyamide in the compositions is <30% by weight. The present invention further relates to the preparation of the crosslinkable compositions of the invention, to the use of the crosslinkable compositions of the invention for the production of thermoplastic elastomers, to a process for the crosslinking of the compositions of the invention to give a thermoplastic elastomer, and also to the thermoplastic elastomers themselves and to their use for the production of mouldings.
US07915332B2
This invention relates to organic salt compositions useful in the preparation of organoclay compositions, polymer-organoclay composite compositions, and methods for the preparation of polymer nanocomposites. In one embodiment, the present invention provides an organoclay composition comprising alternating inorganic silicate layers and organic layers, said organic layers comprising a quaternary phosphonium cation having structure X wherein Ar1, Ar2, and Ar3 are independently C2-C50 aromatic radicals; Ar4 is a bond or a C2-C50 aromatic radical; “a” is a number from 1 to about 200; “c” is a number from 0 to 3; R1 is independently at each occurrence a halogen atom, a C1-C20 aliphatic radical, a C5-C20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C2-C20 aromatic radical; and R2 is a halogen atom, a C1-C20 aliphatic radical, a C5-C20 cycloaliphatic radical, a C2-C50 aromatic radical, or a polymer chain.
US07915321B2
Novel aqueous dispersion comprising at least one polymer containing on average (i) at least one primary and/or secondary carbamate group, (ii) at least one functional group having at least one bond which may be activated with actinic radiation, and (iii) at least one dispersive ionic functional group; process for preparing it and its use for preparing coating materials, adhesives and sealing compounds which are curable thermally and with actinic radiation, and also novel coating materials, adhesives and sealing compounds consisting of or comprising the novel aqueous dispersion.
US07915318B2
A water soluble ROMP catalyst, which has high catalytic efficiency for ring opening metathesis is use in the preparation of polymeric blends for use in monolithic columns. In one embodiments a method for making a polymeric blend is discolosed comprising reaction of a water-soluble ROMP catalyst with a norbornene-substituted cycloolefin polymer or a polynorbornene polymer precursor, and wherein the contacting occurs in an aqueous or polar solvent in the presence of a solid support. In another embodiment a monolithic bed is disclosed comprising the water-soluble ROMP catalyst immobilized on a surface of a solid support. Also disclosed is a monolithic bed comprising: a polymer blend, the polymer blend produced from contacting a water soluble ROMP catalyst with a norbornene-substituted cycloolefin polymer or a polynorbornene polymer precursor; and wherein the contacting occurs in an aqueous or polar solvent in the presence of a solid support.
US07915317B2
The present invention relates to aqueous pharmaceutical compositions comprising 2,6-diisopropylphenol (propofol). A composition of the present invention can comprise propofol and two or more excipients as an aqueous mixture. The propofol containing compositions are preferably sterile and are parenterally administered to any animal, including humans. The compositions are also chemically and physically stable over a wide range of environmental conditions.
US07915310B2
The present invention relates to the use of certain dialkyl fumarates for the preparation of pharmaceutical preparations for use in transplantation medicine or for the therapy of autoimmune diseases and said compositions in the form of micro-tablets or pellets. For this purpose, the dialkyl fumarates may also be used in combination with conventional preparations used in transplantation medicine and immunosuppressive agents, especially cyclosporines.
US07915300B2
A compound of the formula II wherein one of R1 and R2 is halo and the other is H or halo; R3 is C1-C4 straight or branched chain, optionally fluorinated, alkyl; R4 is H; or R3 together with R4 and the adjoining backbone carbon defines: a spiro-C5-C7 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted with 1 to 3 substituents selected from halo, hydroxyl, C1-C4 alkyl or C1-C4 haloalkyl; or optionally bridged with a methylene group; or a C4-C6 saturated heterocycle having a hetero atom selected from O, NRa, S, S(═O)2; where Ra is H, C1-C4 alkyl or CH3C(═O); R5 is independently selected from H or methyl; E is —C(═O)—, —S(═O)m—, —NR5S(═O)m—, —NR5C(═O)—, —OC(═O)—, R6 is a stable, optionally substituted, monocyclic or bicyclic, carbocycle or heterocycle; m is independently 0,1 or 2; are inhibitors of cathepsin K and useful in the treatment or prophylaxis of osteoporosis.
US07915297B2
Disclosed herein are isoxazole derivatives and uses thereof. Serving as agonists of Wnt, the isoxazole derivatives activate Wnt/β-catenin signaling and thus can be used in the treatment and prevention of diseases related to the signal transduction. Also, pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the isoxazole derivatives are disclosed.
US07915290B2
Formulations comprising argatroban and methods of making and using the formulations are provided. In an embodiment, the formulation comprises a solution having an argatroban concentration ranging from greater than about 10 to about 500 mg/mL. The solution can comprise an aqueous solution. The solution can be packaged in a sealed container that may either be aseptically-filled or subjected to sterilization to reduce the microbiological burden of the formulation. The solution can further be diluted and administered to persons needing same.
US07915278B2
Pharmaceutical formulations and methods including an immune response modifier (IRM) compound and an oleic acid component are provided where stability is improved by using oleic acid have low polar impurities such as peroxides.
US07915262B2
A composition containing SLV308 or its N-oxide, or at least one pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof: and L-DOPA or at least one pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, for simultaneous, separate or sequential use in the treatment of disorders requiring recovery of dopaminergic function using this composition, including Parkinson's disease and restless leg syndrome.
US07915254B2
The present invention relates to a method of photodynamic therapy and to a method of inducing a photocytoxic effect which comprises applying to an area to be treated an effective amount of a compound of formula in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 each independently is an optionally -substituted linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon group, or R1 and R2 together with the N atom to which they are attached form an optionally substituted 5-, 6- or 7- membered ring or R3 and R4 together with the N atom to which they are attached form an optionally substituted 5-, 6- or 7- membered ring; and where XP− is a counteranion and P is 1, 2 or 3; except for the compounds in which —NR1R2 and —NR3R4 are the same and are selected from —N(CH3)2 or —N(CH2CH3)2; and exposing the area to light to activate the compound.
US07915251B2
The invention provides α-helix mimetic structures of formula (I) with the definitions of A, B, D, E, G, W, R1 and R2 as set out in the description and a chemical library relating thereto. The compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, and methods of the invention using the compounds, relate to the treatment of diseases including fibrosis, such as pulmonary fibrosis.
US07915246B2
The present invention provides a method of treating fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and pain in an animal subject. The method generally involves administering a therapeutically effective amount of a dual serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein said dual serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor compound is characterized by a non-tricyclic structure and an equal or greater inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake than serotonin reuptake. In particular, the use of milnacipran to treat FMS, CFS, and pain is disclosed.
US07915233B1
Compounds, compositions, and methods are provided for treatment of disorders related to mitochondrial dysfunction. The methods comprise administering to a mammal a composition containing pyrimidien nucleotide precursors in amounts sufficient to treat symptoms resulting from mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiencies.
US07915222B2
The invention relates to methods and compositions for treating undifferentiated arthritis (UA) and/or preventing the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in subjects with UA by administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of soluble CTLA4 molecule.
US07915217B2
The present invention relates to a methods of inhibiting postharvest disease or desiccation in a fruit or vegetable, either by treating a fruit or vegetable with a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide under conditions effective to inhibit postharvest disease or desiccation, or by providing a transgenic plant or plant seed transformed with a DNA molecule encoding a hypersensitive response elicitor polypeptide or protein and growing the transgenic plant or transgenic plant produced from the transgenic plant seed under conditions effective to inhibit a postharvest disease or desiccation in a fruit or vegetable harvested from the transgenic plant. Also disclosed are DNA constructs and expression systems, host cells, and transgenic plants containing the DNA construct.
US07915212B2
The present invention relates to a block polymeric material. Typically the block polymer comprises units capable of having an average cationic charge density of about 15 or less, preferably 5 or less, more preferably from about 0.05 to about 5, even more preferably from about 0.05 to about 2.77, even more preferably from about 0.1 to about 2.75, most preferably from about 0.75 to about 2.25 units per 100 daltons molecular weight at a pH of from about 4 to about 12. The polymeric material is a suds enhancer and a suds volume extender for personal care products such as soaps and shampoos. The compositions have increased effectiveness for preventing re-deposition of grease during hand and body washing. The polymers are also effective as a soil release agent in fabric cleaning compositions. The polymeric material is also effective in oil well treating foam, fire-fighting foam, hard surface cleaning foam, shaving cream, post-foaming shaving gel, dephiliatories and as a coagulant/retention aid for titanium dioxide in paper making.
US07915208B2
Method for improving the foaming properties of cleansing and/or foaming formulations for topical use
A method for improving foaming properties of cleansing and/or foaming formulations, compositions, methods for preparing them, and preparation of the topical formulations containing them are described. The method consists in including, in these formulations, an effective amount of a polyol glycoside or of a mixture of polyol glycosides of formula (I) R1—O-(G)x-H in which x is a decimal number ranging between 1 and 5, G is the residue of a reducing sugar and R1 is a radical of formula (A) —CH2—(CHOH)n—CH2—OH in which n is an integer equal to 2, 3 or 4, or else R1 is a radical of the formula (B) —(CH2—CHOH—CH2—O)m—H in which m is an integer equal to 1, 2 or 3. Compositions contain compounds of formula (I) or mixtures of compounds of formula (I), foaming and/or detergent surfactants and topically acceptable solvents. Can be used in the cosmetics, dermopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical field.
US07915203B2
A new class of secondary emulsifying agents for use in inverted mud and other inverted system is disclosed and method for making and using same.
US07915201B2
The invention relates to a method for synthesising a bifunctional complex comprising an encoded molecule and an identifier polynucleotide identifying the chemical entities having participated in the synthesis of the encoded molecule, said method comprising the steps of i) providing a) at least one template comprising one or more codons capable of hybridising to an anti-codon, wherein said template is optionally associated with one or more chemical entities, and b) a plurality of building blocks each comprising an anti-codon associated with one or more chemical entities, and ii) hybridising the anti-codon of one or more of the provided building blocks to the template, iii) covalently linking said anti-codons and/or linking the at least one template with the anti-codon of at least one building block, thereby generating an identifier polynucleotide capable of identifying chemical entities having participated in the synthesis of the encoded molecule, iv) separating the template from one or more of the anti-codons hybridised thereto, thereby generating an at least partly single stranded identifier polynucleotide associated with a plurality of chemical entities, v) generating a bifunctional complex comprising an encoded molecule and an identifier polynucleotide identifying the chemical entities having participated in the synthesis of the encoded molecule, wherein said encoded molecule is generated by reacting at least two of said plurality of chemical entities associated with the identifier polynucleotide, and wherein said at least two chemical entities are provided by separate building blocks.
US07915199B1
A selective herbicidal composition for controlling grasses and weeds in crops of cultivated plants, comprising a) a herbicidally effective amount of a compound of formula I wherein the substituents are defined as given in claim 1; b) a herbicidally synergistic amount of at least one herbicide selected from the classes of phenoxy-phenoxypropionic acids, hydroxylamines, sulfonylureas, imidazolinones, pyrimidines, triazines, ureas, PPO, chloroacetanilides, phenoxyacetic acids, triazinones, dinitroanilines, azinones, carbamates, oxyacetamides, thiolcarbamates, azole-ureas, benzoic acids, anilides, nitriles, triones and sulfonamides, as well as from the herbicides amitrol, benfuresate, bentazone, cinmethylin, clomazone, chlopyralid, difenzoquat, dithiopyr, ethofumesate, flurochloridone, indanofane, isoxaben, oxaziclomefone, pyridate, pyridafol, quinchlorac, quinmerac, tridiphane and flamprop; and optionally c) to antagonise the herbicide, an antidotally effective amount of a safener selected from cloquintocet, an alkali, alkaline earth, sulfonium or ammonium cation of cloquintocet, cloquintocet-mexyl, mefenpyr, an alkali, alkaline earth, sulfonium or ammonium cation of mefenpyr and mefenpyr-diethyl; and/or d) an additive comprising an oil of vegetable or animal origin, a mineral oil, the alkylesters thereof or mixtures of these oils and oil derivatives.
US07915191B2
This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for regenerating a catalyst used in an FCC unit, including providing a spent catalyst into an upper portion of a regenerator, maintaining a calcination phase, a gasification phase, and a combustion phase of fluidized catalyst in the regenerator, combusting carbon in the combustion phase and producing a combustion flue gas, reacting carbon in the gasification phase with the combustion flue gas to form a carbon monoxide rich flue gas, and calcining the spent catalyst with the carbon monoxide rich flue gas.
US07915188B2
A useable particulate nepheline syenite having a grain size to provide an Einlehner Abrasive Value of less than about 100 is described. The particulate nepheline syenite is generally free from agglomeration and moisture free. At least 99% of the nepheline syenite particles have a size less than 10 microns. In practice, the nepheline syenite grain size is less than about 5 microns and the distribution profile of the particulate system is generally 4-5 microns.
US07915187B2
Disclosed is a highly-pure fine titanium carbide powder having a maximum particle size of 100 nm or less and containing metals except titanium in an amount of 0.05 wt % or less and free carbon in an amount of 0.5 wt % or less. The powder has a NaCl-type crystal structure, and a composition represented by TiCxOyNz, wherein X, Y and Z satisfy the relations: 0.5≦X≦1.0; 0≦Y≦0.3; 0≦Z≦0.2; and 0.5≦X+Y+Z≦1.0.) The powder is produced by: dissolving an organic substance serving as a carbon source in a solvent to prepare a liquid, wherein the organic substance contains at least one OH or COOH group which is a functional group coordinatable to titanium of titanium alkoxide, and no element except C, H, N and O; mixing titanium alkoxide with the liquid to satisfy the following relation: 0.7≦α≦1.0 (wherein α is a molar ratio of the carbon source to the titanium alkoxide), so as to obtain a precursor solution; and subjecting a product in the precursor solution to a heat treatment in a non-oxidizing atmosphere or a vacuum atmosphere at a temperature of 1050 to 1500° C. The present invention can provide fine titanium carbide powders with nano-scale particle sizes, which are free of inorganic impurities, such as titanium oxide and metal, low in free carbon, and effective in enhancing characteristics of a titanium carbide-ceramics composite sintered body.
US07915183B2
A barrier coating for paper and a method of making the coated paper using a wax coating composition containing an inorganic mineral filler is provided. The inorganic mineral filler imparts a viscosity to the wax coating composition similar to the viscosity of the wax coating composition in the absence of the inorganic mineral filler. Coated paper products are also provided.
US07915180B2
A method of fabricating a dielectric material that has an ultra low dielectric constant (or ultra low k) using at least one organosilicon precursor is described. The organosilicon precursor employed in the present invention includes a molecule containing both an Si—O structure and a sacrificial organic group, as a leaving group. The use of an organosilicon precursor containing a molecular scale sacrificial leaving group enables control of the pore size at the nanometer scale, control of the compositional and structural uniformity and simplifies the manufacturing process. Moreover, fabrication of a dielectric film from a single precursor enables better control of the final porosity in the film and a narrower pore size distribution resulting in better mechanical properties at the same value of dielectric constant.
US07915179B2
In a method for forming an insulating film by performing plasma nitriding process to an oxide film on a substrate and then by annealing the substrate in a process chamber (51), the substrate is annealed under a low pressure of 667 Pa or lower. The annealing is performed for 5 or 45 seconds. The plasma nitriding process is performed by microwave plasma by using a planar antenna whereupon a multitude of slot holes are formed.
US07915177B2
In the present invention, when a gate insulation film in a DRAM is formed, an oxide film constituting a base of the gate insulation film is plasma-nitrided. The plasma nitridation is performed with microwave plasma generated by using a plane antenna having a large number of through holes. Nitrogen concentration in the gate insulation film formed by the plasma nitridation is 5 to 20% in atomic percentage. Even without subsequent annealing, it is possible to effectively prevent a boron penetration phenomenon in the DRAM and to reduce traps in the film causing deterioration in driving capability of the device.
US07915172B2
A semiconductor substrate includes a wafer including an element area and a non-element area delineating the element area, a first layered structure situated in the element area, a first insulating film covering the first layered structure, and exhibiting a first etching rate with respect to an etching recipe, a second insulating film covering the first layered structure covered by the first insulating film in the element area, and exhibiting a second etching rate with respect to the etching recipe, the second etching rate being greater than the first etching rate, and a second layered structure situated in the non-element area, wherein the second layered structure includes at least a portion of the first layered structure.
US07915170B2
By providing a protection layer at the bevel region, the deposition of polymer materials during the patterning process of complex metallization structures may be reduced. Additionally or alternatively, a surface topography may be provided, for instance in the form of respective recesses, in order to enhance the degree of adhesion of any materials deposited in the bevel region during the manufacturing of complex metallization structures. Advantageously, the provision of the protection layer providing the reduced polymer deposition may be combined with the modified surface topography.
US07915166B1
Films having high hermeticity and a low dielectric constant can be used as copper diffusion barrier films, etch stop films, CMP stop films and other hardmasks during IC fabrication. Hermetic films can protect the underlying layers, such as layers of metal and dielectric, from exposure to atmospheric moisture and oxygen, thereby preventing undesirable oxidation of metal surfaces and absorption of moisture by a dielectric. Specifically, a bi-layer film having a hermetic bottom layer composed of hydrogen doped carbon and a low dielectric constant (low-k) top layer composed of low-k silicon carbide (e.g., high carbon content hydrogen doped silicon carbide) can be employed. Such bi-layer film can be deposited by PECVD methods on a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate having exposed layers of dielectric and metal.
US07915163B2
The invention provides for polysilicon vias connecting conductive polysilicon layers formed at different heights. Polysilicon vias are advantageously used in a monolithic three dimensional memory array of charge storage transistors. Polysilicon vias according to the present invention can be used, for example, to connect the channel layer of a first device level of charge storage transistor memory cells to the channel layer of a second device layer of such cells formed above the first device level. Similarly, vias according to the present invention can be used to connect the wordline of a first device level of charge storage transistor memory cells to the channel layer of a second device layer of such cells.
US07915157B2
A chip structure comprises a substrate, a first built-up layer, a passivation layer and a second built-up layer. The substrate includes many electric devices placed on a surface of the substrate. The first built-up layer is located on the substrate. The first built-up layer is provided with a first dielectric body and a first interconnection scheme, wherein the first interconnection scheme interlaces inside the first dielectric body and is electrically connected to the electric devices. The first interconnection scheme is constructed from first metal layers and plugs, wherein the neighboring first metal layers are electrically connected through the plugs. The passivation layer is disposed on the first built-up layer and is provided with openings exposing the first interconnection scheme. The second built-up layer is formed on the passivation layer. The second built-up layer is provided with a second dielectric body and a second interconnection scheme, wherein the second interconnection scheme interlaces inside the second dielectric body and is electrically connected to the first interconnection scheme. The second interconnection scheme is constructed from at least one second metal layer and at least one via metal filler, wherein the second metal layer is electrically connected to the via metal filler. The thickness, width, and cross-sectional area of the traces of the second metal layer are respectively larger than those of the first metal layers.
US07915155B2
Semiconductor device has a substrate (50), a buried layer (55), an active area extending from a surface contact to the buried layer, an insulator (130) in a first trench extending towards the buried layer, to isolate the active area, and a second insulator (130) in a second deep trench and extending through the buried layer to isolate the buried layer and the active area from other pails of the substrate. This double trench can help reduce the area needed for the electrical isolation between the active device and the other devices. Such reduction in area can enable greater integration or more cells in a multi cell super-MOS device, and so improve performance parameters such as Ron. The double trench can be manufactured using a first mask to etch both trenches at the same time, and subsequently using a second mask to etch the second deep trench deeper.
US07915151B2
A bulk-doped semiconductor that is at least one of the following: a single crystal, an elongated and bulk-doped semiconductor that, at any point along its longitudinal axis, has a largest cross-sectional dimension less than 500 nanometers, and a free-standing and bulk-doped semiconductor with at least one portion having a smallest width of less than 500 nanometers. At least one portion of such a semiconductor may a smallest width of less than 200 nanometers, or less than 150 nanometers, or less than 100 nanometers, or less than 80 nanometers, or less than 70 nanometers, or less than 60 nanometers, or less than 40 nanometers, or less than 20 nanometers, or less than 10 nanometers, or even less than 5 nanometers. Such a semiconductor may be doped during growth. Such a semiconductor may be part of a device, which may include any of a variety of devices and combinations thereof, and a variety of assembling techniques may be used to fabricate devices from such a semiconductor.
US07915148B2
A silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate is converted into a strained SOI substrate by first providing an SOI substrate having a thin silicon layer and an insulator and at least one first epitaxial relaxing layer on the SOI-substrate. Then a defect region is produced in a layer by implantation of SI ions above the silicon layer of the SOI-substrate. Finally the first layer is relaxed by a thermal treatment in an inert atmosphere to simultaneously strain the silicon layer of the SOI-substrate via dislocation mediated strain transfer and to produce the strained silicon layer directly on the insulator.
US07915147B2
Disclosed is a group III nitride compound semiconductor device having a substrate, buffer layers on the substrate, and a group III nitride compound semiconductor layer on the top layer of the buffer layers. The buffer layers comprises a first buffer layer formed on the substrate and a second buffer layer formed on the first buffer layer. The first buffer layer is made of transition metal nitride, and the second buffer layer is made of nitride of gallium and a transition metal.
US07915143B2
A method of reversing Shockley stacking fault expansion includes providing a bipolar or a unipolar SiC device exhibiting forward voltage drift caused by Shockley stacking fault nucleation and expansion. The SiC device is heated to a temperature above 150° C. A current is passed via forward bias operation through the SiC device sufficient to induce at least a partial recovery of the forward bias drift.
US07915140B2
A device fabrication method for fabricating individual devices from a wafer, wherein the back side of each device is covered with an adhesive film for die bonding. The device fabrication method includes a wafer dividing step of dividing the wafer into the individual devices along a plurality of kerfs by using a dicing before grinding process, an adhesive film mounting step of mounting an adhesive film on the back side of the wafer after performing the wafer dividing step, and an adhesive film dividing step of applying a laser beam to the adhesive film along the kerfs after performing the adhesive film mounting step, thereby dividing the adhesive film along the kerfs.
US07915126B2
Some embodiments include methods of utilizing polysilazane in forming non-volatile memory cells. The memory cells may be multi-level cells (MLCs). The polysilazane may be converted to silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, or silicon oxynitride with thermal processing and exposure to an ambient that contains one or both of oxygen and nitrogen. The methods may include using the polysilazane in forming a charge trapping layer of a non-volatile memory cell. The methods may alternatively, or additionally include using the polysilazane in forming intergate dielectric material of a non-volatile memory cell. Some embodiments include methods of forming memory cells of a NAND memory array.
US07915124B2
A method of fabricating a memory system is disclosed that includes a set of non-volatile storage elements. The method includes forming a floating gate having a top and at least two sides. A dielectric cap is formed at the top of the floating gate. An inter-gate dielectric layer is formed around the at least two sides of the floating gate and over the top of the dielectric cap. A control gate is formed over the top of the floating gate, the inter-gate dielectric layer separates the control gate from the floating gate. In one aspect, forming the dielectric cap includes implanting oxygen in the top of the floating gate and heating the floating gate to form the dielectric cap from the implanted oxygen and silicon from which the floating gate was formed.
US07915119B2
An active region is provided which includes a plurality of active region columns extending in a first direction and a plurality of active region rows extending in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and having concave portions. Floating electrodes and control electrodes are provided on the active region columns. An interlayer insulating film formed as a layer below an upper wiring is provided on the active region and the control electrodes. Conductive sections that electrically connect the upper wiring and the active region are respectively provided on the concave portions on the active region rows.
US07915116B2
According to one aspect of the invention, a memory device is disclosed. The memory device comprises a substantially linear active area comprising a source and at least two drains defining a first axis. The memory device further comprises at least two substantially parallel word lines, at least a portion of a first word line located between a first drain and the source, and at least a portion of a second word line located between a second drain and the source, which word lines define a second axis. The memory device further comprises a digit line coupled to the source, wherein the digit line forms a substantially zig-zag pattern.
US07915115B2
Methods for forming a front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) dual high-k gate using a photoresist mask and structures thereof are disclosed. One embodiment of the disclosed method includes depositing a high-k dielectric film on a substrate of a FEOL CMOS structure followed by depositing a photoresist thereon; patterning the high-k dielectric according to the photoresist; and removing the photoresist thereafter. The removing of the photoresist includes using an organic solvent followed by removal of any residual photoresist including organic and/or carbon film. The removal of residual photoresist may include a degas process, alternatively known as a bake process. Alternatively, a nitrogen-hydrogen forming gas (i.e., a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen) (N2/H2) or ammonia (NH3) may be used to remove the photoresist mask. With the use of the plasma nitrogen-hydrogen forming gas (N2/H2) or a plasma ammonia (NH3), no apparent organic residual is observed.
US07915104B1
The present disclosure describes methods for preparing semiconductor structures, comprising forming a Ge1-ySny buffer layer on a semiconductor substrate and forming a tensile strained Ge layer on the Ge1-ySny buffer layer using an admixture of (GeH3)2CH2 and Ge2H6 in a ratio of between 1:10 and 1:30. The disclosure further provides semiconductor structures having highly strained Ge epilayers (e.g., between about 0.15% and 0.45%) as well as compositions comprising an admixture of (GeH3)2CH2 and Ge2H6 in a ratio of between about 1:10 and 1:30. The methods herein provide, and the semiconductor structure provide, Ge epilayers having high strain levels which can be useful in semiconductor devices for example, in optical fiber communications devices.
US07915097B2
This publication concerns electronics modules comprising at least one first material zone formed of first material which can be structurally transformed by means of electric interaction in order to increase its conductivity at least locally, the first material having a first transformation threshold, and at least one second material zone in the vicinity of the first material zone. According to the invention, the second material zone is formed from second material, which can also be structurally transformed in order to increase its conductivity, the second material having a second transformation threshold, which is lower than the transformation threshold of the first material zone. With the aid of the invention, post-processing electrical programmability and non-volatility of printable memories can be achieved.
US07915093B1
A system and method are disclosed for manufacturing an integrated circuit anti-fuse in conjunction with a tungsten plug process. A tungsten plug is formed in a dielectric layer that overlies a portion of P type silicon and an adjacent portion of N type silicon. The dielectric layer is etched to create a first anti-fuse contact opening down to the underlying P type silicon and a second anti-fuse contact opening down to the underlying N type silicon. A metal layer is deposited over the tungsten plug and over the dielectric layer and etched to form an anti-fuse metal contact in each of two anti-fuse contact openings. A bias voltage is applied to the anti-fuse metal contacts to activate the anti-fuse.
US07915092B2
A novel FLASH-based EEPROM cell, decoder, and layout scheme are disclosed to eliminate the area-consuming divided triple-well in cell array and allows byte-erase and byte-program for high P/E cycles. Furthermore, the process-compatible FLASH cell for EEPROM part can be integrated with FLASH and ROM parts so that a superior combo, monolithic, nonvolatile memory is achieved. Unlike all previous arts, the novel combo nonvolatile memory of the present invention of ROM, EEPROM and FLASH or combination of any two is made of one unified, fully compatible, highly-scalable BN+ cell and unified process. In addition, its cell operation schemes have zero array overhead and zero disturbance during P/E operations. The novel combo nonvolatile memory is designed to meet the need in those markets requiring flexible write size in units of bytes, pages and blocks at a lower cost.
US07915089B2
A method and apparatus for encapsulating items such as electronic devices. A mold material is dispensed onto the electronic device and the device is situated between first and second molds. One mold is moved towards the other so as to vary the size of a cavity defined by the first and second molds. A vacuum is applied to the cavity and the vacuum is varied in response to the size of the cavity. The vacuum can be varied in response to a predetermined vacuum profile. For example, in certain embodiments the vacuum is varied in response to the position of the first mold relative to the second mold, wherein the vacuum is increased as the cavity height is reduced.
US07915081B2
An embodiment of the present invention is a technique to fabricate a metal interconnect. A first metal trace is printed on a die attached to a substrate or a cavity of a heat spreader in a package to electrically connect the first metal trace to a power contact in the substrate. A device is mounted on the first metal trace. The device receives power from the substrate when the package is powered.
US07915073B2
The present invention provides an organic EL display panel manufacturing method which is capable of forming a desired organic film or the like with high accuracy without imparting damages to a substrate and an organic film and an organic EL display panel which is manufactured by the method. An opening portion which corresponds to a panel pattern region of a display panel is formed in a vapor deposition mask. The opening portion has a bottom surface in the inside of a recessed surface which is retracted from a surface on which the vapor deposition mask is brought into contact with the substrate. The opening portion of the vapor deposition mask is spaced apart from the substrate with a predetermined gap space and evaporated particles from an evaporating source are vapor-deposited to the substrate through the opening portion.
US07915064B2
A process for overcoming extreme topographies by first planarizing a cavity in a semiconductor substrate in order to create a planar surface for subsequent lithography processing. As a result of the planarizing process for extreme topographies, subsequent lithography processing is enabled including the deposition of features in close proximity to extreme topographic surfaces (e.g., deep cavities or channels) and, including the deposition of features within a cavity. In a first embodiment, the process for planarizing a cavity in a semiconductor substrate includes the application of dry film resists having high chemical resistance. In a second embodiment, the process for planarizing a cavity includes the filling of cavity using materials such as polymers, spin on glasses, and metallurgy.
US07915056B2
A semiconductor die including a semiconductor chip and a test structure, located in a scribe area, is designed and manufactured. The test structure includes an array of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors that are of the same type as CMOS image sensors employed in another array in the semiconductor chip and having a larger array size. Such a test structure is provided in a design phase by providing a design structure in which the orientations of the CMOS image sensors match between the two arrays. The test structure provides effective and accurate monitoring of manufacturing processes through in-line testing before a final test on the semiconductor chip.
US07915055B2
The present invention provides a manufacturing technique of a semiconductor device that reduces fluctuation of electric characteristic and a working size of a semiconductor device and can manufacture semiconductor devices at high quality and at high yield. In a semiconductor device manufacturing system, a control method for a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device having a function (a data collecting unit) of collecting examination data at a plurality of examining steps including an examining step of setting a length of a measurement region in a wiring direction to at least 10 times a wire width to measure the wire width and an examining step of examining the wire width, a function (a data analyzing unit) of generating a prediction model of electric characteristic or working size of a semiconductor device using the examination data to generate a control model from the prediction model, and a function (a process control unit) of properly controlling processing conditions for a control process based upon examination data of the plurality of examining steps in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device and the control model is realized.
US07915054B2
An ultra-thin semiconductor chip of an FeRAM, which is miniaturized and highly integrated with characteristic degradation of a ferroelectric capacitor suppressed though a thin package structure is applied to the FeRAM is realized. The semiconductor chip is molded up by using a sealing resin with a filler content set at a value in a range of 90 weight % to 93 weight % to produce a package structure.
US07915045B2
The invention relates to the isolation and characterization of a maize gene, RAMOSA3 (RA3), responsible for meristem development and inflorescence development including branching. The gene, gene product, and regulatory regions may be used to manipulate branching, meristem growth, inflorescence development and arrangement, and ultimately to improve yield of plants. The invention includes the gene and protein product as well as the use of the same for temporal and spatial expression in transgenic plants to alter plant morphology and affect yield in plants. The invention also includes the gene and protein product for SISTER OF RAMOSA3 (SRA).
US07915037B2
The invention provides a Dre/rox recombinase system. In particular, the invention provides Dre polypeptides that can catalyze site-specific recombination at rox sites but not at lox sites. The Dre/rox system can be utilized in a number of genetic manipulations either alone or in combination with other recombinase systems.
US07915032B2
A sample collection system includes a vial and a collection stick. The collection stick includes an elongated handle portion and an absorbent head portion detachably connected to the handle portion. The absorbent head portion is configured to absorb and retain the fluid sample therein prior to insertion of the collection stick within the vial. During the sample collection process, the collection stick is inserted into the vial to express the fluid sample from the absorbent head portion into the vial. The absorbent head portion is retained within the vial in a generally compressed state with the handle portion being detached and removed from the vial.
US07915027B2
Novel strains of isolated and purified bacteria have been identified which have the ability to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons including a variety of PAHs. Several isolates also exhibit the ability to produce a biosurfactant. The combination of the biosurfactant-producing ability along with the ability to degrade PAHs enhances the efficiency with which PAHs may be degraded. Additionally, the biosurfactant also provides an additional ability to bind heavy metal ions for removal from a soil or aquatic environment.
US07915025B2
The invention provides methods and compositions for in vivo incorporation of unnatural amino acids. Also provided are compositions including proteins with unnatural amino acids.
US07915022B2
The present invention relates to a polypeptide having an activity to asymmetrically reduce (3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanone to produce (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol isolated from a microorganism belonging to the genus Ogataea, a DNA encoding the polypeptide and a transformant that produces the polypeptide. The present invention moreover relates to a method of producing (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol utilizing the polypeptide or the transformant.Using the polypeptide or transformant of the present invention, optically active alcohols such as (2R,3S)-1-chloro-3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-4-phenyl-2-butanol and the like can be produced efficiently.
US07915021B2
This invention relates to: the development of a mutant firefly luciferase in order to use dATP as a DNA polymerase substrate upon pyrosequencing, such luciferase being subjected to substrate specificity modification in a manner such that the dATP-induced activity alone is decreased while the ATP-induced activity is maintained; and a mutant firefly luciferase for which the proportion of activity induced by dATP to activity induced by ATP (dATP/ATP) is lower than that for the wild-type firefly luciferase, in which an amino acid identified based on homology analysis as corresponding with the 421st amino acid (glycine) of the amino acid sequence of the wild-type North American firefly (Photinus pyralis) luciferase has been substituted with a polar amino acid.
US07915006B2
Apparatus, methods, and systems for high throughput, useful sampling of seed, wherein viability is optionally maintained, are disclosed. Seed from one generation in a plant advancement experiment is individually sampled by removal and collection of tissue from the seed. The tissue is then processed to derive one or more biochemical, genetic, or phenotypic characteristic of the seed before a decision is made whether to utilize that seed further in a plant advancement experiment or other plant research and development. In some embodiments of the method, the sampling is controlled to remove a useful amount of tissue for analytical purposes without significant effect on viability potential of the sampled seed. In some embodiments, the sampling is controlled to deter contamination of the sample. In some embodiments, the seed is automatically positioned and oriented to facilitate efficient and accurate sampling.
US07915003B2
The present invention relates to the discovery that specific human taste receptors in the T2R taste receptor family respond to particular bitter ligands, i.e., acetaminophen, ranitidine, strychnine and denatonium. The present invention further relates to the use of these receptors in assays for identifying ligands that modulate the activation of these taste receptors and which may be used as additives in foods, beverages and medicinals for modifying (blocking) T2R-associated bitter taste.
US07914997B2
A family of minimally cross-hybridizing nucleotide sequences, methods of use, etc. A specific family of 210 24mers is described.
US07914992B2
The present invention relates to the use of an immunogenic composition comprising a porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) antigen for the prevention and treatment, including a reduction in the severity of, duration of, and manifestations of, porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) in animals, preferably in pigs.
US07914991B2
The invention relates to a method for isolating and/or identifying known or unknown, nucleic acid sequences (target sequences) which are marked, optionally, with reporter groups, by base specific hybridisation with, essentially, complementary sequences, which belong to a library or sequences. The sample sequences are characterised in that they support, on one of the termini thereof (5′-ends or 3′-ends, preferably on 5′-ends), a single double or multi-chained lipid part, which spreads in a monomolecular layer on a liquid gas or liquid-liquid phase boundary layer. The invention also relates to a system for detecting or isolating nucleic acids.
US07914988B1
The present invention provides a method for preparing a reference model for cancer relapse prediction that provides higher resolution grading than Gleason score alone. The method encompasses obtaining from different individuals a plurality of prostate carcinoma tissue samples of known clinical outcome representing different Gleason scores; selecting a set of signature genes having an expression pattern that correlates positively or negatively in a statistically significant manner with the Gleason scores; independently deriving a prediction score that correlates gene expression of each individual signature gene with Gleason score for each signature gene in said plurality of prostate carcinoma tissue samples; deriving a prostate cancer gene expression (GEX) score that correlates gene expression of said set of signature genes with the Gleason score based on the combination of independently derived prediction scores in the plurality of prostate cancer tissue samples; and correlating said GEX score with the clinical outcome for each prostate carcinoma tissue sample. A set of signature genes is provided that encompasses all or a sub-combination of GI_2094528, KIP2, NRG1, NBL1, Prostein, CCNE2, CDC6, FBP1, HOXC6, MKI67, MYBL2, PTTG1, RAMP, UBE2C, Wnt5A, MEMD, AZGP1, CCK, MLCK, PPAP2B, and PROK1. Also provided a methods for predicting the probability of relapse of cancer in an individual and methods for deriving a prostate cancer gene expression (GEX) score for a prostate carcinoma tissue sample obtained from an individual.
US07914964B2
An image forming method of forming images on both sides of a recording sheet; comprising the steps of: fixing a first toner image on a first surface a recording sheet; and fixing a second toner image on a second surface of the recording sheet; wherein in two-component developer includes toner particles each containing a binder resin having a glass transition temperature Tg° C. and a colorant and carrier particles in each on which magnetic powder is dispersed in a binder resin including a phenol formaldehyde obtained by a polymerization process, and the first toner image is fixed with first heat in such a way that the surface temperature of the first surface of the recording sheet is a temperature in a range of Tg° C. or more and lower than 100° C.
US07914961B2
A photoconductor comprising a supporting substrate, a photogenerating layer, and at least one charge transport layer comprised of at least one charge transport component, and wherein at least one of the photogenerating layer and the charge transport layer contains at least one of a pyridinium salt and a tetrazolium salt.
US07914960B2
A photoconductor that includes, for example, a supporting substrate, a photogenerating layer, and at least one charge transport layer comprised of at least one charge transport component, and where the charge transport layer contains at least one of an ammonium salt.
US07914957B2
The present invention provides a production method for a color filter including forming a first colored layer on a support, forming a photoresist layer on the first colored layer, forming an image on the first colored layer by removing the photoresist layer in the form of an image pattern, etching the first colored layer in the form of the image formed in the forming the image by use of a dry etching process that uses a mixed gas in which a fluorine-based gas and oxygen (O2) are mixed at a mixing ratio (fluorine-based gas/O2), by flow rate ratio, in the range of from 2/1 to 8/1, and removing the photoresist layer remaining after the etching.
US07914954B2
Stencil masks, particle beam lithography characters and methods for designing the same for use in particle beam lithography are disclosed. The masks, characters and methods for designing them allows for more accurately writing images by reducing various chemical and physical effects, particularly Coulomb and proximity effects. Particle current reaching a surface is reduced by introducing shield areas, which preserve the shape and fidelity of the written image. The shape of the written image is further corrected by systematically adjusting the shape of the character or mask.
US07914950B2
A reticle device. The device has a quartz substrate, which has a surface region. A first region comprising a plurality of binary mask patterns is formed on a first portion of the surface region. A second region comprising a plurality of first phase shift mask patterns is formed on a second portion of the surface region. A third region comprising a plurality of second phase shift mask patterns is formed on a third portion of the surface region. Accordingly, the reticle device has at least three different regions corresponding to different optical characteristics.
US07914941B2
An electric power generation cell 1 is constituted by arranging a fuel electrode layer 4 on one side of a solid electrolyte layer 3 and an air electrode layer 2 on the other side of the solid electrolyte layer 3. The solid electrolyte layer 3 is constituted of an oxide ion conductor mainly composed of a lanthanum gallate based oxide. The fuel electrode layer 4 is constituted of a porous sintered compact having a highly dispersed network structure in which a skeletal structure formed of a consecutive array of metal grains is surrounded by mixed conductive oxide grains. For the air electrode layer 2, a porous sintered compact mainly composed of cobaltite is used. This configuration reduces the overpotentials of the respective electrodes and the IR loss of the solid electrolyte layer 3, and accordingly can actualize a solid oxide type fuel cell excellent in electric power generation efficiency.
US07914934B2
The Hydro-Oxy Fuel Generator is an electro/chemical system that can convert ions (Hydronium ions and Hydroxide ions to gases (Hydrogen and Oxygen). The system can be easily mounted on vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, trains, etc.) to produce Hydrogen and Oxygen gases, wherein, gases can be used as an alternative fuel source.The basic objective of this invention is to create a viable source of fuel that reduces the dependency on fossil fuels.
US07914932B2
An all-solid-state battery having a high output power and a long life, exhibiting high safety, and being produced at a low cost is provided. The all-solid-state battery has a cathode comprising a cathode material, an anode comprising an anode material, and a solid electrolyte layer comprising a solid electrolyte, wherein the cathode material, the anode material, and the solid electrolyte are a compound shown by the following formulas (1), (2), and (3), respectively: MaN1bX1c (1) MdN2eX2f (2) MgN3hX3i (3) wherein M represents H, Li, Na, Mg, Al, K, or Ca and X1, X2, and X3 are polyanions, each of N1 and N2 is at least one atom selected from the group consisting of transition metals, Al, and Cu, and N3 is at least one atom selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ge, Hf, Zr, Al, Cr, Ga, Fe, Sc, and In.
US07914930B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having both high capacity and long-life is provided by solving the problem of the large irreversible capacity of a negative electrode active material. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is produced by a method including the steps of: reacting lithium with a negative electrode active material by bringing a metal film that is composed mainly of lithium into contact with a surface of a negative electrode active material layer; and thereafter combining the negative electrode with a positive electrode to form an electrode assembly. The metal film composed mainly of lithium is preferably formed on a carrier that does not chemically react with lithium, and the metal film on the carrier is preferably brought into contact with the negative electrode active material layer while heating and applying a pressure thereto.
US07914929B2
A dispersion comprises at least one aqueous solvent, a lithium and titanium mixed oxide such as Li4Ti5O12 and an organic binder comprising a starch-type polysaccharide. The starch-type polysaccharide comprises amylose and amylopectin, with a ratio between the weight proportion of amylose and the weight proportion of amylopectin that is less than or equal to 25%. Such a dispersion can be used to achieve a lithium storage battery electrode.
US07914919B2
A battery fastening assembly for fastening a battery to a housing includes a hook and a positioning portion formed on the battery, and a slot defined in the housing, and a positioning portion formed on the housing. The slot is configured to engage with the hook, and the positioning portion of the housing is configured to engage with the positioning portion on the battery. The hook is slidable in the slot so that the battery is slidable relative to the housing and to make the positioning portion of the battery engage with or disengage from the positioning portion of the housing.
US07914914B2
Sheathing panels are produced by methods which do not require natural resources such as wood and use significantly reduced embodied energy when compared with the energy used to fabricate gypsum sheathing panels. A novel binder, consisting in one embodiment of monopotassium phosphate and magnesium oxide, and combined with various fillers, is incorporated with hollow tubes or water soluble fibers to create a gypsum board-like core which can be formed into a suitable sheathing panel handled and installed in a typical manner. The panel is manufactured to have a desirable shear resistance and water vapor permeability, important performance elements in building envelope design. The manufacturing process results in a panel that does not require mature trees as source material, does not off gas, and involves much lower greenhouse gas emissions than the processes used to make traditional wood or gypsum-based sheathing panels.
US07914900B2
The present invention provides a receptacle (30) for a therapeutic fluid susceptible to deterioration on exposure to a gas such as oxygen or carbon dioxide. The receptacle (30) has walls of sheet material each including at least one layer forming a barrier essentially impermeable to such gas, and a seal sealing the walls together in a region thereof. A transfer tube (40) is sealed in the seal having a proximal end in the receptacle (30), a distal end accessible from outside the receptacle (30), a flow passage (56) extending between said proximal and distal ends, and a closure (54) blocking flow through the flow passage (56) adapted to be pierced by a tubular needle for transfer of therapeutic through the needle. The transfer tube (40) and closure (54) are essentially impermeable to said gas.
US07914894B2
The invention provides a flexible, highly pure expanded graphite sheet characterized by having an impurity content of 10 ppm or less and such a degree of flexibility that a sample thereof, 10×100 mm in size can withstand at least 10 times of bending in flexibility test comprising repeatedly bending the sample, with a 50-g weight suspended from one end thereof, by means of bending bodies with a diameter of 6 mm.
US07914879B2
An endless fusing thick belt for an electrographic imaging device having a flexible tubular configuration of predetermined diameter, said endless fusing thick belt comprising; an outside surface toner release layer comprised of a coating and a sleeve; a silicone rubber layer positioned inside said outside surface toner release layer; a rigid material layer positioned inside said silicone rubber layer; and a silicone base layer positioned inside and affixed to the internal surface of said polyimide layer using an adhesive.
US07914875B2
Hybrid membrane structures that include: an inorganic porous support that includes first and second ends, and a plurality of inner channels having surfaces defined by porous walls and extending through the support from the first to the second ends; optionally, one or more porous inorganic intermediate layers coating the inner channel surfaces; and a polymeric amine-containing membrane.
US07914867B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a gas barrier film suitable for medical uses, which is excellent in gas and vapor properties and can prevent ingredients of an adhesive and the like from eluting even after heating and sterilizing treatment, and a medical bag using the gas barrier film. A medical gas barrier film of the present invention comprises a multilayer gas barrier film 10 including a deposition oriented polyester layer 11 having a deposited layer 13 of an inorganic oxide on one surface, an oriented polyamide layer 15 adhered to the surface of the deposited layer 13 and a polyethylene layer 17 adhered to the surface on the opposite side to an adhered surface 15a of the oriented polyamide layer 15, and a multilayer substrate film 22 including a cyclic olefin polymer layer 25, an elastomer layers 24, 26 and a heat sealing layer 23, and the multilayer substrate film 22 is adhered to an other surface 11b on the opposite side of the deposited layer of the deposition oriented polyester layer 11.
US07914864B2
A system for forming a microporous ink receptive coating includes a fusible latex configured to coat a substrate, wherein the fusible latex includes a hard core material and a soft shell material, wherein the latex exhibits self-adhesive properties at a system operation temperature.
US07914861B2
A liquid crystal composite is provided, which includes a liquid crystal compound and a nanoparticle. The liquid crystal compound is an optically compensated birefringence (OCB) liquid crystal compound. The nanoparticle has at least one acrylic functional group on the main chain or side chain thereof. The nanoparticle is 0.1-2 wt % by weight of the liquid crystal composite.
US07914859B2
The instant invention relates to mesogenic media comprising one or more compounds which comprise two or more mesogenic groups two of which are linked to the ortho-positions of an aromatic ring, preferably of formula (I) wherein the parameters are as specified in the text, preferably the instant invention relates to mesogenic media showing a blue phase and their use in electro-optical light modulation elements and their respective use in displays, as well as to such devices. The instant invention further relates to compounds of formula (I).
US07914848B2
A tape-manufacturing system for coating at least one tape substrate such as, for example, for the manufacture of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) conductor is disclosed. The tape-manufacturing system includes at least two electron beam (e-beam) deposition sources, at least one assist source and, optionally, a controller. Each e-beam deposition source may be in-process repairable. Each e-beam deposition source is capable of communicating an evaporant material with at least a portion of at least one tape substrate to deposit a coating thereon. The at least one assist source is capable of communicating a beam of a species to the coating. The controller communicates with the at least two e-beam deposition sources and the at least one assist source.
US07914835B2
A dog chew treat is fashioned from a composition comprising sugar, fiber, and flour. Preferably, the sugar is dextrose, and the flour is pre-gelatinized wheat flour. The composition may be molded into the shape of a bone, or other treat. A palatant coating may be applied to the molded product. Colors may be added for different aesthetics such as a marbling pattern. Functional ingredients may be used to provide health benefits.
US07914830B2
The present invention provides a composition for inhibiting thrombus formation, comprising a given plant component derived from amla, tea, hibiscus, cocklebur, gymnema, Hizikia fusiforme or carrageenan, which can be used for foodstuff, quasi-drugs, medicaments and feeds.
US07914825B2
The invention relates to Vaccinium fruit extracts, related preparations, production methods and uses.
US07914821B2
A pharmaceutical composition for preventing and/or treating bone loss is disclosed. The pharmaceutical composition includes an effective amount of a licorice, black bean, Cnidi Fructus, and buckhorn.
US07914816B2
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical presentations for animals which are administered orally and which are accepted readily by the animals (for example dogs, cats and horses), to processes for their preparation and to their use, in particular as endoparasiticides.
US07914814B2
A preparation is disclosed for producing enhanced blood flow in tissue thus causing beneficial effects such as promoting hair growth on scalp tissue lacking sufficient hair, restoring normal sexual function in males with erectile dysfunction. Specifically, this is a preparation which provides local delivery of the amino acid L-arginine, an important biological precursor to the main substance which is responsible for relaxation of blood vessels permitting enhancement of blood flow. In the preferred embodiments, the L-arginine is provided so that it can be topically applied to the scalp or penis. The preparation also contains an agent which aids in the transfer of L-arginine into the tissue. In the preferred embodiments this agent overcomes the resistance to transfer caused by the high charge density of L-arginine. In the preferred embodiments this means is high ionic strength created by addition of choline chloride, magnesium chloride and sodium chloride. This preparation when applied nightly to scalp tissue lacking sufficient hair for a period of time causes substantial growth of hair on the scalp. Further, when applied to the penis of a subject with erectile dysfunction causes restoration of normal sexual function.
US07914808B2
Methods of making a hybrid biologic/synthetic scaffold for repairing damaged or diseased tissue are provided. The methods include the step of suspending pieces of an extracellular matrix material in a liquid to form a slurry, and coating a synthetic mat with the slurry, or mixing or layering the slurry with a synthetic polymer solution. The liquid is subsequently driven off so as to form a foam. Porous implantable scaffolds fabricated by such a method are also disclosed.
US07914806B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, medical devices are provided that contain at least one polymeric region which contains (a) at least one block copolymer that contains at least at least three polymer blocks that differ from one another and (b) at least one therapeutic agent.
US07914803B2
Ophthalmic compositions suitable for use as artificial tears or as vehicles for ophthalmic drugs are disclosed. The compositions contain a combination of three polymers that have a synergistic effect on viscosity.
US07914799B2
A multivalent fungal vaccine comprising one or more heat-inactivated fungal antigens, wherein at least one fungal antigen is effective in producing an immune response in a host when said vaccine is administered orally at a dose that is sufficient for preventing or treating the fungal disease in said host. Also described are methods for making and using an orally available anti-fungal vaccine.
US07914798B2
The present invention relates to polynucleotides encoding Streptococcus group C and G polypeptides and their use in immunogenic compositions. The invention also relates to immunogenic compositions comprising polypeptides encoded by those polynucleotides. In addition, the invention relates to methods of inducing an immune response in mammals against beta hemolytic Streptococcus or beta hemolytic Streptococcus infection using immunogenic compositions of the Streptococcus group C and G polypeptides and polynucleotides.
US07914794B2
Group B streptococcus (GBS) proteins and polynucleotides encoding them are disclosed. Said proteins are antigenic and therefore useful vaccine components for the prophylaxis or therapy of streptococcus infection in animals. Also disclosed are recombinant methods of producing the protein antigens as well as diagnostic assays for detecting streptococcus bacterial infection.
US07914792B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for raising antibodies generally comprising 1) providing highly immunogenic vesicles bearing at least one target antigen and 2) immunizing animals with the said antigen-bearing vesicles to induce antigen-specific antibody responses. The invention also relates to methods of screening antibody repertoires comprising 1) providing vesicles bearing at least one target antigen and one marker and 2) isolating antibody-producing cells or particles with defined antigen specificity using the said antigen- and marker-bearing vesicles. Antibodies with defined antigen specificity can then be prepared from isolated antibody-producing cells using known methods of the art. This invention can be used in experimental, research, therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic areas.
US07914789B2
The present invention relates to novel human secreted proteins and isolated nucleic acids containing the coding regions of the genes encoding such proteins. Also provided are vectors, host cells, antibodies, and recombinant methods for producing human secreted proteins. The invention further relates to diagnostic and therapeutic methods useful for diagnosing and treating disorders related to these novel human secreted proteins.
US07914788B2
The present invention relates to monoclonal antibodies that bind or neutralize Orthopoxviruses. The invention provides such antibodies, fragments of such antibodies retaining B5 or A33 binding ability, fully human antibodies retaining B5 or A33 binding ability, and pharmaceutical compositions including such antibodies. The invention further provides for isolated nucleic acids encoding the antibodies of the invention and host cells transformed therewith. Additionally, the invention provides for prophylactic, therapeutic, and diagnostic methods employing the antibodies and nucleic acids of the invention.
US07914783B2
Methods of treating or preventing a disorder, or a complication of a disorder, of an eye of a subject, comprising contacting a vitreous and/or aqueous humor with a composition comprising a truncated form of plasmin comprising a catalytic domain of plasmin (TPCD) are disclosed. TPCDs include, but are not limited to, miniplasmin, microplasmin and derivatives and variants thereof. The methods of the invention can be used to reduce the viscosity of the vitreous, liquefy the vitreous, induce posterior vitreous detachment, reduce hemorrhagic blood from the eye, clear or reduce materials toxic to the eye, clear or reduce intraocular foreign substances from the eye, increase diffusion of a composition administered to an eye, reduce extraretinal neovascularization and any combinations thereof. The method can be used in the absence of, or as an adjunct to, vitrectomy.
US07914781B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the reduction of atherosclerotic plaques and the decrease in the level of total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, serum LDL cholesterol, and serum HDL cholesterol.
US07914776B2
Solid dispersions of stable, amorphous opioid antagonists, particularly [[2(S)-[[4(R)-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3(R),4-dimethyl-piperidinyl]methyl]-1-oxo-3-phenylpropyl]amino]acetic acid, with improved water solubility and bioavailability are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of preventing or treating a side effect associated with an opioid. In addition, methods of treating or preventing pain, ileus, and opioid bowel dysfunction are disclosed.
US07914775B2
The invention concerns a composition for treating keratinous fibers, in particular human keratinous fibers such as hair, comprising in a physiologically acceptable medium, at least a protecting or conditioning agent, and further at least a cationic associative polyurethane polymer. The invention also concerns methods and devices using said composition.
US07914769B2
Methods and compositions for treating human papillomavirus infections are described.
US07914765B2
The present invention provides a reactor and gasification process for the continuous controlled production of hydrogen (H2) and a by-product synthesis gas (mixture of CO+H2+CO2), such a process called a hydrogen priority poly-generation process (HPPP). The reactor uses a circulating molten iron process, which is capable of gasifying a variety of carbonaceous materials including low rank coals and biomass. The process employs an iron steam oxidation-reduction cycle in a multi-chamber reactor including a multi-vessel reactor system, where in one compartment or vessel hydrogen is produced by steam oxidation of molten iron; and in a second compartment or vessel the iron is regenerated by carbon reduction of molten iron oxide thereby producing a by-product synthesis gas (CO+H2+CO2), and excess heat which can be used to produce steam, and in a third step the iron is purified before being returned to the steam oxidation step in the process. An embodiment of this process uses low rank coals having high ash levels in a reactor, which is designed to continuously extract ash from the molten iron bath. A second embodiment uses low ash carbon materials such as highly beneficiated coals in a simpler process that produces pure streams of hydrogen and CO.
US07914764B2
The invention provides a method for generating high pressure hydrogen at improved thermal efficiencies. First a synthesis gas stream at a first pressure is produced in a pressure swing reformer. Next the synthesis gas stream is subjected to a high temperature water gas shift process to produce a hydrogen enriched stream from which high pressure hydrogen is obtained. Specific embodiments of the invention involve: regenerating the reformer at a pressure lower than the synthesis gas generation; operating the synthesis gas generation step at conditions sufficient to provide a syn gas stream at a temperature in the range used in the water gas shift reaction; and using pressure swing adsorption to separate the hydrogen.
US07914759B2
Bisphosphines are prepared by reacting a phosphine with a dihalide in the presence of an acid; characteristically, bisphosphonium compounds are initially formed and then converted into the bisphosphines.
US07914756B2
A method of treating alkaline industrial by-products, such as red mud generated by Bayer process bauxite refining, is described. Embodiments of the method comprise treating the alkaline industrial by-products with salts of divalent and/or polyvalent cations, thereby lowering pH of the alkaline industrial by-products. The method involves replacement reactions in which relatively insoluble hydroxide salts form precipitates, thereby removing hydroxide ions from solution.
US07914754B2
Processing schemes and arrangements are provided for obtaining ethylene and ethane via the catalytic cracking of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock and converting the ethylene into ethyl benzene without separating the ethane from the feed stream. The disclosed processing schemes and arrangements advantageously eliminate any separation of ethylene from ethane produced by a FCC process prior to using the combined ethylene/ethane stream as a feed for an ethyl benzene process. Further, heat from the alkylation reactor is used for one of the strippers of the FCC process and at least one bottoms stream from alkylation process is used as an absorption solvent in the FCC process.
US07914753B2
An analytical system includes a working fluid, a uniform dividing unit and a separating unit. The working fluid includes a first component and a second component with different characteristics. The uniform dividing unit is utilized to uniformly divide the working fluid and relatively rotated with respect to a reference axis. Under a capillarity force as well as the result of Coriolis force and siphon force, the first component can be separated from the second component by the separating unit.
US07914747B1
A system is provided for reducing NOx emission. The system includes a gas production source configured to produce a gas stream comprising NOx, and an oxidation catalyst positioned downstream of the gas production source. The oxidation catalyst is configured to oxidize NO gas molecules in the gas stream to yield higher order NxOy molecules. A removal system is positioned downstream of the oxidation catalyst and is configured to remove higher order NxOy molecules from the gas stream by solvent absorption or reaction. The system further includes a secondary NOx trimming system positioned downstream of the oxidation catalyst, wherein the secondary NOx trimming system is configured to inject a reactant into the gas stream, the reactant configured to react with NOx molecules present in the gas stream.
US07914743B2
Various systems, devices, NO2 absorbents, NO2 scavengers and NO2 recuperator for generating nitric oxide are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, an apparatus for converting nitrogen dioxide to nitric oxide can include a receptacle including an inlet, an outlet, a surface-active material coated with an aqueous solution of ascorbic acid and an absorbent wherein the inlet is configured to receive a gas flow and fluidly communicate the gas flow to the outlet through the surface-active material and the absorbent such that nitrogen dioxide in the gas flow is converted to nitric oxide.
US07914741B2
A dissolution testing apparatus includes a base structure, a vessel support structure, a cleaning manifold and a stirring mechanism. The vessel support structure is configured for mounting testing vessels and is rotatably mounted to the base structure. The vessel support structure is rotatable from an upright position at which respective open ends of the vessels face upwardly to an inverted position at which the open ends face downwardly. The cleaning manifold is mounted to base structure below the vessel support structure and is configured for directing a fluid into the vessels while the vessel support structure is at the inverted position. The stirring mechanism includes shafts and is movably mounted to the base structure. The stirring mechanism is movable from a lower position at which the shafts extend into the vessels to an upper position at which the shafts are outside the vessels. At the upper position the stirring mechanism provides clearance for the vessel support structure to rotate.
US07914737B2
A new multi-level apparatus is disclosed for high throughput processing of samples. The apparatus does not need interruptions for reloading disposables.
US07914736B2
A system and method for identifying and making quantitative determinations of different deposits on a portion thereof, determining that the deposit is a contaminant and decontaminating at least the portion of the system is disclosed. The system comprises a controller, a sensing portion and a decontamination portion. The controller contains information about at least one noncontaminant. The sensing portion communicates with at least the controller and the portion of the system and is adapted to detect the deposit. The decontaminating portion communicates with at least the controller and is adapted to decontaminate the portion of the system.
US07914724B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for forming a circumferential skin surrounding a central cellular structure of an extruded honeycomb article. The method and apparatus may be used to produce defect-free skins and/or skins having large thickness and a high degree of particle alignment thereby preferably exhibiting CTE comparable to the extruded webs. These benefits are achieved by providing a die and method wherein a flow, Q, exiting any two active ones of a plurality of peripheral slots forming the skin is substantially equal. Also disclosed is a thick-skinned ceramic article having a thick extruded skin (ts′>5 tw′) with an I-value comparable to the webs.
US07914722B2
A method of making a golf ball including the steps of providing a preform including an uncured polybutadiene composition; coating the preform with a cure-altering material including a hydroquinone compound, a benzoquinone compound, a resorcinol compound, or a quinhydrone compound; curing the coated preform at a predetermined temperature to form a crosslinked golf ball core having an outer surface having a first hardness and a geometric center having a second hardness greater than the first to define a negative hardness gradient; and forming a cover layer about the core to form the golf ball.
US07914721B2
For producing a ceramic material, a mask having a predetermined shape is located on a substrate, and a spacing is formed between the substrate and the mask. An aerosol, which contains a carrier gas and raw material particles dispersed in the carrier gas, is jetted out onto the substrate, and the jetted-out aerosol is caused to flow into the spacing between the substrate and the mask. The raw material particles, which are contained in the aerosol, are deposited in the spacing between the substrate and the mask, and a molded body having the same shape as the shape of the mask is formed.
US07914719B2
Process for the manufacture of a spun fleece web made of filaments and particularly made of filaments made of thermoplastic synthetic material. The filaments are spun out of a mixture comprising at least one polymer and at least one hydrophilic additive and are plaited to form the fleece web. The fleece web is heated to a temperature of at least 30° C. and/or moistened with an aqueous liquid. The fleece web is thereafter hydrodynamically compacted.
US07914717B2
A molding device for easily releasing a molding material produced by transferring a minute shape to resin using a die having the minute shape formed thereon from the die with no damage. A method for controlling such molding device is also provided. The molding device and the control method are characterized in that the force for releasing the molding material from the die is detected and an alarm signal is delivered if the number of times when the releasing force becomes higher than a level preset depending on the molding material reaches a preset number of times.
US07914714B2
The methods of the invention employ electrostatic atomization to form a compound droplet of at least two miscible fluids. The compound droplet comprises a core of a first fluid and a layer of a second fluid completely surrounding the core. The first fluid contains the agent to be encapsulated and the second fluid contains an encapsulating agent. The first and second liquids are miscible. The encapsulated droplets can contain a variety of materials including, but not limited to, polynucleotides such as DNA and RNA, proteins, bioactive agents or drugs, food, pesticides, herbicides, fragrances, antifoulants, dyes, oils, inks, cosmetics, catalysts, detergents, curing agents, flavors, fuels, metals, paints, photographic agents, biocides, pigments, plasticizers, propellants and the like and components thereof. The droplets can be encapsulated by a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, lipid bilayers and polymer shells. An additional complete or partial layer of a third fluid can be formed on the outside of the second fluid layer. The third fluid can contain a targeting or steric stabilizing agent.
US07914709B2
Use of a composition comprising finely divided particles of (a) an electrically-conductive material; (b) one or more inorganic binders; and (c) one or more metal(s) selected from cobalt, nickel, iron and bismuth, wherein components (a), (b) and (c) are dispersed in a liquid vehicle, in the manufacture of an electrically-conductive pattern on a substrate for the purpose of increasing the resistivity of said electrically-conductive pattern.
US07914707B2
Disclosed is a compound represented by the following formula 1: wherein, each of R1˜R13 independently represents —H, —F, —Cl, —Br, —I, —OH, —SH, —COOH, —PO3H2, —NH2, —NO2, —O(CH2CH2O)nH (wherein, n is an integer of 1˜5), C1˜C12 alkyl group, C1˜C12 aminoalkyl group, C1˜C12 hydroxyalkyl group, C1˜C12 haloalkyl group, C2˜C12 alkenyl group, C1˜C12 alkoxy group, C1˜C12 alkylamino group, C1˜C12 dialkylamino group, C6˜C18 aryl group, C6˜C18 aminoaryl group, C6˜C18 hydroxyaryl group, C6˜C18 haloaryl group, C7˜C18 benzyl group, C7˜C18 aminobenzyl group, C7˜C18 hydroxybenzyl group, C7˜C18 halobenzyl group, or nitrile group (—CN); and at least one of R4˜R13 is nitrile group (—CN). A non-aqueous electrolyte comprising: (i) a lithium salt, (ii) a solvent, and (iii) a compound represented by formula 1; and a secondary battery comprising the non-aqueous electrolyte are also disclosed. When the compound represented by formula 1 is added to a non-aqueous electrolyte, it is possible to improve the safety of a secondary battery in an overcharged state.
US07914703B2
Certain poly(oxyalkylene) colorants are disclosed along with method of preparation thereof. A method of using these colorants as fluorescent security taggants is also disclosed.
US07914698B2
The present invention relates to compositions for use in refrigeration, air-conditioning, and heat pump systems wherein the composition comprises a fluoroolefin and at least one other component. The compositions of the present invention are useful in processes for producing cooling or heat, as heat transfer fluids, foam blowing agents, aerosol propellants, and fire suppression and fire extinguishing agents.
US07914695B2
The object of the present invention is to both reduce costs and improve magnetic characteristics of rare-earth bond magnets in which magnetic material is bound with a binding agent. In order to achieve this object, magnetic characteristics of a magnet are improved by performing cold forming on rare-earth magnetic powder by itself with no resin added. Then, in order to provide strength for the magnet, a low-viscosity SiO2 precursor is infiltrated and thermoset in the magnet shaped body. As a result, it is possible to obtain a rare-earth bond magnet in which magnetic characteristics are improved and costs are reduced.
US07914685B2
Compositions comprising synthetic rock, e.g., aggregate, and methods of producing and using them are provided. The rock, e.g., aggregate, contains CO2 and/or other components of an industrial waste stream. The CO2 may be in the form of divalent cation carbonates, e.g., magnesium and calcium carbonates. Aspects of the invention include contacting a CO2 containing gaseous stream with a water to dissolve CO2, and placing the water under precipitation conditions sufficient to produce a carbonate containing precipitate product, e.g., a divalent cation carbonate.
US07914684B2
A method and apparatus for treating mixed waste by pyrolysis. Organic mass is carbonized by heating to carbon in a pyrolysis reactor (3) in an oxygen-free environment. Pyrolysis gases are distilled for oil and the gases are used for energy production. Solid matter resulting from pyrolysis is sieved for separating inorganic coarse particles from a carbon fraction. The carbon fraction is milled in two operations, first with a roller mill (8) and then with a jet mill (10), a removal of metal being performed between the operations. The pulverized carbon fraction is classified by means of ionizing particle separators (11, 12, 13). The multi-stage particle separation is followed by discharging clean air and recovering fine carbon.
US07914683B1
Hydrogen generator coupled to or integrated with a fuel cell for portable power applications. Hydrogen is produced via thermocatalytic decomposition (cracking, pyrolysis) of hydrocarbon fuels in oxidant-free environment. The apparatus can utilize a variety of hydrocarbon fuels, including natural gas, propane, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, crude oil (including sulfurous fuels). The hydrogen-rich gas produced is free of carbon oxides or other reactive impurities, so it could be directly fed to any type of a fuel cell. The catalysts for hydrogen production in the apparatus are carbon-based or metal-based materials and doped, if necessary, with a sulfur-capturing agent. Additionally disclosed are two novel processes for the production of two types of carbon filaments, and a novel filamentous carbon product. Carbon particles with surface filaments having a hydrophobic property of oil film absorption, compositions of matter containing those particles, and a system for using the carbon particles for cleaning oil spills.
US07914678B2
A compact high efficiency combined biological and physical unsaturated wastewater treatment filter configured for periodic backwashing is disclosed. The filter utilizes packed media and removes pollutants and pathogens from wastewater and other dirty water sources. The filter comprises a periodic backwashing means to less the chance that biofilm growth will clog the media pores. However, such backwashing still leaves sufficient biofilm attached to the media to maintain a very high level of treatment. In the preferred embodiment, the filter utilizes high frequency dosing to cause pore saturation at or near the surface during dosing and shortly thereafter in order to maximize distribution uniformity and to induce downward airflow into the media. The system provides a number of unexpected benefits; including allowing a very low distribution pressure and providing high oxygen transfer at low energy utilization into the filter media for aerobic biodegradation of pollutants.
US07914674B2
A device for removing ferrous particulates from an oil stream within a motor vehicle includes a passage through which the oil stream flows and a magnet disposed within the passage. The passage defines a cavity in which the magnet is housed. The passage defines a substantially ninety-degree bend, such that particles suspended within the oil stream are propelled into the magnet before continuing along the passage. Preferably the device is disposed upstream of vehicle control valves, such that debris is removed from the oil stream prior to travel through the valves. Preferably, the cavity defines an overhang, which may be magnetic, with the overhang securing the magnet within the cavity and preventing particulates from re-entering the oil stream. An opening within the passage preferably defines the ninety-degree bend. The opening may be at least partially defined by the cavity. The magnet is preferably configured to be replaceable, removable, or both.
US07914670B2
An inline bitumen froth steam heater system including steam injection and static mixing devices is provided. The system heats and de-aerates input bitumen froth without creating downstream processing problems with the bitumen froth such as emulsification or live steam entrainment. The system is a multistage unit that injects and thoroughly mixes steam with bitumen resulting in output bitumen material having temperature of about 190° F. The system conditions a superheated steam supply to obtain saturated steam at about 300° F. The saturated steam is contacted with bitumen froth flow and mixed in a static mixer stage. The static mixers provide surface area and rotating action that allows the injected steam to condense and transfer its heat to the bitumen froth. The mixing action and increase in temperature of the bitumen froth results in reduction in bitumen viscosity and allows the release of entrapped air from the bitumen froth.
US07914663B2
A mesoporous silica structure having a plurality of mesopores includes a dendritic framework having mesopores. 90% or more of the mesopores observable in a 500 nm×500 nm area pass through the framework in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the framework.
US07914659B2
A high capacity chlorine dioxide gas generator includes an anolyte loop for generating chlorine dioxide gas and a cooling system connected to said anolyte loop. A chlorine dioxide solution generator includes a chlorine dioxide gas source, an absorption loop fluidly connected to the chlorine dioxide gas source for effecting the dissolution of chlorine dioxide into a liquid stream, and a cooling system that functions in the chlorine dioxide gas source or the absorption loop. A method of generating chlorine dioxide solution includes providing a chlorine dioxide gas source, dissolving chlorine dioxide into a liquid stream using an absorption loop fluidly connected to the chlorine dioxide gas source, and cooling the chlorine dioxide in at least one of the chlorine dioxide gas source and the absorption loop.
US07914651B2
A cathode plate and method for electro-refining or electro-winning of metal. The cathode includes a cathode blade and hanger bar. A quantity of electrically conductive material is wrapped around the hanger bar and along the cathode blade to a position, in use, proximate the level of electrolyte in the electrolytic bath. The provision of a deeper and preferably thicker coating of electrically conductive material, as compared with conventional cathode plates, reduces power consumption in the electrolytic circuit.
US07914631B2
An azide-free gas-generating composition for use in gas generators for safety arrangements, in particular in gas generators for vehicle occupant restraint systems, includes a fuel and an oxidizer. The fuel is a compound having a melting point of at least 120 degrees C., and is selected from the group of nitrogenous organic compounds and of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, and mixtures, derivatives and salts thereof. The oxidizer comprises tetrakis(2,2,2-trinitroethyl)orthocarbonate (TNEOC), with the TNEOC being present in a proportion of at least 10% by weight of the composition.
US07914627B2
A processing solution for forming a hexavalent chromium free, corrosion resistant trivalent chromate conversion film on zinc or zinc alloy plating layers comprises: trivalent chromium and oxalic acid in a molar ratio ranging from 0.5/1 to 1.5/1, wherein the trivalent chromium is present in the form of water-soluble complex with oxalic acid; and cobalt ions, which do not form a hardly soluble metal salt with oxalic acid and are stably present in the processing solution without causing any precipitation; wherein the solution reacts with zinc when bringing it into contact with the zinc or zinc alloy plating to form a hexavalent chromium free, corrosion resistant, trivalent chromate conversion film containing zinc, chromium, cobalt, oxalic acid and silicon on the plating. The film is quite thin, free of any hexavalent chromium, has corrosion resistance identical to or higher than that achieved by the conventional hexavalent chromium-containing film and can be formed using a processing solution having a quite low concentration.
US07914626B2
A liquid processing method includes: placing a plate adjacently to at least one of surfaces of a target substrate, and supplying a process liquid into a gap between the plate and the target substrate, thereby forming a liquid film of the process liquid; subjecting the target substrate to a process using a state with the liquid film of the process liquid thus formed; and supplying a gas to the liquid film, thereby breaking the liquid film, after finishing the process.
US07914625B2
A sequencing diverter valve system in a washing appliance includes a fluid distribution manifold having a fluid inlet for receiving washing fluid and a plurality of fluid outlets. A fluid responsive rotating drive arm is connected to a drive reduction mechanism which, in turn, is operatively connected to a rotating sequencing valve for shifting the valve through a plurality of discrete positions at a rate of rotation less than the rate of rotation of the drive arm. As it rotates, the sequencing valve sequentially directs the washing fluid to a respective one or more of the plurality of fluid outlets.
