US08000815B2
The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for the directed supplying and installation of device specific functionalities and/or data for field devices that are disposed in a distributed system. At least one device-specific component is provided which cooperates with at least two functional units that are linked thereto. Said at least one device-specific component comprises means that automatically cause device-specific functionalities and/or data for the field devices, which are stored in the functional units, to be supplied and installed.
US08000806B2
Methods and equipment used to regenerate sensory, motorial, or visceral signals of injured, broken or diseased nerves of mammalia, such as humans, are provided. In some embodiments, a lineup of downward and upward channels to bridge injured neural channels is disclosed. The downward or upward channels can be connected to electrodes which are in contact with upper or lower nerve stumps. The channels can be used to detect, amplify, and recognize the motorial or sensory signals, to generate related Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) signals, and to supply the FES signals to the electrodes on the lower or upper nerve stumps. Neural signals can thus be regenerated and the injured motorial or sensory channels can be bridged.
US08000802B2
An implantable lead for a medical device with a coplanar coupling for connecting a conductor to a contact reduces conductor bending moments to improve lead reliability. The implantable lead comprises a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one conductor, at least one contact carried on the proximal end, at least one contact carried on the distal end, and at least one coupling. The lead body has an exterior surface. The conductor is contained in the lead body and extends from the lead proximal end to the distal end. The conductor is also electrically insulated. The contact carried on the proximal end is electrically connected to the conductor. The coupling has a conductor coupling and a contact coupling. The conductor coupling is placed over the conductor and attached to the conductor. The contact coupling exits the lead body and has a weld to connect the contact coupling to the contact. The contact coupling is configured to exit the conductor lumen and mate with the contact while retaining the conductor coplanar to the lead body.
US08000798B2
An electrode array (30) which is able to be inserted to a desired depth within the cochlea to provide useful percepts for the recipient which will also preferably not cause damage to the sensitive structures of the cochlea. The electrode array (30) is insertable through an opening in the cochlea and into at least the basal region of the cochlea and comprises an elongate carrier (31) having a proximal end, a distal end, and a plurality of electrodes (32) supported by the carrier at respective spaced locations thereon in a region between the proximal end and the distal end. A stabilising collar (35) extends outwardly from the elongate carrier (31) at or adjacent a proximal end thereof and has an abutment surface adapted to abut a portion of the cochlea surface around the cochleostomy and at least substantially prevent movement of the carrier (31) following completion of insertion of the array (30) into the cochlea.
US08000792B1
A body-worn device for a fast healing of incontinence by building up the necessary durable behavioral conditioning, which provides the brain with the necessary proper control over the respective sphincters. The device is based on two different nerve mechanisms: a first electrical pulse stops the release of bodily wastes by a simple local reflex, arousing simultaneously the brain and preparing it to respond to a second, behavioral conditioning causing electric pulse, which follows within two seconds (i.e. still during the phasic period of the cortical learning process), strong enough to cause an unpleasant sensation, which the brain connects with the just begun incontinent release of bodily waste and acquires after only a few applications as a durable adversive behavioral conditioning. This shortens the healing period from many months to only a few days. The device is easily adjustable to the individual sensitivity of the involuntarily wetting or soiling person.
US08000780B2
A system including a plurality of implantable sensors, a processor, and a response circuit. Each sensor produces an electrical sensor signal related to physiologic cardiovascular events of a subject. The processor includes an event sequence detector to permit real-time detection of a time-wise sequential cascade of physiologic cardiovascular events related to myocardial ischemia of a subject and a decision module. The time-wise cascade includes at least first, second, and third physiologic cardiovascular events. The decision module declares whether an ischemic event occurred using at least one rule applied to a temporal relationship of the first, second, and third physiologic cardiovascular events. The response circuit provides a specified response if the ischemic event is declared.
US08000779B2
An improved method and system for measuring and reporting heart valve activity combines information obtained from independent signals with information obtained from ICG signals, such that signals derived from heart valve activity may be used as confirmation that the ICG system is accurately identifying heart valve activity. The method and system of the present invention also provide improved accuracy in reported values such as PEP, LVET, STR, SV, and CO. In addition, the method and system of the present invention provide improved accuracy of graphical representations of heart activity where the graphical representations include identifying heart valve activity.
US08000775B2
Optical tomography systems that provide light of multiple distinct wavelengths from a plurality of sources are described. The systems direct light into mammalian tissue, and light from the mammalian tissue is collected at a plurality of reception points. Collected light from each reception point is separated according to its wavelength, and received by a photodetector to produce path attenuation signals representing attenuation along paths between the source locations and the reception points. An image construction system generates a tomographic image of the mammalian tissue from the path attenuation signals. One embodiment of an optical imaging system includes an optical coherence tomography-near infrared probe. The systems and methods may utilize a spectral derivative approach that provides insensitivity to the boundary and boundary artifacts in the signal, thereby improving the quality of the reconstructed images.
US08000774B2
A method for detecting a complete or partial obstruction in a vessel through an intervening fluid includes receiving spectroscopic responses at different locations of a vessel wall, e.g., a vein or artery, through an intervening fluid, preferably blood. Spectroscopic responses are generated by irradiating the vessel wall at different locations and detecting spectra at those locations. In preferred embodiments, the radiation used is in the near infrared (NIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The thrombus is located by determining whether fluctuations, spatial and/or spectral, of the spectral responses are indicative of thrombus.
US08000772B2
A method for tracking an object includes fixing to the object a transmitter for transmitting a position-indicative magnetic field and providing a map of distortion of the position-indicative magnetic field caused by the object. A distorted magnetic field transmitted from the object is sensed. The distorted magnetic field includes the position-indicative magnetic field subject to the distortion caused by the object. Estimated coordinates of the object based on the sensed, distorted magnetic field are determined. The estimated coordinates and the map are used to compute corrected coordinates.
US08000760B2
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods that relate to pulse oximetry. Specifically, one embodiment includes an oximeter sensor comprising a light emitting element configured to emit light, a light detector configured to detect the light, and a memory storing an optical shunting measurement for the oximeter sensor.
US08000748B2
The described embodiments involve use of a mobile communication device in the context of facilitating contact from within a telephone application. The described embodiments are primarily concerned with enabling quick and efficient access to contact methods other than by telephone from within the telephone application. This is done by generating a contact list, which may have one or more contacts, using an integrated dialing field provided by the telephone application and then displaying all available contact types or methods available for contacting a particular contact selected from the list.
US08000736B2
The various methods and devices described herein relate to devices which, in at least certain embodiments, may include at least one mechanical switch for user to select a user profile interface setting and at least one processor for causing the device to respond to the mechanical switch. The mechanical switch may be dedicated for the purpose of switching profiles and may allow for a selection of a plurality of profiles. Further, in conjunction with an optional shift key, the user may select preferences programmed within a profile.
US08000735B1
A wireless communications device includes a host processing unit, a modem processing unit, and a memory transport interface. The wireless communications device typically runs a variety of software tasks, some of which require considerably more memory than others. By processing the memory intensive tasks with the host processing unit and assigning tasks requiring high computing power but relatively smaller memory to the modem processor unit, a smaller on-chip memory can be used for the modem processor unit tasks. In addition, by using a messaging transport interface to transfer data between tasks running on different processing units, smaller local memories can be used in place of a shared memory. For example, by allocating and storing L1 tasks at the modem processing unit and allocating/storing L2 and L3 tasks at the host processing unit, duplicate memory components may be reduced or removed, thereby lowering system costs and improving system efficiency.
US08000725B2
In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for locating a mobile terminal in a communication network. The method includes: receiving a request data frame for locating the mobile terminal; uniquely encoding at least a portion of the request data frame (at an LCS client); determining the location of the mobile terminal (by a PDE); communicating the location information of the mobile terminal in a response data frame having an encrypted portion; and decrypting the location information of the mobile terminal (at the LCS client).
US08000701B2
A system and method is disclosed that correlates the MSISDN of a target mobile by performing an out of band request using a IMSI. The correlation between the MSISDN and the IMSI of IMEI is cashed at a database for retrieval. The correlation of the MSISDN allows the position of a mobile device to be determined using a CoPL and/or SUPL location determination sessions.
US08000693B2
Controlling access to a facility includes sending a program and profile for facility services to a user's portable device. The services have telephones connected via a local area network (“LAN”), so a call originating on the LAN to such a telephone may be completed on the LAN without accessing a wide area telephone network (“WAN”). The program is executed on the user's portable device so that the device operates in a facility mode. In this mode, the device displays services from the profile, so that the user can select a service and easily place telephone calls to it solely over the LAN. Responsive to the user's service selection, in a normal operating sub-mode the user's portable device places a call via the WAN using a longer telephone number and in a local operating sub-mode the user's portable device places the call via the LAN using a shortcut number.
US08000688B2
Embodiments described herein provide for improving quality of service in a cellular network. A group of cellular devices is identified. Quality of service mechanisms are identified. A quality of service plan for coordinating an execution of quality of service mechanisms by the group is determined. The quality of service mechanisms are applied to the group of cellular devices in accordance with the quality of service plan.
US08000681B2
A system and method for managing communication records of a communication device include setting a phone number of an authorized user, transmission options, and a transmission period, and generating communication records according to recorded communication information of the communication device. The system and method further include transmitting the communication records to the authorized user according to the transmission options and the transmission period.
US08000680B2
A security management method in multimedia middleware of a terminal that can download a multimedia service provided from an external entity. The security management method includes if there is an access request for a particular multimedia service, determining whether there is a corresponding multimedia service; if the access-requested multimedia service does not exist in middleware of the terminal, performing negotiation for secure session setup with the external entity; setting up a secure session to the external entity using a security parameter selected as a result of the negotiation; and receiving information for the download from the external entity through the secure session, and determining whether to execute the download.
US08000678B1
An emergency service system receives a call transmitted from a calling device to an emergency service to obtain assistance for a person, receives from a responder device a personal information request for personal information associated with the person, wherein the personal information request includes a personal identification read by the responder device that identifies the person, determines if the responder device is authorized to request the personal information, and transfers the personal information to the responder device if the responder device is authorized.
US08000673B2
It is a theme of the present invention to provide a diversity receiving device and a receiving scheme switching method, capable of attaining a power saving by executing a switching between a diversity reception and a single reception with high accuracy. A receiving scheme switching portion (112) switches a receiving mode between a single reception and a diversity reception based on a receiving scheme switching threshold, updates the receiving scheme switching threshold based on the receiving rate calculated by a receiving rate calculating portion (110), switches the receiving mode into the single reception in which respective ones of antennas (101, 105), radio demodulating portions (102, 106), and decoding portions (103, 107) are employed respectively and also turns OFF respective power supplies of the remaining antenna (101 or 105), the remaining radio demodulating portion (102 or 106), and the remaining decoding portion (103 or 107) when the received quality calculated by the received quality calculating portion (111) exceeds the receiving scheme switching threshold, and switches the receiving mode into the diversity reception in which the antennas, the radio demodulating portions, and the decoding portions are employed in both branches when the received quality is below the receiving scheme switching threshold.
US08000672B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a receiver having two complementary input sense amplifiers to receive, amplify and latch a differential signal and to output complementary stage differential output signals to a latch coupled to receive and combine the n− them into a latched differential output signal. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08000666B2
A wireless connection apparatus which scans radio frequency bands for local quiet unused, vacant, or unassigned frequencies which the apparatus can use, on a temporary basis, to establish a link for communicating between a portable multimedia device and a nearby RBDS/RDS configured receiver or source. The apparatus does not interfere with or utilize frequencies actively in use by an assigned user.
US08000665B2
Systems and methods are provided for controlling headroom of an amplifier (e.g., in a transmitter). A method comprises obtaining a target output power for a current interval and obtaining a target headroom for a subsequent interval. The method continues by adjusting, during the current interval, the power output capability of the amplifier based on the target headroom and adjusting the input power of an input signal based on the target output power, such that the output power of the amplifier is substantially constant during the current interval as the power output capability of the amplifier is adjusted.
US08000663B2
Methods and apparatus for aligning output power levels of a transmitter having a power amplifier adapted to operate in first and second operational modes. According to an exemplary embodiment, the transmitter includes a power alignment circuit configured to execute a power alignment algorithm. The power alignment algorithm is operable to align an output power level of the power amplifier when configured in the first operational mode with an output power level of the power amplifier when configured in the second operational mode. When the power amplifier is switched from the first operational mode to the second operational mode, the power alignment circuit references a power table having power entries that ensure that the output power level in the second operational mode is aligned with the output power level in the first operational mode. So that power control tolerances are satisfied for changes in power levels before and after a mode switch, one or more additional power control settings can be inserted in the power table.
US08000660B1
Elimination of intermodulation interference in a wireless communication system by removing a portion of the spectrum of transmitted signals. According to a received indication of an occurrence of intermodulation interference experienced by a narrowband receiver, mappings are performed between the predetermined narrowband channel frequency on which the narrowband receiver operates and the occupied channel frequencies of at least one broadband transmit signal. Narrowband candidate frequency ranges that linearly combine into frequencies that overlap the predetermined narrowband channel frequency are determined based on the mappings. The narrowband candidate frequency ranges that potentially contribute to the intermodulation interference are then selectively filtered by at least one notch filter until the intermodulation interference is substantially eliminated.
US08000655B2
A node (e.g., base station, signal processing unit) is described herein that includes a symbol detector and a method which are capable of suppressing interference caused by one user device (which may be in softer handoff mode) to reduce performance degradation to other intra-cell user devices and/or other inter-cell user devices (which may not be in softer handoff mode).
US08000645B2
A productivity module for increasing duplex throughput of a first print engine includes a second print engine, a controller, and an inverter. The controller is configured to receive one or more timing signals from the first print engine and synchronize timing of the second print engine with the first print engine based at least in part on the timing signals received from the first print engine. The inverter has an input paper path having an entrance configured to accept one or more receiver sheets from the first print engine; an output paper path having an exit configured to supply the one or more receiver sheets to the second print engine; and an inversion paper path having an entrance coupled to an exit of the input paper path and an exit coupled to an entrance of the output paper path.
US08000639B2
A developing device is disclosed that is capable of preventing the hysteresis phenomenon, and which contains a toner and a carrier. The toner and the carrier are charged to different polarities by frictional contact thereof. The developing device has a first conveyance member and a second conveyance member which faces an electrostatic latent image bearing body via the second region. An electric field forming device forms a first electric field between the first conveyance member and the second conveyance member to move the toner in the developer retained by the first conveyance member to the second conveyance member, and forms a second electric field between the second conveyance member and the electrostatic latent image bearing body to move the toner retained by the second conveyance member to an electrostatic latent image of the electrostatic latent image bearing body.
US08000628B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit having a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; an intermediate transfer belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to receive developer images formed on the photoconductor drums and to transfer the developer images onto a recording sheet; a cleaning unit comprising a cleaning member positioned in contact with the intermediate transfer belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the intermediate transfer belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the intermediate transfer belt; and a support member configured to support the image forming unit and the cleaning unit and to be pulled out from a main body.
US08000621B2
An image forming apparatus is configured to reduce follow-up delay in impedance fluctuation and to reduce an accuracy fall in power supply control. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer element, a supply element, a detection element, a modification element, and a switch element. The supply element supplies electricity that depends on a set value to the transfer element. The detection element detects the control object value supplied to the transfer element. Depending on a difference between the control object value detected by the detection element and a target value, the modification element operates modification of the set value. The switch element switches between a short interval mode and a long interval mode. In a short interval mode, an execution time interval for modification of the set value is shorter, while, in a long interval mode, the execution time interval for modification of the set value is longer.
US08000618B2
An image formation device, which can properly execute an image formation process even if at least any one of plural fixing units included in the image formation device cannot be used due to a breakdown or the like, is provided. In the image formation device, if a first fixing unit cannot be used, a CPU controls not to execute a first transportation process of using the first fixing unit and a second fixing unit and a second transportation process of using the first fixing unit. Further, if the second fixing unit cannot be used, the CPU controls not to execute the first transportation process but to execute the second transportation process.
US08000610B2
This application describes optical monitoring devices and applications in optical systems for monitoring various optical parameters of light, including the signal to noise ratio, the degree of polarization, and the differential group delay (DGD).
US08000609B2
The present invention relates to the communication or reproduction of sound, in particular audible sound. There is provided a method of communicating a sound, including the steps of: transmitting, onto an optical link, pairs of signal copies, the signal copies of a given pair having a time offset relative to one another; applying the audible sound to the optical link, such that the audible sound causes a phase modulation to the transmitted signal copies; receiving modulated signal copies previously transmitted onto the link; and, for received pairs of signal copies, causing one signal copy of a pair to mix with the other signal copy of that pair so as to produce a signal representative of the sound. The sound is an audible sound. It has been found that a delay of at least 75 micro seconds allows for a better reproduction of audio sounds, since these have a relatively low frequency content.
US08000599B2
In an optical transmission system, a transmitting transceiving node generates a multiplexed optical-packet signal by performing optical wavelength multiplexing on a plurality of optical packets, and transmits the multiplexed optical-packet signal to a receiving transceiving node. The receiving transceiving node transmits the multiplexed optical-packet signal back to the transmitting transceiving node. The transmitting transceiving node detects a skew amount of the optical packet allocated to each wavelength band of the multiplexed optical-packet signal received from the receiving transceiving node, and adjusts a delay amount of the optical packet based on the detected skew amount.
US08000595B2
An optical receiver including a demodulator to convert an in-phase signal of a received differential phase modulated optical signal into a first electrical signal, and to convert a quadrature signal of the received differential phase modulated optical signal into a second electrical signal; a decision member deciding logic states of the first and second electrical signals; a logic controller using the decision result of the decision member to control logic states of the first and second electrical signals; and a memory storing information relating to the decision result. The logic controller controls the logic state using the information relating to the decision result stored in the memory.
US08000592B2
A driving circuit for a photographing module includes a load comprising three coils and four signal input ends; a power source configured to drive the coils and capable of providing an intermediate level between a supply voltage level and a ground level; and a set of electronic switch elements. The driving circuit controls the magnitudes and directions of the electric currents flowing through the coils by switching the set of electronic switch elements, thereby enabling the photographing module to perform auto-focusing and compensate for an angle of inclination.
US08000591B2
An automatic focusing apparatus includes: a focus detector photoelectrically converting at least a part of a photographing beam; a defocus computer calculating a defocus amount based on an output of the focus detector; a driver driving a focus lens based on the defocus amount; and a unit setting a maximum time period for charge accumulation in the focus detector. If the accumulated charge in the focus detector reaches a threshold within the period, when the accumulated charge in the focus detector reaches the threshold, the defocus computer calculates a defocus amount using an output of the focus detector and outputs the defocus amount to the driver. If the accumulated charge in the focus detector does not reach the threshold within the period, when the period lapses, the defocus computer calculates a defocus amount using an output of the focus detector and outputs the defocus amount to the driver.
US08000570B2
Disclosed are multi-stage optical amplifiers that propagate higher-order mode (HOM) signals. One embodiment, among others, comprises a first segment of optical fiber in which a first HOM signal propagates, a second segment of optical fiber in which a second HOM signal propagates, and a mode converter that converts the first HOM signal into the second HOM signal.
US08000566B2
A suspension board with circuit includes a metal supporting board; an insulating base layer formed on the metal supporting board; a conductive pattern formed on the insulating base layer; an insulating cover layer formed on the insulating base layer so as to cover the conductive pattern; and an optical waveguide. The optical waveguide is adhered on the metal supporting board, the insulating base layer, or the insulating cover layer.
US08000564B2
Provided are a photoelectric conversion module for direct optical interconnection and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein an optical element array is bonded to a side surface of an IC board having a semiconductor chip mounted thereon and an optical waveguide array is bonded to one end of the optical element array having the other end bonded to the IC board to be optically connected to the optical element array, thereby improving the efficiency of optical coupling between optical elements and optical waveguides, and wherein since the optical coupling between the optical elements and the optical waveguides is realized on the same plane between the optical waveguides having the same array as the optical elements, multi-channel optical coupling can be facilitated to enable easy implementation of an optical design.
US08000556B2
A method for estimating noise according to a multiresolution model is applied to an imaging device and comprises steps of: using an imaging sensor of the imaging device to capture a series of images of a scene under different imaging conditions; processing the images with a multiresolution transformation process to obtain a series of sub-images corresponding to different frequency layers; processing a series of the sub-images of the images that are in a same frequency layer to generate an averaged image; determining a difference between each of the sub-images in the same frequency layer and the averaged image corresponding to that frequency layer, and calculating the differences and the averaged image to obtain noise level functions of the imaging sensor in the different frequency layers under the different imaging conditions; and defining the noise level functions of the imaging sensor as noise samples for establishing an a priori model database.
US08000555B2
A method for detecting a defective image of the present invention includes obtaining an edge image by performing an edge tracking process on an original image, detecting an isolation point whose size is equal to or smaller than a predetermined size from a processed image obtained by performing an erosion process after an expansion process on the edge image, and detecting a defective image in the original image based on the isolation point.
US08000554B2
A method of performing non-linear transformation of a digital image for contrast modification. The original video input is compared to a linear transformation with gain and offset; and, the differential of the change in gain or slope and the input image Δ is multiplied by a factor m obtained from a look-up table and the product of m and Δ added to the original input to obtain the output video.
US08000552B2
An apparatus for scaling an input image is disclosed. The apparatus includes a resolution determining circuit and a scaler. The determining circuit determines the resolution of the input image. The scaler includes a scaling filter with an adjustable number of filter taps and scales the input image to output scaled pixels, wherein an amount of taps of scaling filter corresponds to the resolution of the input image.
US08000543B2
Auxiliary information (150) representing binary or multi-level (M≧2) logical values is embedded into successive segments (110) of an audio, video or other data signal in response to a user request to download the data signal via an on-line distributor (350) on a computer network such as the Internet. To avoid unnecessary delays in providing the data signal to the user, the data signal is pre-processed to provide two sets or copies of data (230, 235). One set (230) of the data contains segments with an embedded binary “0”, while the other set (235) contains corresponding segments with an embedded binary “1”. Successive segments are selected from one of the two sets to provide a time-multiplexed composite data signal (230) that has the desired content, but with an embedded binary data sequence that identifies the user.
US08000530B2
A system and process for recognizing documents by type and understanding at least a portion of the contents thereof. The process includes the steps of providing a document in electronic form, determining a set of facts, data and information about the document, providing the set of facts, data and information to a reasoning management unit, receiving formatted knowledge from a rule verification, validation and management unit, using the formatted knowledge to prepare an expert system having an inference engine, matching the facts, data and information against formatted knowledge using the inference engine and determining a set of applicable rules and executing actions of applicable rules.
US08000529B2
Embodiments of the present invention recite a system and method for creating an editable template from a document image. In one embodiment of the present invention, the spatial characteristics and the color characteristics of at least one region of a document are identified. A set of characteristics of a graphic representation within the region are then determined without the necessity of recognizing a character comprising the graphic representation. An editable template is then created comprising a second region having the same spatial characteristics and the same color characteristics of the at least one region of the document and comprising a second graphic representation which is defined by the set of characteristics of the first graphic representation.
US08000521B2
To mitigate binocular rivalry involved in stereoscopic vision, and to alleviate the fatigue of an observer. In binocular vision, a fused point corresponding to a point b in a left visual image 320 is a point a of a right visual image 321. Since the left eye 200 and right eye 201 look at different objects, the binocular rivalry occurs when looking at the point b with the two eyes. Although the point b on the left visual image 320 is a sharp image, the point a on the right visual image 321 is an out-of-focus image. As a result, the image of the sharp point b is perceived first, and a subject B at the same distance is also perceived first. Thus, the out-of-focus point a and the image of the peripheral subject A become a removed image.
US08000504B2
Systems and methods for classifying content as adult content and, if desired, blocking content so classified from presentation to a user are provided. Received content is analyzed using a sequential series of classification techniques, each successive technique being implemented only if the previous technique did not result in classification of the content as adult content. In this way, adult content may be identified across a variety of different media types (e.g., text, images, video, etc.) and yet processing power may be reserved if one or more techniques requiring less power is sufficient to determine that the received content is, in fact, adult content. Content classification may be performed in-band (that is, in substantially real-time such that content may be identified and/or blocked at the time results of a user query are returned) or out-of-band (that is, prospectively as new content is received but not in association with a user query).
US08000499B2
Systems and methods are provided for determining the cross-stream component of wind velocity near a target location. A modal-decomposition of a first series of images is conducted to obtain a plurality of contribution functions representing the first set of images. A second series of images is mapped to a selected subset of the plurality of contribution functions to create a set of reconstructed images. At least one characteristic of the set of reconstructed images is measured to estimate the cross-stream component of the wind velocity near the target location.
US08000490B2
An earphone structure including one or more composite chambers is described. Each of the composite chambers includes sub-speakers. The sounds generated by these sub-speakers are uniformly distributed in the composite chamber and a composite sound field is generated by these sub-speakers. The sound field generated by each of these sub-speakers can be adjusted by re-locating the position of the sub-speaker, for example, by re-locating the sub-speaker, or by re-locating the sub-speaker in different angles, to generate the composite sound field. The sound field generated by the main speaker and the composite sound field generated by these sub-speakers can form a spatial sound with very good quality. By using of its physical characteristics of locations of these sub-speakers, the sound generated by the earphone has an uniformly diffusion sound pressure and a surround effect, which allows a user of the earphone to enjoy a sound field similar to that in a theater.
US08000488B2
In regard to an ear mold for a hearing aid, there are provided the ear mold which a metal bush is settled in a tube for joint of the hearing aid, the metal bush has been used on account of settlement of said tube for joint of the hearing aid, and which a tube is adhered by an adhesive, the adhesive has been used on account of settlement of said tube. However, said ear mold has disadvantages that said tube is easily moved for the reason of instability, said tube drops out from the ear mold, and the ear mold has the problem of a phenomenon of a howling by sound leak-out.An ear mold E based on custom-made impression 1 and joined the ear hook hearing aid, also, in said ear mold E, a hub 12 having an elbow-loading-hole 121, a sound-leading tube loading hole 122 and an introductory-hole of a ear mold forming material 123 were embedded into an ear mold 17, a sound-leading tube 14 was loaded the sound-leading tube loading hole 122 of the hub 12, an elbow 13 was joined (loaded) with said elbow-loading hole 121 of the hub 12, the elbow 13 was loaded a tone tube 21, the hub 12 was fixed the body portion of the ear mold forming material 17 through the introductory-hole of the ear mold forming material 123, and a method of preparing of thereof.
US08000486B2
Headsets (20, 50, 60, 71) provide surround sound and full 3 dimensional effects to a user to simulate the effects of direction and sound source. Advantages include: surround sound effect without the limitations of Head-Related Transfer Functions, and pinna effect customized to each user's ears; horn shape tube outlets (32) to create an efficient transmission of sound; ability to space the headset speakers (22, 24) away from the user's ear and to maintain sound quality by addition of a chamber (28) behind the speakers (22, 24), with the aid of tube sound guides (23, 25) and the horn shaped outlets; and, no need for electronic hardware to process the electrical signals to create desired effects as placement of the speakers creates the correct timing, and damping material (34) in the tubes between speakers creates a desired intensity drop. Head tracking capability is also provided.
US08000485B2
There are provided methods and an apparatus for processing audio signals. According to one aspect of the present invention there is included a method for processing audio signals having the steps of receiving at least one audio signal having at least a center channel signal, a right side channel signal, and a left side channel signal; processing the right and left side channel signals with a first virtualizer processor, thereby creating a right virtualized channel signal and a left virtualized channel signal; processing the center channel signal with a spatial extensor to produce distinct right and left outputs, thereby expanding the center channel with a pseudo-stereo effect; and summing the right and left outputs with the right and left virtualized channel signals to produce at least one modified side channel output.
US08000483B2
Embodiments of an electrostatic loudspeaker utilize first and second stators and a diaphragm disposed therebetween, each of the stators and the diaphragm having an electrically conductive portion, wherein the conductive portions of the first stators are electrically coupled to each other; the conductive portions of the second stators are electrically coupled to each other; and the conductive portions of the diaphragms are electrically isolated from each other. The first stators and the second stators may be realized by common first and second stators may be mounted obliquely with respect to one another, so as to achieve differentially greater spacing between stators of the first one of the speaker elements than between stators of the second one of the speaker elements. Protective circuitry is also provided.
US08000482B2
Apparatus and a corresponding method for processing speech signals in a noisy reverberant environment, such as an automobile. An array of microphones (10) receives speech signals from a relatively fixed source (12) and noise signals from multiple sources (32) reverberated over multiple paths. One of the microphones is designated a reference microphone and the processing system includes adaptive frequency impulse response (FIR) filters (24) enabled by speech detection circuitry (21) and coupled to the other microphones to align their output signals with the reference microphone output signal. The filtered signals are then combined in a summation circuit (18). Signal components derived from the speech signal combine coherently in the summation circuit, while noise signal components combine incoherently, resulting in composite output signal with an improved signal-to-noise ratio. The composite output signal is further processed in a speech conditioning circuit (20) to reduce the effects of reverberation.
US08000476B2
A method of enciphering data which is applicable to cipher-transmission of digital information data, in which the HD-SDI signal DHS is subjected to enciphering process using common key data DEY which is common to encipherment and decipherment to produce enciphered HD-SDI signal DHSE, the common key data DEY are subjected to enciphering process using open key data DOY to produce enciphered common key data DXY, and the enciphered HD-SDI signal DHSE accompanied with the enciphered common key data DXY are send to be transmitted, so that such a fear that the common key data DEY are eavesdropped on the transmission thereof can be effectively reduced.
US08000470B2
A potential bias in the generation of a private key is avoided by selecting the key and comparing it against the system parameters. If a predetermined condition is attained it is accepted. If not it is rejected and a new key is generated.
US08000468B2
A method for transmitting sensed data in a wireless sensor network including multiple sensors and a database, the method includes: automatically dividing the multiple sensors into sensor groups, each of the sensor groups including at least one sensor; determining a lead sensor in each of the sensor groups; encrypting the sensed data to generate encrypted data in ones of the multiple sensors excluding the determined lead sensors; and transmitting the encrypted data.
US08000463B2
A telephone system comprising a first phone terminal belonging to private communication network, a second phone terminal belonging to public communication network, a transit device connects the private communication network to the public communication network, and a call control device controls a call between the first phone terminal and the second phone terminal, wherein the private communication network includes, a certification processing unit performs certification processing to certificate whether or not the first phone terminal should be connected to the public communication network, and a notification processing unit notifies the result of the certification processing to the call control device when a call connection request to form a communication link between the first phone terminal and the second phone terminal occurs, and the call control device forms the communication link in response to the call connection request if the notified result of the certification processing shows a success.
US08000462B2
In a remote management messenger system (RMMS), a method for screening a packet-based call originated from a caller via a caller telecommunication device (CTD) to a receiver telecommunication device (RTD) via the RMMS. The method includes activating, if a receiver associated with the RTD does not respond to the packet-based call within a predetermined time period, an answering-and-recording function (ARF) associated with the RMMS to enable the ARF to receive and record packets pertaining to the packet-based call while permitting the receiver to continue to hear the caller. The method also includes, if the receiver responds to the packet-based call after the ARF is activated, permitting the receiver to continue the packet-based call with the caller.
US08000449B2
It is described an emitter (26, 40) for X-ray tubes comprising: a flat foil with an emitting section (30, 46); and at least two electrically conductive fixing sections (31-34; 41-44); wherein the emitting section (30, 46) is unstructured.
US08000448B2
An electron beam detection device (34) is arranged on an electron beam passing path so that a beam delay time tB from a passing moment of an electron beam (1) to a moment when the beam reaches a predicted collision point (9a) is longer than a laser delay time tL from a moment when a command for generating laser light (3) is issued to the moment when the laser light reaches the predicted collision point (9a) by at least a predetermined delay time Δt. The device (34) may detect passing therethrough without affecting the electron beam and output a laser light generation command from a laser light command delay circuit (36) when the predetermined delay time Δt (=tB−tL) has elapsed after the detection.
US08000445B2
In three-dimensional X-ray imaging, with C-arm systems, scan setup has to be performed manually under fluoroscopic control. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a scan planning system for planning a data acquisition process is provided, which is adapted to predict a field of view to be reconstructed and an image quality in the field of view with respect to the actual three-dimensional scan parameter set and previously acquired images or other information. The scan planning system may be accomplished by a stand control unit.
US08000431B2
A nuclear fuel composition includes a transuranic fuel and a neutron moderator mixed with transuranic fuel. The neutron moderator includes at least one of hafnium or zirconium.
US08000423B2
A sample rate converter includes a digital filter and control logic coupled to the digital filter. The digital filter is configured to receive an input data stream and to up convert the input data stream to produce an output data stream having a fixed data rate. The control logic configured to dynamically select a set of coefficients for taps in the digital filter during each clock cycle corresponding to the fixed data rate. The set of coefficients selected for each clock cycle is in accordance with a phase of the input data stream.
US08000419B2
In wireless communication networks, potentially significant interference arises at a given targeted receiver because of unrelated transmissions from a neighboring, interfering transmitter. According to apparatuses and methods described and claimed herein, a first transmitter provides for cancellation of partially known interference at a targeted receiver by employing a transmit diversity based interference cancellation method, wherein it transmits diversity combinations of desired and interfering symbols. Correspondingly, the targeted receiver employs diversity combining of the received signals to cancel interference attributable to the interfering symbols.
US08000417B1
An OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) receiver circuit can include a GI (Guard Interval) combiner circuit that is configured to adaptively combine data in the GI of an OFDM formatted signal with data included in a predetermined section of an active OFDM symbol.
US08000410B2
A method is disclosed for digital data transmission using higher order modulation schemes, wherein a plurality of bits is mapped to bit positions of a symbol and the transmission has different error probabilities for at least two out of said bit positions. A data bit is mapped to a bit position in a first modulation scheme and transmitted in a symbol on the mapped bit position of the first modulation scheme. When a request is received from a receiver, for re-transmission of a data block containing this data bit, a decision is made about a re-transmission of said bit, based on a reliability of the bit position in the first transmission, and if it is decided to retransmit the bit, the data bit is mapped to a bit position of a second modulation scheme and retransmitted in a symbol on the mapped bit position of the second modulation scheme.
US08000405B2
Of any one of transmission method X of transmitting modulated signal A and modulated signal B including the same data from a plurality of antennas and transmission method Y of transmitting modulated signal A and modulated signal B having different data from the plurality of antennas, base station apparatus 201 does not change the transmission method during data transmission and changes only the modulation scheme. Base station apparatus 201 transmits modulated signal A and modulated signal B to communication terminal apparatus 251 using the determined transmission method and modulation scheme. In this way, it is possible to improve data transmission efficiency when transmitting data using the plurality of antennas.
US08000398B2
A method of time domain synchronous orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (TDS-OFDM) communication, including the steps of: preparing OFDM-body; generating pseudo random (PN) sequence as a training signal; manipulating the PN sequence to concentrate the energy distribution thereof to the same bandwidth of sub-carriers of the OFDM-body; offsetting the manipulated PN sequence to align with frequency spectrum of the sub-carriers; and inserting the offset PN sequence as prefix of a TDS-OFDM data frame. The manipulating step may include the step of repeating the PN sequence by N times, wherein the spectrum of the repeated PN sequence concentrates on discrete bundles of sub-carriers, i.e., on one sub-carrier every N sub-carriers or M adjacent sub-carriers every MN sub-carriers, where M is an integer determined by the time duration ratio of the OFDM body and prefix. Alternatively, the manipulating step may include the step of expanding the PN sequence by N times, wherein the spectrum of the expanded PN sequence concentrates on a block of continual adjacent sub-carriers, the bandwidth of the PN sequence is 1/N of the whole bandwidth.
US08000396B2
A filtering apparatus which includes first filters assigned first numbers different from each other and which detect packets having a previously specified identifiers. The apparatus includes information registers disposed in correspondence with the first filters and which store a predetermined number of bits, and includes a condition storage portion that stores second numbers different from each other and section conditions associated with the second numbers. The apparatus includes a determination portion that determines a number range specifying a part of the second numbers for each first filter as not overlapping each other based on the first numbers of each first filter and selects a second number from each number range per first filter based on values of bits in each information register, and a second filter that checks whether the packet detected by each first filter satisfies the section condition associated with the second number determined for each first filter.
US08000395B2
A DVB-H transmitter having a plurality of video encoders each having a variable bit rate associated with IP datagrams for each television program broadcast by one RF channel. A method is also provided for statistical multiplexing of video channels for DVB-H mobile TV applications, wherein the method includes jointly configuring a plurality of video encoders each having a variable bit rate associated with IP datagrams for each television program broadcast by one RF channel.
US08000388B2
A method of and an apparatus for parallel processing video compression is described herein. A picture is divided into N zones vertically, and Vertical Split Parallelism (VSP) deploys N+1 processes: N M-coding processes for general macroblock coding in N zones and one E-coding process for entropy coding. By dividing a macroblock encoding process into M-coding and E-coding processes, multiple M-coding threads and one E-coding thread are able to progress simultaneously with proper synchronization between threads. Since the workload of M-coding processes is greater than E-coding for each macroblock coding process, two cores are able to be designated to the two M-coding processes. Either of the cores are able to be designated to the E-coding process since the workload of E-coding is light. Therefore, VSP utilizes parallel processing computing power efficiently.
US08000387B2
In a communication system, Huffman coding techniques are used to obtain shaping gains for an improvement in data transmission rates. More particularly, a novel method of Huffman shaping is described that achieves a shaping gain of greater than 1 dB. The shaping gain results in a higher data rate transmission in a communication system where transmitted power is constrained.
US08000382B2
Certain aspects and embodiments provide for accurate measurement and estimation of imbalances between in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components of a complex baseband signal. The accuracy of I/Q phase imbalance estimates may be enhanced by conducting them on a transmitter and a receiver that are connected via a local, loopback connection and by removing cross-spectrum interference in transferred packets. Once these accurate I/Q phase imbalances are determined, they may be used to adjust a signal processed by the transmitter or the receiver to increase the performance and data throughput of communications using the signal.
US08000375B2
A hopping pattern setting section sets, as a frequency hopping pattern code, elements of a matrix in which all integers of “1” to “the number of frequencies to be used” appear only once and which is obtained by adding, as an offset, any one of integers of “0” to “(the number of frequencies to be used)−1” to each of elements of a matrix obtained by excluding integers larger than the number of frequencies to be used from a matrix in which all integers of “1” to “(prime number larger than the number of frequencies to be used)−1” appear only once. A frequency oscillation section converts the frequency hopping pattern code into the frequencies to be used to output unmodulated signals of the frequencies to a transmission section and a reception section.
US08000374B2
A polarization pinned vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). A VCSEL designed to be polarization pinned includes an upper mirror. An active region is connected on the upper mirror. A lower mirror is connected to the active region. A grating layer is deposited to the upper mirror. The grating layer includes a low index of refraction layer formed by deposition on the upper mirror. The grating layer further includes a high index of refraction layer formed by deposition on the low index of refraction layer. A grating is formed into the grating layer.
US08000373B2
A dual-cavity single longitudinal mode (SLM) laser oscillator generates a pulsed laser signal having a long pulsewidth, long coherence length, and good shot-to-shot energy stability. The laser oscillator has a first cavity between an output coupler and a rear mirror and a second cavity between the output coupler and an intra-cavity mirror disposed between the output coupler and rear mirror. High-loss cavity optics and a passive Q-switch achieve a very high number of round trips that reduce the number of cavity modes down to two or three. The dual cavity design further discriminates between the remaining modes and allows SLM operation. The laser oscillator and an amplifier can be used as a pump laser for a laser system that generates red, green, and blue pulses for holographic recording. A wavelength conversion stage uses optical parametric amplifier(s), doubling crystals, and sum-frequency mixers to produce RGB light from the pump pulses.
US08000367B2
The present invention pertains to a unipolar quantum cascade laser consisting of several semiconductor multilayer structures (C) that are layered behind one another between two electrodes in a periodic sequence such that an active area (A) and a transitional or injection area (B) respectively alternate. The active areas (A) respectively have at least one upper and one lower energy level for electrons, between which electron transitions (T) emitting light take place. The transitional or injection areas (B) are realized in such a way that they allow the electron transport from the lower energy level of the preceding active area referred to the transport direction into the upper energy level of the following active area referred to the transport direction. In this laser, the active areas (A) comprise at least one quaternary material layer as barrier layer and are realized in such a way that the highest and the second highest local maximum of the square of the quantum-mechanical wave function for the electrons in the upper energy level differ by less than 50%.
US08000365B2
A semiconductor laser device includes a multilayer structure made of group III nitride semiconductors formed on a substrate. The multilayer structure includes a MQW active layer, and also includes a step region selectively formed in an upper portion thereof. In another upper portion of the multilayer structure, a ridge stripe portion including a waveguide, which extends in parallel to a principal surface of the multilayer structure, is formed. In the vicinity of the step region, a first region, in which the MQW active layer has a bandgap energy of Eg1, is formed, and a second region, which is adjacent to the first region and in which the MQW active layer has a bandgap energy of Eg2 (Eg2
US08000353B2
A delay variation buffer controller allowing proper cell delay variation control reflecting an actual network operation status is disclosed. A detector detects an empty status of the data buffer when data is read out from the data buffer at intervals of a controllable time period. A counter counts the number of contiguous times the empty status was detected. A proper time period is calculated depending on a value of the counter at a time when the empty status is not detected and the value of the counter is not zero. A timing corrector corrects the controllable time period to match the proper time delay and setting the controllable time delay to a predetermined value when the empty status is not detected and the value of the counter is zero.
US08000348B2
A radio receiving apparatus for receiving the variable-length RLC PDU data in an RLC layer includes the buffer memory sectioned into a plurality of areas having a predetermined maximum data length of the RLC PDU data. By referring to a sequence number SN included in each received RLC PDU data, the radio receiving apparatus stores the RLC PDU data having an identical sequence number SN into an identical area, and assembles an RLC SDU data on a basis of the RLC PDU data stored in each area.
US08000338B2
The invention provides methods and apparatus for establishing a connection between a mobile client and an external computer network such that the client computer network connection provides the illusion of seamless connectivity. In one aspect of the invention data is processed in a wireless communication network and is received from a access point at a gateway to an external computer network. Access points are disposed in the vicinity of the path of the mobile client. In another aspect of the invention data is processed in a wireless communication network and is received at an onboard proxy from an access point. The data is then transmitted to a mobile client.
US08000336B2
Communication apparatus includes a hierarchical network of switches, which includes at least a first plurality of spine switches, interconnected by a control channel, and a second plurality of edge switches having internal ports coupled to communicate via respective links with the spine switches and external ports for connecting to client devices. The spine switches are configured to detect, via the control channel, a partitioning of the hierarchical network into first and second partitions, including respective first and second numbers of the spine switches, wherein the first number is greater than the second number, and to assign respective priorities to the spine switches responsively to the first and second numbers so as to cause the larger of the partitions to be elected as a spanning tree root.
US08000334B2
Method and improvements for joining wireless mesh networks are provided. In one embodiment, a controller in each network receives a message from a node in its respective network, the message indicating that the respective nodes each received a signal from a node in the other network. Each controller, in response to receiving the respective messages, validates the other network, and responsively (a) directs its respective node to enter a bridging mode and (b) provides its respective node with bridging data that includes a security key for communications between the two nodes. The two nodes then associate with each other using the security key, allowing communications to pass between the two wireless mesh networks.
US08000331B2
A receive device includes a plurality of demodulators and a tunnel destination. The demodulators are configured to receive multiple data streams, each of the multiple data streams having a bit rate that is lower than a bit rate of a transmit data stream. The tunnel destination is configured to recombine the multiple data streams to provide a receive data stream having a bit rate equal to the bit rate of the transmit data stream. At least one of multiple radio frequency channels is connected to a legacy user between a transmit site and the receive device.
US08000318B2
A system and method that establishes a phone call over a packet network. The process may include receiving a call request from an originating call device on a packet network to call a terminating call device. A first transmission path may be determined between the originating and terminating call devices. Status of a terminating segment at a first terminating trunk may be determined and, if the status of the terminating segment at the first terminating trunk is within a first range, a call between the originating and terminating call device may be established via the first terminating call trunk. Otherwise, if the status of the terminating segment at the first terminating trunk is within a second range, a second transmission path via a second terminating trunk between the originating and terminating call devices may be made.
US08000316B2
An IP telephone apparatus is connected to an ENUM server and a Web server via an IP network. The ENUM server has a database that stores an IP telephone URI as terminal information of the IP telephone apparatus and a Web server URI corresponding to the IP telephone apparatus. The Web server stores image data captured by a camera. The IP telephone apparatus transmits to the ENUM server a query on terminal information of a destination IP telephone apparatus; receives from the ENUM server the terminal information of the destination IP telephone apparatus; acquires from the received terminal information a Web server URI corresponding to the destination IP telephone apparatus and performs visual communication with the Web server based on the Web server URI; and displays captured image data received from the Web server in the visual communication.
US08000313B1
Methods and systems for reducing communication session establishment latency are introduced. In a wireless communication network, a radio access network (RAN) determines that a wireless communication device (WCD), such as a mobile phone, is attempting to establish a communication session. Based on the quality-of-service sensitivity of the communication session as well as recent reports of wireless coverage quality received from the WCD, the RAN selects an appropriate timeout value. This selected timeout value is used for a timer associated with a communication session establishment message transmitted by the RAN to the WCD. As a result, the RAN can retransmit the communication session establishment message rapidly in situations where the communication session establishment message is more likely to be lost.
US08000308B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating containment of the effects of rogue or unauthorized access points on wireless computer network environments. Embodiments of the present invention support one to a plurality of rogue containment methodologies. A first rogue containment type involves identification of the physical connection of the rogue access point to the wired network infrastructure and, thus, allows for disabling of that physical connection to contain the rogue access point. Other rogue containment methods involve wireless techniques for containing the effect of rogue access points. As discussed below, the rogue containment functionality described herein can be applied to a wide variety of wireless network system architectures.
US08000307B2
A communications system and protocol for a radio communications network including a number of transceiver devices. The protocol ensures that network variables to be shared by all devices are correctly received and updated by all devices. The protocol also provides for accurately detecting the transition from one time slot to another, in a given data transaction.
US08000305B2
A system and method for initializing a system communication without previous reservations for random access channel (RACH) access includes a first step of defining at least one spread sequence derived from at least one constant amplitude zero autocorrelation sequence. A next step includes combining the spread sequence with a Walsh code to form an extended spread sequence. A next step includes using the extended spread sequence in a preamble for a RACH. A next step includes sending the preamble to a BTS for acquisition. A next step includes monitoring for a positive acquisition indicator from the BTS. A next step includes scheduling the sending of a RACH message. A next step includes sending the RACH message.
US08000301B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a wireless communication system for carrying out a spatial multiplexing communication between a transmitter, and a receiver, the system including: a channel information matrix acquiring section for acquiring a channel information matrix; a weighting factor matrix arithmetically operating section for obtaining a weighting factor matrix based on the channel information matrix thus acquired; a normalizing section for executing processing for normalizing the weighting factor matrix; a detecting section for detecting whether there is presence or absence of an abnormality in the processing; a weighting processing section for executing weighting processing based on the weighting factor matrix for each of transmission signals transmitted from the transmitter in accordance with a detection result obtained from the detecting section; and a transmitting section for transmitting the transmission signals for which the weighting processing section executes the weighting processing from the transmitter to the receiver.
US08000297B2
Provided is a mobile IPv6 fast handovers method, which includes the steps of: a) if a mobile node is moved in a layer 2, receiving a modified RS message from a mobile node in the access router, b) detecting movement of the mobile node in a layer 3 in the access router, c) if the mobile node makes a movement in the layer 3, generating CoA of the mobile node in the access router; d) performing Duplicate Address Detection in the access router to inspect uniqueness of the generated CoA; and e) transmitting a modified RA message to the mobile node in the access router. The Fast Handovers method of the present research performs fast movement detection by using layer 2 information simply and efficiently for fast handover in the mobile IPv6 and generates CoA in the access router instead of the mobile node without operations of many additional messages.
US08000294B2
As a random access channel (RACH), two types of RACHs, a synchronous RACH and an asynchronous RACH are prepared, condition of a mobile station is classified depending on whether there is temporal synchronization in the mobile station and whether a resource is allocated, and depending on each case, any one of the synchronous RACH/the asynchronous RACH/uplink shared control channel (USCCH) is adaptively selected to carry out connection processing.
US08000290B2
In a wireless network including a wireless LAN device having a base station function compatible with the IEEE 802.11e standard and a wireless LAN device having a terminal function compatible with the standard, a band-guaranteed data reception check timer 104′ starts measuring a preset time when the terminal receives band-guaranteed data from the base station after a band acquisition response signal is transmitted from the base station to the terminal and a band-guaranteed data transfer is established between the base station and the terminal. If band-guaranteed data is not received from the base station before the measurement of the preset time is completed, the terminal determines that the wireless network connection has been disconnected to request the base station for re-connection of the wireless network after passage of the preset time. Therefore, even if the power supply to the base station is cut off to disconnect the wireless network connection between the wireless LAN devices, it is possible to immediately detect the disconnection of the wireless network connection and to re-connect the wireless network.
US08000287B2
A mobile station device transmits a random access preamble to a base station device and performs uplink timing alignment based on the synchronization timing deviation information included in a random access response which the base station device transmits in response to the transmitted random access preamble, wherein in an uplink synchronous status, the mobile station device does not perform uplink timing alignment based on synchronization timing deviation information included in a random access response, which is a response to a random access preamble whose preamble ID is randomly selected by the mobile station device.
US08000286B1
Methods and systems are provided for implementing an alternate operational-data transmission scheme for LCIB systems. According to an embodiment, an LCIB provides service to at least one mobile station on a first wireless network, the provision of service comprising (i) providing an air interface according to a first wireless technology, (ii) providing a backhaul connection over a packet-data network to a service-provider network, and (iii) bridging the air interface and the backhaul connection. The LCIB collects operational data, which the LCIB transmits to a server over a second wireless network according to a second wireless technology, where the second wireless network is different than the first wireless network, and the second wireless technology is different than the first wireless technology.
US08000281B2
A method for allocating a multicast connection identifier (MCID) to a new multicast/broadcast service (MBS) provided in a wireless network including a plurality of base stations. The method includes: calculating, for a new MBS zone and existing MBS zones, coverage area ratios each based on information regarding the new MBS zone and one of the existing MBS zones, the new MBS zone including a first group of base stations, the one of the existing MBS zones including a second group of base stations; and allocating an MCID to the new MBS based the coverage area ratios; wherein the first group of base stations include ones of the plurality of base stations to transmit data relating to the new MBS, and the second group of base stations include ones of the plurality of base stations to transmit data relating to at least one existing MBS.
US08000280B2
To connect arbitrary network communication apparatuses by selecting an appropriate route or identifying an IP address in an environment which includes a network using plural NAT routers, which is hierachically connected through plural NAT routers for distributing private IPs. A network communication apparatus includes: a direct search unit which transmits a direct search request to another network communication apparatus; a route information obtaining unit which obtains route information of the network communication apparatus from a server which holds the route information of the network communication apparatus; and a communication control unit which performs, when the information regarding the other network communication apparatus is obtained upon the direct search request, communication with the other network communication apparatus based on the information, and which performs, when the information is not obtained, communication with the other network communication apparatus, based on the route information.
US08000278B2
In one embodiment, a method is provided. In the method of this embodiment, in response, at least in part, to a determination that an idle condition exists, one or more packets may be transmitted to indicate, at least in part, that a transmitter is desired to refrain from transmitting, during one or more predetermined time intervals, to a receiver. Also in the method of this embodiment, also in response, at least in part, to the determination that the idle condition exists, the receiver may be de-activated, at least in part, during the one or more predetermined time intervals. Of course, many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.
US08000277B2
The mobile communication network system of the present invention is made up from a mobile communication network (MNW), a plurality of external networks (EX1-EX3), a plurality of mobile terminals (x, y, z), a plurality of gateways (EGW1-EGW3) for connecting the external networks (EX1-EX3) and mobile communication network (MNW), and a plurality of radio access points (APa1-APc2) for connecting the mobile terminals (x, y, z) to the mobile communication network (MNW). When packets are transmitted and received between mobile terminals (x, y, z) within the mobile communication network (MNW), the packets are communicated, not by way of external networks (EX1-EX3), but by way of virtual networks that correspond to each external network (EX1-EX3) that have been prepared on the mobile communication network.
US08000276B2
An improved connectivity to radio access point is enabled by a server that includes a database storing data about various radio access points, and an evaluation module evaluating the quality of connection to each of the access points. Clients receive updates about relevant access points from the server and use the information to connect to the preferred access point. The clients also check connectivity to other access points in the vicinity, and report the findings to the server. The server uses the reports to update its database, and send corresponding updates to the clients.
US08000269B1
Disclosed are systems and methods which provide call processing for a plurality of telephones at a site for which calling services are provided. Call control functionality is distributed to remote locations using data networks according to embodiments. The aforementioned data networks and/or separate data networks are used to carry call content using voice over Internet protocols (VoIP). Embodiments utilize VoIP to carry calls from a location at which calling services are provided to a centralized call processing platform providing call processing functionality, such as calling party identification, call validation, call routing, and connection to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). PSTN interfacing by a call processing platform may be provided as a VoIP connection to the PSTN and/or as POTS trunking. Call processing platforms may provide for data sharing, aggregation, and/or analysis across multiple facilities served.
US08000268B2
Frequency hopping in an IFDMA system takes place by utilizing a time-varying IFDMA modulation code. In particular, a modulator receives a symbol stream and a user specific IFDMA modulation code (bi(t)). The output of the modulator comprises a signal (xi(t)) existing at certain frequencies, or subcarriers. The actual subcarriers that signal xi(t) utilizes is dependent upon the repetition of the symbol blocks and the particular IFDMA modulation code utilized.
US08000267B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that communicates a data packet in a network to a target node. In doing so, the system receives a node identifier for the target node, and determines a first positional label, based in part on the node identifier, for reaching a first anchor node from a root node in the network. The first anchor node stores a second positional label for reaching the target node from the root node in the network, which comprises a number of nodes coupled to the root node in a tree topology. The system then retrieves the second positional label from the first anchor node, and communicates the data packet to the target node based in part on the second positional label.
US08000258B2
A method of transmitting data in a wireless communication system comprises receiving feedback data on an uplink data channel, the feedback data comprising a precoding matrix indicator (PMI), wherein the value of the PMI corresponds to an index in a codebook, transmitting a precoding scheme for downlink data on a downlink control channel, wherein the preceding scheme is determined as one of at least two of a transmit diversity irrespective of the received PMI, an acknowledgement indicating precoding according to the received PMI and a new PMI indicating that it is used in precoding downlink data to be transmitted, and transmitting the downlink data on a downlink data channel after applying precoding according to the determined precoding scheme.
US08000256B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for transmitting data of a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer in a mobile communication system. Before an RLC SDU stored in a transmission buffer is discarded, a status report for checking a reception status of a receiving side is requested by a polling trigger either when transmission of the RLC SDU has not been completed, or when an RLC SDU discard timer for the RLC SDU approaches the expiration time, thereby enhancing the data transmission performance of the RLC layer.
US08000252B1
A network element is configured to function as a first virtual element and a second virtual element. A first monitoring packet is sent to the first virtual element via a label switched path. A second monitoring packet is sent to the second virtual element via an internet protocol path that includes at least a portion of the internet. A first condition of the network element is determined based on a response to the first monitoring packet. A second condition of the network element is determined based on a response to the second monitoring packet.
US08000248B2
A method and an associated router in first administrative domain of a telecommunications network wherein the first administrative domain comprises a first end point associated to a reservation for a session transiting through the router between the first end point and a second end point in a second administrative domain. The router comprises a quality of service (QoS) reservation module maintaining a refresh timer associated with the reservation. The QoS reservation module is capable of, upon expiration of the refresh timer, sending a refresh reservation message toward the second end point on behalf of the first end point and, upon reception of a refresh confirmation message to the refresh reservation message, resetting the refresh timer without forwarding the refresh confirmation message toward the first end point.
US08000242B2
A method and an apparatus for reducing packet loss for a packet data service during congestion in a transport network are provided. The method comprises measuring a packet loss rate over a time period in one or more flows of data traffic packets associated with the packet data service to determine whether the one or more flows of data traffic packets are experiencing a variation in a desired traffic performance level at a particular time duration during the congestion in the time period. The method further comprises triggering a request to reduce a flow rate of at least one of the one or more flows of data traffic packets based on the packet loss rate if the at least one of the one or more flows of data traffic packets experiences the variation in the desired traffic performance level. By using a distributed transport congestion control, for example, only such Best Effort data traffic packet flows that generate bursty traffic at a specific moment of congestion sense the congestion and thus trigger an associated rate reduction action. However, other flows that do not experience the congestion may not be affected.
US08000233B2
A method and apparatus for supporting end-to-end quality of service (QoS) reservations for an implicit reservations model are provided. The invention teaches how to implement implicit resource reservations using the open-standard Resource and Admission Control Function (RACF). A request for resources for a given reservation between an originating and a terminating point in a network is received. A central controller for that domain processes the request for a given domain to determine whether routes for said reservation are available and whether necessary bandwidth for said reservation is available. An implicit reservation and a release of the bandwidth are respectively accomplished with a specific number of messages.If the routes and bandwidth are available, the reservation for the given domain is confirmed and the reservation request is passed to another central controller for a next domain having resources required to satisfy the reservation request.
US08000227B2
Current OFDM systems use a limited number of symbols and/or sub-channels to provide approximations for channel estimations and pilot tracking, i.e. phase estimations. For example, two training symbols in the preamble of a data packet are used to provide channel estimation. Four of the fifty-four sub-channels are reserved for providing phase estimation. However, noise and other imperfections can cause errors in both of these estimations, thereby degrading system performance.Advantageously, decision feedback mechanisms can be provided to significantly improve channel estimation and pilot tracking in OFDM systems. The decision feedback mechanisms can use data symbols in the data packet to improve channel estimation as well as data sub-channels to improve pilot tracking.
US08000221B2
A transmitting entity transmits a “base” pilot in each protocol data unit (PDU). A receiving entity is able to derive a sufficiently accurate channel response estimate of a MIMO channel with the base pilot under nominal (or most) channel conditions. The transmitting entity selectively transmits an additional pilot if and as needed, e.g., based on channel conditions and/or other factors. The additional pilot may be adaptively inserted in almost any symbol period in the PDU. The receiving entity is able to derive an improved channel response estimate with the additional pilot. The transmitting entity sends signaling to indicate that additional pilot is being sent. This signaling may be embedded within pilot symbols sent on a set of pilot subbands used for a carrier pilot that is transmitted across most of the PDU. The signaling indicates whether additional pilot is being sent and possibly other pertinent information.
US08000219B2
A method and apparatus for spectrum management in an xDSL system are disclosed. The method mainly include: determining a transmit PSD mask according to a crosstalk status of a line; performing IWF operation using the transmit PSD mask; and dynamically managing line spectrum according to the result of the IWF operation. Therefore, various embodiments of the present invention allow the DSLAM performance to approximate the OSM performance without the need for a center controller and with a rather simple algorithm in a severe crosstalk scenario. Moreover, the embodiments of the present invention may help to simply the design of DSLAM optimization system and achieve a proper balance between the DSLAM performance and the complexity.
US08000213B2
There is provided an optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus which can reduce the chip size using the high-miniaturization process and can enhance the detection accuracy. A signal which is obtained by amplitude-adjusting a header region in a reproduced signal detected by an optical pickup (1) is digitized, and peak detection or bottom detection from the reproduced signal in each of a first section and a second section in the header region is performed by detection circuits (9) to (12), respectively. Then, amplitude data in the first section and the second section are obtained by subtracters (13) and (14) from the detected values in the respective detection circuits. A difference in amplitude between the first section and the second section in the header region is obtained by a subtracter (15) based on the amplitude data, and the amplitude difference is outputted as an off-track error signal. The respective detection circuits (9) to (12) perform detection operations in the first and second sections, and hold the detection operations in the sections other than the first and second sections.
US08000208B2
A laminated wave plate that corresponds to a plurality of wavelengths including at least two wavelengths of λA and λB, and includes a first wave plate disposed on an incident side and a second wave plate disposed on an emitting side, the first wave plate and the second wave plate being laminated in such a manner that their optical axes are intersected each other, includes the following equations from (1) to (5): ΓA1=360°+360°×2NA (1); ΓA2=180°+360°×NA (2); ΓB1=360°×2NB (3); ΓB2=360°×NB (4); and NB=(ΔnB/ΔnA)×(λA/λB)×(0.5+NA) (5), in which ΓA1 is a phase difference of the wavelength λA at the first wave plate, ΓA2 is a phase difference of the wavelength λA at the second wave plate, ΓB1 is a phase difference of the wavelength λB at the first wave plate, ΓB2 is a phase difference of the wavelength λB at the second wave plate, θ1 is an in-plane azimuth of the first wave plate, θ2 is an in-plane azimuth of the second wave plate, ΔnA is a birefringent difference that is a difference (neA−noA) between a normal ray refractive index noA and an abnormal ray refractive index neA of the wavelength λA, and ΔnB is a birefringent difference that is a difference (neB−noB) between a normal ray refractive index noB and an abnormal ray refractive index neB of the wavelength λB, under conditions of θ1=−21°, and θ2=45°.
US08000205B2
A recording apparatus for performing recording on a hologram recording medium includes a first light source configured to output first laser light having a first wavelength; a second light source configured to output second laser light having a second wavelength differing from the first wavelength; a recorder configured to perform data recording in units of hologram pages on the data recording layer of the hologram recording medium in such a manner that a recording data sequence is converted into a data pattern in units of hologram pages, the signal light is generated by performing space light modulation on the first laser light on the basis of the data pattern; a reflected light detector configured to irradiate the hologram recording medium with the second laser light; a position controller configured to perform position control; and a recording controller configured to perform control on the recorder.
US08000201B2
An apparatus for processing information is disclosed. The apparatus requests for recording of user data into an information-recording apparatus for recording in an information-recording medium having multiple recording layers, each of the layers having a data area for recording the user data. The medium has a first recording layer to be a reference for determining a position of the data area in each of the recording layers, and a second recording layer excluding the first recording layer.
US08000197B2
A calculation of a reliability value |Pa−Pb|−Pstd, representing represents a maximum likelihood decoding result on a portion which corresponds to a start or termination edge of a recording mark and has a high probability of error occurrence by a maximum likelihood decoding method, is performed on each combination of a predetermined mark length and a space length immediately before the mark and each combination of the mark length and a space length immediately after the mark. Based on the calculation result, a recording parameter is optimized, and recording reflecting the optimized recording parameter is performed.
US08000193B1
A method and apparatus for recovering clock timing from a hi-phase modulated portion of an HFM signal. The signal includes transitions between high and low levels. A clock count is initiated upon detection of a first transition, which corresponds to an expected clock timing of the signal. The count is stopped upon detection of a second transition. An actual clock count includes a number of clock cycles occurring between the transitions based on the expected timing. A first expected clock count between transitions is identified if the actual clock count between the transitions falls within a first range of clock counts. A first error between the actual and first expected clock counts is determined. A second expected clock count between transitions is identified if the actual clock count between transitions falls within a second range of clock counts. A second error between the actual expected clock counts is determined.
US08000189B2
An optical pickup includes: a light source that emits a light beam; an object lens that condenses the light beam on a target recording layer of an optical disk; a lens moving unit; a condensing lens; a hologram element that diffracts, in diffracting a reflected light beam and separating it into reflected zeroth-order and first-order light beams, parts of the reflected first-order light beam in a first direction and sets them as first and second beams, diffracts parts of the reflected first-order light beam in a second direction and sets them as third and fourth beams; and a photodetector that receives the first and second beams and the third and fourth beams and generates light reception signals, and receives interlayer stray light of a part of the light beam reflected by the other recording layers other than the target recording layer and generates a stray light reception signal.
US08000187B2
An optical disc device includes: a first searching part which searches a condition where amplitude level of a TE signal is made maximum by changing either one of position of a movable lens and a focus balance value in a state where a focus servo control is performed based on a FE signal; an adjusting line setting part which sets an adjusting line that has an inclination α which is preliminarily stored in a memory portion and that passes the position of the movable lens and the focus balance value both of which are searched by the first searching part; and a second searching part which changes the position of the movable lens and the focus balance value to plural values on the adjusting line in a state where the focus servo control is performed consecutively to search a condition where the amplitude level of the tracking error signal is made maximum.
US08000184B2
When first-order diffracted beams leak into a region, which is for receiving only a zeroth-order diffracted beam from an optical disc, due to positional displacement between an objective lens and a hologram element, an offset compensation signal includes an AC component, the offset compensation signal preferably including a DC component only. Accordingly, there may be caused deterioration in a modulation degree of the tracking error (TE) signal. A partial light shielding element 110 is formed on a hologram surface 112a along boundaries between a light receiving region (121a), which receives a zeroth-order diffracted beam, and light receiving regions (121b, 121c), which receive the zeroth-order diffracted beam and first-order diffracted beams, so as to cover the light receiving region (121a). Further, the partial light shielding element 110 shifts phases of transmitted light beams by π, whereby the TE signal is offset-compensated, and the modulation degree can be improved.
US08000183B2
The present invention provides an object lens actuator, an optical pickup, and an optical disk drive, which can increase the size of the object lens actuator driving a lens holder in the tangential tilt direction, and drive and control the lens holder with a small amount of drive current.An object lens actuator comprising a lens holder having an object lens and a first coil; a first magnet fixed to a yoke; plural elastic support parts for supporting said lens holder with a first fulcrum; a moving part for supporting said elastic support parts with a second fulcrum different from said first fulcrum, and a fixed part having a moving mechanism for moving said moving part, wherein said first coil and said first magnet constitute a first magnetic circuit, said first magnetic circuit makes said lens holder movable in a focusing direction, a tracking direction and a radial tilt direction of an optical disk for read/write, and said moving mechanism makes said moving part movable.
US08000174B2
In a timepiece with a striking mechanism, for example a minute repeater watch, in order to prevent the control stem (9) inadvertently setting the time during operation of the striking work and causing damage, an uncoupling device is inserted in the time-setting train (17), and is controlled via a mobile part of the striking mechanism. The uncoupling device includes an intermediate motion wheel (19) that can be moved, for example axially, from a rest position in which it is meshed with the castle wheel (16). Said mobile part of the striking mechanism is preferably the strike barrel arbour (46), carrying a rotating cam (56) with a spiral profile. At the start of actuation of the striking mechanism, the cam pushes a lifting lever (60), which raises a strip (25) controlling the vertical movement of the intermediate motion wheel (19). This interrupts the kinematic connection in the motion work train, such that the stem (9) can rotate the castle wheel (16) without producing any effect and without encountering any resistance.
US08000165B2
A memory device includes a clock buffer circuit. The clock buffer circuit includes a cross-coupled logic circuit. The cross-coupled logic circuit has at least two logic gates in which an output of at least one of the logic gates is coupled to an input of at least one of the logic gates. The cross-coupled logic circuit is coupled to an input for accepting a clock signal. The memory device also includes a clock driver operable to generate a clock signal from the output of the cross-coupled logic circuit. A feedback loop from the clock signal to the cross-coupled logic circuit controls the cross-coupled logic circuit. A buffer circuit including a tri-state inverter is coupled to the clock signal to maintain the clock signal while avoiding contention with the clock generator. The memory device is enabled by a chip select signal.
US08000161B2
A method of encoding data stored in a crossbar memory array, such as a nanowire crossbar memory array, to enable significant increases in memory size, modifies data words to have equal numbers of ‘1’ bits and ‘0’ bits, and stores the modified words together with information enabling the original data to be retrieved upon being read out from memory.
US08000158B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cell matrixes each of which contains plural memory cell arrays whose number is lager than 2n and smaller than 2n+1, n being a natural number. The semiconductor memory device includes normal memory cell arrays including 2m numbers of memory cell arrays of the plurality of memory cell matrixes, m being a bit of addresses, wherein a data access operation is performed on normal memory cells in the normal memory cell arrays as normal word lines corresponding to the normal memory cells are activated in response to the addresses, and additional redundancy memory cell arrays in the plurality of memory cell matrixes, wherein repair-expected memory cells in the normal memory cell arrays are replaced with the additional redundancy memory cell arrays as redundancy word lines corresponding to the additional redundancy memory cells are activated in response to the addresses corresponding to the repair-expected memory cells.
US08000155B2
The present invention provides a method for writing data to a non-volatile memory device having first wirings and second wirings intersecting one another and memory cells arranged at each intersection therebetween, each of the memory cells having a variable resistive element and a rectifying element connected in series. According to the method, the second wirings are charged to a certain voltage not less than a rectifying-element threshold value, prior to a rise in a selected first wiring. Then, a selected first wiring is charged to a voltage required for writing or erasing, after which a selected second wiring is discharged.
US08000154B2
A non-volatile memory device comprises a voltage supplier comprising memory cells in which the voltage supplier supplies a positive set voltage to a bulk of a memory cell array at the time of a read operation of the memory cells and a controller for controlling the voltage supplier to set and supply a bulk voltage depending on a number of erase/program cycles of the memory cell array.
US08000149B2
The present invention relates to a method of operating a non-volatile memory device. In an aspect of the present invention, the method includes performing a first program operation on the entire memory cells, measuring a first program speed of a reference memory cell, storing the first program speed in a program speed storage unit, repeatedly performing a program/erase operation until before a number of the program/erase operation corresponds to a specific reference value, when the number of the program/erase operation corresponds to the specific reference value, measuring a second program speed of the reference memory cell, calculating a difference between the first program speed and the second program speed, resetting a program start voltage according to the calculated program speed difference, and performing the program/erase operation based on the reset program start voltage.
US08000148B2
Methods of operating nonvolatile memory devices are provided. In a method of operating a nonvolatile memory device including a plurality of memory cells, recorded data is stabilized by inducing a boosting voltage on a channel of a memory cell in which the recorded data is recorded. The memory cell is selected from a plurality of memory cells and the boosting voltage on the channel of the selected memory cell is induced by a channel voltage of at least one memory cell connected to the selected memory cell.
US08000139B2
A multiple time programmable (MTP) memory cell, in accordance with an embodiment, includes a floating gate PMOS transistor, a high voltage NMOS transistor, and an n-well capacitor. The floating gate PMOS transistor includes a source that forms a first terminal of the memory cell, a drain and a gate. The high voltage NMOS transistor includes a source connected to ground, an extended drain connected to the drain of the PMOS transistor, and a gate forming a second terminal of the memory cell. The n-well capacitor includes a first terminal connected to the gate of the PMOS transistor, and a second terminal forming a third terminal of the memory cell. The floating gate PMOS transistor can store a logic state. Combinations of voltages can be applied to the first, second and third terminals of the memory cell to program, inhibit program, read and erase the logic state.
US08000137B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a first PMOS transistor and a second PMOS transistor having a gate, the first and the second PMOS transistors being connected in series; and a first NMOS transistor and a second NMOS transistor having a gate, the first and the second NMOS transistors being connected in series; wherein the gate of the second PMOS transistor and the gate of the second NMOS transistor are commonly connected and floated.
US08000124B2
A symmetrical blocking transient voltage suppressing (TVS) circuit for suppressing a transient voltage includes an NPN transistor having a base electrically connected to a common source of two transistors whereby the base is tied to a terminal of a low potential in either a positive or a negative voltage transient. The two transistors are two substantially identical transistors for carrying out a substantially symmetrical bi-directional clamping a transient voltage. These two transistors further include a first and second MOSFET transistors having an electrically interconnected source. The first MOSFET transistor further includes a drain connected to a high potential terminal and a gate connected to the terminal of a low potential and the second MOSFET transistor further includes a drain connected to the terminal of a low potential terminal and a gate connected to the high potential terminal.
US08000121B2
A media device is provided that includes a processor configured to execute a media device program, a non-volatile memory electrically coupled with the processor, the non-volatile memory being vertically configured, an input/output module electrically coupled with the processor and the non-volatile memory and configured to communicate with an input/output device, and an analog/digital module electrically coupled with the processor and the non-volatile memory, the analog/digital module configured to output a media signal. The non-volatile memory configured to emulate a hard disk drive. The input/output module may be in electrical communication with the input/output device and/or signal communication with the input/output device.
US08000119B2
In one embodiment, an SMPS includes a rectifier for generating an input DC voltage from an input AC voltage. A switching transistor is coupled to a primary coil of a transformer for generating power which is transferred to a second side of the transformer according to an operation of the switching transistor. A switching controller receives a feedback voltage corresponding to an output voltage, a sensing signal corresponding to a current flowing through the switching transistor, and a first signal corresponding to a voltage difference between a first electrode and a second electrode of the switching transistor. The switching controller controls an on/off operation of the switching transistor. The switching controller sets a threshold period whenever the first signal has a value greater than a reference value, thereby setting a plurality of threshold periods during operation of the switching mode power supply. For each threshold period, the switching controller turns on the switching transistor at a point after a variable delay time from a previous point at which the switching transistor was turned on.
US08000117B2
A buck boost voltage converter circuit has a capacitor pump circuit for boosting an input voltage in a first mode of operation when an input voltage is below a desired voltage level. A buck converter circuit provides the output voltage responsive to the boosted input voltage from the capacitor pump circuit in the first mode of operation and provides the output voltage responsive to the input voltage in a second mode of operation when the input voltage is above the desired voltage level.
US08000115B2
A flyback converter controller with forced primary regulation is disclosed. An example flyback converter controller includes a secondary control circuit to be coupled to a switched element coupled to a second winding of a coupled inductor of a flyback converter. The secondary control circuit is to be coupled across an output of the second winding to switch the switched element in response to a difference between an actual output value at the output of the second winding and a desired output value to force a current in a third winding of the coupled inductor that is representative of the difference between the actual output value at the output of the second winding and the desired output value. A primary control circuit is also included and is to be coupled to a primary switch coupled to a first winding of the coupled inductor. The primary control circuit is to be coupled to receive the current forced in the third winding by the secondary control circuit. The primary control circuit is coupled to switch the primary switch to regulate an output of the flyback converter coupled to the output of the second winding in response to the forced current.
US08000094B2
A rotation module includes a base and a rotation member rotatably positioned on the base. The base includes a resisting surface and a connecting surface opposite to the resisting surface. A cylindrical protrusion is formed on the resisting surface. A locking portion is formed at an end of the cylindrical protrusion. The cylindrical protrusion defines an opening through the locking portion. The rotation member includes a bottom surface and a supporting surface opposite to the bottom surface. The rotation member defines a circular through hole. The locking portion is deformable due to the opening so that the cylindrical protrusion is able to pass through the circular through hole. The locking portion releases after the locking portion passes through the circular through hole and resists the rotation member to prevent the rotation member from detaching from the base.
US08000089B2
A modularized device includes a seat body, a first assembly unit, a cover, and a second assembly unit. The first assembly unit is fixed within the seat body and includes a first engaging portion. The cover removably covers the seat body. The second assembly unit is mounted on a bottom surface of the cover and is movable relative to the cover. The second assembly unit includes a second engaging portion having a shape complementary to that of the first engaging portion. The second assembly unit is movable relative to the cover to compensate an amount of deviation caused by tolerances so that the second engaging portion is adjustable to correspondingly engage the first engaging portion when the cover is secured to the seat body.
US08000088B2
An electronic device includes a housing, a display, and a printed circuit board. The housing receives the display unit and the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board surrounds a periphery of the display unit. The electronic device has a thin thickness.
US08000077B2
A DC noise absorbing device for preventing surges and regulating voltages includes a surge inhibitor, a fuse wire, a plurality of diodes, a plurality of Zener diodes, a plurality of diode alternate current switches (DIACs), a plurality of capacitors, and a circuit for indicating light emission, all of which are disposed on or between two wires respectively of positive voltage and negative voltage. The surge inhibitor and the fuse wire are connected in series on the wire of positive voltage; the plurality of diodes, the plurality of Zener diodes, the plurality of DIACs, the plurality of capacitors, which are identically specified, and the circuit for indicating light emission are orderly connected in parallel between the wires of positive voltage and negative voltage so as to form a staircase arrangement of cut-in switching voltages. The DC noise absorbing device provided by the present invention is connected in parallel with and between a DC supply and a DC load, for absorbing surges generated by switching the DC supply and the DC load, voltage fluctuations caused by load variation, serial surges rebounding from the DC load, and noises produced by external interference so that a stable operation and a promoted efficiency of the DC system can be achieved.
US08000067B1
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit operable to protect an internal circuit from ESD events and protect the internal circuit from high-side supply noise.
US08000063B2
A magneto-resistive element includes a lower magnetic shield film and a magneto-resistive film disposed above the lower magnetic shield film. The lower magnetic shield film includes a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer. The upper shield layer is amorphous or microcrystalline, made of a NiFe or CoFe composition containing B or P, and deposited on the lower shield layer. The lower shield layer is a magnetic conductive layer which is amorphous or microcrystalline with a crystal grain size equal to or less than 20 nm.
US08000055B2
A system includes a control module configured to generate a first signal to control a speed of an actuator arm of a rotating storage device. An estimating module includes a first filter configured to generate a first filtered output based on the first signal. A second filter is configured to generate a second filtered output based on the speed of the actuator arm. The estimating module is configured to estimate a force to move the actuator arm based on (i) the first filtered output and (ii) the second filtered output. The first filter and the second filter include infinite impulse response (IIR) filters of Pth order, where P is an integer greater than 1.
US08000054B2
A control device includes an acquisition section which acquires a reading signal from a head under plural heat amounts, an computation section which computes plural kinds of characteristic values representing characteristics of the reading signal for each of the plural generated heat amounts by using at least one kind of algorithm, a contact determination section which determines whether or not the head contacts the storage medium for each of the two or more kinds of characteristic values based on a change of the characteristic values for the generated heat amount, and an association determination section which determines an association of a distance between the head and the storage medium with the generated heat amount when determined that the head contacts the storage medium for any of the characteristic values as the generated heat amount when the head contacts the storage medium so that the is considered to be zero.
US08000051B2
A method for recovering a position and clock period from an input bi-phase encoded digital signal such as an SPDIF signal counts the intervals between phase changes of the input digital signal to derive the longest interval between the phase changes. The longest interval indicates the position and period length of a preamble portion of sub-frames of the signal and is stored, and a signal indicating the position of the longest interval between phase changes and an indication of the clock period of the input digital signal is provided.
US08000046B2
According to one embodiment, a storage device includes: ahead actuator configured to move a head to an arbitrary position on a disk medium; a write/read module configured to write data to or read data from the disk medium using the head; an adjustment region selector configured to divide the disk medium into a plurality of regions in a circumferential direction, write test data to each of the regions, read the test data to measure signal quality of the each of the regions, compare the signal quality of the each of the regions, and select a parameter adjustment region; and a parameter adjustment module configured to adjust a parameter used for the write/read module to write data to and read data from the disk medium to an optimal value using the selected parameter adjustment region.
US08000045B2
The present invention is designed to support plural servo patterns by setting a portion of the information of the servo pattern as a detection pattern, comparing the demodulated pattern of the portion of the information with the detection pattern, and controlling an operation timing of a test according to a result of the comparison.
US08000043B2
A lens module includes a case, one and more lens units positioned in the case and having at least one lens, a carrying member, a piezoelectric driving unit, and at least a fixing member. The carrying member is connected to the lens unit such that the lens unit is movable forward and backward. The piezoelectric driving unit is mounted in the case for transferring a driving force to the carrying member so as to carry the lens unit to move. By using this configuration, the front and rear lens units may conduct the auto focus function and the zoom function respectively, thereby reducing a stroke of the lens, and reducing the size of the lens driving unit. Accordingly, the lens module may be manufactured in a small size so that it may be inserted into a cellular phone.
US08000038B2
The present invention provides an image pickup lens, an image pickup apparatus, and a mobile terminal The image pickup lens includes a lens group. The lens group includes a lens substrate which is a parallel flat plate, and lenses are formed on an object side surface and image side surface of the lens substrate, where a lens with a positive refractive power formed on the lens substrate has an Abbe number of vp and a lens with a negative refractive power formed on the lens substrate has an Abbe number of vn. The difference between the Abbe number vp and the Abbe number of vn satisfies 10<|vp−vn|.
US08000036B2
An imaging lens system in order from the object side to the image side includes a first lens with negative refractive power, a second lens with positive refractive power, a third lens with negative refractive power, a fourth lens with positive refractive power, a fifth lens with negative refractive power and a sixth lens with positive refractive. The imaging lens system satisfies the following formulas: Nd2>1.8 and Vd2<25, where Nd2 is the refractive index of the second lens, Vd2 is the Abbe number of the second lens.
US08000023B2
A zoom lens including a first lens group and a second lens group arranged in sequence from a magnified side toward a reduced side is provided. The first lens group has a negative refractive power and includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, and a fourth lens arranged in sequence from the magnified side toward the reduced side, of which the refractive powers are respectively positive, negative, negative, and positive. The second lens group has a positive refractive power and includes a fifth lens, a sixth lens, a seventh lens, an eighth lens, a ninth lens, a tenth lens, and an eleventh lens arranged in sequence from the magnified side toward the reduced side, of which the refractive powers are respectively positive, negative, positive, negative, positive, negative, and positive. The eighth lens, the ninth lens, and the tenth lens together form a triple cemented lens.
US08000021B2
A lens manufacturing apparatus includes a first mold, a second mold, a first core, and a second core. The first mold defines a first compartment therein. The second mold defines a second compartment therein. The first core is inserted into the first compartment of the first mold, and includes a first mold surface with a first half-mold cavity and a conic ring surrounding the first half mold cavity. The second core is inserted into the second compartment of the second mold, and includes a second mold surface with a second half-mold cavity. The second half-mold cavity includes a bottom which connects to the periphery of the second mold surface by an acclivitous surface. The acclivitous surface is parallel with the outermost conic surface of the conic ring.
US08000019B2
An optical system for a display panel is disclosed. An optical system comprises a color separating portion for separating light that is emitted from a light source into a plurality of beams having different spectra; and a projecting portion for projecting the plurality of beams onto a plurality of divided areas of a predetermined range in the display panel, while sequentially switching the plurality of beams.
US08000017B2
A lens array apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof are provided in which the lens array apparatus can achieve appropriate optical performance regardless of changes in ambient temperature. As a predetermined angle of gradient in relation to a thickness direction for each of a plurality of lenses, an exiting direction of light emitted from each lens is at an angle of gradient allowing respective converging points of the light emitted from each lens to be positioned on a predetermined straight line that corresponds to each lens and is parallel with the thickness direction, under a plurality of different ambient temperatures.
US08000010B2
Sighting optics include a front sight and a rear sight positioned in a spaced-apart relation. The rear sight includes an optical element having a first focal length and a second focal length. The first focal length is selected so that it is about equal to a distance separating the optical element and the front sight and the second focal length is selected so that it is about equal to a target distance. The optical element thus brings into simultaneous focus for a user images of the front sight and the target.
US08000008B2
An optical device, in particular a microscope (1), that includes a beam path in which is arranged at least one deflection element (5, 6a to 6f) for deflecting the beam path, at least one vibration sensor (34) being arranged in or on the optical device; at least one of the deflection elements (5, 6a to 6f) including a mirror having a controllably deformable mirror surface (50); and a control unit (32) being provided that, as a function of the output signal of the vibration sensor (34), applies control to the at least one deflection element (5, 6a to 6f) in order to adjust the mirror surface (50) in such a way that vibrations of the optical device are compensated for by a correspondingly opposite-phase adjustment of the mirror surface (50).
US08000007B2
A polarization filter utilizing Brewster's angle. The polarization filter includes a stimulus receiving body having more than one facet. At least two of the more than one facet being arranged at Brewster's angle (relative to the plane of polarization of the incident stimulus) and positioned in different radial orientations (relative to the incident stimulus) which are adapted to provide differential transmission or reflection of polarized electro-magnetic radiation coming from a common source.
US08000000B2
A visual prosthesis apparatus and a method for limiting power consumption in a visual prosthesis apparatus. The visual prosthesis apparatus comprises a camera for capturing a video image, a video processing unit associated with the camera, the video processing unit configured to convert the video image to stimulation patterns, and a retinal stimulation system configured to stop stimulating neural tissue in a subject's eye based on the stimulation patterns when an error is detected in a forward telemetry received from the video processing unit.
US07999997B2
An electrophoretic display device is provided. The electrophoretic display device comprises a first electrode provided on a surface of a first base member; second electrodes provided on a surface of a second base member so that the second electrodes are placed in a facing relationship with the first electrode; and a plurality of microcapsules provided between the first electrode and the second electrodes, the plurality of microcapsules each having an internal space filled with an electrophoretic dispersion liquid, and the electrophoretic dispersion liquid containing electrophoretic particles. The electrophoretic display device is configured so that spaces are formed between the adjacent microcapsules and between the first electrode and the second electrodes. The electrophoretic display device can exhibit superior display performance and can be driven with a low voltage and reduced electricity consumption. A method of manufacturing an electrophoretic display device and an electronic device are also provided.
US07999988B2
A laser is placed inside the Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the output from opposite ends of the laser are fed directly into the opposite arms of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. If the output from opposite sides of the laser are equal in amplitude and wavelength, then when the outputs are recombined at the output of the modulator the intensity is dependent on the relative phase of the light in the two arms of the Mach-Zehnder, just as in a normal Mach-Zehnder modulator. Thus by modulating the phase of one or both arms of the modulator, an intensity modulated source is created. This reduces the overall size of the device, and may ensure that all of the output power from the laser is utilized.
US07999987B2
An electro-optical display device comprises: an active matrix unit including a substrate having one surface and the other surface and a plurality of switching elements provided on the one surface of the substrate; a shutter unit provided on the active matrix unit, and a first microlens array provided on the other surface of the substrate of the active matrix unit, the first microlens array having a plurality of microlenses formed on the other surface of the substrate in a corresponding relationship with the plurality of window portions. The shutter unit is comprised of: a base provided so as to oppose the one surface of the substrate, the base having a plurality of window portions provided in a corresponding relationship with the plurality of switching elements; movable plates provided above the plurality of window portions so as to be displaceable relative to the base, the movable plates opening and closing the plurality of window portions to obtain an opening state and a closing state of each of the plurality of window portions; and driving means for displacing the movable plates and switching the opening state and the closing state of each of the plurality of window portions. The electro-optical display device is capable of using light with increased utilization efficiency and displaying a high quality image, while exhibiting enhanced reliability. Further, an electronic device provided with the electro-optical display device is also provided.
US07999985B2
A light beam splitting element that is arranged on an optical path of a light beam emitted from a VCSEL element splits an incident light beam into a first light beam and a second light beam. An optical system focuses the first light beam on the scanning surface and moves an optical spot formed by a focused light beam on the scanning surface in the main scanning direction. A light receiving element that is mounted on a circuit board receives the second light beam. A dust-proof member bridges a space between the circuit board and a circuit-board holding member that holds the circuit board and surrounds the light receiving element.
US07999978B2
The matrix coefficient determining process of the present invention can determine linear matrix and color-difference matrix coefficients appropriate for a given type of light source at the same time. The coefficients can be used to perform color correction of RAW data to ensure good color reproduction. Furthermore, by performing the matrix coefficient determining process for a number of types of light sources, optimum color reproduction coefficients and for each of the light sources can be obtained.
US07999973B2
A method of controlling an apparatus which is capable of determining a dot disposition of a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image is disclosed. The copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image has a latent image area in which a number of first dots and a number of second dots smaller than the first dots are disposed and a background area in which a number of the second dots are disposed. The first dots can be reproduced when copied. The method includes displaying information related to a disposition of the first dots and the second dots in the latent image area, setting a rate of the first dots that are disposed in the latent image area, or a rate of the second dots that are disposed in the latent image area, in accordance with a designation performed by a user, and determining the dot disposition in the latent image area in accordance with the setting of the rate.
US07999969B2
In the case of printing while a digital camera is directly connected to a printer, it has been impossible to determine to what extent image blurring affects a print image. In an imaging device, a detection section (17A) detects blurring. An image blurring compensation section (15A) compensates image blurring. A compensation amount detection section (16) detects an image blurring compensation amount. A calculation section (19A) calculates a residual blurring amount by subtracting the image blurring compensation amount from an image blurring amount. An image recording section (12) records an image signal, as a shot image, together with the residual blurring amount. A print size specification section (91) specifies a print size of the shot image and stores a tolerance (β) of the residual blurring amount with respect to the print size. And, a determination section (80) determines whether or not the residual blurring amount is equal to or greater than the tolerance with respect to a predetermined print size, and issues a warning to a photographer or the like in the case where the residual blurring amount is greater than the tolerance.
US07999957B2
An input position setting method of setting an input position for an instruction position by an instruction section on the basis of a pickup image data obtained by picking up an image of a display area when an operator instructs a predetermined position of the display area to be displayed by an image display device by the use of the instruction section, includes acquiring an image area corresponding to the instruction section as an instruction image area from the pickup image data; detecting a position existing on a contour of the instruction image area, which is remotest from a reference position set in the instruction image area, as a remotest point and setting the input position on the basis of the remotest point; and generating input position setting progress information to show the operator the progress of setting the input position and superimposing the input position setting progress information on the image data to be displayed by the image display device.
US07999953B2
Described are a printer and a method of controlling it, in which discarding received data and clearing data from a receive buffer is started when an off-line error occurs and the printer goes off-line. When the printer returns on-line, a control unit causes a data receiving unit to stop discarding said received data and causes sending a clear response as an on-line status report telling the host computer that the printer is returning on-line.
US07999941B2
A metal layer 13 made of Au or the like is formed on the upper surface of a transparent substrate 12. Dielectric layers 14a, 14b and 14c with different thicknesses are formed on the upper surface of the metal layer 13 (any one of the dielectric layers can have a thickness of 0) to form respective determination areas 15a, 15b and 15c. Further, different types of antibodies 22a, 22b and 22c are fixed on the upper surfaces of the respective dielectric layers 14a, 14b and 14c. Then, light is directed to the determination areas 15a, 15b and 15c, then signals of light reflected by the determination areas 15a, 15b and 15c are received, the light is dispersed, and analyses are performed on signals resulted from the light dispersion to detect the conditions of the surfaces of the respective determination areas, at the same time.
US07999940B2
To inspect all portions of the substrate the substrate table can be moved rotationally and linearly. Furthermore the detector can be moved rotationally. This enables all portions of a surface of the substrate to be inspected from all angles in a plane parallel to the substrate. Less linear motion is needed, so the apparatus occupies a smaller volume and generates smaller vibrations.
US07999938B2
This application describes designs, implementations, and techniques for controlling propagation mode or modes of light in a common optical path, which may include one or more waveguides, to sense a sample.
US07999935B2
The invention proposes a method for imaging at least one microscopic property of a sample and an apparatus with which the proposed method can be carried out. In the method, at least one coherent illumination light with at least one illumination wavelength is produced by means of at least one light source. The illumination light is imaged onto at least one region on or within the sample. Detection light emitted by the sample is split at least partially into incoherent detection light and into coherent detection light by means of at least on physically separating beam splitter. The coherent detection light is at least partially separated from the coherent illumination light by at least one beam-splitter element. The coherent detection light is detected. The proposed method can be used in particular for investigating the sample by means of coherent anti-Stokes-Raman scattering.
US07999920B2
A model-based tuning method for tuning a first lithography system utilizing a reference lithography system, each of which has tunable parameters for controlling imaging performance. The method includes the steps of defining a test pattern and an imaging model; imaging the test pattern utilizing the reference lithography system and measuring the imaging results; imaging the test pattern utilizing the first lithography system and measuring the imaging results; calibrating the imaging model utilizing the imaging results corresponding to the reference lithography system, where the calibrated imaging model has a first set of parameter values; tuning the calibrated imaging model utilizing the imaging results corresponding to the first lithography system, where the tuned calibrated model has a second set of parameter values; and adjusting the parameters of the first lithography system based on a difference between the first set of parameter values and the second set of parameter values.
US07999915B2
A method and apparatus may comprise a line narrowed pulsed excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser system which may comprise a seed laser oscillator producing an output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses which may comprise a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module within a first oscillator cavity; a laser amplification stage containing an amplifying gain medium in a second gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber receiving the output of the seed laser oscillator and amplifying the output of the seed laser oscillator to form a laser system output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses, which may comprise a ring power amplification stage.
US07999913B2
The invention relates to a microlithography projection lens for wavelengths ≦248 nm ≦, preferably ≦193 mm, in particular EUV lithography for wavelengths ranging from 1-30 nm for imaging an object field in an object plane onto an image field in an image plane, the microlithography projection lens developed in such a manner that provision is made for an accessible diaphragm plane, into which for instance an iris diaphragm can be introduced.
US07999906B2
A liquid crystal display device, including: first and second substrates; a gate line on the first substrate; a data line crossing the gate line having a gate insulating film therebetween to define a pixel area; a pixel electrode formed of a transparent conductive film in a pixel hole passing through the gate insulating film in the pixel area; and a thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a semiconductor layer defining a channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the semiconductor layer overlaps with a source and drain metal pattern including the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode; and wherein the drain electrode protrudes from the semiconductor layer toward inside of the pixel electrode to be connected to the pixel electrode.
US07999904B2
A flat display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate adhered to the first substrate. The first substrate has a display region, and a peripheral region located on at least one side of the first substrate. The peripheral region includes a driving IC connection region. The second substrate has a main region corresponding to and covering the display region of the first substrate, and at least one extension region protruding from the main region and covering a portion of the peripheral region.
US07999895B2
A contrast compensator for improving the panel contrast of liquid crystal (LC) microdisplays having a high-order waveplate configured as an O-plate and supporting a thin film transistor layer is provided. The contrast compensator includes a counter high-order waveplate configured as an O-plate, which has a birefringence opposite in sign to a birefringence of the thin film transistor substrate.
US07999888B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device having a color-filter on array structure, which can improve an aperture ratio and reduce connection defects. The present invention is a liquid crystal display device including the first substrate, the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, the first substrate having a structure in which a lower conductive part, a color filter layer, an upper conductive part are stacked in this order on an insulating substrate, wherein the color filter layer includes a colored part and a partition for partitioning the colored part, the partition is formed in such a way that a plurality of openings and a coupling opening are formed, the colored part being arranged in the plurality of openings, the coupling opening linearly coupling the plurality of openings with each other, and the upper conductive part is connected to the lower conductive part through a contact hole, the contact hole being formed in a region overlapping with the coupling opening.
US07999878B2
A vehicle-mounted apparatus includes a body having an insertion opening and a medium reader apparatus that reads data stored in a data storage medium inserted into the medium reader apparatus through the insertion opening, a front panel that is movable at least between a closed position where the panel hides the insertion opening and an opened position where the panel reveals the insertion opening so that the media can be inserted into the medium reader apparatus, and a sealing means that is provided with at least one of the panel and the body. When the panel is in the closed position, the panel and the body are connected together through the sealing member to seal the insertion opening. Thus, dust can be prevented from entering the body through the insertion opening.
US07999875B2
A solid-state imaging device includes column amplifiers that are each provided for a different one of column signal lines. Each column amplifier includes: a constant current circuit that supplies a constant current; an amplifier circuit that is connected in series with the constant current circuit, and amplifies a pixel signal from a corresponding column signal line and outputs the amplified signal from a point of connection with the constant current circuit; and a resistor circuit that is connected in parallel with the amplifier circuit and has a constant resistance.
US07999873B2
A plurality of lenses 102a to 102d arranged in the same plane form a plurality of subject images on a plurality of imaging regions 104a to 104d. Vertical line directions and horizontal line directions of the pixel arrangement in the respective plurality of imaging regions are equal to one another among the plurality of imaging regions. Further, at least one pair of subject images received by at least one pair of imaging regions having a parallax in the vertical line (or horizontal line) direction among the plurality of imaging regions are shifted from each other by a predetermined amount in the horizontal line (or vertical line) direction. By performing pixel shifting in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which a parallax is generated, it always is possible to obtain a high-resolution image even when the subject distance varies.
US07999871B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus including: an image section having a plurality of pixel units arranged into a matrix, each pixel unit having at least one subunit consisting of an electric charge generation means for generating signal electric charges corresponding to the amount of incident electromagnetic wave and a signal transfer means for transferring signal electric charges generated by the electric charge generation means, an electric charge accumulation means for accumulating the transferred signal electric charges, a first reset means for resetting the electric charge accumulation means, an amplification means for amplifying a signal corresponding to signal electric charges accumulated at the electric charge accumulation means, and a select means for selectively outputting the amplified signal to a vertical signal line; and a signal transfer assisting means for making a gradient of potential in the vicinity of the electric charge generation means toward the signal transfer means to be greater at the time of transfer of the signal electric charge than at the time of non-transfer.
US07999867B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of providing a sharper image by preventing the deterioration of an image caused by the difference in dynamic ranges of a center part and a surrounding part of the image photographed by an image sensor or by the difference of lens resolution. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an image edge detection apparatus and a method thereof, a sharpness emphasis apparatus and a method thereof, and a recoding medium recorded with a program performing the method can acquire the sharpness and quality of a desired image by detecting an edge of a surrounding part by use of an edge detection filter having a different filter area size and/or a weight of a computed edge value in a center part and the surrounding part, respectively, of the image, and then by giving a weight to the detected edge.
US07999866B2
An imaging apparatus is provided having: a pixel unit including an effective pixel region of multiple pixels accumulating charges generated according to incident light to output signals and an ineffective pixel region of multiple pixels outputting signals not dependent on incident light; a plurality of vertical signal lines provided for each column of pixels of pixel unit; a vertical scanning circuit that scans and selects pixels of pixel unit in row units to output signals of selected pixels of same row to plurality of vertical signal lines; and a horizontal scanning circuit that scans and selects signals of plurality of vertical signal lines to output signals of selected vertical signal lines; wherein the vertical scanning circuit selects pixels of same row of effective pixel region in row units once during one frame and selects pixels of same row of ineffective pixel region in row units multiple times during one frame.
US07999858B2
The application provides techniques for obtaining a relatively high dynamic range image of a scene using a relatively low dynamic range image sensor exposed to incident light from the scene for capturing an image. The image sensor has a multiplicity of light-sensing elements in an array and each light sensing element has a particular one of a plurality of sensitivity levels to incident light in accordance with a predetermined sensitivity pattern for the array of light-sensing elements and has a response function. Each light sensing element is responsive to incident light from the scene for producing a captured image brightness value at a corresponding one of a multiplicity of pixel positions of a pixel position array. Each one of the multiplicity of pixel positions corresponds to a particular one of the plurality of sensitivity levels of the light sensing elements.
US07999856B2
Provided is a digital image stabilization method. The method includes: extracting characterizing points from a current frame; matching the characterizing points of the current frame with characterizing points of a previous frame; detecting an outlier from the matched characterizing points and removing the outlier; calculating homography using the characterizing points from which the outlier has been removed; and correcting the current frame using the homography.
US07999852B2
Testing a display involves display of a series of test patterns, each at a different luminance or color, and with a predetermined minimum difference of luminance or color from their background, each pattern being unpredictable to a user, and determining if the user has correctly identified the patterns. This can enable a more objective test without needing external measuring equipment. Calibrating the display involves determining an output luminance level by detecting a minimal difference of drive signal to give a just noticeable output luminance difference at a given high luminance drive level, and determining an absolute luminance of the given high input luminance level from the minimal difference and from a predetermined human characteristic of visibility threshold of luminance changes. This can avoid the need for an external or internal sensor. This can be useful during conformance checks or during calibration of the display for example.
US07999848B2
A method and system for detecting an object or abnormality on or near a rail track. The system comprises scanning means for scanning on and near a portion of the rail track; and detection means for determining the presence and location of the object or abnormality on or near the portion of the rail track based on information from the scanning means.
US07999847B2
An audio surveillance, storage, and alerting system, including the following components: One or more audio sensory devices capture audio data having attribute data representing importance of the audio sensory devices. One or more audio analytics devices process the audio data to detect audio events. A network management module monitors network status of the audio sensory devices and generates network events reflective of the network status of all subsystems. A correlation engine correlates two or more events weighted by the attribute data of the device used to capture the data. Finally, an alerting engine generates one or more alerts and performs one or more actions based on the correlation performed by the correlation engine. This invention may be used to help fight crime and help ensure safety procedures are followed.
US07999845B2
In an electronic endoscope system, an RF signal is produced through quadrature modulation of a picture signal that is representative of an image taken through an electronic endoscope. When control signals are entered by an operator through a control section of the electronic endoscope, a data superimposing section superimposes the entered control signals on the RF signal in horizontal scanning intervals within a vertical blanking interval. The RF signal having the control signals superimposed thereon is sent as an electric wave of a single frequency band to a processor. In the processor, a data analyzer carries out sampling to extract the entered control signals if they are superimposed on the picture signal, and analyzes the contents of the entered control signals. Based on the results of analysis, a CPU controls respective components of the signal processor.
US07999842B1
A continuously rotating camera and method for using the same are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises repeatedly rotating a camera, including rotating an image capture sensor. The method further comprises converting the data captured by the image capture sensor into a data stream and creating panorama images for multiple camera rotations from captured video frames for each rotation.
US07999840B2
A method and terminal for performing a video communication service where the operation mode of the mobile communication terminal switches to a screen sharing mode upon receipt of a screen sharing request from a user during a video communication, screen data selected according to user selection information in the screen sharing mode is output to a display unit, the screen data displayed on the display unit is acquired, and the acquired screen data is transmitted instead of the user's video data to a corresponding terminal performing the video communication.
US07999839B2
Provided are a laser irradiation apparatus and method of fabricating an organic light emitting display using the same. The laser irradiation apparatus includes a mask positioned below the laser generator, and the mask is patterned such that lengths of an upper portion and a lower portion of a mask pattern are patterned longer than a length of a middle portion of the mask pattern with respect to the scanning direction. The method of fabricating an organic light emitting display includes scanning a laser beam on a predetermined region of the donor substrate using the laser irradiation apparatus to form an organic layer pattern on the substrate. When the organic layer pattern is formed using a laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) method, the transfer may be carried out using a laser beam having low energy, laser beam efficiency may be enhanced, the organic layer may be less damaged, and the quality of the organic layer pattern to be transferred may also be enhanced.
US07999820B1
Methods and systems for reusing memory addresses in a graphics system are disclosed, so that instances of address translation hardware can be reduced. One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes mapping a footprint on a display screen to a group of contiguous physical memory locations in a memory system, determining an anchor physical memory address from a first transaction associated with the footprint, wherein the anchor physical memory address corresponds to an anchor in the group of contiguous physical memory locations, determining a second transaction that is also associated with the footprint, determining a set of least significant bits (LSBs) associated with the second transaction, and combining the anchor physical memory address with the set of LSBs associated with the second transaction to generate a second physical memory address for the second transaction, thereby avoiding a second full address translation.
US07999817B1
An apparatus and method for buffering graphics data are described. In one embodiment, a graphics processing apparatus includes a memory and a buffering unit that is connected to the memory. The buffering unit is configured to buffer vertex attributes en route to the memory. The buffering unit is configured to coalesce a subset of the vertex attributes to be stored within a common range of addresses in the memory, and the buffering unit is configured to issue a single write request to the memory on behalf of the subset of the vertex attributes.
US07999815B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system for computing and error checking configuration parameters related to raster image generation within a graphics processing unit. Input parameters are validated by a hardware-based error checking engine. A hardware-based pre-calculation engine uses validated input parameters to compute additional private configuration parameters used by the raster image generation circuitry within a graphics processing unit.
US07999814B2
An arithmetic processing unit in a graphics processor alternately executes a process of a first image processing which generates a main image of an application, i.e., a base image and a process of a second image processing which generates a display image eventually displayed by performing a desired processing of the base image. Processing time for the process of the first image processing is designated by a first process executing unit in a main processor which requests execution of the process of the first image processing. Processing time for the process of the second image processing is predetermined. The first process executing unit further determines an address of storage area in a frame buffer storing the base image and, upon determination, transmits to the second process executing unit which requests execution of the process of the second image processing.
US07999810B1
A computer-implemented method for collecting, animating in chronological sequence, and presenting the progression of events is disclosed. The method includes providing a set of event data to form a database, the data relating to events that constrained or led up to some of the events. Then presenting the database as a grid to allow user selection and editing of the Event data in the database to create a set of Events to be presented in an animated manner, and then assigning properties to the manner of presentation of the set of Events to be presented in an animated manner to create a movie. The movement of the movie is provided by an engine that moves a cursor along the timeline to represent the forward or backward change of time and displaying a marker representing an Event from Event data contained in the database.
US07999809B2
A method of automatically generating models from a dataset includes multiple steps. First, a description of a view of a dataset is provided. The description includes multiple fields associated with the dataset. Next, a set of properties is determined for each of the multiple fields. Finally, the description is automatically translated into one or more models based on the respective properties of the multiple fields and a set of predefined heuristics.
US07999806B2
A device drawing a three-dimensional shape and including a high order bit comparing section comparing high order bits of a depth value retained by a high order Z-buffer memory with high order bits calculated by a calculation section. If these two sets of high order bits are the same, a low order bit comparing section compares low order bits retained by a low order Z-buffer memory with low order bits calculated by the calculation section. If a depth indicated by the high order bits calculated by the calculation section is shallow, the high order bits retained by the high order Z-buffer memory and the low order bits retained by the low order Z-buffer memory are updated. If a depth indicated by the low order bits calculated by the calculation section is shallow, the low order bits retained by the low order Z-buffer memory are updated.
US07999795B2
A multi-touch sensor panel can be created using a substrate with column and row traces formed on either side. Metal traces running along the border of the substrate can be used to bring the row traces to the same edge as the column traces. A single flex circuit can be fabricated to connect to the rows and columns on directly opposing sides. Flex printed circuits can be bonded to directly opposing attachment areas of a substrate by cooling one side of the substrate while bonding the other. In addition, “coverlay” material extending over right-angled traces on the flex circuit ensure that those traces do not get shorted should conductive bonding material get squeezed out during bonding. Furthermore, a spacer is placed at the distal end of the flex circuit to apply even bonding pressure over the entire flex circuit attachment area during bonding.
US07999784B2
A backlight unit includes a plurality of fluorescent lamps divided into a plurality of groups of fluorescent lamps arranged in parallel, each group including at least two fluorescent lamps, and a plurality of inverters electrically connected with the plurality of fluorescent lamps by respectively corresponding to the plurality of groups of fluorescent lamps.
US07999783B2
An exemplary shift register (20) includes a plurality of shift register units (200) connected one by one. Each of the shift register units includes a first switch unit (201), a second switch unit (202), a third switch unit (203), a fourth switch unit (204), and a fifth switch unit (205). A signal input terminal of each shift register unit is coupled to an output terminal of a rear-stage shift register unit. A first clock input terminal receives a first clock signal to turn on/off the first and second switch units. The third switch unit receives a second clock signal. The fourth switch unit pulls up the output voltage of the output terminal according to a controlling signal from the first switch unit. The fifth switch unit pulls down the output voltage of the output terminal according to controlling signals from the second and third switch units.
US07999758B2
A broadband antenna including: a dielectric substrate; a meander line radiator formed on the dielectric substrate to be bent at an acute angle; and a stub extended from at least one of bending portions of the meander line radiator, wherein the meander line radiator has 2n number of the bending portions thereon to form an n number of turns, where n≧1.
US07999750B2
A low profile receiving and/or transmitting antenna includes an array of antenna elements that collect and coherently combine millimeter wave or other radiation. The antenna elements are physically configured so that radiation at a predetermined wavelength band impinging on the antenna at a particular angle of incidence is collected by the elements and collected in-phase. Two or more mechanical rotators may be disposed to alter the angle of incidence of incoming or outgoing radiation to match the particular angle of incidence.
US07999744B2
A patch antenna has a ground plane and a planar antenna plate that are parallel to and spaced from each other. A pair of planar feed plates have feed edges electrically contacting a surface of the antenna plate to couple electromagnetic energy into and/or out of the antenna plate.
US07999743B2
A multiband antenna array for mobile radio equipment that includes a planar pitch antenna having at least two resonances and is provided with a connection to ground and a high-frequency interface and at least two parasitic transmitters which are located marginal to the planar patch antenna and are embodied so as to be free of a high-frequency interface. A particularly compact multiband antenna for several frequency bands is crated as a result of the special arrangement of the planar patch antenna and the parasitic transmitters.
US07999723B2
The invention relates to a device and a method wherein tunable transmitters and detectors (receivers) are integrated into a non-linear detection system and a narrow-band signal having a variable frequency is used. The scanable frequency range should be between 10-100 MHz. The frequency acceptance range for the second and third harmonic is adjusted according to the transmit frequency.
US07999710B2
A relatively low frequency chopping operation is applied to a delta-sigma ADC to reduce DC offsets resulting from non-ideal component operation. Sequential chopping takes place outside a closed loop and may include an inverted polarity feedback for a part of the chopping period. Nested chopping involves chopping within the closed loop, and may include an inverted polarity feedback and a time shift. The feedback compensation for sequential and nested chopping permits the correct polarity feedback to be provided at the desired time in conjunction with sampling and quantization events. Integrating capacitor(s) may be swapped in relative polarity during nested chopping to preserve residual conversion information for the desired polarity. The ADC operation is non-temperature dependent and avoids modification to the useful signal, resulting in higher accuracy.
US07999707B2
An apparatus for compensating for an error of a time-to-digital converter (TDC) is disclosed to receive a delay phase from a phase detector including the TDC and a phase error including a TDC error and compensate for the TDC error to have a time resolution higher by N times (N is a natural number). The apparatus includes: a fragmenting and multiplying unit fragmenting the delay phase by N times (N is a natural number) to generate first to (N−1)th fragmented delay phases; an adding unit adding each of the first to the (N−1)th fragmented delay phases to the phase error to generate first to (N−1)th phase errors; and a comparison unit acquiring a phase error compensation value nearest to an actual phase error from the phase error and the first to (N−1)th phase errors.
US07999700B2
An application for a theft prevention system includes a self-contained alarm that secures to a structure of a boat or other vehicle, especially a pleasure craft. The self contained alarm includes a motion detector and a signaling device which is either audible or visual. The signaling device lights and/or sounds responsive to detection of motion by the motion detector.
US07999699B2
The general field of the invention is that of systems for aiding the guidance of an aircraft on an airport. The system according to the invention comprises means for determining at least one element of the topology of the airport in relation to the position of the aircraft for selecting. Selecting means are provided by the pilot of the aircraft for the element. Generating means are provided to generate at least one guidance or safety set-point using the topological element. Presenting means are provided for the element or the associated set-point on a man-machine interface to the pilot of the aircraft.
US07999694B2
An electronic sensor module for us in an interactive system, such as an interactive sports training device, for accurately detecting a projectile brought within close proximity of a target. The sensor module includes a plurality of light sources arranged in a housing such that the light sources are visible through a surface of the housing when activated. A plurality of sensors are also arranged in the housing for detecting the presence of a projectile. In one aspect, the sensors are arranged in a polar array about a center of housing with spaces between adjacent sensors, and with a light source positioned in each space between adjacent sensors.
US07999693B2
A warning light is provided for optically displaying at least one and preferably a number of different operating states, of a technical device such as a machine, an installation, a vehicle or the like. The warning light has at least one luminous element for emitting a sequence of illumination pulses within a specific time interval for the display of a specific operating state, in which the illumination characteristic of the illumination pulses are determined by at least one illumination parameter (P) such as brightness, illumination duration, frequency, color, direction of emission or the like to substantially improve perception of the optical display especially for a particularly critical operating state. This is achieved according to the invention by providing an aperiodic change in at least one of the illumination parameters (P) in a specific time interval.
US07999692B2
The present invention provides a non-addressable notification appliance having multiple (e.g., dual) visual alarms such as strobes for notifying individuals of different types of detected events. For example, the notification appliance of the present invention could have a first strobe for indicating a fire, and a second strobe for providing mass notification of a different emergency such as a terrorist threat or attack. In one embodiment, the visual alarms could be colored differently from one another (e.g., clear and amber). In a typical embodiment, the dual notification appliance could be one of many non-addressable dual notification appliances utilized in a single alarm system that are controlled by a system controller.
US07999688B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide devices and methods for monitoring the waste output of one or more individuals. Embodiments provide a waste receptacle equipped with one or more cameras capable of imaging the contents of the waste receptacle and optionally a scale that is capable of measuring the weight of the waste receptacle or the weight of the contents of the waste receptacle. The waste receptacle optionally communicates wirelessly with a base station that is able to store images of the contents of the waste receptacle and communicate automatically with remote caregivers. Algorithms are provided that are capable of providing a signal to a caregiver to alert the caregiver if the waste receptacle is not in use.
US07999686B2
The disclosure is directed to an interactive packaging system for monitoring the usage of personal hygiene products, personal hygiene product packages, and restroom facilities. The interactive packaging system may include a plurality of usage monitoring devices each configured to detect physical stimulus associated with the usage of the product, package or facility with which the usage monitoring device is associate, and to transmit usage messages containing information relating to the detected physical stimulus. The interactive packaging system may further include a base station configured to receive the usage messages transmitted by the plurality of usage monitoring devices and to generate sensory perceptible outputs corresponding to the information contained in the usage messages. Either the usage monitoring devices or the base station may be configured to determine whether the products, packages or facilities are used appropriately based on the detected physical stimulus.
US07999681B2
A universal tracking assembly that is capable of supporting more than one protocol used in electronic article surveillance (EAS) labels. The universal tracking assembly includes an acousto-magnetic (AM) EAS portion with a Radio Frequency (RF) EAS portion. The intrinsic characteristics and properties of the components of these individual labels are utilized to enhance the overall performance and utility of the combined EAS universal tracking assembly.
US07999677B2
RFID tags each having an antenna partially raised from a surface of an underlying object by use of embossments in the RFID inlay base structure. Also disclosed are methods of forming the RFID tags and an RFID system utilizing the RFID tags.
US07999670B2
System and method for tracking assets comprises determining if an asset is inside a geofence area, using a first set of asset monitoring parameters to monitor operation of the asset, if the asset is inside the geofence area, and using a second set of asset monitoring parameters to monitor operation of the asset, if the asset is outside the geofence area. The invention further comprises a system and method for providing one or more competitors with an asset tracking device, wherein the asset tracking device allows each competitor's location to be monitored, defining one or more geofence areas on a racetrack, and detecting when the competitors enter a designated geofence area.
US07999658B1
A radio device such as a wireless tag reader communicates with multiple types of wireless identification tags in a monitored region. The radio device includes a network interface to receive messages transmitted over a network. In response to receiving a message indicating to reconfigure the radio device to support an additional wireless tag protocol, the radio is reconfigured to support communications with a corresponding new type of wireless identification tag in a monitored region. Based on this technique of reconfiguring the radio device via network messages, the radio device optionally supports additional, new or latest versions of wireless tag protocols without having to physically reprogram or replace the radio device.
US07999644B2
A central magnet of a plurality of magnets arranged to be different in polarities is detected by two hall ICs; therefore, reduction in size can be achieved by reducing the number of the magnets; and at the same time, the number of the hall ICs can be maintained and the reliability can be secured, as compared with a configuration in which the magnets and the hall ICs individually respond in one to one correspondence.
US07999643B1
The present invention relates to providing a uniform operating environment for each of multiple devices by providing a common environment to the devices. The common environment is provided by multiple cavities, which are interconnected by at least one environmental pathway, which may be provided by at least one tunnel. The common environment may help provide uniform operating pressure, which may be a partial or near vacuum, a surrounding gas of uniform contents, such as an inert gas or mixture of inert gases, or both. The devices may include micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices, such as MEMS switches.
US07999642B2
The present invention provides a switch suitable for efficient microfabrication. The switch elements are disposed in several layers. Various embodiments provide various switching capabilities and operational characteristics. The switches can be protected by suitable packaging, and can be efficiently fabricated in groups or arrays.
US07999640B2
In a radio-frequency wave module including a transmission path based on a distributed parameter element, the transmission path being part of an input/output terminal, a plurality of cavity-structured concave portions for containing semiconductor-including mounted components therein, grounding-use metallic electrodes, dielectric substrates of at least two or more layers, and semiconductors, electrical separation is established between the grounding-use metallic electrodes which form the transmission paths based on the distributed parameter element and at least one of the grounding-use metallic electrodes which are formed on bottom surfaces of the plurality of cavity-structured concave portions for containing the semiconductor-including mounted components therein.
US07999639B2
A waveguide structure including a first member, made of metal, in a surface portion of which a first groove having a linear shape is formed; and a second member, made of resin, in a surface portion of which a second groove having a linear shape is formed and to the surface of which metal plating is applied. The first member and the second member are arranged in such a way that the first groove and the second groove face each other so that a waveguide tube is configured. The first member in the surface portion of which the first groove is formed and the second member in the surface portion of which the second groove is formed are held in such a way that a gap exists between the respective surfaces thereof.
US07999634B2
A layered low-pass filter includes: a layered substrate; an input terminal, an output terminal and a grounding terminal each disposed on a periphery of the layered substrate; first and second inductors connected in series and provided between the input terminal and the output terminal; first to fifth capacitors formed within the layered substrate; a grounding conductor layer provided within the layered substrate; and a conducting portion formed within the layered substrate. The conducting portion includes a conductor layer connected to the grounding terminal, and a conducting path formed of a plurality of through holes. The conducting portion connects the grounding conductor layer to the grounding terminal via a path longer than the shortest distance between the grounding conductor layer and the grounding terminal.
US07999633B2
An integrated structure of common-mode inductors and differential-mode capacitors in an EMI filter realized using a flexible circuit board, including: a closed magnetic circuit formed by a first magnetic core and a second magnetic core, optionally including an air gap formed in a middle pillar of the magnetic cores, and with a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) wound on at least one pillar, the FPC formed by laminating alternating insulating and copper foil layers. The integrated structure of inductors and capacitors is advantageous in reducing the volume of the EMI filter and improving the power density of an electronic power transformer.
US07999631B2
An RF attenuator circuit includes an anti-parallel PI structure having an input shunt arm comprising a single PIN diode, and an output shunt arm comprising a single PIN diode configured to have opposite polarity of the PIN diode of the input shunt arm.
US07999618B2
An error amplifier expected to exhibit rail-to-rail operation, high bandwidth, and high slew rate, is described, the error amplifier comprising a first stage to receive an input differential voltage and to provide transconductance gain, an intermediate stage to provide current gain, and an output stage to drive a load.
US07999613B2
An amplifier system is provided that has a first balun with an input and an output, and a second balun with an input and an output. A first set of amplifiers is coupled in series and to the output of the first balun. A second set of amplifiers is coupled in series and to the output of the second balun. The first and second sets of amplifiers are in series or parallel. A load impedance of the first and second sets of amplifiers does not substantially change at an output of any amplifier that is switched on when another amplifier is switched off.
US07999612B2
An operational amplifier includes an input stage for generating a first differential output signal pair according to a first differential input signal pair, an output stage for generating a second differential output signal pair according to at least a second differential input signal pair, and a high-pass filtering circuit coupled between the input stage and the output stage for performing high-pass filtering on the first differential output signal pair, for generating the at least a second differential input signal pair.
US07999608B1
Apparatus and methods for providing integrated RF notch filter subsystems having enhanced Q values are described. An integrated notch filter includes an LC filter element and a Q-enhancement circuit coupled to the LC filter element, with the Q-enhancement circuit configured to offset resistive losses in the LC filter element to adjust the Q value of the filter system. A transceiver having multiple LNAs for various bands may be provided to a single notch filter system including a Q-enhancement circuit.
US07999604B2
In one embodiment, the boost circuit includes a boost unit configured to perform a charge pumping operation based on a control signal. A controller is configured to control the boost unit such that the boost unit performs a lesser charge pumping operation from an initial time when power is supplied to the boost circuit until a desired time than after the desired time.
US07999593B2
An electric circuit (30) for generating a clock-sampling signal (CLK) for a sampling device (31) comprises a clock generator (1, 40, 50, 60) for generating a plurality of clock signals (21-24, 51-54, 61-64), a correlation device (L) for correlating a characteristic signal section (LE) of a digital signal (DS) with the plurality of clock signals (21, 22, 23, 24, 51-56, 61-64), and a selecting device (MX) for selecting one of the clock signals (21, 22, 23, 24, 51-55, 61-64) as the clock-sampling signal (CLK) for the sampling device (31) on the basis of the correlation by the correlation device (L). The clock signals (21-24, 51-54, 61-64) have the same cycle duration (T) and are phase-shifted with respect to each other. The sampling device (31) subsequently samples the digital signal (DS) with the clock-sampling signal (CLK).
US07999590B2
Provided is a level converting flip-flop for clustered voltage scaling and a level-converting pulse generator for use in the flip-flop. The flip-flop may include a pulse generator that receives an input clock signal with a high level equal to a first level and generates a pulse signal with a high level that may be converted into a second level higher than the first level. The flip-flop may further include a latch that latches input data with a high level equal to a third level lower than the second level and outputs output data with a high level that may be converted into the second level in response to the pulse signal. The third level may be equal to the first level. A supply voltage of the second level may be used as a supply voltage to the latch. Both the pulse generator and the flip-flop may have a level converting function without additional circuits, and therefore, the operating speeds of the pulse generator and the flip-flop may be increased without increasing the area and power consumption of the system.
US07999572B2
Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention including a data transmitting circuit that transmits data in parallel through a plurality of signal lines and a data receiving circuit that receives the data. The data transmitting circuit includes a plurality of data output circuits that output the data in a data transmission mode or set an output to a high impedance state in a HiZ mode, a plurality of data selection circuits that select one of the data and fixed data and output the selected data to the data output circuits, and a control circuit that controls the data output circuits to output the fixed data during a period between a time when a mode is switched from the HiZ mode to the data transmission mode and a time when the data output circuits start to output the data.
US07999555B2
A number and a combination of N-pole connectors and (N+1)-pole connectors are determined such that a number of fuel cells included in the fuel cell stack and a number of all of poles included in the plurality of terminal-side connectors are equal to each other. Further, when the number of fuel cells of the fuel cell stack changes, the change can be addressed by changing the number and the combination of the N-pole connectors and the (N+1)-pole connectors without newly providing a terminal-side connector other than the N-pole connector and the (N+1)-pole connector.
US07999554B2
Voltage translator circuitry may include a path including a first resistor, a current controlling device, and a second resistor coupled in series. The voltage translator circuitry may further include an operational amplifier having a positive supply terminal to accept a positive supply voltage and a negative supply terminal to accept a negative supply voltage, neither the positive or negative supply voltage at ground voltage. The first resistor may further be coupled to a positive terminal of the battery cell to be monitored. The operational amplifier may have an input coupled to a negative terminal of the battery cell to be monitored. The voltage translator circuitry may further include an output terminal coupled to a node of the path between the current controlling device and the second resistor. The output terminal may be configured to provide the ground referenced cell voltage for the battery cell.
US07999553B2
To provide a voltage measurement device for measuring a battery voltage of a secondary battery formed by serially connecting a plurality of battery blocks, which is able to calculate the battery voltage in block units even though a potential detection line is disconnected. Specifically, when the voltage detection unit fails to measure the battery voltage of the measurement target battery block by selecting potential detection lines connected to both terminals of the measurement target battery block, the switch control unit selects the potential detection lines connected to both terminals of the battery block group including a serially connected plurality of battery blocks including the measurement target battery block, then measures the integrated voltage of the battery block group, and measures the battery voltage of the measurement target battery block based on the measured integrated voltage.
US07999551B2
A method for noise signal analysis and communication with an underground transmitter. The method comprises the steps of measuring a noise floor when no signal is transmitted from a transmitter, detecting a signal when the transmitter is transmitting, and estimating the noise free component of the signal by removing the noise floor measurement. The measurement of the noise floor and detecting the signal from the transmitter may be done using a root mean square technique. The noise floor measurement can be removed from the measured signal by subtracting the noise floor measurement from the measured signal or alternatively by calculating the square root of the difference between the square of the measured signal and the square of the noise floor measurement. The noise estimation technique may be used in connection with, a differential phased shift keying communication scheme or other modulation techniques.
US07999550B2
To fully characterize the inductive response of an isolated conductive object, such as buried unexploded ordinance, one needs to measure its response to stimulation by primary magnetic fields in three linearly independent (e.g., approximately orthogonal) directions. In one embodiment this is achieved by measuring the response to magnetic fields of three independent transmitters arranged to have magnetic fields that are linearly independent. According to the apparatus and methods employing the system of this invention, multiple transmitters and receivers of known relative position and orientation on a single platform are used. In a preferred embodiment, matched sets of receiver pairs connected in gradient mode are positioned adjacent to closely spaced pairs of transmitting coils, such that a minor displacement of one or both of the receiver coil pairs relative to the paired transmitting coils will not affect the detected secondary signals emitted by a buried metallic object.
US07999549B2
A transmission path (2) comprising an electrically conductive link or connection lead or line or cable (21) is disclosed, which path is or can be made RF safe (especially with respect to heating due to standing waves) when guided through RF electrical and/or magnetic fields especially of a MR imaging system and which is especially suitable for connecting a base or connection unit (1), like for example a power supply or a control or evaluation unit (first unit), with a distal or remote electrical unit (3) like a sensor or a detector, a transmit and/or receive unit, or an accessory device like for example an RF body or surface coil system, or an invasive or interventional device like for example a catheter or implantables (second unit), especially in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system. The transmission path may comprise pressure switches or optical switches.
US07999534B2
A rotation sensor including: a main rotor that integrally rotates with a rotor to be measured; a sub-rotor that rotates in accordance with rotation of the main rotor with a different number of revolutions from that of the main rotor; a first detector detecting rotation of the main rotor; and a second detector detecting rotation of the sub-rotor. The rotation sensor detects an absolute rotation angle of the rotor to be measured from detection signals from the first detector and the second detector. Respective detection signals obtained from the first detector and the second detector are cyclically output in accordance with rotation of each rotor, and the following relationship is satisfied: (Tm−Tc×i)×n=Tm (i and n are positive integers), wherein Tc is a cycle of the detection signal from the first detector, and Tm is a cycle of the detection signal from the second detector.
US07999527B2
A switching controller for a boost power converter includes a switching-control circuit and a programmable feedback circuit. The programmable feedback circuit is coupled to an output of the boost power converter via a voltage divider. The programmable feedback circuit includes a current source coupled to a switch. On a light-load condition, a power-saving signal turns on the switch. The switch will conduct a programming current supplied by the current source toward the voltage divider. Furthermore, the voltage divider is externally adjustable for programming a determined level of an output voltage of the boost power converter on the light-load condition. Additionally the present invention increases system design flexibility to meet practical power-saving requirements without adding circuitries and increasing cost.
US07999513B1
A system includes an input configured to connect to a power source providing an input voltage, an output configured to connect to a load and to transfer power from the power source to the load, a battery selectively coupled to the input to receive current from the power source, a detector configured to indicate whether the input voltage drops more than a threshold amount, and a processor configured to regulate the selective coupling of the battery to the input to regulate a charging current supplied to the battery, the processor configured to regulate the selective coupling such that if a first charge current induces a drop in the input voltage beyond the threshold amount, then the processor will change the charging current to a second charge current that is lower than the first charge current.
US07999503B2
Systems and apparatus are provided for a control module for operating an inverter in a vehicle. A control module comprises a first circuit card assembly and a microprocessor mounted on the first circuit card assembly. The microprocessor is configured to determine a phase modulation command for a first motor phase and determine a modulation criterion for the inverter. An integrated circuit is communicatively coupled to the microprocessor. The integrated circuit is configured to generate a first modulation signal based on the phase modulation command and the modulation criterion and generate a second modulation signal based on the phase modulation command and the modulation criterion.
US07999496B2
A control system and method to determine position of a rotor relative to a stator for a synchronous multipole electrical machine is presented, including one for application on a fuel/electric hybrid powertrain for a vehicle. The machine includes a stator, a rotor, and a rotor position sensing mechanism. The control system controls the electrical machine, in conjunction with an electrical storage device and an inverter, using algorithms and calibrations which derive a rotor position based upon a sensorless position sensing technique, and determine an offset from a sensed rotor position. Electrical output from the inverter to the machine is controlled based the offset, which is stored non-volatile memory. A rotor position is derived based upon a sensorless position sensing technique during initial machine operation after startup of the machine, and includes operation in a torque-generative mode and in an electrical energy-generative mode.
US07999490B2
A light source includes an arc tube having a first electrode and a second electrode that emit light by discharge between the electrodes, and a driving unit that supplies a current between the first electrode and the second electrode and can change at least a waveform of frequency and waveform of the supplied current. The driving unit can perform lighting drive of the arc tube, using a driving waveform formed by combining a first lighting waveform having a maximum current value at a part other than a half-cycle rear end of the waveform and a second lighting waveform having a maximum current value at the half-cycle rear end of the waveform.
US07999480B2
A control circuit is configured to control the charge and discharge of a flash unit. The flash unit includes an anode, a cathode, and a trigger electrode. The control circuit includes a charging circuit and a triggering circuit. One terminal of the charging circuit is coupled to a charging terminal and another terminal is coupled to the anode and the cathode. One terminal of the triggering circuit is coupled to a triggering terminal, another terminal is couple to the trigger electrode. The charging circuit includes a first capacitor coupled to the cathode and a second capacitor coupled to the anode. When the charging terminal receives a charging voltage and the triggering terminal receives a high-level voltage, three times charging voltage is formed between the anode and the cathode; then the flash unit generates a flash.
US07999472B2
A plasma display panel is disclosed. The plasma display panel includes a substrate, a plurality of electrodes positioned on the substrate, a dielectric layer covering the plurality of electrodes. A height of the electrode around a central axis of a cross section of the electrode is larger than a height of the electrode at an edge of the cross section of the electrode.
US07999467B2
A display device of present invention includes an insulating substrate, an array of display elements on the insulating substrate, a cover substrate opposing to the insulating substrate, a sealant formed outside the array of display elements, and a protection film formed on the cover substrate and covering the array of display elements.
US07999465B2
An Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display reduces damage to a panel assembly with an improved bezel structure. The OLED display includes a panel assembly including a display area, a pad area, and a plurality of OLEDs arranged in the display area and a bezel attached to the panel assembly. The bezel is has a rebound resilience in a range of 50-70%. The bezel is made of a silicon-based rubber.
US07999462B2
To improve an image quality of an organic EL display by utilizing characteristics of a dual emission type organic light emitting element. A display device includes a first substrate over which a plurality of organic light emitting elements are provided and a second substrate over which an organic light emitting element is provided. The first and second substrates are facing each other. At least either the organic light emitting elements provided over the first substrate or the organic light emitting element provided over the second substrate emit/emits light toward both surfaces of the first or second substrate. Light emitting regions of the organic light emitting elements provided over the first substrate are overlapped with a light emitting region of the organic light emitting element provided over the second substrate as seen from the second substrate.
US07999456B2
Provided is a white light emitting diode (LED) including a blue LED chip; and yellow, green, and red light emitting phosphors that are coated on the blue LED chip at a predetermined mixing ratio and converts light, emitted from the blue LED chip, into white light.
US07999452B2
A connecting member is adapted to be coupled with a connection object including a pipe portion having a sealed end and a terminal portion protruding outward from the sealed end. The connecting member includes a tubular portion adapted to be fitted over an outer peripheral surface of the pipe portion, a bottom portion connected to one end of the tubular portion in an axial direction and adapted to be faced to the sealed end when the tubular portion is fitted over the outer peripheral surface of the pipe portion, and a connecting portion connected to the bottom portion and adapted to be connected to the terminal portion. The tubular portion includes a plurality of elastic sections separated by a plurality of slits extending from the other end towards the one end in the axial direction and adapted to be brought into elastic contact with the pipe portion.
US07999439B2
There is provided a linear drive ultrasonic motor which is capable of achieving a stable thrust, and which has fewer restrictions regarding a relationship with an external apparatus.The linear drive ultrasonic motor includes at least an ultrasonic vibrator having a piezoelectric element, a driven member which is driven by a frictional force between the driven member and the ultrasonic vibrator, a pressing member which presses the ultrasonic vibrator such that a frictional force is generated between the ultrasonic vibrator and the driven member, a case member which accommodates the ultrasonic vibrator and the pressing member, and a base member which movably supports the driven member, and the case member is assembled with the base member, in a state of a central portion of the pressing member making a contact with the ultrasonic vibrator, and two end portions sandwiching at least the central portion, from among the end portions of the pressing member making a contact with the case member.
US07999438B2
A piezoelectric driving device including a laminated body having a base that is capable of being deformed by applying force, a first piezoelectric body that is formed on a first face of the base directly or via another layer, and a second piezoelectric body that is formed on a second face of the base substantially parallel to the first face directly or via another layer, a driving voltage generating section that generates a driving voltage according to a displacement amount of the laminated body, a compensating voltage generating section that generates a compensating voltage compensating for hysteresis caused by the displacement of the laminated body by the driving voltage, and a voltage applying section that applies each of the driving voltage and the compensating voltage to each of the first piezoelectric body and the second piezoelectric body.
US07999437B2
An acoustic boundary wave device includes a piezoelectric body, an IDT layer formed on the piezoelectric body, a pad electrode layer formed on the piezoelectric body and connected to the IDT layer, a first dielectric layer formed on the piezoelectric body and covering at least a part of the IDT electrode layer, and a second dielectric layer formed on the piezoelectric body, covering the first dielectric layer, and having an opening through which at least a part of a top face of the pad electrode layer is exposed. The metal forming lateral faces of the pad electrode layer diffuses more readily into the first dielectric layer than into the second dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer covers the lateral faces of the pad electrode layer and prevents the first dielectric layer from touching the lateral faces of the pad electrode layer.
US07999432B2
In a magnet-exciting rotating electric machine system, every magnetic salient pole group to be magnetized in a same polarity is collectively magnetized by a magnetic excitation part. In the magnetic excitation part, a main magnetic flux path in which a magnetic flux circulates through the armature and a bypass magnetic flux path are connected to the field magnet in parallel. Magnetic flux amount in each path is controlled by mechanical displacement. Thereby, the rotating electric machine system and the magnetic flux amount control method in which magnetic field control is easy are provided. Also, means and method are provided so that a power required for the displacement may be made small by adjusting magnetic resistance of the above magnetic flux path.
US07999408B2
A power, ground and communication architecture (100) utilizes hubs (105, 110, 115). Each hub (105, 110, 115) contains computing, communication and power management elements (135, 140). Hubs (105, 110, 115) may be connected to multiple other hubs (105, 110, 115) to distribute communication and power in a freeform web-type arrangement, specific tree, bus or star arrangements are not required. Standardized wiring harness segments (120) are used to join the hubs (105, 110, 115) and control elements. Each of the strands in the web may be an independent point-to-point bus and isolated power line.
US07999404B1
Activation of a propellant in a constant volume container causes a phase change material to rapidly expand so that the pressure in the container increases. Programmability and sequential actuation are enabled by patterning the phase change material into the integrated device. The pressure generated may be used to activate an energy transducer such as a high pressure turbine, a piezoelectric material, and an elastic strain material. This provides a hybrid actuation system of electrical energy, pneumatic and hydraulic power. The pressure change in a constant volume container is also harnessed to provide a microbattery.
US07999403B2
In a method of operating a starting system coupled to a crankshaft of a vehicle engine, during engine starting, torque supplied by the starting system to the engine is continuously adjusted to provide more than two levels based on operating conditions of the vehicle or engine.
US07999402B2
An electromechanical generator comprising a resonator comprising a vibratable mass, a biasing device connected to the vibratable mass, a power transduction device for converting mechanical vibrational movement of the vibratable mass into electrical power, and a resonator support for supporting the vibratable mass, biasing device and power transduction device, the electromechanical generator further comprising a vibratable mount incorporating at least one spring, the vibratable mount being connected to the resonator support for mounting the resonator to a vibratable body from which electrical energy is to be harvested.
US07999397B2
A microelectronic package includes a microelectronic element having faces and contacts, the microelectronic element having an outer perimeter, and a substrate overlying and spaced from a first face of the microelectronic element, whereby an outer region of the substrate extends beyond the outer perimeter of the microelectronic element. The microelectronic package includes a plurality of etched conductive posts exposed at a surface of the substrate and being electrically interconnected with the microelectronic element, whereby at least one of the etched conductive posts is disposed in the outer region of the substrate. The package includes an encapsulating mold material in contact with the microelectronic element and overlying the outer region of the substrate, the encapsulating mold material extending outside of the etched conductive posts for defining an outermost edge of the microelectronic package.
US07999390B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to an example of the present invention includes a first interconnect extending in a first direction, a second interconnect arranged over the first interconnect and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a first via for connecting a first contact part of the first interconnect and a second contact part of the second interconnect, and a second via for connecting a third contact part of the first interconnect and a fourth contact part of the second interconnect. The first and third contact parts are arranged by being aligned in the first direction, and the second and fourth contact parts are arranged by being aligned in the second direction.
US07999385B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device having a regular layout region and an irregular layout region formed on one chip, including: a lower conductive layer; an interlayer insulating film formed on the lower conductive layer; an upper interconnect layer formed on the interlayer insulating film; and connection plugs disposed to electrically connect the lower conductive layer and the upper interconnect layer at a substantially shortest distance. In at least part of the regular layout region, the lower conductive layer and the upper interconnect layer are electrically connected to each other through at least two connection plugs and an intermediate connection layer for electrically connecting the at least two connection plugs, the at least two connection plugs being disposed at an immediately above position extending from immediately above the lower conductive layer and a shift position spaced apart from the immediately above position, respectively.
US07999384B2
A method of closely interconnecting integrated circuits contained within a semiconductor wafer to electrical circuits surrounding the semiconductor wafer. Electrical interconnects are held to a minimum in length by making efficient use of polyimide or polymer as an inter-metal dielectric thus enabling the integration of very small integrated circuits within a larger circuit environment at a minimum cost in electrical circuit performance.
US07999382B2
A semiconductor device includes a first interlayer insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate; a second interlayer insulating film formed on the first interlayer film and including a plurality of grooves; a first barrier metal formed on inner surfaces of the grooves; a first interconnect part and a first bonding electrode part including a copper film formed on the first barrier metal; a second barrier metal formed on the first interconnect part and the first bonding electrode part; a second interconnect part including a metal film formed on the first interconnect part via the second barrier metal; a second bonding electrode part including a metal film formed on the first bonding electrode part via the second barrier metal; and a third interlayer insulating film formed on the second interlayer insulating film, the second interconnect part, and the second bonding electrode part, and including an opening that allows exposure of the surface of the second bonding electrode part.
US07999370B2
A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip including a body unit having one or more circuit units. A first bonding pad is disposed in a first face of the body unit and is connected to a circuit unit. A second bonding pad is disposed in the first face of the body unit in the bonding pad region so as to be positioned in an adjacent surrounding area of the first bonding pad and borders at least one side face of the first bonding pad while being insulated from the first bonding pad. A first connection terminal is attached onto the first bonding pad, and a second connection terminal is attached onto the second bonding pad and is positioned in an adjacent surrounding area of the first connection terminal and borders at least one side face of the first connection terminal while being insulated from the first connection terminal.
US07999368B2
A semiconductor package includes a substrate which includes a chip mounting unit disposed on a first surface thereof and a pad forming unit disposed on an outer region of the chip mounting unit. The semiconductor package further includes a plurality of pads disposed on the pad forming unit of the substrate, a semiconductor chip disposed on the chip mounting unit of the substrate, a dam disposed on the first surface of the substrate between the semiconductor chip and the pad forming unit, and wherein the dam separates at least a portion of the pads from the semiconductor chip. In addition, the semiconductor package further includes an underfill material disposed between an active surface of the semiconductor chip and the first surface of the substrate and wherein an upper surface of the dam is rounded due to surface tension.
US07999363B2
A resetable over-current self-protecting semiconductor power device comprises a vertical power semiconductor chip and an over-current protection layer composed of current limiting material such as a PTC material. The over-current protection layer may be sandwiched between the vertical power semiconductor chip and a conductive plate, which could be a leadframe, a metal plate, a PCB plate or a PCB that the device is mounted on.
US07999334B2
Embodiments of a dielectric layer containing a hafnium tantalum titanium oxide film structured as one or more monolayers include the dielectric layer disposed in an integrated circuit. Embodiments of methods of fabricating such a dielectric layer provide a dielectric layer for use in a variety of electronic devices. An embodiment may include forming hafnium tantalum titanium oxide film using atomic layer deposition.
US07999326B2
By embedding a silicon/germanium mixture in a silicon layer of high tensile strain, a moderately high degree of tensile strain may be maintained in the silicon/germanium mixture, thereby enabling increased performance of N-channel transistors on the basis of silicon/germanium material. In other regions, the germanium concentration may be varied to provide different levels of tensile or compressive strain.
US07999313B2
A semiconductor device includes vertical pillar transistors formed in respective silicon pillars of a silicon substrate. The gates of the vertical pillar transistor are selectively formed on a single surface of lower portions of the silicon pillars, and drain areas of the vertical pillar transistors are connected with one another.
US07999312B2
A semiconductor 100 has a P− body region and an N− drift region in the order from an upper surface side thereof. A gate trench and a terminal trench passing through the P− body region are formed. The respective trenches are surrounded with P diffusion regions at the bottom thereof. The gate trench builds a gate electrode therein. A P−− diffusion region, which is in contact with the end portion in a lengthwise direction of the gate trench and is lower in concentration than the P− body region and the P diffusion region, is formed. The P−− diffusion region is depleted prior to the P diffusion region when the gate voltage is off. The P−− diffusion region serves as a hole supply path to the P diffusion region when the gate voltage is on.
US07999303B2
The present invention provides a high-performance MONOS-type NAND-type nonvolatile semiconductor memory device using an aluminum oxide film as a part of gate insulating film in a select transistor and as a block insulating film in a memory transistor. The NAND-type nonvolatile semiconductor memory device has, on a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of memory cell transistors connected to each other in series and a select transistor. The memory cell transistor includes a first insulating film on the semiconductor substrate, a charge trapping layer, a second insulating film made of aluminum oxide,a first control gate electrode, and a first source/drain region. The select transistor includes a third insulating film on the semiconductor substrate, a fourth insulating film made of an aluminum oxide containing at least one of a tetravalent cationic element, a pentavalent cationic element, and N (nitrogen), a second control gate electrode, and a second source/drain region.
US07999287B2
In one embodiment a lateral HEMT has a first layer, the first layer including a semiconducting material, and a second layer, the second layer including a semiconducting material and being at least partially arranged on the first layer. The lateral HEMT further has a passivation layer and a drift region, the drift region including a lateral width wd. The lateral HEMT further has at least one field plate, the at least one field plate being arranged at least partially on the passivation layer in a region of the drift region and including a lateral width wf, wherein wf
US07999282B2
Embodiments relate to a semiconductor light emitting device. The semiconductor light emitting device according to embodiments comprises a light emitting structure comprising a plurality of compound semiconductor layers; a first electrode under the light emitting structure; a second electrode layer on the light emitting structure; a first insulating layer between the light emitting structure and the second electrode layer; and a metal layer formed under the first insulating layer and electrically connected to the first electrode.
US07999273B2
A light emitting device is provided which includes a substrate, a first semiconductor layer having a first region and a second region on the substrate; ac active layer is formed on the first region of the first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer is formed on the active surface layer and the portion surface of the second semiconductor layer is a rough surface; a plurality of pillar structures with a hollow structure, and both of the outer surface and inner surface of the pillar structures are rough surface; a transparent conductive layer is formed to cover the plurality of pillar structures; a first electrode is formed on the transparent conductive layer; and a second electrode is formed on the second region of the first semiconductor layer.
US07999272B2
There is provided a semiconductor light emitting device having a patterned substrate and a manufacturing method of the same. The semiconductor light emitting device includes a substrate; a first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer sequentially formed on the substrate, wherein the substrate is provided on a surface thereof with a pattern having a plurality of convex portions, wherein out of the plurality of convex portions of the pattern, a distance between a first convex portion and an adjacent one of the convex portions is different from a distance between a second convex portion and an adjacent one of the convex portions.
US07999265B2
The photoelectric conversion device includes: a photoelectric conversion element in which a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode are stacked in this order; and a thin film transistor (TFT) connected to the first electrode of the photoelectric conversion element via a contact hole, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer including a first photoelectric conversion layer disposed at a location which does not overlap with the contact hole and a second photoelectric conversion layer disposed at a location which overlaps with the contact hole, the first photoelectric conversion layer and the second photoelectric conversion layer are separated from each other by a separation groove, and the second electrode is selectively formed on the first photoelectric conversion layer, and the photoelectric conversion element is formed by the first electrode, the first photoelectric conversion layer, and the second electrode.
US07999263B2
Provided is a semiconductor element including: a semiconductor having an active layer; a gate insulating film which is in contact with the semiconductor; a gate electrode opposite to the active layer through the gate insulating film; a first nitride insulating film formed over the active layer; a photosensitive organic resin film formed on the first nitride insulating film; a second nitride insulating film formed on the photosensitive organic resin film; and a wiring provided on the second nitride insulating film, in which a first opening portion is provided in the photosensitive organic resin film, an inner wall surface of the first opening portion is covered with the second nitride insulating film, a second opening portion is provided in a laminate including the gate insulating film, the first nitride insulating film, and the second nitride insulating film inside the first opening portion, and the semiconductor is connected with the wiring through the first opening portion and the second opening portion.
US07999251B2
A FET structure with a nanowire forming the FET channel, and doped source and drain regions formed by radial epitaxy from the nanowire body is disclosed. A top gated and a bottom gated nanowire FET structures are discussed. The source and drain fabrication can use either selective or non-selective epitaxy.
US07999248B2
A nanoscale device and a method for creating and erasing of nanoscale conducting regions at the interface between two insulating oxides SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 is provided. The method uses the tip of a conducting atomic force microscope to locally and reversibly switch between conducting and insulating states. This allows ultra-high density patterning of quasi zero or one dimensional electron gas conductive regions, such as nanowires and conducting quantum dots respectively. The patterned structures are stable at room temperature after removal of the external electric field.
US07999244B2
Embodiments relate to a MEMS device including a scanner rotatable about at least one rotation axis, with the scanner having a characteristic resonant frequency. According to one embodiment, the MEMS device includes drive electronics operable to generate a drive signal that causes the scanner to oscillate at an operational frequency about the at least one rotation axis. The drive signal has a drive frequency selected to be about equal to the characteristic resonant frequency or a sub-harmonic frequency of the characteristic resonant frequency. According to another embodiment, the drive electronics are operable to generate a drive signal having a plurality of drive-signal pulses that moves the scanner at an operational frequency and sensing electronics are operable to sense a position of the scanner only when the drive-signal pulses of the drive signal are not being transmitted by the drive electronics. The MEMS device embodiments may be incorporated in scanned beam imagers, endoscopes, and displays.
US07999243B2
A tool determines a characteristic of an installed weld fastener using a dimensional measurement device, and includes a threaded portion engageable with the weld fastener and a cylindrical portion. A controller is in communication with the measurement device, and calculates the characteristic using raw dimensional data provided by the measurement device. The measurement device determines an approximate centerline of the cylindrical portion to thereby determine the raw dimensional data. A method determines the approximate centerline using the measurement device by connecting a threaded surface of a tool to the installed weld fastener, measuring dimensions of the cylindrical portion via the measurement device to determine the set of raw dimensional data, and determining the characteristic using the raw dimensional data. A control action can be executed when the characteristic is outside of a calibrated range.
US07999236B2
Dual modality detection devices and methods are provided for detecting nuclear material, the devices include a neutron detector including multiple neutron detection modules; and a gamma detector including multiple gamma detection modules, where the multiple neutron detection modules and the multiple gamma detection modules are integrated together in a single unit to detect simultaneously both gamma rays and neutrons.
US07999233B1
The present invention relates to a system for inspection of stacked cargo containers. One embodiment of the invention generally comprises a plurality of stacked cargo containers arranged in rows or tiers, each container having a top, a bottom a first side, a second side, a front end, and a back end; a plurality of spacers arranged in rows or tiers; one or more mobile inspection devices for inspecting the cargo containers, wherein the one or more inspection devices are removeably disposed within the spacers, the inspection means configured to move through the spacers to detect radiation within the containers. The invented system can also be configured to inspect the cargo containers for a variety of other potentially hazardous materials including but not limited to explosive and chemical threats.
US07999232B2
A gas detector (10) that is arranged to sense the concentration levels of target gases oxygen, methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulphide, within a gas sample from an environment surrounding the detector. The gas detector (10) comprises laser sources (12a-12d) that are arranged to transmit radiation through the gas sample at four target wavelengths that correspond approximately to the optimum absorption wavelengths of each of the target gases and an optical detector (16) that is arranged to sense the intensity of the radiation transmitted through the gas sample at each of the target wavelengths. A control system (22) generates representative concentration level information for the target gases based on the level of absorption of the radiation transmitted.
US07999228B2
Apparatus (2) for use in operator training with, and the testing and evaluation of, missile detection systems which use infrared sensors which integrate incident energy over a finite time period, which apparatus (2) comprises at least one infrared illumination source (4) for illuminating the sensors, characterised in that the infrared illumination source (4) is a pseudo continuous wave laser infrared illumination source (4) with signal duty and peak power controlled by means of an amplitude, pulse width and pulse repetition interval modulation circuit (8), whereby the laser infrared illumination source (4) operates at shorter repetition intervals than the finite time period so that the laser infrared illumination source (4) appears to the infrared sensors to be a real missile signature.
US07999224B2
An ion mobility spectrometer has a reaction region separated from a drift region by an electrostatic gate. A doping circuit supplies a dopant to the reaction region but the drift region is undoped. Two high field ion modifiers are located one after the other in the drift region. One ion modifier can be turned on to remove dopant adducts from the admitted ions, or both ion modifiers can be turned on so that the ions are also fragmented. In this way, several different responses can be produced to provide additional information about the nature of the analyte substance and distinguish it from interferents.
US07999222B2
A time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes a detector and is adapted to measure the time it takes for an accelerated ion to reach the detector and thereby measure the mass of the ion. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer scans a voltage applied to an ion incident side surface of the detector in accordance with a mass to be measured. An electrode is provided between the detector and a space in which an ion flies. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer is capable of measuring ions of a wide range of masses with high detection efficiency by scanning a voltage applied to the electrode.
US07999219B2
By providing holes (32, 45, 46, 47, 51, 52, 53) in hole groups (31, 41, 42, 43) (generally in a triangular orientation for a range of incremental hole sizes) it is possible to provide an image quality indicator which provides a minimum defect size which can be determined based upon contrast sensitivity and spatial resolution. Each hole (32, 45, 46, 47, 51, 52, 53) has a diameter (d) which is the same as its depth (d) and the three holes (32, 45, 46, 47, 51, 52, 53) in a hole group (31, 41, 42, 43) have a spacing (s) the equivalent of the hole diameter (d) and depth (d). The value of the spacing (s), diameter (d) and depth (d) is defined as a calibration value and is generally a percentage of the material thickness.
US07999213B2
Provided is a compact, high-speed deformable mirror for use with an adaptive optic. The mirror or wavefront correction device corrects and/or compensates for wavefront aberrations present in a wavefront received by the optics. The mirror includes a deformable membrane which may be made of a semiconductive, metallic or insulating material. Positioned in close proximity to a front surface of the membrane is a transparent conductor, which may be covered by a window having an anti-reflective coating. A plurality of electrostatic actuators is located in close proximity to a back surface of the membrane, the conductor and actuators separated by a gap of approximately 10 μm. In operation, a bias voltage is applied to the transparent conductor and an actuator voltage is applied to the plurality of actuators. The resultant voltage differential across the membrane defines the amount of membrane deformation, which in turn compensates for distortions in a subsequently reflected wavefront.
US07999202B2
A contact includes a first conductor that has a fitting hole formed therein; a second conductor that has a shaft that can be inserted into the fitting hole and an annular groove formed on an outer circumference of the shaft; and an inclined coil spring that has a ring inserted into a coil, is circularly formed by the ring to be provided inside the annular groove, and is in contact with the annular groove and the fitting hole to electrically connect the first and second conductors. The inclined coil spring is helically wound in a shape of an ellipse and is provided inside the annular groove so that a long axis of the ellipse is directed to an axial direction of the shaft and a short axis is directed to a radial direction of the shaft. Axial-direction both ends of the ring are in contact with a long-axis inner circumference of the inclined coil spring.
US07999201B2
A Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) G-switch includes one or more actuators formed between fixed driving stages and moveable driving stages. A proof mass is attached to the moveable driving stages and flexibly attached to a substrate through one or more spring members. A voltage control circuit applies working voltages to the driving stages. With a first working voltage applied between the moveable and the fixed driving stages, moving of the driving stages' sensing direction towards gravity at a first critical angle will cause moveable driving stages to collapse and touch the fixed driving stage on the substrate and thus turn on the MEMS G-switch. After turning on the G-switch, a second working voltage is applied and moving of the driving stages' sensing direction away from gravity at a second critical angle will cause moveable electrodes to deviate from the fixed electrodes and thus turn off the MEMS G-switch.
US07999186B2
A signal transmission channel for a liquid ejecting apparatus having a first cable including a ground line group in which ground lines are lined up continuously and occupies a region of the first cable, and a second cable including a transmission line in which voltage varies, the transmission line being arranged so as to superimpose the region occupied by the ground line group.
US07999184B2
A cable includes a jacket surrounding first and second insulated conductors and a first dielectric tape, wherein the first insulated conductor is twisted with the second insulated conductor with the first dielectric tape residing therebetween to form a first twisted pair. The cable's jacket may also surround a similarly formed second twisted pair. In alternative or supplemental embodiments of the invention, the first insulated conductor includes a first conductor surrounded by a layer of first dielectric insulating material having a radial thickness of about 7 mils or less; the first dielectric tape has a first width which is equal to or less than the diameters of the first and second insulated conductors plus a thickness of the first dielectric tape; the first dielectric tape has a cross sectional shape, which presents first and second recessed portions for seating the first and second insulated conductors; twist lengths of the first and second twisted pairs are between approximately 0.22 to 0.38 inches and different from each other; the first dielectric tape is different in shape, size or material content as compared to a second dielectric tape of the second twisted pair; the insulated conductors of the first and second twisted pairs are identical in appearance, while the first and second dielectric tapes are different in appearance; and/or the first dielectric tape has a hollow core possessing a gas or material with a lower dielectric constant.
US07999174B2
Solar module structures 210 and 270 and methods for assembling solar module structures. The solar module structures 210 and 270 comprise three-dimensional thin-film solar cells 110 arranged in solar module structures 210 and 270. The three-dimensional thin-film solar cell comprises a three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate (124 and 122, respectively) with emitter junction regions 1352 and doped base regions 1360. The three-dimensional thin-film solar cell further includes emitter metallization regions and base metallization regions. The 3-D TFSC substrate comprises a plurality of single-aperture or dual-aperture unit cells. The solar module structures 270 using three-dimensional thin-film solar cells comprising three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrates with a plurality of dual-aperture unit cells may be used in solar glass applications. The solar module structures 210 using three-dimensional thin-film solar cells comprising three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrates with a plurality of single-aperture unit cells may be used in building façade and rooftop installation applications as well as for centralized solar electricity generation.
US07999172B2
A flexible thermoelectric device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. Flexible substrates are formed by using LIGA process, micro-electro-mechanical process or electroforming technique. The flexible substrates are used to produce thermoelectric device. The structure and the material property of the substrates offer flexible property and tensile property to the thermoelectric device. Thermal transfer enhancement structures such as thermal via or metal diffusion layer are formed on the flexible substrates to overcome the low thermal transfer property of the flexible substrates.
US07999171B1
A guitar pickup switching system for an electric guitar consisting of three pickups (typically in the bridge, middle, and neck positions). It uses a simple on/off switch for mode control and has two possible user preference options. The first option uses a 5-position pickup selector switch, and allows for all seven possible pickup combinations: the bridge pickup alone, the middle pickup alone, the neck pickup alone, the bridge and middle pickups together (electrically in parallel), the middle and neck pickups together, the neck and bridge pickups together, and finally the bridge, middle, and neck pickups together (all 3 pickups together). The second option has electrical wiring identical to the first, but uses a simpler 3-position pickup selector switch instead of a 5-position switch. This option does not provide for the combination of all three pickups together, but all the other six possible pickup combinations are available.
US07999165B2
A pedal system of the present invention includes a support element, a connecting shank, a fixation element and a transmission element. The support element has a pedal and a rotatable axle. The axle inserts through the connecting shank and the fixation element in a rotational operative relationship. The transmission element connects between the pedal and the connecting shank. The fixation element is adapted for a drum hammer to dispose thereon. The fixation element has a longitudinal slot and a positioning unit. The axle is movable between both ends of the longitudinal slot, and the positioning unit selectively fixes a relative position of the longitudinal slot and the axle. As such, the position of the drum hammer is adjustable for the player to achieve better performance effect.
US07999164B2
A valve mechanism for musical instrument is inserted between a mouthpiece and a bell. The valve mechanism includes: a main tube through which the mouthpiece and the bell directly communicate with each other; a bypass tube which takes a bypass route from the middle of the main tube and, when the changeover valve is operated, causes indirect communication of the main tube which is in direct communication before the operation of the changeover valve; a group of main valves; and a group of sub valves. Setting of the bypass tube to a length that allows for a note one octave lower than a note produced only by the main tube, which is producible when the main tube indirectly communicates via the bypass tube. As a result, a degree of freedom and reliability of musical performance are improved in a wide register with almost no change in weight, among many advantages.
US07999163B2
A mechanism for supporting the weight of a piano lid is disclosed. One or more pneumatic cylinders and arms are used to assist a user in opening and closing the piano lid. In one embodiment, a guiding cup can be removably attached to the frame of the piano below each pneumatic cylinder. When the piano lid is open, the piston arm of the pneumatic cylinder engages the guiding cup. Because the pneumatic cylinder is not attached to the piano frame, the piano lid can be completely removed without the use of tools. Another embodiment provides a mounting bracket that fits over the rear frame of a piano, allowing the mechanism to be retrofit to any existing piano without any damage thereto.
US07999159B1
A novel maize variety designated PH8P5 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH8P5 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH8P5 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH8P5 or a trait conversion of PH8P5 with another maize variety. Inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PH8P5, methods for producing other inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PH8P5 and the inbred maize varieties and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07999151B2
To provide a microorganism or a plant transformed with a β-ionone ring-4-ketolase gene and/or β-ionone ring-3-hydroxylase gene derived from Brevundimonas sp. strain SD-212. The β-ionone ring-4-ketolase gene and β-ionone ring-3-hydroxylase gene produced by Brevundimonas sp. strain SD-212 each have a high activity compared with those of known enzymes, and therefore microorganisms transformed with the genes encoding these enzymes can efficiently produce astaxanthin.
US07999149B2
Plant polynucleotide promoter sequences are provided, together with DNA constructs comprising the inventive polynucleotide. Methods for using the inventive constructs for regulating gene expression are provided, along with transgenic plants comprising the inventive constructs.
US07999145B2
A wound management accessory (10) and a method of dressing a wound (28,30) in the vicinity of an external orthopaedic fixator pin (24) are provided. The accessory (10) has a resilient body with a sleeve (12) defining an inner bore (18) that is shaped and dimensioned to fit around the circumference of the fixator pin (24) with an interference fit. The body also defines a flange (14) extending radially from the bore. The method comprises applying the accessory (10) to the pin (24) by passing the pin through the bore (18), covering the wound (28,30) at least in part with an occlusive adherent film (34), attaching at least the flange (14) of the accessory to the film in a generally sealing manner and applying a negative pressure to the wound beneath the film.
US07999139B2
The invention relates to a process for the production of an [18F]fluorohaloalkane which comprises treatment of a solid support-bound precursor of formula (I): SOLID SUPPORT-LINKER-SO2—O—(CH2)nX (I) wherein n is an integer of from 1 to 7 and X is chloro, bromo or iodo; with 18F− to produce the [18F]fluorohaloalkane of formula (II) 18F—(CH2)n—X (II) wherein n and X are as defined for the compound of formula (I), optionally followed by (i) removal of excess 18F−, for example by ion-exchange chromatography; and/or (ii) removal of organic solvent.
US07999133B2
Methods for making unsaturated acids using catalysts for oxidation of unsaturated and/or saturated aldehyde to unsaturated acids is disclosed where the catalyst including at least molybdenum (Mo) and phosphorus (P), where the catalyst has a pore size distribution including at least 50% medium pores and if bismuth is present, a nitric acid to molybdenum mole ratio of at least 0.5:1 or at least 6.0:1 moles of HNO3 per mole of Mo12.
US07999132B2
An anthranilic acid derivative represented by the general formula (X) [wherein R1 represents hydrogen or a carboxy-protecting group; R2 represents optionally substituted phenyl, a heterocyclic group, etc.; R3 represents optionally substituted phenyl, a monocyclic heterocyclic group, etc.; X1 represents carbonyl, etc.; X2 represents optionally substituted alkylene group, a bond, etc.; X3 represents oxygen, a bond, etc.; and X4 represents a group represented by the general formula —X5—X6— or —X6—X5— (wherein X5 means oxygen, a bond, etc.; and X6 means optionally substituted alkylene, a bond, etc.)] or a salt of the derivative. The derivative or salt has the inhibitory activity of MMP-13 production and is hence useful as a therapeutic agent for articular rheumatism, osteoarthritis, cancer, etc.
US07999130B2
The present invention relates to processes for preparing alkyl (meth)acrylates, comprising the steps of transesterifying an alkyl α-hydroxycarboxylate with (meth)acrylic acid to obtain alkyl (meth)acrylates and α-hydroxycarboxylic acid, and dehydrating the α-hydroxycarboxylic acid to obtain (meth)acrylic acid.
US07999128B2
Disclosed are hydroxyphenylbenzophenone derivatives of formula (1), wherein R1 and R2 independently from each other are hydrogen; C1-C20alkenyl; C3-C10cycloalkyl; or R1 and R2 together with the linking nitrogen atom form a 5- 6-membered heterocyclic ring; R3, R4 and R5 independently from each other are C1-C4alkyl; C1-C4alkoxy; or a radical of formula (1a) R6 is C1-C6alkyl; and A is a straight-chain or branched C3-C6alkylene, which is optionally interrupted by one or more *—O—*, or *—O—(CO)—* groups; and m is 0; or a number from 1 to 5. The compounds are useful as cosmetic UV filters with outstanding solubility properties in cosmetic oils.
US07999127B2
A process for preparing a cationically photopolymerizable siloxane oligomer, that includes: combining a platinum group catalyst, a hydrosiloxane compound selected from and a vinyl or allyl compound comprising a cationically photopolymerizable functionality; and then contacting the product with oxygen in the presence of the catalyst to form the cationically photopolymerizable multifunctional siloxane oligomer. R1 and R3 are independently fluoroethyl, methyl or phenyl.
US07999121B2
The present invention relates to methods of making derivatized 3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene monomers and methods of using the 3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene monomers.
US07999114B2
This invention relates to dicycloalkylcarbamoyl ureas of formula (I), which are activators of glucokinase and thus may be useful for the management, treatment, control, or adjunct treatment of diseases, where increasing glucokinase activity is beneficial.
US07999111B2
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of onium alkylsulfonates by reaction of an onium halide or carboxylate with a symmetrically substituted dialkyl sulfite or with an asymmetrically substituted dialkyl sulfite at temperatures of 50 to 170° C.
US07999110B2
The invention relates to crystalline forms of racemic ilaprazole, 2[[(4-methoxy-3-methyl-2 -pyridinyl)-methyl]sulfinyl]-5-(1 H-pyrrol-1-yl) 1H-Benzimidazole. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting gastric acid secretion comprising a crystalline Form of ilaprazole according to the invention in an amount effective to inhibit gastric acid secretion and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The invention also provides methods of treatment for various acid-related gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.
US07999106B2
Processes for the preparation of clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate of polymorphic form I are described which include use of specific solvents and process measures to avoid formation of undesired by-products.
US07999091B2
Compositions and methods for detecting 5-methylcytosine in a nucleic acid are disclosed. A 5-methylcytosine discriminator, which is a deoxyribonucleosidetriphosphate comprising a cytosine-pairing moiety such as a guanosine and a moiety which hinders hydrogen bonding between the cytosine-pairing moiety and a 5-methylcytosine is described. The discriminator is able to base pair with a cytosine but not a 5-methylcytosine. A 5-methylcytosine comprised by a target nucleotide can be detected in a reaction using a DNA polymerase and a primer hybridized immediately adjacent to the target nucleotide. In the reaction, pyrophosphate released upon incorporation of a dNTP complementary to a target nucleotide is detected. Lack of incorporation of the discriminator, but incorporation of a dGTP, can indicate that the target nucleotide is a 5-methylcytosine.
US07999084B2
Devices and methods are provided for reducing matrix effects in protein precipitated bioanalytical samples comprising: a support, and a sorbent associated with the support capable of binding matrix interfering agents present in the bioanalytical sample, wherein the device further comprises filtering means for removing precipitated protein particles. The filtering means is a size exclusion filter or a polymeric or inorganic monolith having a maximum pore size less than or equal to the diameter of the particles to be removed from the sample, and can be integral with the sorbent or associated with the sorbent. The sorbent is characterized by sufficient selectivity between the matrix interfering agents and analytes of interest to provide retention of the matrix interfering agents while providing elution of the analytes of interest (e.g., a reversed phase or a polar modified reversed phase). Typical devices incorporating these features include luer syringe filters, individual filter cartridges, multiwell plates, pipette tips, or inline columns for multiple or single use.
US07999075B2
A method of screening a candidate compound for βArrestin mediated anti-G protein coupled receptor signaling activity is comprises: (a) contacting said candidate compound to a βArrestin signaling complex or a constituent thereof, under conditions in which a signaling complex is formed; and then (b) detecting the presence or absence of disruption of said signaling complex, disruption of said complex indicating said compound has βArrestin mediated anti-G protein coupled receptor signaling activity. Compositions and kits for carrying out the method are also described.
US07999072B2
Described is use of a netrin selected among netrin-4, mutated netrin-4, netrin-1, netrin G1 or netrin-3, or one of their fragments or a nucleotide sequence encoding one of the netrins or one of the fragments, or an anti-idiotypic antibody of one of the netrins or of one of the fragments, or of a Fab fragment of the anti-idiotypic antibodies, for preparing a medicine for preventing or treating tumoral or non-tumoral pathologies.
US07999068B2
A new process for the preparation of bicyclic peptide compounds Formula (I) in high yields of high purity, useful as intermediates for preparing compounds with pharmacological activity, is described.
US07999066B2
The present invention relates to a precipitation process for removing transition metals from polymer solutions. Specifically, it comprises the removal of transition metal complexes which usually comprise copper from polymer solutions after a completed atom transfer radical polymerization.
US07999060B2
A tailorable polyimide prepolymer blend comprising an end group component, a dianhydride component, and a diamine component. The dianhydride component includes at least 3,4,3′,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof, and 3,4,3′,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof. The diamine component includes at least 1,3-phenylenediamine (mPDA), derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof; 1,4-phenylenediamine (pPDA), derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof; bis amino phenoxy benzene (APB), derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof; and optionally, 4,4′-(1,3-phenylene-bis(1-methylethylidene)bisaniline (Bis-M), derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. A cured polyimide matrix has a glass transition temperature of at least about 450° F. (232° C.). An article formed from the tailorable polyimide prepolymer blend may be a powder, a neat resin, a coating material, a film, an adhesive, a fiber, a composite, a laminate, a prepreg, a part, and combinations thereof.
US07999047B2
Catalyst precursors comprising Mg, Ti, OMe and OR groups that are in molar ratios defined by the formula MgTin(OMe)(p)(OR)x in which n is from 0.1 to 1, p is ≧(2+4n), x is from 0 to 1 and R is C2-C15 hydrocarbon groups can be easily transformed, with high yields, in solid catalyst components to be advantageously used in the polymerization of both ethylene and alpha olefins.
US07999044B2
A flash chamber sized to receive the effluent discharged from a polyolefin reactor during normal operation of the reactor and during a reactor dump, advantageously eliminating a reactor dump tank or alternate flash tank from the equipment outlay of a polyolefin manufacturing process. The flash chamber is sized to hold at least the polyolefin solids discharged from the reactor. A condenser fluidically coupled to an overhead portion of the flash chamber is sized to condense the flow rate of vaporized hydrocarbon (e.g., diluent, monomer, etc.) discharged overhead from the flash chamber during normal operation and during the reactor dump.
US07999039B2
A process of making a polymer is described. The process includes contacting one or more olefinic monomers in the presence of at least a high molecular weight (HMW) catalyst and at least a low molecular weight (LMW) catalyst in a polymerization reactor system; and effectuating the polymerization of the one or more olefinic monomers in the polymerization reactor system to obtain an olefin polymer, wherein the LMW catalyst has an RvL, defined as R v L = [ vinyl ] [ vinyl ] + [ vinylidene ] + [ cis ] + [ trans ] wherein [vinyl] is the concentration of vinyl groups in the olefin polymer produced by the low molecular weight catalyst expressed in vinyls/1,000 carbon atoms; [vinylidene], [cis] and [trans] are the concentration of vinylidene, cis and trans groups in the olefin polymer expressed in the number of the respective groups per 1,000 carbon atoms, of greater than 0.12, and wherein the HMW catalyst has a reactivity ratio, r1 of about 5 or less.
US07999038B2
A weatherstrip composition includes the following polymer A group and polymer B group, Polymer A group. A polymer group is made up of a domain 1 consisting of crosslinked product of a polymer selected from a group consisting of ethylene polymer, ethylene/α-olefin copolymer (where the α-olefin has from 3 to 20 carbons), ethylene/α-olefin/diene copolymer (where the .alpha.-olefin has from 3 to 20 carbons), homopolymer rubber of a conjugated diene monomer, copolymer polymerized with a conjugated diene monomer and an aromatic vinyl monomer, and hydrogenated copolymer polymerized with a conjugated diene monomer and an aromatic vinyl monomer (where the hydrogenation of all double bonds except for the aromatic groups is at least 50%), and a domain 2 is made up of crosslinked product of ethylene polymer or ethylene/α-olefin copolymer (where the α-olefin has from 3 to 20 carbons).
US07999032B2
An acrylic resin composition suitable for use as films excellent in transparency, weatherability, hardness, impact resistance, flex cracking resistance, and formability. The resin composition comprises an acrylic graft copolymer (A) including a rubbery acrylic ester polymer (A-a) and a methacrylic polymer (B) comprising 80 wt. % or more methyl methacrylate units, the acrylic resin composition having a specific value of reduced viscosity (0.2-0.8 dl/g), specific values of content (5-45 wt. %) and average particle diameter (50-200 nm) of the rubbery polymer (A-a), a specific relationship between the particle diameter and the crosslinking agent amount (0.02d≦w≦0.05d; d, average particle diameter (nm); w, amount of crosslinking agent (wt. %)), and a specific value of the degree of grafting (50-250%). The resin composition contains an ultraviolet absorber incorporated therein through copolymerization.
US07999025B2
The invention provides methods and compositions having one-dimensional nanoparticle chains. A one-dimensional nanoparticle chain can comprise a linear substantially non-crosslinked polymer having pendant groups and asymmetrically functionalized nanoparticles attached to the polymer through the pendant groups. Additionally, an asymmetrically functionalized nanoparticle can comprise a nanoparticle core having an outer surface, a primary group of first ligands attached to a substantially continuous primary region of the outer surface, and a secondary group of second ligands attached to a substantially continuous secondary region of the outer surface, such that the primary group of first ligands and the secondary group of second ligands comprise a different ligand population.
US07999018B2
A thermoplastic resin composition having good electromagnetic shielding properties and high stiffness comprising thermoplastic polymer, metal alloy having a melting point of between about 200° C. and 500° C.
US07999016B2
Epoxy resin compositions comprising (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a phenolic resin curing agent, (C) an inorganic filler, (D) a rare earth oxide, and optionally (E) a phosphazene compound cure into products having improved heat resistance and moisture-proof reliability and are best suited for the encapsulation of semiconductor devices.
US07999013B2
Hydrophobic coating compositions are provided as are processes to coat articles with the compositions. Extremely hydrophobic coatings are provided by the compositions. Durable, weatherable and scratch-resistant coatings are provided by compositions comprising a trifluoromethyl-containing component and a hardenable material. Weatherable coatings are also provided by compositions comprising a mobile non-volatile fluorinated component and a hardenable material. Processes are also provided for forming hydrophobic coatings on articles.
US07999003B2
The present invention provides a performance assay that measures the total antioxidant activity of a composition using oxygen uptake in contrast to prior art methods that measure antioxidant capacity by indirectly measuring degradation of a fluorescent compound by following the disappearance of fluorescence. Using the performance antioxidant assay of the present invention, an antioxidant composition having synergistic activity is provided by the present inventors that includes flavonoids such as the flavonol quercetin, mixed tocopherols or tocotrienols, grape skin extract, green tea extract and bush plum. The antioxidant activity of the present composition exceeds 6,000 micromoles Trolox equivalent units per gram using the present invention.
US07999002B2
The invention relates to the use of a compound of the formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt thereof for the preparation of a medicament for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of muscular dystrophy.
US07999001B2
Disclosed herein are compounds which exhibit antiviral activity against a plurality of viruses belonging to different families such as Bornaviridae, Filoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, and Poxviridae. Thus, methods of preventing, inhibiting, or reducing the viral activity of various viruses are provided as well as methods of treating viral infections.
US07998992B2
Disclosed is a compound which is useful as an 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor.A compound represented by the formula: its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, or a solvate thereof, wherein R1 is optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted heterocycle or optionally substituted heterocyclealkyl, X is —O—, —NR3—, —NR3C(═O)— or —NR3S(═O)2—, R2 is optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted arylalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl or optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, R3 is hydrogen or optionally substituted alkyl.
US07998988B2
The invention relates to biphenyl compounds of formula (I): wherein U, V and W together form a group of the formula *—CH═CH—CH<, *—CH2—CH2—CH< or *—CH2—CH2—N<, in which * means the point of linkage to the phenyl ring; A is O or CH2; and D, E, X, Y, Z, R1, R2, o, n, and p are as defined in the specification. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions of the compound of the compounds. The compounds and pharmaceutical compositions of the invention can be used in the treatment or prevention of cardiovascular disorders.
US07998985B2
Compound and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of the Formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as a CB1 receptor inverse agonist, useful for reducing body weight in mammals, treating cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia, and mitigating treatment emergent weight gain observed during treatment with antipsychotics.
US07998981B2
The present invention provides aminoaryl sulphonamide derivatives of formula (I), useful in the treatment of a CNS disorder related to or affected by the 5-HT6 receptor. Pharmacological profiles of these components include high affinity binding with 5-HT6 receptors along with good selectivity towards the receptor. The present invention also includes stereoisomers, the salts, methods of preparation and medicine containing the aminoaryl sulphonamide derivatives.
US07998980B2
The present application relates to compounds and methods for treating pain and other conditions related to TRPV3.
US07998961B2
This invention relates to compounds of the Formula (I): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, ester or isomer thereof, which is useful for the treatment of diseases or conditions mediated by LpxC.
US07998940B2
The invention relates generally to the field of nucleic acids and more particularly to aptamers capable of binding to von Willebrand Factor useful as therapeutics in and diagnostics of thrombotic diseases and/or other diseases or disorders in which von Willebrand Factor mediated platelet aggregation has been implicated. The invention further relates to materials and methods for the administration of aptamers capable of binding to von Willebrand Factor.
US07998937B2
The present invention relates to a flavonoid compound having an antiviral activity, more particularly to a flavonoid compound obtained by extracting Houttuynia cordata with methanol and separating/purifying with chromatography, a method for efficient extraction and purification of the same and an antiviral composition comprising the compound as an active ingredient.
US07998928B2
The present invention is based on the discovery that Humanin and humanin analogues protect pancreatic beta cells in vitro and in vivo from apoptosis. Accordingly, humanin and its analogues are useful for preventing and treating diabetes and promoting beta cell survival in a number of applications.
US07998927B2
The present invention relates to alkylglycoside-containing compositions and methods for increasing the stability, reducing the aggregation and immunogenicity, increasing the biological activity, and reducing or preventing fibrillar formation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) or an analog thereof.
US07998925B2
Methods for modification of tissue using covalent chemistry. Tissue can be modified through direct alkylation, reduction followed by alkylation, or oxidation followed by condensation to covalently attach small organic molecules or appropriately modified proteins. The modification can be spatially limited to desired regions of the tissue surface.
US07998922B2
A biocompatible polymer constituted by a sequence of identical or different components of the general formula (I): AaXxYy, in which A represents a monomer, X represents a carboxyl group fixed on a monomer A, Y represents a sulfate or sulfonate group fixed on a monomer A; a represents the number of monomers A, x represents the substitution rate of the set of monomers A by the groups X, y represents the substitution rate of the set of monomers A by the groups Y. The invention also pertains to the pharmaceutical or diagnostic compositions containing at least one polymer of general formula (I).
US07998920B2
Formulations of sulfo-estolides, sulfo-estolide derivatives and salts of sulfo-estolides that contain magnesium ions are described. Methods of manufacture and the various applications and/or processes of utilizing magnesium ion containing formulations of sulfo-estolides, sulfo-estolide derivatives and salts of sulfo-estolides are disclosed. Detergent formulations, such as laundry detergents, softeners, and other materials, containing any of these materials are disclosed. Laundry methods employing these formulations are also disclosed. These formulations are useful as laundry detergents and can be biodegradable, heavy duty liquids, 2×, 3×, 6×, or higher concentrates, low foaming, and/or effective in a high efficiency washing machine. Methods for laundering fabrics with the compositions are also disclosed.
US07998914B2
A cleaning solution for semiconductor devices or display devices containing a polyamine of a specified structure having two or more amino groups in adjacent positions of a carbon chain or a salt thereof and a cleaning method of semiconductor devices or display devices using the subject cleaning solution are provided. The cleaning solution for semiconductor devices or display devices of the present invention has high safety, brings a little burden on the environment and is able to easily remove etching residues on a semiconductor substrate in a short time; on that occasion, it is possible to achieve microfabrication without utterly corroding wiring materials; and furthermore, rinsing can be achieved with only water without necessity for use of, as a rinse solution, an organic solvent such as alcohols. In consequence, according to the cleaning method of the present invention, in manufacturing semiconductor devices or display devices, it is possible to extremely advantageously manufacture circuit wirings with a little burden on the environment, high precision and high quality on an industrial scale.
US07998911B1
A non-toxic, environmentally friendly, green flowback aid is disclosed that reduces water blockage when injected into a fractured reservoir. The composition includes an water soluble ester of a low molecular weight alcohol and a low molecular weight organic acid, an oil soluble ester of a low molecular weight alcohol and a high molecular weight fatty acid, one or more water soluble or dispersible nonionic surfactant(s) derived from vegetable or animal sources, one or more anionic or amphoteric surfactant(s) derived from animal or vegetable based sources, and, water. Compositions for low temperature applications are also disclosed that can remain fluid down to −41° F.
US07998909B2
A wellbore treatment fluid is formed from an aqueous medium, a gas component, a viscosifying agent, and a surfactant. The surfactant is represented by the chemical formula: [R—(OCH2CH2)m—Oq—YOn]pX wherein R is a linear alkyl, branched alkyl, alkyl cycloaliphatic, or alkyl aryl group; O is an oxygen atom; Y is either a sulfur or phosphorus atom; m is 1 or more; n is a integer ranging from 1 to 3; p is a integer ranging from 1 to 4; q is a integer ranging from 0 to 1; and X is a cation. The fluid may be used in treating a subterranean formation penetrating by a wellbore by introducing the fluid into the wellbore. The fluid may be used in fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore by introducing the fluid into the formation at a pressure equal to or greater than the fracture initiation pressure.
US07998907B2
Methods and compositions useful for subterranean formation treatments, such as hydraulic fracturing treatments and sand control that include porous materials. Such porous materials may be selectively configured porous material particles manufactured and/or treated with selected glazing materials, coating materials and/or penetrating materials to have desired strength and/or apparent density to fit particular downhole conditions for well treating such as hydraulic fracturing treatments and sand control treatments. Porous materials may also be employed in selected combinations to optimize fracture or sand control performance, and/or may be employed as relatively lightweight materials in liquid carbon dioxide-based well treatment systems.
US07998905B2
This invention is based upon the finding that certain chlorosulfonated α-olefin copolymers can be beneficially utilized in drilling fluids that are utilized in drilling subterreanean wells. For instance, it has been unexpectedly found that certain chlorosulfonated α-olefin copolymers can be beneficially used as total or partial replacements for organoclays in oil based drilling fluids. The chlorosulfonated a-olefin copolymers that are useful in the practice of this invention are typically chlorosulfonated ethylene/octene copolymers or chlorosulfonated ethylene/butene copolymers. The utilization of chlorosulfonated α-olefin copolymers in oil-based drilling fluids offers (1) long service life at high operating temperatures, (2) minimal formation damage, (3) improved filtration behavior, and (4) highly effective performance at low viscosifier levels. Additionally, the chlorosulfonated α-olefin copolymers utilized in the practice of this invention are soluble in conventional drilling fluid formulations which reduce the level of mixing required in preparation of the drilling fluid formulation. This makes the preparation of the drilling fluid easier, faster and less energy intensive. The chlorosulfonated α-olefin copolymers used in making the drilling fluids of this invention are also free flowing powders which makes them easier to handle than the sulfonated EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubbers) crumbs employed in the drilling fluids of the prior art. The present invention more specifically discloses an oil-based drilling fluid which is comprised of: (a) an organic liquid; (b) water; (c) an emulsifier; (d) a wetting agent; (e) a fluid loss reducing agent; (f) a weighting material; and (g) a chlorosulfonated α-olefin copolymer.
US07998904B2
Nature evolves biological molecules such as proteins through iterated rounds of diversification, selection, and amplification. The present invention provides methods, compositions, and systems for synthesizing, selecting, amplifying, and evolving non-natural molecules based on nucleic acid templates. The sequence of a nucleic acid template is used to direct the synthesis of non-natural molecules such as unnatural polymers and small molecules. Using this method combinatorial libraries of these molecules can be prepared and screened. Upon selection of a molecule, its encoding nucleic acid template may be amplified and/or evolved to yield the same molecule or related molecules for re-screening. The inventive methods and compositions of the present invention allow for the amplification and evolution of non-natural molecules in a manner analogous to the amplification of natural biopolymer such as polynucleotides and protein.
US07998894B2
The present invention relates to a Ziegler-Natta catalyst comprising a solid, ligand-modified catalyst component formed at least from (a) a compound of Group 1 to 3 of the Periodic Table (IUPAC), (b) a transition metal compound of Group 4 to 10 of the Periodic Table (IUPAC), or a compound of an actinide or lanthanide, (c) one or more organic ligand compound(s) which is/are selected from organic compounds comprising a cyclopentadienyl anion backbone, and (d) a compound of Group 13 of the Periodic Table, wherein the catalyst component of said Ziegler-Natta catalyst is formed in an emulsion/solidification method, to a process for the production of such a catalyst, and to a process for the production of an olefin (co-)polymer in the presence of such a catalyst.
US07998893B2
The invention relates to a conversion process for making olefin(s) using a molecular sieve catalyst composition. More specifically, the invention is directed to a process for converting a feedstock comprising an oxygenate in the presence of a molecular sieve catalyst composition, wherein the air feed to the catalyst regenerator is free of or substantially free of metal salts. The air feed is preferably purified by passage through a rotary adsorbent contactor or adsorbent wheel.
US07998889B2
An hydroentangled integrated composite nonwoven material, includes a mixture of randomized continuous filaments, and synthetic staple fibers, where there are no thermal bonding points between the continuous filaments. The nonwoven material exhibits a cumulative pore volume, measured by PVD in n-hexadecane, in the pore radius range 5-150 μm, where at least 70% of the cumulative pore volume is in the pores with a pore radius above 45 μm. The nonwoven material also exhibits a cumulative pore volume, which when the synthetic staple fibers are chosen from the group of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polyamide, and polylactide staple fibers is at least 9 mm3/mg, and when the synthetic staple fibers are lyocell staple fibers is at least 6 mm3/mg.
US07998888B2
A melt-extruded substrate (e.g., film, nonwoven web, etc.) that contains a thermoplastic starch formed from a starch and plasticizer is provided. The starch and plasticizer are melt blended together in the presence of a weak organic acid (e.g., lactic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, etc.). By selectively controlling certain parameters of the melt blending process (e.g., extrusion temperature, content of the components, etc.), the present inventors have discovered that the starch may be hydrolyzed in a highly efficient manner to form compositions having a comparably lower weight average molecular weight, polydispersity index, and viscosity, which are particularly suitable for use in the formation of melt-extruded substrates.
US07998887B2
To provide a nonwoven fabric containing ultra-fine fibers suitable as a leather-like sheet, and also a leather-like sheet with an excellent compactness. A nonwoven fabric containing ultra-fine fibers, characterized in that it contains staple fibers with a fiber fineness of 0.0001 to 0.5 decitex and a fiber length of 10 cm or less, and has a weight per unit area of 100 to 550 g/m2, an apparent density of 0.280 to 0.700 g/cm3, a tensile strength of 70 N/cm or more, and a tear strength of 3 to 50 N.
US07998886B2
A treated textile material comprises a plurality of yarns or fibers having a hindered amine or halamine compound disposed on the exterior surface of the yarns or fibers and/or dispersed in the interior portion of the yarns or fibers. A treated textile material comprises a finish on a surface thereof, the finish comprising the product of a reaction between a cross-linking agent and a polymer comprising a plurality of secondary, hindered amine moieties attached to the polymer chain. Methods for making the treated textile materials are also described.
US07998884B2
A light emitting device using a silicon (Si) nanocrystalline Si insulating film is presented with an associated fabrication method. The method provides a doped semiconductor or metal bottom electrode. Using a high density plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HDPECVD) process, a Si insulator film is deposited overlying the semiconductor electrode, having a thickness in a range of 30 to 200 nanometers (nm). For example, the film may be SiOx, where X is less than 2, Si3Nx, where X is less than 4, or SiCx, where X is less than 1. The Si insulating film is annealed, and as a result, Si nanocrystals are formed in the film. Then, a transparent metal electrode is formed overlying the Si insulator film. An annealed Si nanocrystalline SiOx film has a turn-on voltage of less than 20 volts, as defined with respect to a surface emission power of greater than 0.03 watt per square meter.
US07998883B2
This invention concerns a process for producing oxide thin film on a substrate by an ALD type process. According to the process, alternating vapour-phase pulses of at least one metal source material, and at least one oxygen source material are fed into a reaction space and contacted with the substrate. According to the invention, an yttrium source material and a zirconium source material are alternately used as the metal source material so as to form an yttrium-stabilised zirconium oxide (YSZ) thin film on a substrate.
US07998879B2
An insulation structure for high temperature conditions and a manufacturing method thereof. In the insulation structure, a substrate has a conductive pattern formed on at least one surface thereof for electrical connection of a device. A metal oxide layer pattern is formed on a predetermined portion of the conductive pattern by anodization, the metal oxide layer pattern made of one selected from a group consisting of Al, Ti and Mg.
US07998874B2
A method for forming hard mask patterns includes, sequentially forming first, second, and third hard mask layers formed of materials having different etching selectivities on a substrate, forming first sacrificial patterns having a first pitch therebetween on the third hard mask layer, forming fourth hard mask patterns with a second pitch between the first sacrificial patterns, the second pitch being substantially equal to about ½ of the first pitch, patterning the third hard mask layer to form third hard mask patterns using the fourth hard mask patterns as an etch mask, patterning the second hard mask layer to form second hard mask patterns using the third and fourth hard mask patterns as an etch mask, and patterning the first hard mask layer to form first hard mask patterns with the second pitch therebetween using the second and third hard mask patterns as an etch mask.
US07998872B2
A method of dry developing a multi-layer mask having a silicon-containing anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on a substrate is described. The method comprises forming the multi-layer mask on the substrate, wherein the multi-layer mask comprises a lithographic layer overlying the silicon-containing ARC layer. A feature pattern is then formed in the lithographic layer using a lithographic process, wherein the feature pattern comprises a first critical dimension (CD). Thereafter, the feature pattern is transferred from the lithographic layer to the silicon-containing ARC layer using a dry plasma etching process, wherein the first CD in the lithographic layer is reduced to a second CD in the silicon-containing layer and a first edge roughness is reduced to a second edge roughness in the silicon-containing ARC layer.
US07998867B2
An epitaxial wafer is provided capable of eliminating particles in a device process, particles being generated from a scratch in a boundary area between a rear surface and a chamfered surface of a wafer. The scratch in the boundary area between the rear surface and the chamfered surface is removed in a scratch removal process. Thus, no particles exist caused by a scratch, at a time of immersion in an etching solution in the device process, and thus a device yield is increased.
US07998866B2
The inventive method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate comprising at least one layer of silicon carbide with a polishing composition comprising a liquid carrier, an abrasive, and an oxidizing agent.
US07998862B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a via hole in a semiconductor substrate, forming an isolation layer on an inner side of the via hole, forming a diffusion barrier layer over an upper portion of the semiconductor substrate and the inner side of the via hole where the isolation layer is formed, arranging a solvent, which contains electrically charged metal particles, on the semiconductor substrate where the diffusion barrier layer is formed, and filling the via hole with the metal particles by moving the metal particles using applied external force. The applied external force said includes a voltage causing an electric current to flow between the semiconductor substrate and the solvent, an electrical field applied between the semiconductor substrate and the solvent, or a magnetic field applied between the semiconductor substrate and the solvent.
US07998860B2
A method for fabricating semiconductor components includes the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having a circuit side, a back side and conductive vias; removing portions of the substrate from the back side to expose terminal portions of the conductive vias; depositing a polymer layer on the back side encapsulating the terminal portions; and then planarizing the polymer layer and ends of the terminal portions to form self aligned conductors embedded in the polymer layer. Additional back side elements, such as terminal contacts and back side redistribution conductors, can also be formed in electrical contact with the conductive vias. A semiconductor component includes the semiconductor substrate, the conductive vias, and the back side conductors embedded in the polymer layer. A stacked semiconductor component includes a plurality of components having aligned conductive vias in electrical communication with one another.
US07998859B2
A method is disclosed for metallizing a substrate comprising an interconnect feature in the manufacture of a microelectronic device, wherein the interconnect feature comprises a bottom, a sidewall, and a top opening having a diameter, D. The method comprises the following steps: depositing a barrier layer on the bottom and the sidewall of the interconnect feature, the barrier layer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, tungsten, tantalum, titanium, iridium, rhodium, and combinations thereof; contacting the substrate comprising the interconnect feature comprising the bottom and sidewall having the barrier layer thereon with an aqueous composition comprising a reducing agent and a surfactant; and depositing copper metal onto the bottom and the sidewall of the interconnect feature having the barrier layer thereon.
US07998857B2
A process for fabricating an Integrated Circuit (IC) and the IC formed thereby is disclosed. The process comprises providing a substrate. The process further comprises forming a plurality of longitudinal trenches in the substrate and depositing a layer of a first conductive material on at least one longitudinal trench of the plurality of longitudinal trenches. A first layer of a second conductive material is deposited on the layer of the first conductive material. Thereafter, the process includes depositing a second layer of the second conductive material on the first layer of the second conductive material. The second layer of the second conductive material at least partially fills the at least one longitudinal trench. The first conductive material is selected such that a reduction potential of the first conductive material is less than a reduction potential of the second conductive material.
US07998854B2
A method and apparatus for manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC) device (90) is disclosed. A wafer (10) is first provided having a first or top surface and a second or bottom surface. The wafer may be a blank polished or unpolished silicon wafer or the like. High aspect ratio micro-structures (16) that are specifically designed to provide a die level interconnect configuration and mapping, are provided on the first blank surface (12) of the wafer. The wafer with preformed conductive interconnect microstructures (16) are further processed for device fabrication, for example, at the wafer fabrication facilities. Once the front side (12) devices are fabricated, the silicon material (20) is then removed from a second side (14) of the device wafer (10), opposite the first side, to expose the high temperature conductive interconnect microstructures (16). Contacts are formed on the second side of the device wafer using conductive metal. These contacts are electrically connected to the interior of the microstructures and thereby electrically connect with the functional device (26). The dies (90(1)),(90(2)) are separated along the separation zones (88) between the dies to produce individualized functional and packaged dies, each of which serves as a fully packaged IC device (90).
US07998850B2
Disclosed herein are a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The method includes forming a gate structure using a carbon nano tube (CNT). In order to prevent reduction of the gate resistance and the short channel effect, a CNT gate having a grown CNT pattern with a half-cylinder shape is formed over a recess of a semiconductor substrate. The CNT gate has the same effect as a recess gate, and can prevent the short channel effect, improve the speed, and the lower power characteristic of semiconductor devices.
US07998846B2
A semiconductor fabrication system and method are presented. A three dimensional multilayer integrated circuit fabrication method can include forming a first device layer and forming a second device layer on top of the first device layer with minimal detrimental heat transfer to the first layer by utilizing a controlled laser layer formation annealing process. A controlled laser crystallization process can be utilized and the controlled laser can include creating an amorphous layer; defining a crystallization area in the amorphous layer, where in the crystallization area is defined to promote single crystal growth (i.e. prevent multi-crystalline growth); and applying laser to the crystallization area, wherein the laser is applied in a manner that prevents undesired heat transfer to another layer.
US07998840B2
A wafer laser processing method for forming deteriorated layers in the inside of a wafer having a device area and a peripheral excess area surrounding the device area, the surface of the device area being higher than the surface of the peripheral excess area, involving a first step for forming a deteriorated layer in the insides of the peripheral excess area and device area by applying a laser beam to the peripheral excess area and the device area with its focal point set in the material of the peripheral excess area and the device area from the front surface side of the wafer; and a second step for forming a deteriorated layer in the inside of the device area by applying a laser beam to the device area with its focal point set in the material of the device area without applying the laser beam to the peripheral excess area.
US07998839B2
A semiconductor device wherein destruction of a sealing ring caused by cracking of an interlayer dielectric film is difficult to occur, as well as a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device, are provided. A first laminate comprises first interlayer dielectric films having a first mechanical strength. A second laminate comprises second interlayer dielectric films having a mechanical strength higher than the first mechanical strength. A first region includes first metallic layers and vias provided within the first laminate. A second region includes second metallic layers and vias provided within the second laminate. When seen in plan, the second region overlaps at least a part of the first region, is not coupled with the first region by vias, and sandwiches the second interlayer dielectric film between it and the first region.
US07998837B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device using optical proximity correction to form high integrated cell patterns that are less prone to bridge defects. The method includes: obtaining a target layout of cell patterns, which form rows in a cell region, and peripheral patterns of a peripheral region; forming oblique patterns, which are alternately overlapped in the rows of the cell patterns, and a reverse pattern of the peripheral patterns; attaching spacers to sidewalls of the oblique patterns and the reverse pattern; forming first burying patterns between the oblique patterns and a second burying pattern around the reverse pattern by filling gaps between the spacers; and forming the cell patterns by cutting and dividing the middle portions of the oblique patterns and the first burying patterns, and setting the peripheral pattern with the second burying pattern by removing the reverse pattern.
US07998834B2
Disclosed are a substrate level bonding method and a substrate level package formed thereby. The substrate level package includes a plurality of unit substrate sections, a base substrate, and a plurality of substrate adhesion sections. The unit substrate sections are separated from each other by holes. The base substrate is disposed to face the unit substrate sections. The substrate adhesion sections are interposed between the unit substrate sections and the base substrate to bond the unit substrate sections to the base substrate and which are formed of DFR material, whose at least one portion is uncured.
US07998827B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes forming a structure wherein a first alignment mark is provided in a first alignment-mark arrangement area of a first layer, a second alignment mark is provided in a second alignment-mark arrangement area of a second layer, a dummy pattern is provided above the first alignment-mark arrangement area, and substantially no dummy pattern is provided above the second alignment-mark arrangement area, and aligning a third layer provided above the structure by using the second alignment mark.
US07998825B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming an etch stop pattern over a conductive layer, the etch stop pattern having a first opening exposing a top surface of the conductive layer; forming an insulation layer over the etch stop pattern; selectively etching the insulation layer to form a second opening exposing the top surface of the conductive layer; and enlarging the second opening until the etch stop pattern is exposed.
US07998819B2
A lateral MOSFET having a substrate, first and second epitaxial layers grown on the substrate and a gate electrode formed on a gate dielectric which in turn is formed on a top surface of the second epitaxial layer. The second epitaxial layer comprises a drain region which extends to a top surface of the epitaxial layer and is proximate to a first edge of the gate electrode, a source region which extends to a top surface of the second epitaxial layer and is proximate to a second edge of the gate electrode, a heavily doped body under at least a portion of the source region, and a lightly doped well under the gate dielectric located near the transition region of the first and second epitaxial layers. A PN junction between the heavily doped body and the first epitaxial region under the heavily doped body has an avalanche breakdown voltage that is substantially dependent on the doping concentration in the upper portion of the first epitaxial layer that is beneath the heavily doped body.
US07998810B2
A method of forming a gate electrode of a semiconductor device is provided, the method including: forming a plurality of stacked structures each comprising a tunnel dielectric layer, a first silicon layer for floating gates, an intergate dielectric layer, a second silicon layer for control gates, and a mask pattern, on a semiconductor substrate in the stated order; forming a first interlayer dielectric layer between the plurality of stacked structures so that a top surface of the mask pattern is exposed; selectively removing the mask pattern of which the top surface is exposed; forming a third silicon layer in an area from which the hard disk layer was removed, and forming a silicon layer comprising the third silicon layer and the second silicon layer; recessing the first interlayer dielectric layer so that an upper portion of the silicon layer protrudes over the he first interlayer dielectric layer; and forming a metal silicide layer on the upper portion of the silicon layer.
US07998794B2
This invention is directed to provide a method of manufacturing a resin molded semiconductor device with high reliability by preventing a resin leakage portion from occurring due to burrs on a lead frame formed by punching. The method of manufacturing the resin molded semiconductor device according to the invention includes bonding a semiconductor die on an island in a lead frame, electrically connecting the semiconductor die with the lead frame, resin-molding the lead frame on which the semiconductor die is bonded, and applying prior to the resin-molding a compressive pressure that is higher than a clamping pressure applied in the resin-molding to a region of the lead frame being clamped by molds in the resin-molding of the lead frame.
US07998780B2
The invention relates to the fabrication of thinned substrate image sensors, and notably color image sensors. After the fabrication steps carried out from the front face of a silicon substrate the front face is transferred onto a substrate. The silicon is thinned, and the connection terminals are produced by the rear face. A multiplicity of localized contact holes are opened through the thinning silicon, in the location of a connection terminal. The holes exposing a first conductive layer (24) are formed during the front face steps. Aluminum (42) is deposited on the rear face, in contact with the silicon, with the aluminum penetrating into the openings and coming into contact with the first layer. The aluminum is etched to delimit the connection terminal. Finally, a peripheral trench is opened through the entire thickness of the silicon layer, and this trench completely surrounds the connection terminal.
US07998778B2
To provide a solid-state imaging device able to improve light transmittance of a transparent insulation film in a light incident side of a substrate, suppress the dark current, and prevent a quantum efficiently loss, wherein a pixel circuit is formed in a first surface of the substrate and light is received from a second surface, and having: a light receiving unit formed in the substrate and for generating a signal charge corresponding to an amount of incidence light and storing it; a transparent first insulation film formed on the second surface; and a transparent second insulation film formed on the first insulation film and for retaining a charge having the same polarity as the signal charge in an interface of the first insulation film or in inside, thicknesses of the first and second insulation film being determined to obtain a transmittance higher than when using only the first insulation film.
US07998776B1
A method for manufacturing a MEMS sensor and a thin film thereof includes steps of etching a top surface of a single-crystal silicon wafer in combination of a deposition process, an isotropic DRIE process, a wet etching process and a back etching process in order to form a pressure-sensitive single-crystal silicon film, a cantilever beam, a mass block, a front chamber, a back chamber and trenches connecting the front and the back chambers. The single-crystal silicon film is prevented from etching so that the thickness thereof can be well controlled. The method of the present invention can be used to replace the traditional method which forms the back chamber and the pressure-sensitive single-crystal silicon film from the bottom surface of the silicon wafer.
US07998771B2
Provided is a method of manufacturing a light emitting diode using a nitride semiconductor, which including the steps of: forming n- and p-type current spreading layers using a hetero-junction structure; forming trenches by dry-etching the n- and p-type current spreading layers; forming an n-type metal electrode layer in the trench of the n-type current spreading layer; forming a p-type metal electrode layer in the trench of the p-type current spreading layer; and forming a transparent electrode layer on the p-type metal electrode layer, thereby improving current spreading characteristics as compared with the conventional method of manufacturing the light emitting diode, and enhancing operating characteristics of the light emitting diode.
US07998765B2
A method for manufacturing an LED lens structure includes the following steps of disposing a lead frame with the LED chip into a mold, and injecting thermoplastic transparent material to a plane of the lead frame which is different from a plane that LED chip is mounted thereon to form a lens structure corresponding to the LED chip.
US07998764B2
A solid-state light emitting display and a fabrication method thereof are proposed. The light emitting display includes a metallic board formed with conductive circuits, and a plurality of luminous microcrystals disposed on a surface of the metallic board and electrically connected to the conductive circuits. The metallic board provides the features of lightness and thinness, and flexibility, and the luminous microcrystals are in the form of light emitting components, so as to improve the luminous efficiency of display and attain the effect of environmental protection and energy saving, thereby providing display technology with performance satisfactory for various display requirements.
US07998747B2
The invention provides ways to determine the impact of diluting a solution wherein the diluting may be carried out for any of a variety of purposes. In one embodiment, the method enables accurate volume dispensation calculations independent of meniscus shape. In another embodiment, the method enables accurate determination of plate washing efficiency. In yet another embodiment, the method enables the accurate determination of dilution ratio over a plurality of dilution steps. The methods described may be carried out using one or more systems arranged to perform the steps. A kit of the invention includes instructions for carrying out the steps of the methods and, optionally, one or more solutions suitable for conducting photometric measurements.
US07998746B2
Chips that include one or more particle manipulation mechanisms, or force transduction elements, provided at specific locations to manipulate and localize particles proximal the substrate surface. In one embodiment, individually addressable magnetic control mechanisms such as electric coils are provided at specific locations to create a magnetic field to attract magnetic particles, such a magnetic or magnetizable beads, to those specific locations. In another embodiment, electrostatic control mechanisms such as electrodes are provided to attract and manipulate electrically charged micro-particles. A location may include a crater or well formed in the substrate, or it may include an element on the surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, one or more sensors are located proximal specific locations, e.g., specific craters, so as to analyze specific conditions at each location. In other embodiments, multiple locations share one or more sensors.
US07998744B2
The discovery that alterations in methylation, which can cause one or more genes on the single X chromosome in males to be partially silenced or overexpressed, constitute a predisposition to autism spectrum disorders is generally disclosed herein. These alterations provide the rationale and basis for methods to diagnose autism spectrum disorders.
US07998738B2
Ligand-mimetic monoclonal antibody mAb 107, produced by a hybridoma cell line deposited in the American Type Culture Collection under Accession Number ATCC PTA-11614, which binds to CD11b MIDAS in an activation-independent manner.
US07998724B2
A process for the removal of mercury from coal prior to combustion is disclosed. The process is based on use of microorganisms to oxidize iron, sulfur and other species binding mercury within the coal, followed by volatilization of mercury by the microorganisms. The microorganisms are from a class of iron and/or sulfur oxidizing bacteria. The process involves contacting coal with the bacteria in a batch or continuous manner. The mercury is first solubilized from the coal, followed by microbial reduction to elemental mercury, which is stripped off by sparging gas and captured by a mercury recovery unit, giving mercury-free coal. The mercury can be recovered in pure form from the sorbents via additional processing.
US07998721B2
A novel diglycosidase produced by a microorganism belonging to the genus Penicillium, having the following physicochemical properties:(1) action and substrate specificity: it acts on a disaccharide glycoside, releasing the disaccharide sugar and the aglycone thereof;(2) optimum pH: around 4.5;(3) pH stability: it is stable at pH 4.0 to 8.0 under the processing condition of 37° C. for 30 minutes, and retains its 80% or more of the activity even after processing at pH 4.0 or lower;(4) optimum temperature: around 60° C. in a sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer solution (pH 5.5);(5) thermal stability: it is stable at 50° C. or lower in a sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer solution (pH 5.5) and retains 45% of the activity even after processing at 60° C. for 40 minutes;(6) molecular weight: 40,000±5,000 Da based on SDS-PAGE measurement; and(7) isoelectric point (pI): about 4.3.
US07998716B2
Disclosed are a method of adhering active enzymes to an inert support, the product produced thereby, and a method of using the enzyme-coated support in enzyme-catalyzed reactions such as the glucose isomerase-catalyzed conversion of glucose to fructose. The method includes the steps of coating an inert support with a cationic copolymer, preferably a polyamine, and most preferably a di-C1-C6-alkylamino-epichlorohydrin copolymer, and then adhering enzyme to the coated support in the absence of any intervening cross-linking agent.
US07998715B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing liquid koji having enhanced activity of a plant fiber degradation enzyme using liquid medium without using an expensive plant fiber degradation enzyme preparation and a recombinant bacterium and methods of producing liquid koji dry product and industrial alcohol (ethanol) using the liquid koji. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of producing liquid koji having enhanced activity of a plant fiber degradation enzyme by culturing koji molds with at least one liquid medium selected from the group consisting of a liquid medium containing as culture raw material the cereal of which surface is entirely or partly covered with at least husks, a liquid medium containing as culture raw material the bean and/or the tuber of which surface is covered with hulls, and a liquid medium containing as culture raw material the amaranthus and/or the quinoa without pre-treatment such as grinding or crushing, wherein amount of the culture raw material to be used in the liquid medium is controlled to generate and accumulate simultaneously at least glucoamylase, acid-stable α-amylase and a plant fiber degradation enzyme in the koji mold culture product. There are also provided a method of producing a dry product of liquid koji with liquid medium, characterized by drying the liquid koji obtained by the above-mentioned method, and a method of producing ethanol by a fermentation method using the liquid koji.
US07998709B2
The present invention relates to a process for enzymatic hydrolysis of granular starch into a soluble starch hydrolysate at a temperature below the initial gelatinization temperature of said granular starch.
US07998708B2
The present technology provides for an apparatus for detecting polynucleotides in samples, particularly from biological samples. The technology more particularly relates to microfluidic systems that carry out PCR on nucleotides of interest within microfluidic channels, and detect those nucleotides. The apparatus includes a microfluidic cartridge that is configured to accept a plurality of samples, and which can carry out PCR on each sample individually, or a group of, or all of the plurality of samples simultaneously.
US07998703B2
Proteins are provided herein, including proteins capable of catalyzing the acetylation of glyphosate and other structurally related proteins. Also provided are polynucleotides capable of encoding these proteins, compositions that include one or more of these proteins and/or polynucleotides, recombinant cells and transgenic plants comprising these compounds, diversification methods involving the compounds, and methods of using the compounds. Some of the methods and compounds provided herein can be used to render an organism, such as a plant, resistant to glyphosate.
US07998691B2
The present invention concerns methods and kits for diagnosing a disease condition characterized by non-physiological levels of hepcidin, comprising obtaining a tissue or fluid sample from a subject; contacting the sample with an antibody or fragment thereof that specifically binds to a polypeptide corresponding to the mid-portion or C terminus of a hepcidin protein, and quantifying the hepcidin level using an assay based on binding of the antibody and the polypeptide; wherein the non-physiological level of hepcidin is indicative of the disease condition. The present invention also concerns diagnostic methods and kits for applications in genetic technological approaches, such as for overexpressing or downregulating hepcidin. The present invention further concerns therapeutic treatment of certain diseases by treatment of subjects with hepcidin and agonists or antagonists of hepcidin.
US07998688B2
The present invention provides methods of identifying an agents that inhibit tumor cells from undergoing an epithelial to mesenchymal transition, impair tumor cell mobility, and thus inhibit tumorigenicity. The present invention also provides compositions comprising said agents, and methods for their preparation and use. The present invention also provides methods for inhibiting tumor cells in a patient from undergoing an epithelial to mesenchymal transition by administration of inhibitors of PAK2 kinase, that optionally also inhibit PAK1 kinase. Such methods may be employed in combination with other anti-cancer agents such as EGFR or IGF-1R kinase inhibitors.
US07998684B2
A compound that promotes the ubiquitination of a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:3 or a partial peptide thereof or a salt thereof, or a salt thereof, a compound that promotes the degradation, by proteasome, of the protein or a partial peptide thereof or a salt thereof, or a salt thereof, and the like can be used as, for example, prophylactic/therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative disease. Also, a protein comprising the same or substantially the same amino acid sequence as the amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:3 or a partial peptide thereof or a salt thereof and the like are useful for screening for a compound having prophylactic/therapeutic action on neurodegenerative disease and the like or a salt thereof.
US07998667B1
The invention concerns nucleic acids coding for mutated or truncated forms of the human parkin gene, or forms comprising multiplication of exons, and the corresponding proteins and antibodies. The invention also concerns methods and kits for identifying mutations of the parkin gene, and for studying compounds for therapeutic purposes.
US07998666B2
An analyte test element for determining the concentration of at least one analyte in a physiological sample fluid having a first and a second surface in a predetermined distance opposite from each other, said both surfaces are provided with two substantially equivalent patterns forming areas of high and low surface energy which are aligned mostly congruent, whereby the areas with high surface energy create a sample distribution system with at least two detection areas, characterized in that the detection areas of first and second surface are also provided with two corresponding patterns of working and reference electrodes of electrochemical detection means.
US07998656B2
The present invention provides a chemically amplified positive composition comprising: a resin comprising a structural unit represented by the formula (I): wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group or a C1-C4 perfluoroalkyl group, Z represents a single bond or —(CH2)k—CO—X4—, k represents an integer of 1 to 4, X1, X2, X3 and X4 each independently represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, m represents an integer of 1 to 3 and n represents an integer of 0 to 3, and an acid generator.
US07998650B2
Disclosed herein is a method for preparing oxytitanium phthalocyanine as a charge generating material. The method comprises the steps of mixing 30˜100 wt % sulfuric acid and an oxytitanium phthalocyanine crude in a mixing ratio between 100:1 and 1:1, homogeneously grinding the mixture in a wet grinder filled with zirconia or glass beads as grinding media at −20° C.˜60° C. for 0.1˜24 hours, and removing the grinding media from the ground mixture using a solvent. According to the method, oxytitanium phthalocyanine usable as a high-quality charge generating material can be prepared without the use of expensive and difficult-to-handle reactants, such as trifluoroacetic acid and pentafluoropropionic acid. Further disclosed is an oxytitanium phthalocyanine charge generating material prepared by the method.
US07998639B2
The invention relates to a sensor comprising a medium and, disposed therein, a hologram, wherein an optical characteristic of the medium changes as a result of a variation in a physical property of the medium, wherein the fringes of the hologram are formed by silver grains and wherein the medium comprises a material which does not bind silver. The brightness and sensitivity of such holographic sensors is increased as a result of reduction in the levels of unwanted (“background”) silver binding.
US07998632B2
An SOFC fuel cell stack system in accordance with the invention including a recycle flow leg for recycling a portion of the anode tail gas into the inlet of an associated hydrocarbon reformer supplying reformate to the stack. The recycle leg includes a controllable pump for varying the flow rate of tail gas. Preferably, a heat exchanger is provided in the leg ahead of the pump for cooling the tail gas via heat exchange with incoming cathode air. A low-wattage electrical reheater is also preferably included between the heat exchanger and the pump to maintain the temperature of tail gas entering the pump, during conditions of low tail gas flow, at a drybulb temperature above the dewpoint of the tail gas.
US07998626B2
Active metal fuel cells are provided. An active metal fuel cell has a renewable active metal (e.g., lithium) anode and a cathode structure that includes an electronically conductive component (e.g., a porous metal or alloy), an ionically conductive component (e.g., an electrolyte), and a fluid oxidant (e.g., air, water or a peroxide or other aqueous solution). The pairing of an active metal anode with a cathode oxidant in a fuel cell is enabled by an ionically conductive protective membrane on the surface of the anode facing the cathode.
US07998606B2
A perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a substrate, a Cr-doped Fe-alloy-containing underlayer containing about 8 to 18 at % Cr and a perpendicular recording magnetic layer, and a process for improving corrosion resistance of the recording medium and for manufacturing the recording medium are disclosed.
US07998601B2
A method produces thermal barrier coatings that adhere to components even at high temperatures and temperatures that change frequently. A gas-tight glass-metal composite coating is applied to the component and annealed. The corroded part of the gas-tight coating is then removed, and a second, porous coating is applied. The second coating can comprise a ceramic, in particular yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide. A thermal barrier coating is provided that is a composite made of a gas-tight glass-metal composite coating and another porous coating disposed thereover. Because the boundary volume of the composite coating is partly crystallized to the other coating, superior adhesion within the composite is achieved. Thus, it is in particular possible to produce a composite made of silicate glass-metal composite coatings and yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide that are temperature-stable for extended periods of time. Such a composite is particularly advantageous for use as a thermal barrier coating because it combines good protection against oxidation with low heat conductivity and susceptibility to aging.
US07998596B2
Provided are an organic electroluminescent device including an aromatic amine derivative formed of a specific structure having a thiophene structure and an organic thin film layer interposed between a cathode and an anode and formed of one layer or a plurality of layers including at least a light emitting layer, in which at least one layer of the organic thin film contains the aromatic amine derivative alone or as a component of a mixture, the organic electroluminescent device in which molecules hardly crystallize, and which decreases a driving voltage, can be produced with improved yields upon the production of the organic electroluminescent device, and has a long lifetime, and an aromatic amine derivative realizing the organic electroluminescent device.
US07998590B2
An adhesive article comprising a backing and an adhesive layer disposed on at least one side of the backing, wherein the adhesive layer is formed from an adhesive base that contains substantially no gelatin and does contain readily soluble agar.
US07998589B2
An article, as well as the process of producing the article, wherein the article is produced by a process that includes the steps of providing a substrate; applying a viscous coating that contains a ferromagnetic or paramagnetic component to at least a selected portion of the substrate; causing the selected portion of the substrate to be under the influence of a magnetic field; and transforming the viscous coating so as to form a wear-resistant coating on the substrate.
US07998581B2
A solid particle erosion resistant surface treated coating has a solid particle erosion resistance that is largely enhanced and a rotating member having the coating gains oxidation resistance without deteriorating a fatigue strength. Also, a rotating machine can have this coating applied thereto. The solid particle erosion resistant surface treated coating has a nitrided hard layer formed on a surface of a base material and a PVD (physical vapor deposition) hard layer of at least one layer formed on the nitrided hard layer by a PVD method. Deformation of the base material by collisions by solid particles is prevented and cracking of the coating is prevented. Thereby, the solid particle erosion resistance is secured, life of the solid particle erosion resistant surface treated coating can be increased and oxidation resistance and fatigue strength are enhanced.
US07998579B2
The present invention relates to fibers and nonwovens made from plasticized polyolefin compositions comprising a polyolefin, a non-functionalized hydrocarbon plasticizer and a slip agent.
US07998576B2
Disclosed is a monofilament allowing contrast X-ray radiography. At least part of the monofilament is formed of a thermoplastic resin containing a radiopaque agent. The monofilament contains the radiopaque agent in the thermoplastic resin in a content of 30 to 80% by mass, and has a Young's modulus of 0.1 to 5.0 cN/dtex and a fineness of 500 to 20000 dtex.
US07998572B2
A self-lubricating coating is disclosed. The coating includes a base material. The coating also includes a nanoparticle of a first material and a shell substantially surrounding the nanoparticle and including a second material different than the first material.
US07998567B2
Disclosed is a coating liquid for forming a protective film having high film strength and a low specific dielectric constant for semiconductor processing, and a method for preparing the coating liquid. The coating liquid is a liquid composition comprising (a) silicon compound obtained by hydrolyzing tetraalkyl orthosilicate (TAOS) and alkoxysilane (AS) in the presence of tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide (TAAOH) and water, or a silicon compound obtained by hydrolyzing or partially hydrolyzing tetraalkyl orthosilicate (TAOS) in the presence of tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide (TAAOH) and water, mixing the hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed product with alkoxysilane (AS) or a hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed product thereof, and hydrolyzing all or a portion of the mixture, (b) an organic solvent, and (c) water. The coating liquid is characterized in that a quantity of water contained in the liquid composition is in the range from 35 to 65% by weight.
US07998561B2
There are provided a ceramic laminate and a method of manufacturing a ceramic sintered body. A ceramic laminate according to an aspect of the invention may include: at least one ceramic sheet having first ceramic particles and glass particles; and at least one constraining sheet having second ceramic particles and alternating with the ceramic sheet while the constraining sheet and the ceramic sheet are in contact with each other, wherein the glass particles and the first ceramic particles each have a larger particle size than the second ceramic particles, and the first ceramic particles have a particle size of 1 μm or more, the glass particles have a particle size within the range of 1 μm to 10 μm, and the second ceramic particles have a particle size of 1 μm or less. An aspect of the present invention provides a ceramic laminate having constraining layers that can evenly exert a constraining force onto a ceramic laminate during sintering.
US07998560B2
A multilayer ceramic substrate includes an inner layer portion and surface portions that sandwich the inner layer portion in the stacking direction and have an increased transverse strength because of the surface layer portion having a thermal expansion coefficient less than that of the inner layer portion. At least one of the surface portions covers peripheries of main-surface conductive films arranged on a main surface of an inner portion so as to leave central portions of the main-surface conductive films exposed, so that the main-surface conductive films function as via conductors, thereby eliminating the need to provide a via conductor in the surface portions.
US07998559B2
Superlyophobic Surface Structure, including a substrate having a surface; a plurality of nanoscale raised features on the substrate surface, each nanoscale raised feature having a length measured in a direction approximately perpendicular to the substrate surface, each nanoscale raised feature having a raised feature diameter along the length and measured in a direction approximately parallel to the substrate surface; a nanoscale top feature on each of a plurality of the nanoscale raised features, each nanoscale top feature having a top feature diameter measured in a direction approximately parallel to the substrate surface; in which an average top feature diameter is greater than an average raised feature diameter. Method of fabricating a Superlyophobic Surface Structure.
US07998558B2
A glass sheet assembly includes a glass sheet having an edge surface and a shaped fiber. The shaped fiber has a first surface bonded to the edge surface of the glass sheet and a convex second surface not bonded to the edge surface for receiving a load.
US07998542B2
A composition comprising at least one liquid-crystal compound and a polymer having at least one group of the following formula: wherein Mp represents a trivalent linking group; L represents a single bond, or a divalent linking group; X represents a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic linking group; Y represents a single bond, or a divalent linking group; Z represents a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group; n is 1 to 10.
US07998537B2
Methods for removing hydrogen from molecules are disclosed. In one embodiment, hydrogen-containing molecules are deposited on a solid substrate and are bombarded with hydrogen projectile particles. The particles may have energies of 5-100 eV, or more preferably 10-50 eV. The hydrogen projectile particles remove hydrogen atoms from the deposited molecules while they are on the substrate, without removing other atoms from the molecules. Dangling bonds are created by the loss of hydrogen and can be used to cross-link the molecules. The resulting product can be a nanometer-thick dense film.
US07998532B2
A method for self-curing concrete is provided to solve the problem that the degree of cement hydration is lowered due to the improper curing, and thus unsatisfactory properties of concrete. According to the invention, at least a layer of self-curing agent is applied onto a concrete after placing. The self-curing agent can absorb moisture from atmosphere and then release it into concrete. The concrete can be self-cured without the need for applying extra water or external curing.
US07998524B2
Methods are disclosed to improved adhesion of polymer coatings over polymer surfaces of stents which include plasma treatment, applying an adhesion promoting layer, surface treatments with solvents, and mechanical roughening techniques.
US07998523B2
The invention relates to open-pore biocompatible surface layers for implants, which layers are arranged over virgin surfaces of the implants, wherein pores of the open-pore surface layers are connected to form coherent pore networks and the surface layers have a specific internal surface area of ≧0.06 μm/μm2, preferably ≧0.035 μm/μm2 and especially ≧0.025 μm/μm2, measured by image analysis as a 2D-boundary line per unit of surface area in a metallographic microsection at 100× magnification. The invention further relates to methods of producing such surface layers, to implants coated therewith and to possible uses of the surface layers.
US07998522B2
Dehydrated potato flakes prepared from potato slices, slivers and/or nubbins suitable for use in dough compositions used to make fabricated products. The dehydrated flakes are prepared such that the physical properties in the flake are controlled during processing. The resulting flakes can be used to prepare a more cohesive, non-adhesive, machineable dough.
US07998517B2
A process for dry aging meat uses an enclosed, atmosphere controlled room with forced circulation, containing a stainless steel salt rack with a salt brick stack covering one wall. Each brick has a narrow width compared to its length for increased surface area and the salt rack is spaced from the wall for circulation around the bricks. A plurality of unwrapped and uncovered meat piece are loaded onto a meat rack in the room, spaced far from the salt rack and on a timed cycle of days that is a fraction of the total number of days for aging, the meat pieces are moved ever closer to the salt rack until finally, after the expiration of the total selected number of days for the dry aging, they are removed from the aging room for use.
US07998506B2
An orally administered antihyperlipidemia composition according to the present invention includes from about 250 to about 3000 parts by weight of nicotinic acid, and from about 5 to about 50 parts by weight of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Also, a method of treating hyperlipidemia in a hyperlipidemic having a substantially periodic physiological loss of consciousness, includes the steps of forming a composition having an effective antihyperlipidemic amount of nicotinic acid and a time release sustaining amount of a swelling agent. The method also includes the step of orally administering the composition to the hyperlipidemic once per day “nocturnally,” that is in the evening or at night.
US07998499B2
This invention relates to a method for preparing a porous bone implant containing a calcium-based mineral. The method includes immersing a porous matrix in an acidic solution containing a calcium-based mineral; removing the matrix from the solution; and exposing the matrix to an alkali to neutralize the acidic solution, thereby causing precipitation of the calcium-based mineral to obtain a porous bone implant containing a calcium-based mineral.
US07998495B2
A non-irritating antimicrobial multi-layer or multi-ply tissue product made by treating an inner layer or ply or an inner surface of an inner layer or ply with one or more antimicrobial agents and treating the one or more outer layers or plies or the outer surfaces of the layers or plies with one or more irritation-inhibiting agents, and methods of making and using the same. The antimicrobial agent will remain confined to the inner portion of the tissue product, thereby preventing irritation to the user, and the irritation-inhibiting composition treated layer(s) or ply(s) provides a pleasing, soothing, non-irritating tactile quality to the tissue product. The non-irritating antimicrobial multi-layer or multi-ply tissue product further comprises an absorption enhancing agent. In one embodiment, the irritation-inhibiting composition comprises an oil, in which case the tissue product will also entrap any absorbed contaminant, holding it in contact with the antimicrobial agent.
US07998492B2
The invention provides methods for identifying and treating subjects having hepatitis C infections. In some instances, the subjects are those that are non-responsive to non-CpG therapy. Preferably, the subjects are treated with C class CpG immunostimulatory nucleic acids having a semi-soft backbone.
US07998490B2
The invention relates to the polynucleotide sequence of a nontypeable stain of Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) and polypeptides encoded by the polynucleotides and uses thereof. The invention also relates to NTHi genes which are upregulated during or in response to NTHi infection of the middle ear and/or the nasopharynx.
US07998488B2
A liquid or liquid-frozen composition comprising: a modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus or variant or derivative thereof and mannitol, wherein mannitol is the sole stabilization agent of the composition. The mannitol may provide a stabilizing effect at 0 to +10° C. or in a liquid-frozen composition, for example between −10° C. and −30° C. or between −20° C. and −23.5° C. The MVA may be used as a vaccine or for use in gene therapy, virotherapy, immunotherapy, or cancer therapy in a mammal, preferably a human.
US07998478B2
An antibody against AILIM (alternatively called JTT-1 antigen, JTT-2 antigen, ICOS and 8F4) was found to have a significant therapeutic effect on arthrosis, for example, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, graft versus host disease, graft immune rejection, inflammation (hepatitis and inflammatory bowel diseases), diseased condition accompanied by the excessive production of an antibody against a foreign antigen triggered by immunological sensitization by the antigen.
US07998477B2
This invention relates to SPPs, spherical nanocrystalline composite particles or crystalline SPPs of biologically active proteins or compositions, including formulations, comprising such SPPs, spherical nanocrystalline composite particles or crystalline SPPs.More particularly, methods are provided for the production of SPPs, spherical nanocrystalline composite particles or crystalline SPPs of high concentrations of biologically active proteins, and for the preparation of stabilized SPPs, spherical nanocrystalline composite particles or crystalline SPPs for use alone, or in dry or slurry compositions. This invention also relates to methods for stabilization, storage and delivery of biologically active proteins using SPPs, spherical nanocrystalline composite particles or crystalline SPPs.The present invention further relates to methods using SPPs, spherical nanocrystalline composite particles or crystalline SPPs, or compositions or formulations comprising such SPPs, spherical nanocrystalline composite particles or crystalline SPPs, for biomedical applications, including biological delivery to humans and animals.
US07998475B2
Undesirable genetic traits, such as resistance to toxin, can be inhibited or reversed by introducing sexually compatible individuals substantially homozygous for the sensitive allele, such as the wild type, into the target population.
US07998471B2
Provided are recombinant mycobacteria expressing an HIV-1 antigen and a malarial antigen. Also provided are Mycobacterium smegmatis expressing an HIV-1 antigen. Further provided are vaccines capable of inducing an immune response in a mammal against HIV-1 and the malarial pathogen. Additionally provided are methods of inducing an immune response in a mammal against HIV-1 and a malarial pathogen. Also provided are methods of inducing an immune response in a mammal against HIV-1. The methods comprise infecting the mammal with any of the above-described mycobacteria.
US07998469B2
Compositions of modified cytokines and uses thereof generated using processes and systems for the high throughput directed evolution of peptides and proteins, particularly cytokines that act in complex biological settings, are provided. Also provided are modified cytokines formulated for oral delivery and uses thereof to treat diseases and conditions mediated by cytokines.
US07998465B2
Disclosed herein is a cosmetic composition comprising at least one heat-expandable compound. Further disclosed herein a cosmetic treatment process, comprising applying to a support to be treated the composition and a packaging and application assembly.
US07998464B2
The present disclosure relates to a process for treating keratin fibers artificially dyed by direct dyeing or by oxidation dyeing, such as human hair, which comprises the application to the keratin fibers of a composition not containing any oxidation dye or any oxidizing agent and comprising at least one protective agent with a log P of less than or equal to 6, and then the application to the fibers of a liquid water/steam mixture at a temperature of at least 35° C. The present disclosure also relates to the use of the process for protecting keratin fibers artificially dyed by direct dyeing or by oxidation dyeing, such as human hair, against the action of atmospheric agents, such as against the action of light.
US07998461B2
Therapeutic methods for treatment of solid tumor cancer cell masses, as can be effected using therapeutic compositions comprising Salmonella species/strains and related compositions.
US07998455B2
A method for producing hydrogen from a plant source is disclosed. The method includes contacting a crude carbohydrate material obtained from the plant source with water and a catalyst at a temperature and pressure sufficient to decompose at least a portion of the crude carbohydrate material to form a vapor mixture of gases including hydrogen, and separating hydrogen from other gases present in the vapor mixture.
US07998454B2
A first heat treatment is carried out in which a material powder comprising magnesium is kept in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas and the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas are maintained in the temperature-pressure region in which single Mg and H2 coexist in a thermodynamically stable state, whereby the coating on the surface of the material powder is removed. Next, a second heat treatment is carried out in which the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas are changed and maintained in the temperature-pressure region in which MgH2 exists in a thermodynamically stable state. Hence, Mg from which the coating is removed reacts promptly with H2, and MgH2 is produced at high yield. Magnesium-based hydrides containing high purity MgH2 can thus be obtained by supplying energy less than that required for the related art that requires an activation treatment.
US07998453B2
The disclosure pertains to a process for making a suspension of finely divided titanium (IV) oxide particles, comprising: vigorously mixing (a) a volume of a first component comprising a major proportion of an alcohol, a minor proportion of a titanium alkoxide and a minor proportion of a titanium alkoxide activator selected from the group consisting of water and a first aqueous base, and (b) a volume of a second component selected from the group consisting of water and a second aqueous base, at least one of the first component or the second component having a base therein, the second component being substantially free of alcohol, to form a mixture comprising a suspension of finely divided titanium (IV) oxide particles, the mixture having a water to titanium molar ratio ranging from about 40 to about 1 to about 5000 to about 1, wherein the proportion of the titanium alkoxide, the proportion of the activator, the mixing vigor, and a ratio of the volume of the first component to the volume of the second component are effective for the suspension of the finely divided particles to form in the mixture. The suspensions can be dried to recover a powder. Typically the particles are nanoparticles.
US07998451B2
A process is disclosed for removing hydrogen sulfide from liquid sulfur including: passing a liquid sulfur feed comprising liquid sulfur and hydrogen sulfide to a vaporizer; vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid sulfur feed in the vaporizer to thereby form a first vapor stream comprising gaseous sulfur and gaseous hydrogen sulfide; partially condensing the first vapor stream in a condenser to form a liquid product stream comprising liquid sulfur and a second vapor stream comprising hydrogen sulfide; wherein the liquid product stream has a lower concentration of hydrogen sulfide than the liquid sulfur feed.
US07998450B2
The present invention relates to a continuous method and apparatus of functionalizing a carbon nanotube, and more specifically, to a continuous method of functionalizing a carbon nanotube under subcritical water or supercritical water conditions without additional functionalizing processes, comprising: a) continuously feeding the carbon nanotube solution and an oxidizer under a pressure of 50 to 400 atm, respectively or together, and then preheating the mixture of said carbon nanotube solution and said oxidizer; b) functionalizing the carbon nanotube in the preheated said mixture under the subcritical water or the supercritical water condition of 50 to 400 atm; c) cooling down the functionalized product into 0 to 100° C. and depressurizing the functionalized product into 1 to 10 atm; and d) recovering the cooled down and depressurized product.
US07998446B2
A flue gas desulfurization process in which a SO2-containing flue gas stream is contacted with a recirculating stream of an aqueous medium containing concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, to yield a desulfurized flue gas stream and to produce additional sulfuric acid in the aqueous medium. A portion of the recirculating aqueous sulfuric acid stream is diverted for recovery of the additional sulfuric acid as gypsum in a neutralization step, and the process parameters are adjusted so that the heat of reaction generated during the neutralization step is sufficient to evaporate the free water that is present and yield a gypsum product that is substantially dry.
US07998443B2
A method of using a catalyst comprises exposing a catalyst to at least one reactant in a chemical process. The catalyst comprises copper and a small pore molecular sieve having a maximum ring size of eight tetrahedral atoms. The chemical process undergoes at least one period of exposure to a reducing atmosphere. The catalyst has an initial activity and the catalyst has a final activity after the at least one period of exposure to the reducing atmosphere. The final activity is within 30% of the initial activity at a temperature between 200 and 500° C.
US07998435B2
A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate having a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. The filling apparatus can comprise an output layer having a plurality of capillaries, wherein a first grouping of the capillaries is separated from a second grouping by a hydrophobic feature. Each of the plurality of capillaries can comprise an inlet and an outlet. A funnel assembly can comprise a funnel member sized to receive the assay. The funnel member can comprise an outlet for delivering a fluid bead of the assay along a top surface of the output layer and in fluid communication with each of the plurality of capillaries such that a portion of the fluid bead can be drawn within at least some of the plurality of capillaries in response to capillary force. The funnel assembly and the output layer can be moveable relative to each other between a first position and a second position to draw the fluid bead across the top surface.
US07998422B2
A device for treatment of exhaust gases includes a housing, a fragile structure resiliently mounted within the housing, and a non-intumescent mounting mat disposed in a gap between the housing and the fragile structure. The mounting mat includes a plurality of inorganic fibers that have undergone a surface treatment to increase the holding force performance of the mounting mat. Also disclosed are methods of making a mounting mat for an exhaust gas treatment device and for making an exhaust gas treatment device incorporating the mounting mat.
US07998419B2
In order to efficiently kill airborne fungi in a room, an ion generator includes an ion generator, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature, and a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity. The ion generator is controlled based on a temperature detection result detected by the temperature sensor and a humidity detection result detected by the humidity sensor. As ions are generated in accordance with the temperature and humidity, airborne fungi can efficiently be killed.
US07998416B2
A chemical sensor having a transducer element and a layer of composite material including a polymer matrix and a solid particulate filler disposed in the polymer matrix provides chemical sensors exhibiting improved properties. In particular, the device allows polymer matrix materials to be selected based primarily on diffusion properties, strength, stability and other physical characteristics substantially independent of limitations and compromises that arise when attempting to synthesize polymers having specific types of sensory groups chemically bound to the polymer. The invention also allows greater ability to modify sensor response characteristics by appropriate modification of the particulate filler, whereby a diverse sensor array may be fabricated more easily and at a lower cost.
US07998415B2
A chemical sensor having a transducer element and a layer of composite material including a polymer matrix and a solid particulate filler disposed in the polymer matrix provides chemical sensors exhibiting improved properties. In particular, the device allows polymer matrix materials to be selected based primarily on diffusion properties, strength, stability and other physical characteristics substantially independent of limitations and compromises that arise when attempting to synthesize polymers having specific types of sensory groups chemically bound to the polymer. The invention also allows greater ability to modify sensor response characteristics by appropriate modification of the particulate filler, whereby a diverse sensor array may be fabricated more easily and at a lower cost.
US07998414B2
A functional assay detection system for membrane bound proteins. The system comprises a biological array including a porous substrate having a plurality of membranes adhered thereto and a first side and a second side, a fluorescent labeling reagent configured to couple to the membrane bound proteins, a pulsed light assembly configured to excite the fluorescent labeling reagent, and a time-delayed imaging device configured to capture emitted fluorescence of the fluorescent labeling reagent. The pulsed light assembly is configured to excite the fluorescent labeling reagent from at least one of the first side and the second side of the porous substrate, and the fluorescent labeling reagent comprises a fluorophore that has an emission lifetime that is in the range of microseconds.
US07998413B2
Aspects of the invention can be an inexpensive biosensor capable of measuring a number of samples in a short time, and suitable for only one-time use (expendable). The biosensor according to the invention can include a light transmissive substrate, a probe fixing region provided on one face of the light transmissive substrate, a light emitting element provided on the other face of the substrate that irradiates the probe fixing region from the back side thereof, and a light receiving element provided on the other face of the substrate that detects the light intensity of the reflected light from the back side of the probe fixing region. Thereby, a biosensor formed in one substrate can be obtained.
US07998412B2
An ophthalmic device which comprises a holographic element comprising a medium comprising a phenylboronic acid group and, disposed therein, a hologram, wherein an optical characteristic of the element changes as a result of a variation of a physical property of the medium, and wherein the variation arises as a result of interaction between the medium and an analyte present in an ocular fluid.
US07998410B2
A system for analyzing a sample includes a strip of material, a first filter for capturing a biological particulate including a nucleic acid, and at least one reagent. Each of the first filter and the reagent are disposed and extend longitudinally on the strip.
US07998404B2
Methods and systems for reduced temperature radiation sterilization of stents are disclosed.
US07998400B2
A gas supply system for a side blowing and/or bottom blowing metallurgical furnace with at least one tuyere which is mounted in the side wall and/or in the bottom of the furnace, wherein gas is conveyed through a line of the gas supply system to the tuyere and through the tuyere to the interior of the metallurgical furnace and emerges there in the form of bubbles. The gas supply system has an inflow restrictor which is assigned to the tuyere or is positioned upstream of the tuyere and reduces or interrupts the gas supply to the interior of the furnace at equal intervals of time.
US07998399B2
An apparatus is provided for the determination of at least one parameter of a molten metal or a slag layer lying on top of the molten metal. The apparatus has a carrier tube, a measuring head arranged on one end of the carrier tube with a body fixed in the carrier tube. An A/D converter is arranged within the measuring head or the carrier tube, and the A/D converter is connected to at least one sensor arranged in or on the measuring head. The measuring head has a contact piece, which is electrically connected via its contact terminals to the signal output of the A/D converter, and the contact piece is connected to a lance inserted into the carrier tube. No more than two signal lines are arranged within the lance, the signal lines each being connected at one end via a contact terminal of the contact piece to the A/D converter and at an opposite end to a computer or an analysis device.
US07998397B2
A dual constituent container includes a compartment for liquids and an elongate inwardly directed recess open to the container exterior and isolated from the compartment. The container is formed by blow molding, using a mold that incorporates a shaping feature projected longitudinally into the mold cavity. The shaping feature incorporates an arrangement of longitudinal channels having a channel width such that when a thermoplastic preform is expanded into contact with the mold cavity walls and the shaping feature, portions of the expanded preform span the channels and cooperate with the channels to provide passages that accommodate pressurized air to facilitate separation of the expanded preform from the shaping feature. The same portions of the expanded preform can partially protrude into the channels, thus to form longitudinal ribs along the recess which aid in frictionally holding a secondary constituent.
US07998391B1
A method of fabricating an anti-noise earplug having an inner tip serving as a core and an outer tip coupled to the inner tip to surround the inner tip and inserted into an ear includes the steps of: (a) shaping the inner tip; (b) fixing the inner tip to an upper mold for shaping the outer tip; (c) disposing the upper mold to face a lower mold having a cavity for shaping the outer tip; (d) injecting a resin composition for forming the outer tip into the lower mold; (e) pressing down the upper mold to the lower mold; (f) curing the resin composition to couple the outer tip to the inner tip; and (g) separating the upper mold from the lower mold and then separating the earplug, in which the outer tip is coupled to the inner tip as a body, from the lower mold. In fabricating the earplug, the inner tip and the outer tip can be molded in an in-line process, thereby improving the fabrication efficiency.
US07998390B2
A multi-material injection molding machine includes stationary and moving platens holding cores and first and second injection units for delivering first and second molding materials. The moving platen is slidable towards and away from the stationary platen. Further provided is a rotational distribution unit movable between the stationary platen and the moving platen and defining first cavities on one side and second cavities on an opposite side. The first cavities are for mating with cores to define first mold cavities and the second cavities are for mating with cores to define second mold cavities. Also provided are a rotational actuator for rotating the rotational distribution unit and a molding material delivery apparatus for delivering one or more of the first molding material to the first cavities and the second molding material to the second cavities.
US07998386B2
A multilayered polymeric structure having at least two polymeric layers is provided, each layer being a mixture of a polymeric composition with carbon fibrils. The multilayer polymeric structure may include an electrically conductive material between the first and second polymeric layers. A process for making a multilayered polymeric structure for packaging electronic components is also provided. The multilayered polymeric material is used to form trays and packages for containing electrical components.
US07998382B2
The present invention is directed to a method of forming a molded core component. A mat formed from cellulosic fiber and resin is provided. The mat is consolidated in a first press until the resin is substantially fully cured, and then removed from the first press. The consolidated mat is then placed in a second press having a mold cavity shaped to form at least one depression in at least one of the major surfaces. The consolidated mat is reformed in the second press to form a molded core component having at least one depression in at least one of the major surfaces. The molded core component has a variable density, preferably of between about 10 lbs/ft3 and 80 lbs/ft3.
US07998363B2
Provided are a light emitting layer including molten salt and an organic electroluminescent device comprising the light emitting layer. When the organic electroluminescent device is operated, a field induction charge separation layer is formed in the light emitting layer including the molten salt and thus, carrier injection is improved, thereby providing a light emitting layer having improved light emitting efficiency. An organic electroluminescent device including the light emitting layer has low operating voltage and long lifespan.
US07998359B2
A method for selectively etching a silicon-containing film on a silicon substrate is disclosed. The method includes depositing a silicon-containing film on the silicon substrate. The method further includes baking the silicon-containing film to create a densified silicon-containing film, wherein the densified film has a first thickness. The method also includes exposing the silicon substrate to an aqueous solution comprising NH4F and HF in a ratio of between about 6:1 and about 100:1, at a temperature of between about 20° C. and about 50° C., and for a time period of between about 30 seconds and about 5 minutes; wherein between about 55% and about 95% of the densified silicon-containing film is removed.
US07998355B2
A method of generating a mask for printing a pattern including a plurality of features. The method includes the steps of depositing a layer of transmissive material having a predefined percentage transmission on a substrate; depositing a layer of opaque material on the transmissive material; etching a portion of the substrate, the substrate being etched to a depth based on an etching selectivity between the transmissive layer and the substrate; exposing a portion of the transmissive layer by etching the opaque material; etching the exposed portion of the transmissive layer so as to expose an upper surface of the substrate; where the exposed portions of the substrate and the etched portions of the substrate exhibit a predefined phase shift relative to one another with respect to an illumination signal.
US07998354B2
A filter configured to separate the solid components and the liquid components from a slurry. The filter includes a plurality of filter plate assemblies that cooperate to define a plurality of filter chambers, each defining a perimeter having an open section when the filter plates are in a closed position relative to one another. Each filter plate assembly includes a closure configured to close the open section. Preferably, the closures are movable to an open position to permit a particulate cake to be removed from the filter chambers without separating the filter plates.
US07998348B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a spiral membrane element that can form a uniform fiber reinforcement layer on an outer circumferential surface by a simple process without a great change in the materials, as well as a process for producing the same. The spiral membrane element of the present invention is a spiral membrane element which is provided with a cylindrical roll R in which a separation membrane, a feed-side flow passageway member, and a permeate-side flow passageway member 3 are spirally wound in a laminate state around a perforated center tube 5 and in which a sealing part for preventing mixing of feed-side fluid and permeate-side fluid is disposed, wherein at least one sheet of the permeate-side flow passageway member 3 has a fiber cloth 23a extended or connected to the outer circumferential side, and the fiber cloth 23a is wound around an outer circumference of said cylindrical roll R, impregnated with a resin and hardened to thereby form a fiber reinforcement layer.
US07998347B2
An assembly for filtering contaminants from automatic transmission fluid includes a housing including a first inlet and a second inlet, through which fluid enters the housing, and an outlet, through which fluid exits the housing; a first media filter located within the housing in a first fluid flow path between the first inlet and the outlet; and a second media filter located within the housing in a second fluid flow path between the second inlet and the outlet.
US07998341B2
A process for treating hydrocarbon feeds includes the steps of providing a hydrocarbon feed containing sulfur and/or metalloporphyrins; providing a cell having two compartments and a membrane separating the compartments; flowing a hydrogen source through one compartment; flowing the hydrocarbon feed through the other compartment; applying a current across the hydrogen source compartment whereby hydrogen diffuses through the membrane from the hydrogen source to the hydrocarbon feed, whereby the hydrogen reacts with sulfur and/or metalloporphyrins to form H2S and convert such metalloporphyrins into dissolved metals and a free metal porphyrin, and produce a treated hydrocarbon.
US07998338B2
A biosensor for determining the concentration of an analyte in a biological sample. The biosensor comprises a support, a reference electrode or a counter electrode or both disposed on the support, a working electrode disposed on the support, the working electrode spaced apart from the other electrode or electrodes on the support, a covering layer defining a sample chamber over the electrodes, an aperture in the covering layer for receiving a sample, and at least one layer of mesh in the sample chamber between the covering layer and the electrodes. The at least one layer of mesh has coated thereon a silicone surfactant. Certain silicone surfactants are as effective as fluorinated surfactants with respect to performance of biosensors. These surfactants, when coated onto the mesh layer of the biosensor, are effective in facilitating the transport of aqueous test samples, such as blood, in the sample chamber.
US07998327B2
A measuring sensor is described for determining a physical property of a measured gas, especially for determining the oxygen concentration or the pollutant concentration in the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines, which has a sensor element that is exposable to the measured gas which is at least partially coated with a protective layer that protects against harmful components in the measured gas. In order to achieve producing a “contamination protection”, that is cost-effective from a manufacturing technology point of view, particularly against silicon compounds and phosphorus compounds, the protective layer (26) is made of highly active γ- or δ-aluminum oxide (Al2O3) having additives of compounds of the alkaline metals group, the alkaline earths group, the IV B subgroup or the lanthanides group.
US07998323B1
A Focused Electric Field Imprinting (FEFI) process and apparatus provides a focused electric field to guide an unplating operation and/or a plating operation to form very fine-pitched metal patterns on a substrate. The process is a variation of the electrochemical unplating process, wherein the process is modified for imprinting range of patterns of around 2000 microns to 20 microns or less in width, and from about 0.1 microns or less to 10 microns or more in depth. Some embodiments curve a proton-exchange membrane whose shape is varied using suction on a backing fluid through a support mask. Other embodiments use a curved electrode. Mask-membrane interaction parameters and process settings vary the feature size, which can generate sub-100-nm features. The feature-generation process is parallelized, and a stepped sequence of such FEFI operations, can generate sub-100 nm lines with sub-100 nm spacing. The described FEFI process is implemented on copper substrate, and also works well on other conductors.
US07998310B2
A method for the impregnation of untreated chips during the manufacture of chemical pulp. The untreated chips are fed without preceding steam treatment into an impregnation vessel that has an upper part with a first area (A1) and a lower part with a second area (A2) that is larger than the first area (A1) by a factor of at least √{square root over (2)}. The chips establish in the upper part a level of chips that is located at a level (h) above a level of fluid consisting of liquor. The chips after passage of the upper part pass through a transitional part, where an increase in area from the first area (A1) to the second area (A2) takes place, and it is here that the angle of repose of the chips is reduced.
US07998307B2
A plasma processing system is described for generating plasma with a ballistic electron beam using a surface wave plasma (SWP) source, such as a radial line slot antenna (RLSA) during semiconductor device fabrication. The antenna comprises a resonator plate having a partially open, electrically conductive layer coupled to a surface of the resonator plate. For example, the electrically conductive layer is formed at an interface between the resonator plate and the plasma, and a direct current (DC) voltage is applied to the electrically conductive layer.
US07998306B2
The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates by immersing the substrates in a processing liquid. This substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank having a pair of side walls arranged to be opposed to each other; and a pair of processing-liquid supply mechanisms provided respectively corresponding to the pair of side walls. The pair of processing-liquid supply mechanisms are respectively configured for supplying the processing liquid toward a central portion of the processing tank in the width direction connecting the pair of side walls, thereby to create a rising flow of the processing liquid in a central area in the width direction of the processing tank. Each inner wall face of the pair of side walls includes a main body, a projecting portion located above the main body, and a discharge guide portion located uppermost and providing a discharge port configured for allowing the processing liquid to overflow. The discharge guide portion is inclined upward, opposite to the central portion in the width direction. The projecting portion includes an inner end portion located nearer to the central portion in the width direction, as compared with the main body and discharge guide portion.
US07998305B2
An anisotropic electrically conducting interconnect is disclosed in which an adhesive comprising particles having a breakable coating of at least one electrically nonconductive material is compressed between a first contact and a second contact. Compression to two contacts breaks the breakable coating exposing an electrically conducting material which makes contact with the first and second contacts. The electrically conducting material may be a metal conductor or a two-part reactive conductive resin/catalyst system. Also disclosed are processes for making such electrical interconnects and adhesives for use in making electrical interconnect.
US07998301B2
Techniques to apply a label to an object are described. In one embodiment, the label application system can include a magazine, an indexer, a separator, an applicator and an impressor. The magazine may hold one or more sets of contiguous labels. The indexer advances a label from the contiguous set of labels. The separator separates the label from the contiguous set of labels. The applicator may apply adhesive to the separated label or, alternatively, a substrate of the object. The impressor presses the label onto the desired object to complete the attachment process. In one embodiment the indexer is mechanically implemented. Alternatively, the indexer can receive control signals from a processor which control the movement of the indexer through the desired indexing positions.
US07998297B2
A tire structural member fabricating method fabricates a tire structural member by successively and contiguously attaching strips 1 to the convex outer surface having an outwardly convex cross section of a forming drum 11 by a strip feed device 21 such that the strips 1 extend obliquely to the center axis C of the forming drum 11. The strip feed device 21 moves parallel to the center axis C of the forming drum 11 at a fixed speed V and feeds strips 1 successively onto the outer surface of the forming drum 11. A controller 40 controls the rotation of the forming drum 11 such that the angular velocity ω of the forming drum 11 varies gradually.
US07998295B2
A method of forming a heat shield that involves thermally stabilizing a plurality of phenolic microspheres; mixing the thermally stabilized phenolic microspheres with a phenolic resin to form a phenolic ablative material; compressing the phenolic ablative material into a honeycomb core; and allowing the phenolic ablative material to cure.
US07998293B2
Surface-modified metal fuels, which improve the stability in storage of pyrotechnics and methods for manufacturing such fuels, are provided. Improved storage stability is conferred either by alloying the precursor metal prior to the powder production process, or by forming an enhanced stability coating on the surface of the metal powders during the powder production process.
US07998290B2
A thermobaric munition including a composite explosive material, the composite explosive material having a high-explosive composition, and a detonable energetic material dispersed within the high-explosive composition, the detonable energetic material in the form of a thin film, the thin film having at least one layer composed at least in part by a reducing metal and at least one layer composed at least in part by a metal oxide. A related method includes tailoring the blast characteristics of high explosive composition to match a predetermined time-pressure impulse, the method including disbursing a detonable energetic material having a preselected reaction rate within the high-explosive composition, the detonable energetic material in the form of a thin film, the thin film having at least one layer composed at least in part by a reducing metal and at least one layer composed at least in part by a metal oxide.
US07998285B2
The invention concerns a method for making an abrasion resistant steel plate having a chemical composition comprising: 0.1%≦C<0.23%; 0%≦Si≦2%; 0%≦Al≦2%; 0.5%≦Si+Al≦2%; 0%≦Mn≦2.5%; 0%≦Ni≦5%; 0%≦Cr≦5%; 0%≦Mo≦1%; 0%≦W≦2%; 0.05%≦Mo+W/2≦1%; 0%≦Cu≦1.5%; 0%≦B≦0.02%; 0%≦Ti≦0.67%; 0%≦Zr≦1.34%; 0.05%
