US07965333B2

For noise correction in connection with a flat-panel x-ray detector (2), noise signals of a dark area (6) are checked for deviations exceeding a specified threshold (g) which, if any are present, will be taken into consideration separately for calculating the correction factor derived from the noise signal. Image artifacts due, for example, to high-contrast objects such as, for instance, cardiac pacemakers or metallic implants, in the x-ray image will be avoided through this measure.
US07965323B2

A circuit includes a luminance average value output unit for extracting luminance values from pixel data of the first and the second frames to generate first luminance average values for pixel lines of the first frame and second luminance average values for pixel lines of the second frame, a flicker curve generating unit for subtracting the second luminance average values from the first luminance average values, thereby generating a flicker curve, and a flicker detecting unit for extracting a plurality of local minimum points from the flicker curve, calculating a distance between each two neighboring local minimum points of the extracted local minimum points, and determining whether the flicker is present based on the distances and the frequency numbers of the distances.
US07965320B2

An image processing apparatus is provided which offers higher versatility than conventional image processing apparatuses. When an input signal to a spatial filtering block is a monochrome signal that contains Y component only, a selector selects its input terminal and a selector selects its input terminal. Then, a low-pass filter output signal of a programmable spatial filter is inputted to a spatial filter, and a low-pass filter output signal of the spatial filer is inputted to a spatial filter. That is, the programmable spatial filter and the spatial filters are connected in series (in cascade), and the cascade-connected three spatial filters perform filtering operation. In this example, low-pass filters with 5×5 taps are connected in cascade in three stages, which enables low-pass filtering with 13×13 taps.
US07965315B2

A display device capable of reducing afterimage, and an afterimage reduction method used by the display device. One or more afterimage reduction patterns having one or more opaque areas, and/or one or more semi-transparent areas and one or more non-opaque areas are stored in a storage unit. A composition unit outputs a final image composed of a displayed main image and afterimage reduction patterns output from the storage unit. A control unit causes afterimage reduction patterns selected by a user from the storage unit to be input to the composition unit, and a final image in which only pixels corresponding to opaque areas and/or semi-transparent areas in the main image are replaced by color of the opaque areas and/or semi-transparent areas in the afterimage reduction patterns to be output from the composition unit. Accordingly, it is possible to view a received main image while reducing afterimage using images of various patterns for afterimage reduction.
US07965312B2

An imaging system (5) for generating landmark correlated images taken from a railroad locomotive includes a camera (142) mounted on the locomotive (22) for imaging an environment in a vicinity of the locomotive and transmitting imaging data indicative of images acquired. The system also includes a location sensor (20) on-board the locomotive generating signals indicative of a geographic location of the locomotive constituting location data. The system also includes a railroad landmark database (68) comprising a plurality of railroad landmarks (76) associated with respective geographic locations constituting landmark tags. The system also includes a processor (e.g., 10) receiving the imaging data and location data and communicating with the railroad landmark database to correlate the landmark tags with the imaging data and the location data for generating landmark correlated image data. The system may also include a computer system (86) for accessing the landmark correlated image data by landmark location.
US07965305B2

A full color display system comprised of: a) a display which is formed from a two-dimensional array of three or more differently colored light-emitting elements arranged in a repeating pattern forming a first number of full-color two-dimensional groups of light-emitting elements, each full-color group of light-emitting elements being formed by more than one luma-chroma sub-group of light-emitting elements, wherein the display has a peak white luminance and each luma-chroma sub-group comprising at least one distinct high-luminance light-emitting element having a peak output luminance value that is 40 percent or greater of the peak white luminance of the display device; and b) a processor for providing a signal to drive the display by receiving a three-or-more color input image signal, which specifies three-or-more color image values at each of a two-dimensional number of sampled addressable spatial locations within an image to be displayed; wherein the processor dynamically forms re-sampling functions for image spatial locations derived from the input image signal and corresponding to the spatial location of each luma-chroma sub-group in the display array based on an analysis of the spatial content of the three-or-more color input image signal and the display array repeating pattern, and applying the re-sampling functions to the three-or-more color input image signal to render a signal for driving each light-emitting element within each corresponding luma-chroma sub-group of light-emitting elements.
US07965297B2

A “Variable-Rate Perfect Hasher” maps sparse variable-rate data of one or more dimensions into a hash table using a perfect hash function. In various embodiments, perfect hash tables are populated by first computing offset table address for each data point of a domain of sparse variable-rate data elements. Offset vectors are then computed for each offset table address based in part on the size of each data element by evaluating offset vectors in order of a sum of the data point addresses mapping to each offset vector. These offset vectors are then stored in the offset table. For each data point, the corresponding offset vector is then used to compute a hash table address. Data elements are then perfectly hashed into the hash table using the computed hash table addresses. The resulting hash tables support efficient random access of the variable-sized data elements stored therein.
US07965293B2

Device, method and computer program capable of obtaining from image data document data readable and effectively adherable in a region of definite form without waste. According to the device, method and computer program, a document block containing a specific image such as a headline and a body text is extracted from among image data to be processed, character code is recognized from a character image of the specific image within the document block, the document block is reconstructed in a specific shape, and character code data corresponding to the recognized character code is laid out within the reconstructed document block.
US07965292B2

A system and method are provided for displaying a data series. In one embodiment, a graphical interface is provided including at least one axis that is divided into a plurality of axis regions. Preferably, each axis region uses a different linear scale, and the plurality of axis regions forms a continuous non-linear scale. The graphical interface also displays the data series in relation to the plurality of axis regions, and the data series is plotted in relation to each axis region based on a scale resolution corresponding to each respective axis region.
US07965289B1

A graphics processing unit calculates transformation matrices for changes to the position and orientation of objects. The graphics processing unit applies the transformation matrices to vertices of objects to be rendered.
US07965287B2

An exemplary power supply switching circuit (200) includes a first input (210) for receiving a first signal, a second input (220) for receiving a second signal, a voltage regulating circuit (240), and a signal switching circuit (250). The voltage regulating circuit includes semiconductor elements (241) electrically coupled in series. The signal switching circuit includes a first input terminal (253), a second input terminal (254), and an output terminal (255). The first input is electrically coupled to the first input terminal via the first voltage regulating circuit, the second input is electrically coupled to the second input terminal, and the output terminal is configured to be an output of the power supply switching circuit. The first voltage regulating circuit regulates the first signal via the voltage drops of the first semiconductor elements. A flat panel display using the power supply switching circuit is also provided.
US07965286B2

A timing controller to reduce a flicker in a display device is provided. The timing controller includes a line pattern detector and a frame pattern detector. The line pattern detector divides received data into a plurality of unit blocks and detects a line polarity of each of a plurality of horizontal lines included in each of the unit blocks. The frame pattern detector generates a polarity control signal to control a data inversion method based on a frame image pattern detected based on line polarities of the respective horizontal lines.
US07965282B2

An operation device for a vehicle is provided that enables switching over of a plurality of operation menu display screens and switching over of a plurality of function display screens for in-vehicle equipment displayed on a monitor by tilting of an operating knob (30) in eight directions, pivoting of the operating knob (30) around its axis, and operation of a main switch (31) and a sub switch (32) provided on the operating knob (30). In this process, since the operating knob (30) is not pivoted around its axis without limit but it is restricted so that pivoting is possible only in a predetermined angle range, it is not necessary to change the grip on the operating knob (30) when pivoting the operating knob (30), the burden on the wrist is lessened, and the operability is improved. Moreover, since the main switch (31) and the sub switch (32) are provided on the operating knob (20), they can be operated without detaching the hand from the operating knob (30), thus further improving the operability.
US07965279B2

An input device for generating signals indicating input requests by a user which has a base portion, a control portion, a plurality of input means, a universal connection means, and a signal generating means. The universal connection means may connect the control portion to the base portion. The control portion may be moved universally with respect to the base portion. The plurality of input means may comprise keys to be depressed by the user. Signals are generated indicating a position of the control portion or user data input requests. A processor receives and process the signals indicating a position of the control portion or user data input requests.
US07965278B2

An optical navigation device, such an optical mouse, includes a housing, an illumination system, a tracking engine, and multiple height-specific imaging systems located within the housing. The height-specific imaging systems generate image information in response to reflected light from a navigation surface and each one the height-specific imaging systems is positioned to detect the largest portion of reflected light at a different separation distance between the housing and the navigation surface. An integrated circuit (IC) device for optical navigation includes an aperture plate having height-specific apertures and height-specific navigation sensor arrays aligned in one-to-one correspondence with the height-specific apertures and configured to generate image information in response to light that passes through the corresponding height-specific apertures. An optical element for use in an optical navigation system includes an illumination source lens and multiple height-specific focal lenses.
US07965272B2

An organic light emitting display operates on at least two different selection signals, which may perform a bi-directional scan that allows a double-sided screen to be displayed. The organic light emitting display includes a data line, first and second scan lines, a bi-directional data driver for applying a data signal in both directions, a first scan driver adapted to receive a forward or reverse signal and to selectively output a first selection signal having a forward or reverse direction to the first scan line in accordance with the forward or reverse signal, and a second scan driver adapted to receive the first selection signal and to selectively output a second selection signal of a forward or reverse direction to the second scan line in accordance with the forward or reverse signal.
US07965259B2

A plasma display device in which a sustain pulse having a leading period is applied between row electrodes forming each row electrode pair by a number of times previously determined for each subfield, in a sustain period, and a length of the leading period of the sustain pulse is set in accordance with an accumulated light emission time or an accumulated use time of the plasma display panel.
US07965254B2

A mount for a satellite dish includes a circular base which has a bubble level system and a plurality of adjustable anchor legs on the base. The base is mounted on the ground and the anchors ensure proper mounting. A collar on the base connects the base to the support post associated with a satellite dish.
US07965251B2

A re-entrant resonant cavity 12 includes three parts 18, 19 and 20 which may be manufactured as metallized plastic components. The three parts 18, 19 and 20 are soldered to a multilayer PCB 23 using surface mount technology. The re-entrant stub 16 is in two portions with dielectric material provided by the PCB 23 between them. The cylindrical wall 13 surrounding the stub 16 is also divided into two sections 21 and 22 by the PCB 23. Vias 24 and 25 electrically connect the parts separated by the PCB 23. The pattern of the vias 24 and 25 determines the inductance of the cavity, and hence its resonance frequency. This enables cavities with the same geometry to be operated at different resonance frequencies by using different configurations of through connects. One of the sets of vias may be omitted in some cavities.
US07965249B1

The present invention is a Radio Frequency (RF) apparatus. The RF apparatus may include a layer of photoconductive material. The RF apparatus may further include a plurality of conductive patches which are disposed within the layer of photoconductive material. The RF apparatus may further include a generating layer. The generating layer may be operatively coupled to the layer of photoconductive material and may be configured for generating light. The generating layer may further be configured for providing the generated light to the layer of photoconductive material. The generated light may be configurable for being provided at a selectable intensity and in a selectable pattern for causing the layer of photoconductive material to be a dynamically controllable optical switch. The dynamically controllable optical switch may be configured for providing a connection between conductive patches included in the plurality of conductive patches.
US07965225B1

A method of adjusting a position of an antenna to reduce a position error comprises receiving first data associated with first returns associated with a first portion of an antenna. The method further comprises receiving second data associated with second returns associated with a second portion of the antenna, wherein the first portion is different than, intersects with, or includes the second portion. The method further comprises determining the angle to the terrain using the first and second data, whereby the angle is used to adjust or compensate for the position error of the antenna.
US07965222B2

A radar/laser emission detector is augmented with a cellular communications capability to provide the capability to share emission detection information amongst drivers to give other drivers even more advanced warning. A network of a plurality of cellular augmented radar/laser emission detector devices may be formed, each having the capability to source the location of radar or laser emission detections to others requesting access to such information, and each being warned when within a proximity of a recent radar or laser emission detection reported by at least one of the plurality of hybrid radar/laser detector devices.
US07965214B2

In a particular embodiment, a circuit device includes a pulse edge control circuit to receive at least one pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal from a PWM source. The pulse edge control circuit is adapted to selectively apply a phase shift operation to the at least one PWM signal at integer submultiples of a frame repetition rate to produce at least one modulated PWM signal having a changed power spectrum. The pulse edge control circuit provides the at least one modulated PWM signal to at least one output of the pulse edge control circuit.
US07965212B1

Techniques are disclosed for improving the dynamic performance of digital-to-analog converters (DAC), by compensating for the unique delay characteristics of each bit in the DAC summing junction to equalize the delays. In one example case, a DAC device is provided that includes a plurality of current sources and a plurality of switches, each switch operatively coupled between a corresponding one of the current sources and a summing junction that is operatively coupled to an analog output. The device further includes a plurality of switch control lines configured to receive a digital input, each switch control line for controlling a corresponding one of the switches. The device further includes a plurality of compensation delay elements, each associated with a corresponding one of the switch control lines and providing a different delay value.
US07965209B2

An A/D (analog-to-digital) conversion circuit includes an input signal selecting circuit configured to output voltage signals of different signal levels in response to control signals in an adjustment mode before A/D conversion of an analog signal in a practical mode; an A/D converter configured to perform A/D conversion on the voltage signals in response to an adjustment sampling clock signal in the adjustment mode to output adjustment conversion values; and a sampling timing adjusting circuit configured to delay a reference sampling clock signal based on a delay value selected in response to a selection signal in the adjustment mode to output the adjustment sampling clock signal to the A/D converter. An operation circuit is configured to set the adjustment mode, output the control signals to the input signal selecting circuit, and the selection signal to the sampling timing adjusting circuit, such that the adjustment conversion values are obtained at each of different delay values, determine an optimal parameter from parameters corresponding to the obtained adjustment conversion values, and set the practical mode to output the selection signal corresponding to the optimal parameter to the sampling timing adjusting circuit.
US07965208B2

Disclosed herein are embodiments of an auto ranging system and method for an analog signal. A microprocessor is configured to digitally control the programmable gains of an operational amplifier based on the digital output of an A/D converter which may reside on or packaged along with the microprocessor. The amplifier receives a raw analog signal from a sensor and provides an amplified analog signal to the A/D converter. The gain of the amplifier generally corresponds to some range of the sensor signal. The A/D converter outputs a number of bits representative of the input signal. A microprocessor which is configured to digitally control the programmable gains of the amplifier receives and examines the output from the A/D converter and automatically adjusts the gain of the amplifier accordingly and as needed to keep or maintain the output from the A/D converter in a predetermined range.
US07965200B2

A method and apparatus for managing security of areas in an aircraft. The method is provided for managing aircraft security. A set of sensors associated with a set of secured areas is monitored for an indication of a compromised space within a cabin of the aircraft. In response to receiving a signal from a sensor in the set of sensors identifying a breach, an area for the breach in the cabin is identified to form an identified area. A visual indication device associated with the identified area is identified to form an identified visual indication device. A presentation of an alert on the identified visual indication device is initiated.
US07965195B2

A system, computer program product and method to provide information related to a power distribution system based on information provided by a plurality of network elements electrically connected to a plurality of power lines of the power distribution system at a plurality of locations is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a notification from a group of network elements that have detected a voltage signature indicating an imminent power outage, determining location information of the power outage, outputting the location information of the power outage, receiving a live notification from a first network element of the group of network elements indicating a first power restoration at a location of the first network element, determining location information of the first power restoration, and outputting the location information of the first power restoration.
US07965184B1

Cash handling facilities, such as cash vaults, receive and process large quantities of cash. The cash handling facility may have a plurality of custody points at which the amount of cash being processed is verified, counted, stored, or otherwise processed. Cash handling personnel that are handling the cash may be verified, detected, or otherwise documented as handling the cash. Automatic identification techniques may be implemented to track the cash and cash handling personnel at various custody points within the cash handling facility. A centralized tracking system may use the information obtained at each of the custody points to track, count, and verify the cash while it is located within the cash handling facility.
US07965183B1

One embodiment of the present invention includes a system for determining authenticity of substances. The system comprises a plurality of RF sensors distributed in a predefined location pattern relative to a location for placing a substance under analysis. Each of the RF sensors is configured to transmit a response to an interrogation signal with a unique identifier. The system also comprises an RF transmitter that transmits sequences of interrogation signals over different frequency bands at one or more power levels and an RF receiver that receives responses to the sequences of interrogation signals transmitted from the RF sensors. The system further comprises a response pattern analyzer that determines response patterns for the RF sensors to the interrogation sequences and transmits a difference indicator if at least one of the determined response patterns varies from as predetermined signature of an authentic substance.
US07965181B2

A system and method for asset tracking and monitoring using antenna diversity. Antenna diversity ensures that the mobile terminal maintains good visibility of a satellite throughout the transport route. In one example, a first antenna is mounted on a first side of an asset transporter (e.g., flatbed trailer) and a second antenna is mounted on a second side of the asset transporter. A selector/combiner in the mobile terminal enables multiple antennas to be leveraged in the satellite communication process.
US07965171B2

A security system is operable in a stay mode in which protected premises perimeter sensors or detectors are armed wherein a delay is provided between detection of breach of the perimeter and generating an alarm. The security system is able to authenticate a user during the delay and to restore the stay mode without generating the alarm and without disarming the protected premises perimeter sensors or detectors.
US07965167B2

A conductivity sensor for measuring conductivity of a medium surrounding the conductivity sensor includes a first toroidal coil bounding a medium-receiving passageway and serving for inducing an electrical current in the medium, and a second toroidal coil also bounding the passageway and serving for registering a magnetic field produced by the electrical current. At least one of the toroidal coils has a plurality of first conductor segments, which extend in a plane of a multi-ply circuit board, a plurality of second conductor segments, which extend in a second plane of the circuit board, and a plurality of through-contacts, which connect the first conductor segments with the second conductor segments, wherein the first conductor segments, the second conductor segments and the through-contacts form, together, the windings of a toroidal coil.
US07965153B2

A signal splitter comprising an input and a plurality of outputs is provided, wherein alternate outputs are connected to phase shifting devices. The phase shifting devices preferably comprise phase shifting transformers and introduce a phase shift of 180°, so that noise components of alternate outputs are antiphase and cancel one another out almost entirely when the signals are summed. Also provided is a cable television network comprising a plurality of such signal splitters to ensure that noise ingress in upstream signals passing into the network is substantially reduced.
US07965152B2

An attenuator system comprises an attenuator and a control circuit for controlling the attenuation of the attenuator. In one embodiment, the attenuator comprises two diodes or two diode connected transistors, and the control circuit comprises two transistors as the only active devices. In another embodiment, the control circuit comprises another transistor in a shut down circuit.
US07965146B2

A constant-temperature type crystal oscillator includes: a crystal unit; an oscillator output circuit; a temperature control circuit; and a circuit substrate, on which circuit elements are installed. A principal surface of the crystal unit is installed so as to face one side board plane of the circuit substrate with interposing a first heat conducting resin, and the heating resistors are installed to be thermally coupled to the crystal unit via a second heat conducting resin. The principal surface of the crystal unit adheres to the one side board plane of the circuit substrate with interposing the first heat conducting resin. The heating resistors are installed on the one side board plane of the circuit substrate so as to sandwich the lead wires including a portion between the pair of lead wires of the crystal unit, and the heating resistors surround an outer circumference of the crystal unit.
US07965145B2

A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit includes a level shifter, and a semiconductor device includes the VCO circuit. The VCO circuit includes an input voltage receiver, a current mirror, and a frequency oscillator. The input voltage receiver receives a first voltage input to the VCO circuit so as to generate a first current. The current mirror copies the first current so as to generate a second current. The frequency oscillator oscillates in response to the second current. The input voltage receiver includes a level shifter and a first current generator. The level shifter shifts a voltage level of the first voltage to a voltage level of a second voltage. The first current generator generates the first current corresponding to the second voltage.
US07965140B2

A power amplifier is provided with an AD converter pulse modulating an envelope signal extracted from a high frequency modulation signal; a switching amplifier amplifying an output signal from the AD converter; a low-pass filter removing high frequency noise from an output signal from the switching amplifier; a voltage control device controlling a power supply voltage of the switching amplifier; and a high frequency amplifier amplifying a phase-modulated signal having a constant envelope and having output from the low-pass filter as a power supply. The average power of the envelope signal to be inputted to the AD converter is permitted to be constant so that an input dynamic range of the AD converter can be most efficiently used. In addition the average power of the output signal from the power amplifier is adjusted by a power supply voltage to be supplied to the switching amplifier.
US07965139B1

Conventional multistage amplifiers oftentimes employ trim circuits or highly matched components to combat noise and offset contributions. Having trim circuitry or highly matched components increases the overall size, cost, and power consumption, so it is desirable to have a circuit that reduces any need for better matching components or trim circuitry. Here, a multistage amplifier system is provided that generally accounts for some noise and offset contributions, reducing the need for better matching components and/or trim circuitry.
US07965138B2

Systems and methods for switched-mode amplifiers having improved harmonic distortion are disclosed. High order in-band filtering is enabled without undue trade-off of distortion due to intermodulation/aliasing. A pre-modulation block is introduced, deployed between a loop filter block and a pulse-width modulation block, performing uniform pulse-width modulation. The pre-modulation block attenuates/removes amplitude dependent high frequency ripples before pulse-width modulation. The pre-modulation block in conjunction with the pulse-width modulation block performs double sampling of the input signals.
US07965135B2

To provide a charge sampling filter circuit and a charge sampling method.A charge sampling filter circuit includes a first capacitor that samples an input signal, and in which at least a portion of electric charge stored in the first capacitor by sampling is output to a second capacitor that is connectable with the first capacitor. The charge sampling filter circuit is characterized by including a switching portion that switches a circuit mode including a sampling mode that causes the first capacitor to sample the input signal, and an output mode that causes the first capacitor and the second capacitor to be connected. A capacitance value of the first capacitor in the output mode is set to be lower than the capacitance value in the sampling mode.
US07965131B2

A bias voltage generation circuit includes a data holding section, a correction value storage section, a computing circuit, a voltage dividing circuit and a selection circuit. The data holding section holds a variable n-bit data value that is set from an exterior, wherein n is a positive integer. The correction value storage section stores an n-bit correction value for correcting the n-bit data value. The computing circuit computes the n-bit data value and the n-bit correction value, and outputs an n-bit computing result. The voltage dividing circuit divides a reference voltage into 2n voltages, and outputs 2n levels of divided voltages. The selection circuit selects one level of a divided voltage from the 2n levels of divided voltages on the basis of the n-bit computing result and outputs the selected divided voltage as a bias voltage, the output bias voltage having a variation over 2n levels.
US07965125B2

A current drive circuit allows for a reduction in chip size and prevents an output current from decreasing. The current drive circuit has an output terminal connected to a first resistor. The first resistor is connected to a second resistor and the drain of a first transistor. The gate of the first transistor is connected to the gate of a second transistor, a grounded first current source, and the source of a third transistor. A second current source and the third transistor are connected to a power supply line. The second current source is connected to the gate of the third transistor, the drain of a fourth transistor, the drain of a fifth transistor, and a second resistor. When the voltage decreases, the on resistance of the fourth transistor increases, the fifth transistor is then connected in series to the second transistor, which increases the gate voltage of the first transistor.
US07965124B1

A switched-capacitor (SC) circuit relating to summing and integration algorithms is provided. The SC circuit submitted by the present invention benefits from better closed-loop bandwidth performance because of combining positive and negative feedback loops of a high gain amplifier. In addition, the SC circuit submitted by the present invention not only provides differential output signal obtained by a summing (or integration) algorithm of input voltage signals and reference voltage signals and forward drives such differential output signal to a next stage SC circuit, but also provides flexible and accurate coefficient design for every individual input and reference voltage signals in the said algorithm. Besides, if the circuit manner of alternate resetting is disabled or removed, the SC summing circuit submitted by the present invention can serve as an SC integration circuit.
US07965120B2

Techniques and corresponding circuits for achieving programmable delay of a current mode logic delay buffer are provided. The techniques provide for incremental delay with substantially equal increments. Delay may be achieved through the use of a circuit arrangement that allows biasing current to be controlled effect the response time of the circuit by digital control.
US07965117B2

A charge pump includes a charge pump core circuit having a first current source transistor, a second current source transistor and an output terminal (64), and a replica bias circuit. The replica bias circuit has a first reference current source transistor, a second reference current source transistor and a reference node corresponding to the output terminal of the charge pump core circuit. The reference node is connected to gates of the second current source transistor and the second reference current source transistor. A first input of a regulator circuit is connected to the output terminal of the charge pump core circuit. A second input of the regulator circuit is connected to the reference node of the replica bias circuit. An output of the regulator circuit (54) is connected to gates of the first current source transistor and the first reference current source transistor.
US07965114B2

The present invention discloses a source driver and a method for restraining noise output by a source driver during power on/off of a power supply. The source driver includes a multiplexer, at least two channels and at least two output pads. The channels are connected to the output pads via the multiplexer. The source driver is powered by a first supply voltage from the power supply. The two output pads are connected via a charge sharing switch. The method comprises the following steps. First, determine whether the first supply voltage is insufficient, and if yes, perform the following steps. Turn off the charge sharing switch. Then, disconnect the channels from the output pads by the multiplexer.
US07965102B1

A columnar programmable device (PD) design converted to a columnar application specific integrated circuit-like (ASIC-like) design is described. A user design is instantiated in a PD having a columnar architecture associated with the columnar PD design. The columnar architecture has adjacent columns of circuitry, and one or more of the columns of circuitry as associated with instantiation of the user design in the PD are identified. At least a portion of one or more of the identified columns are swapped with application specific circuitry for implementing all or part of the user design for converting the columnar PD design to the columnar ASIC-like design.
US07965099B2

A bus modem for building and industrial electrical systems comprises a module (100) which comprises a pair of input pins (1, 2) destined to be connected to the bus and a pair of output pins (9, 10) destined to be connected to the electrical circuit of a device to be connected to the bus. The module (100) further comprises a voltage control circuit (3) able to take voltage from said bus and to control the voltage (VASB) on a capacitor (C1) disposed at the terminals of said output pins (9, 10), and a transmission control circuit (5) able to control an electronic switch (7) which controls a current limiting circuit (8) able to limit the current on the bus, during transmission of signals from the bus to the devices connected to the bus and vice versa.
US07965098B2

A current mode logic voter circuit includes three two-input split NOR gates. Each two-input split NOR gate receives a corresponding pair of input signals and generates a pair of first output signals responsive to the input signals. A three input split NOR gate is coupled to the two-input split NOR gates to receive the first output signals and generates a second pair of output signals responsive to the first output signals from the two-input split NOR gates. The two and three-input split NOR gates can be formed from current mode logic buffer circuits, and in one embodiment in the three-input split NOR gate the buffer circuits are hardened.
US07965093B2

Provided is a test apparatus for testing a device under test, including a multi-strobe generating section that generates, for each prescribed test cycle, a multi-strobe that includes a plurality of strobes arranged at prescribed time intervals, a data detecting section that detects a logic value of a response signal output by the device under test, according to each strobe, and a data width detecting section that detects a data width indicating a period during which the logic value of the response signal matches a prescribed expected value, based on each change point of a logic value output by the data detecting section.
US07965092B2

Provided is a differential signal transmission apparatus that transmits a differential signal expressed by a potential difference between a positive signal and a negative signal, including a positive signal transmission line that transmits the positive signal; a negative signal transmission line that transmits the negative signal; and a delay compensating circuit that compensates for a time difference between the positive signal and the negative signal with a variable compensation time.
US07965089B2

A chemical impedance detector having several electrodes situated on or across a dielectric layer of a substrate. The electrodes may be across or covered with a thin film polymer. Each electrode may have a set of finger-like electrodes. Each set of finger-like electrodes may be intermeshed, but not in contact, with another set of finger-like electrodes. The thin-film polymer may have a low dielectric constant and a high porous surface area. The chemical impedance detector may be incorporated in a micro fluid analyzer system.
US07965088B2

The invention relates to a method for determining the type of connection of at least two electric devices (5) whereby each device comprises a similar connector arrangement. The aim of the invention is to increase the reliability during the starting up process and during the operation of a system which comprises several electric units (5). According to the invention, a first device (5) modifies the voltage on the connector arrangement (11) and the modified voltage is determined as a first voltage, such that a second device (5) determines a second voltage on at least the connector arrangement (11) and determines whether an electric connection exists or not between the connector arrangements (11) of the devices (5) by comparing the determined comparison of the voltages.
US07965083B2

An array coil including at least three conductive elements arranged at predetermined intervals, each of the conductive elements being in the form of a loop, and a plurality of switches that enable the conductive elements to be connected together according to a plurality of connecting patterns.
US07965079B2

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a fluid image data acquisition unit and a flow velocity measuring unit. The a fluid image data acquisition unit acquires fluid image data, corresponding to mutually different inversion times, by imaging with applying at least three inversion recovery pulses having the inversion times. The flow velocity measuring unit obtains a flow velocity of fluid based on time variation of a signal intensity depending on the inversion times at each of plural positions and a distance between the plural positions.
US07965066B2

One aspect of the invention relates to a voltage regulation process as well as to a voltage regulation system. A first voltage, present at an input of the voltage regulating system, is changed into a second voltage, which can be tapped at an output of the voltage regulation system, with a first device for generating an essentially constant voltage from the first voltage, or a voltage derived from it. A further device is provided for generating a further voltage from the first voltage or a voltage derived from it, in particular a voltage which can be higher than the voltage generated by the first device.
US07965059B2

A system, a method, and an article of manufacture for determining an estimated battery parameter vector indicative of a parameter of a battery are provided. The method determines a first estimated battery parameter vector indicative of a parameter of the battery at a first predetermined time based on a plurality of predicted battery parameter vectors, a plurality of predicted battery output vectors, and a first battery output vector.
US07965048B2

A light emitting apparatus comprises a light emitting element and a switching converter comprising a conversion circuit for converting an operating electric signal to generate the driving electric signal, a feedback circuit having a light detecting element for detecting a luminous intensity of the light emitting element and generating a feedback signal, and a control circuit for receiving the feedback signal, comparing the received feedback signal with a reference electric signal, and controlling the conversion circuit based on comparison results to adjust the driving electric signal. Alternatively, the light detecting element detects ambient light and the control circuit controls the conversion circuit based on comparison results to stop or enable outputting of the driving electric signal.
US07965035B2

A light-emitting device includes: a light-emitting section disposed on a reference plane and supplying light; and a structure disposed on the light-exiting side of the light-emitting section, wherein the structure includes: a reflective polarizer that transmits polarized light vibrating in a first vibrating direction and reflects polarized light vibrating in a second vibrating direction substantially orthogonal to the first vibrating direction; and an optical section that transmits the light from the reflective polarizer and that cyclically changes in refraction index in the two-dimensional plane substantially parallel to the reference plane.
US07965025B2

This utility model relates to a decorative light, and particularly, to a decorative light capable of avoiding an open circuit condition on an entire string of bulbs that operate in series when an individual bulb is removed. The decorative light comprises a socket, a bulb base, a bulb and two terminals, wherein the socket is provided with a retainer therein, which has an opening laterally extending therethrough, and an elastic conductive ring with a thickness smaller than a width of the opening is disposed within the opening. When the elastic ring is in a natural state, the elastic ring extends outside the retainer through the opening at two sides of the retainer. The bulb base is further provided with an inserting partition at the bottom thereof. The elastic conductive ring has two states: one is a separating state where the bulb base is inserted into the socket. In this first state, the inserting partition of the bulb base separates one side of the elastic ring from the corresponding terminals. The other state is a conducting state of the two terminals when the bulb base is removed from the socket. In this second state both sides of the elastic conductive ring provide with the two terminals respectively. This utility model provides a decorative light capable of preventing failure of the complete string of bulbs when any bulb is removed.
US07965024B2

An electron emission device includes a substrate, a first electrode on the substrate, a second electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, a first insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, an electron emission source hole in the first insulating layer and the second electrode to expose the first electrode, and an electron emission source having a first electron emission material layer on the first electrode in the electron emission source hole and a second electron emission material layer on the first electron emission material layer.
US07965020B2

A piezoelectric ceramic which has a large value of coercive electric field and, in addition, which can be fired at low temperatures of 950° C. or lower, is provided. It has a composition represented by Pbx-a-dBiaM3d{M1b(M21/3Nb2/3)yZr1-b-y-zTiz}O3 where M1 and M2 represent, independently, at least one of Ni and Zn, and M3 represents at least one of Ba and Sr, 0.05≦a≦0.15, 0
US07965007B2

A universal three dimensional motor generator system is provided with magnets and permanent magnetic and/or electromagnetic windings on rotors and stator for compounding and multiplying the order of voltage or potential to or from a machine. Three rotating rotors mechanically interconnected through gears and coils are strategically positioned within a housing that allows the multiple input and/or output of single and/or three phases A/C, D/C or in combination. When input power is supplied to rotor one, rotor two and rotor three start rotating along with rotor one due to gear arrangement to generate/produce power which is fed back to rotor one. This generated/produced power can/will be utilize to supplement the input power to maintain the synchronous speed across the designed load or combined to increase the output rating of machine. The system allows multiple wiring configurations allowing each section of a rotor and stator configuration to operate independently or separately as a motor or generator, or in combination.
US07965001B2

To drive an oscillator always at a stable and constant oscillation even if frequency and amplitude of a power supply voltage differ depending on a delivery destination of the oscillator, an oscillator drive control device (10), which generates a predetermined switching pattern by operating a switching element, and supplies an oscillation generation unit (7) of the oscillator with drive electric power for generating predetermined oscillation frequency and amplitude according to the switching pattern, includes: a voltage detection circuit (11) for detecting a power supply voltage unique to a delivery destination of the oscillator; a memory circuit (12) storing, in advance, a basic switching pattern adapted to an arbitrarily set reference voltage, and used for driving the oscillation generation unit (7) at proper oscillation frequency and amplitude; and an arithmetic processing circuit (13) for calculating a ratio of the detected voltage unique to the delivery destination detected by the voltage detection circuit (11) to the reference voltage, and calculating, based on the ratio, a switching pattern substantially the same as the basic switching pattern under an environment of the power supply voltage unique to the delivery destination.
US07964994B2

In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, a method and circuit for reducing power consumption of a power strip is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a power strip is configured for reducing or eliminating power during idle mode by disengaging an outlet from power input. A power strip may include two or more outlets and two or more outlet circuits, with AC power input connected to the outlets through the outlet circuit(s), which may include a current transformer, a control circuit, and a switch. The current transformer secondary winding provides an output power level signal proportional to the outlet load. If behavior of the current transformer secondary winding indicates that the outlet is drawing substantially no power from the AC power input, the switch facilitates disengaging of the current transformer primary from the outlet.
US07964992B2

In a particular embodiment, a circuit device includes a plurality of programmable voltage regulator circuits adapted to produce one or more unique power supplies. Each programmable voltage regulator circuit includes a power supply output terminal and a base regulator circuit module that has multiple configurable parameters to support a plurality of regulator configurations. The base regulator circuit module includes a plurality of leads. Each programmable voltage regulator circuit further includes selected circuitry coupled to the plurality of leads and to the power supply output terminal. The selected circuitry is adapted to cooperate with the base regulator circuit module to provide a selected type of regulator circuit and to apply a power supply to the power supply output terminal.
US07964991B2

A channelized uniform distribution power system controls individual channels of power converters with each channel of power converters having uniform output power as the channels are controlled by voltage control signals from respective controllers that are interconnected by a shared current signal and a shared voltage signal for controlling the channels to provide uniform power, with conventional current limiting and voltage regulation functions. Each channel may have a number of converters being parallel-input parallel-output connected converters, series input parallel-output connected converters, and parallel-input series output connected converters.
US07964988B2

A lighting controller of a lighting device for a vehicle includes a switching regulator for supplying a driving current to first to Nth (N is an integer of one or more) semiconductor light sources; first to Nth current driving portions; and a control portion. The first to Nth current driving portions include first to Nth current detecting portions connected in series to the semiconductor light sources and serving to detect the driving current respectively, first to Nth switching portions connected to positive electrode sides of the semiconductor light sources respectively, and first to Nth comparing portions for transmitting a comparing output corresponding to a result of a comparison, which is obtained by comparing values of the driving currents detected by the current detecting portions with a predetermined threshold respectively. The first to Nth current driving portions serve to carry out operations of the switching portions corresponding to the comparing output respectively. The control portion includes first to Nth first voltage drop detecting portions for detecting voltages on output sides of the comparing portions and transmitting first to Nth first detection results, and first to Nth second voltage drop detecting portions for detecting voltages on positive electrode sides of the semiconductor light sources and transmitting first to Nth second detection results respectively. The control portion controls the first to Nth current driving portions corresponding to the first to Nth first detection results and the first to Nth second detection results respectively.
US07964983B2

A wind powered electricity generating system is provided. The system includes a cylindrical induction coil sleeve coaxially mountable to and around a pole structure such that the pole extends structure through a cylindrical center aperture of the cylindrical induction coil sleeve. The system additionally includes a cylindrical rotator housing coaxially and rotatably mountable to and around the induction coil sleeve, and a plurality of wind vanes mounted to the rotator housing. The wind vanes are structured to capture wind and utilize the captured wind to rotate the cylindrical rotator housing about the cylindrical induction coil sleeve to generate electricity.
US07964980B2

To shorten a startup interval to reach a synchronizing condition, a phase difference and an amplitude difference between the grid voltage and the stator voltage of one phase of a winding are obtained. The difference in amplitude is decreased prior to or in parallel to synchronizing the stator voltage with the grid voltage. The calculated compensation phase compensation value is used as an initial value for synchronizing at the next synchronizing operation.
US07964977B2

A method and device for generating electricity from ocean waves. The device includes at least one magnetostrictive element and one or more electrically conductive coils or circuits. When the magnetostrictive element is deployed in a body of water, the motion of the body of water, including wave motion, causes changes in the strain of the magnetostrictive element. The electrically conductive coil or circuit is within the vicinity of the magnetostrictive element. A corresponding change in magnetic field around the magnetostrictive element generates an electric voltage and/or electric current in the electrically conductive coil or circuit.
US07964976B2

A layered chip package includes a main body including a plurality of layer portions, and wiring disposed on a side surface of the main body. The plurality of layer portions include at least one layer portion of a first type and at least one layer portion of a second type. The layer portions of the first and second types each include a semiconductor chip. The layer portion of the first type further includes a plurality of electrodes each connected to the semiconductor chip and each having an end face located at the side surface of the main body on which the wiring is disposed, whereas the layer portion of the second type does not include any electrode connected to the semiconductor chip and having an end face located at the side surface of the main body on which the wiring is disposed. The wiring is connected to the end face of each of the plurality of electrodes.
US07964965B2

Embodiments of an apparatus and methods for forming thick metal interconnect structures for integrated structures are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07964962B2

A method of making a semiconductor apparatus provides a plurality of electrode pads on a main surface of a semiconductor chip, and a plurality of bump electrodes on the electrode pads. The method also provides a wired board which is allocated in a side of the main surface of the chip and is positioned in a central area of the main surface of the chip so as to be separated from an edge part of the chip by at least 50 μm or more, a plurality of external terminals on the wired board and which are electrically connected to a plurality of bump electrodes through wirings of the wired board, and a sealing part between the chip and the wired board, the sealing part being made of underfill material that covers a connection part between the bump electrode and the wiring.
US07964961B2

A chip package includes a semiconductor chip, a flexible circuit film and a substrate. The substrate has a circuit structure in the substrate. The flexible circuit film is connected to the circuit structure of the substrate through metal joints, an anisotropic conductive film or wireboning wires. The semiconductor chip has fine-pitched metal bumps having a thickness of between 5 and 50 micrometers, and preferably of between 10 and 25 micrometers, and the semiconductor chip is joined with the flexible circuit film by the fine-pitched metal bumps using a chip-on-film (COF) technology or tape-automated-bonding (TAB) technology. A pitch of the neighboring metal bumps is less than 35 micrometers, such as between 10 and 30 micrometers.
US07964956B1

The present disclosure describes a unique pin configuration for mounting of circuit packages to corresponding host circuit boards. For example, an apparatus according to embodiments herein comprises a circuit, a substrate, and multiple conductive leads. The substrate has a surface on which the circuit (e.g., an integrated circuit) is mounted. The multiple conductive leads extend, in an orthogonal manner relative to the surface, through the substrate to electrically connect the circuit to a host circuit board. According to one embodiment, each respective conductive lead of the multiple conductive leads has been altered to produce a contact element (e.g., an L-shaped bend, J-shaped bend, etc.) at an axial end of the respective conductive lead opposite the substrate to solder the axial end of the respective conductive lead (i.e., contact element) to a surface mount pad of the host circuit board.
US07964953B2

A stacked type chip package structure including a backplate, a circuit substrate, a first chip, a second chip, and a conductive film is provided. The backplate comprises a circuit layer. The circuit substrate is disposed on the backplate, and has an upper surface and an opposite lower surface. Besides, the circuit substrate has a receiving hole corresponding to the backplate. The first chip is disposed inside the receiving hole, and the first chip is electrically connected to the circuit substrate through the circuit layer of the backplate. The second chip is disposed above the first chip, and is electrically connected to the circuit substrate. The conductive film is disposed between the first chip and the second chip, wherein the conductive film is electrically connected to a ground of the circuit substrate.
US07964952B2

A stackable package substrate has an opening shaped and dimensioned to accommodate but not contact a mold cap of a package upon which the stackable package is to be mounted. On the die attach surface, the frame substrate accommodates a die attach margin adjacent at the edge of the opening; and a row of wire bond sites arranged along at an outer frame edge, for electrical interconnection. The frame substrate accommodates z-interconnect ball pads arranged to align with corresponding z-interconnect pads on the substrate of a package. A stackable package has a frame substrate. A stacked package assembly includes a second package mounted on a first package using peripheral solder ball z-interconnect, in which the first package includes a die enclosed by a mold cap and in which the second package includes one die mounted on the frame substrate.
US07964942B2

A lead frame has a die stage for mounting a semiconductor chip whose electrodes are electrically connected with leads via bonding wires, wherein they are enclosed in a molded resin, thus producing a semiconductor device. The outline of the die stage is shaped so as to be smaller than the outline of the semiconductor chip, and a plurality of cutouts are formed in the peripheral portion of the die stage so as to reduce the overall area of the die stage and to enhance the adhesion between the die stage and molded resin. The length L2 of each cutout ranges from (L1×0.05) to (L1×0.20) where L1 denotes the length of each side of the die stage, and the overall area S2 of the die stage ranges from (S1×0.10) to (S1×0.40) where S1 denotes the overall area of the semiconductor chip.
US07964938B2

The present invention relates to relates to a semiconductor package having a function of shielding electromagnetic interference (EMI), a manufacturing method thereof and a jig, and more particularly, to such a semiconductor package having an electromagnetic interference (EMI)-shielding function, a manufacturing method thereof and a jig for use in a plasma sputtering, in which a nickel alloy is coated on the surface of a semiconductor package by a sputtering method so as to shield electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated from the semiconductor package.
US07964935B2

A phase change random access memory comprises an under electrode; an interlayer insulating layer which is formed on the under electrode; an impurity diffusion layer which is embedded into a pore through the interlayer insulating layer; a phase change recording layer which is formed on the interlayer insulating layer; an upper electrode which is formed on the phase change recording layer; a side gate electrode which is located on an inner wall of the pore into which the impurity diffusion layer is embedded; and a side gate insulating layer which is located between the side gate electrode and the impurity diffusion layer, wherein the side gate electrode applies an electric field to the impurity diffusion layer via the side gate insulating lay, the impurity diffusion layer is depleted, and so that an effective diameter of the impurity diffusion layer can become smaller than the pore diameter.
US07964926B2

An image sensor package includes an image sensor chip, a handling substrate mounted on a front side of the image sensor chip and a through electrode disposed on a backside of the image sensor chip. The through electrode extends into the image sensor chip. Moreover, the image sensor chip includes a semiconductor substrate having a pixel region and a peripheral circuit region, a photoelectric transformation section disposed in the semiconductor substrate of the pixel region and a dielectric layer disposed on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate. The dielectric layer has a step region so that a top surface of the dielectric layer in the pixel region is lower than that of the dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region. The image sensor chip further includes a conductive pad disposed on the dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region and is electrically connected to the through electrode.
US07964923B2

The semiconductor structure is provided that has entirely self-aligned metallic contacts. The semiconductor structure includes at least one field effect transistor located on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The at least one field effect transistor includes a gate conductor stack comprising a lower layer of polysilicon and an upper layer of a first metal semiconductor alloy, the gate conductor stack having sidewalls that include at least one spacer. The structure further includes a second metal semiconductor alloy layer located within the semiconductor substrate at a footprint of the at least one spacer. The structure also includes a first metallic contact comprising a metal from Group VIII or IB of the Periodic Table of Elements and at least one of W, B, P, Mo and Re located on, and self-aligned to the first metal semiconductor alloy layer and a second metallic contact comprising a metal from Group VIII or IB of the Periodic Table of Elements and at least one of W, B, P, Mo and Re located on, and self-aligned to the second metal semiconductor alloy layer.
US07964920B2

A semiconductor device can include at least a first diffusion region formed by doping a semiconductor substrate and at least a second diffusion region formed by doping the semiconductor substrate that is separated from the first diffusion region by an isolation region. At least a first conductive line can comprise a semiconductor material formed over and in contact with the first diffusion region and the second diffusion region. A portion of the first conductive line in contact with the first diffusion region is doped to an opposite conductivity type as the first diffusion region. At least a second conductive line comprising a semiconductor material is formed in parallel with the first conductive line and over and in contact with the first diffusion region and the second diffusion region. A portion of the second conductive line can be in contact with the first diffusion region and doped to a same conductivity type as the first diffusion region. A portion of the second conductive line in contact with the second diffusion region can be doped to a same conductivity type as the second diffusion region.
US07964913B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type formed thereon. The semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type is characterized by a first thickness. The semiconductor device includes a set of trenches having a predetermined depth and extending into the semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type, thereby defining interfacial regions disposed between the semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type and each of the trenches. The trenches comprises a distal portion consisting essentially of a dielectric material disposed therein and a proximal portion comprising the dielectric material and a gate material disposed interior to the dielectric material in the proximal portion of the trench. The semiconductor device further includes a source region coupled to the semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type.
US07964900B2

A semiconductor substrate includes semi-insulating portions beneath openings in a patterned hardmask film formed over a semiconductor substructure to a thickness sufficient to prevent charged particles from passing through the hardmask. The semi-insulating portions include charged particles and may extend deep into the semiconductor substrate and electrically insulate devices formed on opposed sides of the semi-insulating portions. The charged particles may advantageously be protons and further substrate portions covered by the patterned hardmask film are substantially free of the charged particles.
US07964895B2

A III-nitride heterojunction power semiconductor device having a barrier layer that includes a region of reduced nitrogen content.
US07964891B2

The present invention provides a light-emitting element having a structure in which the drive voltage is comparatively low and a light-emitting element in which the increase in the drive voltage over time is small. Further, the present invention provides a display device in which the drive voltage and the increase in the drive voltage over time are small and which can resist long-term use. A layer in contact with an electrode in a light-emitting element is a layer containing a P-type semiconductor or a hole-generating layer such as an organic compound layer containing a material having electron-accepting properties. The light-emitting layer is sandwiched between the hole-generating layers, and an electron-generating layer is sandwiched between the light-emitting layer and the hole-generating layer on a cathode side.
US07964888B2

A submount for a light emitting device package includes a rectangular substrate. A first bond pad and a second bond pad are on a first surface of the substrate. The first bond pad includes a die attach region offset toward a first end of the substrate and configured to receive a light emitting diode thereon. The second bond pad includes a bonding region between the first bond pad and the second end of the substrate and a second bond pad extension that extends from the bonding region along a side of the substrate toward a corner of the substrate at the first end of the substrate. First and second solder pads are a the second surface of the substrate. The first solder pad is adjacent the first end of the substrate and contacts the second bond pad. The second solder pad is adjacent the second end of the substrate and contacts the first bond pad. Related LED packages and methods of forming LED packages are disclosed.
US07964873B2

A thin film transistor array panel is provided, which includes: a substrate; a first polysilicon member that is formed on the substrate and includes an intrinsic region, at least one first extrinsic region, and at least one second extrinsic region disposed between the intrinsic region and the at least one first extrinsic region and having an impurity concentration lower than the at least one first extrinsic region; a first insulator formed on the first polysilicon member and having an edge substantially coinciding with a boundary between the at least one first extrinsic region and the at least one second extrinsic region; and a first electrode formed on the first• insulator and having an edge substantially coinciding with a boundary between the intrinsic region and the at least one second extrinsic region.
US07964871B2

A thin-film transistor including a channel layer being formed of an oxide semiconductor transparent to visible light and having a refractive index of nx, a gate-insulating layer disposed on one face of the channel layer, and a transparent layer disposed on the other face of the channel layer and having a refractive index of nt, where there is a relationship of nx>nt. A thin-film transistor including a substrate having a refractive index of no, a transparent layer disposed on the substrate and having a refractive index of nt, and a channel layer disposed on the transparent layer and having a refractive index of nx, where there is a relationship of nx>nt>no.
US07964865B2

A method for forming a semiconductor substrate structure is provided. A compressively strained SiGe layer is formed on a silicon substrate. Atoms are ion-implanted onto the SiGe layer to cause end-of-range damage. Annealing is performed to relax the strained SiGe layer. During the annealing, interstitial dislocation loops are formed as uniformly distributed in the SiGe layer. The interstitial dislocation loops provide a basis for nucleation of misfit dislocations between the SiGe layer and the silicon substrate. Since the interstitial dislocation loops are distributed uniformly, the misfit locations are also distributed uniformly, thereby relaxing the SiGe layer. A tensilely strained silicon layer is formed on the relaxed SiGe layer.
US07964860B2

An energy saving driving circuit and method is provided for use with a solid state relay (SSR). The circuit and method reduce the overall energy required to drive a solid state relay by maintaining the SSR in an “on” state with a minimal maintenance or holding current after applying a turn-on current. The driving circuit includes a control circuit configured for outputting a control signal; a turn-on circuit configured for providing an output current at a first current level for a first time period in response to the control signal; and a holding circuit configured for maintaining said output current at a second reduced current level for a second time period. The maintenance or holding current is reduced in respect of that of a conventional driving current, and in some cases may be an order of magnitude or more less in magnitude than a conventional driving current, thereby resulting in less energy consumed by the SSR.
US07964857B2

A method for generating radiation in a range of desired wavelengths in a direction of emission is provided. According to the method, initial radiation is produced by a radiation source, the wavelengths thereof including the desired range, and the initial radiation is filtered in such a way as to substantially eliminate the initial radiation beams having a wavelength outside the desired range. The inventive method is characterized in that the filtering is carried out by setting up a controlled distribution of the refractive index of the beams in a control region through which the initial radiation passes, in such a way as to selectively deviate the beams of the initial radiation according to the wavelength thereof and to recover the beams having desired wavelengths. The invention also relates to an associated device.
US07964856B2

In an ion implanting apparatus 10 including a separation slit 20 which receives an ion beam 1 having passed through a mass-separation electromagnet 17 and allows a desired type of ion to selectively pass therethrough, the separation slit 20 is operable to vary a shape of a gap through which the ion beam 1 passes. In addition, the ion implanting apparatus 10 includes a variable slit 30 which is disposed between an extraction electrode system 15 and the mass-separation electromagnet 17 so as to form a gap through which the ion beam 1 passes and is operable to vary a shape of the gap so as to shield a part of the ion beam 1 extracted from the ion source 12. The ion implanting apparatus 10 may include both or one of the separation slit 20 and the variable slit 30.
US07964855B2

A scintillator panel exhibiting enhanced emission luminance is disclosed, comprising a phosphor layer containing a phosphor capable of emitting light upon exposure to radiation, a substrate supporting the phosphor layer and a protective film covering the phosphor layer and the substrate, wherein the phosphor layer comprises two or more layers, and satisfying the following expression 1: 1.0≦B/A≦1000   Expression 1: wherein B is an average activator concentration (mol %) of an uppermost phosphor layer, based on a phosphor and A is an average activator concentration (mol %) of the other phosphor layers, based on a phosphor.
US07964845B2

The charged particle beam device of this invention separately detects secondary signal particles emitted from the surface of a sample, dark field signal particles scattered within and transmitted through the sample, bright field signal particles transmitted through the sample without being scattered within the sample, and thereby allows the operator to observe the image with an optimum contrast according to applications. In order to detect only the dark field transmitted signal particles scattered within the sample, among the transmitted signal particles obtained by the primary charged particle beams having transmitted through the thin film sample, the device includes a transmitted signal conversion member having an opening through which the bright field transmitted signal particles not being scattered within the sample can pass, and a detection means for detecting signals colliding against the conversion member.
US07964838B2

The present invention discloses a photosensitive circuit comprising a photosensitivity unit, a capacitance and a switch unit. The photosensitivity unit is capable of receiving a received light, and the capacitance is capable of storing a photoelectric current corresponding to the received light. The switch unit is used to respectively provide the positive voltage of the capacitance to a comparison unit at a first time period, and the negative voltage of the capacitance to a comparison unit at a second time period. The comparison unit outputs a detection value according to the positive voltage and the negative voltage of the capacitance, the detection value is related to the distance between an object and the photosensitive circuit. The present invention further disclose a photosensitive chip to drive a luminescent unit to provide a detective light. The photosensitive chip comprises a sampling clock generator, the ambient light sensor unit, a proximity sensor unit and a driving clock generator.
US07964836B2

A solid-state imaging device includes a light receiving section (LRS) comprising pixels. The LRS is divided into division regions; a charge transferring section (CTS) transferring charges accumulated in the LRS; an accumulation control electrode provided between the LRS and the CTS transfers charge accumulated in the LRS to the CTS responsive to an accumulation control signal; a monitoring sensor group comprising monitoring sensors respectively provided for the division regions, outputting sensor outputs of the monitoring sensors corresponding to charges amounts of the division regions; a charge detecting circuit outputting a charge detection signal indicating that a predetermined charge quantity is accumulated in at least one of the division regions, based on the sensor outputs from the monitoring sensor group; and a signal control circuit outputting the accumulation control signal in response to the charge detection signal. The charge detecting circuit comprises division region charge detecting sections for the monitoring sensors.
US07964835B2

Digital camera systems and methods are described that provide a color digital camera with direct luminance detection. The luminance signals are obtained directly from a broadband image sensor channel without interpolation of RGB data. The chrominance signals are obtained from one or more additional image sensor channels comprising red and/or blue color band detection capability. The red and blue signals are directly combined with the luminance image sensor channel signals. The digital camera generates and outputs an image in YCrCb color space by directly combining outputs of the broadband, red and blue sensors.
US07964833B2

The invention pertains to methods, components, and operations of multi-focal intraocular lens systems, including range finding for driving same and for discriminating between multiple objects and varying brightness conditions. The invention also pertains to intraocular photosensors and range-finding methods to be used with intra-ocular lens systems, and components, that provide multi-focal IOL capabilities in dynamic visual environments.
US07964829B2

An apparatus for forming a bag assembly includes opposing die members. Each die member has a perimeter-welding portion for forming a perimeter-weld of the bag assembly and a tube-welding portion for forming a tube-weld of the bag. During operation, first the perimeter-welding and tube-welding portions weld the bag assembly simultaneously, then the perimeter-welding portions are moved to increase the distance between them. When the perimeter-welding portions are moved apart, welding by the perimeter-welding portions is generally suspended while welding by the tube-welding portions may continue.
US07964819B2

Various methods and systems measure, determine, or align a position of a laser beam spot relative to a semiconductor substrate having structures on or within the semiconductor substrate to be selectively processed by delivering a processing laser beam to a processing laser beam spot. The various methods and systems utilize those structures themselves to perform the measurement, determination, or alignment.
US07964797B2

Cables including a plurality of twisted pairs of insulated conductors, a separator disposed among the plurality of twisted pairs so as to physically separate a first twisted pair from a second twisted pair, and a jacket surrounding the plurality of twisted pairs and the separator. The jacket may include a plurality of protrusions extending away from an inner circumferential surface of the jacket toward a center of the cable. The plurality of protrusions are configured so as to hold the plurality of twisted pairs away from the inner circumferential surface of the jacket, and may provide an air gap between the plurality of twisted pairs of insulated conductors and the inner circumferential surface of the jacket.
US07964795B2

There is disclosed a wire harness fixing structure for fixing a wire harness to a mounting portion, the wire harness comprising wires, and a corrugated tube through which the wires pass. The corrugated tube is divided into a plurality of sections in a longitudinal direction thereof. That portion of the wires exposed at a division portion is held by a fixing device, and the fixing device is fixed to the mounting portion.
US07964794B2

An outlet box arrangement having an adjustable capacity for receiving electric outlets includes an outlet box having a side wall, a top wall and bottom wall extending therefrom defining an outlet socket. A top flange and bottom flange extending from the top wall and bottom wall, respectively, on which flange mounting holes are provided for enabling the outlet box to assemble with an outlet box cover for protecting the electric outlets installed in the outlet socket. Further, the outlet box is adapted to assemble with another in an edge-to-edge manner by securing the flange mounting holes of the two outlet boxes with fasteners, thereby expanding the outlet socket to receive additional electric outlets.
US07964791B2

A first electrode layer 14 is formed on a mica substrate 54, and then first scribe portions 64 are disposed. Next, a light absorbing layer 16 and a buffer layer 18 are disposed on the first electrode layer 14, and through holes (second scribe portions 66) which penetrate from the upper end face of the buffer layer 18 to the lower end face of the mica substrate 54 are formed in a spot-like manner. Then, a second electrode layer 20 is disposed on the buffer layer 18. At this time, the lower end face of the second electrode layer 20 reaches the first electrode layer 14 along the inner peripheral walls of the second scribe portions 66. Furthermore, the second electrode layer 20 is scribed to dispose third scribe portions 70.
US07964790B2

Disclosed herein are a novel dye for a photoelectric device and a photoelectric device comprising the dye. More particularly, the dye for a photoelectric device incorporates different quaternary ammoniums into a carboxyl or phosphoric acid-substituted bipyridyl ligand of the dye, and a photoelectric device comprising the same. The dye for a photoelectric device as disclosed herein exhibits improved photosensitivity and light absorbing characteristics, thereby making it possible to fabricate a highly efficient photoelectric device when the dye is included in the device.
US07964787B2

A hybrid means for producing and storing power derived from a photovoltaic source through pneumatic, mechanical and chemical means utilizing pressure tanks, air turbines and batteries. To regulate the device a plurality of control and routing devices are utilized to redistribute additional energy to an appropriate chemical or pressurized means for storing potential energy for later use.
US07964769B2

Isolated nucleic acids and proteins associated with lipid and sugar metabolism regulation are provided. In particular, lipid metabolism proteins (LMP) and encoding nucleic acids originating from Arabidopsis thaliana are provided. The nucleic acids and proteins are used in methods of producing transgenic plants and modulating levels of seed storage compounds. Preferably, the seed storage compounds are lipids, fatty acids, starches or seed storage proteins.
US07964768B2

Improved non-dehiscent sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) designated Sesaco 27 (S27) is herein disclosed. Its degree of shatter resistance, or seed retention, makes S27 suitable for mechanized harvesting and for selection for sesame crop growth in certain geographical locations, particularly where lodging is a high risk factor.
US07964762B2

The present invention relates to a process for the producing propylene and ethylene from a light hydrocarbon stream comprising essentially ethane and butane. The process involves a non-catalytic cracking of ethane and normal-butane followed by a metathesis of ethylene and 2-butene to increase the propylene yield. Optionally the by-produced iso-butane is dehydrogenated and subsequently the produced iso-butene is converted to other valuable products like di-isobutylene, alkylate for gasoline blending tertiary-butyl-ethers, poly-isobutylene methyl-metacrylate or isoprene.
US07964756B2

Disclosed is a process for absorbing methylacrolein, characterized in that it absorbs methylacrolein by an absorbent comprising an ionic liquid. The absorbent can absorb methylacrolein effectively, and it is easy to be separated from methylacrolein, regenerated and recycled. It is a green absorbent. The technique is a green methylacrolein absorbing and separating technique.
US07964753B2

A method of preparation of a highly pure salt of R,R-formoterol L-tartrate is disclosed. The process provides the most thermodynamically stable polymorph by recrystallization of a novel polymorph.
US07964735B2

Novel 3-acylaminobenzanilides of the formula (I) wherein R1 represents phenyl which may be substituted or a 5-member or 6-member heterocyclic ring group, which may be substituted, containing at least one hetero-atom selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S; R2 represents halogen, C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 haloalkyl; R3 represents C1-6 haloalkyl, C1-6 haloalkoxy, C1-6 haloalkylthio, C1-6 haloalkylsulfinyl, or C1-6 haloalkylsulfonyl; R4 represents halogen, C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 haloalkyl; X represents halogen, C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 haloalkyl; and n represents 0 or 1 and the compounds are used as insecticides, and a use of the new compounds as insecticides.
US07964733B2

Compounds of Formula I wherein R1, A, R2, R3, R4, R5, n, m and q are as described in the specification, pharmaceutically-acceptable salts, methods of making, pharmaceutical compositions containing and methods for using the same.
US07964725B2

The invention relates to a novel group of compounds of Formula (I) or a salt thereof: wherein R1, R2, R3, n, A and HET-1 are as described in the specification, which may be useful in the treatment or prevention of a disease or medical condition mediated through glucokinase (GLK) such as type 2 diabetes. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds, methods of treatment of diseases mediated by GLK using said compounds and methods for preparing compounds of Formula (I).
US07964715B2

The promoter region and various fragments thereof for the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) ribonucleotide reductase small subunit (R2) are disclosed. Nucleic acids and host cells that contain the promoter sequences are also disclosed. Further disclosed are various methods involving the use of these sequences.
US07964700B2

A novel protease, Taspase1, is described. Taspase1 is involved in the cleavage of the myeloid/lymphoid or mixed-lineage leukemia (i.e., MLL) protein, which is required for proper HOX gene regulation. Diagnostic methods utilizing Taspase1 are provided, as well as inhibitors of Taspase1. Methods of using the inhibitors of Taspase1 are also described. For example an inhibitor of Taspase1 can be used to treat a cancer, e.g., leukemia, in a subject.
US07964696B2

The present invention relates to chain extenders, processes for their preparation and their use in the preparation of biocompatible biodegradable polyurethanes and polyurethane ureas for biomedical applications such as stents, scaffolds for tissue engineering. The chain extenders comprise a compound of formula (I)
US07964694B2

The invention relates to polysiloxanes of the general formula (I) [M′Dn]3T  (I), in which: M′ is XSiY2O1/2 D is SiY2O2/2 T is SiZO3/2 and a process for the preparation thereof and their use as additives in aqueous surfactant-containing formulations.
US07964690B2

A methacrylic resin comprising 80 to 98.5 wt % of methyl methacrylate monomer unit and 1.5 to 20 wt % of at least one different vinyl monomer unit copolymerizable with methyl methacrylate, characterized in that the methacrylic resin has a weight average molecular weight measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of 60,000 to 230,000 and comprises 7 to 30% of a component having a weight average molecular weight of ⅕ or less of a peak weight average molecular weight (Mp) obtained from a GPC elution curve based on the methacrylic resin component.
US07964679B2

A process for preparing 1-butene polymers, comprising polymerizing 1-butene or copolymerizing 1-butene with ethylene, propylene or an alpha-olefin of formula CH2═CHT wherein T is a C3-C10 alkyl group, in the presence of a catalyst system obtainable by contacting: A) a metallocene compound belonging to formula (I): wherein M is zirconium titanium or hafnium; X, equal to or different from each other, is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydrocarbon radical, optionally containing heteroatoms; R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12 and R13 are hydrogen atoms, or C1-C4O hydrocarbon radicals optionally containing heteroatoms; R1, R2 and R3, are linear or branched, C1-C20-alkyl radicals, optionally containing heteroatoms: B) a lumoxane or a compound capable of forming an alkyl metallocene cation; and optionally C) organo aluminum compound.
US07964671B2

The present invention relates to a prepreg, a composite film, and a laminated material for circuit used for thermosetting composite resin compositions and printed circuit boards, and particularly to a thermosetting composite resin composition mixed with COP (Cyclo Olefin Polymer) and thermally cross-linkable resin, wherein the COP having excellent electrical characteristics at a high frequency and thermally cross-linkable resin are blended to allow having a less dielectric constant and a less dielectric loss than those of the conventional composite resin composition, and inorganic fillers such as ceramic material, metal material, carbon black are added to allow having dielectric characteristics covering from a low dielectric constant to a high dielectric constant.
US07964669B2

A thermosetting resin comprising a reacted A) first partially crosslinked glyoxalated polymer comprising a reacted (i) first polyacrylamide backbone and (ii) a first glyoxal component; and B) a second crosslinked glyoxalated polymer comprising a reacted (i) second polyacrylamide backbone and (ii) a second glyoxyal component; such that the first polyacrylamide backbone has a molecular weight that is less than the molecular weight of the second polyacrylamide backbone; and the first polyacrylamide backbone and the second polyacrylamide backbone have a weight ratio ranging from 75:25 to 95:5. Methods for making and using the resin. Fibrous substrates made with the resin.
US07964663B2

Halogen-free, flame-retardant, crack-resistant, cable coatings are prepared from a composition comprising: A) 3 to 10 percent by weight of a low-melting temperature and medium to high grafted level maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene using a VLDPE base resin having density ranging from 0.86 to 0.91 g/cm3 and made with a single-site catalyst; B) 15 to 25% by weight of at least one EEA or EVA; C) 5 to 20% by weight of an α-olefin polymer; and D) 40 to 65% by weight of a flame retardant inorganic filler.
US07964661B2

A flame resistant thermoplastic resin composition having improved impact resistance and chemical resistance is provided. The flame resistant thermoplastic resin composition includes about 100 parts by weight of a base resin; about 3 to about 20 parts by weight of a halogen-containing flame retardant (C); and about 0.1 to about 6 parts by weight of an antimony-containing flame retarding aid (D). The base resin includes about 20 to about 99% by weight of an epoxy group-containing rubber modified aromatic vinyl based resin (A) comprising about 1 to about 99% by weight of an epoxy-containing rubber modified aromatic vinyl based copolymer (Al), about 1 to about 99% by weight of an epoxy-containing vinyl copolymer (A2), and about 0 to about 98% by weight of an aromatic vinyl based copolymer (A3), and about 1 to about 80% by weight of a polyester resin (B).
US07964654B2

Compounds represented by the following structural formulas can be used as photoacid generators: Such compounds are useful, for example, in fabricating arrays of polymers.
US07964640B2

The present invention relates to new substances which are derived from naturally occurring straight-chain and unbranched fatty acids and also from semi-synthetic and synthetic compounds with principally the same structure in that they represent dimers, trimers, tetramers or higher oligomers of the starting substances.
US07964639B2

A method of minimizing or reducing the toxicity of a retinoid having a free carboxyl group and the resulting modified retinoids are described. The method comprises the step of esterifying the carboxyl group of the retinoid with a highly sterically hindered compound, which is preferably a secondary or tertiary alcohol. The resulting retinoid esters are rendered much less toxic than the starting or parent retinoid. This process provides a retinoid ester analog of reduced toxicity so that it may be administered orally with minimal side effects and with a much greater therapeutic window. The modified retinoid compounds are useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of all diseases and disorders where retinoid compounds have been shown effective.
US07964627B2

The present invention relates to novel amino arylsulfonamide compounds of the formula (I), their derivatives, their stereoisomers, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions containing them: The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of above said novel compounds, their derivatives, their stereoisomers, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions containing them. The compounds of the invention are useful in the treatment of various disorders that are related to 5-HT6 receptor functions. Specifically, the compounds of this invention are also useful in the treatment of various CNS disorders, hematological disorders, eating disorders, obesity, anxiety, depression, diseases associated with pain, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
US07964617B2

Described is a method for treating an individual having a neurological disorder with an associated mutation or mutations in a gene encoding a lysosomal enzyme. Specifically, the individual is administered a specific pharmacological chaperone for the lysosomal enzyme which increases trafficking of the protein from the ER to the lysosome in neural cells, with or without concomitantly increasing enzyme activity in neural cells. Restoration of trafficking relieves cell stress and other toxicities associated with accumulation of mutant proteins. Restoration of enzyme activity relieves substrate accumulation and pathologies associated with lipid accumulation. In a specific embodiment, the neurological disorder is Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism which is associated with mutations in glucocerebrosidase.
US07964613B2

A compound represented by the formula (1) [A represents a nitrogen-containing saturated ring; m represents an integer of 0 to 2; n represents an integer of 1 to 4; G1 represents hydrogen atom, chlorine atom, hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, or amino group; G2 represents a halogen atom, hydroxyl group, cyano group, carboxy group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an amino group, an alkylsulfinyl group, an alkylsulfonyl group, or an aryl group; G3 represents hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxyl group, cyano group, carboxy group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an amino group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an acyl group, an acyloxy group, an alkylsulfinyl group, an alkylsulfonyl group, or an aryl group; Y represents a single bond, or —C(R3)(R4)— (R3 and R4 represent hydrogen atom, or an alkyl group, or alkylene groups which combine together to form a saturated hydrocarbon ring group); G4 represents hydroxyl group (Y is a single group), or —N(R1)(R2) (R1 and R2 represent hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, a saturated heterocyclic group, an alkylsulfonyl group, an acyl group, or an amidino group); G5 is a substituent on a ring-constituting carbon atom of A, and represents hydrogen atom, fluorine atom, or an alkyl group] or a salt thereof, or a derivative thereof that is a prodrug, which potently inhibits Rho kinase.
US07964610B2

Ester derivatives of the phenolic hydroxyl group of buprenorphine can be used in the treatment of opiate dependency and/or moderate to severe pain. The esters have an enhanced bioavailability, an enhanced duration of action, and a reduced abuse potential.
US07964608B2

The present invention relates to chemical compounds of Formula (I) are as herein defined, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of use in the treatment of conditions or disorders mediated by TNF-alpha or by PDE4, including but not limited to rheumatoid arthritis.
US07964603B2

The present invention refers to substituted tetrahydro-quinoline-sulfonamide compounds of general formula (I): a method for their preparation, a medicament comprising these compounds and the use of substituted tetrahydro-quinoline-sulfonamide compounds for the preparation of medicaments for 5-HT6 receptor regulation as well as for the treatment of disorders related thereto.
US07964582B2

The present invention features a method of treating atrophy of skin or mucosal tissue by administering to skin or mucosal tissue in need of such treatment a composition including a tensioning polymer, said method selected from the group consisting of thickening said skin or mucosal tissue, enhancing extracellular matrix production in said skin or mucosal tissue, and enhancing the barrier function of said skin or mucosal tissue.
US07964579B2

The present invention relates to compositions and methods which enhance the delivery of oligonucleotides and other nucleosidic moieties via topical routes of administration. Preferred compositions include liposomes or penetration enhancers for the delivery of such moieties to dermal and/or epidermal tissue in an animal for investigative, therapeutic or prophylactic purposes.
US07964578B2

This invention features conjugates, degradable linkers, compositions, methods of synthesis, and applications thereof, including cholesterol, folate, galactose, galactosamine, N-acetyl galactosamine, PEG, phospholipid, peptide and human serum albumin (HSA) derived conjugates of biologically active compounds, including antibodies, antivirals, chemotherapeutics, peptides, proteins, hormones, nucleosides, nucleotides, non-nucleosides, and nucleic acids including enzymatic nucleic acids, DNAzymes, allozymes, antisense, dsRNA, siNA, siRNA, triplex oligonucleotides, 2,5-A chimeras, decoys and aptamers.
US07964574B2

AS-oligonucleotides are delivered in microsphere form in order to induce dendritic cell tolerance, particularly in the non-obese-diabetic (NOD) mouse model. The microspheres incorporate antisense (AS) oligonucleotides. A process includes using an antisense approach to reverse an autoimmune diabetes condition in NOD mice in vivo. The oligonucleotides are targeted to bind to primary transcripts CD40, CD80, CD86 and their combinations.
US07964572B2

Methods are described for the identification and preparation of high-affinity Nucleic Acid Ligands to Complement System Proteins. Methods are described for the identification and preparation of high affinity Nucleic Acid Ligands to Complement System Proteins C1q, C3 and C5. Included in the invention are specific RNA ligands to C1q, C3 and C5 identified by the SELEX method.
US07964569B2

Compounds and methods are provided for obtaining oligosaccharide mimics. More specifically, compounds and methods are described wherein oligosaccharide mimics are obtained by incorporating or substituting in a cyclohexane derivative.
US07964567B2

Auristatin peptides, including MeVal-Val-Dil-Dap-Norephedrine (MMAE) and MeVal-Val-Dil-Dap-Phe (MMAF), were prepared and attached to Ligands through various linkers, including maleimidocaproyl-val-cit-PAB. The resulting ligand drug conjugates were active in vitro and in vivo.
US07964565B2

In one aspect the present invention provides methods for inhibiting cell death or inflammation in a mammal, wherein the methods each include the step of administering to a mammal a Bcl protein in an amount sufficient to inhibit cell death or inflammation in the mammal. The invention also provides methods for identifying a Bcl protein that inhibits cell death or inflammation when administered to a mammal.
US07964562B2

A novel ovulatory induction paradigm entails administration of hCG in combination with FSH during all stages of treatment, where the ratio of FSH to hCG is adjusted to optimize ovulatory stimulation and minimize complications. The use of compositions characterized by various FSH:hCG ratios enables the practitioner readily to tailor the treatment regimen and accommodate different therapeutic goals as well as individual patient responses to gonadotropin administration.
US07964558B2

The present invention relates to administration of C-peptide in a once daily dose for use in the treatment of diabetes and diabetic complications.
US07964555B2

A method of causing cardiomyocyte growth and/or differentiation, the method comprising exposing a cardiomyocyte to neuregulin (NRG) thereby activating the MAP kinase pathway in the cardiomyocyte and causing growth and/or differentiation of the cardiomyocyte. Use of neuregulin, neuregulin polypeptide, neuregulin derivatives, or compounds which mimic the activities of neuregulins in the treatment or management of heart disease and heart failure in a mammal.
US07964548B2

The disclosure relates to an enzyme stabilization system, compositions with the enzyme stabilization system, and methods of using the enzyme composition. Preferred ratios of acid to amine are effective at stabilizing enzyme. Optional nonionic surfactants and solvents also positively contribute to enzyme stability. The compositions are useful in cleaning applications.
US07964547B2

Cleaner concentrates, associated cleaners, and associated methods are disclosed. The cleaner concentrates are capable for use in making cleaners that are capable of removing from surfaces fresh, greasy soils and polymerized soils more recently encountered in the food service industry originating from non-trans-fat oils. The cleaner concentrates include one or more alkalinity sources, one or more chelants, one or more surfactants, and as a remainder, water. The one or more alkalinity sources may be present in an amount sufficient to provide a free alkalinity (expressible as Na2O) of greater than about 3.6 wt % and a total alkalinity (expressible as Na2O) of greater than about 6.1 wt %, based on the total weight of the cleaner concentrate. The one or more chelants may be present in an amount sufficient to permit a use of a water having a hardness number up to about 600 ppm (600 mg/L) or more.
US07964543B2

The present invention is directed to Mannich condensation product sequestering agents or mixtures of Mannich condensation product sequestering agents for use in fuels and lubricating oils. The present invention is also directed to a process for preparing the Mannich condensation product sequestering agents. The present invention is also directed to a product formed by combining, under reaction conditions, a polyisobutyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic compound, an aldehyde, an amino acid or ester thereof, and an alkali metal base to form the Mannich condensation product sequestering agent. The present invention is also directed to a lubricating oil composition, a lubricating oil concentrate, a fuel composition, and a fuel concentrate having the Mannich condensation product sequestering agents of the present invention.
US07964539B2

This invention provides a method of controlling water in a subterranean formation, said method comprising contacting said formation with a water control treatment agent which comprises an organosilane in an amount effective to reduce the water permeability of at least part of said formation. At the same time, any decrease in the overall hydrocarbon (e.g. oil) permeability of said formation is preferably minimized. The invention further provides a method of plugging or sealing a subterranean formation.
US07964535B2

The present invention relates to artificial receptors and arrays or microarrays of artificial receptors or candidate artificial receptors. Each member of the array includes a plurality of building block compounds, typically immobilized in a spot on a support. The present invention also includes the building blocks, combinations of building blocks, arrays of building blocks, and receptors constructed of these building blocks together with a support. The present invention also includes methods of making and using these arrays and receptors.
US07964533B2

The invention relates to a method for producing a high temperature superconductor (HTSC) from a strip including an upper side precursor layer and which, for continuous sintering of the precursor layer within a furnace in the presence of a fed-in reaction gas, is drawn across a support. A furnace for performing the method is also described.
US07964527B2

Catalytic compositions useful, e.g., for the treatment of internal combustion engine exhaust gases, are based on zirconium oxide in a weight proportion of at least 25%, from 15% to 60% of cerium oxide, from 10% to 25% of yttrium oxide, from 2% to 10% of lanthanum oxide and from 2% to 15% of another rare earth oxide, have a specific surface of at least 15 m2/g and a cubic phase, and are prepared from a mixture of zirconium, cerium, yttrium, lanthanum and the additional rare earth, by precipitating such mixture with a base, heating the precipitate in an aqueous medium, adding thereto a surfactant and calcining the precipitate.
US07964525B2

A stable catalyst with low volumetric shrinkage and a process for making the stable catalyst with low volumetric shrinkage is disclosed. The catalyst is made by sulfiding a catalyst precursor containing at least a Group VIB metal compound; at least a promoter metal compound selected from Group VIII, Group IIB, Group IIA, Group IVA and combinations thereof, having an oxidation state of either +2 or +4; optionally at least a ligating agent; optionally at least a diluent. In the process of making the catalyst, the catalyst precursor is first shaped then heat treated at a temperature of 50° C. to 200° C. for about 15 minutes to 12 hours, wherein the catalyst precursor still has a low (less than 12%) volumetric shrinkage after exposure to a temperature of at least 100° C. for at least 30 minutes, e.g., in sulfidation or in a hydrotreating reactor.
US07964523B2

A powder composition for forming a highly expansible crystallized glass substantially free of alkali metals is disclosed, which composition can provide, through its firing at a temperature of not more than 900° C., a seal between metal and ceramic. The powder composition is a powder composition for the formation of a sealing crystallized glass which is substantially free of alkali metals and consists of the powder of a glass containing, calculated as oxides, SiO2: 10-30% by mass, B2O3: 20-30% by mass, CaO: 10-40% by mass, MgO: 15-40% by mass, BaO+SrO+ZnO: 0-10% by mass, La2O3: 0-5% by mass, Al2O3: 0-5% by mass, and RO2: 0-3% by mass (wherein R represents Zr, Ti, or Sn), wherein the crystallized glass that is formed by firing the powder composition at 900±50° C. has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 90-120×10−7/° C. at 50-550 ° C.
US07964522B2

An F-doped silica glass, a process for making the glass, an optical member comprising the glass, and an optical system comprising such optical member. The glass material comprises 0.1-5000 ppm by weight of fluorine. The glass material according to certain embodiments of the present invention has low polarization-induced birefringence, low LIWFD and low induced absorption at 193 nm.
US07964518B1

Ballistic resistant materials having improved strength and lighter weights. More particularly, improved ballistic resistant fabrics produced from drawn, high modulus fibers having a reduced fiber diameter and improved physical strength properties, without changing other properties such as fiber chemistry, binder resin type and binder resin content. The fabrics incorporate low denier per filament monofilament fibers, low denier per filament multifilament fibers, or a combination of low denier per filament monofilament fibers and low denier per filament multifilament fibers in a specialized fabric construction to form fine fiber layers and fabrics having enhanced strength and fiber areal density without altering the fabric weight, or having reduced fabric weight without a corresponding reduction in ballistic performance.
US07964500B2

To solve a problem that it becomes difficult to lower contact resistance between nickel-based metal silicide and metal for contact as the result of the miniaturization of the hole. One invention of the present application is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a MISFET subjected to silicidation of a source/drain region and the like by nickel-based metal silicide, the method performing a heat treatment for the upper surface of a silicide film in a non-plasma reducing vapor phase atmosphere containing a gas having a nitrogen-hydrogen bond as one of main gas components, before forming a barrier metal at a contact hole provided at a pre-metal insulating film.
US07964499B2

Solar cells include a substrate having a light collecting surface thereon and a P-N rectifying junction within the substrate. The P-N rectifying junction includes a base region of first conductivity type (e.g., p-type) and a semiconductor layer of second conductivity type extending between the base region and the light collecting surface. A trench is also provided, which extends through the semiconductor layer and into the base region. First and second electrodes are provided adjacent the light collecting surface. The first electrode is electrically coupled to the semiconductor layer and the second electrode is electrically coupled to the base region, at a location adjacent a bottom of the trench.
US07964485B1

A method for forming a doped region of a semiconductor device includes masking a portion of a substrate with a mask. The mask is configured to create a graded doping profile within the doped region. The method also includes performing an implant using the mask to create doped areas and undoped areas in the substrate. The method further includes diffusing the doped areas to create the graded doping profile in the doped region. The mask could include a first region having openings distributed throughout a photo-resist material, where the openings vary in size and spacing. The mask could also include a second region having blocks of photo-resist material distributed throughout an open region, where the photo-resist blocks vary in size and spacing. Diffusing the doped areas could include applying a high temperature anneal to smooth the doped and undoped areas to produce a linearly graded doping profile.
US07964484B2

The gate tunnel leakage current is increased in the up-to-date process, so that it is necessary to reduce the gate tunnel leakage current in the LSI which is driven by a battery for use in a cellular phone and which needs to be in a standby mode at a low leakage current. In a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the ground source electrode lines of logic and memory circuits are kept at a ground potential in an active mode, and are kept at a voltage higher than the ground potential in an unselected standby mode. The gate tunnel leakage current can be reduced without destroying data.
US07964483B2

The present invention relates to a method for growing a nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer, which comprises the steps of growing a second nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer on a first nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer at a first temperature, growing a third nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer on the second nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer at a second temperature, and releasing nitrogen from the second nitride semiconductor epitaxial layer by increasing a temperature to a third temperature higher than the second temperature, thereby, it is possible to lower the defect density of epitaxial layers and reduce warpage of a substrate.
US07964482B2

The present invention provides a method for depositing or growing a group III-nitride layer, e.g. GaN layer (5), on a substrate (1), the substrate (1) comprising at least a Ge surface (3), preferably with hexagonal symmetry. The method comprises heating the substrate (1) to a nitridation temperature between 400° C. and 940° C. while exposing the substrate (1) to a nitrogen gas flow and subsequently depositing the group III-nitride layer, e.g. GaN layer (5), onto the Ge surface (3) at a deposition temperature between 100° C. and 940° C. By a method according to embodiments of the invention, a group III-nitride layer, e.g. GaN layer (5), with good crystal quality may be obtained. The present invention furthermore provides a group III-nitride/substrate structure formed by the method according to embodiments of the present invention and a semiconductor device comprising at least one such structure.
US07964467B2

A design structure is embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design. The design structure includes a high-leakage dielectric formed between a gate electrode and an outer portion of an active region of a FET. Also provided is a structure having a high-leakage dielectric formed between the gate electrode and the active region of the FET and a method of manufacturing such structure.
US07964442B2

The present invention generally provides a method for forming a dielectric barrier with lowered dielectric constant, improved etching resistivity and good barrier property. One embodiment provides a method for processing a semiconductor substrate comprising flowing a precursor to a processing chamber, wherein the precursor comprises silicon-carbon bonds and carbon-carbon bonds, and generating a low density plasma of the precursor in the processing chamber to form a dielectric barrier film having carbon-carbon bonds on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the at least a portion of carbon-carbon bonds in the precursor is preserved in the low density plasma and incorporated in the dielectric barrier film.
US07964441B2

A method is provided for low temperature catalyst-assisted atomic layer deposition of silicon-containing films such as SiO2 and SiN. The method includes exposing a substrate surface containing X—H functional groups to a first R1—X—R2 catalyst and a gas containing silicon and chlorine to form an X/silicon/chlorine complex on the surface, and forming a silicon-X layer terminated with the X—H functional groups by exposing the X/silicon/chlorine complex on the substrate surface to a second R1—X—R2 catalyst and a X—H functional group precursor. The method further includes one or more integrated in-situ reactive treatments that reduce or eliminate the need for undesired high-temperature post-deposition processing. One reactive treatment includes hydrogenating unreacted X—H functional groups and removing carbon and chlorine impurities from the substrate surface. Another reactive treatment saturates the silicon-X layer with additional X—H functional groups.
US07964431B2

A photovoltaic cell is formed by bonding a donor body to a receiver element and cleaving a thin lamina from the donor body. Electrical contact is made to the bonded surface of the lamina through vias formed in the lamina. In some embodiments the emitter exists only at the bonded surface or only at the cleaved surface face; the emitter does not wrap through the vias between the surfaces. Wiring contacting each of the two surfaces is formed only at the cleaved face, and one set of wiring contacts the bonded surface through conductive material formed in the vias, insulated from the via sidewalls.
US07964428B2

A method for fabricating a microelectromechanical or microoptoelectromechanical component. The method includes producing first and second layer composites. The first has a first substrate and a first insulation layer, which covers at least one part of the surface of the first substrate, while the second has a second substrate and a second insulation layer, which covers at least one part of the surface of the second substrate. An at least partly conductive structure layer is applied to the first insulation layers and the second composite is applied to the structure layer so that the second insulation layer adjoins the structure layer. The first and second layer composites and the structure layer are configured so that at least one part of the structure layer that comprises the active area of the microelectromechanical or microoptoelectromechanical component is hermetically tightly sealed by the first and second layer composites. Contact holes are formed for making contact with conductive regions of the structure layer within the first and/or second substrate.
US07964422B1

A method for controlling a semiconductor fabrication process includes the steps of analyzing process-data related to an intermediate-process-step in the fabrication process and adjusting a metal-layer-parameter corresponding to the metal layer based on the process-data.
US07964421B2

A position displacement between a substrate and a mask which is caused when the substrate and the mask are brought into close contact with each other is suppressed by a magnetic force. In a step of forming an organic compound layer (organic EL element film) included in an organic light-emitting display device on the substrate (2) through the mask (3) by vapor deposition, the substrate (2) is aligned with the mask (3) and then the substrate (2) is pressed to the mask (3) by a plurality of pressing members (5) to perform temporary fixation. While the position displacement between the substrate (2) and the mask (3) is suppressed by the temporary fixation, the substrate (2) is brought into close contact with the mask (3) by magnets (6). A plurality of positions of the substrate (2) which has aligned are temporarily fixed by the plurality of pressing members (5), respectively, so that high-precision patterning can be performed to prevent a deviation of the organic EL element film from an anode.
US07964409B1

The invention is collecting nose sweat and testing the nose sweat for levels of calcium. Testing may be done using standard laboratory procedures for calcium detection, or may be done cow-side using a suitable test for calcium levels, such as a water hardness test kit or a suitable test strip.
US07964407B2

Methods of marking products and of determining the origin or authenticity of marked products are provided that use a variety of natural materials as markers. The natural materials have unique genetically controlled micromorphological structures that can be identified using enhanced visualization techniques. For example, cellulosic plant materials, sporopollenin and diatoms can be used as the natural materials. The natural materials are added to products at sufficiently low levels so as not to have any significant effect on the products other than serving as markers. Dyes and reactants can be added to the natural materials to provide secondary markers. The secondary markers can be vacuum infused into hollow interior spaces of the materials, or placed in surface voids of the materials to remain secured in the marker structures until examined. Sub-cellular particles or heat sensitive molecules can also be used to provide a molecular thermometer for the markers.
US07964403B2

The subject invention provides a plant cell culture for producing proteinaceous agents comprising a plant cell line stably transformed to express a transgene encoding a proteinaceous agent and a growth medium which supports the growth of said plant cell culture but which does not support the growth of Mycoplasmataceae and contains no materials of animal origin. The plant cell line is capable of being continuously passaged such that consistent transgene expression is maintained during passaging. The plant cell line is also capable of being cryopreserved such that consistent transgene expression is recovered upon recovery from cryopreservation.
US07964399B2

The present invention relates to the use of ligands for the FLK-1 receptor for the modulation of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. The invention s based, in part, on the demonstration that Flk-1 tyrosine kinase receptor expression is associated with endothelial cells and the identification of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as the high affinity ligand of Flk-1. These results indicate a major role for Flk-1 in the signaling system during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Engineering of host cells that express Flk-1 and the uses of expressed Flk-1 to evaluate and screen for drugs and analogs of VEGF involved in Flk-1 modulation by either agonist or antagonist activities is described. The invention also relates to the use of FLK-1 ligands, including VEGF agonists and antagonists, in the treatment of disorders, including cancer, by modulating vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.
US07964390B2

A sensor probe suited for implanting into the skin of a person includes a sensor body which may be formed from a polymer which includes 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). A sensing system is supported by the body. The sensing system exhibits a detectable change when the probe is exposed to the analyte in the fluid. The sensing system may include an enzyme capable of catalyzing a reaction of the analyte to form a reaction product and a dye system which absorbs in the infrared region of the spectrum in response to the reaction product.
US07964385B2

A system is provided for thermophilically conditioning organic wastes of a substantially predetermined composition to form a feedstock which is applied to an upper surface of a worm bed. The worm bed is maintained in a dominantly mesophilic regime, wherein vermicastings and vermicompost are selective removed from the bottom of the worm bed.
US07964382B2

This invention provides a polynucleotide that encodes a protein having lactate dehydrogenase activity and such protein that can be used for producing D-lactic acid. This polynucleotide has the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 (a), and it hybridizes under stringent conditions with a probe comprising all or part of the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or a complementary strand thereof and encodes a protein having D-lactate dehydrogenase activity (b).
US07964381B2

The present invention relates to genetically modified proteins with uricolytic activity. More specifically, the invention relates to proteins comprising truncated urate oxidases and methods for producing them, including PEGylated proteins comprising truncated urate oxidases.
US07964380B2

Matrices for manipulation of biopolymers, including the separation, purification, immobilization and archival storage of biopolymers is disclosed.
US07964361B2

Disclosed are analogues of trimethine cyanine dyes, which are useful for importing fluorescent properties to target materials by covalent and non-covalent association.
US07964360B2

The invention relates to methods for determining the progression of cartilage degeneration diseases, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, by quantitating collagen synthesis and degradation markers in patient samples. One can determine whether a cartilage degeneration condition is progressing, regressing, or remaining stable by quantitating collagen synthesis and degradation markers in patient samples and comparing the value obtained to a reference value. When a joint affected by cartilage degeneration in question expresses collagen synthesis and degradation markers, a change in this value is indicative of a change in the progression of the cartilage degeneration condition. The methods and apparatus of the invention allow accurate determination of the therapeutic effects certain cartilage degeneration drug treatments, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis drug treatments, so are also useful for pharmaceutical efficacy studies in mammals.
US07964353B2

This application describes methods and compositions for detecting and treating vimentin-associated neoplasia. Differential methylation of the vimentin nucleotide sequences has been observed in vimentin-associated neoplasia such as colon neoplasia.
US07964352B2

Provided are novel nucleotides, nucleoside, and their derivatives described herein, that can be used in DNA sequencing technology and other types of DNA analysis. In one embodiment, the nucleotide or nucleoside with an unprotected 3′-OH group is derivatized at the nucleobase to include a fluorescent dye attached via a linker to a photocleavable terminating group. The photocleavable-fluorescent group is designed to terminate DNA synthesis as well as be cleaved so that DNA oligomers can be sequenced efficiently in a parallel format. The design of such rapidly cleavable fluorescent groups on nucleotides and nucleosides can enhance the speed and accuracy of sequencing of large oligomers of DNA in parallel, to allow rapid whole genome sequencing, and the identification of polymorphisms and other valuable genetic information, as well as allowing further manipulation and analysis of nucleic acid molecules in their native state following cleavage of the fluorescent group.
US07964346B2

The present invention relates to nucleic acid sequences and cellular proteins encoded by these sequences that are involved in infection or are otherwise associated with the life cycle of a pathogen. The invention also relates to modulators of nucleic acid sequences and cellular proteins encoded by these sequences that are involved in infection or are otherwise associated with the life cycle of a pathogen.
US07964340B2

A technique for detecting the presence or quantity of an enzyme (or enzyme inhibitor) and/or an amine within a test sample is provided. For example, in one embodiment, a diagnostic test kit is employed that utilizes reactive complexes that each includes a substrate joined (e.g., covalently bonded, physically adsorbed, etc.) to a reporter and a separation species. Upon contacting the reactive complexes, enzymes may cleave the substrate and release the reporter. Moreover, the test kit may also employ a chemichromic dye, i.e., a dye that exhibits a detectable color change upon chemical reaction with one or more functional groups, such as amino groups. The signal generated (directly or indirectly) by the reporter and chemichromic dye may then be used to indicate the presence or quantity of an enzyme (or enzyme inhibitor) and amine, respectively, within the test sample.
US07964336B2

The present invention is to provide a method for forming various patterns such as a metal or metal compound pattern, in which the amounts of the materials constituting the pattern which are removed during the formation step can be suppressed to the minimum. The method comprises a resin pattern forming step of forming on the surface of a substrate a resin pattern capable of absorbing a solution containing metal components, an absorbing step of dipping the resin pattern in the solution containing metal components to make the resin pattern absorb the solution containing metal components, a washing step of washing the substrate having formed thereon the resin pattern that has absorbed the solution containing metal components, and a burning step of burning the resin pattern after washing.
US07964333B1

An optical data storage system and method with non-destructive multiple readout of 3-D data stored in multiple layers uses two-photon induced fluorescence modulation. The novel system uses the photochromic properties of the open and closed form of diarylethene in the two-photon energy transfer-based read-out method of a 3-D optical data storage system, providing more than 10,000 readout cycles without significantly compromising the stored data. The system of the present invention can be recorded and read out using the same wavelength simply by changing the intensities. Also, since the incident intensity used in two-photon readout is low due to the efficient absorption of the two-photon absorbing fluorene dye, a less expensive, nanosecond laser diode can be used, making this two-photon 3-D data storage system less expensive, stable, highly responsive, and reliable. This photochromic system is capable of either write-once read many (WORM) or erasable and rewritable 3D optical data storage.
US07964328B2

The present invention relates to photoconductive elements having an electrically conductive support, an electrical barrier layer and, disposed over the conductive layer, a charge generation layer capable of generating positive charge carriers when exposed to actinic radiation. The electrical barrier layer, which restrains injection of positive charge carriers from the conductive support, comprises a crosslinkable condensation polymer having as a repeating unit a planar, electron-deficient, tetracarbonylbisimide group and optionally a crosslinker.
US07964323B2

A direct oxidation fuel cell of this invention has at least one unit cell including: a membrane-electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, each of the anode and the cathode including a catalyst layer and a diffusion layer; an anode-side separator with a fuel flow channel for supplying a fuel to the anode; and a cathode-side separator with an oxidant flow channel for supplying an oxidant to the cathode. The catalyst layer of at least one of the anode and the cathode includes high-porosity regions and low-porosity regions, and the high-porosity regions and the low-porosity regions are arranged in a mixed configuration.
US07964322B2

A separator for separating a gas/liquid mixture for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) comprises a closed channel with at least one channel section whose wall completely or partially consists of a hydrophobic, gas-permeable membrane, in which the cross-sectional area of the channel decreases continuously or in steps from an inlet opening to an outlet opening and sections of the channel wall not constituted of the membrane are defined by a one-piece machined body.
US07964318B2

There is provided a coolant manifold that is installed to a fuel cell stack so as to distribute coolant through the fuel cell stack, which is constituted by stacking a plurality of unit cells and has more than one communication holes for coolant supply and at least one communication hole for coolant discharge, in which the coolant flows in an order from the communication holes for coolant supply through a plurality of the unit cells to the communication hole for coolant discharge. The coolant manifold includes a manifold body having a manifold chamber that extends along an alignment direction of the communication holes for coolant supply, and an external communication part having an external communication hole for communicating the manifold chamber with external. A center axis of the external communication hole is placed unparallel and non-vertical relative to a center axis of each communication hole for coolant supply.
US07964317B2

A valve and a fuel cell using the same are provided, the valve having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a flow path communicating therebetween, a valve element provided in the flow path, a diaphragm which is disposed so as to separate the inside from the outside of the flow path and which is to be deformed by the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of the flow path, a valve shaft connecting between the valve element and the diaphragm, and an actuator provided for the diaphragm. In the valve described above, the valve element is displaced by at least one movement of the diaphragm and the actuator to open and close the valve. Accordingly, the valve has a simple structure which can be easily miniaturized and which is unlikely to be degraded even when a corrosive fluid flows through the valve.
US07964312B2

A fastening member includes a pair of fastening members to sandwich an electricity generating cell therebetween. At least one of the pair of fastening members has electrical conductivity and is connected to the electricity generating cell. Current is collected using the at least one of the pair of the fastening members.
US07964302B2

Disclosed herein is a process for preparation of a secondary battery module. The process includes forming coupling through-holes having specific shapes at plate-shaped electrode terminals of a plurality of unit cells, stacking the unit cells one on another, and inserting coupling members through the coupling through-holes to couple the unit cells with each other. Consequently, the secure coupling and the electrical connection between the unit cells is accomplished without using additional members, such as cartridges, and therefore, a compact battery module having high coupling force is prepared.
US07964301B2

Dynamic accelerated reaction batteries (10, 100, 200) with rotating electrodes (14x, 20x, 104x, 106x,) or rotating membranes (208) or fuel cells (412C, 412D) that generate Taylor Vortex Flows (54, 122, 228, 454) and Circular Couette Flows (56, 124, 230) in electrolyte chambers (38x, 126x, 206, 438x) are disclosed.
US07964293B2

A compound represented by the following Formula (1) is useful as an electron transport material of an organic EL device, and an organic EL device comprising the compound in the electron transport layer is long in life, and low in drive voltage: wherein G is an n-valent link, n is an integer of 2 to 4; R1 to R4 are each independently hydrogen, a monovalent group, or a free valency bonded with G, and R5 to R8 are each independently hydrogen or a monovalent group, and one of R1 to R4 is a free valency bonded with G; and n groups of 2,3′-bipyridyl may be the same or different with each other.
US07964289B2

A printed wiring board having a conductor circuit comprising a copper layer adjacent to an insulating layer and an electroless gold plating, wherein the insulating layer has ten-point mean surface roughness (Rz) of 2.0 μm or less is provided. According to the present invention, there is no such a defect that gold plating is deposited on a resin, and fine wiring formation with accuracy is realized.
US07964287B2

Preservative compositions for wood products are described. The compositions include at least one boron-containing material, such as but not limited to boric anhydride, and at least one silane-containing material, such as but not limited to methyltrichlorosilane. Optionally, at least one solvent, such as tetrahydrofuran, pentane, or water, may also be employed in the compositions. The compositions impart protection to the treated wood products, especially damage caused by exposure to water and insects.
US07964282B2

A durable housing with a soft surface device (100) includes a substrate (10), an electrophoresis coating (20) formed on a surface of the substrate, an intermediate coating (30) formed on the electrophoresis coating, and a top coating (40) formed on the intermediate coating and configured for protecting the intermediate coating. The electrophoresis coating is made of a first resin paint. The intermediate coating is made of a second resin paint containing an isocyanate polymer and/or reaction products of the isocyanate polymer with hydroxyl groups. The top coating is made of a third resin paint an isocyanate polymer cross-linked to the second resin paint of the intermediate coating.
US07964278B2

The present invention provides a core/multishell semiconductor nanocrystal comprising a core and multiple shells, which exhibits a type-I band offset and high photoluminescence quantum yield providing bright tunable emission covering the visible range from about 400 nm to NIR over 1600 nm.
US07964274B2

Tensile strength after heat aging of articles molded from melt-fabricable perfluoropolymer is improved by incorporating polytetrafluoroethylene as dispersed submicrometer-size particles into the melt-fabricable perfluoropolymer.
US07964266B2

A wide sheet of highly oriented ultra high molecular weight polyethylene comprising a plurality of strips of highly oriented ultra high molecular weight polyethylene partially overlapped or abutted longitudinally to define joints between adjoining strips wherein the thickness of the joint is less than about 80% of the thickness of the sum of the thicknesses of the adjoining strips that make up the joint. A continuous method for the production of such materials comprising subjecting longitudinally overlapping or abutted strips of these materials to temperatures below the melting point of the UHMWPE and pressures over 300 pli is also disclosed.
US07964259B2

A security label 1 according to the present invention can be removably applied on an image photographing device such as a mobile phone 2 incorporating therein a digital camera to cover a lens part 3 thereof. Upon removal, the security label 1 is bent and makes a trace emerge which shows that the security label 1 has been removed. By applying the security label 1 to the mobile phone 2 to cover the lens part 3 thereof, improper photography can be prevented. In a case where the security label 1 is removed to take a photograph, the trace remains on the security label 1 even if the security label 1 is applied again on the mobile phone 2 to cover the lens part 3 thereof. Thus, the fact that a photograph is improperly taken can be easily understood.
US07964258B2

Disclosed are oxygen-scavenging polymer compositions having high transparency and low haze comprising immiscible blends of one or more thermoplastic polymers selected from polyesters, polycarbonates, and polyarylates, a copolyamide or a transamidized, homogeneous blend of a least two polyamides, and a metal catalyst. The components of the immiscible blend which have refractive indices which differ by about 0.006 to about −0.0006. The small difference in the refractive indices enable the incorporation of regrind into the polymer composition to produce transparent shaped articles. The blends of the present invention are useful in producing shaped articles such as, for example, sheeting, films, tubes, bottles, preforms and profiles. These articles may have one or more layers and can exhibit improved excellent barrier properties and good melt processability while retaining excellent mechanical properties.
US07964248B2

The present invention is directed to a photoinitiator composition comprising two different cationic photoinitiators and a photocurable composition comprising said photoinitiator composition. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of the photoinitiator composition and the photocurable composition. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a process for producing a three dimensional article.
US07964246B2

An insulation application system is provided that utilizes a sole power source to drive the system's multiple components. In one embodiment the system includes an insulation blower, a hydraulic drive, an electrical generator, and a vacuum fan that is powered by a power-take-off.
US07964245B2

Polymers comprising monomers having 2-cyano-3,3-diphenyl-prop-2-enoic acid moieties having the formula are disclosed. Compositions comprising said polymers and methods for increasing the UV-absorbing, water resistance, and photostabilizing properties of compositions comprising such polymers also are disclosed.
US07964238B2

A method of making a heat treated (HT) coated article to be used in shower door applications, window applications, or any other suitable applications where transparent coated articles are desired. For example, certain embodiments of this invention relate to a method of making a coated article including a step of heat treating a glass substrate coated with at least a layer of or including diamond-like carbon (DLC) and an overlying protective film (e.g., of or including zinc oxide) thereon. In certain example embodiments, the protective film may be ion beam treated with at least carbon ions. It has been found that the ion beam treatment improves the shelf-life of the product prior to HT. Following and/or during heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering, or the like), the protective film may be removed.
US07964215B1

The present invention is directed to a delayed release pharmaceutical composition in solid dosage form comprising a core comprised of a therapeutically effective amount of drug, e.g., mesalamine, and a pH sensitive coating comprising a mixture of two different pH sensitive polymers, the first pH sensitive polymer dissolves in an aqueous solution at a pH of about 7 or greater and the second pH sensitive polymer dissolves in an aqueous solution at a pH of about 6 or greater, wherein the weight ratio of the first pH sensitive polymer to the second pH sensitive polymer ranges from about 2:1 to about 4:1 and the percent weight gain resulting from the addition of the pH sensitive coating ranges from about 8% up to and including 15% by weight of the core, including any subcoating.
US07964212B2

The invention provides effervescent composition comprising a bisphosphonate, an acidic compound, an alkaline effervescing component, and optionally an anti-ulcer agent and methods of treating osteoporosis in a mammal using the effervescent compositions.
US07964211B2

The present invention is directed to absorbable microspheres comprising a copolymer formed from greater than 88 to about 99 mole percent ε-caprolactone or p-dioxanone, and about 1 to less than 12 mole percent of a different second monomer selected from the group consisting of glycolide, p-dioxanone, trimethylene carbonate and the lactides and combinations thereof, said microspheres having a particle size ranging from about 5 to 2,000 microns. Also described herein are a method for making such microspheres and formulations comprising such absorbable microspheres.
US07964203B2

Soil amendment compositions and methods for using the same are provided. The subject compositions are aqueous compositions consisting essentially of a carbon-skeleton energy component, a predisposing agent and a vitamin-cofactor component. The subject compositions find use in a variety of soil amendment applications, including: the control of soil born pests and pathogens; the improvement in soil fertility and/or characteristics, e.g. mineral release, water filtration; the neutralization and/or degradation of toxins, etc.
US07964188B2

Methods for promoting survival and stimulating proliferation of cells in the epidermis and dermis of undamaged mammalian skin are disclosed. The methods comprise the step of administering to an area of the skin a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of human placental alkaline phosphatase, or an active derivative. The composition can be administered topically or by injection. Embodiments of the invention also provide regimens for restoring or maintaining the strength and thickness of aging skin, comprising periodically administering a composition by topical application. Other embodiments of the invention further provide methods for promoting survival and stimulating proliferation of cells in the epidermis and dermis of transplanted skin. A composition for topical application is also provided by some embodiments of the invention.
US07964187B2

The present invention relates to a method of increasing the sensitivity of neoplastic cells to chemotherapeutic agents by using a virus, a method of treating proliferative disorders with a virus and chemotherapeutic agents, and a method for preventing a neoplasm from developing drug resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. The virus is preferably a reovirus.
US07964181B2

Ring-constrained amino acid surrogates of formula I: where R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6a, R6b, R7, and y are as defined in the specification, methods for synthesizing ring-constrained amino acid surrogates of formula I, methods of use of ring-constrained amino acid surrogates of formula I, including use in linear or cyclic compounds which include a plurality of amino acid residues and one or more ring-constrained amino acid surrogates of formula I and linear or cyclic compounds which include a plurality of amino acid residues and one or more ring-constrained amino acid surrogates of formula I.
US07964175B2

A procedure for obtaining mixed multimetallic oxides derived from hydrotalcite type compounds, characterized in that the laminar metallic hydroxides obtained are constituted by three or four metallic cations, forming part of the sheets of the hydrotalcite type material represented by the formula: [M(II)1−x−y−zM(II)′xM(III)yM(III)′z(OH)2](An−y+z/n).mH2O. by a process comprising: (1) preparing an aqueous or organic solution containing three or more cations; (2) preparing an alkaline solution; (3) slowly combining solutions (1) and (2) to cause the co-precipitation of the cations in the form of hydroxides; (4) washing the precipitate containing the hydrotalcites with water, until removal of the non-precipitated ions; (5) drying; and (6) calcining the hydrotalcites.
US07964174B2

An apparatus and method for forming catalyst particles to grow nanotubes is disclosed. In addition, an apparatus and method for forming nanotubes using the catalytic particles is also disclosed. The particles formed may have different diameters depending upon how they are formed. Once formed, the particles are deposited on a substrate. Once deposited, the mobility of the particles is restricted and nanotubes and/or nanotube portions are grown on the particles. Nanotube portions having different diameters may be formed and the portions may be connected to form nanotubes with different diameters along the length of the nanotube.
US07964172B2

A method for synthesis of high surface-area (>100 m2/g) and nanosized (≦100 nm) silicon powder by initiation of self-sustained combustion reaction in a mixture of silicon dioxide and magnesium powders in a sealed reactor chamber under pressurized inert gas atmosphere. A specific feature of the method is rapid cooling of the product at a rate of 100 K/s to 400 K/s in the area directly behind the combustion front.
US07964171B2

An improved process for producing a silicon carbide ceramic micro tubes (SiC micro tube) from a silicon-based polymer fiber by applying an ionizing radiation such that the surface part of the fiber selectively undergoes oxidative crosslinking, extracting the uncrosslinked core part of the fiber with an organic solvent to form a hollow fiber, and firing it in an inert gas is characterized by using a polymer blend of polycarbosilane and polyvinylsilane as the silicon polymer or applying the ionizing radiation to the silicon-based polymer fiber as it is cooled. The two methods may be performed either individually or in combination to produce tubes with their wall thickness controlled at a desired value in the range of 2-10 μm although this has been impossible to achieve in the prior art.
US07964166B2

The present invention provides for process for inhibiting the levels of nitrogen oxides in process gas streams from sulfuric acid regeneration and production plants. The process gas stream from the waste heat boiler and the candle mist eliminator is contacted with ozone which will react with nitrogen oxides present in the flue gas.
US07964157B2

Catalytic cracking riser reactor extending between an inlet for hydrocarbonaceous feed and catalyst particles and an outlet for discharging cracked products and spent catalyst particles, which riser reactor has been provided with at least one contacting device, wherein the contacting device comprises a composite of refractory material and a metal structure, which metal structure is connected to the outer wall of the riser reactor. If more contacting devices have been provided, they are preferably axially spaced apart and are disposed along the inner surface of the riser reactor.
US07964156B2

Solvent extraction is used to remove wax and contaminants from an iron-based Fischer-Tropsch catalyst in a natural circulation continuous-flow system. The wax-free catalyst is then subjected to controlled oxidation to convert the iron to its initial oxidized state, Fe203. Reactivation of the oxide catalyst precursor is carried out by addition of synthesis gas.
US07964153B2

In an upflow reactor for reacting heavy hydrocarbons with hydrogen gas in a liquefied catalyst slurry, that mixture is recirculated down through a downcomer having an upper degassing section which includes a frusto-conical upper surface. The mixture is caused to flow along that surface in a downward helical path, such that heavier components are centrifugally urged outwardly, and lighter components, e.g., gas, migrate inwardly. The gas bubbles can thus coalesce such that small bubbles become bigger bubbles having a greater tendency to rise out of the downcomer. Baffles placed on the upper surface can maximize the residence time of the mixture in the degassing section.
US07964152B2

The present invention relates to a reactor apparatus for free-flowing media, especially for polymers, for polycondensation of polyesters, comprising a rotor which rotates in a reactor casing having an inlet and outlet, said rotor being supported horizontally via a support apparatus by means of stub shaft arrangements which reach beyond the end walls of the reactor casing, wherein annular film-forming elements and, between the annular film-forming elements, strippers are arranged on the inner surfaces of the reactor casing on the rotor, such that the cylindrical rotor has at least one partly heated section.
US07964148B1

A method and system of providing compressed substantially oxygen-free exhaust gas for industrial purposes including the steps of extracting exhaust gas from a lean burn engine consuming a mixture of natural gas fuel and air, passing the extracted exhaust gas through a cooling step to cause entrained water vapor therein to condense out, separating and disposing of the condensed water, measuring the oxygen content of the exhaust gas, using the measurement to regulate the quantity of natural gas fed into an igniter into which the exhaust gas is also fed so that substantially all of the oxygen in the exhaust gas is consumed by combustion with the natural gas in the igniter to provide at an outlet of the igniter substantially oxygen-free exhaust gas, and compressing the substantially oxygen-free exhaust gas to provide compressed exhaust gas for industrial applications.
US07964140B2

An automatic analyzer is disclosed that has a structure capable of using reagent containers each having an ID, such as a barcode, attached either on the top surface or the undersurface thereof, or alternatively on each of them. This automatic analyzer, therefore, allows information about the reagent ID to be read or written at an arbitrary timing even if the mounting density of reagent containers of the automatic analyzer is increased, thereby improving the function and performance of the apparatus.
US07964133B2

A method for manufacturing floor panels, wherein one starts from board-shaped elements that are subjected to a press treatment, wherein during pressing at the decorative side of the board-shaped elements to be pressed, a press element is used having a plurality of separately formed press parts.
US07964132B2

The invention provides a method of manufacturing golf balls having a core and at least one cover layer which involves injecting a molten cover resin material around a core so as to form a cover layer. The cover resin material is a single resin composition made up of (A) a thermoplastic polyurethane, (B) a polyisocyanate compound and (C) a thermoplastic elastomer other than the thermoplastic polyurethane in a weight ratio (A):(B):(C)=100:{2-50}:{0-50}, and is injected with from 10 to 99% of the total number of isocyanate groups in component B remaining in an unreacted state within the cover resin material. The method of the invention provides a high manufacturability and a good amenability to mass production, and the manufactured golf balls thus obtained have a high rebound and excellent scuff resistance.
US07964130B2

A guide anchor for a seat belt, and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The guide anchor comprises a guide plate having a latching hole and a slide guide hole formed therein, a guide piece engaged with a lower circumference of the slide guide hole, and a first molded part for coupling the guide plate and the guide piece. The guide piece comprises a cover, and a second molded part injected into a lower surface of the cover. The second molded part has a recess formed in a longitudinal direction at a lower surface. The cover has cover eaves extending from a lower portion.
US07964128B2

A process for continuously producing an elastomeric composition includes metering at least one elastomer, at least one filler, and at least one minor ingredient; feeding the at least one elastomer, the at least one filler, and the at least one minor ingredient into at least one extruder; mixing and dispersing the at least one filler and the at least one minor ingredient into the at least one elastomer using the at least one extruder; obtaining a subdivided product from a resulting elastomeric composition discharged from the at least one extruder; accumulating an amount of the subdivided product; and stirring the accumulated amount of the subdivided product. An apparatus for continuously producing an elastomeric composition includes at least one extruder, at least one first metering device, at least one second metering device, at least one device for obtaining a subdivided product, and at least one accumulating and stirring device.
US07964118B2

The present invention provides an olivine-type positive electrode active material that is an inexpensive and very safe positive electrode active material that also exhibits excellent battery properties even at high energy densities. The present invention also provides a method of producing this olivine-type positive electrode active material and a nonaqueous electrolyte battery that has a positive electrode that contains this olivine-type positive electrode active material. The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material that comprises an olivine-type lithium manganese phosphate compound represented by the following general formula (1) LixMnyMaPO4  (1) (in the formula, 0
US07964116B2

An aqueous primer composition comprising (A) a modified polyolefin aqueous dispersion, (B) an aqueous urethane resin and/or aqueous acrylic resin, (C) a conductive metal oxide and (D) aluminum flakes, characterized in that the solid mass ratio of component (A)/component (B) is in the range of 15/85-80/20, component (C) is present in a range of 50-300 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total resin solid portion in the composition, and component (D) is present in a range of 1-30 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total resin solid portion in the composition. It is possible to form high-brightness and high-chroma paint colors on plastic molded articles such as automobile bumpers, and to form primer coating films with sufficient conductivity and excellent water resistance and humidity resistance.
US07964093B2

Methods and apparatus relate to treating fluid to at least reduce selenium content within the fluid, which may be an aqueous liquid and form a feed stream. The treating removes selenium that may be present in compounds, such as selenocyanate, from the feed stream based on adsorption from contact of the fluid with a sorbent. Flowing a gaseous hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide containing stream over a support, such as activated carbon, may provide the sorbent impregnated with sulfur and utilized in the treating of the fluid.
US07964091B2

A cracking furnace having a firebox provided with cracking coils is described. The cracking coils have at least one inlet, at least one inlet section, at least one outlet and at least one outlet section, and burners, and the parts of the coils are shielded. A process for cracking hydrocarbon feeds, and making use of a furnace with the thermal shielding are also described.
US07964087B2

A method for forming a hole in an object is provided. The method includes forming a starter hole in the object, providing an electrochemical machining electrode that includes insulation that extends only partially around the electrode, and inserting the electrode into the starter hole to form a hole in the object that has an inlet defined by a first cross-sectional area and an outlet defined by a second cross-sectional area.
US07964081B2

An apparatus for plating a magnetic film on a substrate includes: a track including a plurality of stopping points along the track; a permanent magnet placed on the track such that the permanent magnet can be moved along the track towards and away from the stopping points; at least one plating tank positioned on the stopping point; and a removable high permeability iron flux concentrator inserted into gaps between the substrate and inside walls of the plating tank, substantially surrounding the substrate and extending around and under the substrate.
US07964077B2

The present invention is to provide a sample separation instrument used in a sample separation apparatus which includes: holding means for holding a first medium supporter which supports a first medium; and driving means for moving fixing means or the holding means in a direction parallel or perpendicular to a plane whose sides extend in the first direction and in the second directions. The sample separation instrument includes an insulator for storing a second medium which allows a sample separated in the first medium in the first direction to be further separated in the second direction different from the first direction, wherein: the insulator includes a first opening and a second opening each of which defines the second direction in which the second medium is electrified, and the second opening has a shape which allows the first medium containing the separated sample to be attached to the second medium along the first direction. The present invention realizes automation of the two-dimensional electrophoresis to enhance the convenience of the two-dimensional electrophoresis, to less depend on the operator's skill, and to enhance the reproducibility of the electrophoresis result.
US07964073B2

Using a gas detection voltage Vs output from a terminal CU, a determination is made at to whether, after startup of an air-fuel ratio detection apparatus (1), a full-range air-fuel ratio sensor (10) has reached a semi-activated state in which a determination can be made as to whether the air-fuel ratio is on the rich or lean side based on a change in a gas detection signal Vic. After determining that the sensor has reached the semi-activated state, the signal Vic is compared with a threshold to determine whether the air-fuel ratio is on the rich or lean side. In the apparatus (1), the potential difference between an outer pump electrode of a pump cell (14) and a reference electrode of an oxygen concentration measurement cell (24) is obtained via a first differential amplification circuit (53) as the gas detection signal Vic, the signal Vic being highly responsive to a change in air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas.
US07964072B2

A NOX sensor material includes a composition of Ba(1-X)AXFe(12-Y)BYO19. Constituent A and constituent B are doping elements. Constituent A is selected from the group consisting of Bi, La and Pb and X is a real number where 0≦X<1. Constituent B is selected from the group consisting of Al, B, Bi, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Er, Ga, In, Mg, Mn, Ni, Nb, Rh, Pb, Si, Sr, Ti, Ta, Zn and Zr and Y is a real number where 0≦Y<12. The NOX sensor material may be used in a sensor element of a NOX sensor.
US07964071B2

A π-conjugated metal complex immobilized substrate, in which π-conjugated metal complex molecules are connected to a substrate via a π-conjugated molecular structure, is adapted for observing an electron transfer (redox reaction) of the π-conjugated metal complex molecules in aqueous electrolytes. An electrochemical device including this π-conjugated metal complex immobilized substrate and an aqueous electrolyte with cations having an ion radius of r (m) that is not less than a radius of a sphere inscribed in a clearance formed between the π-conjugated metal complex molecules. The device utilizes an electron transfer (redox reaction) of the π-conjugated metal complex molecules in the aqueous electrolyte.
US07964070B2

Provided is a manufacturing method of high purity hafnium including the steps of making aqueous solution of chloride of hafnium, thereafter removing zirconium therefrom via solvent extraction, performing neutralization treatment to obtain hafnium oxide, further performing chlorination to obtain hafnium chloride, obtaining hafnium sponge via reducing said hafnium chloride, and performing electron beam melting to the hafnium sponge in order to obtain a hafnium ingot, as well as a high purity hafnium material obtained thereby and a target and thin film formed from such material. The present invention relates to a high purity hafnium material with reduced zirconium content contained in the hafnium, a target and thin film formed from such material, and the manufacturing method thereof, and provides efficient and stable manufacturing technology, a high purity hafnium material obtained according to such manufacturing technology, and a target and high purity hafnium thin film formed from such material.
US07964065B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for feeding chemical into a liquid flow. The method and apparatus according to the invention are especially suitable for applications where very small volumes of chemical must be fed in precise amounts in large process liquid flows.
US07964063B2

The present invention relates to methods for making modified fillers for use in a papermaking process, methods for making a paper using the modified fillers, and modified fillers and paper produced therewith. In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for making a modified filler for use in a papermaking process, which comprises applying a starch composition comprising starch to a reaction composition comprising at least one of fatty acid, rosin acid, and ammonium sulfate to form a reaction mixture; and applying a filler composition comprising a filler to the reaction mixture, whereby forming a modified filler. In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of using a modified filler in a papermaking process, which comprises applying a modified filler to a composition comprising fiber to form a mixture; and processing the mixture, whereby producing a paper.
US07964058B2

A processing system and method for chemically treating a substrate, wherein the processing system comprises a temperature controlled chemical treatment chamber, and an independently temperature controlled substrate holder for supporting a substrate for chemical treatment. The substrate holder is thermally insulated from the chemical treatment chamber. The substrate is exposed to a gaseous chemistry, without plasma, under controlled conditions including wall temperature, surface temperature and gas pressure. The chemical treatment of the substrate chemically alters exposed surfaces on the substrate.
US07964053B2

The invention relates to a method for the production of a patterned linoleum sheet, comprising the steps: a) application of a non-linoleum material to at least a part of the surface of a green linoleum and/or introduction of a non-linoleum material into given recesses in the green linoleum, or a′) application of a non-linoleum material in the form of a solution, a paste, a suspension or a dispersion onto the scraped linoleum mixture and calendering of the scraped linoleum mixture provided with the non-linoleum material to give a green linoleum, b) cutting the green linoleum thus obtained into pieces of given length, c) overlaying the cut green linoleum pieces to give a tiled stack of sheets and d) calendering the tiled stack of sheets to give a patterned linoleum sheet. The invention further relates to a patterned linoleum sheet obtained by said method and the use thereof.
US07964050B2

A method for processing a composite includes consolidating a section of a continuous length of a first feedstock together with a section of a continuous length of a second feedstock to form a consolidated section. The first feedstock is made of a first composite layer that is releasably bonded to a first release layer, and the second feedstock is made of a second composite layer that is releasably bonded to a second release layer. The first release layer is then separated from the consolidated section and from a portion of the first composite layer a distance beyond an edge of the consolidated section. The first composite layer is then cut within the distance beyond the edge to release the consolidated section from the remaining continuous length of the first feedstock.
US07964046B2

The present invention relates to a method for vibration welding. The vibration welding is performed with a plurality of mechanically decoupled oscillating heads, each of which is connected with a frequency converter. An electrical circuit connects the frequency converters such that one of the frequency converters can be operated as the master and the other frequency converters as slaves. With the help of the controlling effect of the master, both a synchronous and a targeted asynchronous operation of the plurality of oscillating heads can be realized.
US07964042B2

After the rinsing processing is completed, the rotation speed of the substrate is reduced from 600 rpm to 10 rpm to form a puddle-like DIW liquid film. After the supply of DIW is stopped, the control unit waits for a predetermined time (0.5 seconds) so that the film thickness t1 of the puddle-like liquid film becomes approximately uniform. Then, IPA is discharged to a central part of the surface of the substrate at a flow rate of 100 (mL/min) for instance. By the supply of IPA, DIW is replaced with IPA at the central part of the surface of the substrate to form a replaced region. Further, after three seconds of IPA supply, the rotation speed of the substrate is accelerated from 10 rpm to 300 rpm. This causes the replaced region to expand in a radial direction of the substrate so that the entire surface of the substrate is replaced with the low surface-tension solvent.
US07964027B2

System for extracting vapor and particulates from a flow of at least an air stream having vapor and particulates, the system having a funnel and a filter unit; an opening of the funnel for receiving the flow of the air stream; an outlet of the funnel connected to an inlet of the filter unit, the inlet receiving the air stream. The filter unit includes a housing, a first and a second filter, a ventilation unit and a filter unit outlet; the housing having a first, second and third chamber; the first and second chambers being separated by the first filter, the second and third chambers being separated by the second filter; the inlet being located in the first chamber; the ventilation unit being located between the third chamber and the outlet and in use for creating an underpressure in the first, second and third chambers.
US07964016B2

The present invention embodies a process for extraction of nickel, cobalt, and other metals from laterite ores by heap leaching, and of the product obtained as well, characterized by the fact that it is comprised of crushing (I), agglomeration (II), stacking (III), and heap leaching (IV) stages, with this last stage being a continuous, counter-current, heap leaching system with two or more stages, comprised of two phases, one of which is composed of the ore (solute), and the other is composed of the leaching solution, or solvent, which are supplied at opposite ends of a series of stages and flow in opposite directions. Upon cessation of leaching in the last stage, its solute is removed and a new stage is introduced at the first position, formed by new ore (solute) to be leached by the solvent solution, which is introduced from the last stage, percolating or flowing though all the previous stages until it reaches the first stage, being separated if loaded with target metals (PLS).
US07964012B2

Filter media are provided having improved conductivity to enhance filtration efficiency and/or dissipate static charge, and methods for making the same. In one exemplary embodiment, the filter media can include a filtration substrate, and at least one conductive coating disposed on at least a portion of the filtration substrate. In use, the conductive coating is coupled to an energy source and it is effective to emit ions when energy is delivered thereto to increase the efficiency of the filtration substrate and/or to dissipate or eliminate static charge generated during filtration.
US07964005B2

A composition that rapidly passivates copper-containing surface to yield a uniform layer of insoluble copper oxide, the composition being useful in chemical-mechanical planarization of copper-containing surfaces is disclosed. The composition is a solution having a pH of equal to or greater than 9 and having an oxidation potential sufficient to oxidize the surface to form non-soluble copper oxides. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the composition.
US07963999B2

One embodiment includes a method that includes positioning a first substantially planar electrode including material defining a first aperture into a capacitor stack in alignment with a second substantially planar electrode such that a first non-aperture portion of the second substantially planar electrode at least partially overlays the first aperture and joining the first substantially planar electrode to the second substantially planar electrode proximal the material defining the first aperture and the first non-aperture portion of the second substantially planar electrode.
US07963993B2

Methods of separating and/or supporting layers of tissue in the human spine. Such methods generally comprise inserting at least a distal end portion of a guide member between layers of tissue in the human spine wherein the distal end portion defines a predetermined shape. A distraction device is advanced over at least the distal end portion of the guide member so that the distraction device substantially assumes the predetermined shape of the distal end portion of the guide member to form a support structure between the tissue layers that separates and/or supports the tissue layers.
US07963991B2

Spinal implants and methods to repair annular defects in intervertebral discs and provide dynamic stability to the spine in the vicinity of a repaired disc are described. Some implants include head and tail portions. In some embodiments, the head portion of an implant is enlarged relative to the tail portion. Some head portions and tail portions are adapted to support adjacent vertebrae and resist collapse of the intervertebral disc. Head portions provide a spacer function to maintain separation between adjacent vertebrae. A tapered portion of some implants engages end plates of adjacent vertebrae to resist forces tending to push the implant out of the intervertebral space. The tail portion of some implants includes a tail flange (which in some embodiments is of similar diameter to the head portion) that abuts extradiscal lips of the adjacent vertebrae and resists forces tending to push the implant deeper into the intervertebral space.
US07963988B2

A vascular graft includes a vessel structure having outer and inner wall surfaces. The vessel structure has outer and inner transverse dimensions. The vascular graft includes a fold structure which is integral with the vessel structure. The fold structure extends from the outer or inner wall surface of the vessel structure for altering the inner or outer transverse dimension thereof. A method for making the vascular graft facilitates formation of the fold structure.
US07963980B1

An anti-subsidence, anti-translocation, fusion compression cervical plate system with interface visualization, drill guide and temporary pin is provided. In one embodiment the invention provides a vertebral plate for minimizing the ability of an inter-body cage, filled with bone (or BMP-soaked sponges, etc.), to telescope into the vertebral body and to minimize failure due to cages that telescope into adjacent vertebral bodies on a delayed basis after surgery, as well as creation of reverse lordosis due to such telescoping. Another embodiment provides method to reduce the gap between the inter-body cage and the vertebral body end plate intra-operatively using compression from the plate caused by an offset between the screw bores on the plate and the drill holes, as established with an asymmetric drill guide.
US07963978B2

A dynamic stabilization, motion preservation spinal implant system includes an anchor system, a horizontal rod system and a vertical rod system. The systems are modular so that various constructs and configurations can be created and customized to a patient.
US07963973B2

A tissue connector assembly comprising a multiple loop fastener movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration and a restraining device attached to the fastener for restraining the fastener in its open configuration provides for a self-closing, multiple suture fastener. A needle may be releasably attached to the fastener. A method for connecting tissues is also disclosed. The method includes inserting a fastener through tissue with the fastener being biased in an open position by a restraining device secured to the fastener, threading the fastener through more than one stitch, and removing the restraining device from the fastener.
US07963971B2

An instrument for inserting an intervertebral prosthesis, comprising two prosthesis holders which are connected by a parellel guide and can be spread apart from one another and are intended to receive a pair of prosthesis plates. The first prosthesis holder is arranged fixedly on an elongate instrument body. The second prosthesis holder is held from the instrument body by means of a parallel guide. The parts connecting the second prosthesis holder to the instrument body or to the first prosthesis holder delimit on both sides a central through-opening which extends like a channel in the longitudinal direction of the instrument body and whose width corresponds at least to the transverse dimensions of a prosthesis core, to be inserted between the prosthesis plates, and of the prosthesis core holder provided for this.
US07963968B2

Various embodiment of the present invention provide a distal femoral trial that allows a surgeon to cut the central box geometry of a distal femur using an implant-shaped trial. The trial includes a cutting guide that is removable from the trial and adjustable with respect to the trial. The guide is intended to control the depth and direction of the cutting instruments used to prepare the femur for the a posterior stabilized implant.
US07963963B2

A hemostat-type device for ablative treatment of tissue, particularly for treatment of atrial fibrillation, is constructed with features that provide easy and effective treatment. The device may include a swiveling head assembly that allows the jaws to be adjusted in pitch and/or roll. The device may include a malleable or articulating handle shaft, as well as, malleable or curved rigid jaws that can permit curved lesion shapes. A locking detent can secure the jaws in a closed position during the procedure. The device may include one or more remote actuators making the hemostat-type device useful for minimally invasive procedures.
US07963962B2

A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.
US07963950B2

A blood sampling device for allowing a fluid pressure measurement and a fluid sample to be taken from a patient, having an inlet port configured to receive blood from the patient, an outlet port configured to be coupled to a monitoring channel having an infusion fluid, a sampling port configured for extraction of blood from the patient, a sampling channel configured to self-flush, after extraction, the blood with the infusion fluid, and an auxiliary channel for self-flushing the sampling channel.
US07963946B2

Programmable infusion systems and method for controlled infusion of diagnostic or therapeutic substances (e.g., drugs, biologics, fluids, cell preparations, etc.) into the bodies of human or animal subjects.
US07963939B2

An injection device such as a syringe, which has a helical flow path for a solution in which the solvent and solute have been introduced. The helical flow path is formed by a helically configured member which has general overall configuration of a helical coil spring. Individual coils may be formed to have a groove located along the length of the helix. When compressed, the novel member effectively takes on a cylindrical outer configuration. Because the groove is covered and sealed by the surface of the next turn of the helix when compressed, an enclosed helical flow path is formed in the compressed member. The invention may be an injection device using the novel flow path forming member or alternatively, the flow path forming member itself.
US07963937B2

The present invention relates to a syringe for storage, mixing and dispensing of multi-component paste materials, and more precisely to a syringe for two or more components of a paste material which are to be mixed together. The syringe may be activated so that the chambers containing the components are opened, and the components may be mixed together and extruded through a mixing tip.
US07963934B2

The tampon applicator assembly includes a tampon applicator section, an outer housing section, and a plunger section. The combined tampon applicator section and plunger section function as a conventional plunger-type tampon applicator. The outer housing section includes a sleeve with a proximal portion and a distal portion. The (distal) insertion end of the tampon applicator section essentially fits inside the proximal portion of the sleeve, and the distal portion of the sleeve is designed to accommodate a feminine hygiene product, such as a pad, a disposable wipe, a towelette disposal mitt, a simple disposal bag, and other products associated with menstruation.
US07963928B2

An automated device for obtaining a tissue biopsy and delivering material to provide hemostatis, therapeutic agents or marker material is described. The device has an outer casing, a power source, a drive mechanism, an application chamber through which the biopsy mechanism, typically a cutting needle, passes through and an application channel. The cutting biopsy mechanism has a mechanical or electromechanical mechanism to rapidly fire a stylet with a biopsy trough into the intended tissue and then rapidly propel a biopsy cannula over the stylet to sever and retain tissue that has protruded into the biopsy trough. At least one application channel is formed by a tube centrically slipped over the biopsy cannula wall. To enable the collection of tissue specimens, the distal segment of the application channel forms a close fitting and concentric sheath around the biopsy cannula.
US07963920B2

A system for monitoring blood flow confined by at least one vessel wall, the system including: at least one implantable diffraction-grating transducer being embedded within or adjacent to a vessel wall, the diffraction-grating transducer being suitable for emitting ultrasound into or receiving Doppler shifted ultrasound from the blood flow; and, a source for pulse-exciting the implantable diffraction grating; wherein, the Doppler shift is indicative of the blood flow.
US07963916B2

A system and apparatus implementing a graphical user interface module for displaying information conveying a level of risk of delivery with shoulder dystocia associated to an obstetrics patient. The graphical user interface module displays a set of user modifiable information fields for allowing a user to enter a set of patient information data elements associated to the obstetrics patient. The graphical user interface module also displays a control allowing a user to cause the set of information data elements to be transmitted to a processing unit adapted to derive patient risk data at least in part on the basis of the set of information data elements, the patient risk data conveying a level of risk of delivery with shoulder dystocia. The graphical user interface module then displays the patient risk data with reference to risk assessment information.
US07963914B2

In an endoscope, air/water feed pipe lines are arranged through an elongated insertion portion having an image pickup unit at its front end. In an operation portion arranged at the rear end of the insertion portion, there are provided an antenna, and a wireless transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting, using this antenna, information including image data on a subject picked up by the image pickup unit, to endoscope peripheral apparatuses in the outside.
US07963913B2

An instrument interface of a robotic manipulator and a surgical system including the instrument interface are provided. In one embodiment, the instrument interface includes a spring-loaded input for providing axial load and torque to a sterile adaptor capable of operably coupling an instrument. In another embodiment, a robotic surgical manipulator system includes a manipulator assembly, including a base link operably coupled to a distal end of a manipulator arm, and a carriage link movably coupled to the base link along a lengthwise axis, the carriage link including an integrated instrument interface. The system further includes an instrument operably coupled to the carriage link via the instrument interface, and a processor operably coupled to the manipulator assembly for sensing presence of the instrument.
US07963912B2

The present invention provides methods and devices for shielding an endo scope during insertion through a body lumen, and in particular using a sheath for preventing contact between the endoscope (or trocar sleeve) and the body lumen, thus preventing bacteria from being carried into a body cavity.
US07963911B2

Apparatus for fluid supply to the interior of a portion of a tubular body portion including a locomotive endoscope head extending along a longitudinal axis and having a first selectably radially extendible sealing element and a second selectably radially extendible sealing element, wherein at least one of the first and second selectably radially extendible sealing elements is axially displaceable with respect to the other, a fluid passageway operative for supplying fluid intermediate the first and second selectably radially extendible sealing elements and a locomotive endoscope head controller controlling the operation of the locomotive endoscope head and being operative for controlling selectable extension of the first and second selectably radially extendible sealing elements, axial displacement of the at least one of the first and second selectably radially extendible sealing elements, and fluid introduction through the fluid passageway.
US07963910B2

An endoscope accessory, used with an endoscope including a suction conduit communicating with a suction device, an accessory insertion channel, and an operation portion at which entrances of the conduit and channel are formed, includes a tubular insertion unit to be inserted into the channel through the entrance of the channel and to be movable along the channel, and a tubular connection unit provided at a proximal end of the insertion unit and detachably connected to the entrance of the suction conduit. An endoscope system is constituted by combining the accessory with the endoscope. In a method for mounting the accessory onto the endoscope, the insertion unit of the accessory is inserted into the channel through its entrance in the operation portion of the endoscope to be movable along the channel, and the connection unit of the accessory is detachably connected to the entrance of the conduit.
US07963907B2

In some embodiments, methods to sense parameters associated with restriction procedures and/or devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, the parameters are sensed directly from the region of the procedure and/or device and in other embodiments, associated neural pathways are sensed. Methods for further optimization of the obesity treatment regimens are also disclosed.
US07963897B2

A resistance apparatus for a waist-twisting exerciser wherein the resistance apparatus includes a spring and an adjuster with a pulley block. The adjuster is mounted on a swing element while the spring is fixed at a proper position of the swing element such that the spring is correctly engaged into the pulley block of the adjuster. In applying force to the swing element in motion, the spring may be pulled to create an effective exercise resistance force for increasing the exercise effect. Moreover, the position of the adjuster is adjustable for changing the tension of the spring.
US07963886B1

A free weight assistance and training system and method including a weight support structure. Free weight support arms are movably mounted to the support structure and configured to support a free weight bar. A drive mechanism is operatively coupled to the free weight support arms and configured to move the free weight support arms along the weight support structure. At least one non-contact detector is configured to detect the position of a free weight bar with respect to the free weight support arms without contacting the free weight bar. A controller is configured to receive free weight bar position data from the at least one non-contact detector, process the data and initiate the drive mechanism to move the free weight support arms along the support structure in response to the data.
US07963882B2

A range-switching device of an automatic transmission has a control device that executes a fail-safe process of prohibiting the changing to the parking range if a parking load greater than or equal to a predetermined value occurs when the vehicle is at rest.
US07963875B2

A power transmitting assembly having a differential case and a differential gearset that is received in an interior chamber in the differential case. The differential case defines a tubular bearing mount and a plurality of oil galleries. The tubular bearing mount terminates at a radially extending shoulder. Each oil gallery intersects the radially extending shoulder at a first end and extends through the differential case to communicate with the interior chamber. At least one location along the length of each oil gallery has a lateral cross-section that is smaller than a lateral cross-section of that oil gallery's first end.
US07963863B2

A golf ball comprising a single layer core and a cover layer disposed about the single layer core, the layer core being formed from a substantially homogenous formulation and comprising a geometric center and an outer surface, the single layer core further comprising an inner core region disposed about the geometric center, an outer core region adjacent the outer surface, and an intermediate core region disposed between the inner and outer core regions and extending radially from about 8 mm to about 18 mm from the geometric center. The single layer core has first, second and third hardness disposed within the inner core region, outer core region, intermediate core region, respectively, wherein the third hardness is greater than the first hardness and the second hardness, and a hardness of the outer surface is substantially the same as or lower than a hardness of the geometric center.
US07963852B2

A spline shaft that can suppress occurrence of stick slip by measures other than just simply making the surface roughness smaller. The spline shaft includes a first shaft with an outer-peripheral spline formed, and a second shaft with an inner-peripheral spline, which engages with the outer-peripheral spline peripherally and that is made slidable axially, formed. And, at least either one of the outer-peripheral spline and the inner-peripheral spline includes a substrate whose surface is formed to a predetermined surface roughness, and an amorphous carbon-system hard thin film, which coats and forms the surface of substrate.
US07963848B2

A gaming machine comprising a controller programmed to execute the processing of rolling and stopping the plurality of dice in the gaming portion, cumulatively accumulating, in a case where a normal BET has not been placed on the outcomes of dice satisfying any of plural kinds of predetermined conditions, or in a case where the outcomes of the stopped plurality of dice do not satisfy any of the plural kinds of predetermined conditions, a predetermined ratio of the game media which have been bet as the normal BET in association with respective outcomes of the dice satisfying any of the plural kinds of predetermined conditions, and offering, in a case where the outcomes of the stopped plurality of dice satisfy any of the plural kinds of predetermined conditions, the game media cumulatively accumulated in association with the outcomes of the plurality of dice.
US07963836B2

A method of playing a card game is disclosed. The method includes: a) dealing on or more cards to each player; b) taking an action based on the cards, where the action is selected from the group consisting of: betting, raising, calling, checking, and folding; c) determining a winning hand based on the numerical point value of the cards of each player who has not folded, such that the numerical point value of the winning hand is closer to a predetermined value than the numerical point value of the cards of any other player who has not folded; and d) providing a reward to a player having the winning hand, where the reward is at least a portion of the amount wagered by the players.
US07963832B2

A system for managing engine intake air temperature may comprise a first air flow control device having an inlet coupled to an outlet of a turbocharger compressor and a first outlet coupled to an inlet of a charge air cooler. A second outlet is coupled via a bypass conduit to the air intake manifold. The first air flow control device may selectively control air flow from the compressor outlet to the charge air cooler and/or bypass conduit. The system may alternatively or additionally include a second air flow control device having a first inlet receiving air external to the engine compartment, a second inlet receiving air from within the engine compartment and surrounding the engine and an outlet providing air flow to the engine. The second air flow control device may selectively control air flow from the first and/or second inlets thereof to the engine.
US07963827B2

An abrasive article includes an abrasive layer having an array of protrusions. The abrasive layer has a thickness not greater than about 500 mils. The abrasive article is free of a backing layer.
US07963825B2

To polish polishing target surfaces of SiO2 insulating films or the like at a high rate without scratching the surface, the present invention provides an abrasive comprising a slurry comprising a medium and dispersed therein at least one of i) cerium oxide particles constituted of at least two crystallites and having crystal grain boundaries or having a bulk density of not higher than 6.5 g/cm3 and ii) abrasive grains having pores. Also provided are a method of polishing a target member and a process for producing a semiconductor device which make use of this abrasive.
US07963823B2

A machining machine with an upper rotatingly drivable machining disc, the annular machining plane of which has a machining coating and is facing a lower machining plane, wherein the machining planes form a machining gap between each other. Plural rotor discs are arranged in the gap, which accommodate workpieces in recesses and which can be brought into rotation by means of a roll-off device, wherein the workpieces move along a cycloid path, wherein plural sensor elements for acquiring at least one machining parameter are arranged in the upper machining disc, distributed across its cross section, the sensor elements are each one coupled to an active or passive RFID chip and a reading device is assigned to the upper machining disc for reading out the RFID chips.
US07963818B2

A toy is described herein that is made from correlated magnetic toy parts (e.g., toy building blocks) which have an ingenious coupling means that enable the correlated magnetic toy parts to be attached to or released from one another. The correlated magnetic toy parts could have many different shapes and can be attached to one another to form an abstract shaped toy or a predetermined shaped toy.
US07963815B2

A mold and construction method for forming aquatic sports boards is provided. The method and molds provide skin and interior core structures made shape-adjustable by a pre-molded perimeter rail. Division(s) in the structural exterior skin allow the skin core to be trimmed and bonded to a variety of convex, shape-defining core structures to produce a plurality of different shapes. A reusable shape-defining mold allows the board structure to be modified in shape. The mold is reversible and male/female configurations produce convex, shape-defining board substrates for a wide array of custom designs.
US07963808B2

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus is configured to be provided with a communication line socket provided on a backside surface of a casing of the electronic apparatus, metallic terminals provided in the communication line socket, and abutment sections each of which is provided in the vicinity of the communication line socket, and is given a predetermined height from the metallic terminals in an insertion direction of the communication line socket. By virtue of the above configuration, even if it is tried to insert a wrong plug into the communication line socket by mistake, the wrong plug abuts against the abutment sections, and the insertion is stopped on the way.
US07963792B2

Provided is a plug detachment prevention structure, such that when a plug equipped with a plug terminal and a plug retaining section that covers a part of the plug terminal is connected to a jack provided inside a housing, the plug detachment prevention structure retains the plug retaining section to prevent the plug from detaching from the jack, wherein the plug detachment prevention structure is equipped with a ring-shaped elastic section composed of an elastic material in which the plug retaining section is pressure-inserted, and a frame section that is circularly mounted at an outer circumferential side of the elastic section, composed of a material harder than that of the elastic section and detachably attached on an outside of the housing.
US07963788B2

An electrical connector (100) used to transmit electric and optical signal from a module to a circuit substrate comprises an insulative housing (1), a plurality of contacts (2) received in the insulative housing (1) and a cover (3) being assembled on the insulative housing (1) and can move between an opened position to a closed position, the insulative housing (1) comprises a bottom wall (141) and a plurality of sidewalls (142) extending upwardly from the bottom wall (141), each of the sidewalls (142) each defines a plurality of datum blocks (145) and the inner surface of the datum (145) on one sidewall (142) are located in one plane, the datum blocks (145) together formed a space (14) to receive the module.
US07963786B1

Provided is an audio jack, including an insulating housing, a plurality of contacts, a waterproof covering body and a retaining shell. The insulating housing disposes an inserting hole and a plurality of contact-receiving grooves. The contacts are separately inserted into the contact-receiving grooves. The waterproof covering body encompasses the insulating housing and is made of elastic material. The waterproof covering body disposes a ring-shaped protruding edge extending out of an end surface of the insulating housing. The retaining shell is mounted on the outside of the waterproof covering body and disposes a plurality of hook portions. The audio jack of the present invention can make the hook portions tightly hook the circuit board and make the protruding edge be tightly pressed on one surface of the circuit board, so that no gap exists between the audio jack and the circuit board and the waterproof function can be obtained.
US07963785B2

A floating connector adapted for use with microwave surgical instruments is presented. The disclosure provides for the use of cost-effective and readily available non-floating connectors in a floating housing which can compensate for dimensional variations and misalignments between the connectors. Multiple connectors of varying types can therefore be used within a single support housing without requiring the costly precision manufacturing processes normally associated with such multiple connector assemblies. The floating connector is suitable for use with electrical connections as well as fluidic connections.
US07963778B2

A burn-in socket for receiving an IC package comprises a socket body, a plurality of contacts mounted in the socket body and an actuator movably mounted upon the socket body. Each contact in the socket body includes a pair of clipping arms with tip portions at free ends thereof respectively. Solder balls attached to the bottom of the IC package are respectively clipped between the pair of the tip portions and thus the IC package should be brought into electrical contact with the contacts of the burn-in socket. The tip portion is plated with a Pd—Co layer for reducing the attachment of the Sn and preventing the impedance of the contacts to increase. Meanwhile, the IC package can be sucked up successfully without absorption from the contacts of the burn-in socket.
US07963777B2

A first connector 9 includes: female contact terminals 10; and a first connector housing 13 having a first connection portion 14 with first receiving holes 141 to 146 into each of which the female contact terminal is fitted, and a second connection portion 16 that is bent at a certain angle from the end of the first connection portion and has second receiving holes 161 to 166 into each of which the female contact terminal is fitted. The female contact terminal is fitted into at least either of the first connector housing's first or second receiving holes, and the contacting portion of the second contact terminal of the second connector is electrically connected to either the first or second contacting portions of the female contact terminal.
US07963776B1

An electrical connector assembly includes a circuit board having vias extending at least partially through the circuit board along via axes. The circuit board has traces and mounting pads that are electrically connected to corresponding traces, and that are exposed within corresponding vias. The vias have a staged diameter along the via axis with a constricted region proximate to the mounting. An electrical connector is mounted on the circuit board. The electrical connector includes a housing and signal terminals held by the housing. The signal terminals include mounting contacts being received in respective vias of the circuit board that engage corresponding mounting pads in the constricted region.
US07963775B2

An electrical connector for electrically coupling an electronic module and an electrical component. The connector includes a connector body that has first and second mating surfaces. The connector body includes interconnects that extend through the connector body between the first and second mating surfaces for electrically coupling the module and the component. The connector body has a hole extending therethrough along a central axis. The hole is configured to receive a guide pin from one of the module and the component. The connector also includes surface mount projections that are coupled to the connector body and extend toward the central axis of the hole. The projections engage and flex against the guide pin when the guide pin is inserted into the hole. The projections form an interference fit with the guide pin to hold the connector body in a mounted position.
US07963762B2

An injection molding apparatus is disclosed having an actuated part that is movable in forward and rearward directions with a coupling part attached thereto having a spring coupling and a magnetic coupling. A valve pin for opening and closing a mold gate is coupled to the coupling part to be movable with the actuated part. When the actuated part is moved and the valve pin experiences a stopping force, either a spring of the spring coupling is positioned for dampening the stopping force encountered by the valve pin or the magnetic coupling, which is magnetically coupled to the actuated part and/or the valve pin, decouples from the actuated part or the valve pin to limit or prevent continued movement of the valve pin with the actuated part.
US07963738B1

A vehicle trailer apparatus for carrying vehicles and other objects has a front bed having a frame of spaced apart frame rails connected by at least one transverse support, a front bed platform over at least a part of the front bed, a tongue with hitch affixed to the front bed frame, at least two spaced apart wheels affixed to the frame via an axle, a rear tilt bed, having a plurality of spaced apart bed rails, hingedly attached to the front bed, a bed platform over at least a part of the tilt bed, the tilt bed selectively pivoted in incline or decline relative to the front bed to at least about a 40 degree angle, whereby adjacent positions of the front bed rear edge, the sleeve of the hinge, and the tilt bed platform front edge are retained in incline and decline of the tilt bed.
US07963734B2

A handling apparatus is provided that attaches to a three-point hitch of a farm implement/tractor. The apparatus allows for engaging multiple bales in a field while the tractor is driven in a forward direction. The bales are engaged while they are disposed beside the tractor such that they are in view of the operator. Once bales are engaged, the apparatus allows for rotating the bales from a position beside the tractor to a position behind the tractor. This allows, inter alia, the tractor to pass through openings (e.g., gates or doors) while carrying multiple bales.
US07963732B2

A fastener is provided including an elongated body having a first end and a second end, and a helical thread formed on at least a portion of the elongated body where the thread has a crest, a root, and flank portions. The helical thread has at least one protrusion extending from the crest and flank portions toward the first end of the elongated body, and each protrusion has a peak that extends to the root of the thread.
US07963728B2

A flexible bag (10) has an open top configured and arranged for receiving one or more feed tubes (32). The bag (10) preferably includes at least one attachment member (20) adapted and configured to be secured to a support member (47). A fixture (50), (60), (70), (80) is utilized to receive the bag (10).
US07963727B1

A retaining wall block has spaced-apart front and rear sections interconnected by two laterally spaced-apart side sections that jointly define a through-cavity that extends through the block from a top face thereof to a bottom face thereof. Two or more protuberances protrude outwardly from the top face of the front section frontwardly of the through-cavity. A groove extends laterally in the bottom face of the front section frontwardly of the through-cavity. The groove is located and dimensioned relative to the protuberances so that two blocks can be stacked one atop another in staggered relation with one or more protuberances of the lower block engaged with one but not both of a front wall and a rear wall of the groove of the upper block and the upper block setback with respect to the lower block.
US07963723B2

An apparatus for overdrilling a buried line includes a rotatably driven thrust linkage and/or traction linkage, and has a forward end which is connected to a ring-shaped to hollow cylindrical overdrilling head which embraces the line. The overdrilling head is provided interiorly with a centering protrusion for spontaneous centering of the overdrilling head in concert with the line.
US07963718B2

A T-shaped edge restraint for use in water permeable pavement systems. The base (stem) of the T has a plurality of openings to facilitate the use of spikes or anchors or to facilitate curving the edge restraint to accommodate curved sections of the pavement system.
US07963714B2

A safety coupling apparatus which includes first and second annular coupling parts for attachment to first and second coaxial rotatable shafts. The second coupling part defines an axial chamber which has an open end facing the first coupling part, and a radially-extending recess between a collar and a flange, both extending and located radially outwardly of the axial chamber, wherein the flange is spaced from the collar. An expandable hollow body of the first coupling part axially extends through the open end and into the axial chamber. A cavity subdivides the hollow body into inner and outer cylindrical sections and can (1) be filled with, or (2) emptied of pressurized fluid to expand or contract the inner and outer sections relative to one another and cause or prevent external surfaces thereof to contact adjacent surfaces of the axial chamber and thereby prevent or enable relative rotation of the first and second coupling parts.
US07963709B2

An electronic device is provided with a device housing which includes an upper case and a lower case. A key input section is provided in the device housing and includes a key sheet disposed on an inner surface of the upper case. The key sheet has a plurality of key buttons exposed in an upper surface of the upper case and a plurality of pin holes provided at a plurality of positions excluding the key buttons. And, a plurality of fitting protrusions is provided on the inner surface of the upper case and inserted into and fitted in the pin holes of the key sheet.
US07963708B1

An apparatus designed to minimize carbonization of developer liquid within a printing plate developer device (100). The apparatus includes, at least one open tank (204, 220) containing developer waste (148) positioned in proximity to plate developer tank (104) inside the developer device, and a replenishment element (212). The replenishment element is configured to replenish the at least one open tank with a developer waste. The developer waste and the air trapped (132) in proximity to the printing plate developer tank will generate a carbonization reaction.
US07963707B2

A dome type security camera structure with a reinforced waterproofing function is disclosed. The camera structure includes a housing (100) having an outside wire insert hole (110), and a pair of opposite guide grooves (120). Each guide groove communicates with an outside via a discharge hole (130). A mounting bracket (200) has a coupling protrusion (210) guided by each guide groove, and is gradually inclined outwards from a center thereof so that an edge thereof presses a lower surface of the housing and thus the mounting bracket is coupled to the housing. A holder (300) is provided on a lower surface of the mounting bracket in such a way as to perform rotation on 2 or 3 axes, with a camera module mounted to the holder. A dome screen (400) is mounted to the mounting bracket, and surrounds the holder.
US07963688B2

The present invention has a configuration is one example in which a second body is connected to be rotatable around a rotational axis to a first body. A light emitting element that emits light and a first light guiding member, which propagates light emitted from the light emitting element as well as irradiating light from an irradiating unit, are housed in the first body. A light receiving element that receives light and a second light guiding member, which lets in light from the light collecting portion irradiated by the irradiating unit as well as propagates light in the light receiving element, are housed in the second body. Complimentary location regions of the irradiating units and light collecting portions are multiply provided between the first light guiding member and the second light guiding member, thereby multiply forming propagating paths of light from the irradiating units to the light collecting portions, respectively.
US07963684B2

A projection module for an automobile headlamp includes at least one semiconductor emission source which emits electromagnetic radiation, a reflector reflecting the emitted irradiation, a baffle arrangement shading at least a portion of the reflected irradiation, and a projection lens for projecting the reflected irradiation. The irradiation passes by the baffle arrangement to create a desired emission distribution from the projection module in front of the automobile. At least one emission source is mounted on, or near, the rear side of the baffle arrangement, and a main irradiation direction of the minimum of one emission source is directed into the semi-open space opposite the irradiation-output direction from the projection module.
US07963677B2

A light source device includes a light source unit emitting light of a first wavelength and a wavelength converting element converting light of the first wavelength into light of a second wavelength. An external resonator transmits light of the second wavelength toward an emission destination and reflects light of the first wavelength to resonate between the light source unit and the external resonator. A wavelength separating section transmits light converted from the first wavelength to the second wavelength while traveling from the external resonator to the light source unit and reflects light of the first wavelength in order to separate the different wavelength light. A turnback section reflects light of the second wavelength separated by the wavelength separating section toward the emission destination. In addition, the wavelength separating section reflects light of the first wavelength from the light source unit to travel toward the wavelength converting element.
US07963673B2

A lightweight, modular expandable multiple par lamp fixture configurable to form various sizes and intensities of high output area lighting or projected soft light. A high efficiency par lamp includes a high output globe and lightweight reflector, optional collar, and lens. Individual modular fixtures comprising high efficiency par lamps may be stacked to create larger units. The par lamps may be arranged in pods which can be assembled into larger units. A diffusion frame and fabric cover can be attached to the fixture in front of the par lamps to create a soft, deeply projected light. The diffusion frame may have an internal semi-translucent baffle to spread light through diffusive sidewalls.
US07963671B2

A light emitting diode (LED) module includes a driving circuit board, at least one LED, a thermal dispersing sheet and a heat sink. The driving circuit board includes a front surface and an opposite back surface. The at least one LED is mounted on the front surface of the driving circuit board and electrically connected to it. The thermal dispersing sheet is attached on the back surface. The heat sink is mounted on the driving circuit board in contacting the thermal dispersing sheet.
US07963670B2

Disclosed is an LED light string that uses parallel connected bypass components that are connected across the leads of the LEDs and are disposed in the socket of the LED lamp holder. The use of parallel connected bypass components across the leads of the LEDs greatly enhances the reliability of the light string. Bypass components are also included in the LED lamp structure, both internally to the LED lamp proxy and externally across the leads of the LED lamp element. A resistive wire can also be connected between conductors in an LED socket structure inside a lamp holder. Using the bypass components, twinkle lamps can be inserted in series wired LED light strings.
US07963656B2

In a first display mode, a common image function component is displayed to occupy at least a part of a display region of a second specific image function component. In a second display mode, the common image function component is continuously displayed outside the second specific image function component to avoid the overlap therebetween (i.e., such that an exclusive positional relationship is made therebetween). When the display mode is switched, a final transition of the display mode to a display state in the second display mode is made while or after a moving image showing a transition process, in which the common image function component is moved from a display position in the first display mode to a display position in the second display mode, is displayed as a mode transition animation.
US07963643B2

An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a casing; an inkjet head; an ink cartridge which has an ink accommodating unit which accommodates ink to be supplied to the inkjet head and is removably installed into the casing via a front face side of the casing and disposed in a position whereby a central position of the ink accommodating unit is situated below the inkjet head in the vertical direction, at a distance of not less than 10 mm and not more 50 mm from the inkjet head in the vertical direction; an ink supply channel; a coupling unit which separates the inkjet head with and from the ink supply channel; and a negative pressure maintaining unit which includes an ink supply port which has a first opening and closing member, couples with the coupling unit, and is connected to an ink flow channel inside the inkjet head.
US07963639B2

A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection member including a pressurized liquid chamber and a liquid ejection orifice which is in fluid communication with the pressurized liquid chamber to eject a liquid in the pressurized liquid chamber to the outside. A piezoelectric device is formed on the pressurized liquid chamber via a vibrating diaphragm. The piezoelectric device includes a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film and an upper electrode, which are disposed sequentially. The piezoelectric film is a thin-film piezoelectric material having a Curie point of 200° C. or more. The liquid ejection device further includes a heating element for heating a material, which has a melting point of not less than 150° C. and lower than the Curie point of the piezoelectric film, charged in the pressurized liquid chamber to a temperature not less than the melting point of the material.
US07963634B2

A liquid ejection head includes: an ejection port through which liquid is ejected; a liquid chamber which is connected to the ejection port, the liquid chamber being filled with the liquid; a pressurization device which is arranged on a wall of the liquid chamber, the pressurization device pressurizing the liquid in the liquid chamber; and a movable member which has a free end on a side of the ejection port and a fixed end on a side opposite to the ejection port, the free end being arranged at a prescribed distance from the wall of the liquid chamber so as to face the wall of the liquid chamber, the movable member including a first layer that is an internal layer, and second and third layers that are respectively arranged on both surfaces of the first layer, the second and third layers having a stress lower than the first layer.
US07963625B2

An inkjet printer performs printing by circulating cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks in their respective passages. The printer includes a heat exchanger which the passages enter together, and which is configured to promote the temperatures of the inks to be equal to each other.
US07963613B2

A padded shower seat for use when showering, the shower seat comprising a seat element having one or more openings therein, and a padded element engaged with the seat element, the padded element including one or more integrally formed projections push-fit received in a respective said opening and at least one reinforcing element associated with at least one said projection for preventing or inhibiting unintentional disengagement of the padded element from the seat element, or damage to the padded element, during lateral urging of the padded element parallel to the seat element. A water-resistant padded element and a reinforcing element are also provided.
US07963612B2

The invention relates to a modular furniture assembly that is convenient and versatile. One embodiment of the modular furniture assembly comprises a base and a transverse member manually, detachably coupled to the base by a coupler. The base and the transverse member have a defined spatial relationship which enables a variety of different types, configurations and sizes of furniture assemblies to be formed therefrom. Further, the base is configured such that the transverse member can be coupled to the base in a first position to form a first furniture assembly, and can be coupled to the base in a second position to form a second furniture assembly.
US07963609B2

A chair arm is rotatably folded and assembly-free, which is applicable for a new type folding chair, said chair arm comprising a back panel pin, an arm, a fixation for the pin, and a connection screw. The back panel and the arm are connected through the screw via a screw hole formed on the top end of the arm with said screw hole being a rotation center. The pin is fixed on a side of the back panel, the fixation for the pin comprises an arm housing, an unlocking hand knob, a locking member, an elastic member and a fixation screw, a slide slot is formed on the inner side of the arm housing facing the back panel, when the back panel is rotated, the screw hole on the top end of the arm functions as a rotation center, the pin on the back panel contacts the locking member through the guide slot on the arm, the locking member slides inside the guide slot on the arm as acted on by the pin, when the pin enters into the inner side of the locking member, the lock member is reset as acted on by the elastic member, and the locking member and the guide slot on the arm form a locking hole for locking the back panel pin.
US07963608B2

A vehicle seat assembly operable to perform an easy entry function includes a seat body adapted for attachment to a vehicle, the seat body having a seat back that is pivotally mounted to a seat bottom. A pivot lock mechanism inhibits the seat back from pivoting with respect to the seat bottom when locked. An easy entry actuator associated with the seat body is configured to unlock the pivot lock mechanism when actuated and to retain the pivot lock mechanism in an unlocked state while actuated. A retaining member associated with the easy entry actuator is configured to engage the seat back and to maintain the easy entry actuator in an actuated state after the easy entry actuator has been actuated until the seat back pivots to an angular orientation with respect to the seat bottom that the seat back occupied immediately prior to actuation of the easy entry actuator.
US07963604B2

The forwardly movable motor vehicle seat has a seat back (20) and a seat frame with a seat pan. The motor vehicle seat may be moved between a normal position of utilization and a forwardly moved position. An immobilizing device is associated with the seat frame. In particular, the seat back (20) has a seat back hinge (32) and a stopper device (40). The stopper device (40) retains the seat back (20) in the forward tilted position as long as the seat frame is located in a front portion of the travel path. The stopper device (40) enables said seat back to tilt upward into the normal position of utilization when the seat frame is located in a rear portion (74) of the travel path. The stopper device (40) has a first limit stop and a second limit stop, one limit stop being disposed on the seat frame and the other one on the seat back (20).
US07963603B2

A vehicle seat stabilization system configured for minimizing downward displacement of a seat cushion upon vehicle impact includes a vehicle seat and a stabilization device. The seat has a first and second vertical position and includes the cushion, a torque tube, mounting arrangement, slide assembly, and lift linkage. The device is configured for minimizing downward displacement of the cushion upon vehicle impact and includes a piston, rod, first cylinder, and a second cylinder disposed entirely within and cooperating with the first cylinder to define a conduit. The piston divides the second cylinder and defines a first and second chamber in fluid communication via the conduit. The device includes fluid and a member disposed within the second cylinder moveable upon vehicle impact to seal off fluid communication between the conduit and the second chamber to minimize downward displacement of the cushion upon impact when the seat is in the second position.
US07963599B2

A vehicle seat comprises a seat back frame having a pair of side frames, a seat spring mounted between the side frames, a single plate-shaped flexible cushion plate mounted to the seat spring, a seat back cushion provided in front of the cushion plate, a single plate-shaped flexible auxiliary plate mounted on the cushion plate. The auxiliary plate is located between the cushion plate and the seat back cushion. The auxiliary plate pushes the seat back cushion to the front by being forwardly bent in response to an operation member. A collision detector is located on the rear side of the cushion plate having a predetermined distance there between.
US07963587B2

A sliding door comprises a door structure and a guide rail. The door structure comprises a first surface, a second surface and at least one attachment assembly and defines at least one door aperture extending from the first surface to the second surface. The at least one attachment assembly comprises a first attachment member and a second attachment member. The second attachment member engages the first attachment member and extends through the at least one door aperture having at least a portion of the second attachment member extending beyond the second surface. The guide rail comprises a first contact surface and a second contact surface and defines at least one rail aperture configured to align with the at least one door aperture of the door structure. The second attachment member abuts the second contact surface of the guide rail. Methods of attaching a guide rail to a door structure are also provided herein. Vehicles are also provided.
US07963579B2

A bottom block assembly includes a block having a central vertical axis, a hook secured to the block for attaching a load to the block, a first pair of sheaves rotatably attached to the block, a first rope reeved about the first pair of sheaves, a second pair of sheaves rotatably attached to the block, and a second rope reeved about the second pair of reeves. The first and second pairs of sheaves are each equally spaced about the central vertical axis. The first pair of sheaves are located higher on the block than the second pair of sheave so that a portion of the first rope located between the first pair of sheaves crosses over a portion of the second rope located between the second pair of sheaves. If either rope fails, the other rope ensures the block remains level with a full load attached to the hook.
US07963575B2

A gate latch assembly comprising: (a) a biased latchbolt repositionable between a retracted position and an extended position; (b) a latchbolt catch to receive the latchbolt; and (c) a two-stage mechanism for repositioning the latchbolt from the extended position to the retracted position including a first stage mechanism having a clutch for selectively engaging the latchbolt, and a second stage mechanism for repositioning the latchbolt from the extended position to the retracted position while the clutch is engaged, where the second stage mechanism is repositionable independent of the latchbolt when the clutch is not engaged.
US07963574B2

An electric door lock interchangeable between fail safe and fail secure modes comprising a housing for receiving a plurality of internal components of the door lock. A window is included in the housing, the window allowing access to the internal components to change the operation of the lock between fail safe an fail secure modes.
US07963572B2

A threaded connection assembly comprises a nut, a multiplier connected to the nut via a first threaded interface having a first number of threads per inch and a well servicing pipe coupling connected to the multiplier via a second threaded interface having a second number of threads per inch. A method of forming a threaded connection for a well servicing application comprises forming a pipe coupling between two well servicing pipe sections and threading a connector to the pipe coupling to form a threaded connection without impact loading the connector. Another method for forming a threaded connection comprises disposing a first pipe section partially within a nut, threading a multiplier into the nut, threading the multiplier onto a second pipe section, and leveraging the multiplier against the nut, or vice versa.
US07963570B2

A quick to connect and quick to disconnect fluid coupling includes a clip, a male stem having an annular clip groove adapted to receive the clip, a female port having a step groove adapted to receive the clip upon insertion of the stem into the port, and a sleeve slideably disposed about the stem adapted to abut the clip and minimize shuttling of the stem within the port. The sleeve may be biased toward the clip by a dust seal abutting a shoulder of the sleeve distal from a lead-in end of the sleeve abutting the clip. Also, the sleeve may radially retain the clip, compressed in an annular groove of the stem, and/or the sleeve abutting the clip may stabilize the clip and axially align the clip with the stem, for insertion of the stem into the port.
US07963564B2

A label assembly that includes a face sheet with at least one label shape defined by one or more tearable lines of separation, a back sheet adjacent to the face sheet, and an adhesive material disposed between the face sheet and the back sheet. The back sheet has a removable panel disposed over the label shape adhesive material and a registration tab aligned with the label shape. The registration tab is raised or raisable above the back sheet to allow an object for labeling to be positioned against the registration tab for proper alignment with the label.
US07963551B2

A pillar trim on the vehicle-interior side of a pillar includes a pillar trim body located below an airbag and connected at its upper end part to the lower end of a top sealing member. A plurality of guide platforms are raised from the upper end part of the pillar trim body at spaced intervals in the vehicle front-to-rear direction to guide the inflation of the airbag towards the vehicle interior. The basal ends of each adjacent guide platforms are joined by a connecting part between the adjacent guide platforms. A groove for receiving the lower end of the top sealing member is formed between the vehicle-interior sides of the guide platforms and the pillar trim body. A through hole is vertically formed at least between the connecting part and the pillar trim body to open into the groove.
US07963540B2

A bicycle front end assembly is provided which is configured to reduce aerodynamic drag. In particular, an axis shaft of a fork may be mounted to a head tube of a bicycle frame. A fork head may be disposed in front of the head tube for providing a front end assembly which is aerodynamically configured while providing an increased moment of inertia compared with traditional designs to reduce drag of the bicycle and increase steering stiffness. Also, the handlebar may be attached to the fork head such that when the bicycle is steered to the left, the fork head is rotated toward the left and when the bicycle is steered to the right, the fork head is rotated toward the right. In this manner, the fork head is alignable to the travel direction of the bicycle.
US07963539B1

A wheelchair comprises a main frame and a seat mounted on the main frame. A pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels are also mounted on the frame. A propulsion mechanism is provided for driving the rear wheels, the propulsion mechanism comprising an arm lever for forward and back movement and a gear train between the arm lever and the rear wheels.
US07963531B2

The present invention is directed toward a collapsible cart adapted for use in recreational areas. The cart includes a body, a support platform, and a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly. Each wheel assembly includes a frame and a wheel adapted to slide along the frame. The frame includes a pivot point that reorients wheels from a stowed position to a deployed position. The cart may further include removable fences, as well as a foldable backstop. In use, the cart may be folded from a deployed position, in which it rolls along a surface to transport items, to a stowed position, in which it is collapsed in a compact geometry for storage. The cart may further be integrated into a chair such that the platform provides a seat and a seat back.
US07963529B2

An actuator includes a first rotary motor, a second rotary motor, and a transmission coupled to the first and second rotary motors. The transmission converts rotation of the first rotary motor in a first direction and simultaneous rotation of the second rotary motor in a second direction to linear motion of an output shaft in a single direction. The actuator is usable in an active automobile suspension.
US07963525B1

A circumferential seal system for sealing a high pressure region from a low pressure region separated by a runner with an outer circumferential surface and a seal ring disposed about the outer circumferential surface is described. The seal system includes a plurality of groove sets separately disposed along the outer circumferential surface. Each groove set further includes at least two grooves. At least one groove within each groove set exerts a lifting force via a fluid from the high pressure region onto the seal ring as the runner translates with respect to the seal ring along an axis substantially perpendicular to the rotation of the runner. The continuous feed of fluid onto the seal ring ensures a thin film between the seal ring and the runner regardless of their relative arrangement during axial excursions of the runner resulting from conditions within a turbine engine.
US07963522B2

A vacuum control assembly for use in an image production device is provided. The assembly has a plenum having a vacuum inlet; a perforated plate fluidly connected to the plenum, the perforated plate having a plurality of perforations; a baffle plate connected to an inside of the plenum such that the baffle plate can slide relative to the perforated plate and can pivot relative to the perforated plate; and a protrusion on the inside of the plenum. The baffle plate is capable of sliding relative to the perforated plate between a closed position and an open position, the closed position being where the baffle plate causes the vacuum inlet to be fluidly connected to a first plurality of the perforations, and the open position being where the baffle plate is pivoted away from the perforated plate, causing the vacuum inlet to be fluidly connected to a maximum number of the perforations. The maximum number is greater than the first plurality, and the baffle plate is pivoted into the open position by coming in contact with the protrusion.
US07963521B2

A sheet flipping device including a receiving member for receiving a sheet, a flipping volume defined by the flipping movement of the sheet when in operation, a flipping element for flipping the sheet around an axis of rotation within the flipping volume onto the receiving member, and a discharge element arranged adjacent to said flipping volume, the discharge element having a base extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the axis of rotation and having multiple electrodes with an end portion extending in a direction towards the flipping volume. The sheet flipping device is useable in a sheet stacking device and an image reproduction apparatus.
US07963517B2

A sheet feed device includes a first sheet cassette having an accommodating portion accommodating a first plurality of sheets and a second sheet cassette, disposed on the first sheet cassette, accommodating a second plurality of sheets. The sheet feed device also includes a sheet feeder configured to selectively feed the first plurality of sheets and the second plurality of sheets toward a sheet feed path, and a sheet separator configured to separate, one by one, the sheets fed by the sheet feeder. Specifically, the second sheet cassette is configured to move above the accommodating portion and with respect to the sheet feeder between a sheet feed position in which the sheet feeder contacts sheets accommodated in the second sheet feed cassette to a non-sheet feed position in which the second sheet feed cassette prevents the sheet feeder from contacting sheets accommodated in the second sheet feed cassette.
US07963516B2

A media reproduction device has an input tray and an output tray. Commencement of a print job causes the output tray to move from a closed position to an open position. A gear attaches to the output tray, the gear being engaged with a pick transmission to move the output tray to the open position and being disengaged from the pick transmission so the output tray freely rotates while in the open position.
US07963508B1

A method and apparatus for aerating liquid which includes an aeration chamber having an inlet port at its lower end an outlet port at its upper end wherein the chamber is divided into multiple internal chambers using a plurality of internal divider walls. The chamber is weighted with a base member so that it will not float. Air is inlet at its upper end through an air inlet hole into an upper air manifold wherein the air then travels downwardly through an air feed pipe to a plurality of air outlet holes wherein the air is released and rises thereby causing a flow of material through the inlet ports upwardly along the internal divider walls and aeration chamber and then out of the chamber at its upper outlet port so that the stream of material is directed onto a series of stationary concentric ridges wherein the solids in the liquid material are forcefully impacted against the stationary concentric ridges so as to break the solid particles up into smaller particles.
US07963504B2

A puller is provided with a number of advantages. Pullers are described that have a high power to weight ratio, and a high power to volume ratio. Examples of pullers and pulling systems include harmonic drive gear reduction elements and configurations that provide high cable friction in a small device volume. Examples of pullers and pulling systems also include constant force pulling which is desirable in particular for small diameter pipe replacement. Using pullers and pulling systems as described, minimally invasive pipe replacement operations are possible. Reversible pullers are also provided that decrease the amount of time needed to burst or split multiple segments of pipe.
US07963494B2

A holder is for holding an electronic device, and includes a housing, a support frame, and a resilient element. The housing is disposed on a rear face of the electronic device, defines a receiving space, and includes a barrier plate abutting against one side of the electronic device. The support frame is disposed in the receiving space and is movable relative to the housing. The support frame includes a catch member which is exposed from the housing, which is disposed opposite to the barrier plate, and which is engaged with a retaining hole in the rear face, and a push button portion exposed from the housing. The push button portion is operable to permit disengagement of the catch member from the retaining hole. The resilient element is disposed in the receiving space to provide the catch member with a restoring spring force.
US07963482B2

A cabin door assembly is provided for use with a pressurized aircraft. The assembly includes two door halves for engaging the fuselage of the aircraft. Structurally, each door half includes a waist section integral with an adjoining tapered section. Further, the assembly includes an activator that is mounted on the fuselage and attached to the door halves. Specifically, the activator is attached to each door half to concertedly move each door half between a closed configuration and an open configuration. In the closed configuration, the door halves are sealed to the fuselage and to each other for pressurization of the aircraft. In the open configuration, the door halves extend outwardly from the fuselage to allow for aircraft ingress and egress.
US07963479B2

The inventive fixing system comprises a front attachment (6), a rear attachment (7) and an intermediate attachment (8) connecting a strut (1) to a wing (2), wherein the lower fitting (17) of the rear attachment (7) is fixedly connected to the transversal rear face (1 G) of said strut on the extension thereof and said lower fitting (17) is substantially in flush with the top face of the strut.
US07963477B2

An aircraft includes a structure with structural elements (16) that are assembled to form a three-dimensional framework to which an aerodynamic envelope (14) is attached. At least some structural elements (16) are at least partly metallic and—at the connection with the aerodynamic envelope (14)—including an interface that is made of material that has a conductivity that is below a threshold on the order of 10,000 S/m so as to form at least one electrical path that ensures the functions of electric return and metallization of the electrical systems, whereby connections that ensure the electrical conduction are provided between the structural elements (16).
US07963472B2

A shredder intake limiting device having a pair of parallel bars, wherein the ends of the bars are supported by a pair of side supports. Each side support comprises a floor surface flanked by two upwardly-diverging sidewall surfaces. The angle of the sidewall surfaces is such that the bars will be prevented from separating beyond a desired limit when sheet material is being inserted downward into the shredder. When sheet material is being pulled upward during removal after a jam, the diverging angles of the sidewall surfaces will allow the bars to travel upward and the horizontal separation distance to increase, thereby allowing the jammed material to be easily removed.
US07963468B2

A shredder is disclosed. The shredder includes a housing having a throat for receiving at least one article to be shredded, and a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including an electrically powered motor and cutter elements. The shredder mechanism enables the at least one article to be shredded to be fed into the cutter elements. The motor is operable to drive the cutter elements so that the cutter elements shred the articles fed therein. The shredder also includes a detector that is configured to detect a thickness of the at least one article being received by the throat, and a controller that is operable to perform a predetermined operation responsive to the detector detecting that the thickness of the at least one article is at least equal to a predetermined maximum thickness.
US07963466B2

Nozzle device and nozzle for atomization and/or filtration as well as methods for using the same. The nozzle and nozzle device for atomization, in particular a micro-machined reinforced nozzle plate, may produce small liquid droplets in air (spray) or into a liquid (emulsion) with a narrow droplet size distribution and make small air bubbles into a liquid (foam). A nozzle part for filtration as well as elements and methods to facilitate atomization and filtration are also disclosed.
US07963461B2

Disclosed is a fuel injection nozzle comprising a cooling duct (6) that is disposed in the final region of a housing (1), which faces the combustion chamber. In order to cool the zones that are subjected to high thermal stress, the cooling duct (6) is positioned closer to the bore (2) of the valve needle than to the external face of the housing (1) and is provided with a cross-sectional area that has a width corresponding to no more than the height which extends in the axial direction of the nozzle.
US07963450B2

Systems and methods of providing a covert security marking for items such as documents, packaging, credit cards, and other valuable goods to combat the steady increase in forgery, counterfeiting, and other fraudulent activities is presented. A spectrally narrow, near infrared ink system serves as the basis of a covert security feature for items of value. Alternatively, or in combination, metal oxides having a substantially narrow absorption band and a maximum absorption wavelength of electromagnetic radiation in the near infrared range are also utilized.
US07963447B2

Laser power monitoring arrangements interrupt power to a laser used in electro-optical readers upon detection of operating conditions not conforming to preestablished standards. An auxiliary light detector independently monitors the output power of a laser beam, and directly receives a portion of the laser beam reflected from a diffractive optical lens surface of an optical assembly for optically modifying the laser beam, or from a coated or uncoated inclined surface of a split collimating lens of the optical assembly. The split collimating lens may have its lens portions in mutual contact or separated by an air gap.
US07963431B2

A surgical device is disclosed which includes a handle assembly, an elongated member and a disposable loading unit. The handle assembly includes a mode selection mechanism configured to alternate the surgical device between a first grasping mode of operation and a second clamping mode of operation. The handle assembly includes a rotation control member and an articulation lever. The rotation control member is configured to facilitate rotation of the elongated member with respect to the handle assembly. The articulation lever is configured to facilitate articulation of the tool assembly about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of elongated member. In one embodiment, the tool assembly includes a cartridge assembly having a plurality of staples and an anvil assembly configured to clamp and staple tissue in the second clamping mode of operation of the device.
US07963430B2

A nailer device has a housing containing a motor and a transmission mechanism. The housing has a nozzle portion with a striking rod for striking a nail arranged therein, the striking rod being moved in a reciprocating manner. A rotating shall is mounted in the housing and the rotating shaft is coupled to the output shaft of the motor through the transmission mechanism. An impact member surrounds the rotating shaft and is moved with the rotating shaft. Corresponding slots are formed on the rotating shaft and the impact member respectively and mate with each other with engagement members being contained in the corresponding slots.
US07963429B2

The mid-zone pressing tool has a base and a pressing assembly, which are pivotally connected at the rear by a transverse shaft. A pair of cantilevers extends forward from each side of an uppermost rear portion of the base. A pair of arms is connected on the distal ends by a common handle. A first coupling connects a middle portion of each arm to the pressing assembly by an axle, cam or link. A second coupling connects the proximal ends of each arm to the cantilever by an axle, cam or link. Pushing the handle down pivots the arms, engages the couplings, and transmits a concentrated downward force to the front of the pressing assembly. The cantilevers allow a range of coupling placements, including near the middle of the pressing tool. The couplings are optionally releasable.
US07963426B2

An attachment receptacle (10) which can be fixed on a head covering, such as a helmet 5, of a user and has a clamping device is provided. The attachment receptacle 10 is fixed by means of a fixing component, for example having hook-like retaining brackets 9a, 9b, on the back of a head covering and is connected via a clamping element to the front or to a sighting device mounted on the front, such as a night vision device 2. The attachment receptacle 10 with the clamping device is formed in such a way that externally accessible components are integrated in the form of the receptacle, in such a way that no projecting or protruding components can cause unintentional actuation of the clamping device. The attachment receptacle 10 is furthermore advantageously formed on the head covering so as to be adjustable in height.
US07963421B2

A hinged lid for a food container is provided. The lid structure includes a rim with an attached cover member. The lid structure also includes a mounting structure for mounting the lid structure to a food container. A tamper evidence latch is provided to releasably secure the rim in a closed configuration overlying the open end of the food container. The rim engages an upper rolled lip of the food container sidewall when the lid structure is in a closed configuration.
US07963416B2

A food package has a container and a lid. The lid includes a planar surface and a convex dome that is above the planar surface. A transparent window in the convex dome attracts the attention of consumers since it is raised relative to the remainder of the lid. The lid also includes a concave dome that frames a raised logo or raised text within the dome. By framing the logo, the concave dome helps to direct a consumer's attention to the logo or text and helps to protect the logo or text from wear.
US07963407B2

A holder for displaying and conveniently using consumables is disclosed, in which a two or more disks having corresponding, but differently sized, holes, arranged in rows, are ganged into a pair of disks, thereby allowing users to place bottles and tubes containing consumables into such holes for easy storage and access. The pair of disks is provided with rotational means, additional pairs of disks may be added in a modular fashion to increase storage capacity, and the rows of holes may be non-radially arranged, or even spirally arranged, to increase view and access to bottles and tubes.
US07963400B2

The present invention provides: a distributor plate for a composite pressure vessel. The distributor plate includes a thermoplastic polymeric disk having a top side, a bottom side, a perimeter edge and a central opening. Radial slits are formed in the disk to define fluid flow passages through the disk between the central opening and the perimeter edge. The fluid flow passages through the disk are adapted to swirl fluid flowing through the disk from the bottom side to the top side around the central opening.
US07963395B2

The disclosure relates to a connecting element adapted to temporarily holding together a plurality of articles, the connecting element comprising a base member provided with a first adhesion area adapted to hold a first secondary article to said base member and a second adhesion area adapted to hold a second secondary article to said base member, wherein the adhesion areas comprise an electrically weakable adhesive. Also disclosed is a package and an article being provided with adhesion areas comprising an electrically weakable adhesive.
US07963387B2

Material handling apparatus (10) for collecting and handling particulate material such as particulate coal, the apparatus (10) comprising an elongated hollow conveyor housing (19) along which an endless chain (43) extends, the chain (43) carrying a plurality of transverse flights (44), the housing (19) being supported adjustably on a mobile chassis (11), and a materials collection head (31) at one end of the housing (19) which includes augers (38) for directing particulate material towards a central portion of the head (31) for engagement by the flights (44) which convey the collected materials along the housing (10) to an outlet (21).
US07963382B2

An method for determining the denomination of a coin with a disk-type coin processing system comprises moving a coin along a coin path with a rotatable disk, generating an encoder pulse for each incremental movement of the rotatable disk, directing a light beam transverse the coin path, detecting the light beam with a light detector, developing a signal at the light detector indicating the presence of a coin in the coin path, counting a number of encoder pulses occurring while developing the signal at the light detector, and comparing the counted number of encoder pulses to a plurality of stored numbers of encoder pulses corresponding to the particular coin denominations.
US07963381B2

A centrifugal clutch for a vehicle includes a clutch housing having friction plates, a clutch boss having clutch plates, a pressure plate, and roller weights that press the pressure plate in a direction such that the friction plates and the clutch plates are brought into frictional contact with each other when the roller weights receive a centrifugal force. The vehicle power unit includes a main shaft which has an oil supply passage formed therein. The clutch includes a first oil supply path that supplies oil via the oil supply passage to the friction and clutch plates. The clutch includes a second oil supply path that supplies oil via the oil supply passage to the roller weights. The first and second oil supply paths are formed individually to allow independent adjustment of oil supply to each path.
US07963380B2

A viscous fan drive having improved pumping efficiency from removing fluid from a fluid operating chamber to a fluid reservoir chamber is achieved by providing a wiper element that is located within the radial clearance between the clutch and the housing that effectively seals leakage paths leading (upstream) and trailing the wiper. The wiper element includes a radial tang that is positioned within a corresponding slot of the cover wall. The wiper element also has a pair of spaced apart arms extending from the radial tang portion each having a radial outer surface that has a similar radius as the cover wall and a radial inner surface has a similar radius as the clutch. The wiper element also preferably includes details designed to seal the radial inner surface to the outer periphery of the clutch during fan drive operation and a locating detail to aid in assembly.
US07963378B2

An energy absorbing tubular structure is formed of a molded or extruded polymer. The tube has a quadrangular cross-section with rounded corners. The walls of tube are corrugated with alternating convex and concave corrugations surfaces having a continuous constant radius, preferably with no flat spots. The corrugated walls have a constant thickness. The corrugations progressively deform during impact thereby providing a near perfect square wave force vs. deflection energy absorption curve at any predetermined nearly constant force level. The tube may be filled with polymer foam to vary the impact performance of the structure.
US07963371B2

Methods and apparatus for applying a uniform application of an appropriate quantity of lubricant to the internal threads of a pipe. In general, the apparatus includes a high pressure supply of lubricant and a high speed, rotating centrifugal applicator for evenly applying the lubricant to internal threads. The system also includes a dosing system to regulate the distribution of lubricant by dispensing a consistent volume of lubricant at each application. Potential advantages of the embodiments include the repeatability and consistency of amount of lubricant on pipe threads (e.g. thickness).
US07963370B2

A personal, lightweight, high altitude rappel escape safety device is worn by an individual as a backpack and provides a safe means of lowering the individual from an elevated structure. The device comprises a structural body containing a mechanical device for slowly releasing a high strength cable. One end of the cable is secured to the structure prior to the user descending from the structure. The cable is released from a spool located inside the body and makes a circuitous path though a frictional structure. The structure contains baffles through which the cable extends. The friction caused by the pattern of release of the cable generates sufficient drag to safely lower a person from any altitude in a structure to the ground. The rate of descent may be adjusted via a braking mechanism.
US07963362B2

An acoustic panel includes a reflective layer, at least one alveolar structure, and an acoustically resistive structure forming an aerodynamic surface of an aircraft on the surface of which at least one acoustic wave propagates along an axis of propagation (24), whereby at least one of the characteristics of the acoustic panel influences the impedance of the panel that varies along the axis of propagation of the at least one acoustic wave, characterized in that it includes at least one first zone A with a constant acoustic impedance that is juxtaposed along the axis of propagation of the at least one acoustic wave at a zone C at which at least one characteristic of the acoustic panel that influences the impedance gradually varies along the axis of propagation of the at least one acoustic wave, whereby the characteristic has a value without sudden variations from one zone to the next.
US07963359B2

To limit a vehicle-widthwise swing amount of a shock absorber to a smaller amount, thereby reducing the width of a vehicle. When a shock absorber is attached to an upper bracket portion provided on a swing arm via a spherical joint, both the end faces of the upper bracket portion provided on both sides of one end of the shock absorber via gaps are such that the size of the end face in the back-and-forth direction of the vehicle body (i.e., the diameter D of the end face) is greater than the vehicle-widthwise distance S between both the end faces.
US07963354B2

To provide an air-inlet structure of a motorcycle in which air-inlet ducts can be connected to an air box without providing through holes for allowing passage of the air-inlet ducts on the main frame or bending the air-inlet ducts to bypass a main frame. An engine is supported on a pair of left and right front frames that extend from a head pipe that supports a front wheel rearward and downward. An air box supplies air to the engine and is arranged above the engine. Air-inlet ducts introduce air to the air box and extend on the outer sides of the front frames in a fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle body to be connected to an air-inlet port of the air box at the back of the front frames.
US07963342B2

A method and apparatus for actuating a downhole tool in a wellbore. The method and apparatus including an actuator that operates the tool in response to the functioning of an energetic charge. The energetic charge may be set off as a part of a perforating operation.
US07963337B2

An offshore composite enhanced metallic drilling riser is equipped to enable preloading of the composite shell and the metallic riser. A riser has steel end connectors and a continuous metallic inner liner, encased in a composite shell. A segmented hyperboloid shaped profile is located near each of the end fittings for preloading of the composite and the metallic riser. In one version, both halves of the hyperboloid shape are capable of axial movement by adjusting jack bolts connected to one of the hyperboloid halves. One of the halves is limited in axial movement while the other half moves axially away from the restricted half, the movement simultaneously generates the composite pre-load and the metallic riser pre-load. The other version uses fluid pressure between mating faces of the segments to push them apart.
US07963334B2

A kit for converting an existing wireline retrievable surface controlled subsurface safety valve (170, 270, 370) into a bypass passageway apparatus (100) allowing the injection of production-enhancing fluid into a wellbore while maintaining the operation of the closure member (374). Bypass passageway (280) can extend between upper (260) and lower (275) adapters external to the existing wireline retrievable surface controlled subsurface safety valve (270) to allow fluid injection bypass thereof. Conversion kit can include a tubing string hanger to suspend a velocity tubing string (407, 507), a gas lift valve (475) for gas lift operations, a locking mandrel (220), and/or a spacer tube (240).
US07963333B2

A process is described for replacing at least a portion of the liquid within the annular volume of a casing system within a wellbore with a second liquid. The second liquid is preselected to provide a measure of control of the pressure within the annular volume as the fluid within the volume is being heated.
US07963329B2

A method including a) injecting into the formation an aqueous solution containing a polymer and a surfactant to create a organic phase and a aqueous phase, the surfactant being capable of reducing the interfacial tension between the phases to less than 1 dyne/cm; b) recovering a portion of the organic and aqueous phases containing at least a portion of the polymer and surfactant components and a portion of native petroleum surfactants generated in the porous formation; c) adjusting the conditions of the recovered portions to force a portion of the polymer and surfactant from one phase into the other phase by use of chemical, physical, electrical or gravitational means or a combination of said means; d) separating the polymer-and surfactant-containing phase; e) concentrating the polymer and surfactant components in the separated phase; and f) re-injecting at least a portion of the concentrated polymer and surfactant components into the formation.
US07963328B2

A process and system for release and recovery of methane from subterranean methane hydrate deposits in which heated CO2 is used to displace methane from the methane hydrate deposits and a portion of the displaced methane is routed to a combustion device proximate the deposit for combustion in-situ, generating heated CO2 which is introduced into the deposit, displacing additional methane, a portion of which is routed to the combustion device, thereby providing a substantially self-sustaining process. Portions of the displace methane not routed to the combustion device are captured for use elsewhere.
US07963324B2

A method usable with a subterranean well that includes actuating a downhole tool (a valve assembly, for example). The method also includes applying at least one of an impulse stimulus and a vibration stimulus to the tool during the actuating to enhance operation of the tool.
US07963321B2

A swellable downhole packer (10) is provided for positioning downhole in a well to seal with the interior surface of a borehole or the interior surface of a downhole tubular. The packer includes a swellable elastomeric sleeve-shaped body (14) positioned over a mandrel (12) for swelling, and a rigid end ring (16,18). An elastomeric anti-extrusion member (20) is spaced axially between the sleeve-shaped body and the rigid end ring, and has a radial thickness adjacent the end ring greater than the radial thickness adjacent the sleeve-shaped body. A swellable elastomeric member (32) is spaced radially between the exterior surface of the mandrel and the elastomeric anti-extrusion member.
US07963319B2

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and apparatuses for gripping and shearing a downhole cable. In one embodiment, a line cutter mandrel includes: a tubular mandrel; a pocket disposed along an outer surface of the mandrel and longitudinally coupled to the mandrel; a channel disposed through the pocket for receiving a cable; and a line cutter. The line cutter includes a blade, is operable to engage an outer surface of the cable in a gripping position, is operable to at least substantially sever the cable with the blade in a cutting position, and is operable from the gripping position to the cutting position by relative longitudinal movement between the cable and the pocket.
US07963316B2

An air conditioning apparatus has a case, a heat exchanger rotatable about a rotation axis in the case, and a pipe unit in communication with the heat exchanger. The pipe unit has a first section fixed to the case and a second section coaxially coupled to the first section. The second section is coupled to the heat exchanger and rotatable with the heat exchanger. The first section has a first annular portion, a second annular portion, a cylindrical portion, and a support member. The second section has a flange portion disposed between the first annular portion and the support member. An O-ring is disposed in a groove provided by the first annular portion and the cylindrical portion, and is in contact with a surface of the first annular portion and the flange portion in a direction parallel to the rotation axis.
US07963315B2

A vehicle with an air conditioner comprises an instrument panel center member disposed vertically behind an evaporator and fixed to a vehicle structure. The evaporator is disposed obliquely in such a manner that its maximum-area face has a crossing angle relative to a horizontal face and a distance between its front and rear ends is a specified length or greater. The evaporator is configured so as to be rotated between a vehicle dash panel being moved rearward and the instrument panel center member at a frontal crash of a vehicle in such a manner that the distance between its front end and rear end becomes shorter. Accordingly, the evaporator can be prevented from being pushed into a vehicle cabin at the vehicle frontal crash, thereby ensuring the safety of the passenger.
US07963313B1

A fabric panel has an interior and exterior face with a top, a bottom, and sides. An upper seam forms an upper passageway. A lower seam forms a lower passageway. A bar is secured within each hem. A plurality of support holes extends through the hem and bar at the top and at the bottom of the primary panel. A plurality of threaded bolts are provided. Each bolt has a threaded end. The threaded end is adapted to be received by recipient surfaces adjacent to the top and bottom of the panel. Each bolt has an exposed end. In this manner coupling and uncoupling is facilitated. Each bolt has a central portion. The central portion extends through a hole in a hem and bar at the top and at the bottom of the panel.
US07963312B2

A screen is made to be able to be changed in a state in which the screen is made to be detachable from a screen attaching frame portion, a first connector is arranged at one end extracted from the screen of screen tension members penetrating the screen at a plurality of portions in a length direction, the one end is connected to a vicinity of a free end of a slide guide frame portion, other end of a jump member extracted to a screen attaching side is arranged with a second connector, the first connector and the second connector are made to be attachable and detachable to and from each other, and the slide guide frame portion is extracted from inside of the screen attaching frame portion.
US07963304B2

A multi-station dispensing apparatus which affords an automatic flow rate for the product to be dispensed. It also provides a single control knob which can select from several different chemical concentrates to be diluted and dispensed. In addition, a bottle can be filled by single-handed operation as well as a bucket without the need to reset the control knob.
US07963302B2

An inspection machine for inspecting the volume of liquid contained by a bottle filed to its defined fill height. A head is lowered and has a sealing plate which seals the open finish of a bottle. A fill tube assembly is part of the head and continues to be lowered until a level sensor is located to sense liquid at a pre-fill level. High and low pressure water lines which are a part of the fill tube assembly are operated to fill the bottle to the pre-fill level. The sealing plate is released and then the process is repeated lowering the sensor to the post-fill level and operating only the low-pressure line to fill the bottle to the post-fill level. The total liquid filling the bottle is then computed.
US07963298B2

A fluid distribution pipe includes an elongate tubular body and a spherical end form integral with the tubular body at an inlet end. The spherical fluid connection end of the fuel rail is formed by plastic deformation. A series of tools and motions is used while the tubing of the fuel rail is clamped in place to form the spherical end form at the inlet end of the tubing. The resulting spherical end form provides the necessary geometry and surface finish to provide a successful seal and flexible connection of the fuel rail with a fuel line with significant cost advantages over current prior art methods.
US07963283B2

The method and system are for sealing/unsealing (regulating) airway leaks occurring between the ventilator circuit and respiratory airways during lung ventilatory support in response to myoelectrical activity of diaphragm. Myolectrical activity of a patient's respiratory-related muscle is sensed to detect respiratory effort, and to produce a myoelectrical signal representative of the sensed muscle myoelectrical activity. Respiratory flow and pressure can also be measured to produce respective respiratory pressure and respiratory flow signals. A logic trigger sealing/unsealing of airway leaks in relation to the myoelectrical signal, respiratory flow signal and/or respiratory pressure signal to assist respiration of the patient. The amplitude of the myoelectrical signal is compared to a given threshold, and airway leaks are sealed when the amplitude of the myoelectrical signal is higher than this threshold. Increment of myoelectrical signal amplitude can be also detected to trigger the airway leak regulating device to seal the airway leaks, while decrement of the myoelectrical signal amplitude can be detected to unseal the airway leaks and thus permit air evacuation from the patient's lungs.
US07963277B2

An exhaust gas recirculation system has an EGR valve disposed in an EGR duct connecting an engine intake and exhaust. A diaphragm of said EGR valve is actuated via vacuum from the engine intake, the application of the vacuum is controlled via an electronic valve regulator (EVR). The EVR is provided a fixed signal to cause it to be fully open when it is determined that the engine is about to encounter a condition in which there is insufficient vacuum to open the EGR valve. The EVR is provided a variable signal during other operating conditions in which there is sufficient vacuum to open the EGR valve.
US07963276B2

The combination valve comprises a tubular center part, a gas inlet which is arranged on the outer shell of the tubular center part, a gas outlet A which is arranged adjacent to the gas inlet on the outer shell of the tubular center part, a first branch which is arranged opposite the gas outlet on the outer shell of the tubular center part, and a second branch which is arranged opposite the gas inlet on the outer shell of the tubular center part. The first branch is connected to the second branch via a cooler. A rotary slide is mounted centrally in the tubular center part such that it can rotate about the longitudinal axis of the tubular centre part. Depending on the operating state, the rotary slide shuts off at least partially the gas inlet, the gas outlet, the first branch and the second branch.
US07963273B2

An engine is operated with a first cylinder to provide a net flow of gases from the engine intake to the engine exhaust while a second cylinder returns combusted gases back to the intake to control a timing of auto-ignition combustion in the first cylinder.
US07963264B2

A vehicle has an engine, a starter motor, an energy storage system (ESS) for powering an auxiliary system, and a supercapacitor module for powering the starter motor during engine cranking and starting. The supercapacitor module disconnects from the starter motor to recharge. A DC-DC booster converter increases the level of voltage supplied from the ESS so as to charge the supercapacitor module to a relatively higher voltage level, such as approximately 125 to 140 percent of the voltage level supplied by the ESS. A method for preventing voltage sag in an auxiliary system of the vehicle includes disconnecting the supercapacitor module from the starter motor when the engine is running, and then charging the supercapacitor module using the ESS until a cranking support voltage equals a stored target voltage. A detected commanded cranking and starting of the engine causes the connection of the supercapacitor module to the starter motor.
US07963263B2

An engine spark ignition device for internal combustion engines having electrical coupling of the firing spark plug wire to the non-firing spark plug wires. The device is for use with an engine having a plurality of spark plug wires connected between a distributor and a spark plug disposed in the engine cylinder and comprises identical elongated electrically conductive semi-circular plates which enclose identical elongated electrically conductive planar plates having apertures therein that intersect to form spaces for receiving the spark plug wires. The interaction between firing spark plug wires and non-firing spark plug wires results in more efficient and cleaner combustion in the combustion chambers.
US07963246B1

An apparatus is designed to apply a controlled adhesive bead to a workpiece as the workpiece is manually moved along a stationary adhesive dispensing mechanism. The apparatus comprises a worktable with a motion detection device mounted on a top surface of the table, the adhesive dispensing mechanism mounted to the worktable, an electronic control system mounted to the worktable and operatively connected to the motion detection device and the adhesive dispensing mechanism, and an adhesive source. The workpiece is manually moved under the dispensing mechanism. Regardless of the workpiece movement speed, a consistent sized adhesive bead is applied to the workpiece.
US07963243B2

The invention is a portable collapsible boat comprising one or more rigid cockpit sections, constructed of a material such as fiberglass, attached to a bow section and a stem section, which are constructed of fabric material covering a skeleton of longitudinal stringers and ring frames, and are attached to the rigid cockpit section(s) by means of a belt, buckles, and/or flanges. The hybrid folding boat combines the best features of rigid boats, such as performance and durability, with the best features of existing folding boats, such as transportability, without suffering from the drawbacks of rigid boats (mainly the extensive storage space required) or folding boats (mainly weight). The hybrid folding boat is lighter, easier to transport, more rugged, safer, easier to assemble, and stiffer than previous folding boats, adapts easily to a sailing rig, and facilitates one or more passengers. Manufacture of the boat is simpler than that of conventional folding kayaks because it has fewer parts and less dependence on precision stitching of the fabric covering.
US07963225B2

A register in a printing machine is controlled and adjusted by providing at least one printing unit provided with at least two printing groups in the printing machine. Each printing group comprises a cylinder pair consisting of at least a forme cylinder and a transfer cylinder. The forme cylinder of the first printing group is phase shifted at a first amount for the register adjustment in a circumferential direction. The transfer cylinder of the first printing group is phase shifted in a second amount in the circumferential direction. The amount of the phase shift of the forme cylinder is different from the amount of phase shift of the transfer cylinder. The two amounts of the phase shifts are not equal to zero.
US07963222B2

A flexographic printing machine including at least one printing unit with an ink roller mounted at one end to a first sliding support and a plate-holding roller mounted at one end to a second sliding support, and at least one guide member for guiding the movements of the supports in directions parallel to an imaginary line which perpendicularly intersects the axes of the ink and plate-holding rollers. In addition, first upper and lower screws are provided parallel to said line above and below the axes of the ink and plate-holding rollers in order to move the first support, and second upper and lower screws are provided parallel to the line above and below the axes of the ink and plate-holding rollers in order to move the second support.
US07963201B2

A method and apparatus for dispensing prepackaged medication packages includes an apparatus having a body with an internal cavity and an opening. A central processing unit operably communicates with an actuator within the cavity to regulate and monitor the dispensation of the packages, while the actuator operably communicates with a feed mechanism within the cavity to dispense the packages.
US07963199B2

The present invention relates to a spinning apparatus for forming a workpiece when the workpiece is arranged in a substantially vertical orientation. The spinning apparatus includes at least one tool capable of altering the shape of the workpiece while spinning. The apparatus also includes a clamp configured to hold the workpiece as the tool works the workpiece. The spinning apparatus includes a spinning arrangement allowing for the vertical arrangement of the workpiece while the tool is working on the workpiece.
US07963194B2

A screw fastener includes a screwdriver that includes a sleeve having an absorption hole configured to absorb a top surface of a screw, a bit housed in the absorption hole and having a tip engageable with a recess of the screw, and a rotation unit configured to rotate the bit with the sleeve, a movement unit configured to move the screwdriver between a container configured to accommodate the screw and a work, a positional shift detector configured to detect a positional shift on a plane between a center axis of the screw perpendicular to the plane and a center axis of the bit perpendicular to the plane, and a controller controls a movement of the movement unit so as to reduce the positional shift, based on a detection result of the positional shift detector.
US07963188B2

Since the rotating unit is disposed so that the drive part, which constitutes the rotating unit, is located in the inner side of the bent portion with the curved surface of the CABLEVEYOR in the side of the straight axis, there is no problem occurs by locating the drive part connected with the rotating unit in the inner side of the bent portion of the CABLEVEYOR. Therefore, the dead space formed in the inner side of the bent portion of the CABLEVEYOR can be used effectively.
US07963186B2

A gear box assembly as used in an inverted portal axle or transfer case includes a drive gear and at least one driven gear in meshing engagement with the drive gear at a contact point. A gear housing closely surrounds portions of an outer circumference of the drive and driven gears to form a baffle area. The gear housing includes an discharge orifice that is located near the contact point and a fluid gallery that extends from the discharge orifice to other locations within the gear housing. As the drive gear drives the driven gear, fluid is pumped into the discharge orifice and through the fluid gallery to fluid outlets positioned at desired locations to lubricate other gear box components. Radial inlets with elongated chamfers and stator vanes can be formed within the gear housing to draw air ingested during pumping away from the discharge orifice. Additionally, a bypass loop can be used to scavenge unwanted air ingested into meshing gear teeth.
US07963182B2

A power-assisted gearshift mechanism for a manual transmission, comprising a shift rail mounted for axial movement to select one or more gears, a control arm engageable with the shift rail to cause axial movement of the shift rail in response to operation of a operator control, and a fluid pressure actuator, the fluid pressure actuator comprising a piston moveable in a cylinder, wherein fluid pressure in the cylinder causes force to be applied to the shift rail, the cylinder having a fluid supply connection and a fluid exit connection, and wherein the fluid exit connection is closeable to cause the fluid pressure within the cylinder to change, and the fluid exit connection comprising a bore within the shift rail, wherein movement of the control linkage is operable to open or close the bore.
US07963177B2

A damping device for a fluid flow meter mountable on the exterior of a pipe to meter fluid flow traveling within the pipe is provided. The flow meter has at least one ultrasonic sensor operable to transmit ultrasonic signals through a pipe wall in a direction normal to the pipe wall and into a fluid flow disposed within the pipe, which signals create secondary ultrasonic signals circumferentially traveling within the pipe wall at a frequency. The damping device includes a base and a plurality of tines. The base is conformable to an exterior surface of the pipe wall, and has a pipe-side surface and a tine-side surface. The plurality of tines is attached to the base and extends outwardly from the tine-side surface. Each tine is spaced apart from an adjacent tine by a tine-to-tine distance that is less than the wavelength of the secondary ultrasonic signals circumferentially propagating within the pipe wall.
US07963173B2

A magnetic flowmeter for measuring flow of a flow of process fluid, includes a flow tube arranged to receive the flow of process fluid therethrough. A magnetic drive coil proximate the flow tube is arranged to apply a magnetic field to the flow in response to a drive signal. At least one electrode is arranged to sense an electrical potential of the process fluid which related to the applied magnetic field and flow rate of the process fluid. Temperature measurement circuitry is coupled to the magnetic drive coil and is configured to provide a temperature output indicative of temperature of the drive coil based upon an electrical parameter of the drive coil. Flow measurement circuitry coupled to the at least one electrode is configured to provide a flow output based upon sensed electrical potential.
US07963168B2

The present invention is to provide inspection apparatus and method of being able to acquire electromagnetic wave response information of an inspection object at high speed as average information using an electromagnetic wave. An inspection apparatus using an electromagnetic wave 2 includes an electromagnetic wave generation and irradiation unit 9 which generates an electromagnetic wave and irradiates the electromagnetic wave on an inspection object 11, and an electromagnetic wave detection unit 10 having a plurality of detection units. The plurality of detection units is arranged so as to detect the electromagnetic wave which is irradiated by the electromagnetic wave generation and irradiation unit and is transmitted or reflected with interacting with different sites of the inspection object 11, and is constructed so as to detect the electromagnetic wave from the different sites in different detection time or detection frequencies respectively. The inspection apparatus acquires electromagnetic wave response information on the inspection object 11 based on detection signals from the plurality of detection units.
US07963167B2

An ultrasonic probe is configured such that: a piezoelectric element group is housed within a sealed container so as to be rotated and oscillated left and right about a center line that equally divides a plate surface of the piezoelectric element group; and the sealed container is filled with a liquid that serves as an acoustic medium, and in the sealed container there are provided an inlet hole for the liquid as well as an exhaust hole, to the inlet hole there is connected a flexible tube that functions as a diaphragm, and on the flexible tube and the exhaust hole there are respectively provided sealing lids. As a result, there is provided an ultrasonic probe that prevents an occurrence of air bubbles in a liquid that serves as an ultrasonic wave medium, and that realizes excellent ultrasonic characteristics.
US07963164B2

A capacitive sensor assembly for measuring a level of fluent material in a container includes an electronics section for receiving and processing signals and an antenna probe operably associated with the electronics section. The antenna probe has an electrical conductor and an insulating layer that covers at least a portion of the electrical conductor. The electrical conductor is connected to the electronics section. An enlarged measurement portion is in turn connected to the electrical conductor for detecting the presence or absence of the fluent material. The enlarged measurement portion has a surface area that is larger than a surface area of the electrical conductor over an equivalent height or length to function as a first plate of the capacitive sensor assembly, with the fluent material to be measured functioning as a second capacitive plate. In this manner, a change in detected capacitance of the antenna probe is reflective of a level condition of the fluent material.
US07963163B2

Fluids such as saline solution that are disposed in containers such as contact lens packages can be detected by directing ultrasonic energy at the container and receiving a return reflection of the ultrasonic energy. The ultrasonic energy and the return reflection can propagate through a shroud that substantially isolates the ultrasonic energy and the return reflection from air currents.
US07963149B2

A method and device for determining the hydraulic leakage rate of liquid-conveying parts, in particular injection valves for internal combustion engines, place the liquid-conveying part into a test body, and the liquid-conveying part is charged with a test liquid under a particular pressure, and a carrier gas stream is provided in a flow duct of the test body, and a vapor mixture behind the liquid-conveying part is conducted to an analyzer, and a measurement and analysis are carried out, using the analyzer, of the hydraulic leakage rate of the liquid-conveying part via the concentration of test liquid in the vapor mixture, the carrier gas stream being brought in via a nozzle element close to the leakage point of the liquid-conveying part, and/or a heating of the vapor mixture being provided behind the liquid-conveying part for complete conversion into the gas phase. The testing device is particularly suitable for leakage measurement in fuel injection valves used in fuel injection systems of mixture-compressing externally ignited internal combustion engines.
US07963147B2

Provided are a micro gas sensor for measuring a gas concentration configured to achieve a high heating and cooling rate of a gas sensitive layer, achieve temperature uniformity, and achieve durability against thermal impact and mechanical impact; and a method for manufacturing the micro gas sensor. The micro gas sensor includes: a vacuum cavity disposed in a substrate; a support layer covering the vacuum cavity; a sealing layer sealing the support layer and the vacuum cavity; a micro heater disposed on the sealing layer; a plurality of electrodes disposed on the micro heater, insulated from the micro heater; and a gas sensitive layer covering the electrodes.
US07963145B2

In apparatus and method for detecting a combustible gas within an atmosphere to be detected, a calculated humidity deviation corresponding to a past gas concentration stored in a memory unit of a microcomputer is calculated on the basis of a correlation between a preset gas concentration of the combustible gas and the calculated humidity deviation, a calculated humidity of the atmosphere to be detected is corrected using the calculated humidity deviation to calculate a corrected humidity, and, when a concentration of the combustible gas is calculated on the basis of a terminal voltage, a temperature of the atmosphere to be detected, and a humidity of the atmosphere to be detected, the calculated corrected humidity is used for the humidity of the atmosphere to be detected calculated on the basis of terminal voltages across first and second heating resistors and the temperature of the detected temperature.
US07963142B2

Radial compression mechanism includes a plurality of dies each having an elongated arcuate body with an outer end pivotally attached to a hinge plate and an inner working tip. The dies are mounted on the hinge plate in an inwardly spiraling orientation with the outer ends positioned in a circle and the working tips cooperating to define a central product-receiving cylindrically-shaped cavity. The product-receiving cavity is transitional between an open and a closed orientation. The working tip of each die has a sliding surface and a working surface with the sliding surface positioned in parallel juxtaposition to the working surface of an adjacent die and a constant width gap therebetween. Driving mechanism is coupled to rotatably drive all of the dies in unison to transition between open and closed orientations. The width of the gap remains constant during transition and between the open and closed orientations.
US07963141B2

In a press working apparatus, while a servo motor is acting, an upper die is made to come close to a lower die and press working of the first time is conducted on a steel plate. A slider is raised to a movable punch preparation position. A movable punch is protruded from a die face of the upper die by width and locked by a mechanical lock. The upper die is made to come close to the lower die again and the steel plate is pushed with the upper die and at the same time an additional worked portion is pushed and deformed with the movable punch so as to conduct press working of the second time. After the movable punch has been retracted, the slider is raised.
US07963137B2

The invention relates to an apparatus, in particular to a bending apparatus, including at least one movable apparatus part; an operating device for the operation of the apparatus, with at least one first signal for the actuation of the apparatus and one second signal for the stopping of the apparatus being able to be triggered via the operating device; a protection device for the monitoring of a protected zone of the apparatus; and a device for the selective adaptation of the protected zone before the actuation of the apparatus, with the device for the adaptation of the protected zone being able to be acted on by means of a third signal of the operating device. Alternatively, the device for the selective adaptation of the protected zone can include a voice input device.
US07963135B1

A system for obstructing movement of a pin in a pin tumbler lock is disclosed. The system includes a pin movable in a bore in a plug of a pin tumbler lock, and the pin has a channel formed thereon for receiving a portion of a sidebar of the lock. The system further includes a blocking member mounted on the pin and configured to obstruct movement of the portion of the sidebar along the channel of the pin.
US07963132B2

A lock device for use with a key is disclosed. The lock device includes a locking spindle including a plurality of locking spindle bores and a passage extending axially along an axial length of the locking spindle, and a driver structure including a plurality of driver structure bores. An interface between the driver structure and the locking spindle forms a shear line. The lock device also includes a plurality of combination pins in the plurality of locking spindle bores, and a plurality of driver pins in the driver structure bores in the driver structure, the plurality of driver pins being respectively associated with the plurality of combination pins.
US07963119B2

A hybrid air and liquid coolant conditioning unit is provided for facilitating cooling of electronics rack(s) of a data center. The unit includes a first heat exchange assembly, including a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, a system coolant loop and a facility coolant loop, and a second heat exchange assembly, including an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, an air-moving device, and the facility coolant loop. The system coolant loop provides cooled system coolant to the electronics rack(s), and expels heat in the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger from the electronics rack(s) to the facility coolant. The air-to-liquid heat exchanger extracts heat from the air of the data center and expels the heat to the facility coolant of the facility coolant loop. The facility coolant loop provides chilled facility coolant in parallel to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and the air-to-liquid heat exchanger. In one implementation, the hybrid coolant conditioning unit includes a vapor-compression heat exchange assembly.
US07963117B2

An HVAC system for a motorized vehicle or vessel is provided that includes a variable-speed compressor, a variable-speed condenser fan and a variable-speed evaporator fan. The HVAC system further includes a DC-power system for supplying DC power to the variable-speed compressor, the variable-speed condenser fan and the variable-speed evaporator fan regardless if the mobile unit's engine is operating or not operating. A controller and an operator interface are also provided for controlling the operation of the HVAC system.
US07963115B1

A magnetic flux enhanced metal fuel combustion system and method for producing energy. The energy may be used to drive a water vessel such as a submarine. The system and method includes a ring-shaped coil of an electromagnet surrounding a combustion chamber. The electromagnet produces a magnetic flux within the combustion chamber that limits contact between charged combustion particles and the sidewalls of the chamber, thereby enhancing the combustion of metallic fuels.
US07963113B2

A cup seal 21 includes a base portion 21a, an inner circumferential lip 21b slidingly contactable with a plunger 19 and an outer circumferential lip 21c contactable with the bottom surface 26a of the seal groove 26. Further, on the cup seal 21, there are provided elastic projections 21d projecting from the outer circumferential side leading end of the inner circumferential lip 21b toward the cylinder hole bottom portion. The length of the cup seal 21 from the base end face 21e to the leading end portions 21f is set longer than axial length of the seal groove 26. When the cup seal 21 is fitted into the seal groove 26, force is imparted on the inner circumferential lip 21b toward the cylinder hole inner circumferential direction to energize the inner circumferential lip 21b toward the piston all the time.
US07963101B2

An exhaust gas purifying device for an internal combustion engine, comprises: a first catalyst (TWC 7, example) having a reducing capability; a second catalyst (LNC 9, example) provided downstream of the first catalyst, the second catalyst is adapted to trap NOx in a lean condition of air fuel ratio of an exhaust gas and reduce the trapped NOx in a rich condition of air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas; and an exhaust air fuel ratio control means for controlling an exhaust air fuel ratio to decrease the NOx in the first and second catalysts, wherein the exhaust air fuel ratio control means conducts NOx decreasing control suitable for the first catalyst when the second catalyst is in an inactive state and the first catalyst is in an active state, and wherein the exhaust air fuel ratio control means conducts NOx decreasing control suitable for the second catalyst after the second catalyst is activated.
US07963094B1

In an aircraft turbofan or turbojet engine including a fan blade assembly mounted thereon rotating about the central axis of the engine, there are provided aerodynamically profiled rotating cutting rings arranged concentrically to the engine axis upstream of the fan blade assembly on which a bird traveling toward the engine will fragment to extravasations and evisceration to produce bird debris of a sufficiently low density to be safely ingested by the engine.
US07963093B2

A steel cord comprises more than one steel filament (10). At least some of the steel filaments have a zinc iron alloy layer (14) partially covered with a zinc cover (16). The zinc cover is only present in valleys formed in the zinc-iron alloy layer. The processability and adhesion level in rubber products of the steel cord are increased.
US07963087B2

The invention relates to a wrapping device, which includes a frame, a wrapping ring arranged to move relative to the frame, which in the wrapping position is arranged to travel through the center hole of the piece being wrapped, and which, in the vertical direction, can be at least partly moved away from the wrapping position, in order to change the piece being wrapped, and a wrapping head arranged to rotate around the wrapping ring, in order to wrap the wrapping material around the piece. The wrapping ring can be moved away from inside the center hole of the piece being wrapped, in order to move the wrapping ring in its entirety away from the said wrapping position. In addition, the invention also relates to a method for operating the wrapping device.
US07963082B1

The present invention provides a device and method to maintain the integrity of a vapor barrier for use with concrete slab on grade construction. In accordance with the present invention an apparatus to repair a punctured concrete slab vapor barrier includes a substantially planar concrete slab vapor barrier patch having a resealable aperture to receive a removable, substantially upright support. The patch is secured to the existing vapor barrier and the concrete is poured and substantially set. The support is removed and the malleable concrete flows, causing the engagement of the resealable aperture, thereby repairing the punctured vapor barrier.
US07963078B1

A cap for an anchorage of a post-tension anchor system has an outer tubular portion having an inner wall and an outer wall, an inner tubular portion having an inner wall and an outer wall, an end wall extending between the outer tubular portion and the inner tubular portion, and a sheathing lock affixed to the inner wall of the inner tubular portion. The inner wall of the outer tubular portion is in spaced relation to the outer wall of the inner tubular portion. The outer tubular portion and the inner tubular portion are concentric with each other. The sheathing lock has a body having locking ribs extending radially inwardly therefrom. The locking ribs extend in parallel relationship to each other. The outer tubular portion and the inner tubular portion and the end wall are integrally formed of a polymeric material.
US07963077B2

A rail assembly for a glass door has a rail body, two clamping members, a pushing member and at least one pushing bolt. The rail body has a clamping channel defined in and along the rail body. The clamping members are movably mounted in the clamping channel. Each clamping member has a clamping recess and an inclined guiding surface. The clamping recess is defined in the clamping member at a side facing to the other clamping member. The inclined guiding surface is defined in the clamping member at a side opposite to the other clamping member. The pushing member is mounted movably in the clamping channel, holding the ends of the clamping members inside and has two inclined surfaces abutting respectively with the guiding surfaces of the clamping members. The least one pushing bolt is screwed into the rail body and pushes against the pushing member.
US07963075B2

An inflatable barrier system for a doorway or other opening comprising a front side envelope of rectangular front elevation and dog bone shaped horizontal plane cross section, inflatable with gas and fillable with a hardening foam, combined with an inflatable back side array of tubular air beams configured with self sealant, both connected to a source of gas for inflating the fabric envelope and the back side array of tubular air beams. The front side envelope is configured for frontal resistance to predetermined levels of push, cut, puncture, flame, chemical, and ballistic attack. The system is used as a method for closing a doorway to such attacks by erecting and inflating the system within the opening such that the edges on either side of the opening are gripped between the lobes of the respective ends of the dog bone profile of the front side envelope.
US07963073B1

A relocatable concrete armory includes an outer vestibule and an inner vault separated by a dividing wall. A vestibule door provides entry to the concrete vestibule. A steel vault door and a security daygate are mounted to the dividing wall and provide entry to the concrete vault. The interior surface of the armory includes insulation panels embedded in concrete. The armory can be integrally lifted via removable lifting cams attached to concrete side walls. The concrete has a compressive strength of at least 15,000 psi.
US07963069B2

A safety device for motorized pedestrian access passageways, comprising a movement and supporting mechanism of an oscillating access shutter, which includes an electric motor (30) for activating the shutter, and a mechanical control system, which uses a series of levers (12, 13, 14, 14′), associated with respective elastic elements (22, 25), and a pushing element (31), suitable for allowing the automatic opening of the passageway, in the case of a lack of power supply, due, for example, to an electric black-out; in particular, the position in which the shutter almost completely closes the access passageway is an unstable equilibrium position, which is maintained thanks to the action of an electric motor (30), with an incorporated reducer, which contrasts the opening movement of the shutter, and the pushing element (31), which intervenes in the opening, when the shutter is positioned for completely closing the passageway.
US07963066B2

A fishing lure that includes a bait head, bait body and an attachable action lip, where the lure can provide a realistic swimming action or a twitching or jerking motion when used for jigging. The action lip is mounted in a bowed attitude between a bait head rearwardly pointing lip stop wire and at a lip center keyhole opening that is fitted onto an eyelet that extends from the bait head nose, where the lip stop wire is mounted to extend rearwardly from a bait head rear lower edge, with the bait head nose eyelet to receive a fishing line attached thereto.
US07963062B1

The invention concerns an insertion magazine (2) for a small arm, in particular, a repeating rifle. The insertion magazine (2) is characterized in that a trigger unit (3) with a trigger guard (7) and a trigger (9) is mounted on its underside in such a manner that the trigger unit (3) is removable together with the insertion magazine (2) from the small arm.
US07963057B1

A display apparatus for providing entertaining visual aesthetic effects utilizes pressurized flowing air to propel lightweight beads into the air in arc-shaped trajectories which suggest the paths of water droplets from a water fountain. The beads are propelled upwardly from tubular bead discharge nozzles which protrude upwardly from a collection platform. Each nozzle has therethrough a bore which has a lower entrance opening for receiving pressurized flowing air, and circumferentially spaced apart bead entrance notches which penetrate the tubular side wall and a lower transverse end wall of the nozzle adjacent to the collection platform. Beads which have been propelled into the air and fallen back onto the platform are drawn into the nozzle entrance opening by a venturi effect, thus providing a recirculating levitated beads fountain display. In an embodiment utilizing individual rotary fans to provide pressurized flowing air to individual bead discharge nozzles, a flow straightener duct containing longitudinally disposed baffles is mounted between each fan and nozzle, to minimize cyclonic movement of beads discharged from the nozzle. Optionally, the apparatus is provided with novel valves which enable air flow rates and hence bead discharge heights from each of a plurality of nozzles to be independently controlled. The apparatus also is optionally provided with sound activated and/or computer controlled illumination sources for varying the color and intensity of illumination of levitated beads, thus implementing a light-show effect.
US07963047B2

A braking device of a measuring instrument includes a body case and a spindle that penetrates the body case to be axially and reciprocably displaceable. The braking device includes a cylinder of which a first end is attached to the body case for accommodating a second end of the spindle, a piston provided on the second end of the spindle and accommodated to be reciprocably displaceable within the cylinder, a closing member provided on a second end of the cylinder to form a damper chamber between the closing member and the piston; a shaft connected to a side of the piston opposite to the spindle and penetrates the closing member; and a knob provided on a distal end of the shaft. A clearance is provided between the closing member and the shaft to circulate air.
US07963040B2

A tool for cutting or slitting the tubular sheath of a guide-catheter in the presence of a lead placed in this sheath. The tool (10) has a flattened, substantially planar blade holder body (12) with a cutting area (14) and a prehension area (16). The cutting area has a blade (18) and a tubular guide (22) receiving the lead for isolating it from the guide-catheter. The prehension area (16) has on a first side (30) an area for receiving the thumb and a lead holding pathway (68) spreading in the continuation of the tubular guide following an overall orientation forming an angle with this guide. The thumb reception area has a concave footprint (34) crossed through and through by the lead holding pathway (68), which spreads in the prehension area following an “S” shaped curve having a first curved area (74) and a second counter-curved area (76). The minimal distance between the blade (18) and the contour of the first footprint (34) is to the most equal to 15-20 mm.
US07963039B2

A method of constructing, assembling and disassembling a mandrel for fabricating a monolithic composite nacelle panel for use on an airplane comprises attaching a first fairing bar including an exposed ball roller assembly to a tilting plate; attaching a first outer section to said first fairing bar; attaching a second outer section to said first fairing bar; attaching a center section to said first outer section and said second outer section; attaching a nozzle section to said first fairing bar and positioned adjacent an inner wall of said first outer section, an inner wall of said center section, and an inner wall of said second outer section; attaching a second fairing bar to said first outer section, said center section, and said second outer section; and attaching a cavity section to said second fairing bar.
US07963038B2

To fabricate a joint in a panel, a groove is generated and the panel is bent along the groove. The panel includes a first skin, second skin, and core. The core is sandwiched between the first skin and the second skin. The groove passes through the first skin and at least a portion of the core. The groove includes a set of tabs and a corresponding set of slots. The set of tabs intermesh with the set of slots in response to bending the panel along the groove.
US07963037B2

A compliant roller assembly comprising an elastomeric tube for rolling along a surface, which tube is inherently compliant to irregularities in the surface. Within the tube but smaller than the inner diameter thereof is a core apparatus comprising a non-rotating mounting element supportive of a plurality of idle rollers, extending from the mounting element in the direction of tube travel, the idle rollers making contact with the inner wall of the tube, preferably at a line orthogonal to the contact line of the tube with the surface being rolled. In a preferred embodiment, the core apparatus exerts no force vector toward the surface being rolled, the weight of the elastomeric tube itself exerting sufficient force.
US07963035B2

A manufacturing method for a radiator and a structure thereof are disclosed. The manufacturing method for a radiator includes the following steps. A substrate and a plurality of cooling sheets are provided. The side wall of the substrate has a plurality of concave troughs. The cooling sheets are respectively plugged into the concave troughs. The two side walls of each of the concave troughs tightly contact the two opposing surfaces of the cooling sheet. Thereby, each of the cooling sheets is located at the side wall of the substrate, and the top portion and the bottom portion of the cooling sheet extend to outside of the top surface and the bottom surface of the substrate. By using the riveting technology to directly fasten the cooling sheets via the two side walls of the concave troughs, the present invention prevents the heat-conduction loss from being occurred.
US07963031B2

In a package for a semiconductor device, a core substrate has two metal plates, each of which includes a first through hole, a second through hole, a projection, and an insulating layer formed on its surface. The metal plates are stacked in a manner that the projections of the mutual metal plates enter the second through hole of the metal plate on a partner side, and the first through holes of the metal plates form a through hole penetrating the core substrate. A tip end of each of the projections of the metal plates is exposed to a surface of the metal plate on the partner side to form a first terminal portion, and a second terminal portion is exposed from the insulating layer and formed on a surface of the metal plate on a side where the first terminal portion of the metal plate on the partner side is exposed.
US07963029B2

A jig for holding and conveyance includes a plate having a weak-adherence adhesive pattern on a surface and a printed circuit board having a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion on the surface of an insulating substrate. The weak-adherence adhesive pattern is formed at a position corresponding to the non-conductive portion. Alternatively, the weak-adherence adhesive pattern subjected to surface roughening is formed on a surface of the weak-adhesive layer at a position corresponding to the conductive portion.
US07963017B2

The method is used for automated tightening of a screwed joint (16), which is fitted to a component (10) in advance and contains a screw (12) and a nut (14), using a programmable industrial robot system (18). In this case, the invention provides that the industrial robot system (18) has a first robot (20) with a screw driving head (22) and a second robot (24) with a mating holding head (26). In order to tighten the screwed joint (16) on the component (10), the screw driving head (22) is positioned in a defined screw driving position, and the mating holding head (26) is positioned in a defined mating holding position in order to produce an interlocking connection, which is suitable for tightening of the screwed joint (16), between the mating holding head (26) and the nut (14), as well as between the screw driving head (22) and the screw (12). The screwed joint (16) on the component (10) is tightened with a predeterminable fixing torque. The interlocking connections are then disconnected.
US07963014B2

A method for retrofitting a piece of equipment having a flexible track assembly is disclosed and may include disassembling an existing idler shaft from an idler gear and from at least one bearing block attached to the piece of equipment. The method may also include attaching a sleeve within the opening of the idler gear. A new idler shaft may then be positioned within an opening of at least one of the bearing blocks and within an opening in the sleeve. The new idler shaft and idler gear being configured such that the new idler shaft, idler gear, and sleeve rotate together. The method may then include placing at least one bushing liner within the opening of at least one bearing block and attaching a retaining device to at least one end of the new idler shaft to retain the new idler shaft axially.
US07963007B2

The present disclosure relates to a high burst slider zipper which allows for bottom filling of reclosable packages, such as large bags, and further provides increased resistance to damage from the dropping or shock loading of the filled package. This is achieved by providing a peel seal or other frangible or separable connection between the zipper profiles, and by sealing a portion of one of the flanges to itself by a hard seal above the peel seal. This causes the external forces on a bag from bottom filling or shock loading to be directed toward the hard seal and further directed so as to cause a shear force against the peel seal, thereby increasing the resistance of the package to external forces.
US07962992B2

An electric toothbrush comprises a head having a bristle face and an opposite face, the head including a longitudinal groove filled with an elastomer; and a handle connected to the head and formed at least in part by a non-compressible material.
US07962991B2

A toothbrush includes a head and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements for enhanced cleaning of the teeth. The tooth cleaning elements include cleaning elements that define a loop arrangement for better retention of the dentifrice, a central cleaning element disposed within the loop, two opposing arcuate cleaning elements disposed on opposite sides of the loop, peripheral cleaning element with a stepped and tapered construction, elongate distal cleaning elements, and proximal cleaning elements.
US07962982B1

A strap unit secures a patient to a table during surgery. The strap unit includes a pad which is interposed between the patient and a strap and the strap has grommets through which screws from clamps fit to securely hold the strap in place. The clamps can be placed anywhere on the operating table so the strap unit can be easily and expeditiously positioned in the most advantageous location. The unit further includes shims which are interposed between the strap and the table adjacent to the clamps to ensure proper and secure positioning of the unit with respect to the patient and operating room personnel. An over-center buckle closes the strap over the patient while allowing easy and secure placement of the strap on the patient.
US07962979B1

A hospital bed assembly includes a platform that has a top side, a bottom side, a pair of lateral edges, a back edge, and a front edge. The platform includes a first section including the front edge and a second section including the back edge. A plurality of supports is attached to and extends downwardly from the platform. A headboard is attached to the back edge and a footboard is attached to the front edge. A mattress is positioned on the top side of the platform. A plurality of sleeves is provided. Each of the headboard and the footboard has at least one of the sleeves mounted thereto and the sleeves each have an upper end is open. Each of a plurality of support posts is removably extendable into one of the sleeves.
US07962974B2

A system and method for a plunger for unclogging a toilet. A plunger system comprising an elongated cylinder, a flexible material at a first end of the elongated cylinder, an air reservoir located inside the cylinder having an outlet extending through the flexible material, and a valve adapted to release compressed air stored inside the air reservoir through the outlet. The flexible material is capable of being expanded to seal the exit port of a toilet. A method for unclogging a toilet with a plunger device comprising the following steps: inserting a first end of a plunger device into an exit port of the toilet, expanding a flexible material attached to the first end of the plunger device to seal the exit port, and releasing a bolus of air into the exit port past the flexible material to unclog the toilet.
US07962968B2

This invention concerns improved protective rib and lower back pads for protecting an individual wearing the protective rib and lower back pads against impact to the ribs and/or lower back region of the human body. The improvement comprises protective rib and lower back pads with release mechanisms that allow the protective rib and lower back pads to be safely and easily detached from its corresponding pair of protective shoulder pads while the individual wearing the protective rib and lower back pads is maintained in the supine position, thus decreasing the risk of a secondary injury to the individual wearing the protective rib and lower back pads as the protective rib and lower back pads and associated protective shoulder pads are removed.
US07966665B1

A method, system, and computer program product for detecting and enforcing compliance with access requirements for a computer system in a restricted computer network. A compliance validation configuration file is created for the computer system. A maintenance service utility is configured to launch a compliance validation executable file at a specified time during operation of the computer system. A digital hash is generated for the compliance validation executable file and for the compliance validation configuration file. A determination is made if the computer system or a computer system user is a member of a configured restricted group. If the computer system or the computer system user is a member of a configured restricted group, a determination is made if a directory site code for a subnet of the restricted computer network to which the computer system is connected corresponds to a configured and allowed site. If the directory site code does not correspond to a configured and allowed site, compliance with access requirements are enforced. Enforcement actions can include a forced logoff of the computer system user, and/or a forced shutdown of the computer system.
US07966650B2

In embodiments of the present invention, improved capabilities are described for a method presenting a client, providing client information and requesting an IP address from a DHCP server, where the DHCP server may formulate a first IP assignment and a first multiple DHCP options. A policy management facility may be associated with the interception of the first IP assignment and the first multiple DHCP options, which may result in the first IP assignment and the first multiple DHCP options not being sent to the client. The method may send client information to the policy management facility. The policy management facility may formulate a second multiple DHCP options and may send it to the DHCP server. The DHCP server may change first IP assignment and first multiple DHCP option to a second IP assignment and the second multiple DHCP options. The second IP assignment and the second multiple DHCP options may then be forwarded to the client.
US07966648B2

The claimed subject matter relates to systems and methods for authorizing services. A method includes receiving a set of data relating to Quality of Service (QoS) pre-authorization, and conditionally processing subsequent QoS configuration requests based at least in part on the pre-authorization information. Depending on the pre-authorization information corresponding to a QoS configuration request, the request may be granted, denied, or result in sending of a request for authorization.
US07966642B2

A method for providing adaptive video compression includes encoding a video stream in a first compressed format, storing the video stream in a storage device, retrieving the video stream from the storage device, decoding the video stream, encoding the video stream in a second compressed format, and storing the video stream in the storage device. Systems and other methods for providing adaptive video compression are also disclosed.
US07966639B2

A digital broadcast receiver and data broadcast content processing method are disclosed. The method uses Program Associated Data (PAD) and includes receiving PAD-based broadcast contents; selecting one of the PAD-based broadcast contents to be stored; storing the selected PAD-based broadcast content in a state existing at the time of selection; selecting a stored PAD-based broadcast content for reproduction; and reproducing the PAD-based broadcast content selected for reproduction. As a result, reproduction of a stored audio broadcast can be delivered with the same level of service as real-time audio broadcast reception.
US07966634B2

A method for information exchange, comprises the steps of producing information transmissions in a broadcast standard; sending the information live from a studio; digitizing the sent data and then transmitting the digitized data via satellite as IP multicast packets; receiving the data by a TV decoder and feeding them into a data and/or communications network; installing software on a data processing equipment, like PCs or workplace computers, in which the software, after the data processing device has been connected to the data and/or communications network, permits receiving of information transmissions and use of at least part of the functions furnished by the information transmission; dialing via a portal to access an information transmission; and using the functions furnished by the information transmission via communications connections between the data processing equipment and studio for an interactive information exchange.
US07966629B2

An optical disc device includes a conductive member of a bezel assembly with openings formed by a plurality of parting lines, and gaskets are attached to the upper and lower sides of the conductive member using conductive adhesion bond.
US07966624B2

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving an application linked against a first application binary interface (ABI), providing an ABI wrapper associated with the application, and binding the application to a native message passing interface (MPI) library using the ABI wrapper and the profiling message passing interface (PMPI). Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07966610B2

The present invention provides a method and system for optimization of an intermediate representation in a graphical modeling environment. A first intermediate representation is provided. At least one optimization technique is applied to the first intermediate representation. A second intermediate representation is generated responsive to the application of the at least one optimization technique to the first intermediate representation.
US07966600B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for a distributed resource understanding tool. In one embodiment of the invention, a distributed resources understanding tool data processing system can include an IDE configured for operation in a local development platform coupled to a remote host, a local implementation of a resource understanding tool coupled to the IDE, a remote implementation of the resource understanding tool associated with the remote host, and resource understanding tool synchronization logic. The logic can include program code enabled to invoke the local implementation of the resource understanding tool, further invoke the remote implementation of the resource understanding tool, combine results sets produced by each of the local and remote implementations of the resource understanding tool to produce a composite results set, and render the composite results set in the IDE.
US07966583B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and techniques for determining the effect of process variations. During operation, the system can receive a layout which includes multiple instances of a pattern. Next, the system can correct the pattern instances using different photolithography process models which model the photolithography process at different exposure and focus conditions. Next, the corrected layout can be printed on a wafer. The system can then perform electrical tests on the wafer, or it can measure the critical dimensions of the features on the wafer. The yield loss or the exposure-focus matrix can then be generated by using the test data or the measurement data.
US07966581B2

Method and apparatus for constructing and operating an integrated circuit in an electronic device. In some embodiments, a generic service layer is integrated in a three dimensional integrated circuit and tested using a testing pattern stored in a non-volatile memory. The generic service layer is reconfigured to a permanent non-testing functional component of the integrated circuit.
US07966580B2

A process-model generation method according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: forming a test pattern on a film to be processed by exposing a test mask having a mask pattern formed thereon; generating a plurality of process models having a different model parameter; performing a simulation of the mask pattern by using each of the process models to predict a plurality of model patterns; calculating a difference in dimension between the test pattern and each of the model patterns; extracting a model pattern in which the difference in dimension from the test pattern is within a scope of specification from the model patterns; and specifying the process model, which predicts the extracted model pattern, as the mask pattern.
US07966572B2

In an implementation of user interface transition, a user interface logon page is displayed with selectable logon controls that each have a corresponding user-identifiable indicator. A transition from the user interface logon page to a user interface desktop page is initiated in response to a selectable logon control being selected. The transition displays the user-identifiable indicator corresponding to the selectable logon control uninterrupted throughout the transition, and the user-identifiable indicator corresponding to the selectable logon control is displayed on the user interface desktop page.
US07966568B2

A remote control method and system embody a graphic user interface. The present invention includes a remote controller having a touch pad and a digital television having a GUI. That is, a viewer can select a menu displayed on the digital television by using the touch pad. It is thus possible to overcome control limitations of the remote controller, namely complexity of the rapidly-developed functions of the television. In addition, the viewer can watch menus displayed on the screen of the digital television, operate the touch pad and execute a wanted control operation. As a result, the viewer can easily conveniently control the digital television through simple operations of the remote controller.
US07966564B2

Embodiments of a web page optimization system are described. The system utilizes an accumulated body of visitor data regarding interaction with one or more web pages to determine an optimized web page to display to a visitor. Various types of session data, including network traffic data for the client computer, demographic information about the visitor, and general and specific session data of other visitors in similar browsing sessions are defined and compiled. Continuous full-path optimization from initial visitor interaction with the web page is provided through a visitor context analysis component that analyzes certain parameters related to how the visitor has accessed the web page. A real-time web page optimizer component introduces variations in one or more features of a web page to create a new web page, conducts structured tests of the new web page, compares the performance of the web page with one or more known served web pages and removes from presentation eligibility those pages with inferior performance. This facilitates real-time decision making of which web page to serve to a visitor based on an accumulated visitor context. It further allows the authoring of web pages that are optimized with respect to eliciting a desired user interaction with the web page.
US07966563B2

This invention relates to a system for organizing, storing, retrieving and displaying spatially related images where such images may also be relatable within time or image modality parameters. The system includes a dynamically manipulable user interface capable of visually depicting one or more images in a registerable manner, and also depicting the orientation of the image or images in relation to the surrounding neighborhood. The inventive system provides for display of panoramic image sequences consisting of multiple rows with multiple images per row, or image sequences consisting of only a single image. In a preferred embodiment, images taken from the same perspective at different times can be overlaid, and the user manipulates the display to perform real-time compare and contrast between images. In an alternate embodiment, the registered images include those created by means of different imaging modes or modalities such as, for example, visible light images and thermographic images.
US07966551B2

Requesting and receiving image files associated with media content. The received image files are stored such that an identifier value associated with the media content is stored in the filenames of the received image files. The invention determines which of the image files is associated with specific media content by searching for the identifier value of the specific media content in the filenames of the image files.
US07966550B2

Data stored in non-volatile storage is decoded using iterative probabilistic decoding. An error correcting code such as a low density parity check code may be used. In one approach, initial reliability metrics, such as logarithmic likelihood ratios, are used in decoding sensed states of a set of non-volatile storage element. The decoding attempts to converge by adjusting the reliability metrics for bits in code words which represent the sensed state. Soft data bits are read from the memory if the decoding fails to converge. Initial reliability metric values are provided after receiving the hard read results and at each phase of the soft bit operation(s). In one embodiment, a second soft bit is read from the memory using multiple subsets of soft bit compare levels. While reading at the second subset of compare levels, decoding can be performed based on the first subset data.
US07966549B2

The correction of errors in the transport and processing of qubits makes use of logical qubits made up of a plurality of physical qubits. The process takes place on a spatial array of physical qubit sites arranged with a quasi-2-dimensional topology having a first line of physical qubit sites and second line of physical qubit sites, where the first and second lines are arranged in parallel, with the sites of the first line in registration with corresponding sites in the second line. Between the first and second lines of physical qubit sites are a plurality of logic function gates, each comprised of a first physical qubit gate site associated with a first physical qubit site in the first line, and a second physical qubit gate site associated with the physical qubit site in the second line that corresponds to the first physical qubit site. The temporal process comprises a number of steps to achieve movement of the qubits in the array to bring pairs of all the data and ancilla qubits to respective logic function gates over the course of a number of clock cycles. Then achieve the logic operation between each pair of data and ancilla qubits. Move the qubits in the array to bring all the data and ancilla qubits to respective sites where they can be read out. And, using the values of the ancilla qubits read out to correct errors arising in the data qubits they have been gated with.
US07966548B2

In a system for parity encoding data using a low density parity check (LDPC) code, a rate-compatible, irregular LDPC code is generated by extending a base code using a constrained edge growth operation and a parity splitting operation. The base code is a “daughter” code having an encoding rate higher than a designated rate of the LDPC code. The daughter code is progressively extended to lower and lower rates such that each extension code (including the target LDPC code) is compatible with the previously obtained codes. The extension operation may involve introducing a set of new code symbols to the daughter code, by splitting check nodes of a base graph associated with the daughter code, and through constrained edge growth of the base graph. The LDPC code is used to parity encode a data message as a means for forward error correction across a communication channel.
US07966546B2

Data stored in non-volatile storage is decoded using iterative probabilistic decoding. An error correcting code such as a low density parity check code may be used. In one approach, initial reliability metrics, such as logarithmic likelihood ratios, are used in decoding sensed states of a set of non-volatile storage element. The decoding attempts to converge by adjusting the reliability metrics for bits in code words which represent the sensed state. Soft data bits are read from the memory if the decoding fails to converge. Initial reliability metric values are provided after receiving the hard read results and at each phase of the soft bit operation(s). In one embodiment, a second soft bit is read from the memory using multiple subsets of soft bit compare levels. While reading at the second subset of compare levels, decoding can be performed based on the first subset data.
US07966541B2

A signal encoding method and device and a method for encoding a joint feedback signal are provided. The signal encoding method includes the following steps. When two carriers are configured with multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signals of the two carriers are combined into a joint feedback signal. The joint feedback signal is mapped into a codeword according to a predetermined mapping relationship between signals and codewords. Therefore, through the method for combining and encoding feedback signals of two carriers for transmission on a code channel in a dual cell (DC)-MIMO mode, bit error ratio (BER) and detection error cost are decreased, power overhead is saved, and a cubic metric (CM) value of the system is not affected, thereby enhancing the performance of the system.
US07966540B1

A method of operating a communication system to communicate with a plurality of wireless devices comprises determining a first shape for a first wireless signal to reach the plurality of wireless devices, transmitting the first wireless signal encoded with a first communication to the plurality of wireless devices, receiving an acknowledgment from a first device of the plurality of wireless devices indicating that the first device received and decoded the first communication, determining a second shape for a second wireless signal to reach a second device of the plurality of wireless devices, and transmitting the second wireless signal encoded with error correction information for the first communication to the second device of the plurality of wireless devices.
US07966534B1

A method of detecting an error when loading a programmable integrated circuit (IC) can include detecting a predetermined bit pattern indicating a start of a bitstream within the programmable IC, starting a timer within the programmable IC responsive to detecting the predetermined bit pattern, and determining whether a bitstream load complete condition has occurred prior to expiration of the timer. When the timer expires prior to an occurrence of the bitstream load complete condition, at least one recovery action can be implemented.
US07966529B2

A system and method for testing a plurality of memory blocks in a System on Chip (SOC) design uses two Test Access Ports (TAPs); a user TAP and an EDA tool TAP, to provide instructions and test data to the SOC. The system includes a glue logic block, a secured logic block and a memory testing module. The glue logic block selects the user TAP at the outset of the testing phase. The secured logic block is coupled with the user TAP and generates a TAP selection signal, which controls the selection of the EDA tool TAP. The memory testing module is used to carry out the process of testing the memory blocks when the EDA tool TAP is selected.
US07966521B2

A test case manager selects a first test case and a second test case from a plurality of test cases. The test case manager provides the first test case to a first processor and provides the second test case to a second processor. As such, the first processor executes the first test case and the second processor executes the second test case. After the execution, the test case manager loads the first test case onto the second processor and loads the second test case onto the first processor. In turn, the first processor executes the second test case and the second processor executes the first test case.
US07966520B2

A system is provided for controlling a right to use a computational component, comprising (a) a backup computational component 102 associated with a primary computational component 150, wherein when the primary computational component is in an operational mode the backup computational component is in a standby mode; (b) an activation agent 154 operable to determine when the primary computational component is no longer in the operational mode; (c) a timer 126 associated with the backup computational component; and (d) a mode setting agent 124 operable to permit the backup computational component to change to the operational mode when the value of the license error timer is not zero and to not permit the backup computational component to change to the operational mode when the value of the license error timer is zero.
US07966510B2

A system and method for dynamic frequency adjustment for interoperability of differential clock recovery, comprising: a frequency generator for receiving a frequency reference clock signal and generating a plurality of frequency signals, the plurality of frequency signals being output from the frequency generator and each having a different frequency; a flexible distributor for receiving the plurality of frequency signals from the frequency generator, and transmitting selected frequency signals; and a plurality of differential units, each for receiving the selected frequency signals, applying a differential signal to the selected frequency signals, adding time stamps to the selected frequency signals, and outputting respective time stamped differential selected frequency signals.
US07966508B2

A mode-switching system, comprising plural switches, a timer, and a controller, is provided. The mode-switching system switches an operation mode of a first unit to one of normal and power-saving modes. The plural switches separately correspond to plural specific functions. Each of the specific functions is carried out when the corresponding switch is switched on. The timer clocks the elapsed time since the switching operation is carried out for any of the switches. The controller switches the operation mode to the power-saving mode from the normal mode when the elapsed time exceeds a threshold value determined for the switch for which the latest switching operation has been carried out. The threshold value is determined individually for each of the switches.
US07966504B2

A system and method for operating system power management in a computing device for power over Ethernet (PoE). Computing devices such as portable computers or embedded devices having an operating system (OS) can leverage power management features in an OS. Power management state information such as user parameters, computing device parameters, application parameters, IT parameters, network parameters, etc. can be used to generate power requests that are acted upon by power sourcing equipment.
US07966493B2

A method of and system for intercepting a transaction instantiated by a database application to determine if an electronic signature is necessary to commit the transaction to the database is disclosed. In one embodiment the method comprises calling an application program interface to raise an event in response to a triggering action generated by the database application; initiating a workflow process that executes a rule to determine if an electronic signature is required to approve the transaction; and if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required for the transaction, instantiating a signature collection process. Some embodiments further comprise obtaining an electronic signature in response to the signature collection process and thereafter, verifying the electronic signature and updating a filed of the electronic record to indicate a valid signature was collected if the electronic signature is verified.
US07966492B1

A system and method allows a recipient to authenticate an e-mail message to ensure that the message came from its purported source and was not altered or was highly unlikely to be altered.
US07966485B2

Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine.
US07966479B1

An instruction processing circuit includes a decoder circuit, a basic block builder circuit, a multi-block builder circuit, first and second predictor circuits, and a sequencer circuit, where the sequencer circuit is operable, in a first environment, to cause the first predictor circuit to generate a prediction for a particular conditional branch op concurrently with the second predictor circuit generating a prediction for another particular conditional branch op, where the sequencer circuit is also operable, in a second environment, to cause the first predictor circuit to generate a prediction for the particular conditional branch op sequentially with the second predictor circuit generating a prediction for the another particular conditional branch operation.
US07966477B1

A method and apparatus for power optimized replay. In one embodiment, the method includes the issuance of an instruction selected from a queue. Once issued, the instruction may be enqueued within a recirculation queue if completion of the instruction is blocked by a detected blocking condition. Once enqueued, instructions contained within the recirculation queue may be reissued once a blocking condition of an instruction within the recirculation queue is satisfied. Accordingly, a power optimized replay scheme as described herein optimizes power while retaining the advantages provided by selectively replaying of blocked instructions to improve power efficiency.
US07966476B2

A method, apparatus and system are disclosed for decoding an instruction in a variable-length instruction set. The instruction is one of a set of new types of instructions that uses a new escape code value, which is two bytes in length, to indicate that a third opcode byte includes the instruction-specific opcode for a new instruction. The new instructions are defined such the length of each instruction in the opcode map for one of the new escape opcode values may be determined using the same set of inputs, where each of the inputs is relevant to determining the length of each instruction in the new opcode map. For at least one embodiment, the length of one of the new instructions is determined without evaluating the instruction-specific opcode.
US07966472B2

A method of managing a memory having stored elements that are organized in a hierarchy, each having a header containing individual identity information and a body containing data, the identity information of each element being encoded on a plurality of bits each of which can take a first value or a second value. The identity information of each element is obtained by repeating the identity information of an element constituting a direct antecedent of the element in question in the hierarchy, and in said identity information of the antecedent, by changing the value of a first value bit that follows the last second value bit in a direction for reading the identity information.
US07966471B2

A storage controller of the present invention can input and output data even when the track size, which is the host management unit, is not consistent with the block size of the storage device. A boundary correction unit adds gap data corresponding to a gap size to data in a buffer memory so that the boundary of the track and boundary of the block inside the storage device match. A guarantee code is added to each logical block received from the host, and these guarantee code-appended blocks are stored in a cache memory. By providing a gap in the storage device every 116 extended logical blocks, the start position of the lead block of a track matches up with the start position of the logical blocks of the storage device.
US07966469B2

A memory system, in particular a buffered memory system, e.g., a fully buffered memory system, a method for operating a memory system, and a device for use with a memory system is disclosed. The memory system may include a first buffered memory module, and a second buffered memory module, wherein the first and the second buffered memory modules are adapted to be accessed in parallel. According to a further embodiment of the invention, a device is provided which is adapted to map consecutive accesses to the first or the second memory module to a parallel access of both the first and the second memory module.