US07924911B2
A computerized system simulates a non-linear Decision Feedback Equalizer. The computerized system includes a user interface, an output port, and a controller coupled to the user interface and to the output port. The controller is configured to (i) receive electronic design automation commands from a user through the user interface, (ii) generate, as an electronic model of the non-linear Decision Feedback Equalizer, an electronic representation of a linear filter in response to the electronic design automation commands, and (iii) integrate the electronic representation of the linear filter into an electronic circuit design having other electronic representations of other electronic circuits. The electronic circuit design is externally accessible through the output port.
US07924907B2
there is provided a spreading apparatus using a child orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) code pair, including: a channel condition information receiving unit for receiving channel condition information including a channel condition metric; a switch controlling unit for receiving the channel condition information from the channel condition information receiving unit and transferring data stream according to the received channel station information; a first spreading unit for receiving the data stream from the switching controlling unit, and spreading the data stream using a single OVSF code; and a second spreading unit for receiving the data stream from the switching controlling unit, and spreading the data stream using a child OVSF code pair.
US07924898B2
One facet and the other facet of a nitride based semiconductor laser device are respectively composed of a cleavage plane of (0001) and a cleavage plane of (000 1). Thus, the one facet and the other facet are respectively a Ga polar plane and an N polar plane. A portion of the one facet and a portion of the other facet, which are positioned in an optical waveguide, constitute a pair of cavity facets. A first protective film including oxygen as a constituent element is formed on the one facet. A second protective film including nitrogen as a constituent element is formed on the other facet.
US07924896B2
An optical semiconductor device includes an active layer, a first semiconductor layer formed above the active layer and made from a semiconductor material containing Al, a second semiconductor layer formed above the first semiconductor layer and made from a semiconductor material which does not contain any one of Al and P and whose band gap is greater than that of the active layer, and a third semiconductor layer formed above the second semiconductor layer and made from a semiconductor material which does not contain Al but contains P. The second semiconductor layer is formed such that the first semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer do not contact with each other.
US07924894B2
A high-power laser system includes a laser master oscillator, a plurality of fiber laser amplifiers producing intermediate output beamlets, a diffractive optical element for combining the intermediate beamlets into a combined output beam, and a piston error controller for minimizing errors related to beam combination that may degrade the quality of the combined output beam. A piston error controller uses amplitude modulation based on Hadamard code words to tag each non-reference intermediate beamlet with a unique code sequence orthogonal to those used for the other beamlets. For each intermediate beamlet, the associated piston error contribution is recovered using a Hadamard decoder. A very small phase dither is also introduced to allow the sign or direction of the piston error to be recovered. The decoded piston error contribution is processed by a cascaded product detector unit to derive a piston error control signal, which is provided to a phase modulator to thereby adjust the phase of a beamlet and minimize the piston error contributed thereby.
US07924890B2
An apparatus and method are provided which preferably increase reliability of data sensitive to packet loss. According to principles of the invention, a quality of service value may be dynamically assigned to network packets based on the contents of the network packets.
US07924885B2
A method and system for providing multi-channel circuit emulation clock recovery wherein a single instance of the clock recovery logic effects circuit emulation clock recovery for multiple channels. For one embodiment of the invention, fine tuning clocking is effected by comparing an outgoing clock with a recovered clock and switching a clock recovery mechanism, the switching performed in conjunction with a multi-channel context.
US07924884B2
The present invention is directed towards “skip” and “differential” recording techniques for recording values of network parameter to a log in a lossless manner while reducing storage resources used to record such values. The counter monitor of the present invention monitors and records values of counters at time intervals to generate a counter log provided via temporary or permanent storage. The counter monitor compares a reading of the value of the counter to a previously obtained value of the counter. If the value of the counter has not changed, the counter monitor records only the timestamp to the counter log, thereby “skipping” the recording of the unchanged value. If there is any change in the value of the counter, then the change in value of the counter, i.e., a “differential” value, along with the timestamp is stored in the counters log. To further reduce storage resource usage, the counter monitor also stores changes to the timestamps as differential changes in time values.
US07924883B2
The present system uses point-to-point data links between intelligent network elements located in the feeder/distribution network to provide reliable, secure, bi-directional broadband access. Digital signals are terminated at the intelligent network elements, switched and regenerated for transmission across additional upstream or downstream data links as needed to connect a home to a headend or router. The intelligent network elements can be co-located with or replace the standard network elements to take advantage of existing network configurations. A tree-and-branch network architecture is therefore established in which each intelligent network element is assigned a routing ID employed in the point-to-point transmissions while leaving legacy analog signals unimpeded. In this manner, the data links are made over relatively short runs of coax cable, which can provide greater bandwidth than the typical end-to-end feeder/distribution connection between a home and the headend or optical network unit.
US07924882B2
A packet forwarding apparatus (L2SW) having a frame segmentation function of converting a extended Ethernet frame such as a MAC-in-MAC frame into a plurality of fragment frames when a payload length of the received frame exceeds a standard MTU size communicable in an Ethernet network to be a forwarding destination, by segmenting the received frame into a plurality of data blocks having a size not longer than the MTU size, and a frame assembling function of restoring an original extended frame from a series of fragment frames received from the Ethernet network.
US07924881B2
Systems and methods ensure that datagrams retain integrity in light of the problems associated with the internetworking protocol's use of datagram identifiers drawn from a first pool of datagram identifiers. The methods involve controlling the use of datagram identifiers to ensure that only certain identifiers are allowable. A second pool of datagram identifiers is created that is different from the first pool. A datagram identifier is drawn from the second pool and assigned to a datagram in a manner that the datagram identifier is controlled from being reused during the lifetime of the datagram. In alternative embodiments the number of available datagram identifiers is either increased through optional header fields, or reduced through tracking allowed datagram identifiers. A first host notifies a second host of an allowed identifier. The second host uses the allowed identifier as a datagram identifier.
US07924879B2
In the data transmission method of an HSDPA system according to the present invention, a transmitter transmits Data Blocks each composed of one or more data units originated from a same logical channel, and a receiver receives the Data Block through a HS-DSCH and distributes the Data Block to a predetermined reordering buffer. Since each Data Block is composed of the MAC-d PDUs originated from the same logical channel, it is possible to monitor the in-sequence delivery of the data units, resulting in reduction of undesirable queuing delay caused by logical channel multiplexing.
US07924873B2
A method for enabling connectivity for protocol aware applications across different network topologies can include receiving frames passing between a first network having a first network topology and a second network having a second network topology; inspecting an incoming one of the frames to identify a remote resource in the second network and a device identifier corresponding to the remote resource, and an outgoing one of the frames to identify a socket assigned to a local resource in the first network and a device identifier for the local resource corresponding to the socket; and, transmitting data from a protocol-aware application in the first network to the remote resource in the second network in a protocol consistent with the second network topology, and further transmitting data from the remote resource in the second network to the protocol-aware application in the first network in a protocol consistent with the first network topology.
US07924868B1
A novel network architecture that integrates the functions of an Internet protocol (IP) router into a network processing unit (NPU) that resides in a host computer's chipset such that the host computer's resources are perceived as separate network appliances. The NPU appears logically separate from the host computer even though, in one embodiment, it is sharing the same chip.
US07924861B2
A signal communication apparatus includes a transmission component, a reception component and an identification information storage component. The transmission component is connectable to an information processing device and a signal propagation medium, and transmits an inputted image signal through the connected signal propagation medium. The reception component is connectable with an image display device and the signal propagation medium, receives the image signal transmitted from the transmission component through the connected signal propagation medium, and outputs the image signal to the connected image display device. The identification information storage component is removably attached to the transmission component, and stores identification information for identifying the image display device. The information processing device acquires the identification information from the identification information storage component connected to the connected transmission component, and outputs the image signal to the connected transmission component in accordance with at least a portion of the acquired identification information.
US07924856B2
A lost packet in a plurality of packets broadcasted from a broadcasting apparatus is detected. Packet complement request information indicative of a packet complement request for complementing the lost packet is transmitted to a device in a high hierarchical level, and a dummy packet for holding transmission of the packet complement request information for a predetermined hold time is transmitted in place of the lost packet to a node device connected in a low hierarchical level.
US07924850B2
The present invention provides a system which maintains a function of monitoring and controlling a network regardless of an increase of data to be downloaded by a computer whose access to the network is restricted. The system includes: a first interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network; a second interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network; a determination component for determining whether or not network data received by the first interface is from a first terminal device; a first creation component for creating, in response to a determination made by the determination component that the network data is transmitted from the first terminal device, information causing a transmission destination address of the network data to be changed to an address of the second interface in a table of the first terminal device; a first transmission component for transmitting the information causing the transmission destination address to be changed to the address of the second interface; and a restriction component for restricting a bandwidth of the network data passing through the second interface to a predetermined value.
US07924849B2
A method and system for providing quality of service in an IP telephony session between a calling party and a called party establishes a high quality of service ATM virtual circuit for the session between first and second devices, each of the devices having ATM capability and IP capability. The first and second devices provide bidirectional translation between IP media and ATM media. The system transports IP media for the session between the calling party and the first device, and between said called party and a second device. The virtual circuit transports ATM media for the session between the first and second devices. An intelligent control layer provides IP and ATM signaling to set up the session.
US07924846B2
A packet scheduling apparatus corrects an overhead amount between a DSL rate and a packet rate, converts DSL rate information to the packet rate, and shapes the IP packets from the Internet such that the IP packets are delivered at a transmission rate equal to or lower than the packet rate. An IP/ATM converter converts the IP packets from the packet scheduling apparatus to ATM cells. A DSL multiplexer has a DSL current rate detector for supplying DSL rate information indicative of a currently set DSL rate, and transmits the ATM cells from the IP/ATM converter or the IP packets from the packet scheduling apparatus to user terminals through DSL processing using telephone lines.
US07924840B1
The present invention is in the field of virtualization of Network Interface Cards and Controllers (NIC) that connect to for example a host computer that can have multiple functions and OS's (referred to as guest functions and guest-OS's) running on it simultaneously and, in particular, relates to the virtualization of the operation of a single NIC such that it can be used simultaneously by multiple guests in such a manner that memory references due to the network traffic originating from and destined to a particular guest is kept separate from other network traffic, and that allows the Media Access Controller (MAC) within the NIC to operate such that it only accepts network packets that are destined to one of the guest-functions or guest-OS's, and the MAC is not required to operate in promiscuous mode where it accept all incoming packets in order to implement the virtualization features.
US07924836B2
A method of installing forwarding state in a link state protocol controlled network node having a topology database representing a known topology of the network, and at least two ports for communication with corresponding peers of the network node. A unicast path is computed from the node to a second node in the network, using the topology database, and unicast forwarding state associated with the computed unicast path installed in a filtering database (FDB) of the node. Multicast forwarding state is removed for multicast trees originating at the second node if an unsafe condition is detected. Subsequently, a “safe” indication signal is advertised to each of the peers of the network node. The “safe” indication signal comprises a digest of the topology database. A multicast path is then computed from the network node to at least one destination node of a multicast tree originating at the second node. Finally, multicast forwarding state associated with the computed multicast path is installed in the filtering database (FDB) of the network node, when predetermined safe condition is satisfied.
US07924830B2
A method of routing data in an anycast environment includes sending an instruction from an intelligent route reflector device to an anycast router associated with an anycast network. The instruction signals the anycast router to statically pin up to an initial service node corresponding to a network service. The initial service node is associated with an anycast address. The method includes identifying prefixes of Internet protocol (IP) addresses of customer endpoints that communicate with the anycast network via the anycast router, and sending a route advertisement to a service node router associated with the initial service node. The route advertisement instructs the service node router to send an advertisement to the anycast network announcing that the service node router is a next best hop for data traffic related to the network service and bound for a customer endpoint having an IP address that includes any of the identified prefixes.
US07924822B2
A method and apparatus for enhanced Internet telephony ensures that communication between a source and destination is not interrupted by common network address translation. According to one aspect of the invention, communication may continue through a router that employs network address translation.
US07924819B2
A session information retrieval system is disclosed that efficiently transfers mobile station session information among certain members of a radio access network. As a mobile station within the network—which is dormant in a first packet data zone of the network—moves to a second packet data zone, a PCF for the second packet zone contacts the PCF for the first packet data zone to retrieve session information for the MS. Having retrieved the MS's already-established session information, the second PCF obviates the need to re-establish or re-negotiate session information for the MS. Having forwarded the MS's session information to the second PCF, the first PCF may discard the now unneeded session information that would have otherwise been maintained indefinitely—freeing up valuable system resources.
US07924814B1
The invention provides a method and apparatus for enabling DTMF signal processing in the core VoIP network. More specifically, the present invention enables a VoIP network to recognize and respond to special DTMF signals entered by a user and initiate the appropriate service logic response to satisfy the user's service request.
US07924812B1
A communication network comprising a plurality of domains, a first location server of a first domain of the plurality of domains, and a first gateway coupled to the first location server and configured to interwork communications between the first domain and a second domain of the plurality of domains wherein the plurality of domains provide a plurality of services. The first gateway, responsive to a first status change associated with a first service of the plurality of services provided by the second domain, transfers a first update message to the first location server wherein the first update message indicates the first gateway, the first status change, the second domain, and the first service. The first location server, responsive to receiving the first update message, processes the first update message to determine a third domain of the plurality of other domains that provides the first service and transfers a second update message to a second location server of the third domain wherein the second update message indicates the first gateway, the first status change, the second domain, and the first service.
US07924802B2
Embodiments of the present invention transmit signals simultaneously over a communication channel at different RF center frequencies, and may use a single power amplifier and antenna. In one embodiment the present invention includes a method of transmitting information in a wireless communication channel comprising receiving digital signals having data to be transmitted, converting the signals to analog signals, up-converting each analog signal, combining the up-converted signals, amplifying the combined up-converted signal and transmitting the combined up-converted signal. In one embodiment, the same data is sent over a transmission channel at two different frequencies to improve reliability.
US07924790B2
The invention provides a radio base station apparatus forming a wireless zone in a mobile communication system and to a base station controller performing channel control over a terminal visiting a wireless zone. The radio base station apparatus has an identifying section identifying a particular radio base station that is to maintain a radio channel between the radio base station apparatus and a terminal during a process of diversity handover, a network interface section delivering a signal to a network if a local station is not the particular radio base station, and an inter-office interface section delivering to the network a composite wave of the signal and a signal having arrived and forwarded from the terminal via the radio channel at a radio base station forming a wireless zone adjacent to a wireless zone formed by the local station if the local station is the particular radio base station.
US07924773B2
A communication terminal has a communicating section which performs communication via a network, an instructing section which gives instructions to perform communication, a reserving section which reserves performance of first communication by setting a starting time and an ending time of the first communication received through the communicating section, a notifying section which notifies a user that a reservation exists when the communicating section tries to perform second communication other than the first communication during a time period between a time preceding the starting time by a predetermined time period and the ending time, and a controlling section which controls to perform the second communication when an instruction to perform the second communication is given by the instructing section after the notification by the notifying section.
US07924772B2
Described is a method of constructing multi-user packets in a communication network utilizing packet-switching, wherein a plurality of user request service from the communication network. According to this method, priorities are allocated to each of the plurality of user. Of the plurality of user, those user are selected who indicate that multi-user packets are supportable. A group of user out of the selected user is formed, where group is defined in that all user who are member of the group allow at least one common transmission format. Finally, a multi-user packet is constructed utilizing one common transmission format.
US07924769B2
A communication apparatus makes a wireless communication with a communication control unit that is coupled to a network. The communication apparatus includes a part to make a call with respect to another communication apparatus on a called end, a part to receive an address of the other communication apparatus on the called end from a first communication control unit that is located at a location of the other communication apparatus on the called end, a part to make a call to the address, and a part to make a busy registration with respect to a server that is coupled to the network so as to register a telephone number of the communication apparatus.
US07924768B2
A wireless LAN system in which data communication between a wireless station whose connection method as a method for wireless connection can be set to one of a plurality of connection methods and a wireless access point whose connection method has been preset to one of the connection methods is made possible by setting the connection method of the wireless station to a method identical with the connection method of the wireless access point.
US07924764B2
Frame processing for a wireless communication system. The frame processing includes detecting reception of a frame based on a portion of a preamble of a frame, wherein the frame includes a preamble and a data payload. With detecting the reception of a frame, determining a frame type of a plurality of frame types from at least the portion of the preamble. Processing a remaining portion of the preamble in accordance with the frame type to determine payload processing parameters, and processing the data payload based on the payload processing parameters.
US07924763B2
A method and apparatus for rate matching is described. During operation of a transmitter, multiple data streams are received and individually interleaved with a permutation of a same length KΠ. A permutation (πp0) of a second stream is the same as a permutation (πsys) of a first stream and a permutation (πp1) of a third stream is different from the permutation of the first stream. Each element of πp1 is derived from the corresponding element of πsys. The plurality of interleaved streams are multiplexed to form a circular buffer. Finally, data is transmitted from the circular buffer.
US07924762B2
A retransmission apparatus using an IP multicasting method for a DMB service including a plurality (n) of radio frequency (RF) receivers, each for receiving a DMB RF signal of a corresponding channel, a plurality (n) of DMB decoders, each for outputting a transport stream (TS) by decoding the DMB RF signal received from a corresponding RF receiver, a plurality (n) of slicers, each for processing the TS input from a corresponding DMB decoder; a plurality (n) of network interfacers, each for IP packetizing the TS sliced by a corresponding slicer; a network switch for receiving the IP packets from the plurality (n) of network interfacers, transferring the received IP packets to a multicasting processing unit, and receiving multicasting data from the multicasting processing unit, and the multicasting processing unit for receiving the IP packets from the network switch, creating a single piece of multicasting data by assigning multicasting addresses to the received IP packets, and outputting the created multicasting data to the network switch.
US07924756B2
A method for controlling a sleep-mode operation in a communication system is provided, in which a Mobile Station (MS) transitions to an awake state in a listening interval of the sleep mode, performs one of a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation in the awake state, and transitions to a sleep state if the MS determines that there is no data to transmit to a BS and no data to receive from the Base Station (BS) after the one operation is performed. The first operation is for receiving data from the BS, the second operation is for transmitting data to the BS, and the third operation is receiving data from the BS and transmitting data to the BS.
US07924748B2
A method is provided for controlling power in a communication system. The power control method includes allocating a first data transmission region and a second data transmission region corresponding to a first communication scheme and second communication scheme; providing a communication service to a receiver through the first data transmission region, and receiving power control information from the receiver through the second data transmission region while providing the communication service; and adjusting a level of transmission power used for providing the communication service according to the received power control information, and providing the communication service to the receiver using the adjusted transmission power.
US07924735B2
A method for constructing a virtual grid (10) for routing data via wireless sensor nodes (20) of a sensor field (30), the method comprising: flooding the sensor field (30) to identify a first terminator (V1), the flooding originating from a first node (V0); flooding the sensor field (30) to identify a second terminator (V2), the flooding originating from the first terminator (V1); and forming a main communication path (40) by selecting nodes between the first and second terminators (V1, V2); wherein the virtual grid (10) is constructed by flooding the sensor field (30) such that each node in the sensor field (30) is assigned a row identifier relative to the main communication path (40), the flooding originating from the nodes belonging to the main communication path (40); and wherein each node is assigned a column identifier according to its hop count from the first terminator (V1).
US07924730B1
A method of performing connectivity verification in a content routed network including a plurality of routers and wherein messages are transported through the network over a message transport layer, involves sending from an originating router a ping request message over the message transport layer along a user data path to a terminating router using a content routing protocol. The terminating router responds with a ping reply message upon receipt of the ping request message, and the message transport layer is monitored for the ping reply message at the originating router. Trace messages can also be sent through the network to determine whether subscribers are reachable for messages originating from a particular publisher. Also trace messages can be sent through the network to determine whether subscriptions from a particular subscriber are reachable from a particular originating router.
US07924727B2
Method for wireless communications network self-configuration. A preferred embodiment comprises determining a state for communications links in the communications network, entering a normal operating mode, and periodically repeating. The determining of communications link state creates a set of shortest paths connecting each access point in the communications network to a wired access point. If a change in the communications network is detected, the connectivity of each access point to the wired access point is verified and the method is repeated to create a potentially new set of shortest paths. Automatic configuration is enabled to provide a measure of fault tolerance.
US07924724B2
A method and apparatus for handling an overload condition in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method calculates a call target rate by at least one core signaling network element for at least one edge signaling network element. The method then sends the call target rate by the at least one core signaling network element to the at least one edge signaling network element, when a total queueing delay of the at least one core signaling network element exceeds a predefined high threshold in a measurement interval, wherein the call target rate is used by the at least one edge signaling network element in an overload control that throttles signaling traffic.
US07924721B2
A communication apparatus includes a storage unit having a plurality of storage areas corresponding to a plurality of candidates of a destination of data to be transmitted, a detecting unit for detecting the amount of data stored in each of the storage areas, a destination selecting unit for selecting one destination from among the destination candidates on the basis of at least the amount of data detected by the detecting unit, and a transmission signal generating unit for reading out a predetermined amount of data to be transmitted to the destination selected by the destination selecting unit, from the corresponding storage area, and generating a transmission signal.
US07924715B2
Domains (multiple collaborating service providers) create service offerings between pairs of edge nodes that interconnect with other domains in the network. The service offerings may specify the available bandwidth, quality of service, reliability, available security, price, subscriber and service contextual specific and other SLA information. When a new service is to be created, the service definition is used along with information about the available service offerings to determine a set of networks to implement the service. Information associated with the service offerings may be flooded to all other networks. Alternatively, the service offering information may be provided to a trusted third party (SLA broker) which may provide SLA services on the network to select sets of domains to implement inter-domain services, and may also proxy to set up the service for the SLA requesting party. A hybrid approach may also be used wherein some SLA information is flooded and other information is retained in secret and provided only to the SLA broker.
US07924708B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a credit/debit flow control mechanism performs credit initialization by a combination of standard protocol level messages (e.g., one or more flits) with encoded credit return values and the use of saturating counters.
US07924703B2
A wireless communication network capable of providing Enhanced Multi-Broadcast Service (EMBS) to a plurality of subscriber stations. At least one base station in the network transmits a downlink frame to the plurality of subscriber stations. The downlink frame includes an EMBS MAP configured to identify locations of EMBS data bursts. The downlink frame also includes a security and data multiplexing burst and EMBS data burst. A number of the subscriber stations are configured to decode the EMBS MAP to determine the locations of a number of EMBS data burst in a number of subsequent downlink frames.
US07924702B2
A method for reconfiguring a packet-switched communication network using a network protocol for installing a logic topology of the network formed as a spanning tree is disclosed. The method includes detecting failure of a direct link to a root bridge of the spanning tree by a first bridge; detecting the failure of a direct link to the root bridge by a second bridge; transmitting a first configuration frame generated by the first bridge to other bridges; receiving the first configuration frame by a third bridge and transmitting a second configuration frame, generated by the third bridge, to the other bridges; detecting the first or second configuration frame by the second bridge and transmitting the third configuration frame generated by the second bridge to the other bridges; receiving the third configuration frame by the other bridges of the network and triggering a reconfiguration of the network with detection of a new spanning tree by the network protocol.
US07924701B2
A data transmitting and receiving method and a broadcasting receiver are disclosed. A CABLECARD transmits a new flow request message for requesting a connection of a data transmitting and receiving path to a host. The host receiving the new flow request message transmits a new flow response message to the CABLECARD. The new flow request message includes a control field for recording processing information on an error generated during communication.
US07924700B2
A system and method for verifying the integrity of a communication link in a wireless optical communication network. The system and method include monitoring the communication link on at least two levels and enabling or disabling signaling over the communication link appropriately depending on events reported through the system.
US07924699B2
A method for reducing the peak-to-average ratio in an OFDM communication signal is provided. The method includes defining a constellation having a plurality of symbols, defining a symbol duration for the OFDM communication signal, and defining a plurality of time instants in the symbol duration. A plurality of tones are allocated to a particular communication device, and a discrete signal is constructed in the time domain by mapping symbols from the constellation to the time instants. A continuous signal is generated by applying an interpolation function to the discrete signal such that the continuous signal only includes sinusoids having frequencies which are equal to the allocated tones.
US07924697B2
An optical information recording medium comprises: a recording layer capable of recording and reproducing information by irradiation with a laser light; and an image recording layer capable of recording a visible image and containing a dye as a major component.
US07924693B2
An optical disk physical has a recording region divided into zones, each zone including physical tracks adjacent to each other. An integer number of sectors are provided in each physical track. The angular recording density is higher in the more outward zones such that the linear recording density is substantially constant throughout the recording region, and logical tracks are formed of a predetermined number of sectors, independent of the physical tracks. The conversion between the logical track and sector addresses read from the disk and the linear logical addresses supplied from a host device is easy. The addresses written in headers of the sectors in the logical track in which data are actually recorded, including substitute sectors used in place of defect sectors, are preferably consecutive to further facilitate the conversion between the logical track and sector addresses read from the disk and the linear logical addresses supplied from the host device. Each of the zones can be set to serve as any of the different types of recording area independently of other zones.
US07924692B2
An apparatus comprises a movable member, first and second rigid members positioned on opposite sides of the movable member, a first suspension assembly connected between a base and the first and second rigid members, a second suspension assembly connected between the first and second rigid members and the movable member, first and second actuators coupled to the first and second rigid members along a first central axis, and third and fourth actuators coupled to the movable member along a second central axis.
US07924691B2
According to one embodiment, an information storage medium in which layer 0 and layer 1 are arranged from a read surface, a system lead-in area, data lead-in area, data area, and middle area are arranged from an inner circumference of the layer 0, and a system lead-out area, data lead-out area, data area, and middle area are arranged from an inner circumference of the layer 1. A guard track zone is arranged on a side of the data area in the data lead-out area, and a reference code zone, R physical format information zone, recording management zone, and drive test zone are arranged in the data lead-in area of the layer 0 and padding of the guard track zone of the data lead-out area is performed after padding of the drive test zone of data lead-in area and recording of the recording management zone.
US07924689B2
Provided is an optical disk apparatus which optimizes a frequency of a high frequency superimposing operation upon reproduction so that good reproduction performance is realized in a wide irradiation power range of a laser power. The optical disk apparatus includes: a semiconductor laser device; an optical disk discrimination circuit for performing laser discrimination; a driver device including a drive circuit for supplying direct drive current to the semiconductor laser device and a high frequency superimposing circuit for superimposing high frequency current on the drive current; and a high frequency superimposing variable circuit for changing a frequency of the high frequency current in which when information is reproduced, the high frequency superimposing variable circuit sets the frequency of the high frequency current for reproducing a multi-layer disk to be higher than the frequency of the high frequency current for reproducing a single-layer disk.
US07924687B2
An optical system (20) for efficiently collimating an elliptical light beam includes a light source (21), a first lens (22), a second lens (23), and a third lens (24). The light source is adapted for providing an elliptical light beam defining different diverging angles in different directions, wherein any cross-section of the elliptical light beam emitted from the light source defines a long axis and a short axis which are perpendicular to each other. The first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are used for reconfiguring the elliptical light beam, thus obtaining a round light beam having equivalent short axis and long axis, and equivalent diverging angles in both horizontal direction and vertical direction. Optical centers of the first lens, the second lens, and the third lens commonly define a common optical axis along which the elliptical light beams travels.
US07924682B2
A unit to remove crosstalk in a multi-layered disk, an optical pickup including the unit, and an optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus including the optical pickup, of which the optical pickup includes: a light source; an optical path changer to change the path of light emitted from the light source; a unit to remove crosstalk; an objective lens to focus incident light on a disk; and a photodetector detecting light reflected by the disk such that the unit to remove crosstalk separates light reflected by a target recording layer of the disk from light reflected by adjacent recording layers so that the light reflected by the target recording layer and the light reflected by the adjacent recording layers do not overlap on the photodetector.
US07924679B2
In order, in the case of a holographic system, in particular for holographic data storage, comprising a radiation source for emission of a radiation an objective lens, a signal evaluation means, a detector and an optical data storage medium, the optical data storage medium having at least one data carrier layer and at least one beam-reflecting layer, to provide a solution which forms a small, compact and robust unit, in the case of which the signal beam crosses the reference beam only once, which avoids the use of optical beam splitters and requires a minimal alignment outlay, it is proposed that the objective lens has a plurality of sections, at least two beams that run parallel passing through the objective lens in a respective section and the at least two beams focusing at respectively separate locations on a plane in the optical data storage medium, at least one beam reflected in the optical data storage medium passing through the objective lens again in a respective further section.
US07924675B2
An information recording apparatus for recording data on an information recording medium includes a logical-format-image manager configured to generate logical-format-image data; a logical-format-image storage unit configured to store the logical-format-image data generated by the logical-format-image manager; and a recording controller configured to exercise control so that the logical-format-image data stored in the logical-format-image storage unit is recorded on an information recording medium during periods of suspension of recording of user data on the information recording medium, the periods of suspension being provided intermittently on the basis of an amount of user data stored in a buffer for storing user data.
US07924670B2
An apparatus for recording and reproducing an information signal on and from an optical disc includes a memory. The information signal is written into the memory. The information signal is read out from the memory. An optical head generates a laser beam in response to the readout information signal, and applies the laser beam to the optical disc to record the readout information signal on the optical disc. A test signal is recorded on a position of the optical disc near a recording position thereof via the optical head during the writing of the information signal into the memory. The test signal is reproduced from the optical disc. The reproduced test signal is evaluated to generate an evaluation result. An intensity of the laser beam is optimized in response to the evaluation result.
US07924665B2
The pickup device includes: a fixed portion 11, a movable portion 12 movable in a tracking direction and a focus direction; linear resilient members 13A through 13D for connecting the fixed portion 11 and the movable portion 12; a coil 21 provided on the lateral side of the movable portion 12; and a flux providing unit 22 for providing a magnetic flux generating a translational force for driving a portion different from the center of gravity O of the movable portion 12 in the tracking direction in association with the coil 21 and a rotational force for rotating the movable portion 12 in a plane orthogonal to the focus direction, the flux providing unit 22 having an arrangement in which a torque generated by driving the portion different from the center of gravity with the translational force is counteracted by the rotational force.
US07924662B2
A tray control method for a disk drive including a tray for carrying a disk, a detect switch movable to different inclined positions for detecting different positions of the tray during tray retraction operation, a firmware for receiving signals transmitted by the detect switch upon reaching the different inclined positions. The firmware determines whether the disk is present on the tray when a traverse module is raised from a lower position to an upper position.
US07924657B2
A cyclical or non-linear time management system and method of managing time, and a time and time management teaching system and method of teaching time and time management is disclosed. The system relates a user's schedule to an actual or imagined clock face to give the user a better perspective and understanding of the flow of events and tasks in the day, and relates intuitive concepts such as the transit of the sun to both the clock and the user's schedule. The system can be used to manage a user's time, taking advantage of the user's familiarity with telling time by an analog clock, and further can be used to educate a user about telling time drawing on the user's familiarity with a daily routine or schedule.
US07924654B1
A system using beamforming techniques in conjunction with an active or passive acoustic buoy field, where the buoy field has a plurality of buoys, each buoy employing at least one sensor attached to and extending substantially downward from that buoy so as to form a planar or conformal array. Each array buoy uses highly accurate GPS tracking devices to locate that buoy's array sensor position relative to all other buoy arrays in the known buoy field. This accurate positional data is used in conjunction with the sensor data from each depth to beamform a planar or a volumetric array.
US07924641B2
Circuits and methods to minimize power required for sensing and precharge of DRAMs have been achieved. A control circuit ensures that during READ operations the duration of sensing of DRAM cell and precharging is kept to a minimum. A test DRAM cell is used to determine the exact time required for data sensing. Furthermore no precharging is performed during WRITE-operations. In case data is changing from “1” to “0” or vice versa data lines are inverted accordingly during WRITE operation.
US07924634B2
A repeater of a global input/output line includes a data transmitter including first and second drivers for outputting data signals of the global input/output line through different transmission routes in response to a transmission direction control signal, and a third driver for driving the global input/output line in response to an output signal of the data transmitter.
US07924629B2
A programming method and a three-dimensional memory device are disclosed. The three-dimensional memory device includes a stacked plurality of layers, each layer having a memory array, and each memory array having a string of memory cells. The programming method includes, for each unselected string associated with an unselected layer in the plurality of layers, charging the channel of memory cells associated with unselected string with a shut-off voltage, and thereafter programming a selected string associated with a selected layer in the plurality of layers.
US07924617B2
Non-volatile memory devices for providing selective compaction verification and/or selective compaction to facilitate a tightening of the distribution of threshold voltages in memory devices utilizing a NAND architecture. By providing for compaction verification and/or compaction on less than all word lines of a NAND string, increased tightening of the distribution may be achieved over prior methods performed concurrently on all word lines of a NAND string.
US07924613B1
A method for data storage includes storing first data in analog memory cells using a first programming operation, which writes to the memory cells respective analog values representing respective bit values of the first data. Second data is stored in the analog memory cells in addition to the first data using a second programming operation, which modifies the respective analog values of the memory cells so as to represent bit value combinations of the first and second data. The first and second programming operations are defined such that, at all times during the second programming operation, the analog value of each memory cell remains unambiguously indicative of the respective bit value of the first data stored in that memory cell.
US07924610B2
A method for conducting an over-erase correction describes the steps of: conducting a first erase and verification operation; using an FN soft program to correct over-erased cells if bit line leakage is found after the first erase and verification operation; conducting a second erase and verification operation; and using a hot carrier HC soft program to correct over-erased cells if bit line leakage is found after the second erase and verification operation.
US07924608B2
Non-volatile memory devices with two stacked layers of chalcogenide materials comprising the active memory device have been investigated for their potential as phase change memories. The devices tested included GeTe/SnTe, Ge2Se3/SnTe, and Ge2Se3/SnSe stacks. All devices exhibited resistance switching behavior. The polarity of the applied voltage with respect to the SnTe or SnSe layer was critical to the memory switching properties, due to the electric field induced movement of either Sn or Te into the Ge-chalcogenide layer. One embodiment of the invention is a device comprising a stack of chalcogenide-containing layers which exhibit phase change switching only after a reverse polarity voltage potential is applied across the stack causing ion movement into an adjacent layer and thus “activating” the device to act as a phase change random access memory device or a reconfigurable electronics device when the applied voltage potential is returned to the normal polarity. Another embodiment of the invention is a device that is capable of exhibiting more that two data states.
US07924605B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array. The memory cell array includes a plurality of sub arrays. Each sub array includes a plurality of memory cells. The memory cell includes a pair of storage nodes that are complementary to each other. One storage node constituting the pair of storage nodes in each of the memory cells in each of the sub arrays is connected to a global bit-line. The other storage node constituting the pair of storage nodes in each of the memory cells in each of the sub arrays is connected to a local bit-line. The global bit-line is a bit-line connected in common to the plurality of the sub arrays. The local bit-line is provided for each of the sub arrays.
US07924603B2
A PCRAM memory device having a chalcogenide glass layer, preferably comprising antimony selenide having a stoichiometric formula of about Sb2Se3, and a metal-chalcogenide layer and methods of forming such a memory device.
US07924592B2
Provided are a semiconductor memory device and a method of driving the device which can improve a noise characteristic of a voltage signal supplied to a memory cell of the device. The semiconductor memory device includes a first semiconductor chip and one or more second semiconductor chips stacked on the first chip. The first chip includes an input/output circuit for sending/receiving a voltage signal, a data signal, and a control signal to/from an outside system. The one or more second semiconductor chips each include a memory cell region for storing data. The second semiconductor chips receive at least one signal through one or more signal paths that are formed outside the input/output circuit of the first chip.
US07924568B2
A heat sink device mounted on a circuit board including an electronic component includes a heat sink to dissipate heat generated by the electronic component and a shielding member electrically connecting the circuit board and the heat sink to prevent the electronic component from electromagnetic interference (EMI). The heat sink includes a base, a plurality of heat fins extending upwardly from the base, and a plurality of receiving grooves defined in the base. The plurality of receiving grooves are arranged in rows around the plurality of heat fins. The shielding member includes a plurality of contact plates abutting against the circuit board and a plurality of receiving plates received in the plurality of receiving grooves.
US07924567B2
A clip includes a main body, a pair of locking members integrally formed at opposite ends of the main body, and a securing member secured onto one of the locking members. The one locking member includes an upper portion, a lower portion wider than the upper portion, and a step between the upper and lower portions. The securing member includes a handling portion and an engaging portion extending downwardly from the handling portion. A pair of flanges are formed on the engaging portion facing the main body and abutting the step. A clearance is defined between the flanges and the engaging portion receiving the upper portion. One of the engaging portion and the one locking member forms an engaging hole, and the other one forms a hook engaging into the engaging hole.
US07924563B2
An electronic apparatus including a housing having an air outlet and a heat generating component in the housing, a heat sink in the housing and having heat radiating fins arrayed. The apparatus includes heat radiating fins having air flow paths between adjacent pairs of the heat radiating fins, and a fan in the housing. The fan feeds air to an air inlet of the heat sink to exhaust heat of the heat radiating fins from the air outlet of the housing. The air outlet of the housing has openings arrayed which divide the air flow paths formed between the pairs of heat radiating fins.
US07924555B2
A portable electronic device includes a shell, a control circuit, a display panel and at least a bi-stability display module. The shell has an opening and an accommodating cavity in two different surfaces. The control circuit includes a first information transmission unit. The control circuit and the display panel are disposed in the shell. The display panel is electrically connected to the control circuit. The display panel has a display surface exposed from the opening. The bi-stability display module is detachably disposed in the accommodating cavity and selectively electrically connected to the control circuit. The bi-stability display module includes a second information transmission unit for communicating with the first information transmission unit and a bi-stability display for displaying the information received by the second information transmission unit. The bi-stability display module can display when the control circuit is closed. The power-consumption of the portable electronic device may be decreased.
US07924551B2
An electronic device includes a first body; a second body; a hinge pivotally connecting the second body to the first body and defining two fixing holes along the axial direction thereof; two conductive post received in the two fixing holes correspondingly, two first cables disposed in the first body; and two second cables disposed in the second body. A first extending portion and a second extending portion of each of the two conductive post extending out of the hinge. The two first extending portions of the two conductive posts having different length. The two first cables conductively fixed at the first extending portion. The two second cables conductively fixed at an end of each of the second extending portions opposite to the hinge and capable of rotating with respect to the hinge without getting entangled.
US07924549B1
Carbon electrodes for a capacitor having conditioned carbon elements in combination with a high concentration of an electrolyte tetrafluoroborate salt and a non-aqueous aprotic solvent to provide an operational voltage up to 4.5V and capacitors used with the carbon electrodes.
US07924547B1
A structure including a TiW oxygen plasma mask, a photoresist mask above and in contact with the TiW oxygen plasma mask, a 2000 angstrom thick oxygen plasma vaporizable RuO0.8 electrode layer partially under and in contact with the TiW oxygen plasma mask, the RuO0.8 electrode layer not being completely covered by a pattern of the TiW oxygen plasma mask, a first side of a PZT ferroelectric layer in contact with the RuO0.8 electrode layer and a second RuO0.8 electrode layer in contact with a second side of the PZT ferroelectric layer.
US07924534B2
A magnetic sensor having at least a first and at least a second structure of soft-magnetic material that are spatially separated and define a first gap therebetween. The first and second structure of soft-magnetic material are adapted to form a gap magnetic field pointing in a direction substantially perpendicular to the elongation of the first gap in the vicinity of the first gap in response to an external magnetic field. Additionally, the magnetic sensor comprises at least a first magnetoresistive layered structure that is positioned in the vicinity of the first gap including inside the first gap and that is sensitive to the gap magnetic field.
US07924512B2
A lens module includes a lens barrel, a lens holder, and an extension member. The lens barrel is received in the lens holder. The lens holder includes at least one first guiding portion. The extension member defines a receiving through hole and includes at least one second guiding portion corresponding to the at least one first guiding portion. The lens holder is fixedly received in the receiving through hole by engagement between the at least one first guiding portion and the at least one second guiding portion.
US07924510B2
An imaging lens is provided and includes: in order from the object side, a first lens group including a biconcave lens; a second lens including two lenses whose convex surfaces are arranged opposite to each other and having a positive refractive power as a whole; a third lens group including a biconcave lens; and a fourth lens group including two lenses whose convex surfaces are arranged opposite to each other and having positive refractive power, as a whole, the imaging lens satisfying the specific condition.
US07924506B2
A head-mounted display system is provided. According to one example of an implementation, the head-mounted display system includes at least one sensor detecting surrounding information, a processing unit processing the surrounding information received from the at least one sensor, a display control unit generating display information to be displayed to a user of the system from the processed surrounding information received from the processing unit, and a head-mounted display capable of displaying information received from the display control unit to the user.
US07924505B1
A reflective surface and a beamsplitting surface are optically coupled to a mirror and to phase optics arranged in interleaver configuration so as to either reflect all light to a single output in an all-pass mode of operation, or to split the incoming beam and produce odd and even channel outputs in an interleaver mode of operation. The direction of the incoming beam is switched hitlessly between the reflective and beamsplitting surfaces by passing the incoming beam through a transparent slab coupled to a rotating mechanism.
US07924503B2
The invention relates to a binocular device for displaying information, the device comprising a support for placing on the nose and supporting a right display element and a left display element each designed to be placed in front of an eye and each comprising a light guide for receiving a beam of light rays emitted by a beam generator device towards an inlet face and for propagating the beam to an outlet face where the beam is directed towards the corresponding eye, the binocular device having an arrangement for adjusting the pupillary distance by moving at least one of the light guides relative to said support so as to adjust the distance between the light guides. According to the invention, said light guides are disposed over a said support and are held by a strip disposed over the light guides and secured to said support by means of at least one spacer, at least one slack takeup means being interposed between said strip and said light guides.
US07924502B2
A microscope comprising a main objective including a lens assembly movable in the direction of the optical axis of the main objective for focal length variation and comprising an illuminating unit with an illumination deflector element for generating an illuminating beam path directed onto an object plane and extending outside the main objective. The position of the illumination deflector element is adjustable dependent on a focal length variation of the main objective for centering the illumination. The illumination deflector element is movable in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the main objective and is coupled to the movable lens assembly of the main objective.
US07924501B2
An antireflection film includes a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, a fourth layer, a fifth layer, a sixth layer, and a seventh layer. Each of the first, third, fifth, and seventh layer is formed using a low refractive index material. Each of the second, fourth, and sixth layer is formed using a high refractive index material. The thicknesses of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh layers are in ranges of 0.122d1 to 3.052d1, 0.267d2 to 0.370d2, 0.427d3 to 0.610d3, 0.760d4 to 0.924d4, 0.305d5 to 0.378d5, 0.575d6 to 0.718d6, and 1.160d7 to 1.342d7, correspondingly, wherein di=λ/(4×ni), (i=1, 2, . . . 7), ni is a refractive index of the i-th layer, and λ is a reference wavelength of incident light entered into the antireflection film.
US07924485B2
A holographic light guide plate has a transparent substrate and a plurality of diffraction patterns formed thereon. The diffraction patterns are arranged on one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the transparent substrate. The diffraction patterns diffract light incident on the transparent substrate. Each of the diffraction patterns has a continuously varying interval.
US07924483B2
The invention, in various exemplary embodiments, incorporates multiple image sensor arrays, with separate respective color filters, on the same imager die. One exemplary embodiment is an image sensor comprising a plurality of arrays of pixel cells at a surface of a substrate, wherein each pixel cell comprises a photo-conversion device. The arrays are configured to commonly capture an image. An image processor circuit is connected to said plurality of arrays and configured to combine the captured images, captured by the plurality of arrays, and output a color image.
US07924480B2
An edge detecting device for detecting a position of an edge of an object includes a measuring circuit for emitting an inspection light to a linear inspecting area including the object, and measuring first light quantity of a reflected light of the inspection light reflected from the inspecting area in a first state and second light quantity of a reflected light of the inspection light reflected from the inspecting area in a second state, a calculation circuit for calculating a difference of the first light quantity and the second light quantity measured by the measuring circuit for each pixel with a first predetermined length, calculating first total differences of reflected lights from pixels with a second predetermined length located adjacent to an objective dot in one direction by totalizing differences between the first and the second light quantity reflected from each of the pixels, and calculating second total differences of reflected lights from the other pixels with the second predetermined length located adjacent to the objective dot in the other direction by totalizing differences between the first and the second light quantity reflected from each of the other pixels and a judgment circuit for judging the objective dot with the largest variation between the first total differences and the second total differences to be a position of the edge.
US07924468B2
The device employs a plurality of coefficients recorded in image data to detect whether edges are included per block, and determines as the blur level the proportion of edges, among the detected edges, in which the edge width is over a certain threshold. The device also determines, per block, coordinates composed of a first coefficient value representing frequency components in a first direction in the blocks and a second coefficient value representing frequency components in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and calculates the extent of bias in the distribution of the coordinates as the ellipticity. The device determines whether or not blurring has been produced by camera shake in an image based on the relationship between the blur level and ellipticity which have thus been determined.
US07924467B2
An image forming apparatus prints a first image data rendered at a first number of halftone levels based on a second image data rendered at a second number of halftone levels larger than the first number of halftone levels. A dot forming section forms lines of pixels on a print medium, the lines including a number of groups of sub lines of sub dots. The groups are aligned such that the sub lines of sub dots extend in traverse directions substantially perpendicular to an advance direction. A controller controls the dot forming section such that a selected number of sub dots in the advance direction are combined to form a pixel. Sub dots on the same sub line have the same exposure energy and sub dots on different sub lines in the same pixel have different exposure energies.
US07924463B2
An image processing apparatus comprising an image processing unit configured to execute image processing by selectively using a plurality of image processing patterns, a selecting unit configured to select one of the plurality of image processing patterns according to a user's operation, a determination unit configured to determine whether or not tone correction control has been applied to the image processing pattern selected by the selecting unit, and a notification unit configured to notify, when the determination unit determines that the tone correction control has not been applied yet, a message that advises accordingly.
US07924447B2
A method and system for workload balancing includes determining which one of a plurality of printer devices satisfies at least one criteria and routing the job to the printer device which satisfies the criteria. The determining is carried out at one or more of the plurality of printer devices.
US07924438B2
A method of a method for measuring wear in the lining of a metallurgical melting vessel such as a steel converter (1), by a laser scanner (2) A laser having a contouring system on a cart can be moved between measurements The laser contouring system references three permanent marks behind the cart (PM1, PM2, PM3) and two temporary marks positioned near the vessel (TM1, TM2) The distances from the movable cart to each of the five marks is determined during an initial measurement by the contouring system Every time the cart is moved and a new measurement is taken, the contouring system scans the vessel and the two temporary marks but not the permanent marks.
US07924431B2
A method of measuring properties of particles includes generating a beam of radiation (IW); illuminating with the beam (IW) an observation region (MR) which is transited by a particle (B). A portion of the beam (IW) gives rise to radiation (SW) which is scattered by scattering interaction with the particle (B), and another portion (TW) is transmitted substantially undisturbed through the observation region (MR). In a detection plane (M), a plurality of radiation intensity values are detected which are determined by the interference between the scattered radiation (SW) and the transmitted radiation (TW). The detection of the radiation intensity values in the detection plane (M) is carried out according to a time sequence of acquisitions corresponding to successive transit positions of the particle through the observation region (MR). On the basis of the time sequence of acquisitions, the trend of a parameter of asymmetry of the distribution of the plurality of radiation intensity values with respect to the optical axis (z), due to the successive transit positions of the particle (B), is determined as a function of time. Depending on the trend of the parameter of asymmetry determined as a function of time, the trends of phase delay and amplitude of the scattered radiation (SW) with respect to the transmitted radiation (TW) are determined as a function of time, and the properties of the particle (B) are determined on the basis of the trends of the phase delay and amplitude of the scattered radiation (SW) as a function of time.
US07924420B2
Inspection of objects, such as semiconductor wafers, can be performed using a diluted scan wherein not all of an inspected area is actually imaged. Instead, a dilution plan can be devised based on the desired amount of area to be skipped and the particular parameters of the inspection, such as the size of each unit area to be imaged or not imaged and the distribution features of the wafer. When the same area is inspected in multiple wafers, the wafers can be inspected in sets using a dilution plan whereby a wafer (or inspected area) can be statistically inspected using diluted scans of the set of wafers. Similarly a die or group of dies of a specified type can be statistically inspected using diluted scans of a set of dies (or group of dies). When statistical inspection is used, the end results of such inspections, such as defect densities and distributions, can be corrected to account for inaccuracies that may be introduced when certain portions are imaged more often than others due to the dilution plan.
US07924416B2
A substrate stage holds a substrate irradiated with exposure light via a liquid. A measurement apparatus measures information on the exposure light and has a light receiving device detachable from the substrate stage. The light receiving device receives the exposure light while being held in the substrate stage.
US07924413B2
Embodiments of the present invention are related to nanowire-based devices that can be configured and operated as modulators, chemical sensors, and light-detection devices. In one aspect, a nanowire-based device includes a reflective member, a resonant cavity surrounded by at least a portion of the reflective member, and at least one nanowire disposed within the resonant cavity. The nanowire includes at least one active segment selectively disposed along the length of the nanowire to substantially coincide with at least one antinode of light resonating within the cavity. The active segment can be configured to interact with the light resonating within the cavity.
US07924409B2
A rangefinder includes: a lens system (3) including multiple lenses (3a, 3b) arranged so that their optical axes are parallel to each other and integrated together; an imager (4) having image capturing areas (4a, 4b) that face the lenses (3a, 3b) and transforming light incident on the image capturing areas into an electrical signal; a transparent plate (6) arranged between the imager and the lens system and having substantially the same thermal expansion coefficient as the lenses (3a, 3b); markers (11a, 11b) provided on the transparent plate for the lenses (3a, 3b) and each casting its shadow on an associated image capturing area (4a, 4b); a signal receiving section (21) receiving the electrical signal from the imager; and an image processing section (22) correcting the positions of the optical axes of the lenses by reference to information about the locations of the markers (11a, 11b) on the respective images, thereby determining the distance to an object by performing a triangulation based on the corrected positions of the optical axes.
US07924405B2
A method for lithography patterning includes providing a mask for photolithography patterning; measuring a mask flatness of the mask; calculating focal deviation of imaging the mask to a substrate in a lithography apparatus; adjusting the lithography apparatus to have a compensated focal plane of the mask based on the focal deviation; and exposing the semiconductor substrate utilizing the mask and the lithography apparatus with adjusted focal plane.
US07924392B2
An active matrix liquid crystal display having improved reliability. Pixel regions and a peripheral driver circuit are integrally packed on the display. TFTs forming the peripheral driver circuit are located inside a sealing material layer on the side of a liquid crystal material, thus protecting the peripheral driver circuit from external moisture and contaminants. This enhances the long-term reliability of the peripheral driver circuit. Pixel TFTs are arranged in pixel regions. The leads going from the TFTs forming the peripheral driver circuit to the pixel TFTs are shortened. This results in a reduction in the resistance. As a result, the display characteristics are improved.
US07924388B2
An object of the invention is to reduce the size of a liquid crystal display device and to enhance the reliability of a connection portion with a flexible wiring substrate. According to the invention, liquid crystal is sandwiched between a TFT substrate and a color filter substrate. The TFT substrate is formed in a larger size than that of the color filter substrate. A connection portion with a flexible wiring substrate is formed on the TFT substrate. The TFT substrate is formed with a notch at its portion connected with the flexible wiring substrate. The flexible wiring substrate is bent over the notch toward a rear side of the liquid crystal display device as accommodated in a mold. This allows for the size reduction of the overall display device and ensures the enhanced reliability of the connection portion.
US07924387B2
A liquid crystal display has a pixel array including first and second pixel electrodes. Each of the first pixel electrodes is divided into at least two first sub-pixel electrodes in two pixel areas sharing a corner or an edge. Similarly, each of the second pixel electrodes is divided into at least two second sub-pixel electrodes in two pixel areas sharing a corner or an edge. The polarities of the first and the second electrodes are opposite. The first and the second pixel electrodes are arranged alternatively to allow at least one first sub-pixel electrode and at least a second sub-pixel electrode to be located in each pixel area.
US07924383B2
A liquid crystal display device is provided for not reducing the aperture ratio and improving transmittance. The liquid crystal display device comprises a substrate with a pixel electrode, a substrate with a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer therebetween, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are vertically aligned when no voltage is applied, each pixel comprises one or more sub-pixels, and cross-shaped slits are formed on the common electrode corresponding to each sub-pixel.
US07924374B2
A display device including a light source and a pixelized color filter element is provided. The pixelized color filter element includes a plurality of first pixelized filters, a plurality of second pixelized filters and a plurality of third pixelized filters. The pixelized color filter element has a total reflectance higher than 5% in a wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm. At least one of the first pixelized filters, second pixelized filters and third pixelized filters includes a first layer and a second layer. The first material layer has a transmittance higher than 50% in a wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm. The second material layer has a transmittance higher than 50% in a wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm.
US07924370B2
A backlight assembly for a display panel includes a light pipe that is divided into a plurality of horizontal portions, a light source including a plurality of selectively illuminated lamps arranged at lateral sides of each of the horizontal portions for emitting light into the light pipe, a plurality of diffusion surfaces, each of the diffusion surfaces being provided on a selected area of a respective one of the plurality of the horizontal portions, wherein each of the diffusion surfaces causes light to be emitted from the selected area of the respective horizontal portion when the light pipe is illuminated by the lamp associated therewith.
US07924369B2
A structure of a light guide plate comprising a light guide plate and a plurality of transparent elements is disclosed. The light guide plate comprises at least onelight incident surface, a light scattering surface and a light emitting surface. The light scattering surface has a plurality of notches and these transparent elements are disposed therein. The transparent elements refractive index is different from that of the light guide plate. By disposing these transparent elements, the light scattering surface can improve light scattering effect. In addition, a back light module comprising a linearlight source and a light guide plate structure mentioned above is also disclosed. The linearlight source is disposed next to the light incident surface of the light guide plate.
US07924366B2
A display apparatus is provided which includes a display panel, a signal board for processing an image signal used in an image display, and a power source board for supplying power from a power source to the signal board and the display panel. The signal board and the power source board are disposed in a horizontal direction relative to the display panel, and a projection portion, being disposed higher above a surface of the power source board than a circuit element of the power source board and not being connected with a member opposing to a mounting side of the circuit element, is provided on the surface of the power source board where the circuit element is mounted.
US07924365B2
In a backlight apparatus, laminated optical sheets are housed in a tray such that a wall portion thereof surrounds their circumferences so that the optical sheets receive light from fluorescent lights. Tips of one corner portion A of optical sheets preferably have a shape in which the tips are trimmed by line segments extending between two edges defining the corner portions. At the wall portion of the tray, an opposing surface is formed along the line segments of the corner portions so as to correspond to the shape of the corner portions having tips trimmed off. The opposing surface restrains the line segments.
US07924356B2
An electrooptical device includes a substrate having pixel regions arranged in a matrix, pixel electrodes disposed in the pixel regions of the substrate, switching elements disposed between the pixel regions of the substrate and electrically connected to the pixel electrodes, capacitors disposed between the pixel regions of the substrate to hold electrical charge on the pixel electrodes, wiring disposed between the pixel regions of the substrate, and grooves disposed in a surface of the substrate so as to extend between the pixel regions thereof. The capacitors each include a first capacitor electrode, an insulating film, and a second capacitor electrode. The wiring includes data lines and scanning lines corresponding to the switching elements. The capacitors are at least partially disposed in the grooves.
US07924344B2
An exemplary objective holder for engaging with a PCB substrate having an image sensor and several passive components arranged thereon, includes a base and several continuously connected walls extending from the base. The walls enclose a chamber thereamong for receiving the image sensor and define notches therein for receiving the passive components.
US07924340B2
According to the present invention, by providing operation members dedicated for an operation of switching on/of the face detection processing, a face image switching operation, and proceeding to the next image taking, operations related to the face detection processing can be simplified. Furthermore, by displaying a taken image and an face image at the same time, the operation of proceeding to the next image taking after confirming the condition of focus and exposure and the face expression of a subject person can be performed easily.
US07924326B2
An image processing device capable of executing adjustment of image quality of image data includes a feature amount obtainment unit which obtains an amount of feature indicative of a feature of image quality of the image data, a correction amount obtainment unit which obtains an amount of correction for adjusting the feature amount of the image data to a predetermined target value, and an image quality evaluation unit which evaluates an image quality based on the correction amount.
US07924324B2
An electronic apparatus (102) includes a microphone (40). Sound is captured by the microphone (40), and a key operation is detected by a sub microcomputer (46). The processes according to outputs from the microphone (40) and the sub microcomputer (46) are executed by a main microcomputer (42). The main microcomputer (42) outputs a sound effect from a speaker (58) in response to the key operation. Besides, output setting of the sound effect is changed between active state and inactive state. The main microcomputer (42) changes an extraction characteristic of sound according to the setting state of sound effect output.
US07924323B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a camera determines whether to acquire an image (e.g., automatically), determines whether to store the acquired image, and determines how to store the acquired image.
US07924318B2
A coverage area picture imaging a maximum area is displayed on a coverage area picture display. A camera is moved within a predetermined range and a plurality of frames obtained as a result form a picture. The pixels of the picture is decimated in vertical and horizontal directions and form a thumbnail as the coverage area picture. The coverage area picture display presents a display indicating a direction in which the camera is currently directed for picture photographing. In accordance with the display, a photographing direction is controlled. A plurality of frames are photographed with respect to a designated position, then stored, and displayed. A whole picture display presents a whole panorama picture. A selective picture display presents a frame at the position designated within the whole panorama picture as a selected picture.
US07924315B2
Image processing method, image processing apparatus, image processing program, and image file format
In a learning process, first, images having different resolutions are obtained from a target region of the subject (S101). Further, the subject characteristic of the target region is obtained (S102). Then, the resolution conversion rules are learned from the images having different resolutions, and those are recorded to a storage device along with the subject characteristics (S103). When converting the resolutions, the resolution conversion rules learned for the corresponding subject characteristics are applied to each region of the original image so as to convert the resolutions of the original image.
US07924310B1
Image data processing methods, image data processing systems, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, an image data processing method includes accessing initial image data of a first image representation of a scene, selecting one of a plurality of imaging conditions, wherein the selected one of the imaging conditions is different than an initial one of the imaging conditions used to generate the initial image data, and processing the initial image data using the selected one of the imaging conditions to provide processed image data of a second image representation of the scene different from the first image representation of the scene, wherein the second image representation of the scene represents the scene as if it were captured according to the selected one of the imaging conditions.
US07924308B2
An image obtained by an electronic endoscope apparatus is changed to an image that is appropriate for observation with suppressed halation and fewer dark areas. Halation detection means detects halation of a predetermined level or higher in an image represented by a signal obtained by an imaging device, based on the signal. Light amount adjustment means decreases an amount of light emitted from illumination means to cause the halation to become a predetermined level or lower. Luminance conversion means processes the signal so as to generate a luminance conversion image wherein only a dark area having a predetermined luminance or lower in the image due to the decrease in the amount of the light is changed to have a higher luminance.
US07924307B2
An optical viewing system (100) for viewing an object region has a display unit (105) which has a plurality of controllable display segments which make available color pulse sequences in order to generate a display image which is built up of a plurality of image points. The optical viewing system (100) includes a superposition unit (110) which superposes an image, which is made available by the display unit (105), onto the image of an object region (104). The optical viewing system has a camera unit (111, 113) to which the superposed image of display unit (105) and object region (104) is supplied. The camera unit (111, 113) has image sensors (112, 114) whose light sensitivity is adjustable as a function of time. The light sensitivity of the image sensors (112, 114) is matched to the color pulse sequence in such a manner that the image sensor (112, 114) can detect at least two light pulses of different color from the color pulse sequence from a display segment.
US07924306B2
A technique for enhancing the illusion of physical presence in a common space during a multipoint video conference is disclosed. The technique may include controlling the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from an appearance of a second portion of the video images to achieve a consistent image appearance across the multipoint videoconference.
US07924302B2
A laser light source has a plurality of semiconductor lasers arranged in a direction intersecting a primary scanning direction X. The semiconductor lasers are arranged in such a positional relationship that each semiconductor laser is located upstream, in the primary scanning direction X, of a different semiconductor laser located adjacent thereto and downstream thereof in a direction in which air is blown from an air blowoff pipe.
US07924301B2
Problems, which occur when printing is performed on the surface of a rotating disk using by using a print head arranged in the outer circumferential direction from the center of rotation, are resolved. Light emitting sections performs exposure in synchronism with rotational driving for rotating a medium, and pixels which are adjacent in the circumferential direction of rotation are exposed in a partially superimposed fashion by making the amount of movement in the circumferential direction along which the outermost circumference of the medium moves between exposures smaller than the width in the circumferential direction of the pixels formed by exposure. In a plurality of light emitting sections provided in an optical unit, the quantity of light for exposing a pixel on the inner circumferential side in the radial direction is set to be smaller than the quantity of light for exposing a pixel on the outer circumferential side in the radial direction for the respective exposure positions for the medium. Therefore, difference in the tonal shading caused by superposition is reduced by lowering the density created by each exposure in respect of the pixels on the inner circumferential side in the radial direction where there is a large overlap between exposures.
US07924296B2
A system for processing image data from a plurality of images is disclosed. The invention involves alpha blending of two images of different resolution and color space utilizing shared logic for multiple image streams and without display storage frame buffer. The invention utilizes Direct Memory Access (DMA) fetching module for fetching image data from source images or from source image memory areas and transferring the data to another memory area without having to go through a central processing unit or display storage frame buffer. The DMAs are configured with direct registers or memory mapped descriptors as to the location of the source data. The DMA channels of the DMA module will fetch a portion of the source images (tiling) utilizing a link list or series of descriptors in a certain fetching order. The DMA modules can perform the alpha blending on the fetched image data.
US07924289B2
In a method for determining weighting factors for the color calculation of a color value of texels for a footprint covering a plurality of texels in a texel grid, in a graphic system, form information of the footprint is determined at first. Afterwards, the edges of the footprint are determined and the edges determined in this way are approximated by a staircase function. The texels of the texel grid contacted by the staircase function are determined and a weighting factor is determined for each texel containing a portion of the staircase function, depending on the subarea of the respective texel covered by the footprint.
US07924288B2
An image processing device extracts a local variation component from color information in image data. Using the variation component of the color information, a pseudo-texture component of brightness information is produced. The thus produced pseudo-texture component is added to the brightness information. By this image processing, an image having improved texture is produced.
US07924286B2
In an embodiment, a method is provided for creating a personal animated entity for delivering a multi-media message from a sender to a recipient. An image file from the sender may be received by a server. The image file may include an image of an entity. The sender may be requested to provide input with respect to facial features of the image of the entity in preparation for animating the image of the entity. After the sender provides the input with respect to the facial features of the image of the entity, the image of the entity may be presented as a personal animated entity to the sender to preview. Upon approval of the preview from the sender, the image of the entity may be presented as a sender-selectable personal animated entity for delivering the multi-media message to the recipient.
US07924285B2
Described is a system and method by which text elements to be rendered on a computer display (e.g., paragraph, line or any subset of text including a character or glyph) may be individually or collectively animated, at an author-selected level of granularity. Animation of text may be specified by setting animation properties via direct coding (e.g., in markup) or by specifying animation code to execute on text-related data, just prior to rendering. The text to animate may be static, or dynamically obtained at runtime from an external source. The text to animate is maintained as a whole with other text of the same element, in a text object, until a processing level that produces separate glyph runs, with an animation transform associated with each glyph run to be animated. Also described is an API that supports text animation.
US07924281B2
A graphics processing circuit includes a pixel shader operative to provide pixel color information in response to image data representing a scene to be rendered; a texture circuit, coupled to the pixel shader, operative to determine a luminance value to be applied to a pixel of interest based on the luminance values of the pixels that define a plane including the pixel of interest; and a render back end circuit, coupled to the texture circuit, operative to compute the luminance values from a shadow map that specifies the distance from the light source of the nearest object at a plurality of locations. A pixel illumination method includes receiving color information for a pixel to be rendered, defining a plane containing at least one pixel of interest, the plane including a plurality of planar values; comparing the plurality of planar values to a corresponding set of distance values; determining a luminance value for the at least one pixel of interest; and applying the luminance value to the at least one pixel of interest.
US07924276B2
A liquid crystal panel (2) includes scanning signal lines (31) for supplying scanning signals to gate electrodes (20) of TFTs (14), and data signal lines (32) for supplying data signals to data electrodes (24) of TFTs. The liquid crystal panel further includes auxiliary capacitive electrode pads (27a) for use in forming auxiliary capacitance and an auxiliary capacitive lines (33) so as not to generate a capacitive bond with the scanning signal lines. The liquid crystal panel is driven at a rewriting frequency of a screen of not more than 30 Hz. As a result, the liquid crystal panel can be driven at a low consumption power while maintaining a desirable display quality of the liquid crystal panel.
US07924271B2
A user interface method is disclosed. The method can include detecting gestures on or above a multi-event sensor panel and performing an action associated with detected gestures. Such action can include activating or changing a state of one or more GUI objects and emulate functions performed by a mouse or trackball input device.
US07924265B2
A pointing device includes a position determining mechanism and a control mechanism that has a field of motion associated therewith. The control mechanism can be an object a user moves with his or her finger or it can be the user's finger that he or she moves over a surface. The pointing device is used to control a selection box shown on a display screen. The pointing device can operate in one or more different modes when emulating wheel-style navigation, rocker-style navigation, or both wheel and rocker-style navigation.
US07924264B2
An information processing apparatus can communicate with an input device comprising an image capturing means for capturing an image of a target object, and calculates a pointing position on a screen of a display device based on the image captured by the image capturing means. The input device comprises a motion detecting means for detecting a motion of the input device. The information processing apparatus calculates a tilt value indicating a tilt of the input device using a result of detection by the motion detecting means. It is determined whether or not the pointing position can be calculated based on the image captured by the image capturing means. When it is determined that the pointing position cannot be calculated, the calculated tilt value is compared with a predetermined reference value. The user is notified of information about the tilt of the input device, depending on a result of the comparison.
US07924254B2
A backlight processing system and a method thereof are provided. The gray level values of pixels in an input frame signal are adjusted and the brightness thereof is decreased correspondingly. During gray level value adjustment, the gray level values of the pixels in dark regions are reduced, and the gray level values of the pixels in bright regions are increased. During backlight adjustment, first, statistics information on distribution of the gray level value versus the number of pixels is obtained according to the gray level distribution of the original frame. The number of pixels at each gray level is accumulated. When the accumulation value reaches a certain value, a reference signal is obtained. The brightness of the backlight is then adjusted according to the reference signal.
US07924247B2
A display device includes a plurality of data lines, a transmission gate element connected to the data lines, wherein the transmission gate supplies precharge voltages and data voltages to the data lines in response to transmission gate signals, and a plurality of pixels connected to the data lines. Each of the pixels includes: a light emitting element; a capacitor; a driving transistor having a control terminal connected to the capacitor, an input terminal, and an output terminal, wherein the driving transistor supplies a driving current to the light emitting element; a first switch, wherein the first switch diode-connects the driving transistor in response to a gate signal and connects one of the data lines to the capacitor; and a second switch, wherein the second switch supplies a reference voltage to the capacitor in response to the gate signal and connects the driving transistor to the light emitting element, wherein the precharge voltage, the data voltage, and the reference voltage are applied to the capacitor, and wherein the capacitor stores a charging voltage based on the applied data voltage and a threshold voltage of the driving transistor.
US07924241B2
A plasma display apparatus and a method of driving the same are disclosed. The plasma display apparatus includes a plasma display panel including first, second and third electrodes, a sustain driver supplying a sustain signal to the first electrode during a sustain period, a data driver supplying a data signal to the third electrode during an address period, a first reference voltage source that is commonly connected to the sustain driver and the second electrode, a second reference voltage source connected to the data driver, and a reference separation controller. The reference separation controller separates or connects the first reference voltage source from or to the second reference voltage source.
US07924238B2
An image forming apparatus writes an image to a display recording medium at a write position. The image forming apparatus includes an insertion slot, a transport unit, an image light emitting device and a separating/contacting unit. The display recording medium is inserted into the insertion slot. The transport unit transports the display recording medium inserted, to/from the write position. The image light emitting device includes an emitting surface that emits two-dimensional image light for irradiating a photoconductive layer of the display recording medium at the write position. The separating/contacting unit brings the emitting surface separate from a display recording medium surface when the display recording medium is not opposed to the image light emitting device, while the transport unit transports the display recording medium. The separating/contacting unit brings the emitting surface into proximity to the display recording medium surface when the display recording medium is at the write position.
US07924235B2
An antenna apparatus used in a wireless communication medium or a wireless communication medium processing apparatus constructed by a constitution of including a magnetic member in which a magnetic ceramic powder is used as a major component thereof and which is provided with flexibility, an antenna formed at a surface or inside of the magnetic member, and a matching circuit of the antenna formed at the surface or the inside of the magnetic member.
US07924229B2
An antenna apparatus includes an antenna block and a substrate. The antenna block has a base that is made of a substantially cuboid dielectric body, an upper-surface conductor formed on an upper surface of the base, first and second pad electrodes that are formed on both ends of a bottom surface of the base in a longitudinal direction of the base, respectively, and a lateral-surface conductor connecting the upper-surface conductor and the second pad electrode. The substrate has a region mounting the antenna block, a ground pattern provided around the mounting region, first and second lands that are provided within the mounting region so as to correspond to the positions of the first and second pad electrodes, a feed line that is connected to the first land, an impedance-adjusting pattern connecting the first land and the ground pattern, and a frequency-adjusting pattern connecting the second land and the ground pattern.
US07924227B2
A wireless communication device includes: a high frequency circuit for generating a high frequency signal, the high frequency circuit being provided on a high-frequency-circuit surface of an integrated antenna module substrate mounted on a mounting substrate; a patch antenna for irradiating radio waves indicative of the generated high frequency signal, the patch antenna being provided on an antenna surface of the integrated antenna module substrate; and a ring-shaped grounding surface provided on the antenna surface of the integrated antenna module substrate so as to surround the patch antenna. This allows reducing surface waves irradiated from the end of the integrated antenna module substrate and improving antenna characteristics.
US07924226B2
The invention refers to an antenna comprising: a conducting trace (15, 20), said conducting trace (15, 20) defining a curve (1, 4, 5, 6, 6′, 6″, 8), said curve (1, 4, 5, 6, 6′, 6″, 8) including two or more feeding points (16a, 16b, 16c, 17, 18, 19), a portion of said curve (1, 4, 5, 6, 6′, 6″, 8) being shaped according a geometry selected from a group of geometries including a space-filling curve, a grid-dimension curve, a box-counting curve and a contour curve or the curve (1, 4, 5, 6, 6′, 6″, 8) or a portion of said curve having a shape of a multilevel structure. Further the invention refers to a related SMD component, an IC-package, a wireless device and a method for contacting an antenna.
US07924213B2
A method of tracking an object including the steps of: collecting N measurements of range Ri and Doppler velocity Di associated with the object from a plurality M of radar sensors Si each measurement being assigned a time stamp ti; time aligning each Range Ri measurement to a common time stamp tN to provide a corresponding time aligned range Pi for each of the N measurements; using each time aligned Range measurement Pi to define a corresponding spherical equation such that N spherical equations are defined; and deriving analytical solutions from three of the N spherical equations to determine the position vector of the object.
US07924206B2
There is provided a switched capacitor circuit and a pipeline A/D converter which are capable of suppressing electric power from being increased by utilizing a level-shift capacitor, even in a case where the switched capacitor circuit and the pipeline A/D converter are configured by utilizing a CLS technique. In the estimate phase, the capacitor Cc1 (level shift capacitor) is connected between the output terminal of the operational amplifier AMP2 and the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier AMP2, so as to sample the output from the operational amplifier AMP2, and also to compensate the phase of the operational amplifier AMP2. Additionally, in the level shift phase, the capacitor Cc1 is connected between the output terminal of the operational amplifier 4 and the output terminal Vb, so as to be used to level-shift the output of the operational amplifier AMP2. Thereby, the load (the capacitance of the capacitors Cc1 and Cc2) on the operational amplifier AMP2 is reduced, thereby reducing the electric power of the switched capacitor circuit 200.
US07924199B2
In a multi-channel current steering DA converter, e.g., a two-channel current steering DA converter, reference current sources Irefa and Irefb that can serve as current mirror sources for current sources Ia and Ib are provided in current source matrices 2a and 2b of the channels, respectively. During an operation, the reference current source Irefa or Irefb that is provided in the current source matrix of a channel that is not powered down is selected and used in accordance with control signals 6a and 6b. Therefore, even when one channel is powered down, the full-scale current of the other channel can be maintained at a constant value, i.e., unchanged.
US07924196B2
A parallel digital-analog converter for the conversion of a plurality of differential digital input signals into a differential analog output signal, including a group of 1-bit digital-analog converters (200) which respectively include an intermediate storage cell (202) and a current cell (201) and which are adapted to feed a respective output current to a first (204) or a second output contact (206) in dependence on a logic state of the intermediate storage cell, wherein a first of two outputs of an intermediate storage cell (202) is connected by way of an input resistor (220) to a first signal terminal (208.1) of a first transistor (208) and a second of the two outputs of the intermediate storage cell (202) is connected by way of an input resistor (218) to a first signal terminal (210.1) of a second transistor (210), the respective first signal terminals of the first and second transistors are additionally connected by way of a constant current source (212 and 214) to a ground terminal (216), and wherein a respective time-constant bias voltage is applied at a respective control terminal (208.2 and 210.2) of the first and second transistors.
US07924191B2
A sigma delta analog to digital converter includes a clock operating at a conversion clock rate and first and second conversion paths. The first path includes a first sigma delta modulator configured to produce from an input analog signal a first bit stream at the clock rate, and a first digital filter configured to decimate the first bit stream. The second conversion path has a second sigma delta modulator configured to produce from the input analog signal a second bit stream separate from the first bit stream at the clock rate, and a second digital filter configured to decimate the second bit stream.
US07924189B2
An analogue to digital conversion unit (208, 210) comprises three analogue to digital converters (ADCs) (300, 301, 302) having different dynamic ranges. A lowest dynamic range ADC (300) and middle dynamic range ADC (301) have saturation detectors SAT for outputting a signal when the amplitude of an input analogue signal reaches their respective dynamic ranges and saturates them. The middle dynamic range ADC (301) and highest dynamic range ADC have enable inputs EN for switching themselves on. The output of the saturation detector SAT of the lowest dynamic range ADC (300) is connected to the enable input EN of the middle dynamic range ADC (301). The output of the saturation detector SAT of the middle dynamic range ADC (301) is connected to the enable input EN of the highest dynamic range ADC (302). So, whilst the middle and the highest dynamic range ADCs (301, 302) are normally switched off, when the lowest dynamic range ADC becomes saturated, the middle dynamic range ADC (301) is switched on; and when the middle dynamic range ADC (301) is saturated, the highest dynamic range ADC (302) is switched on. The input analogue signal is therefore converted to a digital output using the ADC (300, 301, 302) having the lowest sufficient dynamic range and the higher dynamic range ADCs (301, 302) are switched off unless needed.
US07924186B2
A dual purpose serializer/de-serializer (SerDes) for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communication. A configurable SerDes can be designed to operate in one of a plurality of operating modes. Selection between the plurality of operating modes can be based on information received via a management interface. In one example, the various operating modes can be defined with different locking times and jitter characteristics.
US07924181B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for estimating a clock signal. Specifically, during use, a clock signal associated with an audio signal is digitally estimated.
US07924180B2
A decoder for decoding an input bit stream into a plurality of symbols is provided. The decoder includes an extractor, a length generator, a base selector, and a processing unit. The extractor receives the input bit stream and extracts a code with a predetermined codeword length therefrom. The length generator receives the extracted code and determines a first codeword length corresponding to a symbol according to the extracted code and a base table. The base selector determines a codeword base corresponding to the first codeword length according to the base table. The processing unit generates the symbol corresponding to the extracted code according to the codeword base, an offset table and the first codeword length.
US07924178B2
An embodiment of a method for compressing data includes variable length coding one or more values of control codes generated from dictionary coding the data, wherein the control codes comprise literals and indices, wherein each index comprises a length value and a pointer to previously read in data. An embodiment of a system for losslessly compressing input data includes a modeler operable to determine whether a set of input data matches prior input data, an encoder operable to generate control codes including one or more literal control codes and one or more index control codes, wherein each index control code includes a pointer to a location in the input data and a length value indicating a number of bytes to copy from the location, and wherein the length value is variable length coded.
US07924171B2
A parking assisting apparatus and method that can precisely estimate the orientation of a parking space. A parking assisting apparatus for assisting parking a vehicle includes an obstacle detecting mechanism that detects an obstacle near the vehicle and an orientation information acquiring mechanism that acquires information as to an orientation of the vehicle. The apparatus estimates an orientation of the parking space that may exist near the vehicle based on the detection result of the obstacle detecting mechanism and the orientation information.
US07924154B2
A security storage container for securely retaining an item of merchandise therein. The storage container is in the form of a box having a base and a lid, with the item of merchandise being received in the base. The lid is locked to the base by a locking mechanism. The storage container also includes an internally disposed alarm system which is activated when the lid is locked to the base and is deactivated when the lid is unlocked from the base. The lid can only be unlocked with a specially designed key. The alarm system includes a flashing LED which indicates to the consumer that the storage container has an activated alarm therein. The alarm system further includes an EAS tag for activating a security gate at an exit to the protected environment; and further includes a sound-emitting device that will emit a loud sound if an attempt is made to pry the lid from the base when the lid is in a locked position. The sound-emitting device will also emit the loud sound if the locked storage container is brought into the proximity of a security gate. The sound-emitting device will emit the loud sound for a predetermined length of time and will continue to emit that sound even if the security storage container is removed from the protected environment.
US07924151B2
A system for facility management is disclosed, comprising a plurality of system devices each provided with an identity tag uniquely identifying the system device; a system layout database comprising facility layout data including intentional positions of the system devices; a system device database comprising data and identity for each system device; and an operator tool enabled to communicate with the system layout database and system device database, the operator tool being provided with a tag reader enabled to read an identity from the tags of the system devices when being in the vicinity of the system devices, wherein the operator tool is arranged to access data from the system device database about the system device and include said identity in an item of the system layout database. An operator tool and methods for managing the facility management system is also disclosed.
US07924149B2
The system method described herein could guide people around urban environments indoor and outdoor, provide accurate update and real time emergency notification and information to the building occupants or to the emergency designated area to his cellular phone, We have focused on the task of providing a real time emergency information and navigation along the emergency exit route, The information will be received directly and will display on the existing cellular phone as Bluetooth application.
US07924138B2
A titanium oxide film, a nickel oxide film and a top electrode are formed on a bottom electrode, and a resistance element is constituted by the bottom electrode, the titanium oxide film, the nickel oxide film and the top electrode. A thickness of the titanium oxide film is 5 nm, and a thickness of the nickel oxide film is 60 nm. A rate of oxygen in nickel oxide composing the nickel oxide film is lower than a rate of oxygen in a stoichiometric composition.
US07924135B2
A transformer, adapted for being configured in a wiring substrate, is provided. The transformer includes a first plane coil and a second plane coil. The first plane coil includes a plurality of first loops. The second plane coil includes a plurality of second loops. A first bundle constituted by at least two adjacent first loops and a second bundle constituted by at least two adjacent second loops are stridden one over another.
US07924133B2
A coil bobbin has a cylindrical portion around which a coil winding is wound. The coil winding is composed of coil members of an end-defined ring shape coupled to each other. The cylindrical portion is inserted into openings of the coil members along a direction of a center axis of the cylindrical portion and from one end of the cylindrical portion. Flanges protruding outwardly relative to the center axis of the cylindrical portion are integrally provided at the other end of the cylindrical portion and a bobbin-side engagement portion for engagement between the coil bobbin and the coil winding is formed on a face of the flange opposed to the coil member. As the cylindrical portion is inserted into the coil members, the bobbin-side engagement portion comes into engagement with a winding-side engagement portion formed on a back face of the coil member.
US07924131B2
An electrical component (100) having an inductor includes: (a) a first substrate (102) comprising at least one first electrically conductive layer (108, 110, 112); (b) one or more second substrates (104, 106) comprising at least one second electrically conductive layer (120, 132, 144); and (c) one or more electrical interconnections (124, 134, 142) electrically coupling the at least one first electrically conductive layer and the at least one second electrically conductive layer, wherein the one or more first electrically conductive layers, the one or more second electrically conductive layers and the one or more electrical interconnections are electrically coupled together to form the inductor (150).
US07924129B2
An ignition coil engages an inner surface of a bore of an engine, the providing access to a spark plug. The engagement is a boltless cam-lock engagement. A spring is associated with the engagement to hold the assembly in tension, and the spring also contacts a ground terminal in the ignition coil and the base of the spark plug to provide a short electrical path for radiofrequency interference (RFI) dissipation.
US07924128B2
A magnet unit includes a first magnetic pole (7a), a second magnetic pole (7b) and a third magnetic pole (7c) at a center between the first magnetic pole (7a) and the second magnetic pole (7b), providing an E-shaped configuration. In the magnet unit, a first magnet is defined between the first magnetic pole (7a) and the third magnetic pole (7c) by connecting two electromagnets (71aa, 73aa) with each other through a permanent magnet (72a), while a second magnet is defined between the second magnetic pole (7b) and the third magnetic pole (7c) by connecting two electromagnets (71ba, 73ba) with each other through a permanent magnet (72b). With this configuration, it is possible to reduce a deviation in the length of respective magnetic paths from the permanent magnets (72a, 72b) up to their respective magnetic poles. By controlling exciting currents to the respective magnetic poles. By controlling exciting currents to the respective electromagnets (71aa, 73aa, 71ba, 73ba), it is also possible to adjust fluxes (or flux density) in respective directions x, y individually.
US07924127B2
An electromagnetic force driving actuator and a circuit breaker using the same is disclosed. The actuator comprises a casing that forms two paths having a certain length in longitudinal direction, and forms a middle wall by the two paths; a main magnetic field generation element that is allocated on the both face wall of the two paths of the casing; and a moving element that, as the middle wall is located in the center, a coil, which is bound in the orthogonal direction to longitudinal direction of the paths, is in a body that its left and right sides passes through the paths and its front and back side are exposed to outside, when forward direction or reverse direction current is provided in the coil, moves forward and backward along the longitudinal direction of the paths.
US07924116B2
A diplexer provides a high degree of design freedom for satisfying the requirements of electric characteristics so as to realize desired characteristics and at the same time can be downsized and a multiplexer is realized by using such a diplexer. The diplexer includes a filter having a first pass band and a filter having a second pass band with a frequency band at least twice as high as the frequency band of the first pass band, the filter having the first pass band being a filter of the lumped constant type, the filter having the second pass band being a filter of the distributed constant type.
US07924104B2
A method for compensating a clock bias in a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver includes deriving at least one clock drift value comprising a first clock drift value corresponding to a first time point, and calculating the clock bias according to the at least one clock drift value and at least one interval within the time period between the first time point and a specific time point after the first time point. An apparatus for compensating a clock bias in a GNSS receiver is also provided.
US07924101B1
Methods and apparatus for calibrating the VCO element of a phase-locked loop to correct for non-linearities are disclosed. The modulation port of the VCO may be characterized to generate a tuning model, which may then be used to generate a correction signal to be combined with an input signal and applied to the VCO modulation port. The tuning model may be based on a third or higher order polynomial generated from a plurality of open-loop frequency measurements of the VCO.
US07924094B2
An amplifier includes a signal amplification part that outputs an output signal obtained by amplifying an input signal and a common mode voltage VCM of the output signal, and a common mode feedback part that outputs a signal according to a difference between the common mode voltage VCM and a reference potential Vref as a regulation signal SREG. The regulation signal SREG from the common mode feedback part is fed back to a current source of the signal amplification part and a current source of the common mode feedback part.
US07924092B2
A two stage amplifier with an inter-stage matching network constituted of a first and a second transistor forming a differential first stage, a third and a fourth transistor forming a differential second stage, an on-chip connection path connecting the emitters of the first and second transistor to the emitters of the third and fourth transistors, a first transformation network and a second transformation network. A collector of the first transistor is operatively connected to a base of the third transistor by the first transformation network and a collector of the second transistor is operatively connected to a base of the fourth transistor by the second transformation network. At least one resistor is provided in the on-chip connection path to stabilize the input of the third and fourth transistors.
US07924084B2
A switching transistor has its drain and source respectively connected to a gate and a source of an output transistor for supplying output current to a load, and its gate connected to an internal grounding wire GW to be connected to a grounding terminal GND. A resistance element R1 connects the gate to the source of the switching transistor. When a voltage not smaller than a predetermined value is generated across the resistance element R1 at turn-on, due to a parasitic capacitance existing between a power supply terminal. Vcc and the internal grounding wire GW, the switching transistor can be turned on to turn off the output transistor.
US07924083B2
An isolation circuit is provided. The isolation circuit is coupled to an output and an input node and includes a first set, a second switch set, and a body bias voltage generator. The first switch set couples a switch control node to a second voltage when a first voltage is at a first voltage level, and couples the switch control node to the input node when the first voltage is at a second voltage level. The second switch set couples the output node to the input node when the first voltage is at the first voltage level, and isolates the output node from the input node when the first voltage is at the second voltage level. The body bias voltage generator selectively provides a higher one of the first voltage and a voltage on the input node to a body of the second switch set.
US07924081B2
An embodiment of a control circuit is proposed for turning on a power switching device, the switching device turning on in response to a control signal exceeding a threshold value. The control circuit includes pre-charging means for providing the control signal at a pre-charging value not reaching the threshold value, and soft turn-on means for gradually increasing the control signal from the pre-charging value to a turn-on value exceeding the threshold value; the pre-charging means includes means for sensing an indication of the threshold value, and means for setting the pre-charging value according to the sensed threshold value.
US07924080B2
A level shifter circuit converts a signal generated by an internal circuit which operates with a first power supply, into a signal by a second power supply having voltage higher than that of the first power supply. The voltages at substrate terminals of two NMOS transistors, to which complementary two signals by the first power supply are input, is boosted to voltage higher than circuit ground potential in a period in which a voltage level of one of the two input signals and a voltage level of an output signal by the second power supply do not coincide with each other.
US07924077B2
A signal processing apparatus includes: a latch circuit; a set pulse generation circuit; a reset pulse generation circuit; and a correction set signal forming circuit. The correction set signal forming circuit forms a correction set signal for applying a set instruction continuously during a time period from a time point of a front edge of the set pulse generated from the set pulse generation circuit or a time point delayed from the time point of the front edge to a time point at which the reset pulse is generated. The correction set signal forming circuit supplies the correction set signal to the set input terminal of the latch circuit.
US07924071B2
Provided is a synchronization detection circuit including: a multiphase clock generation circuit which includes a phase locked loop circuit that generates multiphase clock signals having a plurality of different phases, based on a reference clock signal, and which generates high-speed multiphase clock signals having a frequency obtained by multiplying a frequency of the reference clock signal, and low-speed multiphase clock signals having a frequency obtained by dividing a frequency of the high-speed multiphase clock signal; and a synchronous clock specifying circuit that specifies a clock signal synchronized with a synchronous signal from among the multiphase clock signals, and generates a synchronous position signal indicating a synchronous position of the synchronous signal, based on a comparison result between the synchronous signal and the high-speed multiphase clock signals and a comparison result between the synchronous signal and representative clock signals selected from the low-speed multiphase clock signals.
US07924068B2
An automatic adjustment circuit comprises a replica (1) constituted of either a circuit block of a portion of a filter body (3) or a combination of the circuit block, and fed with a reference signal (2) from the outside, for outputting signals having a phase delays of 90 degrees and 180 degrees with respect to the reference signal (2), and an integrating comparator (4) fed at its input terminal with an output signal, as having a phase delay of 180 degrees, of the replica (1) and the reference signal (2), and at its clock terminal with an output signal, as having a phase delay of 90 degrees, of the replica (1), and having an output terminal connected with a capacity (C1) and a frequency characteristic adjusting terminal of the replica (1). The automatic adjusting circuit is characterized in that the integrating action of the integrating comparator (4) is performed across the two high/low states of the input signal.
US07924064B2
An inverter circuit includes an IGBT (3) and an IGBT (4) connected in series between a power supply potential (Vcc) and a GND potential, and an HVIC (1) and an LVIC (2) for respectively controlling actuation of the IGBTs (3) and (4). The inverter circuit also includes a capacitor (5), a diode (6), and a resistor (7). The capacitor (5) is connected between a terminal (VS) and the GND potential. The diode (6) has a series connection to the capacitor (5) between the terminal (VS) and the GND potential, with such a polarity that a forward current flows from the GND potential to the terminal (VS). The resistor (7) is connected in parallel to the capacitor (5).
US07924058B2
A nonvolatile programmable logic circuit using a ferroelectric memory performs a nonvolatile memory function and an operation function without additional memory devices, thereby reducing power consumption. Also, a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory is applied to a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), thereby preventing leakage of internal data and reducing the area of a chip.
US07924050B2
This invention is an integrated circuit having at least one data pin connecting to external circuits. The invention plural operational units each having a normal mode and a stall mode controlled by an enable input. Selection logic selectively enables an operation unit and connects the data input/output of the enabled operation unit to the data pin. The operational units are responsive to a preceding or following key to enter the normal mode. Each operational unit switches between stall mode and the normal mode upon receiving a corresponding predetermined selection number of pulses at while the clock input receives a non-cycling signal. Greater number of pulses deselect all operational units, switch operational units to the normal mode if the correct key is received and switch all operational units to the stall mode.
US07924047B2
The on-die termination circuit of the present invention includes a main resistance circuit and an adjustment circuit. The main resistance circuit is provided with a resistance element and a transistor that is turned OFF when the on-die termination circuit is to be placed in the OFF state and turned ON when the on-die termination circuit is to be placed in the ON state. The adjustment circuit is provided with transistors that are both connected together in parallel and connected in parallel to the main resistance circuit, and that are turned ON or OFF when the on-die termination circuit is placed in the ON state so as to adjust the termination resistance of the entire on-die termination circuit.
US07924045B2
An apparatus for error checking in a power supply includes a power module that determines that the power supply is in a self-test condition. The self-test condition involves the power supply being connected to an input power source while it is disconnected from the electronic load that it normally services. A load module connects an internal test load to the power supply when the power supply is in self-test condition, and an error checking module performs error check operations on the power supply while it is connected to the test load. The apparatus also includes a notify module that actuates an indicator when the error checking module determines that there are one or more faults in the power supply. The apparatus may also include a log module for storing error messages and reports in non-volatile memory.
US07924035B2
A test system can include contact elements for making electrical connections with test points of a DUT. The test system can also include a DC test resource and a signal router, which can be configured to switch a DC channel from the DC test resource between individual contact elements in a group of contact elements.
US07924030B2
Disclosed is a test pattern for analyzing capacitances of interconnection lines that accounts for parasitic capacitance components. The test pattern includes a first metal line having a comb-type structure including a plurality of tines, a second metal line having a comb-type structure including a plurality of tines engaged with the tines of the first metal line, a first probe pad switchably connected to the first metal line, and a second probe pad switchably connected to the second metal line. Switchable connections between the first metal line and the first probe pad and between the second metal line and the second probe pad may be provided by first and second switch terminals, respectively. The test pattern enables a capacitance measurement that accounts for parasitic capacitance components of pads and portions of interconnection lines leading from the pads, which otherwise interfere with accurate measurement of capacitances of the interconnection lines.
US07924028B2
A method and system for adjusting characteristics of a relative humidity sensor in order to achieve a desired value of accuracy is presented. A relative humidity sensor charge balance circuit includes a series of sensing capacitors Cx1, Cx2 including a thin porous platinum top plate, a humidity sensitive polyimide dielectric, and two metal bottom plates on a semiconductor substrate; and two fixed oxide capacitances Cref, and C0. Changes in humidity affect the humidity sensitive dielectric thereby causing changes in the sensing capacitive value of the capacitive circuit. The charge in the sensing capacitor and the fixed capacitor C0 can be controlled separately by adjusting and/or trimming the supply voltage using a voltage trimmer; thereby the slope and offset of the relative humidity sensor circuit can be modified and controlled to particular desired values.
US07924025B2
An embedded s-parameter measurement system for measuring or determining an s-parameter is provided. The system includes an s-parameter test circuit for connecting to a port of a high-frequency multi-port device-under-test (DUT). The s-parameter test circuit includes a directional coupler for sampling a forward signal conveyed to the DUT and for sampling a reverse signal reflected by the DUT. The s-parameter test circuit also includes a peak detector electrically connected to the directional coupler for detecting a magnitude of a signal conveyed to the peak detector by the directional coupler. The s-parameter test circuit further includes a phase detector electrically connected to the directional coupler for determining a phase of a signal conveyed to the phase detector by the directional coupler, and at least one other s-parameter test circuit for connecting to another port of the high-frequency multi-port DUT.
US07924017B2
The measuring device has at least one measuring probe, e.g., a physical or electrochemical measuring probe, which is equipped with one or more memory units and which is connected through a cable, e.g., a coaxial cable, to a transmitter which includes a processor. The measuring probe has a ground wire and is connected to the memory unit through a first signal wire, wherein under the control of the processor in accordance with a transmission protocol, the first signal wire and a connecting cable serve for the unidirectional transmission of the analog or digital measuring signal of the measuring probe as well as the preferably bidirectional transmission between the measuring probe and the transmitter of digital operating data which are read from or to be written into the memory unit.
US07924015B2
A cable for connecting to an electronic battery tester, includes a first end configured to couple to a databus of a vehicle and a second end configured to couple to the electronic battery tester. An electrical connection extends between the first end and the second end and is configured to couple the electronic battery tester to the databus of the vehicle.
US07924012B2
An electronic metal detector having, a transmit coil arranged and adapted to transmit an alternating magnetic field associated with a reactive transmit coil voltage, the transmit coil being connected to transmit electronics arranged and adapted to generate a transmit signal, the transmit electronics having at least two power sources, a first power source and a second power source, wherein the first power source is adapted and arranged to connect to the transmit coil for at least a first period, and the second power source is adapted and arranged to connect to tie transmit coil for at least a second period, the said transmit electronics including at least one servo control negative feedback loop, a first servo control negative feedback loop, which is adapted and arranged to monitor a transmit coil current for at least part of the said first period, and to control at least part of the said transmit signal, the transmit electronics being adapted and arranged to control the transmit signal to produce the reactive transmit coil voltage to be approximately constant and approximately equal to zero while the transmit coil current is non-zero and approximately constant for at least part of the first period; and receive electronics which are adapted and arranged to receive and process a receive magnetic field during at least some of the first period to produce an indicator output.
US07924008B2
The present utility model discloses a patient table for a magnetic resonance system, said magnetic resonance system also comprises a body coil, and said patient table comprises a table board and supporting means for supporting said table board, which table board is located in said body coil, and said supporting means supports said table board in such a way that the table board has no contact with said body coil. By using said patient table according to the present utility model, it is possible to eliminate the vibration of the table board caused by the vibration of a gradient coil, thus improving the imaging quality.
US07924002B2
A method for mapping field inhomogeneity for forming a magnetic resonance image is provided. A magnetic resonance excitation is applied. A plurality of k-space echoes signals is acquired. A periodic cost function is calculated from the acquired plurality of k-space echo signals. A period of the calculated periodic cost function is divided into multiple regions. A search algorithm is used to locate a local minimum in each region. Located local minimums are chosen to provide global smoothness.
US07923987B2
A magnetic sensor integrated circuit includes a plurality of magnetically sensitive elements, and at least one test conductor positioned adjacent to at least one of the magnetically sensitive elements and configured to generate a differential magnetic field that is adapted to be applied to the plurality of magnetically sensitive elements during a test mode.
US07923980B2
In a digital controlled power supply including a digital controller for generating a PWM signal which is used to turn on and off a switching element to obtain an output voltage for a load based on an input voltage, the digital controller includes an AD converter for receiving an analog output current from the power supply and converting the current into a digital value to produce a digital output current value, an arithmetic processing unit for conducting an arithmetic operation of a pulse width for each period of a sampling frequency of the AD converter or a frequency of carrier wave as a criterion to obtain the PWM signal, and a frequency controller for variably controlling the frequency of carrier wave and the sampling frequency on the basis of the digital output current value from the AD converter.
US07923976B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a fault protection circuit, a method of operating a fault protection circuit and a voltage regulator. In one embodiment, the fault protection circuit is for use with the voltage regulator and includes an output power section having first and second MOS transistors configured to provide a regulated voltage on an output node of the voltage regulator. The fault protection circuit also includes a gate pull-down section connected to the first and second MOS transistors and configured to provide a gate pull-down MOS transistor to limit a current through the first and second MOS transistors during a current overload fault condition on the output node.
US07923969B2
A state-of-charge equalizing device equalizes the state of charge of each of cells connected in series to form an assembled battery, and comprises charging/discharging circuits connected in parallel to the respective cells to discharge and/or charge the respective cells, voltage measurement circuits connected to the respective charging/discharging circuits to measure the voltages across the respective cells, and a control circuit. The control circuit comprises a unit calculating an equalization target voltage based on the measured voltages before the charge or discharge starts, a unit starting discharging/charging the cells having a voltage thereacross different from the target voltage, a unit correcting the target voltage to thereby calculate a corrected equalization target voltage for each of those cells based on the difference between the measured voltages before and at a certain time period after the charging/discharging, and a unit ending the discharging/charging when the measured voltage reaches the corrected target voltage.
US07923960B2
A method for driving a power bridge (1) which is used for controlling a multiphase electric load (3), is connectable to said electric load (3) through several arms and is drivable by switching functions determining control vectors for controlling the load, wherein said control vectors are subdivided into the free wheel control vectors and active control vectors. The inventive method is characterized in that it comprises the use of a switching function production method which produced a reduced number of switching function combinations corresponding to the free wheel control vectors for producing a sequence of the control vectors.
US07923959B2
A device of a motor with a rotation control means that decreases the fluctuation of its rotation period. The control is carried out based on the amplitude and the phase generated by amplitude-and-phase generating devices, detecting passage time of detected portions (13) in different zones. And a color image forming apparatus of tandem type with such motors.
US07923955B2
A control circuit for an active engine mount is provided, including an electrical bridge circuit, and a pulse-width modulation (‘PWM’) circuit. The PWM circuit receives an input signal from a controller, and generates first and second PWM output signals. The first PWM signal, derived from the input signal, controls first and third switches of the electrical bridge circuit. The second PWM signal comprises a digitally inverted signal of the first PWM signal, and controls second and fourth switches of the electrical bridge circuit. First and second outputs of the bridge circuit are connectable to first and second terminals of the mount device. The controller receives an input signal from crank and cam sensors, as part of the control scheme.
US07923947B2
Disclosed is an electromotive power steering for a motor vehicle, in which a special type of reluctance motor or series wound motor is used while such an electric motor is electronically commutated. In order to recognize an error condition in the electronic control device and the electric motor, adequate mechanisms are provided in the circuit arrangement (15), the electric motor being cut from the power source by means of a relay (16) or by short-circuiting the power source downstream of a safety device (17) with the aid of a thyristor (18).
US07923942B1
A constant current source mirror tank dimmable ballast operates multiple high impedance lamps in a stable and balanced manner. The dimmable ballast has an inverter connected to two third-order resonant circuits. These third-order resonant circuits dominate the transfer function of the ballast circuits. Consequently, changes in the impedance of the lamp do not affect the current output to the lamps.
US07923934B2
A lamp includes a light source, a power tool battery for providing a DC voltage level, and a base for housing the power tool battery. A stem is coupled to the base and supports the light source. A power inverter converts the DC voltage level to an AC voltage level, and a current sensing circuit operatively coupled to the converter or the inverter senses an over-current condition when the converter or the inverter draws more than a predetermined amount of current. The converter or inverter is disabled if the over-current condition continues for more than a predetermined amount of time so that the light source receives the AC voltage level and is illuminated for the predetermined amount of time before power is removed.
US07923930B1
A plasma panel device having a multiplicity of gas filled plasma-shells, each plasma-shell being positioned on or in a substrate and electrically connected to conductors or electrodes to define a gas discharge pixel or subpixel. The plasma-shell comprises a hollow gas filled geometric body and includes plasma-disc, plasma-dome, plasma-sphere, and other geometric shapes. The substrate may be rigid, flexible, or semi-flexible with a flat, curved, or irregular surface. Each substrate may comprise a single layer or multiple layers of the same or different materials. Substrate composites may be used such as mixtures, dispersions, suspensions, and so forth. The device may comprise a single substrate or a dual substrate device. A plasma-shell device with a flexible substrate may be bendable and rollable in at least two directions, X and Y, looking at the top or plan view.
US07923924B2
The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent display, including a substrate, a set of anodes, an organic functional layer, a set of cathodes and a packaging sheet, wherein a set of electrode leads are disposed on the packaging sheet for electrical connection with a control circuit of the display, and the electrode leads includes a set of anode leads and a set of cathode leads which are electrically connected with the corresponding anodes and cathodes on the substrate, respectively. The present invention further relates to a double-sided organic electroluminescent display having the above features.
US07923920B2
An organic light-emitting device has a substrate and a plurality of organic light-emitting elements formed on the substrate. The plurality of the organic light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element emitting light of a first emission color, and a second light-emitting element emitting light of a different emission color. Each light-emitting element has, in sequence, a first electrode having a light reflection layer and a transparent conductive layer, an organic compound layer containing a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode on the substrate. The light reflection layer of the first element is between the substrate and the transparent conductive layer and the light reflection layer of the second element is between the transparent conductive layer and the organic compound layer. A thickness of the transparent conductive layer of the first and second organic light-emitting elements is the same.
US07923918B2
The present invention provides a reliable, long-life phosphor, or the like, which is prevented from darkening due to aging. A light emitting apparatus has a light emitting element and a phosphor layer. The phosphor layer has a phosphor excited by light from the light emitting element, and a binder which binds the phosphor. The binder is hydroxide oxide gel obtained by curing sol of a hydroxide oxide mixed with sol containing at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Al, Y, Gd, Lu, Sc, Ga, In, and B. Transmittance of hydroxide oxide in a gel state is higher than the transmittance in the polycrystal state where the sol-gel reaction is proceeded. In addition, the content of hydroxyl group or water of crystallization in the hydroxide oxide is 10% or less by weight.
US07923917B2
A color conversion layer is provided which is capable of converting light from an emitting medium effectively to light containing a ray having a longer wavelength and exhibits less deterioration so as to have a long lifetime. The color conversion layer comprising a fluorescent medium for converting light emitted from an emitting medium to light having a longer wavelength, and having a haze value of 50% to 95%. The color conversion layer can be made thin, since the layer can efficiently convert the color of light from an emitting medium. The processibility such as patterning thereof is then improved.
US07923915B2
A pixel structure of display apparatus includes a first substrate and a second substrate. Several cathode structure layers are disposed on the first substrate. The second substrate is a light-transmissive material. Several anode structure layers are disposed on the second substrate, and are light-transmissive conductive materials. The first substrate faces to the second substrate, so that the cathode structure layers are respectively aligned with the anode structure layers. A separation structure is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, for respective partitioning the anode structure layers and the cathode structure layers to form several spaces. Several fluorescent layers are respectively disposed between the anode structure layers and the cathode structure layers. A low-pressure gas is respectively filled into the spaces. The low-pressure gas has an electron mean free path, allowing at least sufficient amount of electrons to directly impinge the fluorescent layer under an operation voltage.
US07923914B2
The field emission cathode device includes an insulating substrate with a number of cathodes mounted thereon. A number of field emission units are mounted on the cathodes. A dielectric layer is disposed on the insulating substrate and defines a number of voids corresponding to the field emission units. The dielectric layer has an upper and lower section and disposed on the insulating substrate. The dielectric layer defining a plurality of voids corresponding to the field emission units. A number of grids disposed between the upper and lower sections, and wherein each grid are secured by the upper and lower sections of the dielectric layer.
US07923911B2
Metal induced polycrystallized silicon is used as the anode in a light emitting device, such as an OLED or AMOLED. The polycrystallized silicon is sufficiently non-absorptive, transparent and made sufficiently conductive for this purpose. A thin film transistor can be formed onto the polycrystallized silicon anode, with the silicon anode acting as the drain of the thin film transistor, thereby simplifying production.
US07923905B2
A coating film is formed on the whole surface area of a body part. Formation of the coating film may be done by immersing the body part in a solution of parfluoropolyether. Then, the parfluoropolyether constituting the coating film is joined with the side surfaces of the body part by irradiating Xenon excimer laser in a nitrogen atmosphere onto the side faces of the body part, or to the surface exposing an electrode layer. As a result, the protective film is formed only on the side surfaces of the body part. Thus, the protective film is formed as a monomolecular film. Total body part is then cleaned by 2,3-dihydrodecafluoropentane to remove non-reacted coating film, thereby completing a multi-layer piezoelectric element.
US07923886B2
Disclosed are transverse and/or commutated flux machines and components thereof, and methods of making and using the same. Certain rotors for use in transverse and commutated flux machines may be formed to facilitate a “many to many” flux switch configuration between flux concentrating stator portions having opposite polarities. Other rotors may be formed from a first material, and contain flux switches formed from a second material. Yet other rotors may be machined, pressed, stamped, folded, and/or otherwise mechanically formed. Via use of such rotors, transverse and/or commutated flux machines can achieve improved performance, efficiency, and/or be sized or otherwise configured for various applications.
US07923885B2
A stator for a multiple-phase rotary electric machine provided a stator core with slots and a coil formed of a plurality of windings for individual phases. Each winding has slot-accommodated portions held in different slots, turn portions connecting the slot-accommodated portions outside of the slots in an axial direction, and a return portion that connects two of the turn portions and changes a winding direction of the winding at given slots. The turn portions include specific turn portions which are the same in a circumferential position as the turn portion connected to the one of the return portion. The specific turn portions are located, in a radial direction, to be drawn apart from the rotor than the slot-accommodated portions connected to the specific turn portions.
US07923883B2
The present invention provides a stator coiled in a spiral, capable of mechanically inserting a wound coil in the slot of a stator core. In a stator in which coils are overlapped in a spiral when viewed from the end surface of the stator core after each of one sides of a plurality of coils wound in advance is inserted in the slot of the stator core and each of the other sides of the plurality of coils is inserted in a different slot, by repeating the inserting operation twice or more, the loop of the coils overlapped in a spiral are piled in two layers or more in the radius direction of the stator core and the total coil sectional area inserted in the slots of the stator core is larger than a prescribed value based on the inside radius of the stator core.
US07923875B2
An electric machine includes a stator, a rotor positioned adjacent the stator and rotatable with respect to the stator, and a housing that at least partially surrounds the stator. An enclosure is coupled to the housing and includes a first compartment and a second compartment. A plurality of fins are positioned within the second compartment and a fan is coupled to the rotor and directs a flow of air through the second compartment.
US07923871B2
The invention relates to an electrical machine (1) having a stator (4) and a rotor (3), with the rotor (3) having a plurality of axially arranged cooling channels (8) and a first (5a) and a second (5b) end face, and a fan unit (6) being arranged adjacent to each end face and comprising at least two 10 fan segments (7), with one fan segment (7) in each case being associated with one cooling channel (8) and being arranged alternately adjacent to the first (5a) and the second (5b) end face, and with the fan segment (7) having at least one air guide channel (7a) and at least one air guide wall (7b).
US07923870B2
A noncontact power transmission system having a power transmitting device including a primary coil and a power receiving device including a secondary coil, the primary coil and the secondary coil being electromagnetically coupled to each other and the power transmitting device configured to transmit electric power to the power receiving device, wherein the secondary coil contains a magnetic substance, the power transmitting device has a feeding section for feeding power to the primary coil and a self inductance detection section for detecting a change in the self inductance of the primary coil immediately after starting the feeding to the primary coil, wherein a feeding operation of the feeding section immediately after starting the feeding is determined based on a detection result of the self inductance detection section.
US07923861B2
A fuel cell vehicle has a motor driven by an inverter and hybrid DC power supplies including a battery and a fuel cell for supplying electric power to the motor. For preventing a fuse connected to the battery from being blown out, when a motor current Im increases, a first source current flowing from the battery is limited to a range for not blowing out the fuse, and a generated current is increased as much as the first source current is limited.
US07923860B2
A switching power supply circuit includes a plurality of switching regulators and a timing adjustment circuit. The plurality of switching regulators converts an input voltage input to an input terminal into a plurality of predetermined constant voltages, and outputs the plurality of predetermined constant voltages from a plurality of output terminals, respectively. The timing adjustment circuit adjusts phases of a plurality of pulse signals generated by the plurality of switching regulators so that the phases of the plurality of pulse signals are different from each other, and outputs the plurality of adjusted pulse signals to respective switch circuits of the plurality of switching regulators.
US07923843B2
Two interconnect layers are electrically connected while reducing the number of manufacturing steps. A contact plug 9c which is formed into a beaded shape in a layer underlying two interconnects 11C and 11D and which also electrically connects the two interconnects 11C and 11D is included. The two interconnects 11C and 11D are separated to each other and are formed in a same layer. The contact plug 9c is simultaneously formed with a contact plug 9b to be connected to an interconnect 4b and a contact plug 9a to be connected to a source/drain region 6.
US07923839B2
A semiconductor device includes a contact plug electrically connected to a semiconductor substrate; a first barrier metal film with a columnar crystal structure arranged in contact with the semiconductor substrate at least on a bottom surface side of the contact plug; an amorphous film made of a material of the first barrier metal film arranged in contact with the first barrier metal film at least on the bottom surface side of the contact plug; a second barrier metal film made of a material identical to that of the first barrier metal film and having a columnar crystal structure, at least a portion of which is arranged in contact with the amorphous film on the bottom surface side and a side surface side of the contact plug; and a dielectric film arranged on the side surface side of the contact plug.
US07923837B2
A microelectronic device includes a non-polymeric substrate, an organic interlayer, and a indium tin oxide layer formed on the organic interlayer; the indium tin oxide layer including an ablated feature within said indium tin oxide layer, wherein said indium tin oxide layer is formed by an indium tin oxide solution that is laser ablated prior to sintering.Applicant respectfully submits that the above amendments bring the Abstract into compliance with MPEP §608.01 (b). Accordingly, Applicant respectfully requests reconsideration and withdrawal of the objection to the abstract.
US07923818B2
A varactor element having a junction region, in which the depletion capacitance of the varactor element varies when a reverse bias voltage is applied to the varactor element. The varactor element has an exponential depletion capacitance-voltage relation, e.g. obtained by providing a predetermined doping profile in the junction region. The varactor element can be used in a narrow tone spacing varactor stack arrangement, in which two varactor elements are connected in an anti-series configuration. A low impedance path for base band frequency components between a control node and each of two RF connection nodes is provided, while for fundamental and higher order harmonic frequencies, a high impedance path is provided.
US07923809B2
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; a diffusion layer formed on the semiconductor substrate; at least two wiring layers formed opposite to each other over the semiconductor substrate; signal lines for transmitting a signal maintaining a predetermined voltage, each of the signal lines being formed in each of the two wiring layers; shield lines fixed to a constant voltage to shield the signal lines, each of the shield lines being formed adjacent to each of the signal lines in the two wiring layers; and a gate electrode formed over the semiconductor substrate via an insulation film. In the semiconductor device, at least one of the signal lines formed in a lower wiring layer of the at least two wiring layers is electrically connected to the gate electrode opposed in a stacking direction.
US07923805B2
Methods and devices for forming both high-voltage and low-voltage transistors on a common substrate using a reduced number of processing steps are disclosed. An exemplary method includes forming at least a first high-voltage transistor well and a first low-voltage transistor well on a common substrate separated by an isolation structure extending a first depth into the substrate, using a first mask and first implantation process to simultaneously implant a doping material of a first conductivity type into a channel region of the low-voltage transistor well and a drain region for the high-voltage transistor well.
US07923797B2
A method of driving a solid-state image sensing device comprises plural photoelectric conversion devices arranged in rows and columns perpendicular to the rows, VCCDs through which charges generated by the photoelectric conversion devices are transferred in the column direction, and an HCCD through which the charges transferred from the VCCDs are transferred in the row direction. The photoelectric conversion devices include plural photoelectric conversion device rows including the photoelectric conversion devices arranged in the rows include first photoelectric conversion device rows each of which different kinds of photoelectric conversion devices are mixed and second photoelectric conversion device rows each of which has one kind of photoelectric conversion devices. An operation of transferring charges read out of each first photoelectric conversion device row from the VCCDs to the HCCD and an operation of transferring the charges transferred to the HCCD in the row direction are performed with discrimination between the charges of different color components.
US07923791B2
A package of a MEMS microphone is suitable for being mounted on a printed circuit board. The package includes a substrate, at least one MEMS microphone, and a conductive sealing element. The MEMS microphone is arranged on the substrate, and electrically connected to a conductive layer on a bottom surface of the substrate. The conductive sealing element is arranged on the substrate and around the MEMS microphone for connecting the printed circuit board, and constructs an acoustic housing with the printed circuit board and the substrate. The acoustic housing has at least one acoustic hole passing through the substrate. The acoustic hole has a metal layer on the inner wall thereof for connecting the conductive layer on the bottom surface of the substrate to another conductive layer on the top surface of the substrate.
US07923789B2
The contrast offered by a spatial light modulator device may be enhanced by positioning nonreflective elements such as supporting posts and moveable hinges, behind the reflecting surface of the pixel. In accordance with one embodiment, the reflecting surface is suspended over and underlying hinge-containing layer by integral ribs of the reflecting material defined by gaps in a sacrificial layer. In accordance with an alternative embodiment, the reflecting surface is separated from the underlying hinge by a gap formed in an intervening layer, such as oxide. In either embodiment, walls separating adjacent pixel regions may be recessed beneath the reflecting surface to further reduce unwanted scattering of incident light and thereby enhance contrast.
US07923788B2
A semiconductor device has a plurality of fins formed on a semiconductor substrate to be separated from each other, a first contact region which connects commonly one end side of the plurality of fins, a second contact region which connects commonly the other end side of the plurality of fins, a gate electrode arranged to be opposed to at least both side surfaces of the plurality of fins by sandwiching a gate insulating film therebetween, a source electrode including the first contact region and the plurality of fins on a side closer to the first contact region than the gate electrode, and a drain electrode including the second contact region and the plurality of fins on a side closer to the second contact than the gate electrode. The ratio Rd/Rs of a resistance Rd of each fin in the drain region to a resistance Rs of each fin in the source region is larger than 1.
US07923786B2
A first aspect of the present invention is a method of forming an isolation structure including: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate; (b) forming a buried N-doped region in the substrate; (c) forming a vertical trench in the substrate, the trench extending into the N-doped region; (d) removing the N-doped region to form a lateral trench communicating with and extending perpendicular to the vertical trench; and (e) at least partially filling the lateral trench and filling the vertical trench with one or more insulating materials.
US07923785B2
According to one exemplary embodiment, a FET which is situated over a substrate, comprises a channel situated in the substrate. The FET further comprises a first gate dielectric situated over the channel, where the first gate dielectric has a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The FET further comprises a first gate electrode situated over the first gate dielectric, where the first gate electrode has a second coefficient of thermal expansion, and where the second coefficient of thermal expansion is different than the first coefficient of thermal expansion so as to cause an increase in carrier mobility in the FET. The second coefficient of thermal expansion may be greater that the first coefficient of thermal expansion, for example. The increase in carrier mobility may be caused by, for example, a tensile strain created in the channel.
US07923768B2
Disclosed are a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having source and drain areas; a floating gate between the source and drain areas having a programmed or erased state, thereby controlling a current flow between the source and drain areas; and a tunneling gate adapted to program or erase the floating gate depending on voltage(s) applied to the source, drain and/or tunneling gate.
US07923767B2
Shallow trench isolation regions are positioned between NAND strings (or other types of non-volatile storage). These isolation regions include sections that form concave cut-out shapes in the substrate for the NAND string (or other types of non-volatile storage). The floating gates (or other charge storage devices) of the NAND strings hang over the sections of the isolation region that form the concave cut-out shape in the substrate. To manufacture such a structure, a two step etching process is used to form the isolation regions. In the first step, isotropic etching is used to remove substrate material in multiple directions, including removing substrate material underneath the floating gates. In the second step, anisotropic etching is used to create the lower part of the isolation region.
US07923763B2
A two dimensional time delay integration CMOS image sensor having a plurality of pinned photodiodes, each pinned photodiode collects a charge when light strikes the pinned photodiode, a plurality of electrodes separating the plurality of pinned photodiodes, the plurality of electrodes are configured for two dimensional charge transport between two adjacent pinned photodiodes, and a plurality of readout nodes connected to the plurality of pinned photodiodes via address lines.
US07923754B2
A bipolar transistor (1) comprising a subcollector layer (3), a collector layer (4, 5), a base layer (6) and an emitter layer (7) which are successively built up and having: the subcollector layer (3) formed with a projection (3A) and recesses (3B), an upper part above the projection constituting an intrinsic transistor region (1A) of the bipolar transistor; insulator layer (10) buried between the recesses of the subcollector layer and the collector layer (4); a boundary interface between the subcollector layer and the collector layer held between the insulator layers; the base layer (6) made of a single crystal layer and provided with a base electrode (12) on a region becoming an extrinsic base layer (6B) of the base layer; and the subcollector layer provided with a collector electrode (11). The bipolar transistor has advantages of its emitter made finer in width, a reduced parasitic capacitance between its base and collector and improved high-frequency characteristics.
US07923753B2
The contact resistance between an Ohmic electrode and an electron transit layer is reduced compared with a case in which the Ohmic electrode is provided to a depth less than the heterointerface. As a result, for an Ohmic electrode provided in a structure comprising an electron transit layer formed of a first semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, an electron supply layer comprising a second semiconductor layer forming a heterojunction with the electron transit layer and having a smaller electron affinity than the first semiconductor layer, and a two-dimensional electron layer induced in the electron transit layer in the vicinity of the heterointerface, the end portion of the Ohmic electrode is positioned in the electron transit layer in penetration into the electron supply layer at a depth equal to or greater than the heterointerface.
US07923748B2
A heat sink for use with a high output LED light source is disclosed. The heat sink is used with an LED and conical reflector. The heat sink has a cylindrical back end holding the light emitting diode. The heat sink includes a conically shaped wall having an inner and outer surface and an open front end. The open front end has a rim with notches. The reflector has a front flat surface with arms which are fixed in the notches with a fastener. The heat sink includes a plurality of slits formed on the inner and outer surfaces extending between the back and front ends. A plurality of vanes extend radially from the inner surface. The heat sink is fabricated from a thermally conductive material. The conical shape of the heat sink, the slits and vanes increases exposed surface area to assist in dissipating heat generated from the LED.
US07923737B2
A combined semiconductor device can be formed by bonding the thin-film three-terminal switching elements to a surface of an integrated circuit chip including a shift register that shifts data supplied to the control electrodes of the three-terminal switching elements, or by bonding both the thin-film three-terminal switching elements and another thin semiconductor film including the shift register to a substrate. In either case, thin-film wiring can be used to interconnect the shift register and the switching elements, and the need for an array of large transistors to feed driving current to the switching elements is eliminated, reducing the size and cost of the combined semiconductor device, which can be advantageously used in the optical head of an electrophotographic printer.
US07923736B2
A bottom gate thin film transistor (TFT), a flat panel display having the same, and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The TFT comprises a gate electrode disposed on a substrate, and a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode. A semiconductor layer is disposed on the gate insulating layer and crossing over the gate electrode, and is crystallized by an MILC technique. An inter-insulating layer is disposed on the semiconductor layer and comprises source and drain contact holes which expose portions of the semiconductor layer. The source and drain contact holes are separated from at least one edge of the semiconductor layer crossing over the gate electrode. The semiconductor layer comprises conductive MIC regions corresponding to the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer in the source and drain contact holes.
US07923721B2
An organic thin film transistor including: a substrate; a gate electrode placed on the substrate; a gate insulating film placed on the gate electrode; a source electrode and a drain electrode which are placed on the gate insulating film; an organic semiconductor layer placed on the gate insulating film between the source electrode and the drain electrode; a hole transport layer placed on the organic semiconductor layer; an electron transport layer placed on the hole transport layer; and a conductor layer placed on the electron transport layer; the organic thin film transistor which characteristics are stable by being protected from oxygen or moisture and being protected electromagnetically and which is suitable for integration.
US07923717B2
A switching device has an S (Superconductor)-N (Normal Metal)-S superlattice to control the stream of electrons without any dielectric materials. Each layer of said Superconductor has own terminal. The superlattice spacing is selected based on “Dimensional Crossover Effect”. This device can operate at a high frequency without such energy losses as devices breaking the superconducting state. The limit of the operation frequency in the case of the Nb/Cu superlattice is expected to be in the order of 1018 Hz concerning plasmon loss energy of the normal metals (Cu; in the order of 103 eV).
US07923713B2
A non-volatile memory cell is constructed from a chalcogenide alloy structure and an associated electrode side wall. The electrode is manufactured with a predetermined thickness and juxtaposed against a side wall of the chalcogenide alloy structure, wherein at least one of the side walls is substantially perpendicular to a planar surface of the substrate. The thickness of the electrode is used to control the size of the active region created within the chalcogenide alloy structure. Additional memory cells can be created along rows and columns to form a memory matrix. The individual memory cells are accessed through address lines and address circuitry created during the formation of the memory cells. A computer can thus read and write data to particular non-volatile memory cells within the memory matrix.
US07923711B2
The present invention provides switching elements having a readout margin suitable for data storage units of nonvolatile memories, which are obtained by improving the resistance ratio of metal oxide thin films having reversible variable resistance properties. The present invention provides switching elements having a metal oxide consisting of a transition metal and oxygen formed between a first electrode and a second electrode, by modifying one or more of the crystal structure, ionic valence number of metal element, and nonstoichiometricity of a stoichiometric compound consisted of the transition metal and oxygen. The present invention also provides methods for producing switching elements having reversible variable resistance characteristics due to electric power application history.
US07923707B2
A disinfecting device is presented having a UV light source for radiation of a cleaning medium to eradicate the medium of infestation agents such as molds, viruses, bacteria and dust mites. The device enhances the disinfection of the medium by providing mechanisms for enhanced penetration of the UV light into the cleaning medium. The device also offers enhanced heat dissipation to promote effective use of the device. Also provided are safety mechanisms to promote the safe and advantageous use of the UV device.
US07923706B2
An ultraviolet radiation curing system is disclosed for treating a substrate, such as fiber optic cable or silicone tubing. The system comprises a processing chamber allowing transport of a continuous piece of substrate to be treated. As the substrate moves through the processing chamber, ultraviolet radiation from a plasma lamp activated by a microwave generator treats the surface of the substrate. The system comprises two elliptical reflectors of different sizes so that larger diameter substrates may be efficiently treated with ultraviolet radiation. The system may also comprise an ultraviolet-transmissive conduit enclosing the substrate and split into a first portion and a second portion, where the second portion is movable from the first portion to open the conduit and allow insertion or alignment of the substrate within the conduit and processing chamber.
US07923699B2
Control data for a main deflector is calculated based on position data that specifies the position of a region to be irradiated with the electron beam on the subfield, data on the number of all beam shots on the subfield, data on a time required for all the beam shots, and stage data that specifies the position of the stage. When the number of beam shots on one of the divided subfield sections reaches the obtained number of the beam shots on each of the divided subfield sections, a writing process proceed to a writing operation to be performed on another one of the divided subfield sections based on the direction of the movement of the stage.
US07923697B2
An image sensor includes a scintillator comprising a substrate covered with a layer of luminescent material, the layer of luminescent material comprising a first side in contact with the substrate and a second side, the surface of which has asperities, separated by interstices, a detection radiation emerging from the second side of the layer of luminescent material when the luminescent material is illuminated by a probe radiation through the substrate, characterized in that the second side of the layer of luminescent material is covered with a film of a coating material partially absorbing the detection radiation, and moulding itself to the asperities of the surface of the second side of the layer of luminescent material.
US07923696B2
A photoelectric converting apparatus of the present invention includes a photoelectric converting element, a resetting transistor in which a source is connected to the photoelectric converting element and a drain is connected to a resetting power source, a readout transistor in which a gate is connected to the photoelectric converting element and a drain is connected to a readout power source, a signal line connected to a source of the readout transistor, a selecting transistor connected between the readout power source or the signal line and the readout transistor, and a constant current source connected to the signal line.
US07923692B2
A device for collection of radionuclides includes a mixture of a polymer, a fluorescent organic scintillator and a chemical extractant. A radionuclide detector system includes a collection device comprising a mixture of a polymer, a fluorescent agent and a selective ligand. The system includes at least one photomultiplier tube (PMT). A method of detecting radionuclides includes providing a collector device comprising a mixture comprising a polymer, a fluorescent organic scintillator and a chemical extractant. An aqueous environment is exposed to the device and radionuclides are collected from the environment. Radionuclides can be concentrated within the device.
US07923686B2
An apparatus which permits high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) imaging comprises an electron gun, a specimen chamber in which a specimen is set, a gas cylinder for supplying environmental gas around the surface of the specimen through both a gas flow rate controller and a gas nozzle, a vacuum pump for evacuating the inside of the specimen chamber, an objective lens including upper and lower polepieces, a detector for detecting electrons transmitted through the specimen, a display device for displaying a transmission image of the specimen, orifice plates having minute holes, holders supporting the orifice plates, a drive mechanism for driving the holders, and a motion controller. The orifice plates can be moved in a direction crossing the optical axis of the beam on the upper and lower surfaces of the upper and lower polepieces of the objective lens.
US07923682B2
The present invention is directed to a method for determining the presence of a residue on or within a fingerprint using matrix-assisted mass spectrometric techniques. The matrix-assisted mass spectrometric technique can be selected from Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and/or Surface Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (SALDI-TOF-MS).
US07923675B2
A projection system includes a projection screen defining a shape and a projector configured to project an image onto the projection screen. The projector may project a static or dynamic image that has substantially the same shape as the projection screen or otherwise block portions of the projected image that are projected outside of the projection screen with the aid of a virtual mask. The virtual mask and the projection screen may be created based on a virtual shape template that defines the desired shape for the projection screen, such as with a vector outline. In some embodiments, the virtual mask and the projection screen are created based on the same virtual shape template. The virtual shape template may define a cutting path for extracting the projection screen from a suitable material.
US07923666B2
A selectable operation amount is set as a threshold value according to an input operation amount, where if a determination value obtained by adding the input operation amount and an integrated operation amount or an output error accumulated value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the threshold value is selected as the output operation amount, and if the determination value is not greater than or equal to the threshold value, a selectable output operation amount close to the threshold value is selected, and the ON/OFF control is performed with the selected output operation amount, while the selected output operation amount is subtracted from the determination value to correct the integrated operation amount, so that the input operation can be substantially output even if it takes an operation amount other than the selectable operation amount values.
US07923660B2
Disclosed is the method and apparatus for annealing semiconductor substrates. One embodiment provides a semiconductor processing chamber comprising a first substrate support configured to support a substrate, a second substrate support configured to support a substrate, a shuttle coupled to the first substrate support and configured to move the first substrate support between a processing zone and a first loading zone, wherein the processing zone having a processing volume configured to alternately accommodating the first substrate support and the second substrate support.
US07923659B2
A laser machining method and a laser machining apparatus by which holes excelling in form accuracy can be machined efficiently are to be provided. A first cylindrical lens and/or a second cylindrical lens to correct any deformation of reflective face of a first mirror and/or a second mirror is arranged on an optical axis of a laser beam, and converging positions of the laser beam for an X-component and for a Y-component are coincident with a point on the optical axis.
US07923652B1
An activation device useful for drag racers comprising a body, a trigger, a cocking pressure spring plunger set screw, a trigger tension spring plunger set screw, a trigger tension jam nut, a body cover, cocking safety button, screws, a microswitch, a wave washer, and a trigger set screw.The body comprises a trigger pivot post, a wiring channel, a wiring aperture, and a recess surface.The trigger comprises a trigger pivot post aperture, a trigger released position notch, a trigger cocked position notch, and a cocking channel.
US07923647B2
A portable device enabling a user to visually recognize tampering with internal components. The portable device is for performing wireless communication with a predetermined communication subject and includes a circuit board on which an electronic component is mounted and a case for accommodating the circuit board. The case includes a first case part including a board compartment for accommodating the circuit board and a second case part for covering the circuit board accommodated in the board compartment of the first case part. The first case part and the second case part are joined with each other and unitized in a superimposed state.
US07923645B1
A first patterned etch stop layer and a first patterned conductor layer are laminated by a dielectric material to a second patterned etch stop layer and a second patterned conductor layer. As the etch stop metal of the first and second patterned etch stop layers is selectively etchable compared to a conductor metal of the first and second patterned conductor layers, the first and second patterned etch stop layers provide an etch stop for substrate formation etch processes. In this manner, etching of the first and second patterned conductor layers is avoided insuring that impedance is controlled to within tight tolerance.
US07923644B2
A printed circuit board and method of manufacturing the printed circuit board, including a first and a second write wiring patterns, an end of a first line and an end of a second line of the first write wiring pattern are arranged on both sides of a third line of the second write wiring pattern. Circular connection portions are provided at the ends of the first line and the second line. In addition, through holes are formed in respective portions of a base insulating layer below the connection portions. Each connection portion comes in contact with a connecting region of a suspension body within the through hole.
US07923643B2
A separator is disclosed which provides an electrically insulating layer between groups of windings in an electrical apparatus, such as a rotating electrical machine. The separator comprises a matrix of interconnected rods. This can allow air gaps to be present between groups of windings, which may improve the cooling efficiency of the apparatus.
US07923640B2
The heavy current cable (1) for 50/60 Hz TN-S mains comprises preferably a central earth connector (2), around which three phase leads (3, 4, 5) and a neutral lead (6) are stranded. The earth lead (2) can have a smaller cross-section than the phase leads (3, 4, 5) and the neutral lead (6), and can be straight. This heavy current cable (1) is characterised by a defined cable reactance, by a constant current distribution over the phase cables and by the avoidance of any induction currents. In addition virtually no interference can be coupled into parallel lying I & C-leads. There is only a low level of NIS-radiation and no short-circuiting forces. Finally, there is a time saving during installation.
US07923633B2
A holder device (1,100) for an article such as a thermocouple (9) is disclosed. The holder (1, 100) facilitates the placement and retention of the thermocouple (9) in an apparatus such as a lyophilizer by clamping the thermocouple (9) stably in position between adjacent shelves (80, 90) of the apparatus. The holder (1,100) comprises two bearing surfaces (14a, 126b) and a housing (10) extending therebetween. The housing (10) includes a spring (11) for biasing the bearing surfaces (14a, 126b) apart to retain the holder (1,100) between the shelves (80, 90). Also provided is a means for retaining a conduit, such as a thermocouple (9) or other device. The thermocouple retaining means comprises a conductive block (230) for securely holding within it a sensor end of a thermocouple (9) and a means is provided for retaining the block (230) with the thermocouple (9) in good conductive contact with a surface (80, 90) of the apparatus. The invention further provides a placement tool (2) for positioning and removing the holder (1, 100).
US07923631B2
A noise-controllable high voltage electric wire is formed of a pair of thick high voltage electric wires, through which a large current flows. The pair of thick high voltage electric wires each constitute a plus circuit and a minus circuit. The pair of the thick high voltage electric wires includes: a plurality of thin electric wires for the plus circuit; and a plurality of thin electric wires for the minus circuit. Each thin electric wire for the plus circuit and a corresponding thin electric wire for the minus circuit are twisted together so as to form a plurality of twisted pairs of the electric wires. The plurality of the twisted pairs of the electric wires are bundled up.
US07923625B2
A back metal electrode, a bottom cell using microcrystalline silicon for a photoelectric conversion layer, a front cell using amorphous silicon for a photoelectric conversion layer, and a transparent front electrode are formed in this order on a supporting substrate. At least one of the concentration of impurities contained in the front photoelectric conversion layer and the concentration of impurities contained in the bottom photoelectric conversion layer is controlled such that the concentration of impurities in the bottom photoelectric conversion layer is higher than the concentration of impurities in the front photoelectric conversion layer. Impurities do not include a p-type dopant or an n-type dopant but are any one, two, or all of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
US07923622B2
An initial positive trigger value is above a minimum positive trigger value which is above an input signal DC component value. An initial negative trigger value is under a maximum negative trigger value which is under the input signal DC component value. Maximum and minimum signal values are measured and then they are used for the next positive and negative trigger value calculations. A positive signal half period is measured by measuring the time interval from the time point when a signal value becomes greater than the positive trigger value, to a time point where the input signal becomes less than the negative trigger value when the negative half period measuring starts. The negative half period measuring ends when the input signal value becomes greater than the positive trigger value. Positive and negative half period measurements are repeated several times and measured half periods are stored to memory. The difference of two different half period sums must be less than a given small value to accept one of two sums as N signal periods.
US07923611B1
An inbred corn line, designated LIA03BM, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line LIA03BM, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line LIA03BM with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line LIA03BM with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line LIA03BM, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line LIA03BM and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods.
US07923609B1
A novel maize variety designated PHPCC and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PHPCC with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PHPCC 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 PHPCC or a trait conversion of PHPCC with another maize variety. Inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHPCC, methods for producing other inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHPCC and the inbred maize varieties and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07923607B2
The invention relates to the novel cotton variety designated 05Y070. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants, plant parts and derivatives of the cotton variety 05Y070. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the cotton variety 05Y070 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing cotton plants by crossing the cotton variety 05Y070 with itself or another cotton variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07923605B1
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated XB39V08. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety XB39V08, to the plants of soybean XB39V08 to plant parts of soybean variety XB39V08 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety XB39V08 with another soybean plant, using XB39V08 as either the male or the female parent.
US07923599B2
Compositions and methods for protecting a plant from a pathogen, particularly a fungal pathogen, are provided. Compositions include novel amino acid sequences, and variants and fragments thereof, for antipathogenic polypeptides that were isolated from microbial fermentation broths. Nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleotide sequences that encode the antipathogenic polypeptides of the invention are also provided. A method for inducing pathogen resistance in a plant using the nucleotide sequences disclosed herein is further provided. The method comprises introducing into a plant an expression cassette comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence that encodes an antipathogenic polypeptide of the invention. Compositions comprising an antipathogenic polypeptide or a transformed microorganism comprising a nucleic acid of the invention in combination with a carrier and methods of using these compositions to protect a plant from a pathogen are further provided. Transformed plants, plant cells, seeds, and microorganisms comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes an antipathogenic polypeptide of the invention, or variant or fragment thereof, are also disclosed.
US07923598B2
The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules which encode novel fatty acid hydroxylases. The invention also provides recombinant expression vectors including hydroxylase nucleic acid molecules, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced, and methods for the production of hydroxyl fatty acids such as 12-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoic acid (ricinoleic acid).
US07923597B2
A disposable absorbent article having a durable hydrophilic substantially liquid pervious core wrap surrounding a storage layer. The core wrap has a hydrophilicity boosting composition coated on a core wrap substrate. The hydrophilicity boosting composition includes a hydrophilicity boosting amount nanoparticles having a particle size of from about 1 nanometer to about 750 nanometers.
US07923594B2
An alkylation process, comprising providing an isoparaffin feed that comprises at least 20 wt % C5+, providing a hydrocarbon stream that comprises at least 20 wt % C5+ olefins, and contacting the isoparaffin feed and the hydrocarbon stream with an ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions wherein a middle distillate is produced. The middle distillate has less than 10 ppm sulfur and less than 3 wt % olefin. An alkylation process comprising contacting a naphtha with a low RON and a hydrocarbon stream comprising C5 olefins to an ionic liquid alkylation reactor under alkylation conditions, and recovering a middle distillate comprising less than 3 wt % olefin. A refinery process, comprising a hydrocracker that produces C5+ isoparaffin, a FC cracker that produces a hydrocarbon stream comprising a C5+ olefin, and an ionic liquid alkylation reactor that produces a high yield of middle distillate.
US07923593B2
A process for producing a middle distillate or a middle distillate blending component, comprising contacting a feed comprising an olefin, an isoparaffin, and less than 5 wt % oligomerized olefin, in an ionic liquid alkylation zone with an acidic haloaluminate ionic liquid, at alkylation conditions; and recovering an effluent comprising an alkylated product that has greater than 35 vol % C10+ and less than 1 vol % C55+. Also processes for producing a middle distillate by alkylating isobutane and butene in the presence of defined chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalysts, wherein a separating step separates the middle distillate and wherein the middle distillate is from 20 wt % or higher of the total alkylate product. Also a process for producing middle distillate with FC cracker feed comprising olefins. A separated middle distillate has greater than 30 vol % C10+, less than 1 vol % C55+, and a cloud point less than −50° C.
US07923592B2
The disclosed invention relates to a process for converting a feed composition comprising one or more hydrocarbons to a product comprising one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons, the process comprising: flowing the feed composition and steam in contact with each other in a microchannel reactor at a temperature in the range from about 200° C. to about 1200° C. to convert the feed composition to the product, the process being characterized by the absence of catalyst for converting the one or more hydrocarbons to one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons. Hydrogen and/or oxygen may be combined with the feed composition and steam.
US07923588B2
A C4-olefin mixture having a 1,3-butadiene content of from 100 to 500 ppm and a content of 1,2-dienes of less than 10 ppm is described. The present invention further provides a process for preparing this C4-olefin mixture and provides for its use in a metathesis reaction for preparing 2-pentene and/or 3-hexene.
US07923587B2
The present invention relates to macromonomer compounds possessing antioxidant properties, antioxidant polymers comprising the antioxidant macromonomers as a recurring unit, and methods of inhibiting oxidation in a substance comprising contacting the substance with the antioxidant polymers. In one embodiment, substantially all of the recurring macromonomeric units of the antioxidant polymers comprise an antioxidant moiety. In another embodiment, all of the recurring macromonomer units of the antioxidant polymers comprise an antioxidant moiety. The method of the present invention, yields antioxidant polymers with substantially all of the recurring units comprising an antioxidant moiety. These antioxidant polymers have greater bulk antioxidative properties than previously known.
US07923586B2
A method for preventing the degradation of a catalyst during storage of the catalyst and prior to using the catalyst in a chemical process comprising treating the catalyst with an antioxidant and storing the treated catalyst until further use. The stabilized treated catalyst may be used in a process for producing organic chemicals such as in a process for producing bisphenol A.
US07923584B2
A method of reacting a toluenesulfonyl-terminated polyoxyethylene compound having the formula CH3—C6H4—SO2—(O—CH2—CH2)n—O—R1 with an ammonium salt having the formula NR24X to form a compound having the formula X—CH2—CH2—(O—CH2—CH2)n-1—R3. The value n is a positive integer. X is a halogen, cyanide, cyanate, thiocyanate, or azide. R1 is a terminating group. Each R2 is hydrogen or an alkyl group. —R3 is —O—R1 or —X.
US07923583B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a method capable of producing a cycloalkanol and/or a cycloalkanone with a favorable selectivity coefficient by oxidizing a cycloalkane with a favorable conversion ratio.Disclosed is a method for producing a cycloalkanol and/or a cycloalkanone, which comprises oxidizing a cycloalkane with oxygen in the presence of a mesoporous silica which contains at least one transition metal and has been also subjected to contact treatment with an amine and/or ammonia. Preferably, a crystal obtained by mixing a compound containing the metal, a silicon compound, a structure-directing agent and water is subjected to contact treatment with an amine and/or ammonia and then fired to obtain a mesoporous silica, and a cycloalkane is oxidized with oxygen in the presence of the mesoporous silica.
US07923581B2
A process for producing a biarylphosphine compound is disclosed. The process has a step of subjecting a biarylsulfonate compound to coupling reaction with a hydrogen-phosphine compound in the presence of a catalyst and an organic strong base to obtain a biarylphosphine compound. As the catalyst, preferably used is a nickel compound or a palladium compound. As the organic strong base, preferably used is 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undecene-7 (DBU).
US07923580B2
A polymerizable boric compound for electrochemical devices represented by the formula (1), wherein, B represents a boron atom, Z represents a polymerizable functional group, X represents a divalent C1-12 hydrocarbon group or in the absence of X, Z and B form a direct bond, AO represents a C2-4 oxyalkylene group, m and n are each the number of moles of the oxyalkylene group added and each independently stands for 2 or greater but less than 6, and R1 and R2 each represents a C1-12 hydrocarbon group.
US07923579B2
The present invention relates to compounds and methods for inhibiting histone deacetylase enzymatic activity. The present invention also pertains to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds and compositions, both in vitro and in vivo, to inhibit histone deacetylases (IIDACs), and in the treatment of conditions mediated by HDAC, cancer, proliferative conditions, psoriasis, and also central nervous system diseases. It further deals with processes for preparing said compounds.
US07923576B2
The invention relates to tuned multifunctional linker molecules for charge transport through organic-inorganic composite structures. The problem underlying the present invention is to provide multifunctional linker molecules for tuning the conductivity in nanoparticle-linker assemblies which can be used in the formation of electronic networks and circuits and thin films of nanoparticles. The problem is solved according to the invention by providing a multifunctional linker molecule of the general structure CON1-FUNC1-X-FUNC2-CON2 in which X is the central body of the molecule, FUNC1 and FUNC2 independently of each other are molecular groups introducing a dipole moment and/or capable of forming intermolecular and/or intramolecular hydrogen bonding networks, and CON1 and CON2 independently of each other are molecular groups binding to nanostructured units comprising metal and semiconductor materials.
US07923575B2
The invention encompasses processes for the synthesis of (S)-(+)-3-(aminomethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid, (S)-Pregabalin, and intermediates of (S)-Pregabalin.
US07923560B2
The present invention provides immune response modifiers (IRMs) associated with (typically, attached to, and preferably, covalently attached to) macromolecular support materials. The IRM compounds in such IRM-support complexes retain biological activity. Such attachment of an IRM to a macromolecular support material provides for the localized biological activity of the IRM.
US07923557B2
Disclosed herein is a regioselective synthesis of compounds represented by formula (I): or a salt, solvate, clathrate, or prodrug thereof, wherein X, Y, R2, R3, R4, R7, R8, R9, R10, m and n are defined as within.
US07923556B2
Compounds having the formula (I), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and solvates thereof, are useful as kinase inhibitors, wherein: two of X1, X2, and X3 are N, and the remaining one of X1, X2, and X3 is —CR1; R1 is hydrogen or —CN; and N, G, Z, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are described in the specification. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds of formula (I), and methods of treating conditions associated with the activity of p38 kinase and/or conditions associated with the activity of LIM kinase.
US07923555B2
Compounds represented by Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, are inhibitors of mTOR and useful in the treatment of cancer.
US07923554B2
The present invention relates to HIV replication inhibitors of formula a N-oxide, a pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt, a quaternary amine or a stereochemically isomeric form thereof, wherein ring A and ring B represent phenyl, pyridyl, pyridazinyl, pyrimidinyl or pyrazinyl; n and m are 1 to 4; R1 represents hydrogen; aryl; formyl; C1-6alkylcarbonyl; C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl; optionally substituted C1-6alkyl; C1-6alkyloxyC1-6alkylcarbonyl substituted with C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl; R2 or R4 represents hydrogen; hydroxy; halo; optionally substituted C1-6alkyl; optionally substituted C2-6alkenyl; optionally substituted C2-6alkynyl; C3-7cycloalkyl; C1-6alkyloxy; C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl; C1-6alkylcarbonyloxy; carboxyl; cyano; nitro; amino; mono- or di(C1-6alkyl)amino; polyhaloC1-4alkyl; polyhaloC1-4alkyloxy; polyhaloC1-4alkylthio; —S(═O)pR6; —NH—S(═O)pR6; —C(═O)R6; —NHC(═O)H; —C(═O)NHNH2; NHC(═O)R6; C(═NH)R6; or R7; R2a or R3 represents cyano; aminocarbonyl; amino; halo; NHR13; NR13R14; —C(═O)—NHR13; —C(═O)—NR13R14; —C(═O)—R15; —CH═N—NH—C(═O)—R16; optionally substituted C1-6alkyl; optionally substituted C1-6alkyloxy; optionally substituted C1-6alkyloxyC1-6alkyl; optionally substituted C2-6alkenyl; optionally substituted C2-6alkynyl; —C(═N—O—R8)—C1-4alkyl; R7 or —X3—R7; X1 or X2 represents —NR1—; —NH—NH—; —N═N—; —O—; —C(═O)—; —C1-4alkanediyl-; —CHOH—; —S—; —S(═O)p—; —X4—C1-4alkanediyl-; —C1-4alkanediyl-X4—; or —C1-4alkanediyl-X4—C1-4alkanediyl-; their use as a medicine, their use for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment or the prevention of HIV infection; their processes for preparation and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.
US07923548B2
The present invention provides novel compositions and methods for use in the treatment of cancer, specifically, in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The compositions contain antisense oligonucleotides that hybridize to Grb2 and Crkl nucleic acids, the gene products of which are known to interact with the tumorigenic protein bcr-abl. Used alone, in conjunction with each other, and even in conjunction with antisense oligonucleotides directed to bcr-abl nucleic acids, these compositions inhibit the proliferation of CML cancer cells.
US07923540B2
The present invention is directed to 2-[[1-[[(2,3-dihydro-2-oxo-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl)amino]carbonyl]-2-oxo-propyl]azo]-benzoic acid (C.I. Pigment Yellow 151): (I), characterized by a ΔE* (black/white) in masstone below 22.0±0.7, a process for its preparation and its use for pigmenting macromolecular organic materials of natural or synthetic origin. The pigment has high opacity and high color strength.
US07923536B2
The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutical agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, which carrier comprises a protein, for example, human serum albumin and/or deferoxamine. The human serum albumin is present in an amount effective to reduce one or more side effects associated with administration of the pharmaceutical composition. The invention also provides methods for reducing one or more side effects of administration of the pharmaceutical composition, methods for inhibiting microbial growth and oxidation in the pharmaceutical composition, and methods for enhancing transport and binding of a pharmaceutical agent to a cell.
US07923532B2
Administering an effective dose of glutenase to a Celiac or dermatitis herpetiformis patient reduces levels of toxic gluten oligopeptides, thereby attenuating or eliminating the damaging effects of gluten.
US07923520B2
The present invention relates to high refractive index monomers according to formula (I) and (co)polymers comprising such high refractive index monomers. The 5 (co)polymers are highly suitable for the manufacture of optical articles, in particular flexible optical articles, more in particular intraocular lenses.
US07923513B2
The present invention provides coating compositions that include substantially non-irritating ethylenically unsaturated compounds and have one or more of the following properties: high performance, low VOC levels, substantially no formaldehyde content, and low irritation levels.
US07923510B2
Heat-activable adhesive sheet of an adhesive comprising a blend of at least three synthetic nitrile rubber compositions S1, S2 and S3, each of which comprises at least one synthetic nitrile rubber, and at least one reactive resin which is capable of crosslinking with itself, with other reactive resins and/or with the nitrile rubbers of synthetic rubber compositions S1, S2 and S3, in which a) the blend of the heat-activable sheet being microphase-separated, characterized by at least three different glass transition temperatures in a DSC, b) at least one of said glass transition temperatures being greater than 10° C. and at least one of said glass transition temperature lower than −20° C., c) the nitrile rubber or rubbers S1 having an acrylonitrile fraction of greater than/equal to 35%, d) the nitrile rubber or rubbers S2 having an acrylonitrile fraction of greater than 25% and less than 35%, e) the nitrile rubber S3 having an acrylonitrile fraction of less than/equal to 25%.
US07923505B2
High-viscosity elastomeric adhesive compositions including a high softening point tackifier resin in combination with a base polymer can be used to create elastomeric composite laminates having effective adhesion and elastic properties. The elastomeric adhesive compositions suitably have a viscosity between about 100,000 and about 500,000 cps at between about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius) and about 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Facing layers, such as nonwoven webs, films, elastic strands, fastening material, absorbent material, and the like, can be laminated to one or both surfaces of the elastomeric compositions to form elastomeric composite laminates. A method of making such compositions and laminates involves forming the compositions into elastomeric adhesive films and/or strands.
US07923502B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a polypropylene-based resin composition which is excellent in mechanical characteristics and molding processability, and is also capable of suppressing emission of a volatile organic compound.Disclosed is a polypropylene-based resin composition comprising a propylene-based block copolymer (A) which satisfies features (a), (b) and (c) shown below, and a zeolite (B) having a molar ratio SiO2/Al2O3 of 10 to 60 in an amount of 0.01 to 0.4 part by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the propylene-based block copolymer (A):Feature (a): the propylene-based block copolymer (A) is a propylene-based block copolymer containing a polymer component (I) and a polymer component (II);Feature (b): the polymer component (II) has a content of the units derived from at least one kind of comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and α-olefins having 4 to 12 carbon atoms of from 1 to 80% by weight; andFeature (c): the propylene-based block copolymer (A) has a content of the polymer component (II) of from 5 to 70% by weight.
US07923501B2
A polypropylene resin composition contains 2 to 15 wt % of a moldability improver (A) and 85 to 98 wt % of a polypropylene resin (B). The moldability improver (A) is formed of propylene block copolymers (A-1) and (A-2). Each of the propylene block copolymers (A-1) and (A-2) has a crystalline propylene polymer component (A-11), (A-21) and a propylene-ethylene random copolymer component (A-12), (A-22). The propylene block copolymer (A-1) is characterized in that the melt flow rate of the crystalline propylene polymer component (A-11) is high, whereas the propylene block copolymer (A-2) is characterized in that the content ratio of the propylene-ethylene random copolymer component (A-22) is high. The polypropylene resin (B) is formed of a propylene-ethylene block copolymer (B-1), at least one of an ethylene elastomer and a styrene elastomer (B-2) and an inorganic filler (B-3).
US07923495B2
The present invention relates to (1) particles of a polymer for ink-jet printing which contain a colorant, wherein the polymer is in the form of a mixture containing a rosin (A) and a vinyl polymer (B); (2) a water dispersion and a water-based ink for ink-jet printing which exhibit a less unevenness of colors and a high optical density; and (3) a process for producing the water dispersion.
US07923492B2
An inexpensive and durable polymer electrolyte composition exhibiting high ionic conductivity even in the absence of water or a solvent, characterized by comprising a molten salt and an aromatic polymer having a carbonyl bond and/or a sulfonyl bond in the main chain thereof and containing a cation exchange group. The aromatic polymer is preferably an aromatic polyether sulfone having a specific structural unit and containing a cation exchange group, an aromatic polyether ketone having a specific structural unit and containing a cation exchange group, or an aromatic polyether sulfone block copolymer and/or an aromatic polyether ketone block copolymer, the block copolymers comprising a hydrophilic segment containing a cation exchange group and a cation exchange group-free hydrophobic segment. The polymer electrolyte composition containing the block copolymer as an aromatic polymer exhibits high structural retention even in high temperatures.
US07923488B2
An epoxy composition for applications such as one-part adhesives, coatings, prepreg and molding compounds that includes leuco dyes, particularly those comprising a N,N-dialkylamino-, N,N-diarylamino-, N-alkyl-N-arylamino-, N-alkylamino- or N-arylamino- functional group on one of the aromatic rings, as a co- catalyst or co-curing agent. The use of the leuco dye co-catalyst provides improved curing speed of the epoxy composition comprising a latent curing agent/catalyst such as imidazole microcapsules while maintaining the shelf-life stability. The epoxy may also include a secondary co-catalyst that includes a urea, particularly those comprising a N,N-dialkylamino-, N,N-diarylamino-, N-alkyl-N-arylamino- or dicycloalkylamino- functional group. Secondary cocatalysts of low mobility at the storage conditions are particularly preferred. The improved epoxy composition is implemented as adhesives for manufacturing an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and also for connecting, encapsulating, or packaging of electronic devices.
US07923476B2
Method and apparatus for reducing CO2 in a stream by conversion to a syngas for production of energy
A system and method for reducing the CO2 in a gaseous stream, such as an exhaust stream, from a power plant or industrial plant, like a cement kiln, is disclosed. A preferred embodiment includes providing the gaseous stream to pyrolysis reactor along with a carbon source such as coke. The CO2 and carbon are heated to about 1330° C. and at about one atmosphere with reactants such as steam such that a reaction takes place that produces syngas, carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2). The Syngas is then cleaned and provided to a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor to produce Ethanol or Bio-catalytic synthesis reactor.
US07923473B2
Pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one compound of the formulas (Ia) or (Ib) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier wherein the symbols have the following meaning —X— is e.g. and Y being e.g. or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts can be applied to modulate the in-vitro and in-vivo binding processes mediated by E-, P- or L-selectin binding.
US07923470B2
The present invention is concerned with novel sulfonamides of formula I wherein R1, R2, Ar, Hetaryl, m and n are as described in the description and claims. The compounds are orexin receptor antagonists, useful in the treatment of disorders, in which orexin pathways are involved.
US07923466B2
Methods for the treatment of a patient suffering from a disease or disorder ameliorated by inhibition of casein kinase Iε activity comprising the administration of a compounds of formula (I) and formula (II) as inhibitors of human casein kinase Iε, and methods of using the compounds of formula (I) and formula (II) for treating central nervous system diseases and disorders including mood disorders and sleep disorders. The R-group substituents are defined herein and pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of formula (I) or formula (II) useful in the claimed methods of treatment are also disclosed.
US07923459B2
The present invention is directed to processes for the preparation of 4-(3-methanesulfonyl-phenyl)-1-N-propylpiperidine (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, which comprises: oxidizing a sulfide of the formula (II): with a catalytic oxidizing agent and an oxidant; to give a compound of the formula (III): followed by catalytic reduction of the compound of formula (III).
US07923457B2
The invention relates to compounds represented by Formula (I): and to pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates of said compounds, wherein each of A, R3-8, X3, X5, m, and n are defined herein. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds of Formula (I) and to methods of treating hyperproliferative disorders in a mammal by administering compounds of Formula (I).
US07923454B2
The present invention relates to opioid and opioid-like compounds, and pharmaceutical formulations containing the same and methods of use thereof. Uses of the present invention include, but are not limited to, use for the prevention and treatment of septic shock and other disorders. The compounds described herein can be water soluble and can act through mechanisms mediated through pathways other than opiate receptors.
US07923451B2
2-Aminopyrimidine compounds are described, which are useful as H4 receptor modulators. Such compounds may be used in pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the treatment of disease states, disorders, and conditions mediated by H4 receptor activity, such as allergy, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and pruritis.
US07923449B2
The invention relates to the use of benzimidazolone derivatives of formula (I) for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of premenstrual and other female sexual disorders.
US07923446B2
The present invention relates to biaryl sulfonamides and their use as, for example, metalloproteinase inhibitors.
US07923437B2
Glucosamine, N-acetylglucosamine and β-glucan compositions suitable for human or animal consumption or use are disclosed. The glucosamine, N-acetylglucosamine and β-glucan compositions are derived from fungal biomass containing chitin. Various methods of producing glucosamine, N-Acetylglucosamine and β-glucan compositions are also disclosed.
US07923432B2
The present invention relates to the design and composition of a depot implant for optimal delivery of growth factors to treat bone avascular necrosis, in that such depot implant is constructed to be in a cylinder (rod) or sphere shape and have a natural or synthetic polymer scaffold with or without impregnated calcium phosphate particles. The density of the depot is higher than a typical BMP sponge carrier to facilitate its implantation and slower release of the growth factor. The scaffold is such that it has adequate porosity and pore size to facilitate growth factor seeding and diffusion throughout the whole of the bone structure resulting in increased new blood vessel growth and density in the avascular necrotic bone. In addition, the shape of the depot implant allows for delivery through a cannula or large bore needle.
US07923417B2
A composition for treating a portion of a wellbore or a portion of a subterranean formation is provided, the composition comprising: (a) water; (b) a source of hydrogen peroxide, and (c) an activator for the source of hydrogen peroxide; wherein the pH of the composition is adjusted to be within an appropriate range for the type of activator. A method for treating a portion of a wellbore or a portion of a subterranean formation, the method comprising the steps of: forming or providing a composition comprising: (a) water; (b) a source of hydrogen peroxide, and (c) an activator for the source of hydrogen peroxide; wherein the pH of the composition is adjusted within an appropriate range for the type of activator; and introducing the composition through a wellbore to treat a portion of a wellbore or a portion of a subterranean formation. The activator can be a water-soluble alkanoyl-donor compound or a chelated transition metal. Preferably, the composition further comprises an iron chelating agent. The composition and method are adapted for breaking a viscosity increasing polymer, such as xanthan. The method has particular applications where the static temperature of the portion of the wellbore or the portion of the subterranean formation to be treated is less than 100° F. (38° C.).
US07923403B2
A new method for preparing a supported catalyst is herein provided. The supported catalyst comprises a carbon nanotube network structure containing metal catalysts. The metal catalyst may be loaded onto functionalized carbon nanotubes before forming the carbon nanotube network structure. Alternatively, the metal catalyst may be loaded onto the carbon nanotube network structures themselves.
US07923402B1
A method of producing a finely divided ruthenium-platinum alloy catalyst comprising: (i) forming a mixture of platinum β-diketone and ruthenium β-diketone on a carbon support, (ii) both, platinum β-diketone and ruthenium β-diketone having a decomposition temperature within 20° C. of each other, (iii) decomposing said platinum β-diketone and ruthenium β-diketone on a carbon support at a temperature of at least 260° C. in the absence of a reducing agent (iv) followed by a reduction effected with a hydrogen containing gas mixture and a method from oxidizing methanol.
US07923397B2
Sorbent for the dry cleaning of waste gases charged with mercury and process for the production thereof. The sorbent includes as an adsorptively acting constituent for example activated carbons or activated cokes which are mixed with sulfur in powder form at ambient temperature, under the action of atmospheric oxygen. The sorbent is distinguished by a given ratio in respect of the median values of the grain size of the adsorptively operative constituent to the sulfur.
US07923393B2
The present invention relates to a low melting point frit paste composition and a sealing method for an electric element using the same, and more particularly, to a low melting point frit paste composition which is sealable and appropriate for a flat panel, protects an element weak to heat and improves a process yield with good print properties, and a sealing method for an electric element using the same.
US07923388B2
Polyolefin fiber fabrics can be endowed with oil-repellent properties by treating them first in a plasma atmosphere to raise their surface tension, then with a polyorganosiloxane containing polyoxyalkylene groups and finally with a polyacrylate or polyurethane containing perfluoroalkyl radicals.The fabrics thus obtained are useful for medical as well as other applications.
US07923383B2
This invention relates to a method of treating a semiconductor wafer and in particular, but not exclusively, to planarisation. The method consists of depositing a liquid short-chain polymer formed from a silicon containing bas or vapour. Subsequently water and OH are removed and the layer is stabilised.
US07923376B1
The present invention provides high deposition rate PECVD methods for depositing TEOS films. The methods significantly reduce the number of particles in the TEOS films, thereby eliminating or minimizing defects. According to various embodiments, the methods involve adding a relatively small amount of helium gas to the process gas. The addition of helium significantly reduces the number of defects in the film, particularly for high deposition rate processes.
US07923371B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate in which a plurality of device regions and a plurality of device isolation regions are alternately formed to extend in a first direction; and a plurality of contact plugs formed on the semiconductor substrate, connected to the device regions and arranged on the semiconductor substrate in a zigzag pattern in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the contact plugs have a rectangular cross section.
US07923366B2
A new method is provided for the creation of interconnect lines. Fine line interconnects are provided in a first layer of dielectric overlying semiconductor circuits that have been created in or on the surface of a substrate. A layer of passivation is deposited over the layer of dielectric, a thick second layer of dielectric is created over the surface of the layer of passivation. Thick and wide interconnect lines are created in the thick second layer of dielectric. The first layer of dielectric may also be eliminated, creating the wide thick interconnect network on the surface of the layer of passivation that has been deposited over the surface of a substrate.
US07923354B2
Methods for depositing a microcrystalline silicon film layer with improved deposition rate and film quality are provided in the present invention. Also, a photovoltaic (PV) cell having a microcrystalline silicon film is provided. In one embodiment, the method produces a microcrystalline silicon film on a substrate at a deposition rate greater than about 20 nm per minute, wherein the microcrystalline silicon film has a crystallized volume between about 20 percent to about 80 percent.
US07923353B2
It is shown in the invention a method for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer structure with an active layer for impurity removal, which method comprises phases of depositing a first layer on a first wafer surface for providing an active layer, an optional phase of preparation for said first layer for next phase, growing thermal oxide layer on a second wafer, bonding said first and second wafers into a stack, annealing the stack for a crystalline formation in said thermal oxide layer as a second layer, and thinning said first wafer to a pre-determined thickness. The invention concerns also a wafer manufactured according to the method, chip that utilizes such a wafer structure and an electronic device utilizing such a chip.
US07923349B2
An electrically insulative conformal coating is applied at least to the active (front) side and one or more sidewalls of the die during wafer processing. Also, a die has an electrically insulative conformal coating applied to at least the active (front) side and sidewalls. Also, assemblies include a stack of such die, electrically interconnected die-to-die; and assemblies include such a die or a stack of such die, electrically interconnected to underlying circuitry (for example in a substrate or a circuit board).
US07923344B2
A method for fabricating a backside illuminated image sensor is provided. An exemplary method can include providing a substrate with a front surface and a back surface; forming a first alignment mark for global alignment on the front surface of the substrate; forming a second alignment mark for fine alignment in a clear-out region on the front surface of the substrate; aligning the substrate from the back surface using the first alignment mark; and removing a portion of the back surface of the substrate at the clear-out region for locating the second alignment mark.
US07923331B2
Method of fabricating recess channel transistor having locally thick dielectrics and related devices
Provided are a method of fabricating a recess channel transistor and a related semiconductor device. The method may include forming a first gate trench on a substrate, forming a dielectric spacer on a sidewall of the first gate trench, forming a second gate trench on the substrate under the first gate trench, and forming a gate electrode to fill the trenches. The dielectric spacer may remain between the gate electrode and the substrate.
US07923326B2
A split gate (flash) EEPROM cell and a method for manufacturing the same is disclosed, in which a control gate and a floating gate are formed in a vertical structure, to minimize a size of the cell, to obtain a high coupling ratio, and to lower a programming voltage. The split gate EEPROM cell includes a semiconductor substrate having a trench; a tunneling oxide layer at sidewalls of the trench; a floating gate, a dielectric layer and a control gate in sequence on the tunneling oxide layer; a buffer dielectric layer at sidewalls of the floating gate and the control gate; a source junction in the semiconductor substrate at the bottom surface of the trench; a source electrode in the trench between opposing buffer dielectric layers, electrically connected to the source junction; and a drain junction on the surface of the semiconductor substrate outside the trench.
US07923318B2
Methods and systems for fabricating an integrated BiFET using two separate growth procedures are disclosed. Performance of the method fabricates the FET portion of the BIFET in a first fabrication environment. Performance of the method fabricates the HBT portion of the BiFET in a second fabrication environment. By separating the fabrication of the FET portion and the HBT portion in two or more separate reactors, the optimum device performance can be achieved for both devices.
US07923316B2
In a method of forming a polysilicon film, a thin film transistor including a polysilicon film, and a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor including a polysilicon film, the thin film transistor includes a substrate, a first heat conduction film on the substrate, a second heat conduction film adjacent to the first heat conduction film, the second heat conduction film having a lower thermal conductivity than the first heat conduction film, a polysilicon film on the second heat conduction film and the first heat conduction film adjacent to the second heat conduction film, and a gate stack on the polysilicon film. The second heat conduction film may either be on the first heat conduction film or, alternatively, the first heat conduction film may be non-contiguous and the second heat conduction film may be interposed between portions of the non-contiguous first heat conduction film.
US07923306B2
Methods and systems selectively irradiate structures on or within a semiconductor substrate using a plurality of pulsed laser beams. The structures are arranged in a row extending in a generally lengthwise direction. The method generates a first pulsed laser beam that propagates along a first laser beam axis that intersects the semiconductor substrate and a second pulsed laser beam that propagates along a second laser beam axis that intersects the semiconductor substrate. The method directs respective first and second pulses from the first and second pulsed laser beams onto distinct first and second structures in the row. The method moves the first and second laser beam axes relative to the semiconductor substrate substantially in unison in a direction substantially parallel to the lengthwise direction of the row.
US07923304B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a substrate; forming a conductive pillar, having substantially parallel vertical sides, in direct contact with the substrate; mounting an integrated circuit to the substrate beside the conductive pillar; and encapsulating the integrated circuit with an encapsulation having a top surface formed for the conductive pillar to extend beyond.
US07923303B2
A method of resin sealing an electronic part, includes the steps of: providing a board where one or more of the electronic parts are mounted in an upper mold; melting a resin material received in a cavity forming part of a lower mold; and dipping the electronic part held by the upper mold into the molten resin so that the resin sealing is achieved. The resin material is received in the cavity forming part of the lower mold after the resin material is pressurized and dispersed in a sealing resin supply apparatus.
US07923289B2
A process for fabricating a semiconductor package which includes using an exothermically active nanoparticle paste to join an electrode of a semiconductor die to a support body.
US07923288B2
A thin film electro-luminescent device (TFEL) includes an active layer made of a direct bandgap semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, doped with exciton binding centers, such as aluminum, in small amounts, e.g. 0.001 at % to 30.0 at %. The exciton binding centers prevent free excitons, created by impact ionization, from diffusing toward and recombining at native defect centers. To provide a columnar structure, a polycrystalline seed layer is deposited first to provide a template, followed by the deposition of an overlying layer forming columns in accordance with the template.
US07923280B2
A method and apparatus for thermally processing a substrate is provided. A substrate is disposed within a processing chamber configured for thermal processing by directing electromagnetic energy toward a surface of the substrate. An energy blocker is provided to block at least a portion of the energy directed toward the substrate. The blocker prevents damage to the substrate from thermal stresses as the incident energy approaches an edge of the substrate.
US07923279B2
Provided is a method of fabricating an image sensor device. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a back side, forming a first isolation structure at the front side of the semiconductor substrate, thinning the semiconductor substrate from the back side, and forming a second isolation structure at the back side of the semiconductor substrate. The first and second isolation structures are shifted with respect to each other.
US07923274B2
Method for fabricating thin film transistor array substrate and thin film transistor array substrate
After forming a gate electrode (4a) in a first step, a gate insulating film (5), a semiconductor film (8) and a conducting film (12) including a transparent conducting film (9) are stacked, and on the thus obtained multilayered body (18), a resist pattern (13a) including a first opening (14a) for exposing the conducting film (12) therein and a second opening (14b) having a bottom portion (B) above the gate electrode (4a) is formed. Portions of the conducting film (12) and the semiconductor film (8) exposed in the first opening (14a) are etched, the bottom portion (B) of the second opening (14b) is removed for exposing the conducting film (12) therein, and the exposed conducting film (12) is etched, so as to form a TFT (20) in a second step. A pixel electrode (5a), a protection masking layer (17a) and a projection (17b) are formed in a third step.
US07923272B2
A method of forming the resin cover lens of LED assembly uses transparent materials, such as plastics, PP (Polypropylene), PET (Polyethylene teraphthalate), PC (Polycarbonate), PE (Polyethylene) or glass to produce the mold for making lens; and uses liquid transparent resin that can be quickly cured under EB (electron-beam) radiation, such as PU (Polyurethane), epoxy, silicon, acrylic resin or its copolymer et al., or the above resin added with photo initiator and curable under UV radiation; and fills in the mold cavity with the resin; and selects EB or UV to cure the liquid transparent resin inside the cavity to form lens. The new process in the invention is to reduce the curing time for making lens that helps LED assembly achieve high throughput rate and mass production.
US07923268B2
A method of measuring a resistivity of a sidewall of a contact hole formed in a semiconductor device, wherein said semiconductor device includes a first electrode formed on a substrate; a second electrode formed on the first electrode with an insulating film in between; a resist pattern formed on the first electrode and the second electrode; a contact hole formed in the first electrode and the second electrode; and an organic film deposited on the sidewall of the contact hole, includes the steps of: placing a probe needle on the first electrode and the second electrode so that the probe needle contacts with the first electrode and the second electrode several times; establishing electrical conductivity of the probe needle relative to the first electrode and the second electrode; and measuring the resistivity of the organic film between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US07923260B2
Microparticles 8 includes an optical substrate 10 having at least one diffraction grating 12 disposed therein. The grating 12 having a plurality of colocated pitches Λ which represent a unique identification digital code that is detected when illuminated by incident light 24. The incident light 24 may be directed transversely from the side of the substrate 10 with a narrow band (single wavelength) or multiple wavelength source, in which case the code is represented by a spatial distribution of light or a wavelength spectrum, respectively. The code may be digital binary or may be other numerical bases. The micro-particles 8 can provide a large number of unique codes, e.g., greater than 67 million codes, and can withstand harsh environments. The micro-particles 8 are functionalized by coating them with a material/substance of interest, which are then used to perform multiplexed experiments involving chemical processes, e.g., DNA testing and combinatorial chemistry.
US07923255B2
A method of detecting platelet thrombosis or organ failure in a patient suffering from disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), comprising analyzing a von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease and/or a cleaving factor thereof, is disclosed. A kit for detecting platelet thrombosis or organ failure in a patient suffering from DIC or SIRS, comprising an antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to a von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease, and/or an antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to a cleaving factor of the von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease, is disclosed.
US07923253B2
A method and system for classifying subject populations utilizing predictive and diagnostic biomarkers for type I diabetes mellitus. The method including determining the levels of a variety of markers within the serum or plasma of a target organism and correlating this level to general populations as a screen for predisposition or progressive monitoring of disease presence or predisposition.
US07923244B2
To obtain an artificial cartilage tissue having high strength and biocompatibility. There is provided an artificial cartilage tissue which is substantially free of heterologous protein and is substantially free of scaffold derived from non-cartilage-derived cells, but contains mammalian cartilage-derived cells and an extracellular matrix formed by the cartilage-derived cells, where: (1) the water retention per mg of tissue dry weight is 17.8 mg or less; (2) collagen of 5.57 μg or more per mg of tissue wet weight is contained; (3) proteoglycan of 9.22 μg or more per mg of tissue wet weight is contained.
US07923243B2
This invention relates to compositions and methods for selective expression of a heterologous nucleic acid sequence in a targeted tissue, and more particularly to the glucose regulated protein 78 (grp78) stress-responsive promoter and its use in gene therapy and the production of transgenic animals.
US07923240B2
The application relates to a device and method for performing analyte detection, especially biomolecule detection. The device and method combine photo-induced charge separation in label materials and field effect transistors as sensors, resulting in more sensitive, specific and/or selective detections of biomolecules in multiplex assays, such as immunoassays and DNA microarray assays. The embodiments of the invention also encompass a device and method that comprise an array of electrical sensors, such as field effect transistors, and binding complexes for simultaneous multiplex detection of analytes.
US07923237B2
Described are devices and methods for detecting binding on an electrode surface. In addition, devices and methods for electrochemically synthesizing polymers and devices and methods for synthesizing and detecting binding to the polymer on a common integrated device surface are described.
US07923235B2
Described herein are novel gene sequences isolated from Trichoderma reesei. Two genes encoding proteins comprising a cellulose binding domain, one encoding an arabionfuranosidase and one encoding an acetylxylanesterase are described. The sequences, CIP1 and CIP2, contain a cellulose binding domain. These proteins are especially useful in the textile and detergent industry and in pulp and paper industry.
US07923231B2
A method is disclosed for increasing the specific activity of myo-inositol oxygenase. The method includes incubating a mixture including myo-inositol oxygenase and a non-sulfur containing reductant under conditions effective to increase the specific activity of the myo-inositol oxygenase. Also disclosed are methods for producing D-glucuronic acid and glucurono-γ-lactone comprising incubating a mixture including myo-inositol, myo-inositol oxygenase, and oxygen under conditions effective to form 5 grams D-glucuronic acid per liter of the mixture to 400 grams D-glucuronic acid per liter of the mixture. Glucurono-γ-lactone can be produced from the D-glucuronic acid product. Also disclosed are organisms and nucleic acids suitable for use in such methods.
US07923222B2
This invention provides a series of recombinant Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum glucose isomerases with improved catalytic activity and thermostability obtained by using recombinant techniques. These recombinant glucose isomerases comprise amino acid variation including phenylalanine (Phe) at position 139, alanine (Ala) at position 182, serine (Ser) at position 187, and glutamine (Gin) at position 299, and carry at least one additional mutated amino acid at position 87, position 217, position 260 or position 276, and possess a higher catalytic activity than that of the wild-type when using D-glucose as substrate. These recombinant glucose isomerases can be used for direct production of high fructose corn syrup containing 55% [wt] or higher concentration of fructose.
US07923219B2
The present invention provides a native or reconstituted complex comprising Bmi1 and/or Ring1 and/or Ring2, wherein the complex has ubiquitin E3 ligase activity. Optionally, the complex further comprises HPH2 and/or HPC3. Also disclosed are methods of producing the reconstituted complex, methods of identifying compounds that modulate the ubiquitin E3 ligase activity of the native or reconstituted complex, and methods of identifying candidate compounds for treating cancer. Kits for determining modulation of protein ubiquitination and/or for ubiquitinating a target substrate are further provided.
US07923214B2
Assay methods are disclosed involving specific binding reactions which are simplified compared to known methods. A compound capable of producing chemiluminescence is immobilized on a solid support as is a member of a specific binding pair for capturing an analyte from a sample. An activator compound that activates the chemiluminescent compound and is conjugated to a specific binding pair member is added in excess along with the sample to the solid support. Addition of a trigger solution causes a chemiluminescent reaction at the sites where the activator conjugate has been specifically bound. The assay methods are termed non-separation assays because they do not require removal or separation of excess detection label (activator conjugate) prior to the detection step. The methods are applicable to various types of assays including immunoassays, receptor-ligand assays and nucleic acid hybridization assays.
US07923210B2
The present invention provides methods, diagnostic assays, and diagnostic kits based on said methods, to determine levels of immunosuppressive complexes containing immunosuppressive drugs tacrolimus, sirolimus and cyclosporine A separately and in combination, formed in the blood of a drug-treated patient or in a patient candidate to immunosuppressive drug therapy. These methods, assays and kits are especially useful when using automated systems.
US07923196B2
A positive resist composition comprising (A) a resin which contains all of the repeating units represented by formulae (I) to (III), and becomes soluble in an alkali developer by the action of an acid, and (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation; and a pattern forming method using the composition. A represents a group capable of decomposing and leaving by the action of an acid, each R1 independently represents hydrogen or a methyl group, R2 represents a phenyl group or a cyclohexyl group, m represents 1 or 2, and n represents an integer of 0 to 2. By virtue of this construction, a resist composition ensuring high resolution, good pattern profile, sufficient depth of focus, little defects after development, and sufficiently high plasma etching resistance is provided.
US07923184B2
The present invention is an electrophotographic photoconductor having a photosensitive layer on a conductive substrate. The photosensitive layer contains trimellitimide esters additives.
US07923182B2
The field of this disclosure is making three-dimensional topographic structures by means of graduated exposure in a photosensitive material, such as a photoresist, photosensitive polymide, or similar. Such patterns may be written either to be used directly as optical, mechanical, fluidic, etc. components, e.g. diffusors, non-reflecting surfaces, Fresnel lenses and Fresnel prisms, computer-generated holograms, lenslet arrays, etc, or to be used as masters for the fabrication of such components by replication. Replication can be done by molding, pressing, embossing, electroplating, etching, as known in the art. This disclosure includes descriptions of using passive absorbing components in thin resist, using high gamma thick resists with high resolution pattern generators, using multiple focal planes including at least one focal plane in the bottom half of the resist, and iterative simulation of patterning and adjustment of an exposure map.
US07923170B2
The degree of freedom in the shape of channels in a separator is increased, enabling an optimum gas channel to be designed, enabling a sufficient supply of gas below gas channel ribs, and improving cell performance through the reduction in diffusion polarization. Drainage property is also improved and flooding is prevented, thereby reducing diffusion polarization and improving cell performance. Cell performance is also improved through the reduction of contact resistance. A fuel cell separator comprises a separator substrate on which gas channel ribs are formed through vapor-phase growth of a carbon-based porous material with a nanosize structure. An electrode structure for a fuel cell, methods of manufacturing the separator and the fuel cell, and a solid polymer fuel cell comprising the electrode structure.
US07923164B2
A solid polymer fuel cell includes an electrode-electrolyte membrane coupling structure 3 configured to generate electric power through a chemical reaction between a fuel aqueous solution and an oxidant; a hydrophilic membrane 17 made of a hydrophilic material; and a repellent porous membrane 18 made of a repellent material. The repellent porous membrane 18 is arranged between the electrode-electrolyte membrane coupling structure 3 and the hydrophilic membrane 17. The fuel aqueous solution is supplied through the hydrophilic membrane 17 and the repellent porous membrane 18 to the electrode-electrolyte membrane coupling structure 3. At this time, the solid polymer fuel cell 10 can prevent the fuel from being excessively permeated, even though using the fuel aqueous solution of the high concentration. Also, the solid polymer fuel cell can prevent a lack of the water on the anode 6 and the increase in the crossover of the fuel to the cathode 7, and can suppress the property deterioration and can obtain the sufficient electric generation property.
US07923163B2
The present invention relates to the structure of a bipolar plate for direction methanol fuel cell, the shape of a flow path and a fuel cell including them, more particularly, to the structure of a bipolar plate for direct methanol fuel cell using a flow path with a dispersion structure not the existing serpentine type for supplying a fuel to the new bipolar plate and functioning as a collector and the shape of a flow path. According to the present invention, a fluid flow resistance is decreased and a direct reaction region of a fluid and an electrode catalyst is increased in a bipolar plate, and therefore the performance of a fuel Cell can be improved.
US07923158B2
A fuel cell system capable of preventing reaction efficiency from being reduced although, the activity of an oxidation catalyst bed is deteriorated due to continuous operation. The fuel cell system includes a reformer which generates a fuel gas through a reforming reaction, a carbon monoxide purifier which includes a reactor main body having an inlet into which a reformed fuel gas is introduced and an outlet through which a purified fuel gas is discharged, and an oxidation catalyst bed that is filled in the reactor main body, and reduces a concentration of carbon monoxide contained in the fuel gas generated from the reformer, at least one electricity generator which is supplied with the fuel gas from the carbon monoxide purifier, and which generates electricity by means of a chemical reaction, and a catalyst supply which generates catalyst particles from material and supplying the catalyst particles to the oxidation catalyst bed.
US07923150B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material that comprises a lithium-containing manganese oxide, and the negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material that comprises silicon and a transition metal element. When the battery voltage is 0 V, the positive electrode and the negative electrode have a potential of 1.8 V or higher relative to lithium metal (Li/Li+). Since the deterioration of the positive and negative electrode active materials is suppressed, this non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has both high capacity and excellent deep discharge cycle life.
US07923128B2
The invention provides an organic electroluminescent device having at least a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting material and a host material, a hole injection-promoting layer, and a hole-transporting layer containing a hole-transporting material in this order between a pair of electrodes, in which the hole injection-promoting layer contains a hole-transporting material and has a thickness of 0.1 nm to 0.3 nm, and the relationship Ip1
US07923113B2
The invention relates to a multi-layer coating system comprising at least one layer a) comprising a coating composition a) comprising at—least one isocyanate-functional compound and at least one thiol-functional compound, and—at least one layer b) comprising an aqueous coating composition b), wherein at least one layer a) and at least one layer b) have at least one common layer boundary, and wherein coating composition b) comprises at least 17 mmol/kg, calculated on the weight of coating composition b), of a catalyst for the addition reaction of the at least one thiol-functional compound and the at least one isocyanate-functional compound.
US07923109B2
An inorganic nanowire having an organic scaffold substantially removed from the inorganic nanowire, the inorganic nanowire consisting essentially of fused inorganic nanoparticles substantially free of the organic scaffold, and methods of making same. For example, a virus-based scaffold for the synthesis of single crystal ZnS, CdS and free-standing L10 CoPt and FePt nanowires can be used, with the means of modifying substrate specificity through standard biological methods. Peptides can be selected through an evolutionary screening process that exhibit control of composition, size, and phase during nanoparticle nucleation have been expressed on the highly ordered filamentous capsid of the M13 bacteriophage. The incorporation of specific, nucleating peptides into the generic scaffold of the M13 coat structure can provide a viable template for the directed synthesis of a variety of materials including semiconducting and magnetic materials. Removal of the viral template via annealing can promote oriented aggregation-based crystal growth, forming individual crystalline nanowires. The unique ability to interchange substrate specific peptides into the linear self-assembled filamentous construct of the M13 virus introduces a material tunability not seen in previous synthetic routes. Therefore, this system provides a genetic tool kit for growing and organizing nanowires from various materials including semiconducting and magnetic materials.
US07923107B2
Built-up roofing surfacing sheets that include a white, resin coated aluminum foil adhered to one side of an asphalt-impregnated fiberglass mat and sand adhered to the other side of the asphalt-impregnated fiberglass mat, the surfacing sheet being compliant with the requirements of California Code of Regulations, Title 24 in effect as of Sep. 11, 2006, and methods of manufacturing the built-up roofing surfacing sheets.
US07923104B2
Methods for reducing the density of thermoplastic materials and the articles made therefrom having similar or improved mechanical properties to the solid or noncellular material. Also disclosed are improvements to foaming methods and the cellular structures of the foams made therefrom, and methods for altering the impact strength of solid or noncellular thermoplastic materials and the shaping of the materials into useful articles.
US07923103B2
A composite material having a high thermal conductivity and a small thermal expansion coefficient, which is obtained by impregnating a porous graphitized extrudate with a metal; the composite material having such anisotropy that the thermal conductivity and the thermal expansion coefficient are 250 W/mK a more and less than 4×10−6/K, respectively, in an extrusion direction; and that the thermal conductivity and the thermal expansion coefficient are 150 W/mK or more and 10×10−6/K or less, respectively, in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction.
US07923097B2
The invention relates to a security element for security papers, documents of value and the like having a thin-layer element (12) with color shift effect, which has a reflection layer (14), an absorber layer (18) and a spacer layer (16) disposed between reflection layer (14) and absorber layer (18). According to the invention the spacer layer (16) is formed by a printed layer having dispersion particles (20) with monomodal or oligomodal size distribution.
US07923096B2
An impulse-absorbing structural component, particularly for an aircraft, has an impulse-absorbing layer and a covering layer applied thereto. The impulse-absorbing layer is made of a material that has a higher capacity for elongation at its breaking point than does the covering layer, and has a regular pattern of elevations and depressions. If a mass impacts on the covering layer, an intercept bag forms in the impulse-absorbing layer, and absorbs the kinetic energy of the mass. Viewed in the direction of the spread of the intercept bag, the structural component has structure beyond the impulse-absorbing layer, such that the formation of the intercept bag can take place without further interaction with the structural component.
US07923093B2
Cordierite ceramic articles with high volume percent porosities of at least 64% but less than 80% have controlled median pore sizes and mean coefficients of thermal expansion that impart substantially improved modulus of rupture strengths (MOR) and thermal shock resistance (TSR) to the ceramic articles.
US07923091B2
An indole compound represented by general formula (I): wherein R1 and R2 each represent a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms or a substituent represented by general formula (II); R3 and R4 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms; R5, R6, R7, and R8 each represent a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, a cyano group, NHR or NR′R″; R, R′, and R″ each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or R′ and R″ are taken together to form a ring; R5 and R6, R6 and R7, or R7 and R8 may be taken together to form a ring; Anq− represents a q-valent anion; q represents 1 or 2; and p represents a coefficient necessary to maintain charge neutrality.
US07923086B2
An exemplary housing includes a main body, and a plurality of coatings formed on the main body. The coatings include a plating layer, an outer layer, and an adhesive layer. The plating layer is coated on the main body. The adhesive layer is sandwiched between the plating layer and the outer layer. Surface treating methods for making present housing are also provided.
US07923084B2
An intermediate transfer member for use in an image forming apparatus in which a toner image is formed on a photoreceptor, firstly transferred from the photoreceptor to the intermediate transfer member, and further secondly transferred from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium, the intermediate transfer member, includes an intermediate transfer belt containing a volatile substance in a range of from 10 to 10,000 ppm as an average concentration of an entire intermediate transfer belt thereof.
US07923077B2
Production of nanotubes of carbon or of other inorganic material by moving a carbon-containing substrate, such as a tape or belt of carbon fibers, within a reaction chamber either though an electric arc in a gap between two electrodes or adjacent an electrode so that an electric arc exists between the electrode and the substrate, to cause the nanotubes to form on the substrate. The method enables the continuous or semi-continuous production of nanotubes. Preferably, the process is carried out at atmospheric pressure and nanotubes of high purity are produced.
US07923076B2
A plasma deposition apparatus is provided. The plasma deposition apparatus comprises a chamber. A pedestal is placed in the chamber. A plasma generator is placed in the chamber and over the pedestal. The plasma generator comprises a plasma jet for plasma thin film deposition having a discharge direction angle θ1 of 0° to 90° between a normal direction of the pedestal and the discharge direction of the plasma jet. A gas-extracting apparatus is placed in the chamber and over the pedestal. The gas-extracting apparatus comprises a gas-extracting pipe providing a pumping path for particles and side-products having a pumping direction angle θ2 of 0° to 90° between the normal direction of the pedestal and the pumping direction of the gas-extracting pipe.
US07923072B2
A method for the formation of regular-shaped silver crystals through a wet chemical reaction (Tollen's reaction) is presented. The growth of the Ag crystals (size, morphology and aggregation) can be controlled via adjusting reaction conditions such as temperature and reducing agent concentrations before and during the reactions. The smaller Ag crystals (50-200 nm) were generated under the condition of limited reductive reagent (glucose), and the larger sliver crystals (˜5 μm) were the aggregated silver nano-particles (100-200 nm) produced at higher reducing agent concentrations. Most of the larger crystals were in the shape of cube or rectangular cube, and rarely, they were in clusters. The smaller crystals (aggregation of Ag atoms) were shaped in cube or/and cone, and both single crystals and clusters were formed. The presence of impurity (TiO2 nano-particles, 25-50 nm) as crystal seeds enables the 3-D growth of large, irregular-shaped Ag clusters (˜5 μm).
US07923061B2
A method of manufacturing safety cones from recycled materials is disclosed. Recycled materials are disposed into a molding machine, which turns them into safety cone molds. A dye containing plastic powders, solvent, and colors is coated on the surface of the safety cone mold, rendering a colored safety cone. Therefore, the production cost can be reduced, and the color can stay longer.
US07923057B2
Methods, apparatus and systems are disclosed for printing color filters for flat panel displays and avoiding mura effects by depositing a plurality of ink drops on a substrate within a column of pixel wells and intentionally varying the size and/or the relative lateral position of the ink drops deposited in the pixel wells. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.
US07923055B2
A method of manufacturing a drug delivery system uses gas cluster ion beam irradiation on an outer surface of a member to determine one or more characteristics of the drug delivery system.
US07923051B2
Method for the manufacturing of a soy protein-based preparation comprising hydration of soy proteins and thickener agent in two different recipients which are combined and homogenized with subsequent acidification, and soy protein-based preparations obtained by said method, and use of said preparations to be introduced in acidic products.
US07923049B2
Described is to a process for augmenting, enhancing, modifying, or imparting a berry or citrus aroma or taste to a foodstuff or a beverage comprising the step of adding to a foodstuff or a beverage an aroma or taste augmenting, enhancing, modifying, or imparting quantity of at least an oxo-terpene carbinol, a carbinyl C1-C6 alkanoate, or a C4-C6 alkenoate.
US07923035B2
The humidity-dependent antibacterial powdery composition comprises a volatile oily antibacterial substance contained in a high ratio and a water-soluble film forming agent and the behavior of release of the antibacterial substance is changed depending on humidity. The process for producing the same is characterized in that a water-soluble film forming agent optionally together with a powder vehicle is dissolved and/or dispersed in water, subsequently a volatile oily antibacterial substance optionally together with an emulsifying agent is added to the solution and emulsified, and thereafter the obtained emulsion is spray dried into powder. The humidity-dependent antibacterial food storing article is characterized by carrying the humidity-dependent antibacterial powdery composition. The method of storing food is characterized in that the volatile oily antibacterial substance is released from the humidity-dependent antibacterial food storing article toward food lying in an atmosphere of 70% or higher humidity.
US07923034B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a solvent which is able to produce microparticles where content of the drug is still high and no initial burst takes place even when a drug having a low solubility in a halogenated hydrocarbon solvent is used. The present invention provides a process for production by a solvent-evaporation microencapsulation method, of microparticles which are composed of biodegradable polymer and contain a drug having a low solubility in a halogenated hydrocarbon, which is characterized in that the drug and the biodegradable polymer are dissolved in a mixed solvent comprising a first solvent: halogenated hydrocarbon, and a second solvent: a water-immiscible organic solvent in which solubility of the above-mentioned drug is 0.3% (w/v) or more.
US07923031B2
The present invention is directed to a powder delivery system containing a composition comprising gelatin or collagen powder having a mean particle size of at least 10 μm. The gelatin or collagen powder is typically in dry form, i.e. no liquid components and/or propellants are added to the composition. The present invention is also directed to an improved powder delivery system which contains a protective structure, such as a skirt, located close to the orifice of the delivery system. In a further aspect, the present invention is directed to gelatin- or collagen-based compositions useful in hemostatic applications. In a further aspect of the invention the powder delivery system comprises gelatin or collagen powder in a dry form ready to use. Further the powder delivery system in a dry form might comprise an agent incompatible with moisture and/or water.
US07923022B2
An implantable medical device is disclosed comprising: a structural element, wherein the structural element includes: a continuous phase comprising a first polymer of LPLG; a discrete phase within the continuous phase, wherein the discrete phase comprises a second polymer including rapidly eroding elastic discrete phase segments. The second polymer further includes anchor segments that have the same or substantially the same chemical make up as the first polymer of the continuous phase, and at least some of the anchor segments have partially or completely phase-separated from the discrete phase into the continuous phase.
US07923020B2
Composites that include a ceramic substance disposed in a polymeric material and associated methods for making the same.
US07923019B2
Antibiotic/s containing bone substitute material is described which is characterized in that it is composed of a compacted mixture of granules of calcium sulfate dihydrate, calcium carbonate and at least one representative of the aminoglycoside antibiotics, lincosamide antibiotics, glycopeptide antibiotics, macrolide antibiotics, ketolide antibiotics, the nitroimidazoles, the fluorochinolone antibiotics and the oxazolidinone antibiotics, the steroid antibiotics, the antiseptic agents and the fungicidal/fungistatic antibiotics which are partly or entirely sheathed with a layer of glycerol tripalmitate and/or glycerol tristearate and/or glycerol trilaurate and/or 1-hexadecyl alcohol which connects the granules with each other.
US07923013B2
This invention relates to immunogenic compounds which serve as ligands for NKT (natural killer T) cells and to methods of use thereof in modulating immune responses.
US07922998B2
New and improved compounds for use in diagnostic imaging or therapy having the formula M-N—O—P-G, wherein M is a metal chelator having the structure: wherein R1-R5 and FG are as defined herein (in the form complexed with a metal radionuclide or not), N—O—P is the linker containing at least one non-alpha amino acid with a cyclic group, at least one substituted bile acid or at least one non-alpha amino acid, and G is the GRP receptor targeting peptide. In the preferred embodiment, M is an Aazta metal chelator or a derivative thereof. Methods for imaging a patient and/or providing radiotherapy or phototherapy to a patient using the compounds of the invention are also provided. Methods and kits for preparing a diagnostic imaging agent from the compound is further provided. Methods and kits for preparing a radiotherapeutic agent are further provided.
US07922981B2
Apparatus for intensifying heterogeneous chemical reactions is described. For the case of liquid-liquid reactions, with drops of a reactant distributed throughout the second continuous reactant, the physical phenomena of drop dispersion (break up) and drop coalescence are identified as the main physical steps affecting reaction rates. A basic flow cell structure is described in which the respective actions of dispersion and coalescence can be greatly intensified through the creation of enhanced body forces and shear flow zones. The basic cell structure can be arranged into pipe flow reactors to suit any production or process requirements. The basic cell structure is equally applicable to gas-liquid reactions with drops of one reactant being conveyed by a moving gas stream.
US07922974B2
A handheld device for analyzing a sample for a medically significant component may comprise an analysis sensor to which an analytic consumable may be supplied along a conveyance path, a drivable conveyance roll configured to grip the analytic consumable protruding into the conveyance path, a motor configure to drive the drivable conveyance roll, and a housing containing the analysis sensor, the drivable conveyance roll and the motor.
US07922959B2
A method of making a composite filter media includes, in an exemplary embodiment, forming a nonwoven fabric mat that includes a plurality of synthetic fibers by a spunbond process, and calendering the nonwoven fabric mat with embossing calender rolls to form a bond area pattern comprising a plurality of substantially parallel discontinuous lines of bond area to bond the synthetic fibers together to form a nonwoven fabric, the nonwoven fabric having a filtration efficiency of about 35% to less than 50%, measured in accordance with EN 1822 (1998) test procedure. The method also includes applying a nanofiber layer by electro-blown spinning a polymer solution to form a plurality of nanofibers on at least one side of the nonwoven fabric mat to form the composite filter media, the composite filter media having a minimum filtration efficiency of about 70%, measured in accordance with EN 1822 (1998) test procedure.
US07922957B2
A method of making an aircraft component is provided, wherein the method comprises the steps of:providing a mould (1) for the receipt of a material (3) from which the aircraft component is to be made providing the mould with said material providing an intensification tool (14) in spaced relationship to the mould and heating the material, tool and mould so that the tool expands and applies pressure to the material and so as to form the component andwherein the linear coefficient of thermal expansion of the tool in a first direction is matched to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the component in the first direction, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the tool in a second direction is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the component in the second direction, the tool being provided with at least one contacting surface for contacting the material and through which pressure is applied to the material, the expansion of the tool in the second direction causing the at least one contacting surface to contact, and exert pressure on, the material.
US07922949B2
The invention concerns a process for the production of hollow bodies of thermoplastic material, in particular a process for the production of fuel tanks of plastic material. In the process according to the invention preforms in web or band form of plasticised plastic material are shaped in a multi-part tool forming a mould cavity by expansion of the preforms and causing them to bear against the internal contour of the mould cavity. The process firstly includes the production of two mutually complementary intermediate products in the form of shell portions. Then respective built-in fitment components are secured to the respective insides of the shell portions, which face towards each other in the installation position, wherein at least some built-in fitment components of mutually complementary shell portions are respectively of mutually complementary configuration, in the sense that they can be joined to provide an assembled component or to provide a functional unit. The shell portions are assembled in such a way that the mutually complementary built-in fitment components engage into each other and/or come into operative connecting relationship with each other.
US07922947B2
A solvent and TAC particles are continuously supplied to a disperser. When the shearing of the solvent and the particles are made in a shearing section, the particles are dispersed in the solvent. The dispersion is fed to a mixer in one minute. The shearing of the dispersion is made in the mixer, the particles are swollen in the solvent in one minute. Since the shearing and the continuous feed of the swelling solution is made, the aggregation does not occur. There are no undissolved aggregates in a dope, which is obtained from the swelling solution. A film produced from the dope has no defects of luminescent spot but excellent optical properties.
US07922944B2
A method for forming a foam product comprises forming a skin and inserting a bracket at least partially into the skin. Another method for manufacturing a foam product comprises sealing a tube of material in a cavity of a mold, blowing air into the tube of material to form a skin comprising an interior surrounded by a wall, cutting an incision in the skin wall, inserting a bracket through the incision and into the skin interior, filling the skin interior with foam, and curing the foam.A foam product comprises a skin with an interior surrounded by a wall, a bracket within the skin interior, a foam substantially filling the skin interior and securing the bracket in place, a recessed region configured to mate with a mounting assembly on a chair, and an incision in the skin wall, the incision positioned outside of the recessed region.
US07922942B2
A method and apparatus for coating lenses within an injection molding machine having a concave optical insert with a perimeter edge that meets the receiver ring in an annular contact region. A channel is formed throughout the annular contact region. When molding a lens with the apparatus, and according to the method, a closed-loop coating containment lip is formed by the channel. After the lens has solidified and the mold is opened, a predetermined volume of coating solution is applied and the mold is re-clamped. A uniformly thin layer of coating is cured on to the convex lens surface by avoiding coating run off and preventing mold contamination.
US07922940B2
This invention relates to the synthesis and isolation of colloidal silver particles through the use of thermomorphic polymers and the resulting composition. It further relates to the use of the resulting composition in the preparation of inks for printing with silver-containing inks.
US07922938B2
A process for producing a fine silver particle colloidal dispersion the fine silver particles of which have a larger average particle diameter than those in the conventional Carey-Lea process and also which has superior dispersion stability. An aqueous silver nitrate solution is allowed to react with a mixed solution of an aqueous iron(II) sulfate solution and an aqueous sodium citrate solution, and the resultant reaction fluid containing an agglomerate of fine silver particles is left at 0 to 100° C. to obtain an agglomerate of fine silver particles having grown into granular particles. Next, this agglomerate of fine silver particles having grown into granular particles is filtered, and, to the resultant cake of the agglomerate of fine silver particles, pure water is added to obtain a fine silver particle colloidal dispersion having an average particle diameter of 20 to 200 nm. This fine silver particle colloidal dispersion is concentrated and washed, further followed by addition of an organic solvent containing dimethyl sulfoxide, to obtain a coating liquid for silver film formation.
US07922933B2
This invention relates to a method for enhanced sanitation and oxidation of aqueous solutions at aquatic facilities. The method provides a means for the in-situ generation of chlorine dioxide from dilute solutions of chlorite anions at near neutral pH, and enhanced inactivation rates of microbiological organisms including cryptosporidium.
US07922922B2
An object of this invention is to provide a manufacturing method that, by using a general-purpose semiconductor fabrication process, can easily manufacture an ink jet print head in which energy generating elements are complicatedly installed in the ink path. To this end, the present invention comprising steps of providing a substrate having a removal projected portion, forming an energy generating element along the projected portion, forming a supporting member on the energy generating element, and forming a ink chamber by removing the projected portion from the substrate.
US07922921B2
The present invention includes the steps of providing a substrate having a main surface; depositing a dual-metal layer such as Mo/AlNd, MoW/AlNd, MoW/Al onto the main surface of the substrate; defining gate and word line patter using a layer of photoresist; and using the photoresist as an etching mask, a first metal dry etching process is carried out to etch the dual-metal layer at an etching selectivity that is significantly higher than prior art. The first metal dry etching process uses oxygen/fluorine containing etching gas mixture and oxygen/chlorine containing etching gas mixture to form the dual-metal gate and word line pattern having slightly oblique sidewalls. End point detection mode detected at 704 nm is used in the first metal dry etching process.
US07922920B2
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments a mass spectrometer micro-leak includes a number of channels fabricated by semiconductor processing tools and that includes a number of inlet holes that provide access to the channels.
US07922918B2
There is provided a method of manufacturing a circuit board having a first fixed contact and a second fixed contact that extend substantially orthogonal to each other on the same surface, the life span required for the first fixed contact being longer than that required for the second fixed contact. The method includes: etching a copper foil formed on the entire surface of an insulating substrate to form the patterns of the first and second fixed contacts; polishing the surface of the insulating substrate with buff to remove an oxide film adhered to the copper foil; and sequentially forming a nickel layer having a thickness of about 1 to about 5 μm and a gold layer having a thickness of about 0.01 to about 0.5 μm on each of the first and second fixed contacts. In the method, the buffing direction is substantially aligned with a direction in which a first movable contact slides on the first fixed contact.
US07922909B2
Permeable polymeric monolithic materials are prepared in a column casing. In one embodiment, the permeable polymeric monolithic materials are polymerized while pressure is applied through a piston having a smooth piston head in contact with the polymerization mixture. The pressure eliminates wall effect and changes the structure in the column. Similarly, some columns that have a tendency to swell in the presence of aqueous solutions and pressurized while the solution is applied to prevent swelling and wall effect. This procedure also changes the structure in the column. The size of the separation effective openings can be controlled by the amount of the pressure and pores eliminated. Uniformity in the direction flow is improved by controlling polymerization with radiation rather than with conducted heat.
US07922908B2
Permeable polymeric monolithic materials are prepared in a column casing. In one embodiment, the permeable polymeric monolithic materials are polymerized while pressure is applied through a piston having a smooth piston head in contact with the polymerization mixture. The pressure eliminates wall effect and changes the structure in the column. Similarly, some columns that have a tendency to swell in the presence of aqueous solutions and pressurized while the solution is applied to prevent swelling and wall effect. This procedure also changes the structure in the column. The size of the separation effective openings can be controlled by the amount of the pressure and pores eliminated. Uniformity in the direction flow is improved by controlling polymerization with radiation rather than with conducted heat.
US07922902B2
A hollow fiber membrane module, a hollow fiber membrane module unit using the hollow fiber membrane module, and a water treatment method using the module or the module unit enable the efficient contact of microorganisms on the surface of a membrane with a gas, the module and the unit having excellent durability. The hollow fiber membrane module is formed in such a manner that the end parts of sheet-form hollow fiber membranes are formed in a substantially rectangular shape and the end face of the anchoring member on a side where the hollow fiber membranes open is formed in a substantially circular shape. The hollow fiber membrane module unit is formed in such a manner that a plurality of modules is disposed. The water treatment method is used to purify treated water with the microorganisms adhered onto the outer surfaces of the hollow fiber membranes by using the module or the unit.
US07922895B2
A method of mixing a catalyst with a heavy oil to create a heavy oil/catalyst mixture. This is followed by combining the heavy oil/catalyst mixture with supercritical water to form light hydrocarbon products and heavy hydrocarbon products. By doing so the light hydrocarbon products can be separated into a gaseous top product, an upgraded liquid hydrocarbon product and a water phase.
US07922870B2
A method and apparatus for waste tyres pyrolysis wherein whole tyres are directly heated in a tunnel type furnace with flue gases from the combustion of pyrolysis gases. The process produces thermal energy, carbon black and mineral oil. The cooled flue gases are purified from sulfur oxides before released into the atmosphere.
US07922867B2
Process for the production of paper, board and cardboard having high dry strength by separate addition of a polymer comprising vinylamine units and of ligninsulfonic acid and/or a ligninsulfonate to a paper stock, draining of the paper stock and drying of the paper products.
US07922865B2
In a magnetic field generator for magnetron plasma generation which comprises a dipole-ring magnet with a plurality of columnar anisotropic segment magnets arranged in a ring-like manner, or in an etching apparatus and a method both of which utilize the magnetic field generator, the uniformity of plasma treatment over the entire surface of a wafer (workpiece) is improved by controlling the direction of the magnetic field relative to the working surface of the wafer (workpiece) which is subject to plasma treatment such as etching.
US07922858B2
There is described a method for applying foil material (200) onto successive sheets (S), especially sheets of securities. In a first step, individual sheets (S) are transported in succession along a sheet transport path. In a second step, at least one continuous band of foil material (200) is applied onto the individual sheets (S) along a direction substantially parallel to a direction of displacement of the individual sheets, thereby forming a continuous flow of sheets linked to one another by the said at least one continuous band of foil material (200). In a third step, the said at least one continuous band of foil material (200) is cut such that the continuous flow of sheets is again separated into individual sheets (S) with portions of foil material (200*) remaining on the sheet. The cutting is performed at positions located on the sheets (S) such that said portions of foil material (200*) remaining on the sheets do not extend beyond leading and trailing edges of the sheets (S). There is also described an installation for carrying out the above method.
US07922855B2
A method and apparatus for guiding an everting form employed to carry formed-in-situ repair material into a pipe or conduit comprising passing a guiding means through the interior and along the full length of the everting form in its un-everted state; fixing a first end of the guiding means to a substantially closed end of the everting form; attaching the guiding means in a readily detachable way to the interior surfaces of the everting form and the repair material substantially throughout the length of the everting form; and, during eversion of the everting form, applying tension to the guiding means to assist in guiding the transition of the zone of eversion through directional changes and discontinuities in the pipe or conduit and prevent localised axial differential movement between the everting form and the repair material immediately upstream of the zone of eversion.
US07922852B2
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for affixing a supplementary product (22) to a printed product (36). According to the invention, in order to pick up the supplementary product (22), holding elements (12) driven along a circulation path (26) have at least one suction element (24, 25). In order to bend the initially flat supplementary product (22) in such a way that it can be placed around an edge (36c) of the printed product (36), there is at least one bending element (18). This is capable of acting on the supplementary product (22) held on one side by the suction element (24, 25) in such a way that the said supplementary product (22) is bent at least approximately in a V shape. Holding element (12) and bending element (18) interact with a supporting element (44) in such a way that the supplementary product (22), reaching over an edge (36c) of the printed product (36), is pressed onto two opposite sides (36a, 36b) of the printed product (36).
US07922849B2
Process of manufacturing spun-bonded fabric, using naturally crimped filaments, whereby the filaments are passed through a stretching unit and finally through a diffusor. The filaments are thereupon layered on a layering device, as crimped filaments. The layered filaments together with the layering device are passed through a solidifying device in which the filaments are solidified by means of a fluid.
US07922841B2
An aluminum or aluminum-alloy material sheet comprised of an aluminum material having an ultra-fine, submicron grain structure. The strength and physical properties of the aluminum or aluminum-alloy material sheet are improved over previous aluminum and aluminum-alloy material sheets because the aluminum is produced by cryomilling the aluminum or aluminum-alloy materials into a metal powder with ultra-fine, submicron grain structure. The powder is consolidated and rolled into the form of a sheet.
US07922836B2
A ferrous abrasion resistant sliding material capable of improving seizing resistance, abrasion resistance and heat crack resistance is provided. The ferrous abrasion resistant sliding material has a martensite parent phase which forms a solid solution with carbon of 0.15 to 0.5 wt %, and the martensite parent phase contains one or more types of each special carbide of Cr, Mo, W and V dispersed therein in a total content of 10 to 50% by volume.
US07922833B2
A thermal energy machining (“TEM”) machine gas handling system in which the improvement is a fluid-controlled pressure regulation subsystem for controlling the dispensing of a TEM process gas via the regulation of the pressure of the TEM process gas. Such subsystems include a pressure regulator, a pressure transducer, and a digital controller working in combination to control the process gas outlet pressure of the pressure regulator. The pressure regulator's diaphragm that controls the valve that regulates the process gas outlet pressure is mechanically acted upon by the piston of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. Controlling the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder regulates the output pressure of the process gas. The pressure transducer and the digital controller work in combination to adjust the feed pressure of the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, which in turn regulates the pressure of the process gas at the outlet of the pressure regulator.
US07922832B2
A permanent magnet material is prepared by machining an anisotropic sintered magnet body having the compositional formula: Rx(Fe1-yCoy)100-x-z-aBzMa wherein R is Sc, Y or a rare earth element, M is Al, Cu or the like, to a specific surface area of at least 6 mm−1, heat treating in a hydrogen gas-containing atmosphere at 600-1,100° C. for inducing disproportionation reaction on the R2Fe14B compound, and continuing heat treatment at a reduced hydrogen gas partial pressure and 600-1,100° C. for inducing recombination reaction to the R2Fe14B compound, thereby finely dividing the R2Fe14B compound phase to a crystal grain size ≦1 μm.
US07922825B2
An object of the present invention is to effectively remove extraneous matter adhering to turbine blades without disassembling equipment. A turbine in accordance with the present invention is provided with a pressure gage for detecting the pressure in a steam chamber between a stator blade and a moving blade. In a casing on the upstream side of the stator blade in a duct, a nozzle connected to a high-pressure water generator via a valve is installed. Similarly, in the stator blade, an introduction pipe which is connected to the high-pressure water generator via a valve is provided. The introduction pipe is connected with a nozzle in which many injection ports capable of causing water to flow onto both surfaces of the profile of the stator blade are formed. When extraneous matter adheres to the turbine blades, a control unit detects a rise in pressure via the pressure gage, whereby the control unit opens the valves to remove extraneous matter by means of high-pressure water.
US07922820B2
A heating crucible and a deposition apparatus are provided that have a uniform deposition rate and good reproducibility. The heating crucible of the deposition apparatus includes a titanium body with an internal cavity to contain a material to be deposited and an opening to emit the material to be deposited, a wire to heat the body, and an insulator to insulate the body from the wire.
US07922813B2
Epitaxially coated silicon wafers, are produced by epitaxially coating a multiplicity of wafers polished at least on their front sides, successively and individually in an epitaxy reactor, by placing a silicon wafer on a susceptor, pretreating under a hydrogen atmosphere followed by addition of an etching medium to the hydrogen atmosphere, coating epitaxially on the polished front side and removing the water from the epitaxy reactor. The susceptor is then heated, in each case, to a temperature of at least 1000° C. under a hydrogen atmosphere, and furthermore an etching treatment of the susceptor and a momentary coating of the susceptor with silicon are effected after a specific number of epitaxial coatings. Silicon wafers characterized by a parameter R30-1 mm of −10 nm to +10 nm, determined at a distance of 1 mm from the edge of the silicon wafer are produced.
US07922807B2
The present invention provides a method of producing a pigment dispersion, comprising the steps of: preparing a solution in which two or more color pigments and a dispersant are dissolved in a solvent containing an aprotic organic solvent in the presence of an alkali; preparing a medium that decreases a solubility of the two or more color pigments by being added to the solution; feeding the solution and the medium to respective microchannels; and depositing the two or more color pigments by merging the solution and the medium transported through the respective microchannels.
US07922805B2
The present invention relates to oxidized modified pigments and dispersions as well as methods of preparing them. Also disclosed are aqueous inkjet ink compositions comprising oxidized modified pigments.
US07922804B2
A method for preparing a sol-gel solution is provided. During a first stage mixture preparation process, a metal compound mixture is obtained by mixing compounds of Cu, In, Ga, and Se, a diluting dispersant is obtained by adding a diluent into a dispersant, a stabilizing adhesive is obtained by mixing a stabilizer, a leveling agent, and an adhesive together, an anti-freezing coagulant is obtained by mixing an anti-freezer with a retarding coagulant, and a metallic reducing agent is obtained by mixing a reducing agent, a metal complexing agent with a metal abstracting solvent. Then, the metal compound mixture, the diluting dispersant, the stabilizing adhesive, the anti-freezing coagulant, and the metallic reducing agent are mixed, heated and stirred, and then cooled down to obtain a sol-gel solution. The sol-gel solution can be provided for the ink coating technology for configuring the CIGS light absorbing layer of the CIGS solar cell.
US07922801B2
A carbon black aqueous dispersion which has excellent dispersibility in an aqueous medium and is suitable as an aqueous black ink, such as an inkjet printer ink and a method of producing the same. The carbon black aqueous dispersion includes an aqueous medium and a carbon black pigment dispersed in the aqueous medium, wherein some or all of the hydrogen atoms of the acidic groups produced by liquid-phase oxidation of the carbon black are replaced with a basic amino acid salt group by neutralization with a basic amino acid. The method of producing a carbon black aqueous dispersion includes subjecting carbon black to liquid-phase oxidation, removing reduced salts from the resulting slurry, neutralizing the slurry with a basic amino acid to replace some or all of the hydrogen atoms of the acidic groups with a basic amino acid salt group to form a basic amino acid salt compound, and purifying the resulting product.
US07922797B2
The present invention includes a canister including an adsorption chamber. An adsorption material and a heat storage material are disposed within the adsorption chamber. The heat storage material is molded from a mixture of a plurality of microcapsules and a binder. Each of the microcapsules contains therein a heat-change material. The heat storage material is prevented from moving relative to the chamber wall of the adsorption chamber in at least one of two directions perpendicular to each other.
US07922792B1
A neutralization/sequestration process is provided for concomitantly addressing capture and sequestration of both CO2 and SO2 from industrial gas byproduct streams. The invented process concomitantly treats and minimizes bauxite residues from aluminum production processes and brine wastewater from oil/gas production processes. The benefits of this integrated approach to coincidental treatment of multiple industrial waste byproduct streams include neutralization of caustic byproduct such as bauxite residue, thereby decreasing the risk associated with the long-term storage and potential environmental of storing caustic materials, decreasing or obviating the need for costly treatment of byproduct brines, thereby eliminating the need to purchase CaO or similar scrubber reagents typically required for SO2 treatment of such gasses, and directly using CO2 from flue gas to neutralize bauxite residue/brine mixtures, without the need for costly separation of CO2 from the industrial byproduct gas stream by processes such as liquid amine-based scrubbers.
US07922783B2
There are provided a polishing pad which exhibits excellent polishing stability and excellent slurry retainability during polishing and even after dressing, can prevent a reduction in polishing rate effectively and is also excellent in an ability to flatten an substrate to be polished, and a method for producing the polishing pad. The method comprises dispersing water-soluble particles such as β-cyclodextrin into a crosslinking agent such as a polypropylene glycol so as to obtain a dispersion, mixing the dispersion with a polyisocyanate such as 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and/or an isocyanate terminated urethane prepolymer, and reacting the mixed solution so as to obtain a polishing pad having the water-soluble particles dispersed in the matrix.
US07922779B1
The invention herein provides for an improved dye material composed of a concentrated dye element for mixture with an aqueous element prior to application.
US07922776B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a method for manufacturing woven or knit fabrics with improved shrink and crease resistance and good shape memory after repeated washing. The method comprises (a) contacting an enzyme treatment composition with a cellulosic material (e.g., cotton fabric), the enzyme composition comprising an enzyme; and (b) treating the cellulosic material with a polymeric resin composition. Embodiments of the invention also provide a fabric manufactured by sequentially treating the fabric with an enzyme composition and a resin treatment agent.
US07922775B2
An apparatus and method is provided for securing a prosthesis to the residuum of a limb of an amputee and for providing pressure therapy to the residuum so as to manage fluid within the residuum. The apparatus includes a socket shaped to receive a residuum of a limb of an amputee and configured to connect to a prosthetic limb. The socket forms a chamber between the socket and the residuum when the socket receives the residuum. The apparatus also includes a pressure control device operably connected to the chamber and capable of creating a positive pressure and a negative pressure within the chamber to provide pressure therapy to the residuum, as well as provide securement of the socket to the residuum. The apparatus may also include a liner surrounding at least a portion of the residuum. The control device adjusts pressure within the chamber based on manual and automatic inputs.
US07922774B2
A computerized prosthesis alignment system includes a transducer that can measure socket reactions in the anterior/posterior plane and the right/left planes, while canceling or reducing the transverse forces on the measurements of these socket reactions. In addition, the transducer is also capable of determining the axial load or weight experienced by the prosthesis. The computerized prosthesis alignment system is in communication with a host computer. The moment data from the transducer is interpreted by the user via a computer interface. The host computer includes memory for storing one or more applications. These applications receive data from the transducer, interpret the data with discrete algebraic or fuzzy logic algorithms, and display the output numerically and graphically. Applications may also interpret the data to provide analyses to the user for aligning the prosthesis.
US07922773B1
A method and apparatus for improving the control of prosthetic limb rotation in amputees in which a permanent magnet is implanted into the distal end of a residual bone and the bone rotation is sensed from movement of the magnetic field of the magnet and used to effect corresponding rotation of the prosthetic limb.
US07922768B2
A spinal disc annulus repair device for repair and reconstruction of the spinal disc wall (annulus) after surgical invasion or pathologic rupture, which may incorporate suture closure or other means of stent insertion and fixation, designed to reduce the failure rate of conventional surgical procedures on the spinal discs.
US07922767B2
An embodiment provides an implant prosthesis. In some cases, the prosthesis can take the form of an implant strip that may be implanted through the use of a surgical procedure that minimizes incision sizes and may be considered less invasive than typical spinal implant procedures. In one aspect, a method of implanting a prosthesis may include making an incision in a patient, inserting a tube into the incision and between two adjacent vertebrae, inserting an implant strip through the tube, ejecting the implant strip from the tube between the two adjacent vertebrae, coiling the implant strip between the two adjacent vertebrae, and resisting compressive and tensile forces by deflecting an intermediate portion of the implant strip.
US07922765B2
Various bone fixation/fusion devices are sized and configured to be placed across fracture fragments or between bones that are to be fused.
US07922759B1
According to one embodiment there is disclosed a device including a shield member including an ECM material and a retaining member conformable to maintain at least a portion of the shield member in a desired relationship with respect to an area of a blood vessel to be treated or repaired.
US07922757B2
A vascular system including a catheter having a first end portion, a second end portion and a plurality of lumens wherein the first end portion is dimensioned for insertion into a vascular graft and the second end portion is dimensioned for insertion into a vein of a patient to create a conduit from an artery to the vein.
US07922749B2
A device for reducing stabilization into a head of a medical implant is provided. The device includes a rotating member and a ram for reducing the stabilization member into a core of the implant head. The ram is threadably engaged with the rotating member and is moved by rotation of the rotating member.
US07922746B2
A spinal rod assembly may be formed by attaching an extension portion onto a spinal rod that extends along a longitudinal axis. The extension portion may include a rod coupler that attaches to the spinal rod with a first coupling that includes a first degree of rotational freedom and a first degree of translational freedom in positioning the rod coupler relative to the spinal rod along the longitudinal axis. The extension portion may further include an extender rod including an elongated rod body that may be secured to the rod coupler using a second coupling that includes at least a second degree of rotational freedom in positioning the extender rod relative to the rod coupler about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The extension portion may be assembled in situ to a spinal rod that has been previously secured to vertebral bodies in a patient.
US07922744B2
A suture punch system that is capable of directly passing braided suture through tissue in a simple, one-step process. The system includes three principle components: a malleable needle capable of delivering the suture to the tissue, a handheld instrument for grasping tissue and controlling needle placement, and a force-supplying mechanism to supply the force required for needle placement. Needle deformation begins at the tip of the instrument, which beneficially includes a curved segment. As the distal tip of the needle pierces the tissue, it continues its radial path through the tissue. When the proximal end of the needle exits from the instrument, the needle may be radial in shape and traverses an essentially radial path through the tissue. Once the needle has passed entirely through the tissue, it may be retrieved using the jaws of the punch or another instrument.
US07922740B2
A catheter assembly comprises a catheter shaft, a balloon and a pair of collars engaged to the catheter shaft. Each collar has a body portion and at least one lip portion extending radially outward from the body portion. Each collar has a nonactivated state and an activated state, wherein in the nonactivated state the balloon is rotatable about the collars and each lip portion is constructed and arranged to abut a portion of the balloon to prevent the balloon from moving longitudinally relative thereto. In the activated state the body portion of each collar is sealingly engaged to at least a portion of the balloon.
US07922738B2
An apparatus for accessing the epidural space in a mammal has a cutting sheath with a distal end adapted to transition from a closed cutting configuration to an open configuration. A tissue engagement device is in a hollow portion of the sheath. The tissue engagement device has a blunt distal end and an engagement feature. A method of accessing an epidural space includes the step of forming an opening to a position at or near the ligamentum flavum using the cutting sheath. Another step of the method is positioning a tissue engagement device within the hollow portion of the cutting sheath. Another step of the method is transitioning the cutting sheath from the closed cutting configuration to the open configuration. Another step of the method is manipulating the tissue engagement device to controllably advance the tissue engagement device at least partially through the ligamentum flavum.
US07922725B2
In one embodiment, a spinal stabilization apparatus includes a vertebral anchor having a head portion and a bone attachment portion. An elongate, flexible guide is removably coupled to the head portion of the vertebral anchor and has a channel extending longitudinally thereof and communicating with a slot in the head portion of the anchor. An elongate cord may be received within the channel to facilitate inserting and securing a spacer between pairs of anchors installed into adjacent vertebrae of a person's spine.
US07922723B2
An improved rongeur for cutting bone or cartilage comprising two shaft members capable of reciprocating motion relative to each other wherein one shaft member terminates in a foot plate and the other shaft member comprises a combined cutting element and storage member is disclosed. The combined cutting element and storage member has a cutting edge at its distal end and a storage chamber proximate the cutting edge for collecting and storing cut pieces of bone or cartilage in an amount greater than the maximum bone or cartilage capable of being cut in a single full cut. The combined cutting element and storage member is truly disposable, rather than merely replaceable and requires the use of no tools or special assembly. The rongeur may be manually activated or activated by a solenoid and powered by a battery.
US07922722B2
An acetabular reamer (10′) for cutting a required cut shape is described. The reamer (10′) has a cutting shell (12′) having a series of doubly curved cutting teeth (16′) thereon of a quantity to substantially reduce a cutting pressure on each tooth as well as to reduce a size of a typical chip generated upon cutting. Substantially all of the teeth have a matched arc cutting edge (20′) of substantial length that has a cutting profile which substantially matches a profile of a shape to be cut. The apertures in which the cutting edges are formed have at least one straight edge (80) by which a punch, used in the process of forming the edge, may be oriented. Such a configuration reduces the number of teeth required to cut the shape.
US07922720B2
An orthopaedic cutting instrument and associated methods are presented.
US07922712B2
A catheter assembly allowing for non-contaminated insertion of the catheter into the urinary canal. The catheter assembly includes a urinary catheter, a catheter package and a sealing member. The urinary catheter defines a conduit and has a proximal end adapted for insertion into the urinary canal and an opposite distal end. The catheter package has a hose with a cavity for accommodation of the catheter, and a catheter outlet adapted to dismantle the proximal end of the catheter from the catheter package. The sealing member is adapted to provide a substantially liquid-tight seal between the catheter package and the urinary catheter while the catheter is being dismantled.
US07922706B2
The present invention relates to a standing gather structure having skin-contact planar portions formed into a planer shape, which brings the entire skin-contact planar portions into tight contact with the user's skin, and provides the cushioning properties to soften a contact to the user's skin. The standing gathers BS each include a first wall portion standing upright from the proximal end, a second inner wall portion branching from the upper end portion of the first wall portion, a second outer wall portion branching outward from the upper end portion of the first wall portion and being positioned relatively outside the second inner wall portion, a skin-contact planar portion supported by the distal end portion of the second inner wall portion and the distal end portion of the second outer wall portion, a plurality of elastic members disposed on the skin-contact planar portion longitudinally along the napkin and a hollow portion defined by the skin-contact planar portion, the second inner wall portion and the second outer wall portion and positioned on the back surface side of the skin-contact planar portion.
US07922699B2
An administration instrument for medical use performs injection of a drug solution with stability and with great reliability. The administration instrument includes a needle that does not wobble, thereby alleviating physical and mental pain of the administration patient. The structure includes an injection button that is pressed at an angle that is not parallel to the needle with respect to a direction in which the needle is inserted into the skin. Thus, it is possible to prevent the force of pressing the injection button from being transmitted in a direction of insertion of the needle so that the needle is inserted deeper into the skin than the initial insertion of the needle, thereby achieving administration under a stable state.
US07922697B2
A securement device for securing a catheter to a patient comprises a pad having adhesive on at least a portion of the bottom surface. A fixed plate and a rotatable adjustable plate are affixed to the pad. The adjustable plate is rotated with respect to the fixed plate to secure a catheter. Posts are on the fixed plate and the adjustable plate to secure a winged catheter. A bracket can be affixed to a fixed plate or an adjustable plate and a cooperating tab can be affixed to the other plate for securing a catheter there between. In a further modification, a base is secured to a pad and a pair of plates is pivotally mounted on the base for rotation with respect to one another. Complementary pawl and ratchet members enable limited rotation of plates with respect to one another and to fix plates in selected adjustment position.
US07922694B2
A drive device for a piston in a container containing a liquid comprises a first segment positioned between a second segment and an outlet of the container. The first and second segments each have a first shape in which the respective segment is clamped between lateral walls of the container and a second shape in which the respective segment is released from the lateral walls. A first actuator is configured to vary the first segment between its first and second shapes, and the first segment is in its first shape when the first actuator is inactive. A second actuator is configured to vary the second segment between its first and second shapes, and the second segment is in its second shape when the second actuator is inactive. A connecting segment connects the first segment to the second segment and has an actively variable connecting length.
US07922687B2
A catheter assembly for use in the extracorporeal treatment of bodily fluids. The assembly comprises a catheter body having a withdrawal port, an infusion port, and a plurality of lumens therein. One of the lumens comprises a withdrawal lumen for transport of fluids withdrawn from a body vessel through the withdrawal port to an extracorporeal treatment unit, such as a dialyzer. Another lumen comprises an infusion lumen for return of treated fluids from the extracorporeal treatment unit into the body vessel through the infusion port. A wire extends from yet another lumen to an attachment point on the catheter assembly. The wire is capable of bowing radially outwardly from the catheter body, in order to space the infusion and withdrawal ports from the vessel wall.
US07922684B2
The anti-obesity dual stent includes a tubular outer structure within which is located a coaxial tubular inner structure. The outer structure is sized to fit within a duodenum in substantially coaxial relation therewith. The outer and inner structures communicate with the pylorus and papilla of Vater to provide conduits for the chyme and digestive fluid. Alternatively, the anti-obesity dual stent may include a tubular papilla-supplied structure which has a lateral orientation relative to a tubular pylorus-supplied structure. The papilla-supplied and pylorus-supplied structures each are sized to fit longitudinally within the duodenum. The pylorus-supplied and papilla-supplied structures communicate with the pylorus and papilla of Vater to provide conduits for the chyme and digestive fluid.
US07922658B2
A blade for a surgical retractor. The blade includes a base portion and a distal portion. The base portion may be attached to a frame of a surgical retractor. The distal portion may be removably coupled to the base portion and may be unitarily constructed of a translucent material. A light source may be removably coupled to the distal portion. The distal portion may be disposable.
US07922652B2
An endoscope that is free from a dead area and capable of preventing the physician from overlooking any nidus is an endoscope for taking the inside of digestive organs, and the endoscope is provided with an omnidirectional camera (32), a light (34), a forceps (36) and a rinse water injection port (38) at the tip (24). The omnidirectional camera (32) is a device for taking the inside of digestive organs, and is able to take 360-degree images of its surroundings. A probe-type endoscope (20) is provided with a receiver (26) composed of orthogonal coils, and the receiver (26) is used for estimating the position and attitude of the probe-type endoscope (20). An image taken by the omnidirectional camera (32) is presented on a display unit (28) of an image processing device (22) connected to the probe-type endoscope (20). In the image processing device, a video mosaicking process is performed on a plurality of images obtained by the omnidirectional camera (32) to generate a panoramic image of the inside of a digestive organ.
US07922649B2
A surgically implantable device is a single unit comprised of a hydraulically activated extendable cavernosal component and a manually controlled fluid transfer system composed of a pump. Flow from the pump is directed by a one way valve interposed between a bypass from an included elastic reservoir, the pump and a second one way valve interposed between the pump and the cavernosal unit. A manually controlled release valve, interposed between the outlet of the cavernosal unit and the reservoir, permits de-activation of the cavernosal unit and returns fluid to the reservoir. These components are housed by a molded tailpiece which stabilizes the device against the symphysis pubis, positions the cavernosal implant properly within the shaft of the penis and presents the controls for easy access. An access port permits adjustment of the fluid volume. The unit has utility as a tissue expander and penile re-construction in event of congenital or traumatic deformity.
US07922613B2
A hollow yoke is inserted into a bore section of a frame. The yoke is connected to a slider via a slit in the frame. A timing belt is inserted into a belt hole of the yoke. Further, a pair of guide members are provided on both side surfaces of the yoke, which engage with guide grooves of the frame. The yoke is displaced along the guide grooves by the timing belt, under a driving action of a driving section. Accordingly, the slider is displaced in the axial direction along the frame.
US07922610B2
In a line pressure control device for a belt type continuously variable transmission according to this invention, when a line pressure is feedback-controlled to equal a target line pressure which is equal to or greater than the larger of oil pressures supplied to a primary pulley and a secondary pulley (S1), and it is determined that the target line pressure has fallen below a first low pressure, leading to a divergence between the target line pressure and the actual line pressure (S6), the target line pressure is restricted such that the target line pressure does not fall below a lower limit value (S7).
US07922605B2
Provided is a ball marker for golf, including: a round-shaped case having an opening; a disc spring fit to the round-shaped case; a thin film printed circuit board and a flexible printed circuit cable seated on a top surface of the disc spring, the thin film printed circuit board having a light-emitting diode flickering control chip, the flexible printed circuit cable being connected to the thin film printed circuit board and having a plurality of surface mounted device light emission diodes; a transparent rubber layer formed on the thin film printed circuit board and the flexible printed circuit cable; an electric cell received in a receiving portion of the disc spring exposed from a lower portion of the round-shaped case; a button switch and a button cover arranged on the electric cell; and a lower fixing portion fused and fixed with soft resin.
US07922593B2
A driveshaft with a hollow shaft, a pair of caps and a universal joint. The hollow shaft is rotatable about an axis and has an annular wall member that defines an outer surface, an inner surface and a pair of opposite ends. At least one of the outer surface and the inner surface includes a plurality of longitudinally extending splines. The caps are fixedly coupled to the opposite ends of the hollow shaft to at least substantially close the opposite ends of the hollow shaft. The universal joint is coupled to one of the caps. The splines extend the length of the hollow shaft.
US07922586B2
A system featuring a server communicating with the network with game hosting software programmed on the server, a terrain database and a time sequence GPS position linked message database each stored on the server and accessed by the game hosting software is disclosed. The terrain database stores a plurality of three dimensional renderings of golf courses created from digital aerial photographs of each golf course, wherein each photo includes elevational and slope data for each aerial photo. The time sequence GPS position linked message database contains a plurality of messages collected by a portable computing device and transmitted to the server by the device during an actually played round of golf. Each message is: transmitted by the device to the server; associated with an elapsed time from the beginning of the play of the round of golf, and linked to a GPS determined position from where the message was transmitted.
US07922580B2
A gaming machine is provided so as to comprise: a display device for displaying symbols variably and statically; a starting device for an operation to start a variable display of the symbols; a storage device for storing a plurality of predictive effect images corresponding to respective payout levels; and a processor being operable to: conduct an internal lottery to determine a combination of symbols to be displayed statically; select one of the predictive effect images corresponding to a predetermined winning combination when it is determined that the determined combination to be displayed statically matches the predetermined winning combination; and cause the selected one predictive effect image to be displayed as well as the variable display of symbols, wherein the plurality of predictive effect images indicate a degree of the payout levels such that a payout level to be awarded can be expected before an operation to stop the variable display.
US07922577B2
A printing and dispensing bonusing system for gaming devices has been developed. The system includes a gaming device with a main processor unit containing that generates event signals according to the gaming logic, a signal transmission device that detects the event signals, and a peripheral device processor that receives the event signals from the signal transmission device. The peripheral device processing unit is isolated from the main processor unit and cannot influence the generation of the event signals.
US07922576B2
The present system provides an incentive for players to place maximum wagers in an effort to gain access to secondary games, the entry of which is controlled by the player's own wager amount, wager type, or wager source. In employing such games, gaming machine establishments are able to maximize the level of play on each of their gaming machines and thereby reduce operation costs and increase the number of machines available for play.
US07922571B2
According to an embodiment, a player of a game (e.g., video poker) wagers on a game in which a first set of cards represents a bonus hand having a high value (e.g., royal, straight). The player is also dealt a second set of cards. In one embodiment, an indication of a first set of cards may be output by a first display device and an indication of a second set of cards may be output by a second display device.The player selects one or more cards from the second set of cards that are to be discarded, and the player is dealt a replacement card for each such discarded card.Each card in the first set which matches a replacement card is removed. The value of each hand of the modified first set of cards is then determined. A credit balance is adjusted based on the determined values of the modified first set of cards.
US07922570B2
A fantasy sports game for a plurality of participants representing sports teams each wishing to form a fantasy sports team made up of actual athletes, and each operating a participant terminal operable to act as a client on a network, the system comprising: a host controller, the host controller comprising a computer operable to act as a server on the network and to communicate with the participant terminals over the network; and data storage accessible to the host controller. A variance report calculates the total difference in price between all the sold players' prices and the values inputted by the participant team before the auction, and the variance report can also show the difference in price between all the sold players' prices and the values inputted by the participant team before the auction organized by position.
US07922569B2
A coin counter includes a base unit, an adjusting plate adjustably mounted on the base unit, and a coin outlet port mounted on the base unit. The adjusting plate has a first end provided with an adjusting slot and a second end provided with a micro-adjusting slot. The adjusting plate has a mediate portion provided with a guide slot located between the adjusting slot and the micro-adjusting slot. Thus, by provision of the micro-adjusting slot of the adjusting plate, the pitch angle of the adjusting plate can be slightly adjusted to slightly adjust and control the projecting distance of each of the coins so that each of the coins can be projected onto the coin outlet port exactly to facilitate collection of the coins.
US07922564B2
The invention concerns a sanding element with a succession of overlapping lamellas (3, 4) comprising sanding grains (9), characterized in that these lamellas (3, 4) are alternately formed of sanding lamellas (3) and compressible lamellas (4), whereby each sanding lamella (3) rests on a compressible lamella (4).
US07922562B2
A chemical-mechanical polishing machine and associated methods are disclosed. One embodiment of the machine includes a polishing pad, a wafer carrier corresponding to the polishing pad and configured to carry a semiconductor wafer, and a transfer station proximate to the polishing pad for holding the wafer during loading and/or unloading. At least one of the wafer carrier and the transfer station is configured to dissipate electrostatic charge from the wafer.
US07922561B2
A system for providing quantitative process control of a finesse polishing based upon feedback to the operator as to whether he/she is meeting the one or more predetermined key control characteristics (KCCs). One or more sensors provide data to a controller, wherein the controller provides the operator feedback regarding his/her operational compliance with respect to the KCCs, and disables operation in the event of operator noncompliance, with the intention to promote proper operator procedure and prevent operator error when polishing a flawed painted surface.
US07922554B2
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a light-emitting device. At least one of a light-emitting film forming step, a conductive film forming step and an insulating film forming step is carried out while holding a substrate in a manner that an angle subtended by a surface of the substrate and the direction of gravity is within a range of from 0 to 30°.
US07922547B2
The electrical connector includes an insulative housing (1) having a plurality of retention channels (13) extending to an exterior both in horizontal and vertical directions. Each contact (2) is laterally inserted into a corresponding channel (13) and has a free front header (214) with a horizontal retention piece (2141) and at least a side guiding section (2142). The side guiding section (2142) is configured to guide the free front header (214) into an interior of the channel (13) at a first initial insertion position, while the horizontal retention piece (2141) is pressed by a horizontal wall (146) of the channel (13) at a second full insertion position to hold the contact (2) in position. This configuration of the free front header (214) has the function of guiding the contact (2) into the channel (13) with no need of an installation tool.
US07922545B2
A press-fit terminal is adapted to be press-fitted in an through-hole of board for electrically conducting with the press-fit terminal. The press-fit terminal includes a terminal-base portion and a board inserting portion at least partially plated with tin. A thickness of the plated tin is from 0.1 to 0.8 μm.
US07922544B2
Disclosed is a pogo pin including: a hollow body having a spring structure by spirally cutting at least a portion of an outer surface thereof; and a conductive material filling at least an inside of the body. According to the present invention, when testing a semiconductor package, error rate in contact between the package, the pogo pin and a test board can be remarkably reduced, and simultaneously can enhance rigidity and electrical conductivity of the pogo pin. Further, simple componentry of the pogo pin can facilitate its fabrication, reduce fabrication costs, and even foresee fabrication of a micro-pogo pin.
US07922541B2
The disclosure herein describes embodiments of a cable connector that can be easily attached at a variety of points along the length of a cable as desired by a user for a particular application. The cable connector can easily be secured to the cable by snapping or otherwise securing the base and cover of the connector around the cable. The cable connector can include a device interface for coupling an electronic device to the cable connector. The cable connector can supply a power and control signal to the coupled device via terminals adapted to pierce the insulation on the cable and contact the conductors inside. The terminals of the cable connector can sever at least one of the conductors of the cable, disrupting the flow of current through the conductor. The device interface can bridge the severed ends of the conductor to enable unabated current flow when a device is not coupled thereto or redirect the current through an electronic device coupled to the interface. The cable connector enables easily connecting an electronic device in series between the severed ends of a conductor and providing current flow between the ends when the device is disconnect.
US07922538B2
A sound socket connector with built-in sound processing capability includes a base, a sound circuit board, a metallic casing and a rear cover. The base has a front surface and a rear surface. The front surface has a plurality of sound input ports. The rear surface has a plurality of outward-extending electric-conductive pins at positions corresponding to those of the sound input ports. One end of the sound circuit board has a plurality of perforations. The electric-conductive pins pass through the perforations to be electrically connected to the sound circuit board. The other end of the sound circuit board is electrically connected with electric-conductive terminals. The electric-conductive terminals are electrically connected to a mother board. A decoder, a sound processor and a wireless module are electrically connected between the perforations and the electric-conductive terminals.
US07922531B2
A connector shield case having a tubular shape and is attached to a housing having a plurality of terminals to thereby surround the terminals. The connector shield case is formed by bending a metal blank having a predetermined shape. The connector shield case comprises a ceiling plate portion, side wall portions extending downward from corresponding opposite side ends of the ceiling plate portion, mounting projecting-leg portions extending downward from each of the side wall portions, a bottom plate support portion connecting, at opposite ends, with the side wall portions and a bottom plate portion in parallel with the ceiling plate portion and connecting with the bottom plate support portion via a bend portion. With respect to the front-rear direction, the bottom plate portion overlaps in position with at least one of the mounting projecting-leg portions.
US07922529B1
The coaxial connector includes a plug and a receptacle. The plug contains a spring-loaded central contact and a fixed shield contact. The receptacle contains a fixed central contact and a spring-loaded shield contact. When the plug and the receptacle are joined, each of the spring-loaded contacts is compressed to positively engage the respective fixed contact to facilitate an electrical connection. Mating edges of the plug and receptacle are chamfered to facilitate concentric alignment and to reduce the required insertion force between the plug and receptacle. The contacts of both the plug and the receptacle are recessed below the mating surface to prevent a person or another conductive surface from making inadvertent contact with an electrically conductive member of the connector.
US07922522B2
The present invention is directed to an instrument having at least one terminal post having a longitudinal axis extending therefrom such that the longitudinal axis is at an oblique angle relative to a surface of the instrument. In one embodiment, each terminal post is mounted to a circuit board such that a first surface of each terminal post projects in a first direction. In this embodiment, a rear surface of each terminal post is beveled and coupled to a first surface of the circuit board. The beveled rear surface of the terminal posts defines the oblique angle at which the longitudinal axis of the each terminal post is relative to a surface of the instrument.
US07922516B2
A continuous flexible bus comprises, for example, a plurality of metal clad flexible conductors. A device, such as a switch for example, is connected to the continuous flexible bus. In order to connect the device to the continuous flexible bus, at least one piercing connector is used, for example. The at least one piercing connector is configured, for example, to pierce one of the plurality of flexible metal clad conductors. Once the one of the plurality of flexible metal clad conductors is pierced, the at least one piercing connector causes, for example, an electrical connection between an electrical conductor in the pierced one of the plurality of flexible metal clad conductors and the switch.
US07922508B2
An electrical distribution system for electrifying a plurality of wall panels includes a jumper assembly including a telescoping slider which includes a plurality of conductors housed therein which slide relative to one another, the jumper assembly being configured for connecting to a first electrical distribution device connected to a first wall panel of the plurality of wall panels and for connecting to a second electrical distribution device connected to a second wall panel of the plurality of wall panels.
US07922503B1
A lever-type connector includes a housing and a wire cover. Shafts are extended from the housing. A lever attached to the housing has a pair of parallel plates and a grip portion connecting the parallel plates. Each of the parallel plates is formed with a hole in which the shaft is inserted. A projection provided on the wire cover abuts one of the parallel plates in a state where the lever is attached to the housing so that the grip portion is disposed at a side of the lead-out port. A rotation preventing part is provided at one of the shafts and the hole of the one of the parallel plates and prevents a rotation of the lever in a state where the one of the parallel plates is deformed by the abutment of the projection.
US07922499B2
An electrical terminal (20) used with board-mounted connector (2) having a housing comprising (21): a fixing portion, a contacting portion (204) and a soldering portion (202). The fixing portion defines barbs formed along opposite edges thereof for securing the terminal within the housing, the contacting portion (204) extends from on side of the fixing portion and the soldering portion extends away from the other side of the fixing portion. The soldering portion (202) extends obliquely towards a circuit board on which the connector (2) is mounted, the soldering portion having a tip end with a reduced thickness thereof.
US07922497B2
An anisotropically conductive connector device and an inspection apparatus for circuit devices including the anisotropically conductive connector device. The anisotropically conductive connector device includes an elastic anisotropically conductive film, including plural conductive path-forming parts each extending in a thickness-wise direction of the film and arranged mutually insulated by an insulating part, a sheet-like connector including an insulating sheet, including a plurality of through-holes each extending in a thickness-wise direction, and plural electrode structures arranged in the respective through-holes in the insulating sheet to protrude from both surfaces of the insulating sheet. The electrode structures are positioned on respective conductive path-forming parts, the insulating sheet is integrally fixed to the insulating part, and the electrode structures include electrode parts that are movable in the thickness-wise direction of the sheet.
US07922496B2
A motherboard includes a motherboard substrate and an external interface module including a plurality of external interfaces. The external interface module is detachably and electrically connected to the motherboard substrate.
US07922495B2
A connector includes a first connection member and a second connection member that come in electrical contact with terminal units of a board module. The first and second connection members have connection bodies with connection terminal units formed thereon, and press members that at the time of setting the board module, cause the connection terminals of the connection bodies to deform toward the terminal units of the board module and come in contact with the terminal units when the press members comes in contact with the leading edge of the board module.
US07922494B2
An apparatus, system, and method for monitoring test question response time from a remote location are provided. More specifically, the present invention provides a mechanism by which tests may be proctored to users from a remote location as a test administration service and providing alert notifications to the users based on the amount of time that has elapsed during the test taking process as well as the amount of time remaining to take the test. With the present invention, test progress data is obtained from the user and forwarded to a proctor workstation. A proctor device may monitor the user's test progress to determine if expected progress on the test is being attained. The testing progress data may be recorded along with test input data from the user's client device for later use. Moreover, the administering of the test may be done by a third party as a test administration service to which a test developer may subscribe. Alternatively, the users of the test administration service may be billed for their individual use of the test administration service. Other features of the present invention will be described or will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
US07922488B2
A method for isolating a work object to achieve a predetermined operational objective, the method including the steps of encapsulating at least a portion of the work object in a housing in a work position so as to establish a zone of isolation relative to the portion of the work object; releasibly interconnecting the housing and the portion of the work object so as selectively to maintain said zone of isolation for a period of time sufficient to achieve the predetermined operational objective; and occluding an area proximate to the housing to resist incursion into the area during the period of time. An apparatus for isolating a work object, the apparatus including a housing having an interior dimensioned to permit the housing to be disposed in a work position with the work object received in the interior of the housing; and means for retaining the housing in the work position.
US07922485B2
Disclosed is a vertical type heat processing apparatus and a vertical type heat processing method, which can prevent fall down of the boat on a boat carrier mechanism to be caused by an external force, such as an earthquake or the like, by employing a simple structure, while taking a form of the two-boat system. The vertical type heat processing apparatus 1 includes a heating furnace 5 having a furnace port 5a, a cover 17 adapted to close the furnace port 5a, a pair of substrate holding tools 4 each adapted to hold multiple substrates W in a multistage fashion and configured to be placed on the cover 17 via a heat insulating mount 19, and a lifting mechanism 18 adapted to raise and lower the cover 17 so as to carry in and carry out each substrate holding tool 4 relative to the heating furnace 5. When one substrate holding tool 4 is in the heating furnace 5, the other substrate holding tool 4 is placed on a substrate-holding-tool table 22 for loading the substrates W thereon. Each substrate holding tool 4 is carried between the-substrate-holding-tool table 22 and the heat insulating mount 19 due to the substrate-holding-tool carrier mechanism 23. To the substrate-holding-carrier mechanism 23, a fall-down prevention member 37 adapted to control each substrate holding tool 4 is provided.
US07922478B2
A control device using a follower member and a cam path to control an element of a container processor machine, the device comprising two cam paths defined by a single rigid assembly (5), means enabling relative movement between the follower member and the rigid assembly (5), between at least two positions, the follower member engaging a first cam path in a first position and engaging a second cam path in a second position. A blow-molding or stretch blow-molding machine including such a device, in particular for controlling the movement of the lengthening rod, or for controlling mold locking/unlocking, or for controlling mold opening/closing.
US07922471B2
An extrusion head is disposed over a substrate, and material is extruded through an oblique (e.g., semi-circular or tapered) outlet orifice of the extrusion head to form an associated extruded structure having an equilibrium shape that resists settling after being deposited on the substrate. The extrusion head includes fluidic channels having a flat surface formed by a flat first (e.g., metal) sheet, and an oblique (e.g., substantially semi-cylindrical) surface formed by elongated oblique trenches that are etched or otherwise formed in a second sheet. The fluidic channel communicates with the outlet orifice, which has a flat edge formed by the first sheet, and an oblique edge formed by an end of the oblique trench. The material is extruded through the outlet orifice such that its flat lower surface contacts the substrate, and its oblique upper surface faces away from the substrate. Two materials are co-extruded to form high aspect-ratio gridlines.
US07922452B2
A windmill converting wind forces into rotational energy that can be used to drive a generator or other apparatus requiring rotational energy to work. The windmill includes panels for capturing the wind arranged around a vertically rotating shaft. The panels are able to move from a vertical position when receiving the force of the wind to a horizontal position when rotated to the upwind side of the rotation, thus minimizing their aerodynamic resistance. The panels can also be moved toward or away from the vertical shaft and the area of the panels can be changed so as to maintain a constant speed of rotation of the vertical shaft.
US07922428B2
A twist drill partially coated with TiN to increase wear resistance whilst minimising the transfer of coating particles to a work piece. The drill is selectively coated on the rake face (42); the land (46) is not coated.
US07922427B2
A toolholder has a pocket adapted to receive a double-sided on-edge cutting insert, wherein the corners of each side of the insert are radially shifted with respect to one another and has mounting pads preferably mounted about the sides of the cutting insert. The relief area for the corners of the insert is selectively fabricated to maximize the length of the support pads within the pocket of the toolholder.
US07922426B2
Barriers for flood defense and other purposes are often constructed using sand bags. The strength of these barriers is limited and the invention seeks to address this problem. The invention provides a tie formed as a single injection molded item placed between layers of sandbags to help to hold them together. The tie has two rigid triangular end plates (4) and (5) linked by a flexible arm (11). The end plates are formed with protruding spikes (6) shaped with a barb so that they will easily penetrate the fabric of a sandbag but are difficult to pull out. In use, each tie is placed between layers of sandbags so that spikes of respective plates (4) and (5) become anchored to adjoining bags. The bags of the barrier are thus held together and any irregularities in it are accommodated by the flexibility of the arm (11). Slots (14) and lugs (15) allow a plurality of ties to be linked together as may be required when oversize sandbags are employed.
US07922425B2
An apparatus, system and method for recovery of artifacts and eradication of invasive species in aquatic environments. The structure may comprise an elongate flexible bladder blanket divider having first and second ends. The structure may have an open bore vertical support operably coupled to the first and second ends. Each end extends into the open bore vertical support and rests on at least one apron bladder of an apron bladder bundle. The at least one apron bladder is contained in the open bore vertical support and at least one apron bladder is between the end of the vertical support and the bottom of the body of water. A method of using the apparatus, comprising providing an apparatus having variable volume first and second compartments separated by a flexible bladder blanket divider; and introducing agents through openings in the bladder to control the growth of or kill the invasive organisms.
US07922415B2
A fastener (10) is adapted to releasably fix a first element (12) and a second element (14). The fastener (10) includes a channel (22) having a plurality of spaced lockers (28). The lockers (28) are movable into the channel (22). The fastener (10) also has a locking tongue (30), having a plurality of spaced blockers (32). The tongue (30) is movable within the channel (22) between a locked position in which the blockers (32) prevent movement of the lockers (28) into the channel (22) and an unlocked position in which the lockers (28) are not prevented from moving into the channel (22).
