US08000662B2
A transmission characteristic adjustment device and the like that can carry out circuit adjustment before an error occurs, and has a transmission characteristic with high reliability without generating an error are provided.The device determines existence or non-existence of a difference with respect to confirmed data based on each phase of a multiphase clock, detects a window width in a time axis direction of receiving data based on a result of the determination and a phase of the multiphase clock, and evaluates a setting value of a circuit element of the transmission element or the reception element that has an influence on a receiving waveform based on a fluctuation of the detected window width, and changes the setting value of the circuit element of the transmission element or the reception element based on a result of the evaluation.
US08000661B2
A communication system comprises a predistorter for distorting an input signal according to at least one parameter to generate a distorted signal, an amplifier for amplifying the distorted signal according to an input-output characteristic to generate an output signal, and a frequency-domain adaptive calibration module for adaptively adjusting the parameter of the predistorter according to a frequency characteristic of the output signal. Because the calibration is performed in the frequency domain, there is no need to precisely estimate the group delay formed by the feedback path. The system complexity is therefore reduced without loss of performance.
US08000659B2
A polar modulation transmission apparatus is disclosed, which reduces the circuit scale by removing isolators and which reduces the heat loss of a power amplifier. In this apparatus, current detecting section 130 detects current value Icc of current flowing from power supply voltage section 120 to power amplifier 180, and power control section 140 outputs control signal S31 to power apply section 150 based on power control signal S30 to be inputted and current value Icc. Power apply section 150 forms amplitude modulation signal S13 by multiplying baseband amplitude modulation signal S11 by control signal S31, and regulator 160 supplies to power amplifier 180 power supply voltage S22 converted into power supply voltage S21 by amplitude modulation signal S13. Power amplifier 180 obtains RF transmission signal S15 by amplifying the power of phase modulation high-frequency signal S14 as the power supply of power supply voltage S22.
US08000654B2
A wireless network base station capable of canceling interference caused by a dominant interferer signal from a mobile station. The base station comprises down-converts an RF to a down-converted signal, r(n). K complex PN demodulators multiply the down-converted complex r(n) signal by PN code sequences associated with each of the K mobile stations to produce K chip streams. K Walsh code demodulators multiply each of the K chip streams by a Walsh code associated with a mobile stations to produce K raw user signals. K subtractors subtract a first estimated interference signal associated with the dominant interferer signal from the K raw user signals to produce K estimated user signals. A detector receives the K estimated user signals and produces a detected user signal for each of the mobile stations. An interference estimator then determines which detected user signal is the dominant interferer signal.
US08000652B2
The present invention relates to a method in a sending device for sending information to a receiving device. The sending device is adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation with different wavelengths. The method comprises sending electromagnetic radiation of a norm wavelength to the receiving device and sending electromagnetic radiation of a second wavelength to the receiving device. The difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength per time unit represents information to be sent to the receiving device.The present invention also relates to a computer program for performing a method of sending information, a sending device, a method for receiving information, a receiving device and a computer program for performing a method of receiving information.
US08000640B2
An image forming apparatus includes a section for obtaining a property of a recording material; an adjusting section for adjusting a toner amount of a toner image formed by development depending on the property of the recording material; a charging section for charging the toner image before transfer; and a controlling section for adjusting a charging quantity by the charging section depending on the toner amount, where an appropriate quantity of charge depending on the toner amount is provided to the toner image before transfer to the recording material. Depending on the property of the recording material, an appropriate toner amount is transferred at a high transfer efficiency, and uniformity of a solid concentration is ensured.
US08000637B2
An image forming apparatus includes a charger to charge an image carrying member, an optical device to irradiate a light onto the image carrying member to form an electrostatic latent image, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member to form a developed image and a transfer device to transfer the developed image on a sheet. The developing device includes a developer container to store a developer including toner and a carrier, a developer supply device to supply the developer to the developer container, a driver device to drive the developer supply device, a developer collection device installed in the developer container to interlock with the driver device and collect a surplus developer left over due to supply of the developer from the developer supply device to the developer container, and a collected developer container to contain the developer collected by the developer collection device.
US08000635B2
An apparatus and method for homogenizing developer allow variations in image quality between marking engines to be reduced. The apparatus includes a developer homogenizer in communication with the marking engines which receives developer from the first marking engine and developer from the second marking engine and combines them. A first portion of the combined developer is returned to the first marking engine for forming images therewith and a second portion of the combined developer is returned to the second marking engine for forming images therewith.
US08000634B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an electrostatic latent image bearing member; a toner cartridge; a developing member; a transfer member; a developing device; a toner-circulating member; a drive-force output unit; and a circulating-member driving unit. The toner cartridge is removably coupled to the developing device. The toner-circulating member is incorporated in the developing device and circulates toner between the developing device and the toner cartridge. The drive-force output unit is provided in the toner cartridge and is configured to output to the developing device a drive force for driving the toner-circulating member. The circulating-member driving unit is provided in the developing device and is configured to drive the toner-circulating member upon receiving the drive force outputted from the drive-force output unit while the toner cartridge is being coupled to the developing device.
US08000633B2
The present invention provides a charging member, a charging device, an image forming apparatus, and a process cartridge that minimize local unevenness in potential of a charged object resulting from soiling of the charging member with soiling microparticles or soiling aggregates, that do not cause image failure such as unevenness in image density and scumming, and that output good images through the life of the charging member. The charging member charges a surface of the object by receiving a voltage while being in contact with the object, and satisfies the condition that Rzjis≦30 and Rsk≦0, where Rzjis represents the ten-point average roughness of a surface of the charging member in contact with the object and Rsk represents the skewness of a roughness curve.
US08000631B2
A developing device is provided to suppress image density unevenness by adjusting conditions of toner adhesion to an amorphous silicon photoconductor to a suitable range even when using both an amorphous silicon photoconductor and a nonmagnetic monocomponent toner and practicing development in a non-contact system. The developing device satisfies the relational expression: (f×1.5/θ)2>−1.576×10−2×q/m×(Vpp/Ds2)+31.9×106 where Ds (m) is a distance between the photoconductor and the toner carrier, f (Hz) is a frequency of an AC bias applied to the toner carrier, Vpp (V) is an amplitude of the AC bias, θ (−) is a ratio of a peripheral speed of the toner carrier to a peripheral speed of the amorphous silicon photoconductor, and q/m (C/kg) is a charge quantity per unit mass of the toner.
US08000624B2
An image forming apparatus is provided with: a heating unit which generates heat to fuse a toner on a printing medium; a switch which selectively supplies alternating current (AC) power to the heating unit; a first switching driver which drives the switch to supply the AC power to the heating unit; and a first supply limiter which allows the AC power to be supplied to the heating unit by the first switching driver if a polarity of the AC power is the same as a preset polarity, and cuts off the AC power supplied to the heating unit if the polarity of the AC power is opposite to the preset polarity.
US08000616B2
An image forming apparatus to which a paper handling unit is connected thereto is provided. The image forming apparatus detects the size of a sheet in a direction in which the sheet is conveyed for image formation. The image forming apparatus outputs sheet size mismatch information indicating that the size of the sheet does not match a predetermined size to the paper handling unit before a size detecting operation thereof has been completed detecting the trailing edge of the sheet is greater than the predetermined size.
US08000613B2
A system, including an improved sensor, for determining toner particle uniformity is described. The sensor measures toner particle charge, typically be having the charge on the toner particle control a current flow through the channel of a thin film transistor. By measuring the charge on many toner particles, the system determines whether sufficient toner degradation has occurred that the toner should be replaced. The sensor is particularly suitable for being formed on a thin diagnostic sheet that is input through the paper path of a printing system.
US08000605B2
Methods and apparatus for implementing synchronous Optical Time Division Multiplexing are presented. Namely, a method of upconverting and combining N input NRZ optical data signals, each having an approximately equal pulse width and period, into one time-division multiplexed output signal, as well as a method for the inverse, i.e., down converting the N demultiplexed component signals are presented. Apparatus to implement these functionalities is also presented.
US08000603B2
A WDM optical system includes first and second WDM's including an optical link therebetween. Each WDM includes circuitry for linking multiplexer and demultiplexer circuitry to a plurality of modular elements. The modular elements include a first set of modules for converting between native protocol media signals and common format signals. A second set of modules converts between the common format signals and optical signals at separate wavelengths for communication with the multiplexers and demultiplexers. A dual path transmit and receive optical link is provided between near and far end WDM's.
US08000600B2
A method for preventing a temporary traffic interruption between two client ports and the consequent state transition of the receiving port in a communication network providing for the transmission of a data stream between two clients along at least one path when a fault condition is detected in the path. The method includes the steps of monitoring the data stream directed to the receiver and, upon detecting in the data stream an error sequence capable of starting the state transition, replacing the data stream with a filling data stream to prevent the receiver from detecting an error condition, and resuming the forwarding of the received data stream after a predetermined time interval. An apparatus able to mask to the receiver for the predetermined time interval, a storage area network and a computer program product are also disclosed.
US08000597B2
An input device for zooming and shutter releasing includes a shutter release button; a pressing protrusion; a tact switch located on a substrate and configured to be pressed when the shutter release button is pressed downward; a rotary member rotatably supported at the periphery of the shutter release button; a magnet configured to be rotated in association with rotation of the rotary member, the magnet having a through hole at the center thereof, the pressing protrusion supported to extend through the through hole; and a magnetic sensor located at a position to face the through hole in the height direction and configured to detect a rotational magnetic field that is generated by the magnet because of the rotation of the rotary member, the tact switch and the magnetic sensor arranged side by side on the substrate.
US08000584B1
According to an approach for storing digital content onto a DVD, digital content is received from a source, such as a DirecTV link, an over the air (OTA) broadcast, over a cable television link, or any other type of communications link, including the Internet. The digital content is formatted to comply with the MPEG standard to create MPEG digital content and stored on a non-volatile storage. Text-based information is received that describes one or more attributes of the received digital content. A set of DVD subpicture graphics is generated based upon the text-based information. The set of DVD subpicture graphics may represent a structure that can be navigated by a user when the DVD is played. The MPEG digital content is retrieved from the non-volatile storage, converted to DVD format and stored on the DVD with the DVD subpicture graphics.
US08000582B2
A system and method are described for rendering Compact Discs (CDs) and Digital Video Discs (DVDs) unreadable. Embodiments comprise a frame, a guide for constraining motion of the frame with respect to a disc, and at least one scraping element. Scraping elements may be positioned to damage the disc volume descriptor while the frame moves in a constrained manner relative to the disc. The guide may comprise a spindle which engages the center hole of a disc to hold the frame in a radially-fixed position. A scraping element on the frame damages the disc as the disc rotates relative to the frame. The guide may be integrated, such that the frame comprises a slot through which the disc passes. A scraping element inside the slot damages a disc as it passes through. Embodiments are hand operated, not motorized, and some have no moving parts. Embodiments also function with non-optical media.
US08000580B2
A BD-ROM stores a video stream and a graphics stream. The video stream represents a moving picture. The graphics stream is used for overlaying one or more menus on the moving picture, and includes interactive control information (ICS) and a plurality of pieces of graphics data (ODSs). The graphics data is used to generate both the menus and an effect for introduction or removal of a menu. The interactive control information includes (i) a reference value (window_id_ref) specifying a window within which each display composition of graphics is rendered for presenting the effect and (ii) information (effect_duration) showing a duration after which a display composition is replaced by a subsequent display composition.
US08000579B2
According to an embodiment, a method of recording a digital stream on a recording medium, includes determining one of at least two recording modes to record a transmitted digital stream, wherein a first recording mode is to record data based on entry point information present in the digital stream and a second recording mode is to record data on a basis of a predetermined time; and recording the digital stream based on the determined recording mode, and recording a mode information indicating the determined recording mode.
US08000572B2
Disclosed are wellbore electric cables, and methods of manufacturing such cables, and in one aspect, methods of manufacturing wireline composite slickline cables. Some embodiments are methods which include preparing a slickline cable by providing an inner metallic tube containing at least one conductor (such as an optical fiber), disposing an epoxy/fiber composite strength layer substantially upon the outer periphery of the inner metallic tube, and exposing the combination of the inner metallic tube and composite strength layer to at least one technique for minimizing the variation in diameter and providing a substantially uniform circular cross-sectional shape of the combination. Further, an outer metallic tube is draw around the combination of the composite strength member and the inner metallic tube, to form a wellbore slickline. Cables prepared using such methods are also disclosed.
US08000569B2
A fibre optic transmission application, in particular, an optical device that can be incorporated into telecommunications equipment as well as into test and measurement equipment with reduced insertion loss, reduced crosstalk effects and reduced height, with increased versatility in the implementation of optical functions other than multiplexers and demultiplexers. Relates to components, modules, equipments and instruments such as multiplexers, demultiplexers, routers, channel monitors, and tunable filters that encompass such optical devices.
US08000559B2
A method of correcting image distortion and an apparatus for processing an image using the method are provided, where the method can overcome the disadvantages of the conventional methods of correcting lens distortion and can minimize image quality degradation at outer portions,. The method includes: receiving an image from a wide-angle lens; extracting a distortion coefficient of the distortion in the image caused by the wide-angle lens; correcting the distortion of the image by using the extracted distortion coefficient; and displaying a corrected image. The apparatus includes: a wide-angle lens for receiving an image; an image processing unit comprising a distortion coefficient extracting unit for extracting a distortion coefficient of distortion in the image caused by the wide-angle lens and a distortion correcting unit for correcting the distortion of the image using the extracted distortion coefficient; and a display unit for displaying a corrected image.
US08000540B2
A graphic data encoding method and apparatus generating a bitstream by encoding a header having at least one piece of first information determined in consideration of a predetermined graphic profile from among multiple pieces of encodable first information; and encoding a payload having at least one piece of second information determined in consideration of the predetermined graphic profile from among multiple pieces of encodable second information. A graphic data decoding method and apparatus decode the generated bitstream. Irrespective of the functions that can be performed by the graphic data encoding apparatus and the functions that can be performed by the graphic data decoding apparatus, the graphic data decoding apparatus, which is in accordance with a graphic profile, can completely restore a 3D mesh model described in the bitstream generated by the graphic data encoding apparatus that is satisfactory to the graphic profile.
US08000525B2
An object of the invention is to provide an image processing device with which color processing can be adjusted with ease. An image processing device (10) is provided with a processing degree setting portion (18), a profile creation portion (15), and a color processing execution portion (16). The processing degree setting portion (18) sets a target degree of color processing with regard to at least two properties of a plurality of properties of an image signal (d2), as a single target processing degree (d8). The profile creation portion (15) creates a color transformation profile for performing color processing at the target processing degree (d8), based on the target processing degree (d8) that has been set by the processing degree setting portion (18) and a plurality of base color transformation profiles for performing the color processing to differing degrees. The color processing execution portion (16) performs color processing with respect to the image signal (d2) using the color transformation profile that has been created by the profile creation portion (15).
US08000524B2
The invention provides methods, systems and apparatus for assigning color names to individual image pixels, and generating verbal description of color composition in images, suitable for a wide variety of information processing applications. For an isolated image pixel (individual color sample or color value) an illustrative embodiment of this invention uses a predetermined vocabulary of color names, and then generates a distance measure describing the best color match and corresponding color name for the given pixel. For the input image, an illustrative embodiment of this invention computes the simplified representation of the scene, consistent with human perception, and uses the predetermined vocabulary, syntax rules and metric to assign color names to all perceptually significant objects and regions and obtain the verbal description of the overall color composition. The invention is also applicable to other types of information signals, such as sequences of video frames, web pages, etc.
US08000516B2
A manufacturing method of a plugged honeycomb structure including attaching a transparent sheet to an end face of a honeycomb structure; picking up an image of the end face; with respect to cells positioned at other than outermost peripheral portion of a honeycomb structure (usual cells), subjecting the picked-up image to image processing, recognizing positions to be plugged on said sheet, and with respect to cells positioned at outermost peripheral portion (outermost peripheral cells), positions of the cells are recognized based on an average cell pitch calculated from the positions of the cells, subjecting to a perforation treatment based on the recognized positions of the sheet, submerging an end portion into a plugging slurry in which a material of the plugging portions is slurried, filling holes made at the respective sheet with the slurry to form the plugging portions.
US08000515B2
A method and a device for inspecting surface coatings on workpieces, in particular of lacquer coatings, using an image capture and/or image processing system. The image capture and/or image processing system is designed to measure and/or process electromagnetic radiation from surface coating and/or a layer beneath it which is at least partially outside of the visible wavelength range.
US08000514B2
The present invention relates to automated document processing and more particularly, to methods and systems for document image capture and processing using mobile devices. In accordance with various embodiments, methods and systems for document image capture on a mobile communication device are provided such that the image is optimized and enhanced for data extraction from the document as depicted. These methods and systems may comprise capturing an image of a document using a mobile communication device; transmitting the image to a server; and processing the image to create a bi-tonal image of the document for data extraction. Additionally, these methods and systems may comprise capturing a first image of a document using the mobile communication device; automatically detecting the document within the image; geometrically correcting the image; binarizing the image; correcting the orientation of the image; correcting the size of the image; and outputting the resulting image of the document.
US08000512B2
A technique is presented for establishing a patient's BMD using a dual-energy X-ray imaging system. In the technique, the dual-energy X-ray imaging system utilizes a slit collimator to expose a series of portions of a region of interest within a patient with X-rays of two different energies. A flat-panel digital X-ray detector detects the X-rays passing through the patient's region of interest and produces data representative of the intensity of the X-rays reaching the detector. The image intensity data is corrected for scatter based on identifying the regions of the image intensity data that are produced from scatter only, and not primary X-rays. A first-order derivative of the image intensity data is used to identify these regions. A value for the intensity of the scatter at the boundary of the scatter-only region is established. The value for the intensity of the scatter at the boundary of the scatter-only region is used to estimate scatter intensity in the region of the image intensity data that is produced from primary X-rays, as well as scatter. To correct the image intensity data for scatter, the known and estimated scatter intensities are subtracted from the image intensity data.
US08000509B2
An embodiment is disclosed for performing the image processing for analyzing the results of a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) microscopic automated sample analysis to determine specific chromosomal characteristics.
US08000495B2
The present invention relates to watermarking of compressed audio or video files. One claim recites a method including: obtaining a copy of a compressed audio or video file; decompressing the compressed audio or video file to yield decompressed audio or video content; determining a first watermarking component for the decompressed audio or video content, the first watermarking component intended to be steganographically hidden in the audio or video content; storing the first digital watermarking component separately from the compressed audio or video file; and then providing the stored first watermarking component, a unique plural-bit watermark identifier, and the compressed audio or video file to a remote location. Other claims and combinations are provided as well.
US08000489B2
A speaker module for a consumer electronics device encloses a speaker. The speaker module is sized to fit within a housing of the consumer electronics device and below an input control of the consumer electronics device. The speaker module is oriented so that the speaker projects audible sound through one or more interstitial gaps between the input control and the housing, or one or more through-holes formed in the input control.
US08000487B2
Disclosed herein, among other things, is a system for frequency translation by high-frequency spectral envelope warping in hearing assistance devices. The present subject matter relates to improved speech intelligibility in a hearing assistance device using frequency translation by high-frequency spectral envelope warping. The system described herein implements an algorithm for performing frequency translation in an audio signal processing device for the purpose of improving perceived sound quality and speech intelligibility in an audio signal when presented using a system having reduced bandwidth relative to the original signal, or when presented to a hearing-impaired listener sensitive to only a reduced range of acoustic frequencies.
US08000477B2
A data security system for a high bandwidth bus comprises a circular shift register operable to load a variable key value, and a scrambler coupled to the circular shift register operable to receive the variable key value from the circular shift register and serially scramble a serial data input in response to the variable key value.
US08000474B1
A system and method are disclosed for providing client-side protection of broadcast or multicast multimedia content for non-real-time playback. A set-top box function receives a request to record multimedia content and determines whether recording of the multimedia content is restricted. Upon receiving the multimedia content, the set-top box decrypts the multimedia content for real-time playback. If recording of the multimedia content is restricted, the set-top box re-encrypts the multimedia content and generates a packaged file including the re-encrypted multimedia content and one or more of a content identifier, a set-top identifier, a network reference to a copyright policy server, and a record policy of the multimedia content. The packaged file is either stored locally or transferred to remote storage. A remote system having access to the packaged file obtains the packaged file and enforces a copyright policy of the multimedia content before releasing the multimedia content for non-real-time playback.
US08000465B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for recording media communications an exemplary method is comprised of the following steps: receiving instructions at a gateway to record an incoming call; receiving the incoming call from a calling communication device; determining whether to record the incoming call based on the received instructions; routing the incoming call to a called communication device in a customer center; responsive to the determination to record the incoming call, duplicating the media communications via the gateway; transmitting the duplicated media communications associated with the incoming call via the gateway; and recording the duplicated media communications.
US08000443B2
A high precision posture control method for sustaining the posture of an X-ray optical element constantly at 1 μrad or less. A longitudinal condensation mirror and a lateral condensation mirror, each having a condensation plane band consisting of an elliptical reflective surface, are arranged perpendicularly to each other to form a K-B mirror arrangement. Fresnel mirrors are respectively constituted of a pair of planar reflective surfaces formed in the vicinities of the incident side end and the exit side end of the condensation plane band of each condensation mirror. Interference fringe by the Fresnel mirror of each condensation mirror is independently monitored at a position insusceptible to a condensation beam by the condensation plane band, and variation in interference fringe is detected electrically and its detection signal is used as a feedback signal for posture control of each condensation mirror.
US08000439B2
An X-ray tube which irradiates a primary X-ray to an irradiation point on a sample, an X-ray detector which detects a characteristic X-ray and a scattered X-ray emitted from the sample and outputs a signal including energy information of the characteristic X-ray and scattered X-ray, an analyzer which analyzes the signal, a first observation system which optically observes a surface of the sample in order to determine the irradiation point, and a second observation system which has a smaller depth of field than the first observation system, optically observes a narrow region, and measures the distance from the determined irradiation point by focus adjustment are included.
US08000435B2
A method includes generating a plurality of scatter distributions based on geometric models having different object to detector distances, determining an imaged object to detector distance, and identifying a scatter distribution of the plurality of scatter distributions having a object to detector distance that corresponds to the imaged object to detector distance. The method also includes employing the identified scatter distribution to scatter correct projection data corresponding to the imaged object. Another method includes generating an estimate of wedge scatter by propagating a predetermined wedge scatter profile through an intermediate reconstruction of an object; and employing the estimate to wedge scatter correct the projection data.
US08000427B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for low-complexity scheduling in a multi-user Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) system. In a method for scheduling in a MIMO system, a vector is set on the basis of channel information for all user terminals. A scalar for the vector is initialized. A user terminal that has the greatest scalar among unselected user terminals is selected. A user set is updated by adding the selected user terminal therein. The vector and the scalar for a user terminal not included in the user set are updated. Accordingly, a high transmission capacity can be provided while minimizing the influence of an interference signal. Also, the computation amount can be reduced greatly.
US08000413B2
Signal quality estimation and demodulation are tailored to the received signal quality. According to one embodiment, a received signal is processed by determining a first set of combining weights based on a first impairment covariance estimate derived assuming a low signal quality environment. A second set of combining weights is determined based on a second impairment covariance estimate derived assuming a high signal quality environment. A metric is determined corresponding to the difference between symbol estimates derived from the second set of combining weights and hard symbol decisions. The received signal is demodulated based on the second set of combining weights if the metric satisfies a threshold indicating high signal quality and otherwise based on the first set of combining weights.
US08000412B1
The present invention relates to a low power serial link employing differential return-to-zero signaling. A receiver circuit consistent with some embodiments includes an input circuit for receiving differential serial data signals that form a differential return-to-zero signaling and a clock recovery circuit. The clock recovery circuit is coupled to the input circuit and includes a logic gate configured to generate a clock signal by using said differential serial data signals.
US08000409B2
A power management system and method for a wireless communication device generates an average desired transmit power signal based on at least one of a received signal strength indicator signal and a power control instruction signal from a base station. A power supply level adjustment signal is generated based on the data parameters of an outgoing data stream and at least one environmental information signal. A combination of the power supply level adjustment signal and the average desired transmit power or a gain control signal and an altered version of the power supply level adjustment signal is used to generate a variable power supply signal that is provided to an output amplifier block for sufficiently generating outgoing wireless device radio signals while reducing power loss in the output amplifier block.
US08000408B2
Embodiments include transmitters, wireless devices, and methods for performing loop delay and gain control. In a transmitter, a gain application element receives and combines digital input samples and a digital gain signal to generate gain-compensated digital samples. A power amplifier receives and amplifies an analog version of the gain-compensated digital samples to generate an antenna output signal. A feedback path generates an analog feedback signal from the antenna output signal, to produce a sequence of digital feedback samples from the analog feedback signal, and generates the digital gain signal from the sequence of digital feedback samples and a loop gain estimate. A loop delay and gain calculator calculates a loop delay estimate from the gain-compensated digital samples and the sequence of digital feedback samples, and calculates the loop gain estimate using the loop delay estimate, the gain-compensated digital samples, and the sequence of digital feedback samples.
US08000404B2
A technique for reducing crosstalk between communications paths includes scrambling data using scrambling functions that reduce or substantially minimize a probability that worst-case data patterns occur on communications paths adjacent to a potential victim communications path. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method includes scrambling a plurality of data bits based at least in part on respective ones of a plurality of distinct combinations of one or more taps of a linear feedback shift register (LFSR). The plurality of data bits are scrambled for transmission during a first bit-time on corresponding ones of a plurality of adjacent communications paths.
US08000400B2
In order to improve upon a degradation in performances due to inter-carrier interference without loss of transmission efficiency, antennas provided on a mobile body are made directional antennas. An antenna selection unit selects a directional antenna in such a manner that Doppler shift that is caused by movement of the mobile body will keep a constant sign that is positive or negative, a fading-variation calculation unit calculates the average value of fading variation on each path of a multipath environment, and a fading-variation compensation unit compensates the multipath fading variation based upon the average value.
US08000392B1
Motion vectors for encoding a predicted frame relative to a reference frame are determined from a phase correlation of corresponding regions of the predicted frame and reference frame. Peaks in the phase correlation are identified, and the location of the peaks are used as candidate motion vectors. From this limited set of candidate motion vectors, the best motion vectors for predicting blocks within each region can be readily identified.
US08000376B2
Methods of adjusting a transmit time of a wireless device are disclosed. One method includes a receiver determining a frequency hopping sequence of an interfering signal. The receiver obtains an observed pattern of at least one of time and frequency overlap between the interfering signal and a signal of interest. The receiver determines a desired pattern of at least one of time and frequency overlap between the interfering signal and the signal of interest. A desired transmit time delay of the signal of interest is adjusted based on a difference between the observed pattern and the desired pattern.
US08000366B2
A semiconductor laser diode with a high indium content is provided with a lattice matched cladding layer or layers. One or both of the cladding layers may comprise bulk aluminum gallium indium nitride in the ratio of AlxGa1-x-yInyN and/or a short period superlattice structures of, for example, a plurality of alternating layer pairs of aluminum gallium indium nitride in the ratio of AlxGa1-x-yInyN and gallium indium nitride in the ratio of GasIn1-sN, providing a multi-quantum barrier (MQB) effect. Lattice matching of the cladding layer(s) and active layer reduce or eliminate strain, and the materials chosen for the cladding layers optimizes optical and carrier confinement. Alternatively, the lattice parameters may be selected to provide strain balanced MQBs, e.g., where the barrier layers are tensile-strained and the well layers compressed.
US08000363B2
The present invention relates to a solid state laser device with a solid state gain medium between two resonator end mirrors (3, 5) and a GaN-based pump laser (1) arranged to optically pump the solid state gain medium. The solid state gain medium is a Pr3+-doped crystalline or polycrystalline host material (4) which has a cubic crystalline structure and highest phonon energies of ≦600 cm−1 and provides a band gap of ≧5.5 eV. The proposed solid state laser can be designed to emit at several visible wavelengths with the emitted power showing a reduced dependence on the temperature of the GaN-based pump laser (1).
US08000362B2
A solid-state suspension laser. The novel laser includes a gain medium comprised of a plurality of solid-state gain particles suspended in a fluid. The laser also includes a pump source for pumping the gain particles and a resonator for amplifying and outputting laser light generated by the gain medium. In an illustrative embodiment, the gain medium is adapted to flow, and the pumping of the gain medium occurs outside of the resonator. The flow velocities and the densities of the gain particles in the gain medium can be optimized for optimal absorption efficiency during the pumping and/or for optimal extraction efficiency in the resonator as well as for overall laser performance optimization, including power, efficiency and beam quality scalability.
US08000357B2
A compact and efficient ultraviolet laser source based on a optically-pumped solid-state or fiber laser that produces near-infrared output light suitable for nonlinear frequency conversion. The infrared laser output is frequency tripled or quadrupled to produce light in the ultraviolet wavelength range (200 nm to 400 nm). The novel technology is the use of highly efficient periodically poled nonlinear crystals, such as stoichiometric and MgO-doped lithium tantalate and lithium niobate. As opposed to conventional frequency-converted UV laser sources, which have high power consumption, high cost, and low efficiency, the laser sources of this invention utilize high efficiency nonlinear conversion provided by periodically poled materials and allow lower-cost architectures without additional focusing lenses, high power pump diodes, etc.
US08000349B2
A module and kit for coupling at least one telephone service signal to at least one telephone device over a wiring. The network includes: a wiring having at least two conductors for carrying multiple time-domain multiplexed digitized voice channels; an exchange side device coupled to the wiring and operative to couple at least one telephone service signal to at least one digitized voice channel; and at least one subscriber side device coupled to the wiring and operative to couple the at least one telephone device to at least one digitized voice channel.
US08000343B1
Disclosed are a function of automatically tuning a communication performance between the communications devices connected to a network and a function of periodically confirming and tuning the communication performance. In a plurality of communications devices capable of performing the communications by switching over a plurality of communication modes, the communication performance in each of the communication modes is previously measured under a plurality of communication conditions, there is obtained, per communication condition, a condition-based optimum communication mode as a communication mode in which the communication performance in the specific communication mode exceeds a communication performance in other communication mode, the condition-based optimum communication mode is selected in accordance with the communication condition when in communications, and the communications are thus performed.
US08000339B2
A method and apparatus for transparently transforming a multicast stream is provided. The method includes transforming the multicast stream in a content engine. The multicast stream has a first bandwidth. The content engine receives a request for the multicast stream from a multicast receiver with a second bandwidth availability. Thereafter, the content engine transforms the multicast stream to a multicast stream with a third bandwidth. The third bandwidth is less than or equal to the second bandwidth. The transformed multicast stream is sent to the multicast receiver.
US08000337B2
In one embodiment, the internal path traversed by packets between two user visible interface, selected by a user, is displayed. The path displayed includes internal interfaces traversed by the packets. First and second count values showing the packets traversing each displayed internal interface at the beginning and end of a selected time period are also displayed. A delta, being the difference between the first and second count values for each internal interface indicates the number of packets traversing the interface during the time period and can be analyzed to determine the identity of a packet processing hardware logic block where packets might be getting dropped.
US08000327B1
A router comprises an interface for receiving packets, wherein the packets include Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) labels having the same label value that corresponds to an MPLS label switched path (LSP), and wherein each of the MPLS packets includes MPLS experimental (EXP) bits defined to identify a class of service to which the respective packet belongs. The router is a transit router along the MPLS LSP, and further includes a control unit that, for each of the packets, accesses forwarding information to determine whether to forward the packet along the LSP or to redirect the packet along a second LSP based on the classes of service specified in the EXP bits. The router receives policies via a user interface, and applies the policies to index into the forwarding information to select a forwarding entry, wherein the index is responsive to the label value in combination with the EXP bits.
US08000325B2
An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method includes retrieving a profile and a routing table from an access server by a first endpoint during an authentication process. The profile identifies at least a second endpoint as an endpoint with which the first endpoint has permission to communicate. The routing table contains address information needed for the first endpoint to communicate directly with the second endpoint. The first endpoint sends a notification message directly to the second endpoint using the address information to inform the second endpoint that the first endpoint is online.
US08000284B2
An access terminal (206) configured for wireless communication with an access network (204) within a sector (1032). The access terminal (206) includes a transmitter (2608) for transmitting a reverse traffic channel to the access network (204), an antenna (2614) for receiving signals from the access network (204), a processor (2602) and memory (2604) in electronic communication with the processor (2602). Instructions stored in the memory (2604) implement a method of determining whether a current power allocation grant (1374) for a flow (1216) on the access terminal (206) has been received from the access network (204). If the current power allocation grant (1374) is still active, a current power allocation (1338a) for the flow is set equal to the current power allocation grant (1374). If the current power allocation grant (1374) has not been received, the current power allocation (1338a) for the flow is determined.
US08000283B2
A method and apparatus for relay station neighbor discovery by providing predictable timing for relay station preambles and route advertisements, minimizing signaling overhead by keeping these times fixed, scheduling a subset of relay stations for transmission of relay station preamble during any given transmission zone, and allowing the scanning relay stations to scan for a fraction of a frame to determine its neighbors without any repercussions to its activity in the rest of the frame.
US08000279B2
A system for multicast broadcasting towards an IP network mobile system. Upon connection of the mobile router and transmission of a signalling to the site of origin, the method includes discriminating the location of a mobile router with regard to the respective site of the organization of origin; transmitting to an infinity of locations; then for each assess request of a mobile terminal, local multicast broadcasting; substituting the access request, if the location information designates a connection of outside the respective site thereof coming from the organization of origin, with a request for access to extend multicast broadcasting; transmitting the request for access to extend multicast broadcasting; receiving and transforming, at level, the extended multicast broadcast into local transformed multicast broadcast and transmitting the locally transformed multicast broadcast on the IP mobile network to the requesting user terminal.
US08000275B2
A method of enabling at least one application (22) stored in a radiocommunications terminal (10) to access functions of said terminal (10), the terminal (10) being suitable for enabling data to be exchanged in both directions in application of a data standard implementing a transfer channel that conveys so-called “AT” commands, the terminal (10) including an AT command manager (15), the method being characterized in that access from the stored application (22) to the terminal (10) takes place by exchanging AT commands via the AT command manager (15).
US08000274B2
A system for suppressing transmission channel noise in a signal transmission/reception device—particularly a time division duplex (TDD) wireless communications device—is provided. The system provides one or more shunt elements, instantiated at some point along the device's signal transmission channel. One or more attenuation elements are also instantiated at some point along the signal transmission channel, as are one or more disabling elements. A trigger signal indicates when the device is shifting from signal transmission operation (or mode) to signal reception operation. Responsive to assertion of the trigger signal, the shunt, attenuation and disabling elements are activated.
US08000260B2
Provisioning and management resources are drawn from an overall pool of resources. Management and managed resources are then dynamically associated on the network to securely perform requested on-demand management functions. Since the managing system controls the networking between the devices that are managed or provisioned, the linkage of resources incurs a minimal amount of network overhead. Since provisioning resources are themselves dynamically built and automatically associated with the resources being managed, a dramatically reduced management overhead is achieved.
US08000254B2
Methods are described for identifying a dominant impairment on a communication channel impaired by an interference issue. The methods include systematic examination of total power loading, systematic examination of signal power reduction, statistical examination of communication channel noise power, and systematic examination of interleaver effectiveness. Each relates to automatically diagnosing and characterizing distortion-based interference issues by monitoring the performance of a communication channel during a testing procedure. These methods enable a technician or engineer to remotely diagnose distortion-based interference issues relatively quickly without having to use external test equipment and without having to deploy technicians to various locations within the cable plant. A system by which these methods can be implemented is also disclosed.
US08000253B2
Only when a request formed of a plurality of request packets obtained by dividing the request is reconstructed, the request is transmitted to a survey target node that returns a response formed of a plurality of response packets obtained by dividing the response. When no response packet has been received at all from the survey target node, it is determined that any of the request packets has been discarded on a first route from a surveying node as a transmission source of the request to the survey target node. When one or more response packets have been received from the survey target node but the response cannot be reconstructed, it is determined that any of the response packets transmitted from the survey target node has been discarded on a second route from the survey target node to the surveying node as the transmission source of the request packets.
US08000251B2
Real-time customer packet traffic is instrumented to determine measured delays between two or more points along a path actually traveled by a packet, such as within or external to one or more packet switching devices. These measurements may include delays within a packet switching device other than the ingress and egress time of a packet. These measured delays can be used to determine whether or not the performance of a packet switching device or network meets desired levels, especially for complying with a Service Level Agreement.
US08000246B2
A method, PT client device and PT server device for controlling transmission of media data, are discussed. According to an embodiment, the method includes sending, by a PT client, media data to a PT server after receiving a talk burst grant from the PT server in response to a talk burst request message; entering, by the PT client, a first operation state after receiving a media burst revoke message from the PT server, wherein the PT client in the first operation state is unable to request permission to send media data to the PT server; and entering, by the PT client, a second operation state after receiving a media burst idle message from the PT server while the PT client is in the first operation state, wherein the PT client in the second operation state is able to request permission to send media data to the PT server.
US08000239B2
In general, the invention relates to a method for managing a network connection. The method includes receiving a request for the network connection from a host, where the network connection is associated with an overlay network. The method further includes sending, in response to the request, a first available bandwidth per flow to the host, and receiving packets from the host. The packets received from the host are associated with the network connection and the initial packet transmission rate of the packets over the network connection is based on the first available bandwidth per flow. Further, the first available bandwidth per flow is obtained by probing a first router in the overlay network to obtain a first available bandwidth associated with the first router.
US08000229B2
Systems and apparatus are described for all-to-all interconnect fabric generated monotonically increasing transaction identifiers. A method includes usage of an all-to-all interconnect fabric generated monotonically increasing transaction identifier to coordinate timing of events on an all-to-all interconnect fabric wherein a) multiple computer elements share the interconnect fabric, b) additional nodes add to total system bandwidth, c) all nodes see all messages from all nodes and any one node can send a message to all nodes with a single command and d) a single failing transmitter effects only the communication of that node.
US08000228B2
Methods (500, 800) and corresponding systems (100, 200, 300, 400, 900) for generating a pilot symbol (330) include providing an M-point parallel transform sequence that is a discrete Fourier transform of a CAZAC sequence (312, 504-508). The M-point parallel transform sequence (312) is distributed (316, 510) to a set of M subcarriers among N subcarriers to form an N-point frequency-domain sequence (318) wherein the M subcarriers are evenly spaced apart. An N-point inverse fast Fourier transform (320, 512) is performed to convert the N-point frequency-domain sequence to an N-point time-domain sequence (322). The N-point time-domain sequence is converted (324, 514) to a serial sequence (326), and a cyclic prefix is added (328, 516) to the serial sequence to form a pilot symbol (330).
US08000223B2
Methods and systems for processing multiple preambles for a wireless signal are disclosed herein. Aspects of the method may comprise selecting a portion of a preamble, and shifting the selected portion of the preamble to generate a plurality of subsequent preambles. The preamble may comprise a legacy preamble and/or an 802.11(n) preamble. The selected portion of the preamble may comprise a short training sequence. The shifting may comprise circular shifting. The circular shifting may comprise forward circular shifting and/or backwards circular shifting. The generated plurality of subsequent preambles may be transmitted via a plurality of antennas. A phase roll may be added to the selected portion of the preamble to generate the plurality of subsequent preambles.
US08000217B2
In a multilayer optical disc having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, because the type of each information layer is not recorded in the other information layers, in read and write operations by a compatible optical disc device conforming to a plurality of optical disc standards, every time the information layer being accessed changes, it has been necessary to read the type of the information layer and select a method of generating a tracking error signal adapted to the type of information layer, so access has taken time. In order to solve the above problem, in the optical multilayer disc according to the present invention, having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, in an area in one of the information layers, information about the other information layers is recorded. The time required to access the other information layers can be reduced by using this information to select a tracking error signal generating method.
US08000215B2
The presently disclosed technology teaches an improved voltage pattern for conductive tips utilized as moveable top electrodes for writing data bits into ferroelectric media. A conductive tip is dragged in contact or near contact with a ferroelectric surface forming a moveable top electrode on a ferroelectric media disk. A metallic film is deposited onto a bottom-side of the ferroelectric media forming a conductive bottom electrode. Applying electrical voltage pulses between the conductive tip and the bottom electrode induces polarization switching of the ferroelectric media under the head. The improved voltage pattern incorporates positive and negative overshoot voltages to induce a polarization switch in the ferroelectric media and positive and negative drag voltages to expand a polarized region on the ferroelectric media. Potential benefits of the improved voltage pattern include reduced cross-track blooming and reduced along-track blooming resulting in a more uniform track width and bit series length.
US08000214B2
A scanner assembly includes a first sealing ring that extends around one of first and second actuating mechanisms of the scanner assembly. A first sealant ring is positioned upon the first sealing ring and is formed from one of a solder seal, glass frit seal and a glue seal. The first sealant ring provides a hermetic seal that maintains a desired operating environment for the one of the first and second actuating mechanisms and a mechanical support for a top plate. A second sealing ring extends around a media table of the scanner assembly. A second sealant ring is positioned upon the second sealing ring and is formed from one of a solder seal, glass frit seal and a glue seal. The second sealing ring provides a hermetic seal that maintains a desired operating environment for the media table and a mechanical support for an array chip.
US08000212B2
An extreme ultraviolet light system includes a drive laser system that produces an amplified light beam; a target material delivery system configured to produce a target material at a target location; a beam delivery system configured to receive the amplified light beam emitted from the drive laser system and to direct the amplified light beam toward the target location; and a metrology system. The beam delivery system includes converging lens configured and arranged to focus the amplified light beam at the target location. The metrology system includes a light collection system configured to collect a portion of the amplified light beam reflected from the converging lens and a portion of a guide laser beam reflected from the converging lens. The light collection system includes a dichroic optical device configured to optically separate the portions.
US08000207B2
A method for reproducing a hologram includes: irradiating a recording disc with a first reference beam and a second reference beam, both having a parallel light flux, in different directions at a same incident angle to form a hologram having an unslanted grating pattern in which a grating vector is parallel to a light incident surface of the recording disc; irradiating the hologram with the first reference beam or the second reference beam to extract reproduced light; and detecting a position where an intensity of the reproduced light is maximum.
US08000206B2
The present invention relates to a method for performing pre-exposure and curing of a photo-sensitive material for optical data storage, in particular for holographic data storage, and to an apparatus for writing to optical storage media using such method. According to the invention, for pre-exposure and/or curing of an optical storage medium the optical storage medium is illuminated by a coherent light beam emitted by a light source, which is also used for data recording. Pre-exposure and/or curing is performed in one or more exposure steps, in which the coherent light beam carries a data pattern, the exposure dose for each exposure step being smaller than a minimum dose such that the diffraction efficiency of the recorded data pattern is too low to distinguish data from noise.
US08000182B2
An integrated circuit for optical disc comprising for each of light-receiving surfaces: an operational amplifier including inverting and noninverting input terminals receiving first and second input voltages, and output terminal receiving output voltage; a feedback resistor connected between the inverting input and output terminals; a photodiode connected between one power supply line of the first and second power supply lines and the inverting input terminal to generate current corresponding to reflected light; a capacitor connected between the one power supply line and the noninverting input terminal; and an input resistor connected between reference power source and the noninverting input terminal, further comprising: an adder adding voltages corresponding to the output voltages to generate RF signal, capacitance of the capacitor and resistance value of the input resistor being determined in accordance with capacitance of parasitic capacitor connected in parallel with the photodiode and resistance value of the feedback resistor.
US08000175B2
A thermally assisted magnetic head includes: a slider having a medium-facing surface; and a surface-emitting semiconductor laser. The slider has: a slider substrate, on which part of the medium-facing surface is formed; and a magnetic head portion, on which another part of the medium-facing surface is formed, and which has a first surface in contact with a head stacking surface of the slider substrate and a second surface opposite the first surface. The magnetic head portion has: a main magnetic pole that generates a write magnetic field from an end face on the side of the medium-facing surface; an optical waveguide core extending along the first surface and having a light exit surface at the medium-facing surface; and a diffraction grating, which is provided in the optical waveguide core or further towards the second surface than the optical waveguide core, and the refractive index of which varies periodically along the direction in which the optical waveguide core extends. The surface-emitting semiconductor laser is provided opposing the second surface so that emission light from the surface-emitting semiconductor laser is incident onto the diffraction grating, and the diffraction grating causes at least part of emission light from the surface-emitting semiconductor laser to be optically coupled to the optical waveguide core.
US08000172B2
A time control apparatus, which is not equipped with an auxiliary batter for real time control, includes a time information memory for storing real time information updated for a user; and a real time controller, in response to powering on, if the real time information stored in the time information memory is earlier than time information of the real time controller, displaying the real time information of the real time controller to a user and simultaneously updating the real time information in the time information memory without performing a time setting operation. It is possible to discern between a powering-off case where the battery is not removed from the terminal and a powering-off case where the battery is removed from the terminal in order to avoid a time setting operation that is unnecessary to the user.
US08000171B2
An example of a cable positioning mechanism for directing a cable into a seismic sensor housing for connection with the seismic sensor includes a member sized to connect with a seismic sensor housing, the cable passing through the member at opposing anchor points for operational connection to the seismic sensor between the anchor points, wherein the cable is oriented through the member at an angle that is not perpendicular to a vertical axis of the sensor housing.
US08000170B2
In various embodiments, the invention pertains to systems for acoustic beamforming that include one or more speaker membranes, such as, for example, a continuous ribbon membrane, and several independently addressable drivers. Moreover, certain embodiments relate to methods for beamforming with improved directionality.
US08000166B2
A semiconductor memory device including a first clock transmission path configured to receive a source clock swinging at a CML level through a clock transmission line in response to an enable signal, and to convert the source clock into a clock swinging at a CMOS level. The device also includes a second clock transmission path configured to convert the source clock in a clock swinging at a CMOS level in response to the enable signal, and to output the converted clock through the clock transmission line and a data output unit configured to output data in response to output clocks of the first and second clock transmission lines.
US08000164B2
A method for driving a semiconductor memory device, includes initializing first data corresponding to a refresh time of each corresponding row included in a cell array; storing second data corresponding to column data included in the first row after entering a self refresh mode; setting the first data corresponding to the first row by detecting the refresh time of the first row while performing refresh operations on the other rows in the cell array according to a refresh period selected based on the corresponding first data for predetermined refresh cycles, wherein the refresh operation is not performed on the first row during the predetermined refresh cycles; restoring the second data to the first row; and repeating the above steps for the other rows to thereby set the corresponding first data until the setting step is completed for all rows or the self refresh mode expires.
US08000157B2
A timing generating circuit generates a control clock (1) and a test clock (2) based on an externally input clock CLK, and outputs the generated clocks to a testing circuit. The control clock (1) is a signal the phase of which is delayed by a predetermined amount with reference to the clock CLK. This predetermined amount can be set/changed with an external test signal. The test clock (2) is nearly an inversion signal of the clock CLK. The testing circuit generates various types of control signals (4) based on either of the clocks (1) and (2), and distributes the signals to a controlling circuit. Which of the clocks (1) and (2) is selected in the testing circuit can be set with an external test signal.
US08000156B2
A memory device and method of operating such a device are provided. The memory device has a plurality of sub-arrays arranged to form at least one sub-array column having a first end and a second end, with each sub-array comprising a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of memory cell rows and at least one memory cell column. Sub-array access circuitry is associated with each sub-array, for detecting read data from a selected memory cell column of the associated sub-array during a read operation, and global access circuitry then interfaces with the first end of the sub-array column. Each sub-array access circuitry comprises propagation circuitry for producing an output read data value, the propagation circuitry having a first input for receiving the read data detected from the associated sub-array during a read operation and a second input for receiving an output read data value produced by a linked sub-array access circuitry associated with a sub-array nearer the second end of the sub-array column. The propagation circuitry receives a control signal for identifying which of its first or second inputs should be used to produce the output read data value. As a result, an output read data value produced by any sub-array access circuitry is propagated to the global access circuitry via any linked sub-array access circuitry in the sub-array column between that sub-array access circuitry and the global access circuitry. This provides a particularly simple technique for propagating the read data value to the global access circuitry, which has both predictable timing, and consumes low power.
US08000150B2
A method of programming a memory device may include applying a program voltage to a memory cell of the memory device and consecutively applying a plurality of verifying voltages to the memory cell. The verifying voltages may be consecutively applied with a same voltage magnitude after applying the program voltage. The verifying voltages may be consecutively applied with sequentially decreasing magnitudes after applying the program voltage.
US08000146B2
Body bias can be applied to optimize performance in a non-volatile storage system. Body bias can be set in an adaptive manner to reduce an error count of an error correcting and/or detecting code when reading data from non-volatile storage elements. Also, a body bias level can be increased or decreased as a number of programming cycles increases. Also, body bias levels can be set and applied separately for a chip, plane, block and/or page. A body bias can be applied to a first set of NAND strings for which operations are being performed by controlling a first voltage provided to a source side of the first set of NAND strings and a second voltage provided to a p-well. A source side of a second set of NAND strings for which operations are not being performed is floated or receives a fixed voltage.
US08000135B1
A method for data storage includes storing data in a group of analog memory cells by writing into the memory cells in the group respective storage values, which program each of the analog memory cells to a respective programming state selected from a predefined set of programming states. The programming states include at least first and second programming states, which are applied respectively to first and second subsets of the memory cells, whereby the storage values held in the memory cells in the first and second subsets are distributed in accordance with respective first and second distributions. Respective first and second medians of the first and second distributions are estimated, and a read threshold is calculated based on the first and second medians. The data is retrieved from the analog memory cells in the group by reading the storage values using the calculated read threshold.
US08000132B2
A method for efficiently driving a phase change memory device is presented that includes the operational procedures of writing, reading, comparing and changing. The phase change memory device has a resistor configured to sense a crystallization state changed by currents so as to store data corresponding to the crystallization state. The writing operation writes data having a first state in a corresponding unit cell of the phase change memory device. The reading operation reads a cell data stored in the unit cell. The comparing operation compares the data having the first state with the cell data read from the unit cell to verify whether or not the data having the first state is the same as the cell data. The changing operation changes a write condition when the data having a first state is different from that of the cell data.
US08000130B2
A semiconductor memory device comprises a word line; a bit line crossing the word line; a memory cell connected to intersection of the word line and the bit line; and a sense circuit connected to sense node coupled to the bit line. The sense circuit includes a first transistor of the first conduction type having a gate connected to the sense node, a second transistor of the second conduction type having a source connected to a first power supply, a drain connected to the sense node, and a gate connected to the drain of the first transistor, a third transistor having a source connected to the first power supply, a drain connected to the drain of the first transistor, and a gate connected to a control signal line, and a fourth transistor having a source connected to a second power supply, a drain connected to the source of the first transistor, and a gate connected to the control signal line. The sense circuit is activated with a control signal given to the control signal line.
US08000116B2
An output protection circuit used for a power converter having an operational amplifier, a diode, a number of voltage-dividing resistors, and a switch tube. In this circuit, the voltage-dividing resistors are connected in series to form a voltage-dividing network, of which one node is connected to a reference level end Vref of a PWM control module of the converter, while the other node is grounded. A voltage dividing point M is coupled to an inverting input end of the operational amplifier AR1.
US08000114B2
An apparatus of regulating a power converter with multiple operating modes includes a switch coupled to an energy transfer element coupled between an input and an output of the power converter. A control circuit is also included, which is coupled to the switch to control the switch. The control circuit includes first and second duty cycle control modes to regulate power delivered to the output of the power converter. A transition between the first and second duty cycle control modes is responsive to a magnitude of a current flowing in the switch reaching a current threshold value.
US08000113B2
A power converter device and method are provided. The power converter device includes an input power source and an input inductor configured for coupling a power of the input power source to the device. A switch is configured to regulate a power of the input power source through the input inductor. A shunting diode is coupled between the switch and the input inductor. A resonant load is coupled with the input inductor. A switching element is coupled with the input inductor and the resonant load and configured to operate at a fixed frequency. The power converter device also includes a control circuit for modulating a frequency of the switch and a driving module for driving the switching element at the fixed frequency. In an exemplary embodiment, the power converter device is a Class-E amplifier. The fixed frequency is a frequency equal to a resonant frequency of the resonant load. In one embodiment, the power converter device is configured as an integrated circuit device.
US08000112B2
A transition mode power converter having an active snubber the operation of which is controlled using an auxiliary winding on the transformer of the power converter. In one embodiment, the power converter includes a transformer having a primary winding connected to a voltage source, a primary switch, an auxiliary switch, a capacitor, and an auxiliary winding on the transformer. The primary switch includes a first terminal connected to the primary winding of the transformer and a second terminal connected to a common node. The auxiliary switch includes a first terminal connected to the voltage source and to the primary winding. The capacitor is connected between a second terminal of the auxiliary switch and the first terminal of the primary switch. The auxiliary winding of the transformer is connected to a third terminal of the auxiliary switch and controls operation of the auxiliary switch via the third terminal.
US08000110B2
A device may include a connector receptacle coupled to a motherboard; a connector hold-down disposed adjacent to the connector receptacle; and/or a connector cage coupled to the motherboard and covering the connector receptacle and connector hold-down. Additionally, a computer system utilizing a connector hold-down and a method utilizing a connector hold-down are disclosed.
US08000107B2
A carrier with embedded components comprises a substrate and at least one embedded component. The substrate has at least one slot and a first composite layer. The embedded component is disposed at the slot of the substrate. The first composite layer has a degassing structure, at least one first through hole and at least one first fastener, wherein the degassing structure corresponds to the slot, the first through hole exposes the embedded component, and the first fastener is formed at the first through hole and contacts the embedded component. According to the present invention, the degassing structure can smoothly discharge the hydrosphere existing within the carrier under high temperature circumstances and the first fastener is in contact with the embedded component, which increases the joint strength between the embedded component and the substrate.
US08000103B2
Various embodiments disclose a system and method to provide cooling to electronic components, such as electronic modules or the like. The system includes one or more cold plates that are configured to be thermally coupled to one or more of the electronic components. Internally, each of the cold plates has a cooling fluid flowing inside of at least one passageway. The cooling fluid thus removes heat from the electronic components primarily by conductive heat transfer. An input and an output header are attached to opposite ends of the passageway to allow entry and exit of the cooling fluid. The input and output headers are attached to an external system to circulate the cooling fluid.
US08000102B2
A unitary-enclosure housing apparatus and arrangement for protecting and cooling the high voltage electronic conditioning and filtering circuitry components used for providing a high-voltage waveform to an electrostatic precipitator device includes a hermetically sealed dielectric liquid coolant filled tank/housing having one or more side-mounted hollow-panel type radiator structures for dissipating heat from the coolant. The disclosed unitary-enclosure housing apparatus and the particular arrangement of the internal electronic components results in a relatively external small footprint while containing both the transformer-rectifier (TR) set and high-voltage resistor-capacitor (R-C) filter components associated with a high-voltage electrostatic precipitator device in a single unitary package. The housing apparatus is outfitted with a removable top cover plate and access panel for providing easy access to the TR set and R-C filter components. A coolant drain spigot is also provided on the housing for simplifying the draining and replacement of coolant liquid.
US08000095B2
The invention provides a sliding mechanism and an electronic device using the same. The sliding mechanism includes a bottom plate, a connection rod, a cover plate, an elastic member, and a connection member. Guiding sections are formed at two sides of the bottom plate, and the bottom plate has a first fastening hole and an arc-shaped groove. The connection rod has a first end and a second end. Sliding portions are formed at two sides of the cover plate to cooperate with the guiding sections to enable the cover plate to slide relative to the bottom plate, and the cover plate has a second fastening hole and a connection hole. The elastic member includes a third end and a fourth end. Furthermore, the connection member slidably fastens the fourth end of the elastic member and the second end of the connection rod to the arc-shaped groove through the connection hole.
US08000091B2
An electrophoretic display apparatus includes a display module and a case. The display module includes a flexible array substrate, a front plane laminate, a driving circuit and a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible array substrate has a display area and a peripheral circuit area adjacent to the display area. The front plane laminate is disposed on the display area. The driving circuit is electrically connected to the flexible array substrate. The flexible printed circuit board is electrically connected to the driving circuit. The case contains the display module and has an opening exposing at least a part of the front plane laminate.
US08000090B2
Described herein is a multi-monitor support structure having a first monitor, a second monitor, a column, an arm coupled to the column for supporting the first monitor and the second monitor, a first coupling unit for coupling the first monitor to the arm, and a second coupling unit for coupling the second monitor to the arm. The first monitor and the second monitor can be separated to create a gap therebetween for accommodating a third monitor, such as from a notebook computer, which is supported by the arm.
US08000085B2
A solid electrolytic capacitor that prevents leakage current from increasing. The solid electrolytic capacitor includes an anode, a cathode, and a dielectric layer arranged between the anode and the cathode in contact with the cathode. The dielectric layer includes a plurality of recesses arranged in the surface of the dielectric layer, each recess having an opening in an interface with the cathode. Each of the recesses has a depth that is 0.1 to 1.5 times the diameter of the opening.
US08000082B2
An electrostatic chuck assembly having a dielectric material and/or having a cavity with varying thickness, profile and/or shape is disclosed. The electrostatic chuck assembly includes a conductive support and an electrostatic chuck ceramic layer. A dielectric layer or insert is located between the conductive support and an electrostatic chuck ceramic layer. A cavity is located in a seating surface of the electrostatic chuck ceramic layer. An embedded pole pattern can be optionally incorporated in the electrostatic chuck assembly. Methods of manufacturing the electrostatic chuck assembly are disclosed as are methods to improve the uniformity of a flux field above a workpiece during a plasma processing process.
US08000081B2
A wafer stage installed in a process chamber for safely dechucking a wafer is provided. In one embodiment, the wafer stage comprises: a chuck support for supporting a chuck; a chuck mounted on the chuck support for receiving and attaching a wafer thereto; a support lift means for supporting the wafer; a driving means coupled to the support lift means for gradually raising the support lift means to contact the wafer in response to a variable quantity; a sensor attached to the driving means for detecting a change in the variable quantity; and a controller for controlling the variable quantity to the driving means when a predetermined variable quantity is detected in comparison to the change in the variable quantity for a predetermined time.
US08000080B2
An apparatus and method for trapping particles in a housing is disclosed. A high voltage terminal/structure is situated within a housing. A conductive material, having a plurality of holes, such as a mesh, is disposed a distance away from an interior surface of the housing, such as the floor of the housing, forming a particle trap. The conductive mesh is biased so that the electrical field within the trap is either non-existent or pushing toward the floor, so as to retain particles within the trap. Additionally, a particle mover, such as a fan or mechanical vibration device, can be used to urge particles into the openings in the mesh. Furthermore, a conditioning phase may be used prior to operating the high voltage terminal, whereby a voltage is applied to the conductive mesh so as to attract particles toward the particle trap.
US08000068B2
During an ESD event, an ESD current flows from a ground node of a first ESD protection circuit and out of an integrated circuit to a terminal of a package that houses the integrated circuit. To improve ESD performance, a second ESD protection circuit is provided. A diode of the second ESD protection circuit is coupled between the ground node and the body of an input transistor of a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA). If the voltage on the ground node changes quickly during an ESD event (for example, due to a current spike flowing across a wire bond), then the diode charges the body of the transistor, thereby preventing a large gate-to-body voltage from developing across transistor. In some embodiments, another ground bond pad is provided and the second ESD protection circuit includes other diodes that charge or discharge other nodes during the ESD event to prevent transistor damage.
US08000064B2
A perpendicular recording thin-film magnetic head comprises a main magnetic pole having a tip main magnetic pole part extending in a height direction from a medium-opposing surface and a base main magnetic pole part connected to the tip main magnetic pole part on a side opposite from the medium-opposing surface side and wider than the tip main magnetic pole part in a track width direction; a return yoke extending in the height direction from the medium-opposing surface and magnetically coupling with the base main magnetic pole part at a position distanced from the medium-opposing surface in the height direction, while opposing the tip main magnetic pole part through a write gap layer in a bit length direction in the medium-opposing surface; and a main magnetic pole adjacent magnetic shield layer extending along at least part of side faces of the main magnetic pole other than the medium-opposing surface as seen in a laminating direction, while holding a nonmagnetic layer between the main magnetic pole and the main magnetic pole adjacent magnetic shield layer.
US08000060B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a substrate, a magnetic recording layer and a protective layer. The magnetic recording layer includes a perpendicular recording layer, a magnetic coupling layer and a writing assist layer. The perpendicular recording layer is a Co alloy layer containing an oxide disposed between the magnetic coupling layer and the substrate. The magnetic coupling layer is a ferromagnetic layer disposed between the perpendicular recording layer and the writing assist layer. The writing assist layer is a ferromagnetic layer disposed between the magnetic coupling layer and the protective layer. The saturation magnetization of the magnetic coupling layer is lower than the saturation magnetization of the perpendicular recording layer or the writing assist layer. The thickness of the magnetic coupling layer is 1 nm or more and 3 nm or less.
US08000057B2
A weighted combining scheme exploits information from two servo channels operating in parallel. A timing-based servo module comprises two synchronous servo channels coupled respectively to receive two digital servo signals read from a data tape. Both channels have outputs for an unweighted parameter estimate and for a measure of the channel reliability. A weight computation module provides first and second weight signals using the measures of channel reliability from the servo channels. An offset computation module provides first and second offset terms which are summed with the unweighted parameter estimates. Multiplying nodes receive the unweighted parameter estimates and the weight signals and outputs offset weighted parameter estimates. A summing node receives the offset weighted parameter estimates and outputs a combined offset weighted parameter estimate to a servomechanism.
US08000047B2
The present invention provides a technique for converting burst data to digital data, applying FFT operation to 2n (n is an integer) pieces of digital data in response to any start signal synchronized with a sector signal, applying a window function centered around data corresponding to a frequency of a burst data signal component before the FFT operation, and performing head positioning based on a result as the detected value of the burst data.
US08000041B1
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a lens module is provided, which includes a first lens assembly including a first patterned substrate, a first recess formed from a first surface of the first patterned substrate, a first lens element disposed in the first recess, and a second lens element disposed on the first patterned substrate, wherein the second lens element aligns along an optical axis through the first lens element.
US08000039B2
An imaging lens including, from an object side, a diaphragm, a first lens that is a lens having a positive power whose convex surface faces the object side, and a second lens having a negative power whose concave surface faces the object side, wherein a condition expressed by the following expressions is to be satisfied: −0.1.≦r1/r2<0.1, 0.85≦f1/FL≦1, and 0.1≦d3/FL≦0.3 (where, r1: center radius curvature of the object side face of the first lens, r2: center radius curvature of the image surface side face of the first lens, f1: focal distance of the first lens, d3: center thickness of the second lens and FL: focal distance of the entire lens system).
US08000033B1
The present invention provides a photographing optical lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; and a third lens element with negative refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric and at least one inflection point being formed on the image-side surface, wherein the lens assembly is further provided with a stop disposed between an object and the first lens element.
US08000032B2
An exemplary internally focusing lens system includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens group with positive refractive power, a second lens group with negative refractive power, and a third lens group with positive refractive power. The third lens group includes one lens element. The second lens group is movable toward the image side and the first and third lens groups remain stationary during focusing of the lens system from an infinitely distant object to a nearby object.
US08000028B2
Provided is a lens barrel, which can be further reduced by providing such a first helicoid as can be easily manufactured even in the zone of a small lead. The lens barrel (1) comprises a first barrel member (6) having a first helicoid (18, 25 and 26) formed in a first face (6a), and a second barrel member (21) having a second helicoid (24) formed in a second face (21a) confronting the first face (6a). The lens barrel is characterized in that the first barrel member (6) has, in the first face (6a), a first zone (Z1), in which the first helicoid (18, 25 and 26) has a first lead, and a second zone (Z2 and Z3), in which the first helicoid (18 and 25) has a second lead smaller than the first lead, and in that the first helicoid (18 and 25) having the second lead has a smaller thread number than that of the first helicoid (18, 25 and 26) having the first lead.
US08000025B2
A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising a first lens unit of positive power, a second lens unit of negative power, a third lens unit of positive power, and a fourth lens unit of positive power, wherein the first lens unit is composed of three or fewer lens elements, wherein the second lens unit is composed of three lens elements, wherein in zooming, the first to the fourth lens units are moved individually along an optical axis such that air spaces should vary, so that variable magnification is achieved, and wherein the conditions are satisfied: 2.00≦D/fW≦4.68, ωW≧35 and fT/fW≧10 (D is a total of an optical axial thickness of each lens unit, ωW is a half view angle at a wide-angle limit, and fT and fW are focal lengths of the entire system respectively at a telephoto limit and at a wide-angle limit), an imaging device and a camera are provided.
US08000020B2
There is provided an optical system, including a substrate having a major surface and edges, an optical element for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, a reflecting surface carried by the substrate, a retardation plate and a reflecting optical element. The retardation plate is located between a portion of the major surface of the substrate and the reflecting optical element.
US08000013B2
Disclosed herein are photopolymerizable compositions and formulations that comprise photochromic dyes, photochromic blue light blocking dyes, permanent dyes, permanent blue blocking dyes, and/or their combinations. In some variations, these formulations are suited for example, for sandwiching between lens blanks to form semi-finished lens assemblies to form a tinted lens useful in sunglasses. The formulations are also suitable for correcting optical aberrations, and may provide a photochromic effect when exposed to sunlight.
US07999983B2
An optical material includes lithium tantalate, and a molar composition ratio of lithium oxide and tantalum oxide (Li2O/Ta2O5) in the lithium tantalate is in the range of 0.975 to 0.982. Since an optical material having a high refractive index is provided in an optical unit, at the same focal distance, a lens thickness can be significantly reduced. As a result, an optical electronic component and an optical electronic device including the optical material has a reduced size and thickness and is highly functional.
US07999982B2
A volume-phase reflection hologram optical element is fabricated by exposing a hologram photosensitive material to two coherent light beams. One exposure light beam has an axis-asymmetric wavefront, and the other exposure light beam has focus points different in the optical axis direction (Z-direction) between on a plane (ZX-plane) including one of two directions (X- and Y-directions) mutually perpendicular on a sectional plane perpendicular to that light beam and on a plane (YZ-plane) including the other of those two directions. Thus, an image display apparatus is realized in which at the time of reproduction, the component of a predetermined wavelength of the image light diffraction-reflected by the hologram optical element is focused at positions different in the optical axis direction between on the ZX-plane and on the YZ-plane, offering different image viewing characteristics between in the X- and Y-directions.
US07999979B2
In an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a photosensitive member, the image formed on the photosensitive member is classified by a respective kind of the image. The image forming apparatus comprises a storage unit which stores a cumulative value of a pixel value by a respective kind of the image; adding means for adding the pixel value of a respective pixel of the image formed on the photosensitive member, to the cumulative value stored in the storage unit and corresponding to the kind of the image; and toner consumption calculating means for calculating a toner consumption based on the cumulative value stored in the storage unit. An image forming apparatus capable of totaling the pixel value by a respective kind of the image and calculating the toner consumption by a respective kind of the image is realized.
US07999968B2
The image forming apparatus receives image data based on multiple document images of various sizes and/or orientations. The apparatus identifies areas that are not yet assigned with document images on a single sheet of paper and identifies whether any document image can be laid out in an identified area. In another aspect of the apparatus, a maximum document image size is detected from multiple document images, and a scale factor is calculated to cause the detected maximum size match with the size of the entire area of the paper or an area obtained by dividing the paper into equal parts. In another aspect of the apparatus, a scaling factor is calculated for each document image to cause the size of the particular document match with the size of an area obtained by dividing the paper into equal parts.
US07999962B2
An image-reading apparatus and method for controlling the image-reading apparatus including a document plate where an original document is placed, a line image sensor that reads an image on the document plate by scanning to obtain image data, a reference-setting image that is placed outside a region of the document plate at a position where the line image sensor is able to read the reference-setting image, and a control unit configured to set a reference position when the image sensor reads the image, wherein the control unit detects the reference-setting image from the image data and, depending on a power-on state of the image-reading apparatus, selects the manner in which the reference position is set based on the reference-setting image.
US07999959B2
System and method for user-specific discovery and initiation of a default document processing device
The subject application is directed to a system and method for user-specific discovery and initiation of a default document processing device. First, a computing device is placed in data communication with an associated data network. Device data corresponding to document processing devices accessible by the computing device is then retrieved. Via the associated data network, data communication is established between the computing device and the document processing devices. The relative location between the computing device and each of the document processing devices is then determined according to the established data communication. A default document processing device subset is thereafter selected from the available document processing devices based upon the determined location. Operation of the document processing device subset is then enabled via the computing device.
US07999950B1
The present invention provides a method and apparatus in a data processing system for printing characters. Data received includes glyphs for output on an output device, wherein the glyphs are to be output using a selected device font. Monitoring for unsupported glyphs in the selected device font is performed. In response to detecting a glyph unsupported by the selected device font, a back up system font is used to output the glyph to the output device.
US07999945B2
A combined system and method synchronizes optical coherence tomography and acoustic radiation force for simultaneously imaging and mechanically displacing tissue in a patient as a detection and analytic tool. An endoscope is provided which has a piezoelectric element and an OCT scanner. The piezoelectric element generates the acoustic force to displace the tissue. The OCT scanner images the tissue and the system determines the mechanical displacement of the tissue. Cancer and arterial plaques can be recognized from the mechanical displacement of the tissue.
US07999937B1
Microfluidic devices and methods for flow cytometry are described. In described examples, various sample handling and preparation steps may be carried out within a same microfluidic device as flow cytometry steps. A combination of imaging and flow cytometry is described. In some examples, spiral microchannels serve as incubation chambers. Examples of automated sample handling and flow cytometry are described.
US07999933B2
Disclosed is a method for calibrating optical spectrographs, and in particular optical spectrographs having focal plane array detectors. The method comprises the steps of detecting a spectrum of a known source, referencing a table of known spectral wavelengths and relative intensities, and deriving a spectrograph model based on the spectrograph's physical properties to approximate the observed spectrum, wherein non-linear optimization techniques refine the theoretical model parameters, thereby minimizing the residual difference between observed and calculated spectral intensities in an iterative process producing a set of physical model parameters that best describe the modeling spectrograph for calibration of subsequent spectral acquisitions.
US07999928B2
In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for interrogating a sample by: illuminating a first region of the sample with a first illumination pattern to obtain a plurality of first sample photons; illuminating a second region of the sample with a second illumination pattern to obtain a plurality of second sample photons; processing the plurality of first sample photons to obtain a characteristic atomic emission of the first region and processing the plurality of second sample photons to obtain a Raman spectrum; and identifying the sample through at least one of the characteristic atomic emission of the first region or the Raman spectrum of the second region of the sample.
US07999925B2
An optical sight includes an outer barrel unit, an objective lens unit, an ocular lens unit, a magnification unit, a range-finding module, and a display unit. The objective lens and the ocular lens unit are mounted to front and rear ends of the outer barrel unit, respectively. The magnification unit is disposed between the objective lens unit and the ocular lens unit. The range-finding module is disposed on the magnification unit, and includes a light emitter, a light receiver, and a micro processing unit. The display unit is disposed in the outer barrel unit, and includes a seat mounted adjustably between the magnification unit and the ocular lens unit, and a transparent display secured to the seat and coupled electrically to the micro processing unit. The transparent display has an aiming indicator, and a message indicator for visual indication of a range calculated by the micro processing unit.
US07999917B2
The disclosure relates an illumination system configured to guide illumination light from a radiation source to an object plane and to provide defined illumination of an object field in the object plane, wherein illumination light is supplied to the object field by a bundle-guiding optical pupil component which is disposed in a pupil plane of the projection objective, and wherein at least another bundle-guiding component is disposed upstream of the pupil component in the beam path of the illumination light. The disclosure further concerns a projection exposure apparatus that includes such an illumination system of this type, a method of fabricating a microstructured component using such a projection exposure apparatus, and a microstructured component fabricated using such a method.
US07999910B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for manufacturing a mask for semiconductor processing. In one example, the system includes at least one exposure unit configured to select a recipe for a later baking process in a post treatment unit, a buffer unit coupled to the exposure unit and configured to move the mask substrate from the exposure unit to the post treatment unit without exposing the mask substrate to the environment; and the post treatment unit coupled to the buffer unit and the exposure unit and configured to perform a baking process on the mask substrate using baking parameters associated with the recipe selected by the exposure unit.
US07999908B2
A liquid crystal display device and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed in the present invention. The liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates including a plurality of liquid crystal display panel regions, each liquid crystal display panel region having an active region and a dummy region, a sealant outside the liquid crystal display panel regions, a dummy column spacer on the dummy region to control a liquid crystal flow, a buffer region between the sealant and the dummy column spacer to accommodate a liquid crystal, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.
US07999903B2
To implement a support layer which is smaller than in the prior art with a stable contact area with the spacers in columnar form even in the case where the spacers in columnar form are miniaturized.A liquid crystal display device is provided with: a first substrate; a second substrate; and a liquid crystal display panel having liquid crystal sandwiched between the above described first substrate and the above described second substrate, and characterized in that the above described second substrate has spacers in columnar form, the above described first substrate has a support layer in a region where the above described spacers in columnar form are formed, the above described support layer has: a first layer extending in a first direction; and a second layer formed on the above described first layer and extending in a second direction which crosses the above described first direction at an angle of 70° to 110°, and the surface of the above described spacers in columnar form on the above described first substrate side faces the portion where the above described first layer of the above described support layer and the above described second layer overlap. The above described first layer and the above described second layer of the above described support layer are rectangular in a plan view. The above described first layer is a semiconductor layer and the above described second layer is a metal layer.
US07999894B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal cell including a liquid crystal layer twist-aligned at 90° sandwiched between a pair of substrates, first and second polarizing layers arranged to sandwich the liquid crystal cell therebetween so that their absorption axes set to parallel with directions crossing aligning treatment directions of the substrates at 45°, and viewing angle compensating plates respectively arranged between the polarizing layers and the liquid crystal cell. A total value of retardations in a thickness direction, defined as a value of a product of a phase difference within a plane perpendicular to substrate surfaces of the liquid crystal cell and a layer thickness, of optical layers present between the polarizing layers is set to a value that substantially cancels out a retardation in a liquid crystal layer thickness direction when a saturation voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer.
US07999892B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device which has a wide viewing angle and less color-shift depending on an angle at which a display screen is seen and can display an image favorably recognized both outdoors in sunlight and dark indoors (or outdoors at night). The liquid crystal display device includes a first portion where display is performed by transmission of light and a second portion where display is performed by reflection of light. Further, a liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal molecule which rotates parallel to an electrode plane when a potential difference is generated between two electrodes of a liquid crystal element provided below the liquid crystal layer.
US07999891B2
The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a vertically aligned liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrate. The device has a plurality of pixels each including a first electrode formed on the first substrate, a second electrode formed on the second substrate, and the liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second electrode, and a shading region provided around the pixels. A plurality of supports for defining the thickness of the liquid crystal layer are placed regularly on the surface of the first or second substrate facing the liquid crystal layer in the shading region. The liquid crystal layer forms at least one liquid crystal domain exhibiting axisymmetric alignment when at least a predetermined voltage is applied, and the tilt direction of liquid crystal molecules in the at least one liquid crystal domain is defined with inclined sides of the plurality of supports.
US07999890B2
A liquid crystal driving electrode and a liquid crystal display using the same are provided. The liquid crystal driving electrode includes a substrate, a reflecting electrode layer, and a light-transmissible electrode. The substrate includes a plurality of pixels; each pixel has a reflection area and a transmission area adjacent to the reflection area. The reflecting electrode overlaps the reflecting area while the light-transmissible electrode overlaps the transmission area. The reflecting electrode has an effective margin. The light-transmissible electrode electrically connects to the reflecting electrode and extends to overlap the effective margin.
US07999874B2
The image-pickup apparatus performs a scan operation for sequentially obtaining focus evaluation values with movement of a focus lens and calculates an in-focus position on the focus evaluation values. The apparatus includes a controller configured to divide a movable range of the focus lens for the scan operation into plural zones, and to change a scan operation zone where the scan operation is performed from a current zone to a next zone among the plural zones when the focus evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition. The controller sets, as the predetermined condition, a first condition for changing the scan operation zone from a specific zone to the next zone, and a second condition for changing the scan operation zone from a zone other than the specific zone to the next zone. The first condition is harder to be satisfied than the second condition.
US07999870B2
A CMOS image sensor or other type of image sensor comprises an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns, with the columns being separated into groups each comprising two or more columns that share a common output. The image sensor further comprises sampling and readout circuitry that includes, for each group of columns in the pixel array, a corresponding set of two or more column circuits. The sampling and readout circuitry is configured to sample the common output for each group of columns independently into one of the column circuits associated with that group, and to read out the common output for each group of columns as previously sampled into another of the column circuits associated with that group. The image sensor may be implemented in a digital camera or other type of image capture device.
US07999859B2
In a digital camera, when snapshot shooting is instructed during recording of a moving image, a shot still image is temporarily pushed aside in a memory area for use in pushing aside (7a) in a frame buffer (7). A currently shooting motion image and a still image are displayed in parallel on a display (9), so that a user can confirm a content of a snapshot. The moving image continues to be recorded even during a push-aside operation. After a moving image processing is completed, the still image is processed by an image correcting circuit (4). The frame buffer (7) comprises a plurality of frame recording areas, and is shared on the occasions of a moving image processing and a still image processing. In a normal moving image processing, these areas are utilized in a cyclic manner, and when the still image is shot, any of areas will be utilized. Thereafter, the rest of areas are utilized in the cyclic manner for the moving images. The recording function for the moving image and still image is improved at low cost, it becomes easy to take a snapshot, and the merchandise size is not increased.
US07999849B2
Moving object detection methods and systems are described. In an embodiment, motion likelihoods are accumulated from sets of sequential image frames which are generated from a sensor scan of one or more moving objects. Regions that each indicates a probable moving object from the accumulated motion likelihoods are determined, and the one or more moving objects are then detected from the respective regions that indicate a probable moving object.
US07999828B2
An image processing apparatus includes a system control unit, and a display control unit. The system control unit judges whether a setting item that is newly selected on a preview image is mutually exclusive with a setting item that has already been selected on the preview image. The display control unit displays, when the setting items are mutually exclusive with each other, an area corresponding to the setting item newly selected differently from other areas. The display control unit also displays, when the area is selected, why the setting item newly selected cannot be set.
US07999824B2
A flicker filter is adjusted according to degree of alpha blending performed on a display signal. For some weakly showing graphics images, a lower flicker filter level may be implemented or the flicker filter may be turned off. A threshold for turning off the flicker filter may be programmable. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07999822B2
In order to obtain colorimetric data close to the color appearance under an actual viewing condition, a plurality of conversion data for converting colorimetric data measured under the first geometric condition of colorimetry into that measured under the second geometric condition of colorimetry are held, and the information of a viewing illuminant and colorimetric data measured under the first geometric condition of colorimetry are obtained. Conversion data which corresponds to the information of the viewing illuminant is interpolated from the plurality of conversion data which are held. The colorimetric data measured under the first geometric condition of colorimetry is converted into that measured under the second geometric condition of colorimetry using the interpolated conversion data.
US07999821B1
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide texture caches and related circuits that store and retrieve texels in an efficient manner. One such texture circuit can provide a configurable number of texel quads for a configurable number of pixels. For bilinear filtering, texels for a comparatively greater number of pixels can be retrieved. For trilinear filtering, texels in a first LOD are retrieved for a number of pixels during a first clock cycle, during a second clock cycle, texels in a second LOD are retrieved. When aniso filtering is needed, a greater number of texels can be retrieved for a comparatively lower number of pixels.
US07999818B2
An instruction display system includes memory for storing instruction information in a format specified by the user, a display, and a hands-free user-controlled processor. Hands-free user inputs define selected portions of the stored instruction information that are to be displayed. The memory, display and processor are coupled to the user by a mounting assembly that allows the user to readily view the display for a particular activity.
US07999808B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for executing node traversal or primitive intersection using a parallel processing architecture. In operation, it is determined whether a plurality of threads in a parallel processing architecture are to execute node traversal or primitive intersection. Additionally, the node traversal or the primitive intersection is executed, based on the determination.
US07999797B2
A device may receive measurements from an accelerometer in relation to a tap on a surface. The device may process the measurements to obtain a signal that indicates an occurrence of the tap on the surface and may produce the location of the tap based on the processed measurements.
US07999793B2
A touch screen system includes a touch screen assembly (30,31) and a touch screen controller (1A) coupled to terminals (24,25,26,27) of the touch screen assembly (30,31), the touch screen controller (1A) including a controller (41) and an analog to digital converter (22) for generating multiple digital data numbers representing multiple coordinate values, respectively, of a particular touch point (Q) of the touch screen assembly (30,31) in response to control signals (42) generated by the controller (41). A sorting technique is performed to sort the digital data numbers in order of their values, respectively. An averaging technique is performed on at least some of the sorted digital data numbers, including a median sorted digital number.
US07999791B2
An improved handheld electronic device, keypad, and method in accordance with the invention meet these and other needs. An improved handheld electronic device having an improved keypad provides enhanced usability and reduced size by organizing its keys in pairs, with a pair of keys being disposed on a support. Each key of a pair of keys is individually actuatable. An actuation of a key causes a primary conductor associated with the key set to electrically to connect a pair of contacts and to cause a secondary conductor associated with the key to electrically connect another pair of contacts. The primary conductor is a dome that is collapsible to electrically connect the pair of contacts and to provide a particular tactile feedback to the user. The secondary conductor is a conductor other than a collapsible dome. An actuation of any key or of any pair of keys thus provides to the user a consistent tactile feedback from a collapse of a single dome. An improved method in accordance with the invention is also disclosed.
US07999789B2
The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for configuring an electrical device to a selected orientation. Direction information that is indicative of the orientation of the electrical device is provided by a directional detection switch. A processor selects a selected orientation from a plurality of permitted orientations by processing the direction information and instructs a display unit to operate in the selected orientation. Different adjacent contacts of a directional detection switch are activated corresponding to different orientation of the electrical device. A conductive ball may be positioned by gravity and consequently conducts an electrical current between two corresponding adjacent contacts based on the orientation of the electrical device. A display unit of an electrical device may include an output component or an input component that is configured based on the orientation of the electrical device.
US07999787B2
A dielectrophoretic display has a substrate having walls defining a cavity, the cavity having a viewing surface and a side wall inclined to the viewing surface. A fluid is contained within the cavity; and a plurality of particles are present in the fluid. There is applied to the substrate an electric field effective to cause dielectrophoretic movement of the particles so that the particles occupy only a minor proportion of the viewing surface.
US07999777B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a first substrate, a second substrate, and a positive liquid crystal sandwiched between the first and second substrates. The liquid crystal display panel includes a plurality of sub pixels which include a first electrode and a second electrode formed on the first substrate. The liquid crystal display panel is configured to drive the liquid crystal by generating an electric field using a difference in potential between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first substrate includes a first alignment film, a plurality of video lines, and a first polarizer, and the second substrate includes a second alignment film, and a second polarizer. Relationships exist among extension directions of the video lines and directions of alignment axis orthogonal thereto, of the alignment films a polarization axis of at least one of the polarizer, and angles therebetween.
US07999776B2
An exemplary liquid crystal display (400) includes a liquid crystal panel (430), a gate driving circuit (410), a data driving circuit (420), and a compensation circuit (440). The liquid crystal panel includes a plurality of gate lines (401) and a plurality of data lines (402) intersecting with the gate lines. The gate driving circuit is configured for providing a plurality of scanning signals to the gate lines in sequence. The data driving circuit is configured for providing a plurality of gray scale voltages to the data lines. The compensation circuit is configured for compensating the scanning signals. The compensation circuit is charged by alternate of the scanning signals, and discharges each such charge to provide a compensation signal to a gate line corresponding to a next scanning signal.
US07999772B2
A pixel structure includes a light-emitting device (LED); a first scan line; a data line; a first transistor having a gate coupled to the first scan line; and a current mirror electrically connected to the LED. The current mirror includes a second transistor having a gate connected to the data line and one of the source and the drain of the first transistor, and one of a source and a drain coupled to a first voltage source; and a third transistor having a gate coupled to the other of the source and the drain of the first transistor, one of a source and a drain coupled the first voltage source. The LED is coupled between the other of the source and the drain of the third transistor and a second voltage source whose voltage level is greater than a voltage level of the first voltage source.
US07999770B2
The present invention provides a technique to improve the display quality of an electro-optical device using an electro-optical element which emits light with a brightness corresponding to a driving current. Each pixel can include an organic EL element OLED which emits light with a brightness corresponding to a driving current, a capacitor for storing an electric charge corresponding to data supplied via a data line, a drive transistor for setting a driving current according to the electric charge stored in the capacitor and for supplying the set driving current to the organic EL element OLED, and a control transistor which repeats interruption of a current path for the driving current in one vertical scanning period.
US07999766B2
A driving method and a driver circuit for improving the definition of display image on a plasma display device. In an initial state in an addressing discharge period, a scanning electrode is applied with a scanning base pulse at a first power supply potential. This suppresses a weak erroneous discharge between a scanning base pulse and a display data pulse. Next, the scanning electrode is applied with a scanning pulse. After the scanning pulse has been applied, the scanning electrode is applied with the scanning base pulse at a second power supply potential. In this way, the level of the scanning base pulse applied to the scanning electrode after the end of the application of the scanning pulse in the addressing discharge period is lower than the level of the scanning base pulse applied to the scanning electrode before the application of the scanning pulse. This ensures a potential difference between the scanning electrode and the sustain electrode, and facilitates the formation of a wall charge required for a sustain discharge in the next discharge sustain period.
US07999760B2
A method is provided for a distortion-free display of image elements, which are composed of computer-generated pixels and are reflected on a non-planar reflective surface, in particular a windshield of a motor vehicle. According to this method, pre-distorted image data are calculated by a computer unit in an operating phase as a function of the distortion properties of the reflective surface from the original image data of the image elements in accordance with the display-related pre-distortion parameters and are transferred to a display unit, which projects the image elements onto the reflective surface. In order to obtain the display-related pre-distortion parameters, at least one image element is provided, pre-distorted and projected in the form of original image data in a calibration phase in a procedure that is analogous to the operating phase; and the image data resulting from the projection are recorded using a camera and image processing, and compared with the original image data. During the calibration phase, at least two image data sets resulting from the projection are recorded from different camera positions and/or camera viewing angles.
US07999759B2
A display system for presenting one or more planes of display information. The display system may include two or more display modules positioned in a spaced relationship in a stacked formation substantially along a Z-axis perpendicular to a display face of a display module. Each display module may be selectively activated to display a visual image or deactivated to a quiescent state. Further, when a display module is activated to display the viewed image, the viewed image can be viewed through a prior display module which is deactivated to a quiescent state.
US07999755B2
A quadrifilar antenna having helical windings is fed by a phase shift feed network, each winding having an open circuit termination element, the phase shift feeding network having forward directional phase shift paths from a feed input to phase shift feed output ports, and having a first reverse directional transmission path from one or more of the phase shift feed output ports back to a first isolation port, and a second reverse directional transmission path from another one or more of the phase shift feed output ports back to a second isolation port, the first and second isolation ports isolated from the forward directional phase shift paths, and a differential termination impedance, floating from ground, connected the first and second isolation ports. Optionally, the differential termination impedance is frequency selective.
US07999747B1
A gas plasma antenna with a rigid, flexible, or semi-flexible substrate and an improved method of generating a uniform electron density. The antenna comprises a gas discharge device containing a multiplicity of microcavities, each microcavity containing an ionizable gas for providing a microdischarge. Each microdischarge acts alone or in concert with other microdischarges to form a dipole or pattern of dipoles.
US07999745B2
Dual polarization antenna element with dielectric bandwidth compensation and improved cross-coupling
An antenna element architecture containing a dielectric beamwidth compensation perimeter structure around a radiating element is disclosed. A transmitting and receiving antenna element is provided so as to provide a desired azimuth and elevation radiation pattern in the intended polarization without degrading performance of cross polarization. Both single and dual polarization antenna elements can be employed.
US07999739B2
A goniometry method for one or several diffuse (or distributed) sources is disclosed. The sources or sources having one or more give directions and a diffusion cone. The sources are received by an array of several sensors. The method breaks down the diffusion cone into a finite number L of diffusers. A diffuser has the parameters (θmp, δθmpi, Δmp, δΔmpi), associated with it. Directing vectors a(θmp+δθmpi, Δmp+δΔmpi) associated with the L diffusers are combined to obtain a vector (D(θ, Δ, δθ, δΔ) α or U(θ, Δ) β(δθ, δΔ, α)) dependent on at least one of the incidence and deflection parameters (θ, Δ, δθ, δΔ) and on the combination vector α. A MUSIC-type criterion or other goniometry algorithm is applied to the vectors D(θ, Δ, δθ, δΔ) α or U(θ, Δ) β(δθ, δΔ, α) obtained in order to determine at least one of the incidence parameters θmp, Δmp, δθmp, δΔmp of the associated diffusion cone.
US07999733B2
A receiver in receipt of a plurality of pseudo noise codes, where each of the pseudo noise codes originates from a GPS transmitter and a plurality of chips make up each pseudo noise code with an offset between 511 chips before a pseudo noise code boundary and 512 chips after the pseudo noise code boundary, and a local clock having an error of less than 0.5 ms relative to a GPS time and synchronized to a GPS signal that is able to be decoded with a decoder connected to the receiver and the local clock and by simultaneously solving the four pseudo range equations for at least four GPS transmitters a determination of the location of the receiver occurs.
US07999727B2
A radar high frequency module having at least one distance piece mounted at the flat top wall of the shielding cover for supporting the shielding cover on the printed circuit board without mechanical contact of the downwardly extending side walls of the shielding cover with the printed circuit board to allow alignment of a rod antenna to a patch antenna arranged on the printed circuit board with greater precision. The side walls may be fixed to the printed circuit board by a conductive adhesive.
US07999721B2
A GPS enabled radar detector dynamically handles radar sources based upon previously-stored geographically-referenced information on such sources and data from the GPS receiver. The detector includes technology for determining the location of the detector, and comparing this location to the locations of known stationary sources, to improve the handling of such detections. The detector may ignore detections received in an area known to contain a stationary source, or may only ignore specific frequencies or may handle frequencies differently based upon historic trends of spurious police radar signals at each frequency. Notification of the driver will take on a variety of forms depending on the stored information, current operating modes, and vehicle speed. The detector may be also incorporated within a general purpose navigation device.
US07999714B2
A converter includes an analog to digital converter having a bias current input, a control input, and an analog input to provide a digital output as a function of the analog input. A bias module is coupled to the bias current input to provide bias current to the analog to digital converter. A controller is coupled to the bias module and to the control input of the analog to digital converter. The controller controls the analog to digital converter to sample an analog input and controls the bias module to provide an operating bias current during sampling of the analog input and an idle bias current when not sampling the analog input.
US07999708B2
A method of phase mismatch correction in high-sample rate time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters (ADC) is provided. An ADC parallel array has an output signal that is processed by a phase-mismatch detector. The detector drives a clock generator control circuit for the ADC array. The clock generator includes a common mode logic (CML) buffer, a CMOS, a non-overlapping generator, a DAC and a decimating low-pass filter. The CML receives a reference clock signal providing source line control (SLC) to the CMOS, the CMOS provides SLC to the DAC that is controlled by the filter which receives a digital control signal from the phase mismatch detector. The DAC provides a corrected timing input to the CMOS that provides the corrected timing signal to the non-overlap generator, where a delay in the clock path is modified and the signal path is unaltered.
US07999704B2
A method for data communication, where the data compression and decompression is performed by use of a specific hash table, by which data compression a symbol for each data segment is generated, which symbols are transmitted to the receiver where the symbols are decompressed by use of the specific hash table is modified by the specific hash table being performed as a hash table array, which hash table array generates symbols having at least a hash count and a parity check, in which hash table array the parity check comprises generating of a data string, which data string is compared with a parity stored in the hash table, where if both parities are the same, the data model returns the count in the hash table element for transmission, where a zero count is returned indicating that the data string is not valid in the hash table an no transmission is performed.
US07999703B2
A system and method are provided for receiving navigational data via a wireless messaging service on a navigation system. The system and method provide a way to send requests for destination information via the wireless messaging service and capture navigational data from the responsive message received, such as addresses, telephone numbers, or email addresses, and then utilize that data for navigational routing, generation of telephone calls, emailing and the like, from the vehicle's navigation system. A wireless device can be paired with the navigation system over a Bluetooth communication link, wherein the navigation system periodically polls the wireless device for newly received messages. In one embodiment, the NAVI displays icons on a map that correspond to the extracted addresses from the messages received in relation to the vehicle's current location. The icons can be shown in a plurality of visual formats to distinguish previously viewed locations from newly received ones.
US07999702B2
In one embodiment taught herein, a plurality of road-going vehicles report weather-related data to a weather-determining system. For example, trucks and/or cars having in-vehicle information systems wirelessly transmit one or more items of weather-related data, such that the weather-determining system directly or indirectly receives the transmitted data. In turn, the weather-determining system jointly processes the weather-related data to determine weather information for one or more geographic areas corresponding to reported positions of the road-going vehicles. In one embodiment, the in-vehicle information systems comprise GPS-based position reporting systems installed in on-highway trucks and other fleet vehicles, and the weather-determining system comprises a modified position-tracking system, e.g., a modified network fleet management system. Weather-related data may be collected and processed for large numbers of vehicles across many geographic areas of interest, and the resulting weather information can be fed back to the road-going vehicles and/or provided to other consumers of weather information.
US07999698B2
Systems and methods for anti-collision lights on a UAV. A method for passive anti-collision lights on a Micro-Aerial Vehicle (“MAV”) including determining a location of the MAV using a flight management computer configured to fly the MAV on a programmed path using data from a global positioning system and an inertial navigation system. The flight management system transmits light activation data and selectively activates at least one navigation light located on a visible surface of the MAV using the light activation data from the flight management computer.
US07999690B1
A weight alarm system for indicating excess weight applied to a door is disclosed. The alarm system comprises an excess weight sensing means, such as a pressure strip means fixed around a peripheral edge of the door or a load cell fixed between the peripheral edge of the door and a structural mount for the door. A door latching mechanism includes traverses either a front or a rear side of the door and includes a latching bolt. When the excess weight sensing means if actuated a signaling means is activated to alert those nearby to a possible suicide attempt.
US07999689B1
Device operation sensing and control apparatus for use in combination with a wireless security panel which communicates with a remote operations center, to facilitate independent at-home living of, for example, semi-autonomous elderly persons. One apparatus embodiment includes a remotely controlled AC power receptacle module controllable by signals from the wireless security panel and into which a device such as a microwave oven is plugged. An AC current sensor is connected to an alarm system transmitter for transmitting a signal when the device is in use. Another apparatus embodiment senses operation of and allows remote control of power to an electric range. First and second timers and associated alarm system transmitters transmit a “RANGE ON” signal to the wireless security panel when the electric range is in use, and a “RANGE ON FOR X TIME” signal when the electric range has been use for a predetermined length of time.
US07999680B2
To inform warehousemen that a vehicle that has arrived at a dock is situated so as to allow loading or unloading operations, the dock is equipped with a series of radio identification tags placed in succession along an access lane to the dock and it is verified by appropriate devices associated with the dock whether a locating device placed in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle and carrying readers of radio identification tags is or is not arranged at a position with respect to a given direction in relation to the succession of tags along the access lane to the dock. The locating device is advantageously implemented in the form of a restraint chock for the wheels of the vehicle or in the form of any other means for immobilizing the latter at the dock.
US07999671B2
A radio communication apparatus has a GPS function, is internally included in or is removably connected to an information processing apparatus. A reference position setting unit sets a reference position. A positional condition setting unit sets a positional condition about the reference position which is a condition for performing the processing under a predetermined security mode. A positional condition determining unit determines whether the condition for performing the processing under a predetermined security mode is obtained or not on the basis of the positional condition and its positional information obtained by the GPS function. A security mode processing performing unit performs processing under a predetermined security mode if it is determined that the condition for performing the processing under a predetermined security mode is obtained. If the information processing apparatus is powered off, the radio communication apparatus operates with the powered supplied from the information processing apparatus.
US07999656B2
An electronic lock box contains a secure compartment for storing keys to a structure. A sensing system allow the lock box to determine whether the contents of the lock box have been replaced as well as ensuring the correct key or object has been returned. The system reports the status of the object back to the central clearinghouse computer through an electronic key or secure memory device.
US07999652B2
In a flat plate type thick film resistor, an insulation performance is improved by excluding the nonuniformity of potential distribution on a wiring plane, which is generated when electric current flows in a resistance wire. Simultaneously, generation of noise depending on potential distribution and variation of stray capacitance around a resistor is suppressed. When the resistance wire having a constant thickness and uniform resistivity, which is formed on an insulating substrate, is connected to a pair electrode conductors that face to each other, in the way that the resistance wire is repetitively bent to the alternate side in zigzags, a potential gradient on the wiring plane, which is generated when electric current flows in the resistance wire, is constant by properly selecting the line width, the bending angle, and the spacing between bending vertexes of a resistance wire.
US07999650B2
A problem is to provide a sheet-like or thin plate-like coil device that can guarantee a high power transmission efficiency, that has quite little magnetic spurious radiation, that does not cause overheat even in the case of long charge, and that can be manufactured at low cost.The present coil device is characterized in that two spiral patterns composing a basic pattern are each formed into regular triangle, and are arranged in back to back manner sharing each of base side lines of those two triangles so that the basic pattern is formed into a rhombic S-shape as a whole.
US07999648B2
A wire-wound coil has a characteristic impedance that can be flexibly adjusted and can be prevented from varying undesirably. In the coil of the present invention, a primary wire part 18A and a secondary wire part 18B are wound around the surface of a core portion 14 so as to be separated from each other by a fixed distance. At the same time, at least one portion the secondary wire part 18B in a prior turn section 19X and at least one portion of the primary wire part 18A in a subsequent turn section 19Y are in close contact with each other, wherein the wire parts 18A and 18B are wound in different turns and are adjacent to each other on the same surface of the core portion 14. A method for manufacturing the wire-wound coil is also disclosed.
US07999646B2
To provide a composite magnetic device having characteristics of two magnetic elements, being capable of reducing a manufacturing cost, and preferably enabling the respective magnetic elements to easily exhibit the same characteristics. The composite magnetic device includes: a first core member which includes an outer tube portion having a tubular shape and a partition portion partitioning an inner space (P) of the outer tube portion into two inner spaces; second core members each including a first flange portion and a second flange portion, the second core members being arranged in a state in which a magnetic gap is formed at least between the partition portion and the second flange portion, and being arranged in each of the two inner spaces (P) on each side of the partition portion; coils each arranged on a spool portion present between the first flange portion and the second flange portion; and terminal members arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the outer tube portion and electrically connected to ends of the coils.
US07999645B2
An electro permanent magnetic apparatus with monolithic working face for holding workpieces magnetically or mechanically comprises a base plate and a ferrous monolithic working face. The base plate has a pocket or recess which houses reversible magnets and electrical windings; the working face has magnetic poles which are demarked by slots. On the opposite side of the working face recesses are provided beneath the slots for housing non-reversible permanent magnets.
US07999628B2
This invention includes a bias origination section configured to originate an original bias voltage; a comparison section configured to compare the original bias voltage and a comparison voltage, and output a comparison result; a resistive divider section composed by a resistance circuit including a variable resistor section having a resistor and a switch, and configured to generate the comparison voltage; a bias decision control section configured to determine bias decision data for controlling a resistance value of the variable resistor section so as to bring the comparison voltage close to the original bias voltage, based on a comparison result of the comparison section; and a storage section configured to hold the bias decision data and also output the comparison voltage as a bias voltage by controlling a resistance value of the variable resistor section based on the held bias decision data, thereby generating a low-noise bias with a small area.
US07999625B2
A method of calibrating oscillators is disclosed that includes searching, in an array storing an operational characteristic of the oscillator, for an index value that is associated with an output of the oscillator; determining that the output is within a predetermined accuracy as compared to a desired output; and generating the output based the index value. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed herein.
US07999622B2
An embodiment of the invention is a circuit for adaptive phase noise cancellation for a fractional-N PLL. A preferred embodiment employs a split loop filter architecture. Two loop filter halves separately drive half-sized parallel varactors in a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and also drive a differential-input lowpass frequency selective circuit, e.g., a differential-input integrator in a least mean squared (LMS) feedback loop. The output of the differential-input lowpass frequency selective circuit controls the gain matching of a phase noise cancellation path to minimize phase noise arising from quantization error associated with the sequence of divider modulus values in the fractional-N PLL. The two varactor capacitances add together in the VCO tank, so the VCO frequency depends on the common-mode loop filter voltage and is relatively insensitive to differential-mode voltage. In contrast, the differential integrator operates on the differential-mode voltage from the two loop filter halves but attenuates their common-mode voltage.
US07999621B2
A cross-differential amplifier is provided. The cross-differential amplifier includes an inductor connected to a direct current power source at a first terminal. A first and second switch, such as transistors, are connected to the inductor at a second terminal. A first and second amplifier are connected at their supply terminals to the first and second switch. The first and second switches are operated to commutate the inductor between the amplifiers so as to provide an amplified signal while limiting the ripple voltage on the inductor and thus limiting the maximum voltage imposed across the amplifiers and switches.
US07999602B2
It is possible to reliably prevent two switching elements comprising a half-bridge circuit from turning ON simultaneously even when two pulse signals allowing both the two switching elements to turn ON are input thereto.A first drive signal is allowed to be output from a first output terminal 4 to a P-type MOSFET 10 based on a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, and a second drive signal is allowed to be output from a second output terminal 5 to an N-type MOSFET 11 that operates as a second switching element based on the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, and a protecting circuit 20 is configured to allow at least one of the P-type MOSFET 10 and the N-type MOSFET 11 to turn OFF.
US07999600B2
A circuit for limiting di/dt caused by a main switching FET during its turn-off against an inductive switching circuit is proposed. The circuit for limiting di/dt includes an auxiliary inductor in series with the main switching FET for inducing an auxiliary inductive voltage proportional to di/dt; an auxiliary FET in parallel with the main switching FET; the auxiliary FET gate is connected to produce a gate voltage equal to the auxiliary inductive voltage. When the di/dt tends to exceed a predetermined maximum rate of decrease the auxiliary FET produces an auxiliary current component counteracting further decrease of the di/dt. The main switching FET and the auxiliary FET can be formed from a single die with shared source and drain; the auxiliary inductor can be implemented as a parasitic inductance of an inherently required bonding wire connecting the main switching FET to its device terminal to simplify packaging with reduced cost.
US07999599B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for electronic signal conversion in which a power level of the signal is used to adjust the bias current of a converter.
US07999597B2
A circuit adjustable after packaging includes a functional circuit supplied with a power potential and a reference potential and has at least one parameter adjustable by programming at least one programmable element and a circuit to program the programmable element of the functional circuit. The adjustable circuit also includes a limiter circuit to limit the voltage between the power supply potential and the reference potential to an adjustable limiting voltage, and a circuit to adjust the limiting voltage. After adjusting a parameter of the functional circuit, the limiting voltage of the limiter circuit is adjusted.
US07999595B2
A circuit includes a differential circuit having at least to two inputs, a first variable impedance circuit, and a second variable impedance circuit. The first variable impedance circuit is between a first branch of the differential circuit and an output. The first variable impedance circuit provides a first variable impedance. The a second variable impedance circuit is between a second branch of the differential circuit and the output. The second variable impedance circuit provides a second variable impedance. The first variable impedance and the second variable impedance vary in accordance with a voltage difference between the two inputs.
US07999587B2
The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement and method of applying predistortion to a baseband signal used for modulating a pulse-shaped signal, wherein an envelope information of the baseband signal is detected and slewing distortions of the pulse-shaped signal are reduced by applying at least one of a phase modulation and a duty cycle 5 modulation to the baseband signal as additional predistortion in response to the detected envelope information. Thereby, slewing distortions in the pulse-shaped signal are removed or at least reduced.
US07999586B2
Apparatuses, systems, and a method for providing a digital phase-locked loop (PLL) are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an integration-mode phase frequency detector (PFD) that compares a phase and frequency of a reference clock signal to a phase and frequency of a generated feedback clock signal and generates a digitized output signal. A digital loop filter (DLF) receives the digitized output signal and applies a linearization technique to the digitized output signal. The DLF includes a derivative gain unit of a derivative path, a proportional gain unit of a proportional path, and an integral gain unit of an integral path. The derivative path provides a direct proportional feedback loop path to the integration-mode PFD by compensating the integration of an integrator that receives output signals from the paths. The integration-mode PFD can be implemented with a hybrid circuit or a substantially digital circuit.
US07999584B2
An apparatus includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit including a phase-frequency detector configured to output phase error signals. A phase error monitor circuit is configured to determine instantaneous peak phase error by logically combining the phase error signals and comparing pulse widths of the logically combined phase error signals to a programmable delay time at each reference clock cycle to determine instantaneous phase error change. A storage element is configured to store the instantaneous phase error change.
US07999578B2
Provided is a waveform generating apparatus that generates a signal having an arbitrary waveform, comprising a waveform memory that stores a plurality of pieces of waveform data that each include a sequence of signal values; a filtering section that (i) reads from the waveform memory a piece of waveform data serving as a basis for a waveform to be generated, from among the plurality of pieces of waveform data, (ii) performs a conversion by filtering the read piece of waveform data to obtain a piece of converted waveform data, and (iii) writes to the waveform memory the piece of converted waveform data; and a waveform output section that reads the piece of converted waveform data from the waveform memory and outputs a signal having a waveform corresponding to the sequence of signal values of the read piece of converted waveform data.
US07999575B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: a first inverter constituted by a first transistor configured to charge a charge point based on an input signal, and a second transistor configured to discharge a discharge point based on the input signal; a P-type third transistor and an N-type fourth transistor with drain-source paths provided in parallel between the charge point and the discharge point; and a second inverter configured to invert a potential of the charge point or the discharge point and supply the inverted potential to gates of the third and fourth transistors, and obtain a delay signal of the input signal from the charge point or the discharge point. The semiconductor integrated circuit device secures a sufficient delay time with a small area.
US07999565B2
A visual inspection apparatus and method using the scanning electron microscope are disclosed. An electron beam is scanned repeatedly on a sample, and an inspection and a reference image are generated by the secondary electrons generated from the sample or reflected electrons. From the differential image between the inspection image and the reference image, a defect is determined. The number of pixels in the generated image along the direction of repetitive scanning by the electron beam can be changed.
US07999564B2
A probe apparatus is provided with a plurality of probe tiles, an interchangeable plate for receiving the probe tiles, a floating plate being disposed between the respective probe tile and a receiving hole on the interchangeable plate, and a control mechanism providing multi-dimensional freedom of motions to control a position of the probe tile relative to the respective receiving hole of the interchangeable plate. A method of controlling the floating plate is also provided by inserting a pair of joysticks into two respective adjustment holes disposed on the floating plate and moving the pair of joysticks to provide translational motions (X-Y) and rotational (theta) motion of the floating plate, and turning the pair of jack screws clockwise and counter-clockwise to provide a translational motion (Z) and two rotational (pitch and roll) motions of the floating plate.
US07999563B2
A chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate includes a device for supporting and retaining a calibration substrate. The chuck comprises a first support surface for supporting a test substrate and a second support surface, which is laterally offset to the first support surface, for supporting a calibration substrate The calibration substrate has planar calibration standards for calibration of a measuring unit of a prober, and dielectric material or air situated below the calibration substrate at least in the area of the calibration standard. In order to be able to take the actual thermal conditions on the test substrate and in particular also on known and unknown calibration standards and thus the thermal influence on the electrical behavior of the calibration standard used into consideration, the second support surface is equipped for temperature control of the calibration substrate.
US07999561B2
A resin impregnated amount measuring method and device for accurately and successively measuring an amount of resin impregnated in a fiber in a filament winding molding. An electrostatic capacitance of a fiber impregnated with resin is measured, and an amount of resin impregnated in the fiber is measured based on the measurement result. The fiber impregnated with resin is traveled in a non-contacting manner between two parallel flat plates of an electrostatic capacitance sensor and a change in electrostatic capacitance is measured. The amount of resin impregnated in the fiber may also be measured by irradiating light on the impregnated fiber to determine the image area of, reflectivity of, or distance of the light source from, the fiber.
US07999560B2
An interference exclusion capability testing apparatus is provided for use in testing interference exclusion capability of a specimen by radiating an electromagnetic wave toward the specimen from a radiating antenna. The radiating antenna includes an electromagnetic horn, and a waveguide plate that guides an electromagnetic wave radiated from the electromagnetic horn to the specimen.
US07999559B2
Digital fault detection circuit with an input circuit having input and output, wherein a first signal state at the input causes a predetermined signal state at the output and a second signal state at the input leaves the output floating; a signal line with signal line input and output, wherein the signal line input is coupled to the output of the input circuit; a keeper circuit coupled to the signal line output and configured to keep the signal line at the predetermined signal state, after the signal state at the input has changed from the first signal state to the second signal state; and a fault detector cell, which is coupled to the signal line between the signal line input and the signal line output and which is configured to change the state of the signal line which is otherwise kept by the keeper circuit, in response to a fault.
US07999543B2
An MR method and apparatus determines spatially resolved relaxation parameters of a subject in an examination zone, voxel by voxel. A first MR scan sequence is applied to generate a series of first MR data sets having different echo times. A second MR scan sequence is applied to generate at least one further MR data set having an enhanced spatial resolution and reduced time resolution in comparison with the first MR data sets from the first sequence. MR combination images are generated using the first MR data sets derived from the first sequence for a portion within the k-space and the further MR data set acquired outside this portion by the second sequence. The relaxation parameters are determined from the MR combination images.
US07999536B2
An absolute position magnetic encoder includes a first magnetic track configured for a binary output, a second magnetic track configured for a decimal output, a first magnetic sensor positioned proximate the first magnetic track to detect the magnetic field of the first magnetic track, and a second magnetic sensor positioned proximate the second magnetic track to detect the magnetic field of the second magnetic track. The encoder is selectively operable to provide one of the binary output and the decimal output.
US07999526B2
Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for charge-mode control. An embodiment of a charge mode controller may include an analog/digital converter configured to monitor the current through a duty cycle switch and convert the current to a switch current value; an accumulator module configured to integrate the switch current value during the switching cycle and output an accumulated charge value; and a comparator module responsive to the accumulated charge value and a charge set point configured to generate a gate drive signal for the duty cycle switch that turns the duty cycle switch ON when the accumulated charge value is less than the charge set point and turns the duty cycle switch OFF when the accumulated charge value reaches the charge set point and thereby controls the duty cycle of the converter and the power supplied by the power stage.
US07999525B2
A voltage regulator and a method of manufacturing the voltage regulator, which can provide a desired output voltage of the voltage regulator using a plurality of metal wires, arranged in regular patterns, and conductive metal wiring patterns, configured to activate the metal wires by selectively connecting them to each other when a voltage regulator having various output voltage patterns is produced through a single chip, thus reducing the costs of manufacturing the voltage regulator by simplifying the manufacturing process while reducing the size of the chip of the voltage regulator.
US07999522B2
Techniques are disclosed to control a power converter with multiple output voltages. One example regulated power converter includes a an energy transfer element coupled between a power converter input and first and second power converter outputs. A switch is coupled between the power converter input and the energy transfer element such that switching of the switch causes a first output voltage to be generated at the first power converter output and a second output voltage to be generated at the second power converter output. A current in the energy transfer element is coupled to increase when a voltage across the energy transfer element is a difference between an input voltage at the power converter input and the first output voltage. The current in the energy transfer element is coupled to decrease when the voltage across the energy transfer element is a sum of the first and second output voltages.
US07999521B2
A converter has a single inductor with a first terminal connectable to a first terminal of the supply input through a first power transistor and a second terminal connectable to a second terminal of the supply input through a second power transistor. A first rectifier element connects the first terminal of the inductor with a first output terminal, and a second rectifier element connects the second terminal of the inductor with a second output terminal. A resistive voltage divider is connected between the first and second output terminals. A control circuit uses an input from the voltage divider as a reference input voltage and provides an output current to the second terminal of the supply input in response to any voltage difference between the reference input voltage and the second terminal of the supply input. This provides a virtual common reference potential at the second terminal of the supply input, which is thus a common ground (GND) terminal. In the ON phase of both power transistors, the inductor is charged with current from the supply input. In the OFF phase (both power transistors are OFF), the energy stored in the inductor is supplied to both of the positive and the negative supply output through the rectifier elements, the output current in fact flowing almost exclusively between the positive and negative supply outputs. Thus, in the OFF phase, the inductor is entirely isolated from the supply input and the supply outputs are in no way affected by any transients or fluctuations in the supply input voltage.
US07999520B2
Systems and methods are disclosed that provide static phase shedding techniques to improve the efficiency of multi-phase voltage regulators within information handling systems by selecting the number of active phases for the multi-phase voltage regulators using circuit identifiers (IDs) for circuitry configured to be powered by the multi-phase voltage regulators, such as central processing units (CPUs). In one embodiment, processor identifier information related to installed CPUs is used to control the voltage regulator (VR) phase number to provide static phase shedding. This VR control can be implemented in a variety of ways, including the use of conventional analog multi-phase VR controllers and/or digital VR controllers. Dynamic phase shedding can also be used in conjunction with this static phase shedding to further reduce the number of active phases when a processor operates in a low power mode.
US07999508B2
A universal battery charger including: a housing with a first locating surface; and a slide cover formed corresponding to the housing and having a second locating surface corresponding to and leaning against the first locating surface. The housing is provided with terminal pieces for adjusting the position. The terminal pieces may be moved by fingers from the bottom of the housing. The second locating surface of the slide cover is in tight contact with the first locating surface when the charger is not used, thereby creating a complete contour of the charger without any gaps. In charging, the slide cover is pushed outwards over a certain distance according to the dimensions of batteries such that a charging space is created between the second locating surface and the first locating surface of the housing. The push levers can be pushed by fingers from the bottom cover according to the charging interface of the battery such that the terminal pieces at the platform are moved to a proper position whereby an electric connection with the prearranged batteries is established for the charging purpose. As a result, the universal battery charger of the invention is suitable for all kinds of batteries. Moreover, a convenient adjustment and a practical use are achieved.
US07999506B1
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is an automobile which can use either electricity or gasoline. With high gasoline prices, electricity is becoming a promising alternative to power next generation automobiles. One advantage of the PHEV and the BEV (battery electric vehicle) is that charging can be done at home. However, the small battery capacity of PHEV's may require recharging the batteries almost daily. It would be convenient for an owner of a car with batteries to not have to plug in the battery each and every day that charging is required. Our invention is a system that plugs the power automatically into the vehicle with minimal human intervention using an automated docking system. The system is composed of a robotic manipulator with a camera and a processing unit. The system uses the camera and vision processing to identify the vehicle's position, and consequently, the location of the vehicle's charging receptacle. The robotic manipulator then directs the charging cord's plug into the receptacle of the vehicle. Once charging is complete, the robotic manipulator removes the plug from the vehicle.
US07999489B2
An exemplary circuit (200) for driving light sources (211, 212, 213, 214) includes feedback circuits (218, 228, 238, 248), a signal balance circuit, and a controller (250). Each feedback circuit corresponds to a light source and is configured for providing a first feedback signal according to a driving current of the light source. The signal balance circuit is configured for balancing all the first feedback signals and correspondingly generating a second feedback signal. The controller is configured for driving the light sources to illuminate according to the second feedback signal.
US07999488B2
An ignition controller that controls ignition of a discharge lamp discharging and emitting light between a pair of electrodes provided therein, the controller includes: an ignition device that ignites the discharge lamp, and a controller that controls a drive of the ignition device, in which the controller includes: a pulse applying unit that applies a high pressure pulse to the pair of electrodes by the ignition device, a direct current applying unit for applying a direct current to the pair of electrodes for a first period after applying the high pressure pulse, and an alternating current applying unit for applying a first alternating current to the pair of electrodes for a second period after the first period.
US07999485B1
The present invention is directed to a power control wiring device that includes an electronic switch circuit that energizes the electrical load in accordance with a timing regulation signal. A timing regulation circuit includes a primary timing regulation circuit and an auxiliary timing regulation circuit. The circuit is adjustable between a minimum power setting and a maximum power setting to thereby generate an adjustable primary timing regulation signal. The timing regulation circuit also generates an auxiliary timing regulation signal to thereby reduce power consumption. A primary manual power control mechanism is configured to adjust the primary timing regulation circuit between the minimum power setting and the maximum power setting. An auxiliary manual power control mechanism is configured to trim the maximum power setting in accordance with the selectable trim adjustment, the at least one auxiliary manual power control mechanism being user accessible.
US07999479B2
An ion source, capable of generating high-density wide ribbon ion beam, utilizing one or more plasma sources is disclosed. In addition to the plasma source(s), the ion source also includes a diffusion chamber. The diffusion chamber has an extraction aperture oriented along the same axis as the dielectric cylinder of the plasma source. In one embodiment, dual plasma sources, located on opposing ends of the diffusion chamber are used to create a more uniform extracted ion beam. In a further embodiment, a multicusp magnetic field is used to further improve the uniformity of the extracted ion beam.
US07999476B2
There is provided a plasma display panel in which a front plate and a rear plate are disposed opposite to each other, a side of a tubular exhaust pipe is disposed in the vicinity of a fine hole provided in the rear plate using a tablet serving as sealant formed of frit glass, peripheries of the front plate and the rear plate and the exhaust pipe are sealed with the sealant in order to form a discharge space, and the discharge space is ventilated and discharge gas is filled into the discharge space through the exhaust pipe. The rear plate and the exhaust pipe are sealed by a sealed part obtained by melting a tablet made of amorphous frit glass not containing lead, and a stress working on the sealed part is a tension in the direction of the rear plate and the direction of the exhaust pipe.
US07999470B2
A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp has a light-transmitting discharge vessel enclosing, in a gastight manner, a discharge space provided with a filling of mercury and a rare gas. The discharge vessel includes electrode(s) for maintaining a discharge in the discharge space. The discharge vessel further includes a dispenser for controllably dispensing hydrogen into the discharge space during lamp operation. The hydrogen gas pressure during lamp operation is in the range between 10−3 Pa and 10 Pa.
US07999461B2
An organic EL device includes a substrate; a layered structure including a first electrode, an organic layer, and a second electrode disposed on the substrate in this order; and laminated protective layers surrounding at least the layered structure. The protective layers are composed of silicon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and fluorine. The fluorine content in the outermost protective layer is in the range of 0.01 to 1.0 atomic percent.
US07999459B2
The invention is directed to organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and methods of manufacturing the same. According to embodiments of the invention, an improved electron transport layer (ETL) reduces the driving voltage and current consumption of the OLED, and increase luminous efficiency and lifespan. The OLED includes a first electrode, an organic layer on the first electrode and including an emission layer (EML) and an ETL, and a second electrode on the organic layer.
US07999457B2
An organic light emitting display (OLED) device having an organic light emission unit, the organic light emitting unit including a first electrode layer on a substrate, a second electrode layer on the first electrode layer, and an organic layer between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, the OLED device including a first auxiliary electrode layer between the organic layer and the first electrode layer. The organic light emission unit is divided into first, second, and third pixel units. Each of the first, second, and third pixel units includes a second auxiliary electrode layer between the organic layer and the first auxiliary electrode layer. The second auxiliary electrode layers of the first, second and third pixel units are formed to have different thicknesses respectively, so that light beams emitted from the first, second and third pixel units can be provided with a resonance effect.
US07999455B2
A device for stimulable light emission that includes a fiber mat of nanofibers having an average fiber diameter in a range between 100 and 2000 nm, and includes plural stimulable particles disposed in association with the nanofibers. The stimulable particles produce secondary light emission upon receiving primary light at a wavelength λ. The average fiber diameter is comparable in size to the wavelength λ in order to provide scattering sites within the fiber mat for the primary light. Various methods for making suitable luminescent nanofiber mats include: electrospinning a polymer solution including or not including the stimulable particles and forming from the electrospun solution nanofibers having an average fiber diameter between 100 and 2000 nm. Methods, which electrospin without the stimulable particles, introduce the stimulable particles during electrospinning or after electrospinning to the fibers and therefore to the resultant fiber mat.
US07999454B2
An electroluminescent device having a plurality of current driven pixels arranged in rows and columns, such that when current is provided to a pixel it produces light, including each pixel having first and second electrodes and current responsive electroluminescent media disposed between the first and second electrodes; at least one chiplet having a thickness less than 20 micrometers; including transistor drive circuitry for controlling the operation of at least four pixels, the chiplet being mounted on a substrate and having connection pads; a planarization layer disposed over at least a portion of the chiplet; a first conductive layer over the planarization layer and connected to at least one of the connection pads; and a structure for providing electrical signals through the first conductive layer and at least one of the connection pads of the chiplet so that the transistor drive circuitry of the chiplet controls current to the four pixels.
US07999453B2
A field effect electron emitting apparatus comprising an insulating layer having an array of pores is disclosed, each pore has at least one nano-wire electron emitter which is shorter than the pore, and/or each pore may have a plurality of nano-wire electron emitters. A method of manufacturing a electron emitting array is also disclosed. The field effect electron emitting apparatus may be used in a display.
US07999448B2
A piezoelectric material contains a material with the molecular formula P1−c−dDcZd, wherein: 0
US07999447B2
An elastomeric piezoelectric ultracapacitor embodiment is also disclosed. A dielectric elastomer is a polymer that may be configured to operate in a “generator mode.” In generator mode the dielectric elastomer operates like a variable capacitor, and amplifies the energy of charge placed on a pair of compliant electrodes, formed on opposite sides of the elastomer, when the elastomer is in a compressed state. An elastomeric piezoelectric ultracapacitor employs generator mode techniques to further increase the power generation capabilities of an piezoelectric ultracapacitor.
US07999425B2
Assembly of a controller-integrated rotating electric machine is facilitated. In a controller-integrated rotating electric machine provided with a rotating electric machine unit having a rotor (2), a stator (3), and brackets (4, 5); a plurality of stator current switching circuit units (13) that are attached on an insulator cover (14) mounted on the brackets (4, 5); and a controller unit having a control circuit board (102), the stator current switching circuit unit (13) is provided with a plurality of switching elements (13a) and a plurality of switching elements (13b); a pair of heat sinks (13g, 13h) with which the drain terminals of the switching elements (13a, 13b) are connected; and a pair of electric connection members (17, 18) that pull out the terminals of the switching elements (13a, 13b) and that hold and integrate the pair of heat sinks (13g, 13h). Additionally, the plurality of stator current switching circuit units (13) is fixed to a relaying connection member (16), and electric connections between the stator current switching circuit units (13) and outside members are performed by the intermediary of the relaying connection member (16).
US07999420B2
In a voltage dividing circuit, a first circuit where only a first switch is connected, a second circuit where a first resistor and a second switch are connected in series, a third circuit where a second resistor and a third switch are connected in series and a fourth circuit where a third resistor and a fourth switch are connected in series are connected in parallel. One end of the parallel circuit is connected to a limit resistor and the other end of the parallel circuit is connected to a ground point. One switch is provided between a connecting point in one circuit and a connecting point in another circuit, and each resistor of at least two circuits is connected in parallel by said one switch.
US07999417B2
An electronic device having at least a loop-shaped electric conductor generating electric power by electromagnetic induction is provided. The electronic device includes a voltage-detecting unit, a voltage-comparing unit and a separating unit. The voltage-detecting unit is configured to detect a voltage generated in the electric conductor by the electromagnetic induction. The voltage-comparing unit is configured to make a comparison between the voltage detected by the voltage-detecting unit and a predetermined reference voltage and determining whether the voltage detected by the voltage-detecting unit exceeds the predetermined reference voltage. The separating unit is configured to break an electric connection between the electronic conductor and an electronic circuit connecting to the electric conductor when the voltage-comparing unit determines that the voltage detected by the voltage-detecting unit exceeds the predetermined reference voltage.
US07999415B2
Electronic leakage reduction techniques are provided, whereby an electrical outlet with a programmable computing unit is programmed to detect the current, resistance, power or pattern of current, resistance or power of an attached appliance in the on position and/or off position. Among other aspects, the electrical outlet with a programmable computing unit delivers a selected voltage below the original operational voltage and/or delivers voltage at particular durations for particular intervals to the appliance in the off position and compares detected current, resistance, power or pattern of current, resistance or power to programmed levels associated with the appliance in the on position and/or off position. If any or some of those characteristics match those programmed associated with the appliance in the on position, or fail to match those programmed associated with the off position by a set confidence interval, original operational voltage is provided to the appliance.
US07999413B2
A power supply control circuit includes a first switch unit comprising an input terminal to receive a control signal, and a number of second switch units. The second switch units are each connected between an input power source and a power output terminal. The first switch unit controls the number of second switch units to be turned on in response to the control signal being in a first status, so as to control the number of power output terminals to output corresponding power sources. The first switch unit controls the number of second switch units to be turned off in response to the control signal being in a second status, so as to direct the power output terminals to not output the corresponding power sources.
US07999407B2
An apparatus in the form of a transfer unit for transferring exhaust air from the condenser unit of an air conditioning system to an air fan turbine for driving it. The transfer unit includes a plastic, sound absorbing cover shroud for covering the exhaust fan of the condenser unit; a flexible air hose or duct having a first end connected to the cover shroud and a second end for connecting to the intake end of an air fan turbine. The air fan turbine has an intake end, a fan, and an exhaust end, wherein the second end of the air hose is connected to the intake end of the air fan turbine. The transfer unit also includes wiring connected to the output of the air fan turbine for transferring electricity produced by the air fan turbine to an electric storage collector and meter for collecting, storing, measuring, and using the electric energy produced. Also, an inverter may be connected between the air fan turbine and the electric storage collector.
US07999405B2
An electric power system includes an engine, a generator driven by the engine, an electrical energy storage device, power control circuitry coupling the generator and storage device together, and a processor coupled to the circuitry. The generator provides variable AC power and the storage device provides variable DC power to the circuitry. The processor executes operating logic to provide control signals to the circuitry to operate the generator at a first speed to provide a first level of AC electricity, increase the DC power provided from the storage device to increase the AC electricity to a second level, increase operating speed of the generator from the first speed to a second speed greater than the first speed, decrease the DC power from the storage device as the operating speed of the generator increases, and limit acceleration of the operating speed to reduce perception of a speed change.
US07999399B2
An overlay vernier key includes a semiconductor substrate on which a cell region and a scribe lane region are defined, and a plurality of vernier patterns which are formed in the scribe lane region of the semiconductor substrate and arranged in a polygonal shape. Each of the vernier patterns has a hollow polygonal shape.
US07999398B2
A solid state device has a solid state component, a power receiving/supplying portion that mounts the solid state component thereon for receiving/supplying electrical power from/to the solid state component, and a glass sealing portion that seals the solid state component. The glass sealing portion is formed of a B2O3—SiO2—Li2O—Na2O—ZnO—Nb2O5 based glass, which is composed of 21 wt % to 23 wt % of B2O3, 11 wt % to 13 wt % of SiO2, 1 wt % to 1.5 wt % of Li2O, and 2 wt % to 2.5 wt % of Na2O.
US07999396B2
Provided is an adhesive tape which adheres two members to each other and decreases problems that may occur due to contraction and expansion of the adhered members when the temperature of the adhered two members changes. The adhesive tape includes: a base film having insulating properties; and an adhesive agent that adheres on both sides of the base film, wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the base film is 10 ppm or lower, a coefficient of thermal expansion of the adhesive tape is lower than 17 ppm, and an occupation rate of the base film in the adhesive tape exceeds 50%.
US07999392B2
A multilayer interconnection structure according to this invention is applied to a case where a plurality of interconnections are formed at a fine pitch and a via is connected to at least one of the interconnections. In the multilayer interconnection structure, a region facing the via is locally narrowed in at least the interconnection, facing the via, of the interconnections adjacent to the interconnection connected to the via.
US07999388B2
An apparatus includes a volume of insulator disposed over a top surface of a semiconductor substrate, a tube of soft dielectric, and a metal conductor. The insulator has a hardness of more than approximately three gigapascals (gPa) and the soft dielectric has a hardness of less than three gPa. The tube of soft dielectric and the metal conductor are both embedded within the volume of insulator. The tube defines a central volume and the metal conductor extends in a direction through the central volume for a distance of at least one inch. The metal conductor is encircled by the soft dielectric when the apparatus is viewed in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the direction. The metal conductor may include a plurality of bend portions. The metal conductor does not break when the apparatus is temperature cycled over a range from zero to eighty five degrees Celsius.
US07999383B2
A system for interconnecting at least two die each die having a plurality of conducting layers and dielectric layers disposed upon a substrate which may include active and passive elements. In one embodiment there is at least one interconnect coupling at least one conducting layer on a side of one die to at least one conducting layer on a side of the other die. Another interconnect embodiment is a slug having conducting and dielectric layers disposed between two or more die to interconnect between the die. Other interconnect techniques include direct coupling such as rod, ball, dual balls, bar, cylinder, bump, slug, and carbon nanotube, as well as indirect coupling such as inductive coupling, capacitive coupling, and wireless communications. The die may have features to facilitate placement of the interconnects such as dogleg cuts, grooves, notches, enlarged contact pads, tapered side edges and stepped vias.
US07999380B2
A process for manufacturing a substrate with bumps is provided. First, a metallic substrate having a body and a plurality of conductive elements is provided. Next, a first dielectric layer is formed on the body, and the conductive elements are covered by the first dielectric layer. Then, a plurality of circuits and a plurality of contacts are formed on a surface of the first dielectric layer, and the contacts are electrically connected to the conductive elements. Next, a second dielectric layer is formed on the surface of the first dielectric layer, and the circuits are covered by the second dielectric layer. Finally, the body is patterned to form a plurality of bumps, and the bumps are electrically connected to the contacts by the conductive elements. The bumps are formed by etching the body, so the connection reliability between bumps and conductive elements is desirable, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.
US07999376B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device by packaging a plurality of semiconductor chips three-dimensionally in a smaller thickness, with a smaller footprint, at the lower cost without using any other components and through a simpler manufacturing process of the semiconductor device than with the conventional methods.A flip chip packaging structure is formed by directly connecting a first semiconductor chip (101) reduced in thickness by back grinding and a substrate (105) via a bump electrode (102) to a wiring pattern (106). Also, a second semiconductor chip (103) is formed with an electrode (104) that is higher than the sum of the thickness of the first semiconductor chip (101) and the height of the electrode (102), and the electrode (104) is directly connected to the wiring pattern (106) on the substrate (105), whereby the most-compact three-dimensional semiconductor packaged device is produced.
US07999369B2
A power electronic package includes: first and second high thermal conductivity insulating non-planar substrates; and multiple semiconductor chips and electronic components between the substrates. Each substrate includes multiple electrical insulator layers and patterned electrical conductor layers connecting to the electronic components, and further includes multiple raised regions or posts, which are bonded together so that the substrates are mechanically and electrically connected. The number, arrangement, and shape of the raised regions or posts are adjusted to have mechanical separation between the substrates. The electrical conductor layers are separated and isolated one another so that multiple electric circuits are provided on at least one of the substrates.
US07999361B1
A shielding structure comprises first and second comb-like structures defined in a first metallization layer on an integrated circuit, each comb-like structure comprising a plurality of teeth, the teeth of each comb-like structure extending toward the other comb-like structure; a first plurality of electrically conducting vias extending upward from the first comb-like structure; a second plurality of electrically conducting vias extending upward from the second comb-like structure; first and second planar structures in a second metallization layer above the first metallization layer; a third plurality of electrically conducting vias extending downward from the first planar structure toward the first plurality of electrically conducting vias; and a fourth plurality of electrically conducting vias extending downward from the second planar structure toward the second plurality of electrically conducting vias. The first and second comb-like structures, the first and second planar structures and the first, second, third, and fourth electrically conducting vias all being at substantially the same potential, preferably ground. In one embodiment, one or more signal lines are located in the second metallization layer between the first and second planar structures; and in another embodiment they are located in a third metallization layer between the first and second metallization layers.
US07999359B2
A semiconductor package with an electromagnetic shield is disclosed. The semiconductor package includes two substrates (102, 202; 103, 203) and an electromagnetic shield (101, 201). Each substrate has at least one die (108, 208; 112, 212) provided thereon. The electromagnetic shield is disposed between the two substrates for shielding electromagnetic interference between adjacent dies of the two substrates. One of the two substrates defines a cavity (109, 209) for partially accommodating the electromagnetic shield. Accordingly, the overall vertical height and the volume of the semiconductor package are not increased, and the heat dissipation efficiency of the semiconductor package is enhanced.
US07999348B2
A semiconductor on insulator (SOI) wafer includes a semiconductor substrate having first and second main surfaces opposite to each other. A dielectric layer is disposed on at least a portion of the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate. A device layer has a first main surface and a second main surface. The second main surface of the device layer is disposed on a surface of the dielectric layer opposite to the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of intended die areas are defined on the first main surface of the device layer. The plurality of intended die areas are separated from one another. A plurality of die access trenches are formed in the semiconductor substrate from the second main surface. Each of the plurality of die access trenches are disposed generally beneath at least a respective one of the plurality of intended die areas.
US07999341B2
A rectangular display driver integrated circuit device adapted for use with a flat panel display (FPD) device is disclosed and comprises, a plurality of input pads arranged in a central portion of the display driver integrated circuit device, and a plurality of output pads arranged along edges of all four sides of the display driver integrated circuit device. An associated film, film package, and flat panel display (FPD) module adapted to receive the display driver integrated circuit device are also disclosed.
US07999340B2
An apparatus and method for forming optical black pixels having uniformly low dark current. Optical Black opacity is increased without having to increase Ti/TiN layer thickness. A hybrid approach is utilized combining a Ti/TiN OB layer in conjunction with in-pixel metal stubs that further occlude the focal radius of each pixel's incoming light beam. Additional metal layers can be used to increase the opacity into the infrared region.
US07999333B2
In a conventional semiconductor device, there has been a problem that, in a region where a wiring layer to which a high electric potential is applied traverses a top surface of an isolation region, the withstand voltage is deteriorated. In a semiconductor device of the present invention, an epitaxial layer is deposited on a substrate, and an LDMOSFET is formed in one region divided by an isolation region. In a region where a wiring layer connected to a drain electrode traverses a top surface of the isolation region, a conductive plate having a ground electric potential and another conductive plate in a floating state are formed under the wiring layer. With this structure, electric field is reduced in the vicinity of the isolation region under the wiring layer, whereby a withstand voltage of the LDMOSFET is increased.
US07999332B2
A semiconductor structure is provided that includes an asymmetric gate stack located on a surface of high k gate dielectric. The asymmetric gate stack includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion has a different threshold voltage than the second portion. The first portion of the inventive asymmetric gate stack includes, from bottom to top, a threshold voltage adjusting material and at least a first conductive spacer, while the second portion of the inventive asymmetric gate stack includes at least a second conductive spacer over the gate dielectric. In some embodiments, the second conductive spacer is in direct contact with the underlying high k gate dielectric, while in other embodiments, in which the first and second conductive spacers are comprised of different conductive materials, the base of the second conductive spacer is in direct contact with the threshold adjusting material.
US07999324B2
A semiconductor device includes first, second, third, and fourth semiconductor regions, a gate electrode, and silicide layers. The first, second, and third semiconductor regions are formed in a semiconductor substrate while being spaced part from each other. The fourth semiconductor region is formed in the semiconductor substrate between the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region and has an electric resistance higher than the first, second, and third semiconductor regions. In a direction perpendicular to a direction to connect the first and second semiconductor regions, the fourth semiconductor region has a width smaller than that of the semiconductor substrate sandwiched between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region. The gate electrode is formed above the semiconductor substrate between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region. The silicide layer is formed on each of the first, second, third semiconductor regions and the gate electrode.
US07999319B2
The present invention discloses the use of edge-angle-optimized solid phase epitaxy for forming hybrid orientation substrates comprising changed-orientation Si device regions free of the trench-edge defects typically seen when trench-isolated regions of Si are recrystallized to the orientation of an underlying single-crystal Si template after an amorphization step. For the case of amorphized Si regions recrystallizing to (100) surface orientation, the trench-edge-defect-free recrystallization of edge-angle-optimized solid phase epitaxy may be achieved in rectilinear Si device regions whose edges align with the (100) crystal's in-plane <100> directions.
US07999317B2
A p-type body region and an n-type buffer region are formed on an n− drift region. An n++ emitter region and a p++ contact region are formed on the p-type body region in contact with each other. A p++ collector region is formed on the n-type buffer region. An insulating film is formed on the n− drift region, and a gate insulating film is formed on the n++ emitter region, the p-type body region, and the n drift region. A gate electrode is formed on the insulating film and the gate insulating film. A p+ low-resistivity region is formed in the p-type body region and surrounding the interface between the n++ emitter region and between the p-type body region and the p++ contact region. The p-type body region has two local maxima of an impurity concentration profile at the interface between the body region and the gate insulating film.
US07999304B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and nonvolatile memory cells, each of the cells including a channel region having a channel length and a channel width, a tunnel insulating film, a floating gate electrode, a control gate electrode, an inter-electrode insulating film between the floating and control gate electrodes, and an electrode side-wall insulating film on side-wall surfaces of the floating and control gate electrodes, the electrode side-wall insulating film including first and second insulating films having first and second dielectric constants, the first dielectric constant being higher than the second dielectric constant, the second dielectric constant being higher than a dielectric constant of a silicon nitride film, the first insulating film being in a central region of a facing region between the floating and control gate electrodes, the second insulating region being in the both end regions of the facing region and protruding from the both end portions.
US07999296B2
A nonvolatile memory integrated circuit has a semiconductor substrate and a nonvolatile memory device on the semiconductor substrate. The device has a transistor and a capacitor on the semiconductor substrate, and a shared floating gate connecting the gate regions of the transistor and the capacitor. The transistor has at least a doping region defining the source and drain regions, as well as three other doping regions overlapping the source and drain regions. Also disclosed are a nonvolatile memory circuit with multiple such nonvolatile memory device, and methods for making the nonvolatile memory circuit with one or more such nonvolatile memory devices.
US07999289B2
A field-effect semiconductor device such as a HEMT or MESFET is monolithically integrated with a Schottky diode for feedback, regeneration, or protection purposes. The field-effect semiconductor device includes a main semiconductor region having formed thereon a source, a drain, and a gate between the source and the drain. Also formed on the main semiconductor region, preferably between gate and drain, is a Schottky electrode electrically coupled to the source. The Schottky electrode provides a Schottky diode in combination with the main semiconductor region. A current flow is assured from Schottky electrode to drain without interruption by a depletion region expanding from the gate.
US07999285B2
An insulated gate bipolar transistor according to an embodiment includes a first conductive type collector ion implantation area in a substrate; a second conductive type buffer layer, including a first segment buffer layer and a second segment buffer layer, on the first conductive collector ion implantation area; a first conductive type base area on the second conductive type buffer layer; a gate on the substrate at a side of the first conductive type base area; a second conductive type emitter ion implantation area in the first conductive type base area; an insulating layer on the gate; an emitter electrode electrically connected to the second conductive type emitter ion implantation area; and a collector electrode electrically connected to the first conductive collector ion implantation area. The first segment buffer layer can be aligned below a portion of the base area and can have a lower density of second conductive type ions than that of the second segment buffer layer adjacent the first segment buffer layer.
US07999283B2
A light emitting device having an encapsulant with scattering features to tailor the spatial emission pattern and color temperature uniformity of the output profile. The encapsulant is formed with materials having light scattering properties. The concentration of these light scatterers is varied spatially within the encapsulant and/or on the surface of the encapsulant. The regions having a high density of scatterers are arranged in the encapsulant to interact with light entering the encapsulant over a desired range of source emission angles. By increasing the probability that light from a particular range of emission angles will experience at least one scattering event, both the intensity and color temperature profiles of the output light beam can be tuned.
US07999281B2
An optical semiconductor device includes: an optical semiconductor element including a light-emitting layer formed on a first principal surface, a first electrode formed on the light-emitting layer and having a smaller size than the first principal surface, and a second electrode formed on a second principal surface different from the first principal surface; a first lead portion including a bonding region to which the first electrode is bonded and which has a smaller size than the first principal surface, and a first groove portion formed on an outer peripheral region adjacent to the bonding region, the first lead portion being electrically connected to the first electrode bonded to the bonding region by use of a bonding member; and a second lead portion electrically connected to the second electrode by use of a connecting member.
US07999278B2
Provided is an LED package. It is easy to control luminance according to the luminance and an angle applicable. Since heat is efficiently emitted, the LED package is easily applicable to a high luminance LED. The manufacturing process is convenient and the cost is reduced. The LED package includes a substrate, an electrode, an LED, and a heatsink hole. The electrode is formed on the substrate. The LED is mounted in a side of the substrate and is electrically connected to the electrode. The heatsink hole is formed to pass through the substrate, for emitting out heat generated from the LED.
US07999274B2
A white light emitting device is disclosed. The white light emitting device includes a blue light emitting diode (LED) including a plurality of active layers generating different peak wavelengths, and phosphors emitting yellow light when excited by light emitted from the blue LED. The white light emitting device ensures enhanced excitation efficiency of the phosphors, and high luminance.
US07999264B2
A display device includes a first display panel including a common electrode disposed thereon, and a second display panel including; thin film transistors (“TFTs”) each including a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, a first passivation layer disposed on the source and drain electrodes, a second passivation layer disposed on the first passivation layer and including at least one sensing protrusion, pixel electrodes disposed on the second passivation layer and connected with the drain electrode, and at least one conductive member disposed on the sensing protrusion.
US07999259B2
A display includes: a substrate having a pixel region and a sensor region in which photo-sensor parts are formed; an illuminating section operative to illuminate the substrate from one surface side of the substrate; a thin film photodiode disposed in the sensor region, having at least a P-type semiconductor region and an N-type semiconductor region, and operative to receive light incident from the other surface side of the substrate; and a metallic film formed on the one surface side of the substrate so as to face the thin film photodiode through an insulator film, operative to restrain light generated from the illuminating section from being directly incident on the thin film photodiode from the one surface side, and fixed to a predetermined potential, wherein in the thin film photodiode, the width of the P-type semiconductor region and the width of the N-type semiconductor region are different from each other.
US07999257B2
A circuit structure includes a substrate; a first amorphous silicon layer over the substrate; a first glue layer over and adjoining the first amorphous silicon layer; and a second amorphous silicon layer over and adjoining the first glue layer.
US07999256B2
Electrode pads respectively have a probe region permitting probe contact and a non-probe region. In each of the electrode pads arranged zigzag in two or more rows, a lead interconnect for connecting another electrode pad with an internal circuit is not placed directly under the probe region but placed directly under the non-probe region.
US07999245B2
A system is provided where the system comprises a plurality of optical sources, each optical source configured to generate an optical beam and direct the optical beam from each of the plurality of optical sources towards a target; a beam discriminator module configured to monitor a parameter for each optical beam generated from each of the optical source; and a position sensor configured to receive a feedback from the beam discriminator module based on the monitored parameter; wherein based on the feedback, the position sensor determines if any optical beam at the target is off-target.
US07999234B2
A cradle for use with a radiation conversion device includes a cradle for carrying out charging of a radiation conversion device, the cradle being disposed in the vicinity of an image capturing apparatus which captures a radiation image of a subject, the radiation conversion device detecting radiation that has passed through the subject and converting the radiation into image information. The cradle includes a charging processor for carrying out charging with respect to a battery mounted in the radiation conversion device, an image information acquisition unit for acquiring the image information from the radiation conversion device, a correction information generating unit for generating correction information with respect to the radiation conversion device using the acquired image information, and a correction information memory for storing the generated correction information in association with the radiation conversion device.
US07999225B2
The invention describes a particle source in which energy selection occurs. The energy selection occurs by sending a beam of electrically charged particles 103 eccentrically through a lens 107. As a result of this, energy dispersion will occur in an image formed by the lens. By projecting this image onto a slit 109 in an energy selecting diaphragm 108, it is possible to allow only particles in a limited portion of the energy spectrum to pass. Consequently, the passed beam 113 will have a reduced energy spread. Deflection unit 112 deflects the beam to the optical axis 101. One can also elect to deflect a beam 105 going through the middle of the lens toward the optical axis and having, for example, greater current.The energy dispersed spot is imaged on the slit by a deflector 111. When positioning the energy dispersed spot on the slit, central beam 105 is deflected from the axis to such an extent that it is stopped by the energy selecting diaphragm. Hereby reflections and contamination resulting from this beam in the region after the diaphragm are avoided. Also electron-electron interaction resulting from the electrons from the central beam interacting with the energy filtered beam in the area of deflector 112 is avoided.
US07999223B2
This invention relates to a method of operating a charged particle trap in which ions undergo multiple reflections back and forth and/or follow a closed orbit around, usually, a set of electrodes. The invention allows high-performance isolation of multiple ion species for subsequent detection or fragmentation by deflecting ions out of the ion trap according to a timing scheme calculated with reference to the ions' periods of oscillation within the ion trap.
US07999221B2
The present invention provides methods for using detection methods, including mass spectrometry methods such as SELDI-TOF-MS, to detect and analyze molecules directly transferred from a sample to a surface to form a molecular print of the sample. Methods and compositions of the invention can be used to produce spatially and non-spatially oriented molecular prints for detection using methods such as mass spectrometry. Methods and compositions of the invention encompass molecular printing of tissues, cells and gels onto surfaces.
US07999218B2
A radiation detector includes: a radiation detecting unit including a radiation sensor detecting a radiation sensitive to light, a signal amplifier, a pulse-height discriminator, and a counter; an optical pulse emitting unit configured to emit an optical pulse for confirming operational integrity of the radiation detecting unit; an emission controlling unit configured to control an operation of the optical pulse emitting unit; and a light path through which light is led from the optical pulse emitting unit to a vicinity of the radiation sensor. The emission controlling unit including a mechanism for adjusting emission time characteristics of the optical pulse emitting unit.
US07999214B2
Method and systems related to obstructing a first predefined portion of at least one defined wavelength of light incident upon a first photo-detector array; and detecting the at least one defined wavelength of light with a photo-detector in a second photo-detector array.
US07999210B2
A heating device for manufacturing semiconductor capable of uniformly heating a wafer or other materials to be treated, and in particular a heating device in a coater-developer used for heat-hardening of resin film for photolithography and for heat-calcining of low-dielectric constant insulating film, is provided.A device of this invention comprises a ceramic holder 1 having a resistive heating element 2 embedded therein, which holds and heats a wafer 6 or another material to be treated; a cylindrical support member 4 which supports the ceramic holder 1; and a chamber 5 which houses these. The support member 4 and ceramic holder 1 are not hermetically sealed, or alternatively the atmospheres within the cylindrical support member 4 and within the chamber 5 are maintained to be substantially the same by adjusting the introduction and evacuation of gas.
US07999208B2
A robot control unit for controlling a tandem arc welding system, which has a welding torch, a robot for weaving the welding torch, a leading electrode power supply, and a trailing electrode power supply, includes a leading electrode detection section and a trailing electrode detection section for detecting quantity of welding state during weaving; a leading electrode processing section for calculating amounts of electrical change; a leading electrode correction section for calculating correction amounts for correcting displacement in horizontal and vertical directions from a weld line of a weaving center trajectory based on the amounts of electrical change; a trailing electrode processing section for calculating an amount of electrical change; and a trailing electrode correction section for calculating a correction amount for correcting displacement in a rotational direction from the weld line of the weaving center trajectory based on the amount of electrical change.
US07999205B2
In an electrostatic separator or a magnetic separator, prior to electrically charging or magnetization of particles in order to carry out separation of mixed powder of particles having different properties from each other, classification is performed by a classifier so that the content of fine powder having a spherical equivalent diameter of 10 μm or smaller is 15 mass % or less. After the classification, prior to electrostatic separation or magnetic separation, an operation of dispersing the mixed powder of particles may be carried out.
US07999198B2
A weighing system comprising an integrated bathing weighing unit having a container and a sensing arrangement associated with the container and configured to provide data indicative of a weight of a body located within the container.
US07999193B2
There is provided a wiring substrate. The wiring substrate includes: a core substrate formed of a conductive material and having a through hole therein; an insulating layer formed on first and second surfaces of the core substrate; wiring patterns formed on the first and second surfaces via the insulating layer; and a via formed in the through hole and electrically connected to the wiring patterns. The via includes: a conductor ball and a conductor portion. The conductor ball has a conductive surface and an insulating member covering the conductive surface. A portion of the conductive surface is exposed from the insulating member. The conductor portion is electrically connected to the exposed conductive surface and the wiring patterns. At least one of the insulating member and the insulating layer is interposed between the via and the core substrate.
US07999189B2
A circuit board structure and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed, including providing a core board having conductive traces and solder pads respectively formed thereon, wherein width of the solder pads corresponds to that of the conductive traces, and pitch between adjacent solder pads is made wide enough to allow multiple conductive traces to pass through; forming on the core board an insulating layer with openings for exposing the solder pads therefrom; forming on the insulating layer a plurality of extending pads electrically connected to the solder pads respectively, wherein the projection area of the extending pads is larger than that of the corresponding solder pads and covers conductive traces adjacent to the corresponding solder pads. Thus, more conductive traces are allowed to pass between adjacent solder pads and meanwhile, the extending pads provide an effective solder ball wetting area for achieving good solder joints and sufficient height after collapse.
US07999187B2
Disclosed is a plated flat conductor including a flat conductor of copper or a copper alloy and a plated layer formed on a surface of the flat conductor. The plated layer includes a first intermetallic compound layer of Cu3Sn disposed on the surface of the flat conductor, a second intermetallic compound layer of Cu6Sn5 formed on the first intermetallic compound, and a superficial layer formed on the second intermetallic compound layer. The superficial layer is plating material of pure tin or a tin alloy and has an average thickness from about 0.3 μm to 1.0 μm and a maximum thickness of about 1.0 μm or less. A volume ratio of the second intermetallic compound layer to the first intermetallic compound layer is about 1.5 or more.
US07999179B2
One embodiment provides an air baffle assembly for controlling airflow through a cable opening in a rack. The rack is configured for removably supporting a plurality of modular electronic components. The cable opening on the rack receives a plurality of cables connected to the modular electronic components. The air baffle assembly includes a track secured to the rack adjacent to the cable opening and an air baffle movably supported on the track over the cable opening. The track includes a rail guideway. The air baffle includes at least a flexible first rail movably received by the first rail guideway. The first rail flares laterally along a range of engagement of the first rail with the first rail guideway, to bias the air baffle in one longitudinal direction.
US07999170B2
An acoustic drum set amplifier specifically calibrated for each instrument within a drum set, specifically a snare drum, a bass drum, a bongo drum, tom-tom drum, a hi-hat, ride cymbal and crash cymbals, for optimizing the sound frequency of the instrument. In operation, an artist using the device might be able to filter, blend, and manipulate an electro-acoustic signal associated with an acoustic drum instrument, either captured by a microphone or generated by an electronic drum module to the artist's preferences while monitoring the sound directed towards an audience at a live performance.
US07999169B2
A sound synthesizer has a storage unit, a setting unit and a sound synthesis unit. The storage unit stores a plurality of sound data respectively representing a plurality of sounds collected by different sound collecting points corresponding to the plurality of the sound data. The setting unit variably sets a position of a sound receiving point according to an instruction from a user. The sound synthesis unit synthesizes a sound by processing each of the plurality of the sound data according to a relation between a position of the sound collecting point corresponding to the sound data and the position of the sound receiving point specified by the user.
US07999167B2
A composite device, including a first control section; a second control section; and a storage section having a common area and a dedicated area, the common area can be accessed by both the first control section and the second control section, and the first control section prohibits the second control section from accessing the dedicated area, when activated in a first mode, the first control section converts data stored in the dedicated area into a predetermined format and stores the converted data in the common area, and when activated in a second mode, the second control section by sending a request to the first control section, obtains the converted data from the common area of the storage section via the first control section, and carries out a process using the converted data.
US07999162B2
Keys of a piano are depressed against the total weight of associated action units and hammers so that balance weight pieces are embedded in the front portion of each key; since the wood bar of the key is expandable and shrinkable due to the conditions of the environment, the weight pieces are liable to come loose; the balance weight piece is formed with ridges and valleys repeated at least 7 times at fine pitches equal to or less than 2 millimeters, and the maximum diameter of the ridges is slightly longer than an inner diameter of a hole formed in the wood bar; while the balance weight piece is being pressed into the hole, the ridges make the inner surface portion elastically deformed; when the balance weight piece reaches the target position, the inner surface portion penetrates into the valleys so that the balance weight piece is lodged therein.
US07999154B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated D5662547. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety D5662547. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety D5662547 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety D5662547 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07999150B2
The present invention relates to expression cassettes comprising transcription regulating sequences with root-preferential or root-specific expression profiles in plants obtainable from Arabidopsis thaliana genes At1g66280, At1g74500, At1g49570, At1g70710, At5g66690, At3g29630, At5g48070, or At4g17800. The expression cassettes according to the present invention may be employed for expression of a protein, or expression of an antisense RNA, sense or double-stranded RNA. Preferably, expression of the nucleic acid sequence confers to the plant an agronomically valuable trait. Vectors comprising such expression cassette, and transgenic host cell or non-human organism comprising the expression cassette or the vector is also enclosed. Also enclosed is a method for identifying and/or isolating a sequence with root-specific or root-preferential transcription regulating activity.
US07999146B2
A dressing and method for treating high-tension wounds. First and second layers of a 2-octyl cyanoacrylate 16 adhesive are applied to a short, high-tension wound, with the first and second layers covering the wound and extending to at least about 2.5 mm (0.0984 in.) from each side of the wound. The first layer is allowed to set and polymerize before the second layer of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate is applied. The second layer extends at least about 2.5 mm (0.0984 in.) beyond each edge of the first layer. In the case of a long, high-tension wound, a third layer is applied after the first and second layers are allowed to set and polymerize. The third layer is at least about 2.5 mm (0.0984 in.) wide and is substantially perpendicular to the first and second layers. The third layer may occur intermittently every 2.5 cm (0.984 in.) over the length of the wound, and preferably extends at least about 5 mm (0.197 in.) beyond the edge of the first layer.
US07999142B2
A process has been developed for producing diesel boiling range fuel from renewable feedstocks such as plant oils and animal oils, fats, and greases. The process involves treating a renewable feedstock by hydrogenating and deoxygenating i.e. decarboxylating, decarbonylating, and/or hydrodeoxygenating to provide a hydrocarbon fraction useful as a diesel boiling range fuel or diesel boiling range fuel blending component. If desired, the hydrocarbon fraction can be isomerized to improve cold flow properties. A portion of the hydrogenated and deoxygenated feedstock is selectively separated and then recycled to the treatment zone to increase the hydrogen solubility of the reaction mixture.
US07999137B2
The present invention relates to bi-phenyl-amidine derivatives of formula (I) in which the substituents are as in the description, their process of preparation, their use as fungicide or insecticide active agents, particularly in the form of fungicide or insecticide compositions, and methods for the control of phytopathogenic fungi or damaging insects, notably of plants, using these compounds or compositions:
US07999134B2
This invention relates to the manufacture of iodixanol(1,3-bis(acetamido)-N,N′-bis[3,5-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropylaminocarbonyl)-2,4,6-triiodophenyl]-2-hydroxypropane), more specifically to the purification of iodixanol by crystallization by using wet milling.
US07999131B2
The invention relates to a process in which a compound R1COOR3 (I) is made by a transesterification reaction of an ester compound R1COOR2 (II) with an alcohol R3OH (III) in the presence of a transesterification catalyst, wherein R1 is H or C1-4 alkyl or CH2═CR4—; R2 is C1-4 alkyl; R3 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl having at least 4 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having at least 5 carbon atoms, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl and amino alkyl; and R4 is —H or —C1-4 alkyl, wherein alcohol R2OH (IV) is formed as a byproduct and in which said byproduct (IV) is removed by distillation in the presence of an entrainer, in which the entrainer is a compound that suppresses the formation of an azeotrope between compound (II) and byproduct (IV). The process can be useful in the preparation of esters such as dimethyl amino ethyl(meth)acrylate. The invention also provides a method of separating alcohols and esters. In a further form of the invention a process of preparing esters by a transesterification process is provided in which the transesterification catalyst is homogenous.
US07999117B2
The present invention relates to 1H-benzimidazole-4-carboxamides of formula (I), their preparation, and their use as inhibitors of the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase for the preparation of drugs.
US07999115B2
The invention relates to compounds of formula (I) wherein R1 represents H, alkyl, alkoxy, cyano or halogen; one of U and X represents CH or N and the other represents CH, or, in the case of U, may also represent CRa and, in the case of X, may also represent CRb; Ra represents halogen; Rb represents halogen or alkoxy; B represents N, D represents CH2 and A represents CH(OH)CH2 or CH2CH2, or B represents CH, D represents CH2 or O and A represents OCH2, CH2CH(OH), CH(OH)CH2, CH(OH)CH(OH), CH═CH, CH2CH2 or NHCO, or also B represents C(OH), D represents CH2 and A represents OCH2, CH2CH(OH), CH(OH)CH2, CH(OH)CH(OH), CH═CH, CH2CH2 Or NHCO; R2 represents H, alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkoxycarbonylalkyl; and E represents naphthyl or a binuclear heterocyclic group; and to salts of such compounds. These compounds are useful as antimicrobial agents.
US07999113B2
The present invention relates to modulators of cystic fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (“CFTR”), compositions thereof, and methods therewith. The present invention also relates to methods of treating CFTR mediated diseases using such modulators.
US07999109B2
The invention relates to compounds represented by Structural Formula I, which can bind to CCR9 receptors and block the binding of a ligand (e.g., TECK) to the receptors. The invention also relates to a method of inhibiting a function of CCR9, and to the use compounds represented by Structural Formula I in research, therapeutic, prophylactic and diagnostic methods.
US07999107B2
Novel compounds of the structural formula (I) are antagonists and/or inverse agonists of the Cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor and are useful in the treatment, prevention and suppression of diseases mediated by the CB1 receptor. The compounds of the present invention are useful as centrally acting drugs in the treatment of psychosis, memory deficits, cognitive disorders, Alzheimer's disease, migraine, neuropathy, neuro-inflammatory disorders including multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome and the inflammatory sequelae of viral encephalitis, cerebral vascular accidents, and head trauma, anxiety disorders, stress, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease movement disorders, and schizophrenia. The compounds are also useful for the treatment of substance abuse disorders, the treatment of obesity or eating disorders, as well as the treatment of asthma, constipation, chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, cirrhosis of the liver, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and the promotion of wakefulness.
US07999105B2
Processes are described for the synthesis of 3-hydroxymorphinan derivatives by hydrolysis of side products from the O-demethylation of 3-methoxymorphinan derivatives.
US07999099B2
The invention relates to the field of molecular biology, virology and medicine and, more specifically, to novel derivatives of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine phosphonates with the following general formula where R=alkyl groups, including those containing halogen atoms, carboxy-, hydroxy-, alkoxy- and acyloxy- groups as well as substituted aminocarbonyl groups. The compounds can be used as antiviral agents as they have low toxicity and can effectively inhibit replication of type 1 immunodeficiency virus in MT-4 cell culture and generate AZT in mammalians ensuring a gradual increase of its concentration in the blood.
US07999097B2
Efficient sequence specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology. By selecting particular siRNAs by rational design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes. Methods, compositions, and kits generated through rational design of siRNAs are disclosed including those directed to nucleotide sequences for BACE.
US07999095B2
The present invention is directed to novel methods for in vitro and in vivo detection of target nucleic acid molecules, including DNA and RNA targets, as well as nucleic acid analogues. The present invention is based on protein complementation, in which two individual polypeptides are inactive. When the two inactive polypeptide fragment are brought in close proximity during hybridization to a target nucleic acid, they re-associate into an active, detectable protein.
US07999090B2
The present invention provides isolated DNA encoding a GWT1 protein having activity to confer resistance of a fungus against a compound of formula Ia, and wherein a defect of a function of the GWT1 protein leads to a decrease in the amount of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein in the cell wall of a fungus.
US07999089B1
The present invention relates to RNA aptamers and uses thereof, more precisely RNA aptamers interfering the interaction of TCF with other proteins by binding specifically to β-catenin, RNA aptamers binding specifically to HMG domains of TCF-I proteins and uses of the same. The RNA aptamer of the present invention can be effectively used for the development of an anticancer agent since it binds specifically to TCF-I to interrupt the interaction of TCF with β-catenin involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis and the transcriptional activity of TCF-I in relation to oncogenes.
US07999088B2
The present invention provides a method of treating cancer by providing to a subject in need thereof an immunogenic composition comprising a nucleic acid construct encoding a polypeptide comprising CTL epitopes PSMA288-297 and PRAME425-433, or a cross-reactive analogue. In embodiments of the present invention there is provided methods and compositions for inducing, entraining, and/or amplifying the immune response to MHC class-I restricted epitopes of carcinoma antigens to generate an effective anti-cancer immune response.
US07999086B2
The invention provides a method of conditioning azo pigments containing carboxylic ester groups, using glycol monoalkyl ethers or mixtures of glycols and glycol dialkyl ether.
US07999061B2
A catalytic lactide and glycolide copolymerization system comprising a trifluoromethane sulfonate as a catalyst and copolymerization additive and a copolymerization process.
US07999059B2
The invention relates to an optical film containing aromatic polymer which shows high solubility to solvents, and methods for production thereof. Further, the invention also relates to an optical laminate, a polarizing plate, and an image display device each using the optical film. The optical film may be attained by using polyester with a specific structure. The polyester with a specific structure may be obtained by condensation polymerization of bisphenol compound(s) and dicarboxylic acid compound(s) with biphenyl structure, and preferably has no halogen atom in its chemical structure. The optical film of the invention advantageously has not only high solubility in solvents but also a high level of heat resistance and birefringence producing capability. When the content of the biphenyl structure is high, the optical film of the invention can also have large wavelength dispersion of birefringence.
US07999058B2
A method for producing an aromatic polymer includes polycondensing an aromatic compound represented by formula (I) in the presence of a nickel complex containing a phosphine compound represented by formula (II), wherein, Ar denotes an aromatic ring containing organic group, which aromatic ring may contain an oxygen atom and/or a nitrogen atom; R denotes a monovalent group containing a hydrocarbon group; k is an integer of 1 or more; X denotes an halogen atom, a nitro group or a group represented by —SO3Q, wherein Q denotes a monovalent hydrocarbon group; Y denotes O, S, an imino group, an ethenylene group, or an ethynylene group; n denotes 0 or 1; and M denotes H, —B(OQ1)2, —Si(Q2)3, —Sn(Q3)3 or —Z1(Z2)m, wherein Q1 denotes H or a monovalent hydrocarbon group; Q2 and Q3 denote a monovalent hydrocarbon group; Z1 denotes a metal atom or a metal ion; Z2 denotes a counter ion; and m is an integer of 0 or higher; wherein, R1 denotes a monovalent hydrocarbon group, and R2 denotes a divalent hydrocarbon group.
US07999057B2
A gas-phase, continuous process is provided for the manufacture of 2,6-diaminopyridine and related compounds from glutaronitriles, which are used industrially as compounds and as components in the synthesis of a variety of useful materials. The synthesis proceeds by means of a dehydrogenative aromatization process.
US07999053B2
A process for preparing aldehyde functional organopolysiloxanes and the products prepared therefrom is disclosed. The process involves a hydrosilylation reaction between an aldehyde having a non -conjugated unsaturated group with a polyorganohydrogensiloxane.
US07999052B2
An adhesive composition according to the present invention is an adhesive composition whose main component is a polymer obtained by copolymerization of a monomer composition, which monomer composition contains styrene, (meth)acrylic ester having a cyclic structure, and alkyl (meth)acrylate having a chain structure. The polymer thus having a styrene block segment allows improvement of thermal resistance, adhesive strength in a high temperature environment, alkaline resistance, and easiness in stripping following a high temperature process of the adhesive composition. As such, an adhesive composition is provided, which has high thermal resistance, adhesive strength in the high temperature environment, and alkaline resistance, and further which can easily carry out stripping of the adhesive composition after a high temperature process has been carried out to the adhesive composition.
US07999050B2
A method of making a composition comprising reacting, in a reactor, a non-halogenated acetoacetate group containing monomer, at least one additional monomer, and a base, wherein at least a portion of the base is fed to the reactor during reaction. Also, a composition comprising an aqueous polymer dispersion that is a product of a method comprising reacting a non-halogenated acetoacetate moiety containing monomer, at least one additional monomer, and a base, wherein the base is fed to the reaction during reaction, wherein the composition has a lower viscosity than a second composition, wherein the second composition is prepared from the same materials as the composition, and the second composition is made by a method wherein the base is added to the second composition after a reaction to form the second composition.
US07999045B2
A process for preparing an aqueous polymer dispersion using flush water.
US07999043B2
A multistage process for the homo or copolymerization of ethylene carried out in the presence of a catalyst system comprising at least one polymerization catalyst (A) based on a late transition metal component having a tridentate ligand which bears at least two ortho.ortho-disubstituted aryl radicals, at least one Ziegler polymerization catalyst (B), and at least a Lewis acid activating compound (C), wherein the molar ratio of the metal of the activating compound (C) to the late transition metal of catalyst (A) is different in the two polymerizations steps. Catalysts (A) and (B) may be selectively controlled by varying the amount of activating compound (C).
US07999042B2
An embodiment of the present invention is a technique to form a resin. A mixture is formed by a curing agent dissolved in the epoxy resin. The epoxy resin contains a first rigid rod mesogen. The curing agent contains a second rigid rod mesogen and one of a hydroxyl, amine, and anhydride.
US07999037B2
Polycarbonate compositions are disclosed. The compositions comprise a polycarbonate polymer (A) having repeating units derived from at least three different monomers, one monomer being 2-phenyl-3,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine (PPPBP); and the other two monomers having the formula: wherein each Rk is independently a halogen atom, a C1-10 hydrocarbon group, or a C1-10 halogen substituted hydrocarbon group, and n is 0 to 4; and an impact modifier (B). The resulting composition has improved heat resistance and chemical resistance, particularly to Fuel C.
US07999031B2
Process for preparing an aqueous dispersion of a quaternary ammonium salt containing vinyl copolymer
A method of making an ion triggerable cationic polymer by solution copolymerizing one or more vinyl-functional cationic monomers, one or more water insoluble or hydrophobic vinyl monomers with alkyl side chains up to 4 carbons long, and, optionally, a minor amount of one or more vinyl monomers with linear or branched alkyl groups longer than 4 carbons, alkyl hydroxy, polyoxyalkylene, or other functional groups. The solution polymerization is accomplished by free radical polymerization in a mixture of an organic solvent such as acetone and water. After polymerization is complete, the organic solvent is preferably removed by a continuous process. The continuous process is preferably performed using a plate evaporator system.
US07999029B2
A macromolecule including a polymer and a polyhedral radical chemically bonded to a terminus of the polymer provides numerous processing and performance advantages. Further functionalization of this macromolecule also is described as being advantageous in certain circumstances. Methods of providing, functionalizing, and utilizing the macromolecule also are provided.
US07999026B2
Colloidal silica particles dispersed in a reactive monomer may cause the polymerization, degradation, or the like of the reactive monomer by an action of the solid acidity of the surfaces of the particles and a monomer may be polymerized during a process for producing a monomer-dispersed silica sol, or a stable silica sol may not be obtained. In addition, a polymer of a resin formed article etc. obtained by curing a monomer-dispersed silica sol may be deteriorated, degraded, or the like with time. Therefore, there are provided a reactive monomer-dispersed silica sol having high stability by reducing the solid acidity of the surfaces of the colloidal silica particles contained in the reactive monomer-dispersed silica sol, and a production method thereof, and a curable composition using the reactive monomer-dispersed silica sol, and a cured article in which the deterioration, the degradation, or the like of the polymer is suppressed. The present invention provides a reactive monomer-dispersed silica sol containing a colloidal silica particle in which an alkaline earth metal ion is bonded to a surface of the colloidal silica particle.
US07999022B2
Polymer slurries of ultrahigh molecular weight polyalpha-olefins are made stable toward settling, separation and agglomeration by surface treatment with a combination of wax and optional relatively high-density particulates. The selection of the surface coating acts not only as an anti-blocking agent, or partitioning aid to keep the tacky polymer particles separated, but also provides the suspended polymer particle with a density that matches the carrier. This prevents separation of the slurry components over time. Such materials, ultimately used as pipeline additives to reduce the fluid drag and increase the volumetric throughput, can be stored and shipped for extended periods of time without degradation of the slurry quality. Upon injection into the pipeline, the polymer particle dissolves quickly, unhindered by the coating.
US07999021B2
A resin composition is described that is excellent in strength, impact resistance, heat resistance and moldability, while further allowing for a reduction in the amount of CO2 needed for its production. The resin composition includes a styrene-based resin (A), an aliphatic polyester (B) and at least one species selected from a compatibilizer (C) and a dicarboxylic anhydride (D), wherein the compatibilizer is preferably at least one species selected from: (C-1) a methyl methacrylate polymer; (C-2) a vinyl-based polymer which an epoxy unit or acid anhydride unit is copolymerized; (C-3) a graft polymer in which a methyl methacrylate unit is grafted to a rubbery polymer; and (C-4) a block copolymer having a polylactide segment and a vinyl-based polymer segment.
US07999014B2
A flame retardant suitable for manufacturing a polymer composition is provided. The polymer composition is used for forming a cured film in which a balance among flame retardancy, adhesion, chemical resistance, heat resistance, and elasticity, and so on, is provided. A flame-retardant polymer composition with an excellent balance among the above properties is also provided. The flame retardant of the invention has a structure of Formula (1), (2), or (3): (in which, R1 is hydrogen or methyl, R2 is C2-20 alkylene or C2-20 alkylene in which any —CH2— is replaced by —O—, R3 and R4 are C1-20 alkyl, phenyl, and phenyl substituted by C1-5 alkyl or phenyl, R3 and R4 may also be an integrally-formed cyclic group, and p and q are 0 or 1).
US07999012B2
Disclosed is a system to mechanically destroy printer toner cartridges and reclaim their constituent materials under a water shielded environment while providing a safer and more environmentally friendly recycling system. The present invention is an economical system that provides greater protection from possible fire or explosion and releases less irritating or possibly harmful airborne contamination than the currently available systems.
US07999011B2
Provided is a method of treating a patient having a tissue that is subject to an ischemic event. The method is conducted by parenterally administering a formulation containing a halogenated volatile anesthetic in an amount effective to improve the tissue's resistance to or tolerance of the ischemic event. In preferred embodiment of the invention, the amount of the formulation administered to the patient is sub-anesthetic. The formulation can be administered prior to, concurrently with, or after the ischemic event. The method can be used, for example, for treatment of patients having myocardial or neuronal tissue that is subject to an ischemic event.
US07999007B2
Buffer solutions for pharmaceutical preparations that have bactericidal activity preferentially against gram negative bacteria are provided. The buffers have a pH of greater than about 10 or less than about 4.5 with low buffer capacity. Methods of their use in reducing the occurrence of blood stream infections in a mammal is also provided.
US07999005B2
An improved weight and growth stimulant for domesticated animals such as cattle, pigs and sheep is comprised of an anabolic agent that is subcutaneously administered in the form of a dual release implant formulation. Increased gains are particularly improved when zeranol is administered in an immediate-release and controlled-release formulation which allows for a one-time dosage injection.
US07999000B2
The present invention is directed to the compounds of formula wherein R1 to R4 have the significances given herein, to processes for the manufacture of said compounds as well as medicaments containing said compounds. The compounds according to this invention show anti-proliferative and differentiation-inducing activity and are thus useful for the treatment of diseases such as cancer in humans or animals.
US07998998B2
Disclosed herein are compounds having a formula: (I) Compositions, methods, and medicaments related thereto are also disclosed.
US07998997B2
Disclosed are peptide-based compounds that include boronic acid or cyano functionality, which efficiently and selectively inhibit fibroblast activation protein alpha. Among other therapeutic utilities, the peptide-based compounds may be useful for the treatment of cancer.
US07998996B2
The present invention relates to substituted pyrazoline compounds, methods for their preparation, medicaments comprising these compounds as well as their use for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of humans and animal.
US07998983B2
The present invention provides compounds of formula I: along with methods of making the same, compositions thereof, and methods of use thereof, particularly methods of use as fungicides.
US07998979B2
The present invention relates to novel substituted quinoline derivatives according to the general formula (Ia) or formula (Ib): including any stereochemically isomeric form thereof, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a N-oxide form thereof or a solvate thereof. The claimed compounds are useful for the treatment of a bacterial infection. Also claimed is a composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and, as active ingredient, a therapeutically effective amount of the claimed compounds, the use of the claimed compounds or compositions for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of a bacterial infection and a process for preparing the claimed compounds.
US07998957B2
This invention provides compounds having the structure which may be used for the treatment of tumors.
US07998941B2
Plasmids useful for treating ischemic disease, such as ischemic heart disease, are described. The plasmids express vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) under the control of a promoter (RTP801) that is up-regulated under hypoxic conditions. Pharmaceutical compositions for treating ischemic disease include mixtures of the hypoxia-regulated VEGF plasmids and pharmaceutically acceptable carriers. Methods for treating ischemic disease include administering such pharmaceutical compositions to a person in need of such treatment.
US07998938B2
A method and kit for inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells are disclosed, based on a combination of a proteasome inhibitor and a telomerase inhibitor. When used in cancer therapy, the two compounds in combination enhance the anti-cancer treatment efficacy obtained with the proteasome inhibitor alone or the telomerase inhibitor alone. Preferably, efficacy is supraadditive or synergistic in nature relative to the combined effects of the individual agents, with minimal exacerbation of side effects.
US07998913B2
Additives that inhibit the passage of oil across oil-air interfaces in disk drives and enable the use of the lower viscosity oil in disk drives are disclosed. Mass transfer of oil from the bulk liquid oil into the vapor phase takes place by oil molecules evaporating from the oil-air interface, or collections of oil molecules being ejected from the oil-air interface as aerosol. The invention reduces mass transfer across the oil-air interface through the use of oil-soluble surfactants.
US07998912B2
A composite lubricant for recording disk media, a recording disk media including a layer of the composite lubricant, and method of manufacturing the same are described. The composite lubricant may include a non-phosphazene component and a phosphazene component where the non-phosphazene component is a difunctional perfluoropolyether compound terminated with first and second polar end groups, the first polar end group comprising a first number of hydroxyls and the second polar end includes a second number of hydroxyls, greater than the first number of hydroxyls. The phosphazene component may be a difunctional perfluoropolyether compound terminated with a phosphazene functional group and with a third polar end group, the third polar end group comprising a third number of hydroxyls equal to the second number of hydroxyls.
US07998906B2
Methods and compositions useful in treating subterranean formations, and more particularly, breaker compositions that may be useful in treating subterranean formations wherein synthetic polymers are used, are provided. Of the many methods and compositions provided herein, one composition comprises a source of hydrogen peroxide and an activator. One method comprises providing a polymer breaker composition comprising a source of hydrogen peroxide and an activator; introducing the polymer breaker composition into a well bore which penetrates a subterranean formation; allowing the activator to activate the source of hydrogen peroxide to create an oxidizing species; and allowing the oxidizing species to break synthetic polymers present in the subterranean formation.
US07998900B2
A colorless or transparent composition comprises a charge-delocalization compound and a photoacid, wherein the photoacid generates an acid on irradiation or heating, thereby forming a colored change-transfer complex with said compound.
US07998897B2
Catalyst for use in the high temperature shift reaction comprising in its active form a mixture of zinc alumina spinel and zinc oxide in combination with an alkali metal selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb, Cs and mixtures thereof. The catalyst has a Zn/Al molar ratio in the range 0.5 to 1.0 and a content of alkali metal in the range 0.4 to 8.0 wt % based on the weight of oxidized catalyst.
US07998895B2
Transition metal complexes of selected monoanionic phosphine ligands, which also contain a selected Group 15 or 16 (IUPAC) element and which are coordinated to a Group 3 to 11 (IUPAC) transition metal or a lanthanide metal, are polymerization catalysts for the (co)polymerization of olefins such as ethylene and α-olefins, and the copolymerization of such olefins with polar group-containing olefins. These and other nickel complexes of neutral and monoanionic bidentate ligands copolymerize ethylene and polar comonomers, especially acrylates, at relatively high ethylene pressures and surprisingly high temperatures, and give good incorporation of the polar comonomers and good polymer productivity. These copolymers are often unique structures, which are described.
US07998882B2
When forming dielectric materials of reduced dielectric constant in sophisticated metallization systems, the creation of defect particles on the dielectric material may be reduced during a plasma enhanced deposition process by inserting an inert plasma step after the actual deposition step.
US07998873B2
A system and method for improving the performance of an integrated circuit by lowering RC delay time is provided. A preferred embodiment comprises adding a reactive etch gas to the ash/flush plasma process following a low-k dielectric etch. The illustrative embodiments implement a removal of the damage layer that is formed during a low-k dielectric etch.
US07998863B2
A method of forming a contact structure and a contact structure so formed is described. The structure contacts an underlying layer of a semiconductor junction, wherein the junction comprises the underlying layer of a semiconductor material and is separated from an overlying layer of semiconductor material by creating an undercut region to shade subsequent metal formation. Various steps are performed using inkjet printing techniques.
US07998858B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing a vertical interconnect structure, a memory device and an associated production method, in which case, after the formation of a contact region in a carrier substrate a catalyst is produced on the contact region and a free-standing electrically conductive nanoelement is subsequently formed between the catalyst and the contact region and embedded in a dielectric layer.
US07998851B2
A semiconductor device includes an inorganic insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate, a contact plug that extends through the inorganic insulating layer to contact the semiconductor substrate and a stress buffer spacer disposed between the node contact plug and the inorganic insulating layer. The device further includes a thin-film transistor (TFT) disposed on the inorganic insulating layer and having a source/drain region extending along the inorganic insulating layer to contact the contact plug. The device may further include an etch stop layer interposed between the inorganic insulating layer and the semiconductor substrate.
US07998845B2
To provide a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor film having a leveled main surface is used as an active layer. A semiconductor film (5) having the leveled main surface with an rms of less than 10 nm and a P-V value of less than 70 nm which each indicate a surface roughness is formed by crystallizing a silicon film (3) containing germanium in a concentration of several %, preferably 0.1 to 10 atoms % and irradiating the film with a laser light. In a case of performing a crystallization by use of a metal element for accelerating the crystallization. The semiconductor film high in an orientation rate of the crystal as well as in levelness is obtained.
US07998842B2
The present invention provides metallic films containing a Group IVB or VB metal, silicon and optionally nitrogen by utilizing atomic layer deposition (ALD). In particularly, the present invention provides a low temperature thermal ALD method of forming metallic silicides and a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) method of forming metallic silicon nitride film. The methods of the present invention are capable of forming metallic films having a thickness of a monolayer or less on the surface of a substrate. The metallic films provided in the present invention can be used for contact metallization, metal gates or as a diffusion barrier.
US07998838B2
A series of laser pulses in a pulse train, each pulse with a predetermined temporal power shape, scribes a line in a thin film of material on a substrate. The predetermined temporal pulse shape has a fast risetime and fast falltime and a pulse length between 10% power points of less than 10 ns. Scribing a line in the thin film is achieved by placing the series of laser pulse spots on the line to be scribed such that there is some overlapping area between adjacent laser pulse spots along the line. The use of a series of laser pulses with the predetermined pulse shape to scribe a line in the thin film results in a better quality and cleaner scribing process compared to that achieved with a conventional pulse shape.
US07998835B2
Methods (and semiconductor substrates produced therefrom) of fabricating (n−1) SDOI substrates using n wafers is described. A donor substrate (e.g., silicon) includes a buffer layer (e.g., SiGe) and a plurality of multi-layer stacks formed thereon having alternating stress (e.g., relaxed SiGe) and strain (e.g., silicon) layers. An insulator is disposed adjacent an outermost strained silicon layer. The outermost strained silicon layer and underlying relaxed SiGe layer is transferred to a handle substrate by conventional or known bonding and separation methods. The handle substrate is processed to remove the relaxed SiGe layer thereby producing an SDOI substrate for further use. The remaining donor substrate is processed to remove one or more layers to expose another strained silicon layer. Various processing steps are repeated to produce another SDOI substrate as well as a remaining donor substrate, and the steps may be repeated to produce n−1 SDOI substrates.
US07998828B2
A method of forming a metal ion transistor comprises forming a first electrode in a first isolation layer; forming a second isolation layer over the first isolation layer; forming a first cell region of a low dielectric constant (low-k) dielectric over the first electrode in the second isolation layer, the first cell region isolated from the second isolation layer; forming a cap layer over the second isolation layer and the first cell region, at least thinning the cap layer over the first cell region; depositing a layer of the low-k dielectric over the second isolation layer and the first cell region; forming metal ions in the low-k dielectric layer; patterning the low-k dielectric layer to form a second cell region; sealing the second cell region using a liner; and forming a second electrode contacting the second cell region and a third electrode contacting the second cell region.
US07998822B2
A semiconductor fabrication process includes forming a gate electrode (112) overlying a gate dielectric (114) overlying a semiconductor substrate (104) of a wafer (101) and a liner dielectric layer (116) including vertical portions (118) adjacent sidewalls of the gate electrode and horizontal portions (117) overlying an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate (104). A spacer (108) is formed adjacent a vertical portion (118) and overlying a horizontal portion (117) of the liner dielectric layer (116). After forming the spacer (108), exposed portions of the liner dielectric layer (116) are removed to form a liner dielectric structure (126) covered by the extension spacer (108). The extension spacer (108) is then etched back to expose or uncover extremities of the liner dielectric structure (126). Prior to etching back the spacer (108), a metal (130) may be sputtered deposited over the wafer (101) preparatory to forming a silicide (134). After the etch back the wafer (101) may be dipped in piranha solution and cleaned with an RF sputter (140) of argon.
US07998818B2
A method for forming a semiconductor element structure is provided. First, a substrate including a first MOS and a second MOS is provided. The gate electrode of the first MOS is connected to the gate electrode of the second MOS, wherein the first MOS includes a first high-K material and a first metal for use in a first gate, and a second MOS includes a second high-K material and a second metal for use in a second gate. Then the first gate and the second gate are partially removed to form a connecting recess. Afterwards, the connecting recess is filled with a conductive material to form a bridge channel for electrically connecting the first metal and the second metal.
US07998817B2
A method for fabricating a high-voltage transistor with an extended drain region includes forming in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, first and second trenches that define a mesa having respective first and second sidewalls; then partially filling each of the trenches with a dielectric material that covers the first and second sidewalls. The remaining portions of the trenches are then filled with a conductive material to form first and second field plates. Source and body regions are formed in an upper portion of the mesa, with the body region separating the source from a lower portion of the mesa. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).
US07998812B2
A semiconductor device includes a memory cell array area, a peripheral circuit area on a periphery of the memory cell array area, and a boundary area having a specific width between the memory cell array area and the peripheral circuit area, the memory cell array area including a cell area including nonvolatile semiconductor memory cells, linear wirings extending from inside of the cell area to an area outside the cell area, and lower layer wirings in a lower layer than the linear wirings in the boundary area and electrically connected to the linear wirings, and wiring widths of the lower layer wirings being larger than widths of the linear wirings, the peripheral circuit area including a patterns electrically connected to the linear wirings via the lower layer wirings, the boundary area failing to be provided with the linear wirings and a wiring in same layer as the linear wirings.
US07998807B2
A method for increasing the speed of a bipolar transistor, includes the following steps: providing a bipolar transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions; providing electrodes for coupling electrical signals with the emitter, base, and collector regions; and adapting the base region to enhance stimulated emission to the detriment of spontaneous emission, so as to reduce carrier recombination lifetime in the base region.
US07998801B2
Decrease of the off-state current, increase of the on-state current, and reduction of variations of electrical characteristics. A method for manufacturing a channel-etched inversed staggered thin film transistor includes the following steps: removing, by first dry-etching, a part of a semiconductor layer including an impurity element which imparts one conductivity type, which is exposed from the source and drain electrodes, and partially a part of an amorphous semiconductor layer just below and in contact with the part of the semiconductor layer; removing, by second dry-etching, partially the part of the amorphous semiconductor layer which is exposed by the first dry-etching; and performing plasma treatment on the surface of the part of the amorphous semiconductor layer which is exposed by the second dry-etching so that an altered layer is formed.
US07998800B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided, which comprises at least a steps of forming a gate insulating film over a substrate, a step of forming a microcrystalline semiconductor film over the gate insulating film, and a step of forming an amorphous semiconductor film over the microcrystalline semiconductor film. The microcrystalline semiconductor film is formed by introducing a silicon hydride gas or a silicon halide gas when a surface of the gate insulating film is subjected to hydrogen plasma to generate a crystalline nucleus over the surface of the gate insulating film, and by increasing a flow rate of the silicon hydride gas or the silicon halide gas.
US07998791B2
Panel level methods and arrangements are described for attaching heat sinks in panel form with dice attached to a leadframe panel. Various methods produce integrated circuit packages each having an exposed heat sink on one outer surface of the package and an exposed die attach pad on a second opposite surface of the package.
US07998790B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit die packaging system includes: providing a lead frame having a die attach paddle, an isolated pad, and a connector; attaching an integrated circuit die to the die attach paddle and the connector; forming an encapsulation over the integrated circuit die, the connector, the die attach paddle, and the isolated pad; and singulating the connector and the die attach paddle whereby the isolated pads are electrically isolated.
US07998763B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus which does not hamper the miniaturization of products and can simplify the manufacturing process without the optical performance deteriorating is described. Furthermore, a mold assembly for use in molding a semiconductor apparatus can be provided. A substrate can be set within a lower mold, wherein a plurality of optical semiconductor elements are mounted on the substrate at predetermined intervals. Primary transfer molding using the lower mold and a primary upper mold can be carried out to form a plurality of frame bodies so as to surround the respective optical semiconductor elements. While the substrate is set on the lower mold, secondary transfer molding using the lower mold and the secondary upper mold can be carried out to form the light-transmitting portions so as to cover the optical semiconductor elements and the frame bodies on the substrate. Then, a multi-piece product of semiconductor apparatuses can be removed from the molds and cut by a dicer to separate the individual semiconductor apparatuses.
US07998762B1
A method for large scale manufacture of photovoltaic devices includes loading a substrate into a load lock station and transferring the substrate in a controlled ambient to a first process station. The method includes using a first physical deposition process in the first process station to cause formation of a first conductor layer overlying the surface region of the substrate. The method includes transferring the substrate to a second process station, and using a second physical deposition process in the second process station to cause formation of a second layer overlying the surface region of the substrate. The method further includes repeating the transferring and processing until all thin film materials of the photovoltaic devices are formed. In an embodiment, the invention also provides a method for large scale manufacture of photovoltaic devices including feed forward control. That is, the method includes in-situ monitoring of the physical, electrical, and optical properties of the thin films. These properties are used to determine and adjust process conditions for subsequent processes.
US07998759B2
There is disclosed a manufacturing method for exposure mask, which comprises acquiring a first information showing surface shape of surface of each of a plurality of mask substrates, and a second information showing the flatness of the surface of each of mask substrates before and after chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus, forming a corresponding relation of each mask substrate, the first information and the second information, selecting the second information showing a desired flatness among the second information of the corresponding relation, and preparing another mask substrate having the same surface shape as the surface shape indicated by the first information in the corresponding relation with the selected second information, and forming a desired pattern on the above-mentioned another mask substrate.
US07998755B2
Assay systems and methods are provided for detecting a target antigen in a physiological fluid (e.g., blood, serum, or urine). The method includes linking via a first antibody a magnetic microparticle to the target antigen in the physiological fluid; linking via a second antibody a glucose molecule to the target antigen; utilizing a magnetic field to separate the magnetic microparticle-linked antigen from the physiological fluid to form a test sample; and detecting the glucose in the test sample to determine the concentration of target antigen in the physiological fluid. The target antigen can be a protein or marker resulting from cardiac tissue injury, which can be used to assess acute myocardial infarction. An exemplar target antigen is myoglobin. The glucose detection preferably is one that can be done rapidly, e.g., with a conventional glucometer, and may include measuring the electrical resistance, color, or pH of the test sample.
US07998751B2
Providing the desired volume of a liquid within a biochemical analyzer by aspirating an excess slug of liquid from a container into a probe, ejecting a portion of the excess liquid, and then dispensing the desired volume of liquid into a container.
US07998743B2
The invention provides biomarkers including β-2-microglobulin, Cystatin C, hsCRP and glucose as well as methods for using the biomarkers for diagnosing and/or assessing the risk of peripheral artery disease in a subject. In some embodiments, the subject being tested may be suffering from or at risk of other circulatory diseases, including coronary artery disease. Hemoglobin A1c or other proxies for measuring glucose levels may be substituted for or measured in addition to glucose in the context of the present invention.
US07998742B2
A method and apparatus to estimate the concentration of a non-fluorescent substance (e.g. haemoglobin) in a fluorescent assay by separately estimating the non time dependent alteration attributed to inherent filter effects from the time dependent alteration caused by the assay chemistry. Such a method obviates the requirement for a separate photometric or other measurement thereby simplifying the methodology and associated instrumentation.
US07998734B2
The invention includes a composition comprising a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector comprising at least two adeno-associated virus inverted terminal repeats, a promoter/regulatory sequence, isolated DNA encoding Factor IX and accompanying 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions and a transcription termination.
US07998717B2
Compositions, devices, systems and methods for reducing and/or preventing photodamage of one or more reactants in illuminated analytical reactions by one or more of incorporating photodamage mitigating agents within the reaction mixture and/or interrogating different observation regions of the reaction mixture for a period that is less than a photodamage threshold period.
US07998706B2
Disclosed, among other things, are compounds having the structure wherein X comprises a bond or a linker, LABEL comprises at least one detectable label, W1 taken alone is —H or —OH, W2 is —OH or a non-extendable moiety, W3 when taken alone is —H or when taken together with W1 is —CH2—O—, and W4 is OH, monophosphate, diphosphate, or triphosphate. Also disclosed are labeled polynucleotide compounds and methods of use thereof.
US07998705B2
Increased dynamic binding capacity in ion exchange chromatography by addition of polyethylene glycol
The present invention generally relates to novel processes for protein purification in high salt solutions such as cell culture broth by increasing the dynamic binding capacity of a resin with the addition of polyethylene glycol.
US07998702B2
An L-arabinose inducible expression system comprising a mutant arabinose promoter. This system exhibits an increase in heterologous protein production upon induction with L-arabinose and comprises a mutant araB promoter and an AraC transcription binding region. This system retains the tight regulatory control characteristic of the wild type arabinose operon.
US07998698B2
Provided is a method for determining whether an individual is likely to be susceptible to radiation pneumonitis from radiation therapy and for developing a treatment based on the determination of susceptibility. The method involves measuring SOD and GPX activity levels. A high SOD or low GPX activity, or a combination thereof, is indicative that the individual is likely to be susceptible to radiation pneumonitis.
US07998697B2
The present invention relates to a method for detecting the presence or non-presence of an endotoxin, characterized in that an OmpT protein is brought into contact with a sample suspected of containing an endotoxin and the protease activity of the OmpT protein is assayed. It also relates to a method for detecting early onset of septicaemia using the inventive method and a kit for performing the method.
US07998692B2
The present invention relates to agonists of the human bitter-taste receptor hTAS2R7 and its role in bitter taste transduction. The invention also relates to assays for screening molecules that modulate, e.g. suppress or block hTAS2R7 bitter taste transduction or bitter taste response.
US07998687B2
The invention relates to the analysis and identification of genes that are modulated in transplant rejection. This alteration of gene expression provides a molecular signature to accurately detect transplant rejection.
US07998682B2
A non-invasive method for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis is provided. In one example, the method includes assaying the expression of FOS, DUSP1, or both FOS and DUSP1 in monocytes or a cell fraction thereof, or in plasma, serum or peripheral blood from the subject. An increase the expression of FOS, DUSP1, or both FOS and DUSP1 in monocytes in the sample as compared to a control indicates that the subject has atherosclerosis. A method is also provided for determining if a pharmaceutical agent is effective for treatment of atherosclerosis in a subject. The method includes assaying the expression of FOS, DUSP1, or both FOS and DUSP1 in a monocytes treated with the pharmaceutical agent, wherein a decrease the expression of FOS, DUSP1, or both FOS and DUSP1 in monocytes in the sample as compared to a control indicates that the pharmaceutical agent is effective for the treatment of atherosclerosis. The monocytes can be contacted with the agent in vivo or in vitro.
US07998677B2
Provided herein are methods for detection of miRNA in a sample. In certain embodiments, the sample comprises RNA and is derived from a cell or tissue. The methods of detection employ a competitor molecule to allow for detection of an miRNA in the presence of an anti-miRNA oligonucleotide.
US07998674B2
mRNA transcript profiling can be used to formulate molecular predictors of distant metastasis for primary NPCs. The predicted results are highly correlated with short metastasis-free and overall survival. Predictions are made using 52-genes based and 12-genes based predictors.
US07998670B2
Methods for detecting cancer that include hybridizing a set of chromosomal probes to a biological sample obtained from a patient, and identifying if aneusomic cells are present in a selected subset of cells obtained from the biological sample are described. A set of chromosomal probes and kits for detecting cancer that include sets of chromosomal probes, are also described.
US07998668B2
A method for determining whether a human individual is or has been infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is provided. The method detects a Neisseria gonorrhoeae, porA nucleic acid fragment obtained from a biological sample. The method includes subjecting the biological sample to nucleic acid sequence amplification using primers having respective nucleotide sequences according to SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2, to thereby produce a porA Neisseria gonorrhoeae, amplification product. The amplification product is detected by fluorescence resonance energy transfer using oligonucleotides having respective nucleotide sequences according to SEQ ID NO:3 which has a donor fluorophore and SEQ ID NO:4, which has an acceptor fluorophore.
US07998664B2
The present invention provides a resist substrate treating solution and a method for pattern formation using that treating solution, and thereby problems such as foreign substances on the substrate surface, pattern collapse and pattern roughness can be easily solved at the same time. The treating solution comprises water and an alkylene oxide adduct of a primary amine having a hydrocarbon group of 11 to 30 carbon atoms or of ammonia. The method for pattern formation according to the invention comprises a step of treating the developed pattern with that treating solution.
US07998663B2
After forming an underlying layer film and an intermediate layer film are formed over a substrate, a resist pattern formed by first pattern exposure using a first resist film and second pattern exposure using a second resist film is transferred onto the intermediate layer film. Furthermore, the underlying layer film is etched using the intermediate layer pattern as a mask, thereby obtaining an underlying layer film pattern. The underlying layer film includes as an adduct a fluorine-based surfactant or inorganic nano particles and is provided with a resistance against oxygen-based plasma.
US07998658B2
A first resist film is formed on a substrate, and first pattern exposure is performed such that the first resist film is irradiated with exposure light through a first mask. Then, the first resist film is developed, thereby forming a first resist pattern out of the first resist film. Subsequently, a nano-carbon material is attached to the surface of the first resist pattern, and then a second resist film is formed on the substrate including the first resist pattern. Thereafter, second pattern exposure is performed such that the second resist film is irradiated with exposure light through a second mask. Then, the second resist film is developed, thereby forming a second resist pattern out of the second resist film.
US07998654B2
A positive resist composition comprises: (A) a resin that has a repeating unit represented by general formula (a1) and increases its solubility in an alkali developer by action of an acid; (B) a compound which generates an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or a radiation; and (C) a resin that has at least one of a fluorine atom and a silicon atom and has a group selected from the group consisting of (x), (y) and (z); and (D) a solvent: (x) an alkali-soluble group; (y) a group capable that decomposes by action of an alkali developer to undergo an increase in a solubility of the resin (C) in an alkali developer; and (z) a group that decomposes by action of an acid, wherein R represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, Rxa represents an alkyl group or a cycloalkyl group, and n represents an integer of 1 to 8.
US07998649B2
Pigment particles with at least one metal oxide surface additive, wherein the at least one metal oxide surface additive is a metal oxide particle covalently bonded with at least one polycondensation polymer, wherein the pigment particle is a pearlescent or metallic pigment.
US07998648B2
An electrophotographic developing agent is provided that includes a binder resin, a releasing agent, a colorant, and a charge control agent. By using a binder resin having a high acid value and a mixture of two waxes having different melting points as a releasing agent, a electrophotographic developing agent is obtained, which has excellent fusing property and durability and does not result in hot offset and wrap jamming.
US07998641B2
A photomask includes a transparent substrate having a transparent property against exposing light, a semi-light-shielding portion formed on the transparent substrate, a first opening formed in the semi-light-shielding portion and having a first dimension and a second opening formed in the semi-light-shielding portion and having a second dimension lager than the first dimension. A phase-shifting portion which transmits the exposing light in an opposite phase with respect to the first opening is formed on the transparent substrate around the first opening. A light-shielding portion is formed on the transparent substrate around the second opening.
US07998640B2
A mask is reused to form the same pattern in multiple layers in semiconductor processing. Reference marks that allow alignment accuracy to be checked are also formed with the mask. The manner of using the mask advantageously mitigates interference between reference marks in different layers.
US07998638B2
The electrode for a fuel cell of the present invention includes a catalyst layer and an electrode substrate supporting the catalyst layer, where the electrode substrate includes a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region separated from each other. The hydrophilic region and the hydrophobic region that are separated from each other can easily release water produced at the cathode, and thereby prevent clogging of pores of the membrane by water, and smoothly diffuse the reactants resulting in obtaining a high current density.
US07998637B2
A liquid fuel cell comprising a plurality of unit fuel cells each having a positive electrode (8) for reducing oxygen, a negative electrode (9) for oxidizing liquid fuel, and an electrolyte layer (10) interposed between the positive electrode (8) and the negative electrode (9), and a section (3) for storing liquid fuel (4), wherein power can be generated stably while reducing the size by arranging the plurality of unit fuel cells on the substantially same plane. Each electrolyte layer of the unit fuel cell preferably constitutes a continuous integrated electrolyte layer.
US07998635B2
A conductive and tabular separator is inserted into the gap between the fuel electrode layer of an i-th power generating cell and the oxidizer electrode layer of an (i+1)-th power generating cell adjacent to the fuel electrode layer. A fuel supply passage is so formed on one face of each of these separators that a fuel gas flows radially from almost the center of the fuel electrode layer to its edge. An oxidizer supply passage is so formed on the other face that an oxidizer gas outgoes almost uniformly in a shower toward the oxidizer polar layer. Thus, all of the surfaces of the power generating cells contribute to power generation to increase the frequency of collision between the fuel gas and the fuel electrode layer and that between the oxidizer gas and the oxidizer electrode layer, and to improve the generation efficiency.
US07998634B2
A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell, which generates power by supplying anode gas and cathode gas into the fuel cell, a compressor which controls the amount of the gas to be supplied into the fuel cell, and a pressure control valve which controls the gas pressure of the fuel cell and which is provided on the downstream of the fuel cell, is controlled by changing an amount of the supply gas by said compressor, and thereafter changing the opening of said pressure control valve during the transition period of the fuel cell.
US07998633B2
A fuel cell system includes a branch anode gas supply pipe in which hydrogen before supplied to a fuel cell flows; and a branch cathode gas supply pipe in which air before supplied to the fuel cell flows. One end on the upstream side of the branch anode gas supply pipe is connected to the upstream side of a regulator in an anode gas supply pipe, and the other end thereof is connected to the branch cathode gas supply pipe via a hydrogen injector. The branch anode gas supply pipe is provided with a hydrogen regulator, which detects a pressure in the branch cathode gas supply pipe as a signal pressure.
US07998629B2
If the combination fuel cell and ion pump is judged to be operating in a hydrogen generation mode, an input amount of electricity supplied to the combination fuel cell and ion pump is controlled, so as to control an amount of refined hydrogen generated thereby. If the combination fuel cell and ion pump is judged to be operating in an electricity generation mode, an output amount of electricity supplied from the combination fuel cell and ion pump is controlled, so as to control an amount of electricity generated thereby. The input amount of electricity supplied to the combination fuel cell and ion pump, or the output amount of electricity supplied from the combination fuel cell and ion pump, is corrected based on the temperature of a combustor.
US07998628B2
In a fuel cell system (10), an anode exhaust gas discharge pipe (50) is full of hydrogen at the start of operation of a fuel cell (20). As time passes when the fuel cell (20) is operating, the concentration of impurities within the anode exhaust gas discharge pipe (50) increases. When the hydrogen concentration is less than a reference concentration for opening a valve, an upstream cut-off valve (61) closes and a downstream cut off valve (62) opens. As a result, the impurity concentration in the anode gas discharge pipe (50) quickly drops and is restored to the level that it was at the start of operation of the fuel cell (20). This sudden drop in the impurity concentration is caused by a pressure difference between the pressure in the anode exhaust gas pipe (50) and the pressure of the outside air, and the concentration gradient.
US07998625B2
A fuel cell has an anode and a cathode with anode enzyme disposed on the anode and cathode enzyme is disposed on the cathode. The anode is configured and arranged to electrooxidize an anode reductant in the presence of the anode enzyme. Likewise, the cathode is configured and arranged to electroreduce a cathode oxidant in the presence of the cathode enzyme. In addition, anode redox hydrogel may be disposed on the anode to transduce a current between the anode and the anode enzyme and cathode redox hydrogel may be disposed on the cathode to transduce a current between the cathode and the cathode enzyme.
US07998619B2
A subject for the invention is to provide a positive-electrode material, which has high capacity and high output and is inhibited from suffering a decrease in output with repetitions of charge and use. The invention provides a positive-electrode material for lithium secondary battery, which comprises a secondary particle of a lithium/transition metal composite oxide containing boron and/or bismuth, and wherein the atomic ratio of the sum of boron and bismuth to the sum of the metallic elements other than lithium, boron, and bismuth in a surface part of the secondary particle is from 5 times to 70 times the atomic ratio in the whole secondary particle.
US07998617B2
The invention relates to materials for use as electrodes in an alkali-ion secondary (rechargeable) battery, particularly a lithium-ion battery. The invention provides transition-metal compounds having the ordered-olivineor the rhombohedral NASICON structure and the polyanion (PO4)3− as at least one constituent for use as electrode material for alkali-ion rechargeable batteries.
US07998616B2
A negative electrode for a hybrid energy storage device includes a current collector; a corrosion-resistant conductive coating secured to at least one face of the current collector; a sheet comprising activated carbon adhered to the corrosion-resistant conductive coating; a tab portion extending from a side of the negative electrode; and a lug comprising a lead or lead alloy that encapsulates at least part of the tab portion.
US07998613B2
A thin and wide area lithium ion secondary battery is disclosed. The lithium ion secondary battery has a container having a flange extended outwardly from a region where a terminal is located in the container, and constituted by a can and a cap having preferred shapes, respectively, wherein the flange of the can is welded at an outer surface of the flange to an outer surface of the flange of the cap by means of micro-arc welding. A cooling jig can be easily installed to the container, allowing efficient removal of problems caused by heat upon welding, resulting in allowing application of micro-arc welding thereto without generating damage of the interior or the battery caused by heat. Accordingly, more economical and stable butt welding can be performed, thereby remarkably reducing defect occurrence rates causing leakage problem of the resulting battery, and manufacturing costs of the lithium secondary battery.
US07998608B2
A lithium secondary battery including: an inner electrode member having electrode plates (cathode plate and anode plate) of a metal foil as a constituting element, and being formed by winding or laminating electrode plates; and a battery case for housing the inner electrode member. A gas release channel capable of releasing a gas to the outside of the battery case is formed by deformation of the inner electrode member by a function of a raised inner pressure when the inner pressure of the battery case rises to a predetermined pressure or more due to the gas generated inside the inner electrode member. The lithium secondary battery can smoothly release the gas generated inside the inner electrode member without being retained therein before the gas reaches a pressure releasing mechanism; thus, it is superior in safety and has a high energy density.
US07998607B2
A perpendicular recording magnetic media with a partially-oxidized cap layer combines a second oxide layer with a first cap layer to form the singular, partially-oxidized cap. The oxidized portion and the non-oxidized portion of the partially-oxidized layer are sputtered from a same target and have a same composition of metallic elements. The Ms of the oxidized portion is about twice as high as the non-oxidized portion. The oxidized portion has a thickness in the range of about 5 to 25 angstroms. The layer composition may comprise CoPtCrBTa, with a Cr at % of about 18-24%, Pt at about 13-20%, B at about 4-10%, and Ta at about 0-2%.
US07998605B2
Embodiments of the invention provide ways to manufacture an inexpensive high-density magnetic recording medium. A high-density magnetic recording medium is composed of a flat substrate, a nonmagnetic intermediary body having a periodic recessed-relieved structure, and a magnetic film formed on the intermediary body.
US07998597B2
To provide an organic light emitting device having high efficiency and high luminance by making a contrivance to suppress the leakage of an electron or of an exciton, an organic light emitting device of the present invention includes two hole transporting layers having tertiary amine compounds different from each other in structure.
US07998594B2
Methods are provided for bonding pure rhenium to a substrate comprising a material. Non-lubricated components configured to have friction contact with another component are also provided. In an embodiment, by way of example only, a method includes disposing a eutectic alloy over the substrate to form an inter layer, the eutectic alloy comprised essentially of a base alloy and one or more melting point depressants and having a melting temperature that is lower than a melting temperature of the substrate material and a melting temperature of rhenium, placing pure rhenium over the inter layer, and heating the inter layer to a temperature that is substantially equal to or greater than the melting temperature of the eutectic alloy, but that is below the melting temperature of the substrate material and the melting temperature of the pure rhenium to bond the pure rhenium to the substrate.
US07998592B2
A recording paper used for an electrophotographic system is provided, wherein, in a gas chromatograph generated using a headspace method by holding two pieces of the paper of dimensions about 1 cm×about 1 cm at about 120° C. for about 3 minutes, the quantity of aldehyde compounds generated having a straight-chain alkyl chain of about 5 to about 20 carbon atoms is equivalent to a peak surface area ratio of no more than about 65% and a peak surface area of no more than about 40,000.
US07998582B2
The present invention relates to a particulate mixed metal hydroxide that includes nickel, cobalt and aluminium. The powder particles have a core of nickel/cobalt hydroxide, and a surface that is coated with amorphous aluminium hydroxide. A process for the continuous preparation of such mixed metal hydroxides is also described. The process includes precipitating aluminium hydroxide in the presence of a nickel/cobalt mixed hydroxide in a tube reactor. The mixed metal hydroxides of the present invention may be used to prepare active materials for positive electrodes of a secondary battery.
US07998578B2
The present invention is directed to a spunbond fiber comprising polyphenylene sulfide polymer having a zero shear viscosity at 300° C. of about 21,500 to about 28,000 Pa·s.
US07998577B2
This invention relates to a multicomponent fiber having an exposed outer surface, comprising at least a first component of polyarylene sulfide polymer, and at least a second component of a thermoplastic polymer free of polyarylene sulfide polymer, wherein said thermoplastic polymer forms the entire exposed surface of the multicomponent fiber.
US07998571B2
A cementitious composite article incorporating a powder coating on at least one surface is provided. The composite article includes a surface treatment adapted to facilitate application of the powder coating onto the article. The surface treatment can include modifications to surface porosity, surface, and/or application of a sealer to the surface so as to make the cementitious surface more conducive to powder coating. One method of manufacturing the cementitious composite article includes first applying a sealer coating to a surface of a fiber cement substrate, partially curing the substrate to a gel-like state, applying a powder coating to the article, processing the article to a curing device in which the powder coating and sealer coating are co-cured to form a hardened film.
US07998562B2
The present invention provides a new photocatalyst sheet in which the substrates coated with fluorocarbon resin are readily weldable mutually, and also of the high antifouling and water-repellant property by coating the outermost surface of film/fabric structure with fluorocarbon resin containing a photocatalyst and a photocatalyst sheet comprises a substrate (2), a first fluorocarbon resin layer (3) coated on said substrate (2), a second fluorocarbon resin layer (4) coated on said first fluorocarbon resin layer (3), and a third fluorocarbon resin layer (5) containing photocatalyst coated on said second fluorocarbon resin layer (4). The melting point of the first fluorocarbon resin layer (3) may be higher than the melting points of the second and the third fluorocarbon resin layers (4), (5).
US07998554B2
Hydrophobic surfaces with water contact angles greater than 120 degrees are created by the deposition of nano-particles. A process for the synthesis of suitable nano-particles is described as well as a process for the deposition of the particles.
US07998553B2
A copper-clad laminate is composed of a copper foil and an aromatic polyimide film placed thereon, in which the copper foil is bonded to the polyimide film at a bonding strength of ≧500 N/m and the polyimide film shows a light transmittance of ≧40% for a light of wavelength of 600 nm and a haze of ≧30% [the light transmittance and haze are values measured after the copper foil is removed by etching].
US07998551B2
An elastomeric plastic material is molded by known methods to provide a formed, sized, shaped and self-contained, generally unitary, protective member for correspondingly shaped and sized unfinished, raw and the like edge of furniture or other devices which require protection or coverage, such that the protective member, because of its elastomeric characteristics, can be fitted or snapped into assembled position about such unprotected or unfinished edge and then easily fixed into assembled position, by conventional stapling using associated spaced flanges thereon, saving costs of material and labor. In the molding, additional modifications can be added such as a hand grip to facilitate movement of the furniture. The plastic protective member can be molded with a central cavity having an opening into which colored and non-colored fillers and/or braided rope can be inserted.
US07998549B2
A method of forming an assembly including a first workpiece having a surface provided with a mortise and a second workpiece provided with a tenon inserted into the mortise joining the workpieces together in which the second workpiece is disposed in a certain orientation relative to the first workpiece to provide a certain disposition of the workpieces when joined together, generally consisting of providing identifying marks on the surface of the first workpiece and the tenon of the second workpiece at locations assuming a certain disposition when the second workpiece is disposed in a certain orientation and the tenon is registered with the mortise; positioning the second workpiece relative to the first workpiece wherein the second workpiece is disposed in the certain orientation relative to the first workpiece, the tenon is registered with the mortise and the marks are disposed in the certain mark disposition; and displacing the second workpiece toward the first workpiece and inserting the tenon into the mortise.
US07998545B2
A heat-shrinkable polylactic acid (PLA) film and a method of its manufacture are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the PLA films exhibit heat-induced shrinkage in the transverse direction with little to no concomitant shrinkage in the machine direction. The films may comprise any grade of PLA polymer, optionally including additives, such as antiblock, slip, plasticizers, viscosity enhancers and combinations thereof. A method of cast and tenner manufacture is disclosed, which includes a temperature conditioning step.
US07998530B2
The invention discloses improved water-based compositions that are useful as barrier coatings to regulate the intrusion and extrusion of air and water. Specifically, the water-based compositions, when dried, provide barrier-coatings that have an effective combination of properties including moisture vapor permeability, air permeability resistance, and water resistance. More specifically, the water-based barrier compositions are designed to be environmentally friendly, and user friendly, and provide coated-substrates that are particularly useful for the manufacture of enclosed structures including buildings.
US07998527B2
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a composite material, said composite material comprising a substrate and a layer on the substrate, comprising a vapor-depositing step in which a compound comprising a triazine compound is deposited on the substrate at a pressure below 1000 Pa, whereby the layer is formed, wherein during the vapor-depositing step the temperature of the substrate lies between −15° C. and +125° C. The invention further relates to a composite material, obtainable by the process as disclosed.
US07998526B2
A system and method for depositing a phosphor composition onto a light emitting device improves manufacturing yield, simplifies conventional processes, and decreases costs. For example, a method of dispensing a phosphor composition onto a light emitting device includes dispensing a portion of the phosphor composition onto the light emitting device utilizing a plurality of colored phosphor dispensers each for dispensing a respective type of phosphor. Power is applied to the light emitting device to emit light, and a characteristic the light emitted by the light emitting device is detected. Phosphor mixing and phosphor dispensing are dynamically controlled. Therefore the color characteristics of phosphor dispensed on LEDs are consistent. The system and method may also reduce the difference between detected characteristic of the light and a desired characteristic of the light.
US07998520B2
A fat-and-oil composition comprising fats-and-oils A and B, and C and/or E, all being derived from vegetable fats-and-oils, the composition satisfying conditions (a), (b) and (c): A: at least one of lauric fats-and-oils, and fractionated, extremely hardened or transesterified oils of lauric fats-and-oils, B: a liquid oil, C: a transesterified oil of D derived from vegetable fats-and-oils, D: a fat-and-oil wherein the contents of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids having 16 or more carbon atoms in all the constitutive fatty acids being 20%≦ but <75% by mass, and 25%≦ but <70% by mass, respectively, and E: a middle-melting fractionated oil of palm oil and/or palm oil wherein the solid fat content is 50≦ but <100% at 10° C., 20≦ but <90% at 20° C., and <6% at 35° C., the contents of A, B, and C and/or E in all the fat-and-oil ingredients derived from vegetable fats-and-oils being (a) 60%< but ≦98% by mass, (b) 1 to 25% by mass, and (c) 1 to 38% by mass.
US07998513B1
Method and system embodiments of the present invention control the ascorbate concentration in produce treatments and particularly are exemplified in fresh cut fruit and vegetable treatments via measured refractivity and/or electrical conductivity of, and/or calcium ions present in, the treatment solution.
US07998511B2
A method for the production of ethanol and a modified animal feed is provided. The method replaces the starch in known corn-based animal feed with biomass fiber treated to make it more digestible by animals. The process includes wherein the pericarp and germ are removed from the corn kernel and processed for by-products. The starch and protein are also removed and separated. The starch is then fermented and distilled to ethanol and stillage. The bioavailable modified animal feed comprises the pericarp and germ removed from corn kernels and optionally by-products of the pericarp and germ processing, and lignocellulosic materials. The modified animal feed may optionally include energy materials such as animal and vegetable fats, vegetable soapstocks, or glycerin, and combinations thereof.
US07998507B2
Nanoparticulate compositions comprising at least one poorly soluble MAP kinase inhibitor and at least one surface stabilizer are described. The nanoparticulate compositions have an average particle size of less than about 2000 nm. The invention also describes methods of making and using such compositions.
US07998502B2
The invention relates to a composition comprising a pharmaceutically active agent and a bioadhesive delivery system that provides for the oral delivery of a vaccine to animals, particularly aquatic animals.
US07998496B2
The subject invention relates in part to the oral administration of ecdysteroids for controlling subterranean termites. Preferred ecdysteroids for use according to the subject invention are ecdysone, certain ecdysone analogs, and 20-hydroxyecdysone, for example. In some preferred embodiments, one or more of these compounds is used in a termite bait in combination with one or more chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSI), such as hexaflumuron and/or noviflumuron. The subject invention also relates to mixtures comprising these two active ingredients. The ecdysteroid analog or molt-accelerating compound (MAC) typically induces a preliminary molting event in termite workers, which then allows the CSI to further disrupt the molt and cause mortality. The combination of these active ingredients, causing accelerated molting together with inhibition of chitin synthesis, is surprisingly shown herein to enhance activity against termites, as compared to either group of compounds alone.
US07998467B2
Cosmetic/dermatological compositions for topical application and useful for the treatment, e.g., of acne, contain, formulated into a physiologically acceptable medium, at least one naphthoic acid compound and at least one polyurethane polymer or derivative thereof, the at least one naphthoic acid compound being dispersed therein.
US07998459B1
The invention discloses a pharmaceutical composition of bioactive nanoparticles composed of chitosan, poly-glutamic acid, and a bioactive agent for oral delivery. The chitosan-based nanoparticles are characterized with a positive surface charge and enhanced permeability for oral drug delivery.
US07998448B2
A production method of amorphous silica comprises a step of preparing organic waste containing silicon oxide as a starting material, a step of immersing the organic waste in a carboxylic acid aqueous solution having a hydroxyl group, a step of washing the organic waste in water, and a step of heating the organic waste in the air atmosphere.
US07998447B2
A method of removing hydrogen sulfide from an emissions stream is disclosed, wherein the method includes directing the emissions stream into a hydrogen sulfide converter having a metal oxide catalyst, adsorbing the hydrogen sulfide in the emissions stream to the metal oxide catalyst in the hydrogen sulfide converter, reacting the hydrogen sulfide with at least one of an oxidant and a reductant in the hydrogen sulfide converter to chemically transform the hydrogen sulfide, and adjusting an air-fuel ratio of the emissions stream based on exhaust temperature of an emission control device, where the adjustment varies a duration of at least one of lean and rich operation to perform the adsorbing and reacting even as exhaust temperature varies.
US07998436B2
Multiwell droplet actuators, systems and methods are provided. According to one embodiment, a substrate is provided and comprises: (a) one or more input ports for introduction of one or more reagents and/or samples; (b) a regular array of processing wells; and (c) a network of droplet transport pathways comprising pathways that provide direct or indirect droplet transport from each of the input ports to each of the one or more processing wells. Varying droplet actuators and systems related thereto are also provided.
US07998433B2
A valve unit and an apparatus having the same include a plug which includes a phase change material in a solid state at a room temperature and a plurality of fine heat-dissipating particles dispersed in the phase change material. The fine heat-dissipating particles dispersed in the phase change material dissipate heat by absorbing an electromagnetic wave energy generated by electromagnetic wave radiation from the outside and block fluid flow in a path formed by a channel. As an external energy source irradiates an electromagnetic wave on the plug, the plurality of fine heat-dissipating particles dissipate heat and the phase change material becomes molten, thus opening the path to allow the fluid to flow.
US07998425B2
The invention relates to a structure for filtering particle-laden gases, comprising an assembly of elements of the honeycomb type linked by a joint or seal, each element incorporating a set of adjacent ducts or channels 20 of mutually parallel axes and separated by porous walls, which ducts are closed off by plugs at one or other of their ends so as to define entry chambers that open onto a gas intake face and exit chambers opening onto a gas discharge face 25, in such a way that the gas to be filtered passes through the porous walls, said structure being characterized in that its geometrical centre, in a cross section of the structure perpendicular to its main axis, does not correspond to a symmetry element of an element or of a group of elements 30 in the assembly.
US07998411B2
The present invention provides centrifugal rotors for delivering a premeasured volume of liquid to a chamber in the rotor. In particular the rotors comprise siphons for delivering a premeasured volume of liquid between a first and a second chamber in the rotor. The siphons of the invention are designed such that the inlet of the siphon on the first chamber is radially outward of the siphon outlet on the second chamber. The first chamber is emptied to a level equivalent to the radial position of the siphon outlet.
US07998407B2
A system and method for measuring substance concentrations is provided. The system has a test strip container for receiving a test strip(s). The container has a sealing device, a counter device that counts a number of opening processes of the sealing device, a data carrier that stores batch-specific data of the test strip(s), a data transmission device for wireless transmission of the data and of the number. An analysis module has a device for measuring substance concentrations by the test strip(s), and a data-receiving device for wireless reception of the data from the data transmission device and of the number. The method records the number and stores the number on the data carrier; sends data and the number by wireless transmission to the analysis module, and determines a substance concentration by the test strip(s). Also or instead, the counter device counts a time duration of the opening processes.
US07998395B2
In an injection molding method to manufacture hollow plastic parts, at least one plastic part's hollow is shaped by evacuating an internal portion of the flowable material of an injection mold's cavity using a pressurized gas, and a gate of the mold and thereupon the molded article's aperture so made will be sealed off. After the flowable material has been moved from a blind duct into the gate and partly forced back into the hollow, the molded article will be ejected from the injection mold.
US07998394B1
A method for making an integrally molded flexible fishing lure, comprising: creating a mold of a lure design, having a head integral with an egg sack, a body integral with the egg sack, and a tapered tail integral with the body. The head, body and tail have a smooth surfaces with a plurality of concentric ridges. At least two air trapping cavities are disposed in the body for trapping and retaining air during lure movement. A polymer comprising polypropylene, polyethylene, urethane, elastomer, or combinations thereof, is poured into the mold, the mold is cured, and the integrally molded flexible fishing lure is removed from the mold forming a lure with air trapping cavities.
US07998378B2
A method of making a composite support structure and sander includes the steps of providing a rigid plate adjacent a mold such that a polyfoam layer can be formed to a front surface thereof which includes a wall defining a contained surface, the plate having a back surface for connection to a handle and introducing into the mold fluid components which react to form a polyfoam which is reaction bonded to the front surface of the rigid plate such that a back surface of the polyfoam layer forms within the contained surface and about the wall in a complementary manner thereto and a front surface of the polyfoam layer extends outward from the front surface of the rigid plate and is formed to have a relatively planar surface thereby rendering the composite support structure for removably connecting sandpaper to the relatively planar surface of the polyfoam layer.
US07998377B2
An apparatus comprises a transfer device rotatable at a speed to transfer a dose of plastics from a supply device to a forming device of said dose, a control device that is suitable for varying said speed in a substantially continuous manner between a minimum value and a maximum value being associated with said transfer device.
US07998370B2
The task of the present invention is to offer a conductive paste that can be molded into a conductive coating or film that can maintain flexibility and ductility even while possessing a thickness of 50 μm˜125 μm. The conductive paste of the present invention includes a conductive particulate, a metal capture agent and a polyimide precursor solution. The metal capture agent can be selected as at least one from among either pyrimidinethiol compounds, triazinethiol compounds and imidazole compounds with a mercapto group. Moreover, the conductive particulate is preferably a core particle that is covered with a metal shell. In addition, a polyamic acid solution is preferred as the polyimide precursor solution.
US07998364B2
The invention relates to an ultraviolet to green light region silicate phosphor capable of being excited by radiation light source and its manufacturing method, particularly to white and multicolor systems light-emitting device. The material has luminous color in the range from blue to red color system. The essential composition of the phosphor is aMO.bM′O.SiO2.cR:xEu.yLn.zLv.δLm, wherein M is an element or a combination of elements selected from the group consisting of Sr, Ca, Ba and Zn; M′ is an element or a combination of elements selected from the group consisting of Mg, Cd and Be; R is one or two of B2O3 and P2O5; Ln is an element or a combination of elements selected from the group consisting of Nd, Dy, Ho, Tm, La, Ce, Er, Pr, Bi, Sm, Sn, Y, Lu, Ga, Sb, Tb, Mn and Pb; Lv is an element or a combination of elements selected from the group consisting of Cl, F, Br, I and S; Lm is an element or a combination of elements selected from the group consisting of Li, Na and K.
US07998356B2
The invention relates to a process for manufacturing an integrated optical device. The method involves forming a silicon dioxide multilayer structure on a silicon substrate containing, in a first region a core layer of a waveguide of the optical device. The core includes an electromagnetic radiation inlet/outlet A trench in a second region of the multilayer structure adjacent said first region is formed by a an anisotropic etching, the trench including side walls and a bottom wall spaced from the Substrate. The method further involves forming a coating layer of the side walls and the bottom wall of the trench; defining an opening in the bottom wall by at least partially removing the coating layer in order to expose the lower silicon dioxide of the multilayer structure; performing an isotropic etch through said opening in order to remove, starting from the exposed silicon dioxide, the multilayer structure silicon dioxide until forming a recess in the multilayer structure having a first wall at least one essentially planar portion inclined relative to the substrate. Such inclined portion extends at least partially in the first region, and includes the inlet/outlet port.
US07998350B2
A magnetic treatment device for liquid within at least one liquid container may include a figurine having a body portion and at least one limb extending outwardly therefrom. The at least one limb may be positioned adjacent the at least one liquid container. At least one permanent magnet may be carried by the at least one limb to expose the liquid within the at least one liquid container to a magnetic field.
US07998342B2
Various systems and methods are described that can be used as part of a process to separate bitumen from oil sands. The process may include adding a hydrocarbon solvent to a bitumen containing extract. The tailings from this process may contain a significant amount of solvent. The solvent may be recovered from the tailings with a tailings solvent recovery unit that utilizes negative pressure to significantly reduce the cost of the process in comparison to a conventional steam stripping unit. In one embodiment, the tailings may also separated prior to entering the tailings solvent recovery unit with a gravity separation apparatus or a cyclonic separation apparatus, such as a hydrocyclone.
US07998331B2
An electroplating method that includes: a) contacting a first substrate with a first article, which includes a substrate and a conformable mask disposed in a pattern on the substrate; b) electroplating a first metal from a source of metal ions onto the first substrate in a first pattern, the first pattern corresponding to the complement of the conformable mask pattern; and c) removing the first article from the first substrate, is disclosed. Electroplating articles and electroplating apparatus are also disclosed.
US07998325B2
A biosensor is disclosed comprising a support; a conductive layer composed of an electrical conductive material such as a noble metal, for example gold or palladium, and carbon; slits parallel to and perpendicular to the side of the support; working, counter, and detecting electrodes; a spacer which covers the working, counter, and detecting electrodes on the support; a rectangular cutout in the spacer forming a specimen supply path; an inlet to the specimen supply path; a reagent layer formed by applying a reagent containing an enzyme to the working, counter, and detecting electrodes, which are exposed through the cutout in the spacer; and a cover over the spacer. The biosensor can be formed by a simple method, and provides a uniform reagent layer on the electrodes regardless of the reagent composition.
US07998321B1
An improved sacrificial galvanic anode assembly for cathodic protection of a steel reinforced concrete structure. A galvanic cathodic protection device uses a multi-layered embedded sacrificial anode such as zinc covered with a flexible layer of paste to provide a continuous electrolyte to keep it active. The formulated paste is inert to cement embedment material and is pre-coated on the anode body prior to encapsulation. An integrated conductive contact band extends from within the coated anode to attachment to a reinforcement bar for establishing electrical conductively therewith in the concrete structure transferring galvanic corrosion to the anode.
US07998318B2
A via and contact hole fill composition and method for using the composition in the dual damascene production of circuits is provided. Broadly, the fill compositions include a quantity of solid components including a polymer binder and a solvent system for the solid components. The boiling point of the solvent system is less than the cross-linking temperature of the composition. Preferred solvents for use in the solvent system include those selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ethers, glycol ethers, amides, ketones, and mixtures thereof. Preferred polymer binders are those having an aliphatic backbone and a molecular weight of less than about 80,000, with polyesters being particularly preferred. In use, the fill composition is applied to the substrate surfaces forming the contact or via holes as well as to the substrate surfaces surrounding the holes, followed by heating to the composition reflow temperature so as to cause the composition to uniformly flow into and cover the hole-forming surfaces and substrate surfaces. The composition is then cured, and the remainder of the dual damascene process is carried out.
US07998316B2
A method and apparatus for quenching metallurgical coke made in a coking oven. The method includes pushing a unitary slab of incandescent coke onto a substantially planar receiving surface of an enclosed quenching car so that substantially all of the coke from the coking oven is pushed as a unitary slab onto the receiving surface of the quenching car. The slab of incandescent coke is quenched in an enclosed environment within the quenching car with a plurality of water quench nozzles while submerging at least a portion of the slab of incandescent coke by raising a water level in the quenching car. Subsequent to quenching the coke, the planar receiving surface is tilted to an angle sufficient to slide the quenched coke off of the planar receiving surface and onto a product collection conveyer and sufficient to drain water from the quenched coke.
US07998314B2
A method for the production of paper, cardboard and card by adding a microparticle system consisting of a polymer retention agent having a molar mass Mw of at least 2 million and a fine-part inorganic component in order to form a paper material having a material density of a 20 g/l maximum and by dewatering the paper material, wherein the paper material undergoes at least one shearing step prior to or after addition of the retention agent and wherein the retention agent is introduced in a dosed manner into the paper material in at least two places and the fine inorganic component is dosed prior to or after addition of the retention agent or between two dosing points for the retention agent.
US07998311B2
Size press compositions and methods for producing sized paper products, including liner board, are disclosed. The size press compositions contain at least one non-reactive cationic surface sizing agent, at least one reactive sizing agent, at least one promoter resin, at least one binder, and water. The at least one non-reactive cationic surface sizing agent may be a polymer in the form of a dispersion, an emulsion or a latex with a positive zeta potential below about pH 6. The at least one reactive sizing agent may be a dispersion, an emulsion or a latex including an alkyl ketene dimer or an alkyl succinic anhydride. The at least one promoter resin may be a polyaminoamide-epichlorohydrin resin or poly (dimethyldiallylammonium chloride).
US07998308B2
A liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holding member configured to rotate along with a substrate held thereon in a horizontal state; a rotary cup configured to surround the substrate and to rotate along with the substrate; a liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a process liquid onto at least a front surface of the substrate; and an exhaust/drain section configured to perform gas-exhausting and liquid-draining out of the rotary cup; and a guide member disposed to surround the substrate, having an upper surface to be substantially continued to the front surface of the substrate, and configured to rotate along with the substrate holding member and the rotary cup, such that a process liquid supplied onto the front surface of the substrate and thrown off from the substrate is guided by the upper surface of the guide member from the rotary cup to the exhaust/drain section.
US07998302B2
A method for applying labels on articles, which are guided in parallel lanes, for which in each case a row of labels is dispensed by a label dispenser from a backing, taken up by a transfer path guided transversely over the lanes and transferred in a transfer step onto the articles, the transfers step comprising the moving of a lifting tool, extending along a section of the transfer path onto article lanes for pressing the labels onto the articles and the return of the lifting tool into its starting position. The dispensed labels are taken up at a point of the transfer path, which is at a distance from the lifting tool, and the dispending of a row of labels is commenced before the step of transferring a previous row of labels is concluded.
US07998292B2
The inclusion of between about 15 to about 60 formulation weight percent of a reaction product of basic copper nitrate and at least one transition metal complex of 5-aminotetrazole, wherein the at least one transition metal complex of 5-aminotetrazole and the basic copper nitrate are included in a weight ratio of no more than 1 part of the at least one transition metal complex of 5-aminotetrazole per 1 part of basic copper nitrate in azide fuel-free gas generant formulations exhibiting increased burn rates, as compared to the same formulation without the inclusion of that reaction product.
US07998289B2
To produce a metallic shaped part (1), in particular a vehicle body part, from a semifinished product (2) made of an unhardened hot-workable steel sheet, first of all the semifinished product (2) is formed by a cold-forming method, in particular a drawing method, into a part blank (10) (process step II). The part blank (10) is then trimmed at the margins to a marginal contour (12′) approximately corresponding to the part (1) to be produced (process step III). Finally, the trimmed part blank (17) is heated and press-hardened in a hot-forming tool (23) (process step IV). The part (1) produced in the process already has the desired marginal contour (24) after the hot forming, so that the final trimming of the part margin is dispensed with. In this way, the cycle times during the production of hardened parts of steel sheet can be considerably reduced.
US07998284B2
Grain-oriented electrical steel sheet having a chrome-free high tensile strength insulating film characterized by comprising steel sheet on the surface of which is formed an insulating film containing a phosphate and colloidal silica as main ingredients and containing crystalline magnesium phosphate uniformly dispersed over the entire surface.
US07998280B2
A dishwasher and a method of controlling a dishwasher are provided. Using this method of controlling a dishwasher, it is possible to quickly and precisely determine, during the washing of dishes, whether nozzles are clogged with impurities. It is also possible to easily address the problems associated with clogged nozzles by terminating the operation of a washing pump for a predefined amount of time, and then resuming the operation of the washing pump to clear obstructions from the nozzles.
US07998279B2
A method of cleaning dishware with a liquid detergent composition having an amphiphilic graft polymer, to provide improved grease cleaning and sudsing.
US07998273B2
An epitaxial growth process for producing a thick III-N layer, wherein III denotes at least one element of group III of the periodic table of elements, is disclosed, wherein a thick III-N layer is deposited above a foreign substrate. The epitaxial growth process preferably is carried out by HVPE. The substrate can also be a template comprising the foreign substrate and at least one thin III-N intermediate layer. The surface quality is improved by providing a slight intentional misorientation of the substrate, and/or a reduction of the N/III ratio and/or the reactor pressure towards the end of the epitaxial growth process. Substrates and semiconductor devices with such improved III-N layers are also disclosed.
US07998267B2
A belite-calcium sulphoaluminate-ferrite (BCSAF) cement composition including: a BCSAF clinker which clinker has the following mineralogical composition, based on the total weight of the clinker: 5 to 25%, preferably 10 to 20%, of a calcium aluminoferrite phase having the general formula C2AxF(1−X), wherein X is from 0.2 to 0.8; 15 to 35% of a calcium sulphoaluminate phase; 40 to 75% of belite (C2S); from 0.01 to 10% in total of one or more minor phases selected from calcium sulphates, alkali metal sulphates, perovskite, calcium aluminates, gehlenite, free lime and periclase and/or a vitreous phase; and an alkanolamine.
US07998249B2
An inlet air chilling and filtration system for a turbine. The inlet air chilling and filtration system may include a first stage spray array with a first number of spray nozzle pairs, a second stage spray array with a second number of spray nozzles pairs, and a drift eliminator.
US07998246B2
The present invention discloses a novel method of making high performance mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) using stabilized concentrated suspensions of solvents, uniformly dispersed polymer stabilized molecular sieves, and at least two different types of polymers as the continuous blend polymer matrix. MMMs as dense films or asymmetric flat sheet or hollow fiber membranes fabricated by the method described in the current invention exhibit significantly enhanced permeation performance for separations over the polymer membranes made from the continuous blend polymer matrix. MMMs of the present invention are suitable for a wide range of gas, vapor, and liquid separations such as alcohol/water, CO2/CH4, H2/CH4, O2/N2, CO2/N2, olefin/paraffin, iso/normal paraffins, and other light gases separations.
US07998245B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for unblocking a perforated rotary filter screen. In the invention, at least one jet of high pressure air is directed at a surface of the filter screen as the filter screen is rotated and the or each jet of air is moved in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the perforations in the screen in order to cause the or each air jet to trace a spiral or helical path over the surface of the screen.
US07998244B2
A method of alleviating dust in the early stages of metal ore processing, such as copper ore, through mining the ore through concentration involves spraying and wetting crushed ore rock and ground particles and dust at least several of a series of locations with a dust suppressant containing major amounts of water plus minor amounts of an additive combination of glycerol and a selected non-ionic surfactant, and passing the wetted particles and dust to a metal concentrator where the additive combination does not interfere with metal concentration yield.
US07998243B2
A method of producing steel (1) with a high manganese and low carbon content on the basis of liquid pig iron (2) or liquid steel (3) and slag-forming constituents (4) with the object of preventing existing drawbacks of process route in vessels other than, e.g., electrical arc furnaces (18). With steel produced with a high manganese and low carbon content, in a process, the carbon component is reduced to about 0.7-0.8% by a combined blowing of oxygen (7) through top lances (8) and underbath nozzles (9) after feeding of liquid ferro-manganese (50 and liquid steel (3a) in a FeMn-refining converter (6a), wherein a component of a cold end product from premelt is added as cooling means (10), and wherein the carbon component is reduced to about 0.05-0.1% C by a continuous blowing of oxygen (7) through the underbath nozzles.
US07998240B2
A process of water-granulating copper smelting slag can readily suppress elution of As from the copper smelting slag. A process of water-granulating a copper smelting slag with granulation water in a circulating system, includes granulating the copper smelting slag with the granulation water; settling suspended solids from the granulation water circulating in the system in a settling tank followed by discharging part of the granulation water through the settling tank from the system; and feeding supplementary water having a concentration of As of 0.01 mg/L or less into the system in such an amount that the total amount of the granulation water circulating in the system is kept constant; wherein the amount of granulation water discharged through the settling tank is such that As eluted from the copper smelting slag after water granulation is 0.01 mg/L or less.
US07998231B2
An air purifier includes a housing, a centrifugal fan and an air purifying filter. The fan is substantially centered in the housing. The fan has a rotary shaft extending in a depth direction of the air purifier and a fan inlet port facing frontward. Air suctioned by the fan is blown out in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft. The filter is aligned with the fan along the direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft. An air inlet port is disposed in front of the fan so as to communicate with the fan inlet port. When the fan rotates, air is suctioned into the air purifier via the air inlet port. An air outlet port is arranged relative to the filter such that air purified by the filter is blown out of the air purifier through the air outlet port.
US07998223B2
A hair dye composition is provided that comprises a first agent containing an oxidation dye and an alkaline agent, and a second agent containing hydrogen peroxide, the hair dye composition being used after mixing the first agent and the second agent. The hair dye composition contains an ascorbic acid compound and the hydrogen peroxide in amounts of from 1.0 to 5.0% by mass and from 0.3 to 1.6% by mass, respectively. The alkaline agent is contained in an amount of from 3.0 to 30 mmol per 100 g of the hair dye composition.
US07998219B2
A ceramic powder of non-agglomerated non-aggregated phase-pure hydroxyapatite having a controllable morphology. Also presented is a film of phasepure crystalline hydroxyapatite grains having a controllable morphology. Methods for preparing the same are also provided.
US07998207B2
Interbody fusion implants that include a load bearing body composed of a calcium phosphate material hardened around one or more structural reinforcing members are provided. The reinforcing members aid the load bearing body in resisting bending forces and, in certain forms, aid in preventing expulsion of the implant after implantation. Methods for promoting fusion bone growth in the space between adjacent vertebrae and methods for making the inventive implants are also provided.
US07998198B2
The present invention is generally directed to accommodative intraocular lenses (IOLs) that exhibit a dynamic spherical aberration as a function of accommodative power. By way of example, in one aspect, the present invention provides an intraocular lens (IOL) having an anterior optical element, a posterior optical element, and a mechanism for coupling the anterior and posterior elements so as to allow axial movement of those elements relative to one another for providing accommodation when the lens is implanted in a patient's eye. Each of the anterior and the posterior elements includes at least one aspherical surface, where the asphericities of the surfaces are adapted to provide a combined spherical aberration that varies with accommodation.
US07998193B2
An intravascular stent especially suited for implanting in curved arterial portions or ostial regions. The stent can include an end region which is fabricated to have a greater radial strength than the remaining axial length of the stent. Such a stent is particularly suited for use in ostial regions, which require greater support near the end of the stent. The stent alternatively can include sections adjacent the end of the stent with greater bending flexibility than the remaining axial length of the stent. Such a stent is particularly suited for use in curved arteries. The stent can also be constructed with an end that has greater radial strength and sections adjacent the end with greater bending flexibility. Such a stent prevents flaring of the stent end during insertion.
US07998189B2
A stent-graft (100) is provided with a tightenable loop element (122) having a first end terminated in a self-tightening knot (142) and a second end (138) which is received in and can slide in the knot (142). The loop (122) is fitted to the stent-graft (100) in a manner as to cause curvature of the stent-graft (100) upon tightening of the loop. An introducer assembly is also disclosed which includes a cannula (132, 150) within which a pull cord (136) and release wire (134) are located.
US07998185B2
Apparatus and a method for treating an irregularity in a wall of a vessel of a patient defined by an irregular or afflicted wall portion with adjacent normal wall portions comprises a catheter having a distal end portion for being guided through the vessel to the site of the irregularity. A balloon associated with said distal end portion of the catheter for selective inflating to contact the walls of the vessel urges a stent carried by the distal end portion of the catheter in a constricted condition for passage through the vessel into an expanded form with the stent spanning the afflicted wall portion and contacting the adjacent wall portions. The catheter is formed with lumens for inflating the balloon, for receiving a guidewire for guiding the catheter through the vessel, and for connecting a port in the catheter proximate the afflicted wall portion to enable delivery of a therapeutic agent into the vessel to contact the stent and the irregular wall portion.
US07998180B2
Apparatus, systems and methods for making, using, implanting, and visualizing portions of a medical implant are provided. One such implant includes a bone plate at least partially of a radiolucent material having at least one aperture, and a fastener at least partially of a radiolucent material to extend through the aperture. The fastener has a distal end and a proximal end, with at least a portion of the proximal end is of a radiopaque material. A fastener lock is included to engage the fastener proximal end to maintain the fastener position relative to the bone plate. At least a portion of the fastener lock is of a radiopaque material. In this manner, at least a portion of the implant is adapted to be visible on a radiographic image.
US07998161B2
A disposable incision safety lancet is provided, including a casing (2) and a trigger. It is characterized in that the casing (2) is provided inside with an incision blood-taking mechanism composed of a cam (3), a main swing arm (4), a secondary swing arm (5), a blade (1) and a spring (8). The present invention combines the two arc-shaped tracks obtained from the two swing mechanisms, the main swing arm and the secondary swing arm, via the cam and a toggle pin provided on the cam effectively and interlockingly, thus making the point of the blade incise along a V-formed path composed of two arcs of different shape connected with each other. Compared with the prior art single-swing-arm structure of the incision blood-taking mechanism, such a double-swing-arm structure can move with higher accuracy and controllability. An incision of different blood-taking depth and blood-taking width can be designed by means of changing the difference of change of the radius of curvature of the flange of cam (3) as well as changing the swing radius of the main swing arm (4) and the secondary swing arm (5), which is especially suitable for taking blood from infants' heel.
US07998158B2
A cutting saw blade for use with an oscillatory power tool used in surgical bone cutting procedures including a blade having a distal end provided with teeth whose tips are located on a tangent line perpendicular to the long axis of the blade. The teeth are configured substantially as right triangles with their hypotenuses facing either towards the center of the blade or away from the center of the blade. A central tooth can be optionally provided. The surgical saw blade may have a distal end having at least one pair of teeth configured to be adjacent to each other and each of the pair of teeth is configured as a right triangle each having a hypotenuse which is oriented at least one of towards and away from the centrally positioned long axis.
US07998153B2
A device for supporting a tissue, the device has a shaft having a longitudinal axis and at least two atraumatic clamps coupled to the shaft. Each atraumatic clamp may have at least two oppositely polarized magnets. An atraumatic clamp may also have a mounting structure for the magnets. In at least one embodiment, the atraumatic clamps are mounted along the shaft so that when the shaft is positioned relative to a tissue having a length, the clamps may clamp the tissue so that the length of tissue positioned between the clamps is maintained substantially constant.
US07998152B2
An implantable prosthesis for use in periareolar mastopexy. The prosthesis may constructed of a prosthetic or biological mesh material, or a biodegradable/resorbable material, and may be either annular or frusto-conical in shape. An aperture of the prosthesis is sized to surround an areola upon implantation. The prosthesis may include a plurality of teeth, extending outwardly from a top surface of the prosthesis, and canted generally towards an apex of the prosthesis. The implantable prosthesis permits a resorbable, rather than a nonresorbable suture to be used in the periareolar mastopexy procedure.
US07998151B2
The methods, devices, and systems are provided for performing endovascular repair of atrioventricular and other cardiac valves in the heart. Regurgitation of an atrioventricular valve, particularly a mitral valve, can be repaired by modifying a tissue structure selected from the valve leaflets, the valve annulus, the valve chordae, and the papillary muscles. These structures may be modified by suturing, stapling, snaring, or shortening, using interventional tools which are introduced to a heart chamber. Preferably, the tissue structures will be temporarily modified prior to permanent modification. For example, opposed valve leaflets may be temporarily grasped and held into position prior to permanent attachment.
US07998150B2
A suturing device is disclosed which sutures a tissue using a suture unit having a suture thread with both ends fitted to a first anchor and a second anchor, respectively. The suturing device includes a hollow tip member receiving the first and second anchors; a wire having a front end inserted through the hollow tip member so that the first and second anchors can be released out from the hollow tip member; a flexible tube, a parallel member, a relative position holding member, a forward movement restricting member, and an operating portion. At least one of the hollow tip member, the forward movement restricting member, and the flexible tube has a communication portion on an outer peripheral surface thereof so as to communicate with an internal cavity, and a middle portion of the suture unit is inserted into the communication portion and is tied to the wire.
US07998149B2
Improved medical suturing devices, systems, and methods may hold a suture needle at a fixed location relative to a handle of the device, allowing the surgeon to grasp and manipulate the handle of the suturing device to insert the needle through tissues in a manner analogous to use of a standard needle gripper. Cycling the handle from a closed position to an open position and back to the closed position may alternate the device between gripping the needle with a first clamp (for example, along a proximal portion of the needle) to gripping the needle with a second clamp (for example, along a distal portion of the needle) and optionally back to gripping with the first clamp, with the needle often staying at a substantially fixed location relative to the suturing device body. Related single-clamp needle grasping devices can be bent plastically by a surgeon, and/or have bodies that are grasped by a hand while a portion of the hand actuates a handle.
US07998148B2
An endoscopic instrument used to form an artificial valve for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
US07998138B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems for occluding a left atrial appendage are provided. One embodiment includes an elongate body having a tissue apposition member extendably positioned within a lumen of the elongate body to appose tissue of the LAA. An energy emitting device coupled to the elongate body can be used for emitting high intensity focused ultrasound to the tissues to fuse the tissues.
US07998135B2
A device for ophthalmologically treating the eye has a treatment laser beam (UV) for ablating parts of the cornea (12) and a fixation light beam (24). A fixation light spot in the vicinity of the fovea (30) and the fovea are imaged by means of a camera (40). This makes it possible to check whether the patient has reliably fixated the fixation light source (22). In addition, the pupil can be recorded and both recordings can be superimposed.
US07998119B2
A system and method for delivering fluid into a flexible biological barrier employs a microneedle structure wherein a final position of microneedles inserted into the biological barrier is generally sideways projecting from the delivery configuration instead of the conventional downwards projecting arrangement. The microneedles project from a relief surface which is distinct from a primary biological-barrier contact region of the delivery configuration, and is typically angled upwards away from the biological barrier. During insertion, the contact region is brought into contact with the biological barrier and moved parallel to the surface of the flexible biological barrier so as to generate a boundary between a stretched portion and a non-stretched portion of the barrier. Typically concurrently with this motion, the microneedles penetrate into the flexible biological barrier such that, at the end of the motion, the microneedles extend into the flexible biological barrier from the boundary region in a direction towards the non-stretched portion. Fluid is then injected through the bores of the hollow microneedles towards non-stretched portion.
US07998117B2
A drug delivery device having a housing containing a gas generator controlled by an electronic controller. The gas generator generates gas into a reciprocable chamber, whereby reciprocation of the chamber causes a lever to reciprocate a pawl, and this action causes a ratchet to undergo incremental advancement. The device may also be provided with manual control for delivering a bolus dose of drug when necessary.
US07998108B2
Disclosed herein is an injector device including an inserter element, a head element, an implant and a set of detachable protector elements for secured device handling. The device comprises a stop that controls the penetration depth of the device during injection. The device may comprise a removable catch that prevents the implant from exiting the device due to the advancement of its inserter element. The device may comprise a disengageable block that prevents the implant from exiting the device from its head element. The device may be configured for intraocular drug delivery.
US07998079B2
A biosensor senses pulse wave data of a user. The biosensor stores relation information, which indicates a relationship between recommended bedtime data and sleep-affecting activity data. The relationship between the recommended bedtime data and the sleep-affecting activity data is determined in view of at least one of previously sensed pulse wave data of the user and model pulse wave data. The biosensor receives at least one sleep-affecting activity value from the user. The biosensor computes recommended bedtime information based on the at least one sleep-affecting activity value in view of the relation information. The biosensor gives notification to the user based on the recommended bedtime information.
US07998077B2
Embodiments of the present invention may provide a device for rotating a transducer of an ultrasonic probe, which has a simple manufacturing process and a small size. The device may comprise: a drive motor; a pulley rotatably driven by the drive motor; wire-ropes wound around the pulley; a rotatable transducer having a plurality of ultrasonic elements; and buffer springs connecting one ends of the wire-ropes and the transducer, the buffer springs being attached to the transducer.
US07998073B2
Signal processing techniques reduce the impact of noise (including speckle noise and shot noise) on ultrasound images by reducing the intensity of pixels that are probably noise and increasing the intensity of pixels that are probably signal. The decision of whether a given pixel is probably noise or probably signal is made based on spectral characteristics of the samples in and around the given pixel, based on knowledge of the expected spectral characteristics of the signal and the expected spectral characteristics of the noise.
US07998066B2
During cryotherapy, using an endoscope that extends within a patient to a cold treatment site, the device of the invention vacuums gas from the site through radial intake ports to a cylindrical space in an evacuation chamber held elastically circumferentially about the distal end of the endoscope tube that carries the cryoprobe to the site.
US07998061B2
A removable, resilient atraumatic sheath for arthroscopic instruments. The sheath covers sharp edges on the arthroscopic instrument, particularly the distal tip of the rigid cannula, and thereby protects tissue and objects near a surgical site from accidental trauma. The sheath may be provided in the form of an inflow/outflow sheath that allows a surgeon to irrigate and drain a surgical field without the use of a separate irrigation instrument.
US07998059B2
An endoscopic imaging includes an image sensor having a polygonal outline; a lens for focusing an image onto the image sensor; a lens support member abutting on the image sensor, and supporting the lens; and an abutting portion formed while extending from a lower edge portion of the lens support member, the abutting portion abutting on at least two sides of an outline of the image sensor to position the lens support member so that the lens is positioned at a predetermined position of the image sensor.
US07998054B2
An extracardiac pumping for supplementing the circulation of blood, including the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, and methods of using same. One embodiment provides a vascular graft that has a first end that is sized and configured to couple to a non-primary blood vessel and a second end that is fluidly coupled to a pump to conduct blood between the pump and the non-primary blood vessel. An outflow conduit is also provided that has a first end sized and configured to be positioned within the same or different blood vessel, whether primary or non-primary, through the vascular graft. The outflow conduit is fluidly coupled to the pump to conduct blood between the pump and the patient. The vascular graft may be connected to the blood vessel subcutaneously to permit application of the extracardiac pumping system in a minimally-invasive procedure.
US07998043B2
A prone crawling exerciser comprises upper limp support, left and right leg slides, track means and pulley and cable means, wherein, left and right leg slides each is mounted with wheels; track means comprises two parallel left and right tracks and track brackets, left and right tracks mounted on track brackets with a space from ground, upper limp support located on left and right track or track brackets; left and right leg slides are mounted on left and right tracks and are able to slide on left and right tracks through said wheels; pulley and cable means comprises pulley and cable, said pulleys mounted on track means, said cable reeving about said pulleys connecting at least left and right leg slides. This invention enables users to simulate an animal prone crawling motion. With its adjustable loading, it is suitable for various kinds of users with different physique and age, even for the upper limb disabled person. The user can specifically exercise his lower back and abdomen, pelvis and lower limbs with different load.
US07998038B2
An exercise apparatus is disclosed that comprises a frame, at least one user interface movably coupled to the frame, a pneumatic resistance device, and a weight stack coupled to the frame. The weight stack is arranged between and in series with the at least one user interface and pneumatic resistance device and is coupled to the at least one user interface by a first force transfer mechanism and to the pneumatic resistance device by a second force transfer mechanism.
