US08005275B2
This invention relates to a pointer tool for connecting to a display device, comprising a number of sensors elements being positioned on a two dimensional surface, for measuring a predetermined parameter at a surface, the measured quantity being sampled at a chosen rate, and calculating means for comparing the measurements from the sensor elements for detection of movements in two dimensions over the elements based on changes in the measured parameter, the time between the changes and the known relative positions between the sensor elements.
US08005274B2
The invention relates to a method for determining midpoint coordinates of an image of a point-symmetrical structure stored in a volume data record, comprising: extracting a partial volume data record from the volume data record which contains the image of the point-symmetrical structure, selecting a set of points whose coordinates lie in the partial volume data record, determining a measure for each point of the set wherein the measure for each of the points of the set characterizes in each case the symmetry of the partial volume data record in relation to this point, selecting a point as a midpoint of the point-symmetrical structure that point of the set in relation to which the partial volume data record has the greatest symmetry on the basis of the previously determined measures, and storing the coordinates of the midpoint in a computer unit.
US08005266B2
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus capable of recognizing the type of object existing around a vehicle with accuracy. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus includes a process unit, which extracts a first image portion HP—1 likely to be the head of an object and sets a reference mask area MASK_C including HP—1, a left-hand mask area MASK_L near the left side of the reference mask area MASK_C, and a right-hand mask area MASK_R near the right side of the reference mask area MASK_C, and a process unit which searches for a second image portion presumed to be a leg image within a lower search area AREA—3 when a difference between an average luminance AVE_C of the reference mask area MASK_C and an average luminance AVE_L of the left-hand mask area MASK_L or a difference between the average luminance AVE_C and an average luminance AVE_R of the right-hand mask area MASK_R is equal to or greater than a predetermined level and which recognizes that the object type is “pedestrian” in the case where a plurality of second image portions are detected.
US08005264B2
A method of automatically detecting and tracking successive frames in a region of interesting by an electronic imaging device includes: decomposing a frame into intensity, color and direction features according to human perceptions; filtering an input image by a Gaussian pyramid to obtain levels of pyramid representations by down sampling; calculating the features of pyramid representations; using a linear center-surround operator similar to a biological perception to expedite the calculation of a mean value of the peripheral region; using the difference of each feature between a small central region and the peripheral region as a measured value; overlaying the pyramid feature maps to obtain a conspicuity map and unify the conspicuity maps of the three features; obtaining a saliency map of the frames by linear combination; and using the saliency map for a segmentation to mark an interesting region of a frame in the large region of the conspicuity maps.
US08005257B2
A method of identifying a human gesture using a machine includes providing a time sequence of data related to the human gesture; transforming the time sequence of data into waveforms; extracting features from the waveforms; and identifying the human gesture based on the extracted features.
US08005244B2
An apparatus for implementing a 3-dimensional virtual sound and method thereof are disclosed, in which computational and storage complexity are reduced, in which system stability is secured, and by which the 3-dimensional virtual sound can be implemented in such a mobile platform failing to be equipped with expensive instruments for the implementation of the 3-dimensional sound as a mobile communication terminal and the like. The present invention includes a first step of giving an inter-aural time delay (ITD) to at least one input sound signal, a second step of multiplying output signals of the first step by principal component weight, and a third step of filtering result values of the second step by a plurality of low-order approximated IIR filter models of basis vectors extracted from a head related transfer function (HRTF). The basis vectors, extracted from the head related transfer function database are approximated using balanced model approximation technique.
US08005239B2
A method for reducing audio noise in an audio signal acquisition is described herein. The method includes: receiving an input audio signal; separating the input audio signal into a high-frequency portion and a low-frequency portion based on a threshold frequency; synthesizing the low-frequency portion to at least reduce any audio noise therein to generate a new low-frequency portion; combining the high-frequency portion and the new low-frequency portion to form a new audio signal representing the input audio signal; and outputting the new audio signal for the audio signal acquisition.
US08005233B2
A method and apparatus for conditioning an audio input signal to enhance perception and reproduction of bass frequencies. Harmonics are generated and combined with a phase-shifted version of the audio input signal. Use of a controlled phase shift reduces or eliminates unwanted introduction of waveform asymmetry or D.C. offset.
US08005229B2
A method for processing an audio signal, comprising: receiving a downmix signal, an object information, and a mix information; generating a downmix processing information using the object information and the mix information; processing the downmix signal using the downmix processing information; and, generating a multi-channel information using the object information and the mix information, wherein the number of channel of the downmix signal is equal to the number of channel of the processed downmix signal is disclosed.
US08005215B2
A system including a pseudo-random number generator having a register to store an extended state having a reduced state and a dynamic constant, an initialization module to initialize a part of the extended state based on a Key and/or an Initial Value, a state update module to update the reduced state, an output word module to generate output words, the state update module and the output word module being adapted to operate through cyclical rounds, each round including updating the reduced state and then generating one of the output words, and an update dynamic constant module to update the dynamic constant, wherein in a majority of the rounds, updating of the reduced state and/or generation of the output word is based on the dynamic constant, and the dynamic constant is only updated in a minority of the rounds. Related apparatus and method are also described.
US08005212B2
A device for executing a cryptoalgorithm including a central processing unit for a first sub-group of operations and for a flow control of the cryptoalgorithm as well as a hardware circuit for a second sub-group of operations, wherein the first sub-group preferably includes arithmetic and/or logic operations, while the second sub-group includes rotation operations, permutation operations, substitution operations or selection operations.
US08005208B2
The invention discloses a sealing assembly (40) includes a first sealing member (41) and a second sealing member (46) tightly cooperating with the first sealing member (41). The first sealing member (41) has a first assembling side surface (411), and the second sealing member (46) has a second assembling surface (461) facing the first assembling side surface (411). The first assembling side surface (411) and the second assembling side surface (461) form an assembly hole (43) there between. The invention also provides a sliding cover mechanism (100) using the sealing assembly (40).
US08005200B2
A method and system for selectively establishing a communications connection between an origin and destination in a communications network based on one or mediations rules and one or more lists of prohibited and exempted destination identifiers either in real-time using a control unit or with a pre-check using an analysis unit while also providing notification messages associated with the allowed or designated allowed communications connections.
US08005189B2
A piece of luggage, such as a suitcase, is constructed with one or more compartments of predesigned location and purpose to facilitate security inspection. Compartments may be designated to hold objects that, if obscured by other objects, carry an undesirably high likelihood of generating a false alarm because obscuring objects prevent an accurate assessment of the nature of those objects. For this reason, a compartment may be designated for liquids, gels and/or aerosols. A compartment may also be designated for objects, such as metal objects, which carry a risk of generating a false alarm if packed in a suitcase in a way that they obscure other objects and prevent an accurate determination of whether those objects are threat objects. Such compartments are positioned to ensure that the items they contain are segregated during x-ray inspection so as to neither obscure or be obscured by other objects packed in the luggage.
US08005185B2
In a method to determine phase and/or amplitude between interfering, adjacent x-ray beams in a detector pixel in a Talbot interferometer for projective and tomographical x-ray phase contrast imaging and/or x-ray dark field imaging, after an irradiation of the examination subject with at least two coherent or quasi-coherent x-rays, an interference of the at least two coherent or quasi-coherent x-rays with the aid of an irradiated phase grating is generated, and the variation of multiple intensity measurements in temporal succession after an analysis grating is determined in relation to known displacements of one of the gratings or of an x-ray source fashioned like a grating, positioned upstream in the beam path, relative to one of the gratings. The integrating intensity measurements ensue during a relative movement—thus not during the standstill—of one of the upstream gratings or of the x-ray source fashioned like a grating or of the examination subject, with known speed behavior over a final time interval of a final distance.
US08005183B2
A computed tomography device (CT device) includes a user interface, via which the standard settings characterizing the CT measurement can be performed. At the same time, in a method and a computed tomography device for carrying out this method, filtering behavior of the filter electronics is adapted to the configuration of the standard settings by the system computer.
US08005172B2
An acquisition apparatus includes: a first phase-calculating section that calculates a first correlation value by performing correlating operation of a reception signal and a reference signal and determines whether or not the first correlation value is equal to or greater than a first threshold; a threshold calculating section that calculates a second threshold by performing averaging operation of the first correlation value and the first threshold when the first correlation value is equal to or greater than the first threshold; and a second phase-calculating section that calculates a second correlation value by performing correlating operation of the reception signal and the reference signal on a basis of a phase of the reference signal which realizes the first correlation value equal to or greater than the first threshold, and determines whether or not the second correlation value is equal to or greater than the second threshold.
US08005161B2
A method, a hardware product, and a computer program product for performing high data rate wireless transmission and reception. Minimum shift-keyed (MSK) data is transmitted by multiplexing a first MSK data stream and a second MSK data stream wherein the first MSK data stream is substantially 90-degree phase-shifted with respect to the second MSK data stream. The transmitted MSK data is received by performing phase recovery and demodulation using an FM discriminator having a demodulation circuit for implementing a 45-degree phase shift prior to demodulation.
US08005158B2
Improved ways of communicating assignment signals using flash signaling are described, e.g., for wireless terminals with low SNR, that are more robust against large variation of channel gains due to e.g., frequency selective fading and fast fading in time. Coding and modulation methods and apparatus that have excellent properties against symbol erasures are described. The use of flash signaling provides an improved assignment channel having strong performance on the fading channel without compromising the performance on the AWGN channel. In one exemplary embodiment, the coding and modulation method can tolerate up to 5 erased symbols out of 8 transmitted symbols. One embodiment reduces or minimizes the sector interference on the flash assignment by improving or maximizing orthogonality between different sectors. In addition, one embodiment describes improved ways of swapping flash assignment tone-symbols in the presence other high priority signals, like sector pilots and sector null pilots.
US08005152B2
A signal compression method and apparatus for a base transceiver system (BTS) in a wireless communication network provides efficient transfer of compressed signal samples over serial data links in the system. For the uplink, an RF unit of the BTS compresses baseband signal samples resulting from analog to digital conversion of a received analog signal followed by digital downconversion. The compressed signal samples are transferred over the serial data link to the baseband processor then decompressed prior to normal signal processing. For the downlink, the baseband processor compresses baseband signal samples and transfers the compressed signal samples to the RF unit. The RF unit decompresses the compressed samples prior to digital upconversion and digital to analog conversion to form an analog signal for transmission over an antenna. Compression and decompression can be incorporated into operations of conventional base stations and distributed antenna systems, including OBSAI or CPRI compliant systems.
US08005150B2
A motion image distribution system includes a server and a use terminal. The server generates a feature quantity table CHT1 representing a data structure of motion image encoded data VDE, and authenticates the motion image encoded data VDE by using the generated feature quantity table CHT1. Then, the server transmits the motion image encoded data VDE and the feature quantity table CHT1 to the user terminal. The user terminal generates a feature quantity table CHT2 representing a data structure of the received motion image encoded data VDE, and authenticates received motion image encoded data VDE by using the generated feature quantity table CHT2. Then, the user terminal plays back the motion image encoded data VDE and outputs motion image playback information.
US08005148B2
A method and apparatus for encoding an input video bitstream to produce an encoded output bitstream is disclosed. A base stream is enhanced based on enhancement control parameters. At least one picture content parameter is extracted from the enhanced base stream. At least one picture content parameter is extracted from the input video bitstream. The enhanced picture content parameters are compared with the input picture content parameters. An output from the comparison step is received and the enhancement control parameters are calculated so as to minimize the difference between the input picture content parameters and the enhanced picture content parameters. The calculated control parameters are incorporated into the encoded output bitstream.
US08005139B2
Some embodiments of the invention encode a sequence of video images based on “visual masking” attributes of the video images and/or portions of the video images. Visual masking of an image or a portion of the image is an indication of how much coding artifacts can be tolerated in the image or image portion. To express the visual masking attribute of an image or an image portion, some embodiments compute a visual masking strength that quantifies the brightness energy of the image or the image portion. In some embodiments, the brightness energy is measured as a function of the average luma or pixel energy of the image or image portion.
US08005138B2
A seamless bitstream switching schema is presented. The schema takes advantage of both the high coding efficiency of non-scalable bitstreams and the flexibility of scalable bitstreams. Small bandwidth fluctuations are accommodated by the scalability of the bitstreams, while large bandwidth fluctuations are tolerated by switching among scalable bitstreams. This seamless bitstream switching schema significantly improves the efficiency of scalable video coding over a broad range of bit rates.
US08005129B2
A User Equipment (UE) receives and samples communication signals, where the communication signals have a time frame format, a transmission chip rate and a synchronization code associated with a time slot that includes a midamble that indicates a modulation of the synchronization code where a specified modulation of received synchronization codes identifies the timing for a timeslot in which data is to be received. The UE preferably includes a synchronization code determination circuit, a midamble determination circuit, and a phase modulation sequence detection circuit operatively associated with the midamble determination circuit. The UE can be configured for use with the low chip rate option of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) standards that employ a predefined set of downlink SYNC codes that point to midambles which indicate SYNC code modulation sequence to enables reading of data in a subsequent Broadcast Channel (BCH) message.
US08005128B1
A receiver in a CDMA system comprises a front end processor that generates a combined signal per source. A symbol estimator processes the combined signal to produce symbol estimates. An S-Matrix Generation module refines these symbol estimates based on the subchannel symbol estimates. An interference canceller is configured for cancelling interference from at least one of the plurality of received signals for producing at least one interference-cancelled signal.
US08005127B2
An apparatus comprises a detection processor (203) for detecting retransmission feedback messages in response to a detection threshold. A threshold processor (207) determines the detection threshold in response to a noise estimate generated by a noise processor (209). The noise processor comprises a sub-symbol generator (211) which divides a retransmission feedback symbol into a plurality of sub-symbols. Each of the sub-symbols is despread by a spreading code with a lower spreading factor than a spreading factor of the retransmission feedback symbol. A difference generator (213) then generates difference symbol values between the plurality of sub-symbols and a noise estimator (215) generates the noise estimate in response to the difference symbol values, for example by determining the variance of the difference symbol values. An improved noise estimate may be determined resulting in improved detection performance and thus improved retransmission performance.
US08005120B2
A base station including a transmitting and receiving amplifier for amplifying CDMA signals exchanged with a mobile station; a radio stage connected to the transmitting and receiving amplifier for carrying out D/A conversion of a transmitted signal that undergoes baseband spreading, followed by quadrature modulation, and for carrying out quasi-coherent detection of a received signal, followed by A/D conversion; a baseband signal processor connected with the radio stage for carrying out baseband signal processing of the transmitted signal and the received signal; a transmission interface connected with the baseband signal processor for implementing interface with external channels; and a base station controller for carrying out control such as management of radio channels and establishment and release of the radio channels. The base station communicates with the external channels by mapping logical channels into physical channels. The CDMA signals are spread using a short code and a long code.
US08005119B2
An integrated circuit multiplexes transmission data faster than by a system clock, and transfers a timing pulse Txclk for that multiplexing and a multiplexed signal Txdata from a transmitter chip 100 to a receiver chip 150 through communications by inductive coupling, respectively. Because of a transfer by inductive coupling being broadband, close-proximity wireless communications, the receiver chip 150 can faithfully obtain timing information on the timing pulse Txclk including jitter generated by a simple oscillator, and can thus accurately restore original data even by a high-speed transmission. This allows, in an integrated circuit that carries out communications by inductive coupling between chips to be stacked and mounted, carrying out communications between semiconductor chips with a small required area and faster than by a system clock.
US08005102B2
System and method for scheduling variable bit rate (VBR) streams in a wireless communications system
A system and method for scheduling variable bit rate (VBR) streams in a wireless communications system is provided. A method for broadcasting data includes receiving a plurality of broadcast data streams, assigning the broadcast data streams into a plurality of frames, each frame including data from no more than one of the broadcast data streams, re-allocating the plurality of frames, and causing the frames to be broadcast wirelessly. The re-allocating is based on a queue length associated with each of the broadcast data streams and an arrival rate for data of each of the broadcast data streams.
US08005100B2
A network for a mine or other hazardous environment is provided. The network can include a plurality of access points that can communicate with each other. The access points can be deployed along a plurality of pillars in a room-and-pillar mine. The access points can interconnect a mobile wireless client device within the mine with an operations centre. In the event of an explosion or other disaster, a UPS battery back-up and the redundancy of the access points can increase the likelihood that a link between the wireless client device and the operations center can be maintained.
US08005091B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed for generating a transmission connection identifier (CID) for a transmitter/receiver pair in a wireless network. The CID may be selected from or mapped to a hybrid CID space comprising a first set of orthogonal CIDs and a second set of non-orthogonal (random or pseudo-random) CIDs. When a transmitter device wants to initiate a peer-to-peer connection with a receiver device, the transmitter and receiver devices attempt to obtain a CID to identify their connection within a traffic channel in a shared frequency space. The first and/or second device attempt to select a CID from the first set of orthogonal CIDs. However, if a CID collision is detected, the first and second devices select their CID from the second set of non-orthogonal CIDs. The selected transmission CID may be used during a time slot or interval to facilitate communications between the first and second devices.
US08005090B2
A QoS information notification method for transmitting QoS information over a multi-domain network includes steps of: (a) a first inter-domain signaling apparatus 11A transmitting QoS information to a first communication apparatus 13A; (b) the first communication apparatus 13A transmitting the received QoS information to a second communication apparatus 13B; (c) the second communication apparatus 13B transmitting to a second inter-domain signaling apparatus 11B the received QoS information and a route through which the received QoS information has passed; and (d) the second inter-domain signaling apparatus 11B associating the received QoS information with the received route.
US08005087B2
A serving gateway facing a radio access network receives packets, applies deep packet inspect to classify the packet into a predetermined application class, and inserts a marker identifying the class and a QoS associated with the class. The serving gateway assigns the packets to a queue within a default bearer based on the class and the QoS marker. The serving gateway transfers packets through the bearer by processing the queues in accordance with their priority.
US08005081B2
An Ethernet network comprises nodes which support a plurality of different forwarding modes. A range of VLAN Identifiers (VIDs) are allocated to each of the forwarding modes. Connections are configured between a source node and a destination node of the network using different forwarding modes. Packets carrying data traffic are sent to the destination node by selectively setting a VID in a packet to a first value, to transfer a packet via a first connection and a first forwarding mode, and a second value to transfer a packet via the second connection and the second forwarding mode. Packets received from both of the connections and sent on to an end-user. VLAN Identifiers can be allocated to different releases of functionality at nodes (e.g. software releases) such that packets are forwarded via a set of nodes supporting a first release, or via a set of nodes supporting a second release. It is possible to provide a controlled and disruption-free network evolution.
US08005076B2
Some embodiments provide a method of registering a user equipment (UE) in a communication system that includes a licensed wireless communication system and a generic access network (GAN) that has a generic access network controller (GANC). The method sends a register request message from the UE to the GANC that indicates a GAN mode capability of A/Gb only for the UE. When the GANC has a GAN mode capability of A/Gb, the GANC registers the UE with the GAN. When the GANC has a GAN mode capability of Iu only, the GANC rejects the register request message. When the GANC has a GAN mode capability of both A/Gb and Iu, the GANC registers the UE based on a set of GANC mode selection rules that the GANC applies for registering UEs with the GAN.
US08005071B2
Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) voice packets in a terminal are handled by: checking whether a communication payload generated at an RTP transmitting side is a silence payload; and accumulating the silence payload instead of transmitting it upon the communication payload being the silence payload, and forming the RTP packet upon the communication payload being a voice payload or upon the number of accumulated silence payloads reaching a predetermined multi-frame limit.
US08005065B2
A transmitting device transmits data to one or more receiving devices. At least one of the receiving devices transmits a keep-alive to the transmitting device. The keep-alive is transmitted at a reduced rate relative to the data transmission rate. In some implementations multiple receiving devices may transmit keep-alives. In these cases, each receiving device may transmit its keep-alives according to a schedule to prevent or reduce the likelihood of overlapping keep-alives. In some implementations a receiving device may be selected to transmit keep-alives. Here, if the selected receiving device stops transmitting keep-alives another receiving device is selected to transmit keep-alives. Through the use of the above techniques, the transmitting device need not keep track of which receiving devices are listening to the data transmission. Rather, the transmitting device may simply stop transmitting in the event that it no longer receives keep-alives.
US08005064B2
A method for branching data in a mobile communication terminal to perform data communication between a mobile station and a network which have media access control sublayers. In a data sending mode, each of the media access control sublayers of the mobile station and network attaches logical channel types based on traffic characteristic information and a radio bearer status to a media access control header contained in data to be sent. Then, each of the media access control sublayers branches the data to be sent, to transport channels corresponding to the attached logical channel types. In a data receiving mode, each of the media access control sublayers determines logical channels corresponding to logical channel types of a media access control header contained in received data. Then, each of the media access control sublayers branches the received data to the determined logical channels. Each of the media access control sublayers performs mapping and multiplexing/demultiplexing between logical channels and transport channels according to traffic characteristics to branch data. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently provide various multimedia and packet services.
US08005061B2
The invention conducts a first activity to maintain or establish the first connection in a series of spaced, timed segments, such that the segments represent a timeframe of an original activity that would span a continuous period that would cause a transmission conflict with the second connection; and conducts a second activity for the second network only between two of consecutive segments of the series of segments. The first network may be a 802.11-class network; the first activity may be a beacon scan for a channel of the 802.11-class network; the second network may be a Bluetooth network; and the second activity may be transmission of an Advanced Audio Distribution Profile data to a second device through the Bluetooth network.
US08005059B2
Embodiments provided include a method for transmitting a packet to a receiver over primary and supplemental channels in a wireless communication network. Indications of a primary code and a set of N supplemental codes assigned to the receiver are communicated over a control channel. When it is determined that a packet should be transmitted over a supplemental channel, a first portion of the packet and a supplemental channel indicator are transmitted over a same single packet transmission time interval on the primary channel and a second portion of the packet is transmitted over the same single packet transmission time interval on the supplemental channel corresponding to the supplemental channel indicator. The supplemental channel uses an assigned specific supplemental code belonging to the set of N supplemental codes assigned to the receiver. When the packet should not be transmitted over a supplemental channel, the packet is transmitted over the primary channel.
US08005057B2
A method for allowing short-ranged communication devices to communicate with each other using the Internet. Cell servers are provided in a first and second zones linked to the Internet and adapted for transmitting voice and other digital data over the Internet such as using VoIP. The method includes registering users of short-range enabled devices, such as Bluetooth cell phones, with a communication system and storing a device identifier along with a user ID and password. A contact list is stored for each registered user. The method includes a registered user entering a cell serviced by a server, the server discovering the user's device, logging the user into the system based on the device identifier and an entered user ID and password, receiving a communication request to chat with one of the listed contacts, and establishing a communication session using time previously awarded to the user for receiving marketing content.
US08005056B2
An Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation method, system and mobile terminal, mobile terminal including a radio frequency (RF) unit for transmitting a signal requesting allocation of an IP address for access to Internet to a base station and receiving information about an identifier of the base station and information about an IP address range allocated to the base station from the base station, and a controller for controlling the RF unit to transmit the IP address allocation request signal to the base station, selecting an IP address using the identifier information and IP address range information received through the RF unit, and controlling the RF unit to send a signal requesting use of the selected IP address to an IP address server through the base station. An IP address is acquired using a base station so that an IP address allocation time can be shortened.
US08005053B2
A method for data transmission over first and second media that overlaps in frequency includes computing one or more time division multiple access (TDMA) time-slot channels to be shared between the first and second media for data transmission; allocating one or more time-slot channels to the first medium for data transmission; allocating one or more of the remaining time-slot channels to the second medium for data transmission; and instructing transceivers for the first and second media to communicate only in their allocated time-slot channels.
US08005047B2
In a code division multiple access mobile communication system, a common conversation channel capable of sending the information necessary for handover to a mobile device is provided in a downlink, and in case that the mobile device moves from an area of one radio base station to an area of other radio base station, the information necessary for the handover is transmitted by way of the common conversation channel.
US08005029B1
The present invention provides a technique for handling damaged named signal event (NSE) packets that are received in association with a voice over packet based telephony call. The received packets for a telephony call may include voice packets as well as NSE packets. Upon receipt of the packets at a physical layer, the packets are processed at a link layer to detect damaged packets having link layer errors. The incoming packets are sent to an audio application at an application layer for further processing. For damaged packets, link layer error indicia is generated at the link layer and sent to the audio processing application. The audio application will use the link layer error indicia to identify damaged packets or payloads associated with damaged packets, and determine whether the payloads corresponding to the damaged packets include NSE information defining an NSE. Damaged NSE packets are processed accordingly.
US08005022B2
A method for processing packets that includes receiving a first packet for a first virtual machine by a network interface card (NIC), classifying the first packet using a hardware classifier, where the hardware classifier is located on the NIC, sending the first packet to a first one of a plurality of receive rings based on the classification, sending the first packet from the first one of the plurality of receive rings to a first virtual network interface card (VNIC), sending the first packet from the first VNIC to a first interface, and sending the first packet from the first interface to the first virtual machine, where the first virtual machine is associated with the first interface, where the first VNIC and the first virtual machine are executing on a host.
US08005004B2
The link quality reporting method includes measuring link quality for received radio blocks, and if there is a modulation scheme with a largest number of radio blocks, reporting link quality for the modulation scheme, and if there is a plurality of schemes with the same number of radio blocks, reporting link quality for a modulation scheme selected using a predetermined method. Performance deterioration can be minimized in a link adaptation process.
US08005002B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that performs a query-based convergecast scheduling in a convergecast network, which includes a base-station and a plurality of nodes. During operation, the system receives a convergecast tree for the convergecast network. Each node in the convergecast tree is associated with a hop-count to the base-station through a specific branch and each node can generate zero or more packets to transmit. Next, the system initializes a query from the base-station, wherein the query is successively propagated to the nodes through the branches. In response to the query, the system computes distributed-timing-information indicating a packet transmission schedule for the nodes. The system next aggregates the distributed-timing-information associated with the nodes toward the base-station through the branches. The system then forwards the aggregated distributed-timing-information to the plurality of nodes. Finally, each node constructs an optimized-convergecast-schedule for the convergecast tree based on the aggregated distributed-timing-information.
US08004987B2
The invention concerns method to distinguish between streams received by an access point from a distribution network and transmitted to stations and a way to give better priority to some of them towards others. In a system where streams are transmitted with a level of priority corresponding to there type, it adds a selection criterion to determine priority between streams of the same type. The invention also concerns an access point implementing the method.
US08004973B2
A performance enhancing proxy network device is configured to operate in a virtual inline mode, in which selected network traffic is redirected to and through the network device by a router using simple routing policies. In this way, the network device can be coupled to the router in series but can still operate as if it were physically connected inline.
US08004970B2
The present invention provides for congestion and flow control for a data transmission between computers in a network (e.g., a lossless network) by repeatedly setting a transmission rate for the data transmission at predetermined time intervals. Under the present invention, a ratio of a current occupancy to a maximum occupancy of a queue used for the data transmission is provided (e.g., the ratio can be calculated under the present invention, or obtained as input from an external source). The queue can be that of the receiving computer or of any component (e.g., a switch) that resides in the path of the data transmission. In any event, once the ratio is known, the present invention will set the transmission rate for the data transmission based on a comparison of the ratio to at least one threshold.
US08004968B2
In one embodiment, a system comprises a plurality of provider edge (PE) devices, the PE devices having a plurality of ports; and a pseudo-link aggregation control protocol (LACP) module instantiated for each of the ports. The pseudo-LACP module allows the PE devices to support dual-homing of an access side, the access side including either an access node or an access network, without running any control protocol for redundancy on the access side.
US08004965B2
From a time point of last confirmation of operation of the working device 51 until a time point of next confirmation, the standby device 52 receives the same packet as that whose transfer processing is executed by the working device from the interface units 521-1˜521-n, processes the packet by the transfer unit 522 and holds the processed packet in the accumulation units 525-1˜525-n. The device monitors an operation state of the working device 51 by an advertisement transmitted by the working device 51 and upon reception of the advertisement, responsively abandons the packet held in the accumulation units 525-1˜525-n. When determining that the working device 51 stops by non-arrival of an advertisement for a predetermined time period, the device sends out the packet held in the accumulation units 525-1˜525-n and switches processing so as to itself operate as a working device.
US08004963B2
Apparatus and method for packet redundancy and recovery are disclosed. In a transmitter, parity packets are generated by executing exclusive OR between the corresponding data packets, and are transmitted along with the data packets to a receiver. In the receiver, lost data packets are found out and are recovered by executing exclusive OR between the corresponding data packets and the corresponding parity packets. This invention enhances the reliability of streaming data transmission using loss-recovery packets. Data packets are grouped and transmitted with redundant packets to allow the receiver to recover a lost packet within the group. This will minimize the need and therefore the time and delay to request a retransmission of the damaged or lost packets.
US08004961B1
A multi-port Ethernet Physical (PHY) layer device includes multiplexed datapaths and control logic such that each transmit data connection for a port may be mapped to any combination of the transmit data connections for one of multiple Media Access Control (MAC) layers, and each received data connection for a port may independently be mapped to an combination of the receive data connections for one of the MAC layers and the transmit data connection(s) for the other port(s). The device may be configured to operate in normal and port swap modes, to support failover switching and/or dedicated redundant connections, as a cable extender or media converter, as a snoop device, to form an Ethernet ring topology, for broadcast transmit or mirrored receive, or as a unidirectional repeater.
US08004957B2
A recording and reproducing method has a recording pulse generating step of generating a recording pulse to set timing of a beam emitted from a laser according to data to be recorded on an information recording medium; a laser power control step of controlling a laser drive current according to a recording laser power; a beam detecting step of detecting a power of the beam emitted from the laser; a signal detecting step of detecting a signal level of a reproduction signal read out from the information recording medium; a step of binarizing the reproduction signal to generate a binarized signal; a step of generating a data signal synchronized with a reference clock signal with use of the binarized signal; and a step of detecting a shift in time interval between the binarized signal and the reference clock signal and feeding the shift back to the recording pulse.
US08004955B2
There is provided a coupling lens used in an optical information recording/reproducing device for recording information to and/or reproducing information from an optical disc. The coupling lens includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the coupling lens is configured to satisfy a following condition (1): −0.80≦Z≦0.40 (1), wherein a value Z is obtained from a following equation (E1): Z = ⅆ ⅆ n ( L ′ ) L ′ = ( A - B ) ( D - E ) - ( F - G ) ( H - I ) . ( E1 )
US08004953B2
An optical pick-up and a disc apparatus having the same. The inferiority of a tracking signal caused by an adjacent layer during the recording and/or reproducing of an optical disc with multiple recording layers is effectively prevented. The optical pickup includes a light source to emit light with a predetermined wavelength, a light collecting unit to collect the light emitted from the light source to form a light spot on a signal recording layer of an optical disc having a plurality of recording layers, a photodetector to receive the light reflected by the optical disc to detect a signal, and an optical member to change the optical transmission of the light reflected by the optical disc according to an incident angle of the reflected light to decrease an optical transmission of a noise light entering the photodetector.
US08004949B2
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.
US08004943B2
A recording method for an optical disc having at least three recording layers (11, 12, 13, 14), in which test recording areas are formed in the odd-numbered recording layers (11, 13) and the even-numbered recording layers (12, 14) in positions that are mutually non-overlapping in the thickness direction of the optical disc, the test recording areas in the odd-numbered recording layers are formed in positions mutually aligned in the thickness direction, and the test recording areas in the even-numbered recording layers are formed in positions mutually aligned in the thickness direction. The time for test recording for determining the optimal recording power can be shortened.
US08004932B2
Cross-dipole measurements are obtained in a borehole. By estimating a direction of polarization of the fast shear mode at low and high frequencies and comparing the estimated distances, a cause of anisotropy is established. Formation stresses and directions may be estimated.
US08004928B2
An active driver control circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus includes an asynchronous decoding unit that can be activated in response to a bank selection signal, when an external command is a read or write command, can generate an enabled read/write enable signal, and when a precharge signal is enabled, disable the enabled read/write enable signal, a synchronous decoding unit that can be activated in response to the bank selection signal, can generate an enabled active enable signal when the external command is an active command, when the external command is a precharge command, can generate the precharge signal, and output the active enable signal and the precharge signal in synchronization with a clock, and an active driver control signal generating unit that can generate an active driver control signal in response to the active enable signal and the read/write enable signal.
US08004926B2
A memory system includes Q memory blocks that each include M memory sub-blocks. The memory system also includes Q word line decoders that each are associated with a different one of the Q memory blocks. The memory system also includes a bit line decoder and Q×M switch modules. Each Q×M switch module selectively controls access to up to J of the M memory sub-blocks of the Q memory blocks. The Q word line decoders and the bit line decoder access less than M memory sub-blocks in at least two of the Q memory blocks during one of a read and write operation. M and Q are integers greater than 1, and J is an integer greater than or equal to 1.
US08004924B2
A circuit includes a first negative feed back loop coupled to a virtual Vvdd power rail and a true Vdd power rail. A second negative feed back loop is coupled to the virtual Vvss power rail and a true Vss power rail. The virtual rail to virtual rail voltage difference is regulated at the highest threshold voltage between pull-up and pull-down transistors of a memory cell.
US08004923B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device has a negative voltage generation circuit provided at each power supply circuit unit for six memory macros. Therefore, the response with respect to variation in a negative voltage is increased. In a standby mode, a negative voltage supply line for the six memory macros is connected by a switch circuit, and only a negative voltage generation circuit of one power supply circuit unit among six negative voltage generation circuits of the six power supply circuit units is rendered active. Thus, increase in standby current can be prevented.
US08004911B2
An output data strobe signal generating method and a memory system that includes a plurality of semiconductor memory devices, and a memory controller for controlling the semiconductor memory devices, wherein the memory controller provides a command signal and a chip selecting signal to the semiconductor memory devices. One or more of the semiconductor memory devices may detect a read command and a dummy read command in response to the command signal and the chip selecting signal and generate one or more preamble signals based on a calculated preamble cycle number.
US08004910B2
The invention is directed to decreasing a circuit size of a system in which a plurality of devices or circuit blocks share and use one memory. A system is configured so that a memory block serves as a master and each of circuit blocks serves as a slave, and thus the slave side (the circuit blocks) receives necessary data from the memory block by only having decoders corresponding to addresses assigned thereto in advance and registers. In this case, since the registers have been also needed in a conventional system in order to hold data read out from a memory, the circuit size decreases in the whole system. Since this effect is enhanced in proportion to the number of the circuit blocks sharing the memory block, the effect is enhanced as the system size increases.
US08004907B2
A memory includes an SRAM bitcell including a pair of cross-coupled inverters, wherein a first inverter of the pair includes a first device having a body and a second inverter of the pair includes a second device having a body. A first selection circuit has a first input coupled to a first supply voltage terminal, a second input coupled to a second supply voltage terminal, and an output coupled to a first current electrode of the first device and to a first current electrode of the second device. A second selection circuit has a first input coupled to the first supply voltage terminal, a second input coupled to the second supply voltage terminal, and an output coupled to the body of each of the first and second devices. A word line coupled to the SRAM bitcell is driven by a word line driver coupled to the first supply voltage terminal.
US08004897B2
An interleaved memory programming and verification method, device and system includes a memory array including first and second memory banks of memory cells. The memory device further includes a controller configured to concurrently program a first data into the first memory bank and a second data into the second memory bank using iterative programming and verification operations in each of the first and second memory banks with the programming and verification operations in the second memory bank being offset from the programming and verification operations in the first memory bank.
US08004895B2
In order to maintain the integrity of data stored in a flash memory that are susceptible to being disturbed by operations in adjacent regions of the memory, disturb events cause the data to be read, corrected and re-written before becoming so corrupted that valid data cannot be recovered. The sometimes conflicting needs to maintain data integrity and system performance are balanced by deferring execution of some of the corrective action when the memory system has other high priority operations to perform. In a memory system utilizing very large units of erase, the corrective process is executed in a manner that is consistent with efficiently rewriting an amount of data much less than the capacity of a unit of erase.
US08004893B2
Nonvolatile memory devices include a first NAND-type string of EEPROM cells having a first plurality of string selection transistors therein electrically connected in series within the string. This first plurality of string selection transistors includes a first plurality of depletion-mode transistors and a first enhancement-mode transistor. A second NAND-type string of EEPROM cells is also provided with a second plurality of string selection transistors therein that are electrically connected in series. The second plurality of string selection transistors includes a second plurality of depletion-mode transistors and a second enhancement-mode transistor. According to these embodiments of the invention, the first enhancement-mode transistor is stacked vertically relative to one of the second plurality of depletion-mode transistors and the second enhancement-mode transistor is stacked vertically relative to one of the first plurality of depletion-mode transistors. A first string selection plug is configured to electrically connect a gate electrode of the first enhancement-mode transistor to a gate electrode of one of the second plurality of depletion-mode transistors. Similarly, a second string selection plug is configured to electrically connect a gate electrode of the second enhancement-mode transistor to a gate electrode of one of the first plurality of depletion-mode transistors.
US08004890B2
An operation method of a non-volatile memory for reducing the second-bit effect in the non-volatile memory is suitable for an N-level memory cell having a first storage position and a second storage position (wherein N is a positive integer greater than 2). The method includes following steps: determining sets of operation levels for operating the first storage position according to the level of the second storage position; when the level of the second storage position is a lower level, operating the first storage position according to a first set of operation levels; when the level of the second storage position is a higher level, operating the first storage position according to a second set of operation levels. Each of the levels in the second set of operation levels is greater than the corresponding level in the first set of operation levels.
US08004884B2
Iterative write pausing techniques to improve read latency of memory systems including memory systems with phase change memory (PCM) devices. A PCM device includes a plurality of memory locations and a mechanism for executing an iterative write to one or more of the memory locations in response to receiving a write command that includes data to be written. The executing includes initiating the iterative write, updating a state of the iterative write, pausing the iterative write including saving the state in response to receiving a pause command, and resuming the iterative write in response to receiving a resume command. The resuming is responsive to the saved state and to the data to be written.
US08004881B2
In an embodiment, a device is disclosed that includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure. The device also includes a read path coupled to the MTJ structure and a write path coupled to the MTJ structure. The write path is separate from the read path.
US08004879B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cells 205 provided corresponding to nodes of a plurality of word lines (WLBk, WLBk+1) and a plurality of bit line pairs (D1, DB1, D1+1, DB1+1). And column selection lines (S1, S1+1) are provided corresponding to each of the bit line pairs. Each of the memory cell includes an inverter (INV3) receiving power from the column selection line, and having its input connected to the word line and its output connected to gates of access transistors. Only the access transistors of a memory cell whose word line and column selection line are simultaneously selected are turned on.
US08004870B2
A memory chip is provided. The memory chip operates at modes and includes an option pad and a judgment circuit. The judgment circuit is coupled to the option pad generates a judgment signal according to the current status of the option pad. The judgment signal indicates which mode the memory chip is operating at. The judgment circuit includes a detection unit and a sampling unit. The detection unit is coupled to a first voltage source and the option pad and further controlled by a control signal to generate at least one detection signal according to the current status of the option pad. The sampling unit samples the at least one detection signal after the control signal is asserted to generate the judgment signal. When the control signal is asserted, a level of the at least one detection signal is varied by a voltage provided by the first voltage source.
US08004868B2
A content Addressable memory (CAM) for performing search operations using variable width search data, said CAM comprising a plurality of arrays of CAM cells, each coupled to a respective sub-search data bus, the sub-search buses being confined to form a main search data bus, to which is applied the search data; selector circuits receiving match line signals from respective CAM arrays, the match line signals being indicative of the results of a search and comparison formed in the associated CAM array, the selector circuit being responsive to a mode selection signal for selecting one or more of said match line output signals to be switched to a priority encoder and multiple match resolver (PE-MMR), wherein in a first mode the match line output signals are switched to said PE-MMR and in a second mode groups of match line output signals from selected arrays are switched to said PE-MMR.
US08004863B2
In an embodiment, a circuit device includes a network interface responsive to a powered network to receive a power supply and data and includes an electrical isolation barrier adapted to define a non-isolated power domain and an isolated power domain. The circuit device further includes a first control circuit associated with the non-isolated power domain. The first control circuit is coupled to a primary winding of a transformer to control current flow via the primary winding. The circuit device also includes a second control circuit associated with the isolated power domain. The second control circuit is coupled to a secondary winding of the transformer and is adapted to detect a power error associated with the secondary winding. The second control circuit transfers a command across the electrical isolation barrier to the first control circuit to adjust a current at the primary winding in response to detecting the power error.
US08004862B2
A synchronous rectifying circuit of soft switching power converter is provided to improve the efficiency. The integrated synchronous rectifier includes a power transistor connected from a transformer to the output of the power converter for rectifying. A controller having a latch circuit generates a drive signal to control the power transistor in response to a switching-current signal. A current transformer generates the switching-current signal in response to the switching current of the transformer. The controller turns off the power transistor when the switching-current signal is lower than a second threshold. The power transistor is turned on once the switching-current signal is higher than a first threshold. Furthermore, a pulse-width detection circuit generates a pulse signal coupled to disable the drive signal and turn off the power transistor.
US08004855B2
A reconfigurable processing system is provided that comprises a plurality of programmable processing modules arranged on a circuit board. Each of the programmable processing modules is capable of being populated by a programmable integrated circuit of a variety of processing capabilities. Conductive traces on the circuit board connect to the programmable processing modules and the conductive traces are arranged on the circuit board so as to accommodate use of the programmable integrated circuits of varying processing capabilities in the programmable processing modules without the need to alter conductive trace footprints on the circuit board for the programmable processing modules. At least one interface circuit arranged on the circuit board to interface signals to and from the circuit board.
US08004851B2
A method for easily making a barrier for preventing overflow of interlayer insulating resin in a cable-fitted multi-layer FPC that uses bumps for connecting the layers, and a barrier having a structure that can easily be made. In a method for manufacturing a multi-layer flexible printed circuit board including a circuit section, a cable section that is connected to the circuit section, the circuit section having a multi-layer structure of insulating resin arranged between multiple layers of metal foil, a barrier, that stops the insulating resin from overflowing, has a two-row configuration and is formed on a metal foil that constitutes an outermost conductive layer in the multi-layer flexible printed circuit board, and the metal foil and the insulating resin are laminated to form the multi-layer flexible printed circuit board.
US08004850B2
The present system and method relate to an arrangement of electrical and/or mechanical components on a large, flexible foil-type conductor area and a method for producing such an arrangement. The flexible foil-type conductor can be easily and flexibly handled and is inexpensive and process-reliable.
US08004846B2
A heat radiator capable of thermally connect to a heat element includes a pair of heat conducting plates conducting heat from one side surface to other side surface of the heat conducting plate, respectively, the pair of heat conducting plates having a space between each of the heat conducting plates; and a radiation fin arranged between the pair of heat conducting plates, having elastic characteristics between the pair of heat conducting plates, and radiating heat from the heat conducting plate to the space.
US08004843B2
A heat dissipation device is provided for dissipating heat generated by a plurality of electronic components mounted on a printed circuit board and having different heights. The heat dissipation device includes a connecting member and a first base mounted on the connecting member and located at above one of the electronic components. A number of joining members extend through the printed circuit board and engage with the first base to assemble the first base on the one of the electronic components on the printed circuit board. A distance between the first base and the one of the electronic components is adjustable by adjusting the joining members to make the first base intimately contact with the one of the electronic components.
US08004839B2
To cool a blade type server disposed in an air-conditioned room, the following arrangements are made. The first is at least one shell having a ventilation passage disposed in the air-conditioned room. The second is, the following are disposed in a ventilation passage: racks, in which blade type servers each composed of a case with slim boards housed therein are stacked; cooling coils each having a coolant passage and a cooling fin and cooling a passing air; and at least one fan unit having axial-flow fans placed therein and producing air currents in one direction. The third is the fan unit forces a cooling air to flow in one direction in the ventilation passage thereby to cool the servers in the racks. The cooling coils and racks are disposed alternately so that warmed cooling air after passing through the rack is cooled by the cooling coil and then cools the next rack.
US08004838B2
An electronic unit includes: a circuit board that has a device mounting surface mounted with circuit devices and that is supported in a condition that the device mounting surface is arranged in a direction of gravity; an opposed member that is disposed in opposition to the circuit board so that a passage space through which a refrigerant for cooling the circuit devices passes is formed between the opposed member and the device mounting surface; an exhaust unit that is disposed in opposition to the circuit devices disposed on the circuit board and that exhausts the refrigerant having passed through the passage space; and a protruding member that is provided in an upper portion of the exhaust unit in the direction of gravity and that protrudes from the opposed member toward the circuit devices.
US08004837B2
It is possible to provide a small-size and light-weight control device having a structure which prevents detaching of a board even when an external shock is applied without using a screwed connection. The control device is formed by a case (1) including at least one board (2, 3), a radiator (5), and a protection cover (4). The case (1) includes at least one latch portion (7, 8) in an upper part or a lower part of a board support frame (16).
US08004829B2
A mechanism for protecting a portable electronic device, e.g., a handheld computer system. In one embodiment, the present invention is comprised of an encasing structure having an opening and configured to receive and have disposed therewithin the handheld computer system. The present invention is further comprised of a lifting device coupled to the encasing structure. The lifting device is adapted to raise the handheld computer system above the confines of the encasing structure and further adapted to lower the handheld computer system to a disposition therewithin the encasing structure. The encasing structure can be used to protect input/output ports or slots, I/Os externally disposed on side surfaces of the handheld computer system when the handheld computer system is disposed within the encasing structure, and the lifting device enables raising the handheld computer system above the confines of the encasing structure to provide access to the I/Os. In one embodiment, a push-push hinge can be utilized as the lifting device.
US08004823B2
A lithium ion capacitor includes a positive electrode made of a material capable of reversibly doping and dedoping lithium ions and/or anions; a negative electrode made of a material capable of reversibly doping and dedoping lithium ions; and an electrolytic solution made of an aprotonic organic solvent electrolyte solution of a lithium salt. When the negative electrode and/or positive electrode and a lithium ion supply source are electrochemically brought into contact, lithium ions are doped in a negative electrode and/or positive electrode. A positive electrode potential after the positive electrode and negative electrode are short-circuited is 2.0 V (vs. Li/Li+) or less. The positive electrode and/or negative electrode has a current collector made of a metal foil that has many holes that penetrate through both sides and have an average diameter of inscribed circles of the through-holes of 100 μm or less.
US08004819B2
A capacitor array includes mutually opposed first and second internal electrodes having a first capacitance portion and a second capacitance portion, respectively, a first lead portion and a second lead portion, respectively, which are electrically connected to a first outer terminal electrode and a second outer terminal electrode, and a first protrusion portion and a second protrusion portion, respectively, which partially protrude toward the second outer terminal electrode and the first outer terminal electrode. The outer terminal electrodes have plating films directly connected to the internal electrodes. The plating film is formed by electrolytic plating. In the electrolytic plating, deposition of plating proceeds while being prevented from spreading in width directions of the individual side surfaces by electric fields generated from the protrusion portions toward the vicinities of exposure portions of the respective lead portions on the side surfaces.
US08004818B2
The invention specifically concerns a device for varying the apparent level of a capacitance, said device being characterized in that it compromises: —a dipole (1) of a type known per se, comprising a semiconductor material (4) for electronic transfer via hopping situated between a first electrode (2) and a second electrode (6), with said dipole (1) situated parallel to said capacitance (12); —a continuous voltage generator (13) electrically connected to the second electrode (6) and the first electrode (2) of the dipole (1); —and a means for varying the voltage generated by the generator (13).
US08004817B2
An electrode pattern and layered assembly is disclosed. This assembly utilizes multiple-piece construction, including at least two electrically conductive layers and at least three electrically insulating layers. By incorporating a second electrically conductive layer, each electrode can be divided into two or more separate portions on the top layer, and joined together using the second conductive layer. Connections between the two conductive layers can be made using any suitable technique, including through-hole vias, conductive rods and the like. The use of a second electrically conductive layer also allows for a different gas distribution strategy. The use of multiple conductive layers allows the use of one or more concentric channels to be used through which the gas can be injected.
US08004814B2
A magnet controller supplied by an AC source controls a lifting magnet. Two bridges allow DC current to flow in both directions in the lifting magnet. During “Lift”, relatively high voltage is applied to the lifting magnet until it reaches its cold current. Then voltage is lowered. After a desired interval, once the magnet has had time to build its electromagnetic field, voltage is further reduced to prevent the magnet from overheating. The magnet lifting forced is maintained due to the magnetic circuit hysteresis. During “Drop”, reverse voltage is applied briefly to demagnetize the lifting magnet. At the end of the “Lift” and the “Drop”, most of the lifting magnet energy is returned to the line source. A logic controller controls current and voltage of the magnet and calculates the magnet's temperature. In one embodiment, a “Sweep” switch is provided to allow reduction of the magnet power to prevent attraction to the bottom or walls of magnetic rail cars or containers.
US08004809B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes an output transistor, an overcurrent detection circuit and overcurrent limitation circuit. The overcurrent detection circuit includes a first transistor detecting an overcurrent of the output transistor. The overcurrent limitation circuit is connected between a gate and a source of the output transistor. The overcurrent limitation circuit includes a plurality of resistance elements and a diode connected in series between the gate and the source of the output transistor in series, and a second transistor whose gate is connected to a connection point between the resistance elements and that is cascade connected to the first transistor.
US08004791B2
A novel information storage device is disclosed and claimed. The information storage device includes a disk drive, a disk drive printed circuit board, and a first conductive shield over the disk drive printed circuit board and electrically coupled to the disk drive. The information storage device also includes a bridge controller printed circuit board and a second conductive shield over and electrically coupled to the bridge controller printed circuit board. The first and second conductive shields are in direct contact with each other. A disk drive interface connector electrically couples the bridge controller printed circuit board with the disk drive printed circuit board. A third conductive shield is attached to the disk drive interface connector and is in direct contact with both the first and second conductive shields.
US08004788B2
Touchdown between a read/write head of disk drive and a recording medium is detected based on the variance in the frequency domain of position error signals (PES), each of which is measured after incrementally positioning the read/write head closer to the recording medium, from a baseline PES. The synchronous portion of the baseline PES is quantified and removed from the baseline PES and subsequent PES measurements to remove the effect of the synchronous portion of the baseline PES. The non-synchronous portion of the PES measured at a particular read/write head position may also be removed by synchronously averaging multiple PES measurements for each read/write head position. Detection of touchdown may be based on the rate of change of the variance in the frequency domain of PES relative to a baseline PES, instead of the absolute value of the variance.
US08004787B2
A servo track writing method and a servo track write system of a hard disk drive (HDD) using the servo track write method. The servo track writing method includes performing a reference check (R/C) on a first servo pattern which is pre-written on a first surface of a disk, and if the R/C determines that a quality of the first servo pattern is not good, erasing a specific area of the first servo pattern and writing a second servo pattern on a second surface of the disk. Therefore, process time delay factors of a series of rework processes of writing servo patterns on a disk are removed to shorten a process time of the rework processes. In addition, productivity of a HDD is improved.
US08004785B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of data sectors, wherein a physical block address (PBA) is associated with each data sector. When a write command is received from a host to write user data to the disk, and the write command comprises an unformatted logical block address (LBA), the user data is written to a first data sector, and the first data sector is write verified. A second data sector is defect scanned, and after the second data sector passes the defect scan, the user data is migrated from the first data sector to the second data sector and the LBA is formatted to the second data sector.
US08004782B1
A tester system includes a tester and a radioactive isotope source. The tester includes a spindle assembly, a disk mounted to the spindle assembly, and a head actuatable over the disk. The radioactive isotope source is positioned in an ionizing location proximate the tester, such that a minimum distance between the radioactive isotope source and an axis of rotation of the disk is less than a radius of the disk.
US08004774B2
A lens apparatus which has a small size but allows a higher magnification and an image-pickup apparatus including the lens apparatus are disclosed. The lens apparatus provides a variable magnification by moving a first lens and a second lens placed closer to an image plane than the first lens in the direction of an optical axis. The lens apparatus includes a first driving member which is rotated around the optical axis to move the first lens in the optical axis direction, a second driving member which moves the second lens by itself in the optical axis direction, and a driving mechanism which at least drives the rotation of the first driving member. The second driving member is moved in the optical axis direction relative to the first driving member by the rotation of the first driving member.
US08004767B2
A process for making a microlens array or a microlens array masterform comprises (a) providing a photoreactive composition, the photoreactive composition comprising (1) at least one reactive species that is capable of undergoing an acid- or radical-initiated chemical reaction, and (2) at least one multiphoton photoinitiator system; and (b) imagewise exposing at least a portion of the composition to light sufficient to cause simultaneous absorption of at least two photons, thereby inducing at least one acid- or radical-initiated chemical reaction where the composition is exposed to the light, the imagewise exposing being carried out in a pattern that is effective to define at least the surface of a plurality of microlenses, each of the microlenses having a principal axis and a focal length, and at least one of the microlenses being an aspherical microlens.
US08004763B2
Disclosed herein is a PDP filter having a laminated structure of a transparent conductive film type electromagnetic wave-shielding layer and one or more other functional layers, in which at least two edge portions of the surface of the transparent conductive film type electromagnetic wave-shielding layer, which is in contact with the functional layer, are not exposed outside the laminated structure of the PDP filter.
US08004749B1
A rhomb beam splitter, rather than a conventional cube, is used in combination with a mirror reflecting both the reflected and transmitted beams to obtain a delay-line interferometer demodulator with a substantially common path. This significantly reduces the sensitivity of the device to environmental changes and also greatly simplifies the manufacture process. A polarization-insensitive coating or a wave plate, a thermal phase tuner with a micro-heater, and two compensator plates are used in the paths of the beams to balance the optical path lengths and to compensate for polarization and environmental effects.
US08004748B2
A thermal lens forming element includes a first chamber serving as a control light absorbing region, which is configured as a columnar body or an N prismatic body (wherein N is an integer equal to or greater than 4) circumscribing the columnar body and filled with a control light absorbing dyestuff solution containing a solvent having a viscosity of 0 to 3 mPa·s at 160° C. or above and a ratio of the viscosity of the solvent at 160° C. to a viscosity of the solvent at 40° C. not less than 1 and not greater than 6, wherein the columnar body or the N prismatic body circumscribing the columnar body has a central axis coinciding with an optical axis of incident signal light. The first chamber is connected to a second chamber via a solution channel and a dam. The dyestuff solution and a bubble of an inert gas are confined in the second chamber.
US08004746B2
Disclosed is an electrophoretic display device and a method for manufacturing the same, which facilitate high reflectivity, high contrast ratio and easy removal of line-shaped spots occurring when a release film is removed from an electrophoretic film. The electrophoretic display device comprising a substrate; a gate line, a data line, a storage electrode and a switching element on the substrate; a first passivation film on the gate line, data line, storage electrode, switching element and substrate, the first passivation film including first and second regions, the first region corresponding to the gate line, data line and switching element, the second region being a region other than the first region; a plurality of first dielectric patterns on the second region, the plurality of first dielectric patterns being apart from one another; a pixel electrode on the plurality of first dielectric patterns; and an electrophoretic film on the pixel electrode.
US08004745B2
The present invention provides an electronic paper display device including: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; a barrier layer interposed between the first and second electrodes to define a plurality of cells; and a microcapsule disposed in each cell between the first and second electrodes and maintaining a ratio of minor axis to major axis of 0.9 to 1, and a manufacturing method of the same.
US08004743B2
Method and apparatus for providing brightness control in an interferometric modulator (IMOD) display
Methods and systems for providing brightness control in an interferometric modulator (IMOD) display are provided. In one embodiment, an interferometric modulator display pixel is provided that includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) interferometric modulator having an associated first color spectrum, and a color absorber located substantially in front of the interferometric modulator display pixel, in which the color absorber has an associated second color spectrum. The microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) interferometric modulator is operable to shift the first color spectrum relative to the second color spectrum to control a visual brightness of the interferometric modulator display pixel independent of a color of the interferometric modulator display pixel.
US08004738B2
An electro-wetting display panel including an active device array substrate, a dielectric layer, a wall structure, a first liquid containing dyes, a second liquid, and an opposite substrate is provided. The active device array substrate includes a substrate, scan lines, data lines, and pixels. The pixels are electrically connected with the scan lines and the data lines accordingly. Each pixel includes an active device, a transparent pixel electrode, and a reflective layer. The transparent pixel electrode located above the reflective layer is electrically connected with the active device. The reflective layer has a bumpy surface. The dielectric layer is disposed on the active device array substrate. The wall structure is disposed on the dielectric layer. The first liquid is disposed on the dielectric layer. The opposite substrate is disposed above the active device array substrate. The second liquid is disposed between the active device array substrate and the opposite substrate.
US08004733B2
Detection of inadequately trimmed images can be carried out promptly and accurately among a large amount of trimmed images obtained through automatic trimming. The trimmed images generated through the automatic trimming are reproduced three times at an image display rate of 30 images per second. Order of reproduction is changed randomly in each time of reproduction. When an operator carries out input for indicating finding of an inadequately trimmed image in each time of reproduction, 10 images arranged 6 to 15 images backward in a display sequence from the image being displayed at the time of input are marked as an image group including the inadequately trimmed image, in response to the input. Only the trimmed images marked in all the rounds of reproduction are extracted as candidates for the inadequately trimmed image.
US08004728B2
An image scanning device has a scanning unit, a first storage unit, a first determination unit, and a control unit. The scanning unit scans an original document to produce image data. The first storage unit stores a specific condition used by the scanning unit for scanning a specific document. The specific document requires a limited scanning condition. The first determination unit determines based on the image data whether the original document is the specific document. The control unit reads the specific condition from the first storage unit and causes the scanning unit to scan the original document with the specific condition if the first determination unit determines that the original document is the specific document.
US08004720B2
The invention relates to printing, to facsimile and publishing techniques, in particular to picture reproducing systems capable to form two optical parameter levels, only. Said invention makes it possible to increase a fine detail reproduction accuracy, in particular, strokes on a screen copy and to more fully use a printing resolution power. The inventive method consists in converting a continuous tone original represented by multilevel reflection values of the areas thereof into a screen copy consisting of dark and light elements by using two types of weight values of the copy elements, wherein the first weight values are distributed between the elements in a sequence independent of the tone modification behavior through the original areas, and in the second sequence according to the geometry of the fine details thereof, in forming the copy elements in such a way that they are dark or light according to results of comparison between the reflection values of the original areas and the weight values of the first and second types, in increasing the degree of use of the second weight values for the fine strokes of the original with respect to the use thereof for single interfaces, which divide the original into dark and light regions and in removing elements which are established in a dark form according to the first weight values inside the light strokes arranged on a dark background.
US08004715B2
An image forming apparatus has a scanning unit capable of forming a plurality of lines of an image simultaneously by scanning, in a main scanning direction, laser beam that has been emitted from a plurality of laser emitting devices. The apparatus has a memory for storing an error characteristic, in a sub-scanning direction with respect to an ideal scanning line in the main scanning direction, of a scanning line scanned by the scanning unit. A line on which image data is read out is changed over in accordance with a line changeover position in the main scanning direction based upon the error characteristic and a revised pixel position in the main scanning direction in the image data.
US08004714B2
A system detects image data in an image data stream that cause ink ejection errors and replaces the image data with a replacement pattern that attenuates the ink ejection errors. The system includes a scanline memory for storing image data, an input data register for forming an image data pattern from image data read from the scanline memory and an image bit received from an image data stream, an image data pattern detection circuit having a comparator that is configured to compare a portion of an image data bit stream used to drive a print head in an ink jet printer to a plurality of detection bit patterns and to generate a bit pattern detection signal in response to the portion of the image data bit pattern corresponding to one of the detection bit patterns, a replacement bit pattern circuit being configured to replace the portion of the image data bit stream corresponding to one of the detection bit patterns with a replacement bit pattern, the replacement bit pattern being different than the detected bit pattern, a tag register coupled to the image data pattern detection circuit and being configured to modify the comparison of the portion of the image data bit stream to one of the detection bit patterns, and an output data register for providing a replacement image bit from the replacement bit pattern to a print head controller and for storing a remainder of the replacement bit pattern to the scanline memory.
US08004712B2
It is desired that only necessary document pages be picked up from an enormous quantity of documents and copied by controlling copying operation on the basis of information designated by a user. For this purpose, a plurality of images are input, each image is segmented into objects, and an object as a search key is set. It is then determined, with respect to each of the plurality of images, whether the objects segmented from the image includes the object as the search key. Images containing the object as the search key are selectively copied out of the plurality of images.
US08004711B2
When a user selects a printing format for use in producing a label and specifies block names of blocks constituting a printing format in an arbitrary order through a n th-block specifying screen (first block specifying screen, second block specifying screen, . . .), edit sequence table sets a new edit sequence number based on a specifying order of block names. Then, the new edit sequence number is written over current edit sequence number in each block (edit sequence table) and arrangement of each block is updated based on the edit sequence number 401 after overwritten (edit sequence table).
US08004708B2
In case of transmitting a document file such as a PDF file to a printer without converting it into print data, a PC extracts from the document file to be printed information to be accessed when starting an analysis of the document file and transmits the information to the printer. The PC extracts a specified data from the document file and transmits it to the printer each time when the specified data is requested by the printer.
US08004706B2
A printed image is produced at least one printed image location using a printing machine with at least one illuminating device that produces at least one printed image at a number of printed image locations. These respective printed images belong to the same page of a printed product to be produced by the printing machine. This page of the printed product exists in the form of a file containing image data before it is produced as the printed image. That file contains image data of all of the printed images of the page of the printed product. A raster image processor is aligned with each printed image location and converts only image data of the printed images of the page of the printed product into raster data, with that printed image being assigned to a respective printed image position. A network is provided for use in the electronic communication of at least image data. Each raster image processor is connected to this network by an interface which receives data. The network provides the interface of each raster image processor with the file containing the image data of all of the printed images of the pages of the printed product.
US08004705B2
This invention relates to a printing system, printing method, printing apparatus, and driver capable of printing at high-speed even when a transfer data amount increases. According to the system, in a host apparatus, a compression pattern of image data is generated. Image data corresponding to one print scan of a printhead is compressed by using the generated compression pattern. The generated compression pattern and the compressed image data corresponding to one print scan of the printhead are transferred to a printing apparatus. In a printing apparatus that executes multi-pass printing, the transferred compression pattern and the compressed image data are received. The received compression pattern is stored into a memory as a decompression pattern. The received compressed image data is decompressed by using the stored decompression pattern and stored in a print buffer. Multi-pass printing is executed by scanning the printhead by using the image data stored in the print buffer.
US08004694B2
A system for indirectly measuring a geometric dimension related to an opening in an apertured exterior surface of a part such as an ammunition case based on direct measurements of the part when fixtured at a measurement station is provided. The system includes first and second holding devices for holding the part therebetween in a part-retaining position in which the part is firmly held between the devices at its end surfaces. In one embodiment, a portion of each of the holding devices extends into its respective opening in the part-retaining position. The system also includes a head apparatus which has a plurality of radiation sources for successively directing arrays of planes of radiation at the holding devices and at the part, and a plurality of receiver modules for measuring the amount of radiation present in unobstructed planar portions of the planes to obtain holding device and part signals. The system further includes a movable stage subsystem coupled to the head apparatus for translating the head apparatus. The system still further includes a signal processor for processing the holding device and part signals to obtain data and a data processor for processing the data to obtain the direct measurements. The data processor determines the geometric dimensions related to the openings based on the direct measurements.
US08004693B2
A lens holder includes a lens holding member having a mounting shaft portion and is configured to hold a lens provided with at least one hole mounting a fitting for a rimless frame or a dummy lens provided with at least one hole, a main body including an opened bottom surface, a shaft holding cylinder provided in the main body and configured to hold the mounting shaft portion of the lens holding member, a clamping member configured to clamp the shaft holding cylinder to the mounting shaft portion of the lens holding member, and at least one confirming hole provided in the main body. When the shaft holding cylinder is clamped to the mounting shaft portion of the lens holding member by the clamping member, the confirming hole is configured to allow the hole of the lens or the dummy lens to be viewed.
US08004691B2
A measuring apparatus includes a pinhole mask, located on an object plane of an optical system to be measured, and having a plurality of pinholes for generating a spherical wave from a measuring light beam, and a diffraction grating for splitting the measuring light beam that has passed the pinhole mask and the optical system, in which Lg=m·Pg2/λ is met, where Pg is a grating pitch of the diffraction grating, λ is a wavelength of the measuring light beam, m is an integer other than zero, and Lg is a distance between the diffraction grating and an image plane of the optical system. The measuring apparatus detects an interferogram formed by interference between a plurality of the measuring light beams split by the diffraction grating. The plurality of measuring light beams includes an aberration of the optical system.
US08004690B2
A device for the optical measurement of an optical system which, in a useful operating mode, receives useful radiation on a useful radiation entrance side and emits it on a useful radiation exit side. The device includes a measurement radiation source, by which at least one exit-side element, which emits measurement radiation to the optical system, can be positioned on the useful radiation exit side of the optical system, and a detector, by which at least one entrance-side element, which receives measurement radiation coming from the optical system, can be positioned on the useful radiation entrance side of the optical system. The measurement radiation source includes a source-side measurement structure mask for positioning on the useful radiation exit side and/or the detector includes a detector-side measurement structure mask for positioning on the useful radiation entrance side. Also provided are a measurement structure support that can be used for such a device, a microlithography projection exposure apparatus equipped with such a device, and an associated method. The device can be used, e.g., for the wavefront measurement of projection objectives of microlithography projection exposure apparatuses.
US08004683B2
An optical detection sensor detects presence or absence of a product within a fluid delivery medium. An emitter directs radiation into the fluid delivery medium. Each of a plurality of detectors detects light within an associated one of a plurality of wavelength ranges transmitted through the fluid delivery medium. The output of each detector is further associated with at least one out-of-product threshold. A controller may further combine detector outputs, such as by multiplication, summation, or other mathematical operation, to produce additional measures of product presence or absence. Each combination output is also associated with at least one out-of-product threshold. The controller compares the output of each detector with the associated out-of-product threshold(s) and compares each combination output with the associated out-of-product threshold(s) to determine presence or absence of product within the fluid delivery medium. The sensor is able to determine presence or absence of a variety of products having different color, transparency or turbidity.
US08004672B2
A closed cell for use in spectrophotometers is adapted to receive a liquid to be subjected to analysis and an air space or bubble to absorb pressure differentials, wherein the cell includes means to retain the air space or bubble in a predetermined location in the cell.
US08004664B2
A power tool control system includes a non-contact measurement and alignment device operative with the power tool and enabled to establish various readings, such as power tool settings. A graphical user interface communicatively coupled with the non-contact measurement and alignment device enables user control over and display of the readings from the non-contact measurement and alignment device.
US08004655B2
In an automatic focus adjusting mechanism, a test sample having a patterned surface is mounted on a mount table, and an light beam passing through a slit formed in a field stop is applied to the patterned surface of the test sample. The light beam reflected from the test sample is split into two segment light beams. Focus adjusting aperture stops having respective apertures formed rhomboid are provided across the optical paths of the segment light beams. The amounts of the segment light beams passing through the rhomboid apertures are detected by light receiving units. Based on the difference between the detected light amounts, the position of the mount table is controlled by the focus adjusting unit.
US08004651B2
A liquid recovery system is used by an immersion exposure apparatus. The liquid recovery system is provided with a first opening; a gap portion that is provided so that a liquid on an object that opposes the first opening can flow into the gap portion through the first opening; a liquid recovery part that suctions, through a porous member, at least part of the liquid that flows into the gap portion; and a second opening that is different from the first opening. The gap portion is open to the atmosphere through the second opening.
US08004648B2
A system and method for providing an air curtain over the screen of an LCD display. Air intakes are located in the housing of the LCD display, and air is pulled into the cavity of the display by one or more fans located in the housing. Air flows through the cavity and exits through a series of air baffles located along the top of the LCD display screen. The air baffles direct the air along the surface of the LCD display, creating an air curtain that may cool the LCD display. The flow of air through the display cavity may also cool the internal components of the LCD display.
US08004642B2
A liquid crystal device includes a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate. A display operation is performed by changing an alignment state of the liquid crystal layer from a splay alignment to a bend alignment. The first substrate includes a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines intersecting the plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a plurality of transition electrodes generating a potential difference with respect to the pixel electrodes, the plurality of transition electrodes being formed closer to the liquid crystal layer than the scanning lines or the data lines and closer to the first substrate than the pixel electrodes.
US08004640B2
A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate including a first electrode and a second substrate including a second electrode which is bonded with the first substrate through an alignment film and a liquid crystal layer. There are polymer structures for aligning liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction formed in a liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal molecules have pre-tilt angles substantially equal to each other between a display part and a peripheral part of the liquid crystal layer.
US08004624B2
A Gate In Panel (GIP) type liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing each other, an area between the first and second substrates including an active region for displaying images and a dummy region outside of the active region; a common line in a peripheral area of the dummy region of the first substrate; a GIP gate driver on one side of the dummy region of the first substrate; a GIP dummy gate driver in the dummy region between the common line and the GIP gate driver; signal lines that applying signals outputted from a timing controller to the GIP gate driver and the GIP dummy gate driver, the signal lines on the one side of the dummy region on the first substrate; and an electrostatic prevention circuit formed in the dummy region of the first substrate between the common line and the signal lines.
US08004620B2
The present invention is directed to providing a technology for display devices where a transparent cover is pasted on a display panel according to which inconsistencies resulting from expansion of the polarizing plate in the vicinity of an end portion caused by moisture can be prevented, and the adhesive can be prevented from sagging when the display panel and the transparent cover are pasted together. A display device according to the invention is provided with: a liquid crystal display panel having a first substrate, a second substrate provided on the viewer side of the above described first substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the above described first substrate and the above described second substrate; and a transparent cover pasted on the surface of the above described liquid crystal display panel on the above described viewer side using an adhesive. The above described liquid crystal display panel has a polarizing plate between the above described second substrate and the above described transparent cover. The above described adhesive covers the entirety of a side of the above described polarizing plate, and the form of the outer periphery of the above described adhesive in a plane is uneven.
US08004615B2
The present invention discloses a television includes a power circuit; a power circuit; a speaker; a display; a tuner for receiving television broadcasting signals and for generating first audio signals and first image signals based on the television broadcasting signals; a connecting terminal for connecting the television and a player device, a signal accepting unit for accepting second audio signals and second image signals generated by the player device; and a switching unit for switching the television to a first player device mode where each of the speaker and the display outputs each of the second audio signals and the second image signals in case both of the second audio signals and second image signals are accepted by the signal accepting unit, and switching the television to a second player device mode where the speaker outputs the second audio signals and the display displays a dummy image in case only the second audio signals are accepted by the signal accepting unit.
US08004589B2
A signal charge transfer channel region includes a first polysilicon gate electrode as a storage electrode for storing signal charges and a second polysilicon gate electrode as a barrier electrode for transferring the signal charges stored under the first polysilicon gate electrode to under the first polysilicon gate electrode adjacent to the first polysilicon gate electrode. The both end portions of the plurality of first and second polysilicon gate electrodes are alternately arranged perpendicularly to a transfer direction of signal charges and central portions thereof are alternately arranged obliquely to a transfer direction of signal charges.
US08004587B2
Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device, including, a pixel array unit, driving means, signal processing means, level determining means and control means.
US08004583B2
Disclosed herein is an image pickup apparatus capable of being used for preview image pickup of a predetermined scene prior to actual image pickup of the scene, including: an image pickup section configured to carry out the preview image pickup using setting data regarding image pickup; a transmission section configured to transmit image data obtained by the preview image pickup by the image pickup section and preview setting data used in the preview image pickup to an information processing apparatus which determines actual recommendation setting data recommended as actual setting data to be used in the actual image pickup; and an acquisition section configured to acquire the actual recommendation setting data determined based on the preview setting data by the information processing apparatus from the information processing apparatus.
US08004578B2
To automatically detect and correct flickers in a video capture device, a frame number generator receives a plurality of frames and generates frame numbers. A storage device stores brightness values of partial pixels of a frame numbered 1. An extractor extracts brightness values of partial pixels of a frame numbered N. A difference summation device computes differences of the brightness values of the partial pixels of the frames numbered 1 and numbered N and sums up the differences to generate a brightness difference summation signal. A flicker detector detects a banding value in the brightness difference summation signal. A flicker corrector uses the banding value and the frame numbers to find a fixed frequency flicker effect in the frames, and generates a flicker correction signal when the fixed frequency flicker effect in the frames is found.
US08004573B2
Upon an operation to full-press a shutter button being detected, a CPU detects human faces included in a picture imaged by an imaging unit, counts the number of the faces, and stores the number of the counted faces in a predetermined area of a memory unit. Thereafter, the CPU again detects faces included in an imaged picture and counts the number of the faces. When the number of the counted faces is equal to or smaller than the number of the faces stored in the predetermined area of the memory unit, the CPU repeats the process of detecting faces included in an imaged picture and counting the number of the faces. Meanwhile, when the number of the counted faces has increased from the number of the faces stored, the CPU records a picture that is to be imaged after a predetermined period of time passes in a recording medium.
US08004567B2
A portable device that sends and receives data to and from one of a plurality of external devices is provided. The portable device has connecting members, a selecting member, and a communicating member. The connecting members send and receive data to and from said external devices. The selecting member selects one of said connecting members among those connected to some of said external devices. The communicating member sends and receives data to and from an external device using the selected connecting member.
US08004566B2
This disclosure describes automatic self-calibration techniques for digital camera devices. In one aspect, a method for performing a calibration procedure in a digital camera device comprises initiating the calibration procedure when a camera sensor of the digital camera device is operating, accumulating data for the calibration procedure, the data comprising one or more averages of correlated color temperature (CCT) associated with information captured by the camera sensor, calculating one or more CCT vectors based on the one or more averages of CCT, and generating gray point correction factors based on the one or more CCT vectors.
US08004562B2
A driving support apparatus includes an imaging member taking an image corresponding to a vehicle peripheral area; a steering angle detecting member detecting a steering-wheel steering angle; a display member disposed in a vehicle interior to display the image; and a control member predicting a driving course of the vehicle according to the detected steering-wheel angle. The control member synthesizes a predicted driving course image relating to the predicted driving course. The control member superposes the predicted driving course image at a corresponding position of the image. The control member displays on the display member the image where at least one image, on which an index is marked at least at one height position, is superposed at least on the predicted driving course image and onto a side of the predicted driving course image while the control member displays the superposed image on the display member.
US08004544B1
A boost table stores adjusted target levels for pairs of original and target pixel levels. The adjusted target levels can be used to as a substitute for the target pixel level to improve pixel response in reaching the desired target pixel level. A reduced boost table can be used, storing a subset of the adjusted target levels. Fuzzy logic control rules can be used to calculate adjusted target levels not actually stored in the reduced boost table.
US08004542B2
Example video composition systems and methods involve scaling each of multiple input video images with scaling factors to generate a plurality of scaled input video images each corresponding to one of the input video images. The scaled input video images are written into regions in a video storage unit. Video image signals are read out from the video storage unit on the basis of each of multiple video layout information pieces, the video layout information prescribing layout of the input video images when the input video images are composed. A composite video image is generated from the video image signals read out from the video storage unit for every video layout information pieces piece.
US08004541B2
A disclosed system (and method) is configured to receive an instruction to transition from a first view to a second view. The first view and the second view include two or more visual elements. The system receives data corresponding to visual elements in the first view and visual elements in the second view. The system groups the visual elements to include visual elements moved out between the first view and the second view, visual elements retained from the first view in the second view, and visual elements moved into the second view. The system retrieves a system defined transition style for rendering the visual elements between the first view and the second view. Using the groupings the system transitions the first view to render the second view through application of the transition style on the groups of visual elements.
US08004537B2
A color correction apparatus includes a correction unit to correct a color of an input pixel having a color included in a specified region of a color space, a correction range selector to select a range with a center in a grayscale to the specified region. With this color correction apparatus, a grayscale can be specified as the target color and only a part of a region in white component direction can be set as the correction range. Thus a desired range of the grayscale can be corrected.
US08004534B2
According to one embodiment, a graphics processor includes a decode request registering module which registers decode requests for image data items sequentially, a decode processing module which decodes and holds the image data items in a registration order of the decode requests, and a drawing module which acquires a decode result from the decode processing module according to a drawing request issued for each image data item and drawing the decode result. The registering module notifies an external device that a waiting state for the drawing request for the image data item has been established, in response to registration of the decode request for the image data item to ensure that the preparation of the drawing request for the image data item is performed in parallel with the decoding of the image data item.
US08004529B2
A method for processing an animation file to provide an animated icon to an instant messaging environment is presented. An animation file is reformatted to generate the animated icon to satisfy a pre-defined size requirement of the instant messaging environment. The animated icon is stored for distribution to the instant messaging environment.
US08004522B1
The boundary of a surface can be represented as a series of line segments. A number of polygons are successively superimposed onto the surface. The polygons utilize a common reference point and each of the polygons has an edge that coincides with one of the line segments. Coverage bits are associated with respective sample locations within a pixel. A value of a coverage bit is changed each time a sample location associated with the coverage bit is covered by one of the polygons. Final values of the coverage bits are buffered after all of the polygons have been processed. The values of the coverage bits can be used when the surface is subsequently rendered.
US08004520B1
An occlusion prediction graphics processing system and method are presented in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. An occlusion prediction graphics processing method is utilized to predict which pixel values are eventually occluded before intermediate processing stages are performed on the pixel values. For example, occlusion results are predicted before the occlusion stage of a graphics pipeline. The occlusion prediction results are based upon an occlusion value received from later in a graphics processing pipeline (e.g., a raster operation stage). A convex polygonal prediction area can be established and a nearest vertex of the convex polygonal prediction area is selected for prediction analysis. Pixel values are removed or discarded from the pipeline based upon the occlusion prediction results and do not unnecessarily occupy processing resources. Removal of the pixel values from the pipeline includes pixels values associated with pixels in the convex polygonal prediction area. Pixel shading is performed on the remaining pixels.
US08004518B2
Embodiments of the invention create links or branches from a static spatial index which partitions a three-dimensional scene based on the position of static objects to a dynamic object spatial index which partitions a three-dimensional scene based on the position of dynamic objects in a three-dimensional scene. By branching from the static spatial index to the dynamic object spatial index, the image processing system may create a single combined spatial index or a combined acceleration data structure. The combined spatial index may contain information which partitions the three-dimensional scene with respect to both static objects and dynamic objects within the three-dimensional scene. When performing ray tracing, the image processing system may only need to traverse rays issued into the three-dimensional scene through the combined spatial index to determine if the ray intersects either static objects or dynamic objects within the three-dimensional scene.
US08004514B2
A method and apparatus for displaying image data is disclosed. The method includes receiving one of a plurality of sets of stored image update data to be displayed on a display device, wherein each set corresponds to one image in a sequence of images and wherein the plurality of sets of image update data comprise information identifying pixels that change from a previous image in the sequence of images, wherein the display device comprises an array of bi-stable display elements. The method further includes updating a portion of the display device, the portion containing the pixels identified in the received set of stored image update data.
US08004510B2
An object is to realize downsizing and cost reduction of a display device by efficiently using a physical region of a memory in a control circuit of the display device. A structure of a video data storage portion of the control circuit is that provided with a video data storage portion for storing video data of an n-th frame (n is a natural number), a video data storage portion for storing video data of an (n+1)th frame, and a video data storage portion for sharing video data of the n-th frame and the (n+1)th frame among received video data.
US08004496B2
In a user-interface application, a computing apparatus has a user-interface to assist the user in searching for information from a data array. In an example embodiment according to the present invention, the data array is an ordered list of addresses. In a UI so equipped, the user experiences a particular sequence of events. The user begins at a point on a list of addresses. After the user rotates a jog/shuttle knob, the list rolls down a low rate. As the user rotates the jog/shuttle knob further the scroll accelerates. After a predetermined time or number of items, a helper character is displayed. This character may represent a first letter of a name or a first digit of a telephone number. The UI displays the helper character to the user. The user continues to hold the position of the jog/shuttle knob until a help character, corresponding to his/her desired selection, appears. The user releases the jog/shuttle knob and may step through among a smaller group of data to locate the particular selection by incrementally rotating the knob from the neutral position.
US08004489B2
An image processing method of backlight illumination control is provided herein. First, an image including a plurality of pixels is received, wherein a first function is a relation between a gray-level value of one of the pixels and a displaying illumination of a backlight. The first function is compared with a characteristic function to obtain the specific function, wherein the characteristic function is a relation between the gray-level value and a predetermined displaying illumination of the backlight, and the specific function is a relation between the gray-level value and a remapped gray-level value. The specific function is utilized to remap the gray-level -value so as to adjust the displaying illumination. Therefore, the present invention enhances the displaying illumination for better visual quality.
US08004481B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device in which a reverse current sufficient enough to insulate a short-circuited point flows and a transistor using amorphous silicon is used is applied. The display device includes a switching transistor that controls an input of a video signal, a driving transistor that controls a current flowing in a forward direction to a light emitting element, and an AC transistor that controls a current flowing in a reverse direction to the light emitting element; and a reverse bias current can be applied to the light emitting element. Furthermore, the above-described transistors are N-channel transistors.
US08004471B2
According to one embodiment, an antenna incorporated in an electronic apparatus includes an antenna element formed of a metal thin film and provided on the inner surface of a side wall of a housing, an antenna ground formed of a metal thin film and provided on the inner surface of the bottom wall of the housing, and a conductor portion formed of a metal thin film, provided at least on the inner surface of the bottom wall and connecting the antenna element to the antenna ground. The feed pin of a feed terminal mounted on a printed circuit board is kept in contact with the conductor portion on the bottom wall to feed power from a wireless module to the antenna.
US08004467B2
A disclosed antenna apparatus includes a dielectric flexible base having an element pattern and a ground pattern formed thereon. The dielectric flexible base has a cylindrical shape encompassing an antenna axis. The element pattern and the ground pattern formed on the dielectric flexible base are symmetrically formed with respect to the antenna axis.
US08004466B2
An antenna includes a dielectric substrate, a radiator disposed on one surface of the dielectric substrate, a feeding conductive pattern having one end connected with the radiator and the other end connected with an external feed line, a first slot disposed in the feeding conductive pattern, a ground plane disposed on the other surface of the dielectric substrate, and a second slot disposed on the ground plane.
US08004462B2
A distributed orbit and propagation method for use in a predicted GPS or GNSS system, which includes a predicted GPS server (PGPS Server), a source of high accuracy orbit predictions (Orbit Server), a global reference network (GRN Server) providing real-time GPS or GNSS assistance data to the PGPS Server, a predicted GPS client (PGPS Client) running on a device equipped with a GPS or AGPS chipset. In response to requests from the PGPS Client, the PGPS Server produces and disseminates an initial seed dataset consisting of current satellite orbit state vectors and orbit propagation model coefficients. This seed dataset enables the PGPS Client to locally predict and propagate satellite orbits to a desired future time. This predictive assistance in turn helps accelerate Time To First Fix (TTFF), optimize position solution calculations and improve the sensitivity of the GPS chip present on, or coupled with, the device. In contrast with other conventional predicted GPS systems that forward large volumes of predicted orbits, synthetic ephemeris or synthetic almanac data, this method optimally reduces data transfer requirements to the client, and enables the client to locally synthesize its own predicted assistance data as needed. This method also supports seamless notification of real-time satellite integrity events and seamless integration of predicted assistance data with industry standard real-time assistance data.
US08004452B2
Methods and apparatus for coordinating ADS-B with mode S SSR and/or having single link communication
Methods and apparatus for an ADS-B system having a single link for communication and/or ADS-B/Mode-S coordination. With this arrangement, the system communication is efficiently used.
US08004451B2
A method and apparatus are provided for operating a microwave detector for detecting intruders within a secured area. The method includes the steps of selecting a noise floor based upon a setting of a range setting potentiometer, detecting a magnitude of a signal reflected from a test subject within the secured area that exceeds the selected noise floor and establishing a threshold value for detecting an intruder based upon the magnitude of the detected signal and sensor mounting height.
US08004449B2
A D/A converter includes plus-side and minus-side input terminals; plus-side and minus-side D/A converters each including plural plus-side or minus-side capacitors having capacitance values weighted by the powers of two, a plus-side or minus-side output terminals connected to first electrodes of the plus-side or minus-side capacitors, and plural plus-side or minus-side switches for connecting each second electrode of the plus-side or minus-side capacitors to either the plus-side or minus-side input terminal, a plus-side reference voltage terminal or a minus-side reference voltage terminal according to plus-side or minus-side control digital signals; and plural short-circuit switches provided between identically weighted plus-side and minus-side capacitors respectively. And, at the time of sampling, the plus-side and minus-side switches connect the second electrodes of the capacitors to the plus-side and minus-side input terminals, respectively, and, after the sampling, the plurality of short-circuit switches short-circuit between the second electrodes of the plus-side and minus-side capacitors.
US08004429B2
A data compression/decompression apparatus and method are provided for improving memory utilization. The data compression/decompression apparatus includes a compressor for calculating costs of domain blocks to a range block through forward searching in a search range, for selecting the domain block having the lowest cost to the range block as a reference domain block through backward searching, for generating distance and difference information of the reference domain block, and for encoding the distance and difference information into compressed data of the range block. The data compression/decompression apparatus also includes a decompressor for finding the reference domain block on the basis of the distance and for decoding the compressed data into original data of the range block with reference to the difference information.
US08004419B2
Tampering with an assembly that includes an integrated circuit is detected by measuring a change in at least one property of a conductive molding formed over at least a portion of the integrated circuit. For example, the conductive molding can be a mixture of resin with conductive powder and/or fibers. The molding can be formed as a continuous region or as strips of conductive material. Conductive contacts are positioned to provide and receive current through portions of the conductive material. For example, the property of the molding can be an impedance of a portion of the conductive molding. A significant change in the impedance measured through one or more conductive contacts indicates tampering with the assembly.
US08004415B2
Methods, systems and program products are provided for monitoring an article for fluid exposure. A plurality of liquid sensors is incorporated into an article beneath an outer layer in a furnishing installation. In response to a fluid-detected or no-fluid-detected state, polling the sensors and sometimes other data, a processor component determines fluid exposure, sensor failure and tampering events and stores event data in a memory. Pairs of the sensors are sometimes provided within expected liquid exposure saturation footprint areas. GPS coordinate, weather condition data and structural component positioning data may also be associated with event data.
US08004412B2
An electronic device with external antenna identification function includes a plurality of external antenna modules, each of which includes an antenna and an identification tag unit for generating a specific identification signal to identify the external antenna module according to a query signal, a connection port, a identification tag authorizing module, coupled to the connection port, for outputting the query signal when one of the plurality of external antenna modules is connected to the connection port and for generating a identification result according to the specific identification signal generated by the external antenna module, and a radio transceiver module, coupled to the connection port and the identification tag authorizing module, for transmitting and receiving corresponding radio signals according to the identification result.
US08004406B2
A security tag that can be attached to an item or items that provides a zero or low impact to the item or items such as elegant or soft goods. The security tag includes a security element that is enclosed within a pliable material that is coupled to the item or items it is protecting by either a lanyard or by passing a portion of the unfinished garment through aperture(s) in the pliable material. The lanyard can take on various compositions and can couple to the pliable material using different latching mechanisms. No puncturing, piercing or adhesive attachment to the elegant or soft goods occurs, thereby making a “zero or low impact” on the item while also making a pleasant presentation to customers when the item (or items) is displayed.
US08004398B2
A patient-caregiver communications system includes a plurality of patient communications modules with which respective patients may communicate with a caregiver, and a caregiver alert device having a plurality of caregiver displays corresponding to the plurality of patient communications modules, for displaying status of communication with each of the plurality of patient communications modules. Each of the plurality of caregiver displays has a plurality of status indicators indicating when a message has arrived from one of the patient communications modules and at least one of (1) whether a caregiver has been notified of the message, (2) whether the caregiver has acknowledged the notification, and (3) whether the caregiver has responded to the message. The caregiver alert device may be portable, or may be a caregivers' station console.
US08004397B2
A mountable reporting source comprising a controller coupled with an interrogating component configured for automatically receiving an identifier which is unique to an asset. A position determining component coupled with the controller is configured for determining a geographic location of the mountable reporting source. A merge asset information enabling communications component is coupled with the controller and is configured for transmitting a message conveying the identifier, the geographic location and a first portion of information about the asset. The mountable reporting source is associated with the asset based on the characteristics of the asset and the objectives of the construction project. An asset management system is enabled to merge the first portion of information about the asset reported by the mountable reporting source with a second portion of information about the asset reported by another reporting source.
US08004390B2
An electromechanical horn is configured with a body, a sound-generating unit mounted in the body, and a plurality of power source receiving regions for storing at least one removably mounted power source in a storage manner while containing a second power source in an operative manner thereby limiting discontinuity of the operation of the sound-generating unit.
US08004385B2
An electrical protective device is described which has two PTC thermistor components which are in the form of plates and are arranged in a common housing. The housing in each case has an opening on two opposite sides, which opening corresponds to the dimensions of the PTC thermistor components such that the PTC thermistor components can be inserted into the housing through the openings. The two PTC thermistor components are electrically isolated from one another in the housing. The PTC thermistor components each have at least two connecting wires, by means of which the PTC thermistor components are locked to the housing.
US08004381B2
A laminated device comprising pluralities of magnetic ferrite layers, conductor patterns each formed on each magnetic ferrite layer and connected in a lamination direction to form a coil, and a non-magnetic ceramic layer formed on at least one magnetic ferrite layer such that it overlaps the conductor patterns in a lamination direction, the non-magnetic ceramic layer comprising as main components non-magnetic ceramics having higher sintering temperatures than that of the magnetic ferrite, and further one or more of Cu, Zn and Bi in the form of an oxide.
US08004374B2
A microwave bandstop filter having a magnetic strip formed over dielectric material. The magnetic resonant frequency is controlled by an induced magnetic anisotropy in the magnetic strip of the microwave bandstop filter. The magnetic anisotropy field is induced by an anisotropic surface texture formed on the surface of the magnetic strip itself, or formed on an underlying layer. Alternatively, the anisotropic surface texture could be formed on both an underlying layer and on the magnetic strip itself. This induced magnetic anisotropy field allows the resonant frequency of the microwave filter to be controlled over a wide frequency range and make high frequency operation possible without reliance on the application of an externally applied magnetic field.
US08004371B2
Distributed band reject filters are disclosed. A first radio frequency band reject filter is disclosed having a splitter having a first input port, a first output port and a second output port, the splitter being operable on an input signal applied to the first input port to provide a respective output signal proportional to the input signal at each of the first and second output ports, the output signals having a phase shift between 45 degrees and 135 degree with respect to the input signal, as well as first, second and third acoustic resonators coupled respectively to the first input port, the first output port and the second output port. A second radio frequency band reject filter is disclosed having a combiner having a first input port, a second input port and a first output port, the combiner being operable on an input signals applied to the first input port and the second input port to provide a respective output signal proportional to the input signals at the first output port, the output signal having a phase shift between 45 degrees and 135 degree with respect to the input signals, as well as first, second and third acoustic resonators coupled respectively to the first input port, the second input port and the first output port. Also disclosed are amplifiers that comprise such radio frequency band reject filters.
US08004370B2
The invention provides a surface acoustic wave element having improved heat dissipation and power durability. These characteristics are achieved by configuring the SAW such that either of an input or ground electrode is disposed between serial arm portions of the SAW comprising resonators.
US08004366B2
A minimal area, power efficient, high swing and monolithic ground centered headphone amplifier circuit operable on a low voltage. An input amplifier stage includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal and having a first gain. An output amplifier stage is coupled to an output of the input amplifier stage to provide an output signal and having a second gain. A feedback network coupled between the first input terminal and the output of the output amplifier stage. A level shifting unit coupled to the first input terminal and the feedback network. A charge pump coupled to the output amplifier stage to generate a negative supply voltage and to minimize a noise associated with the negative supply voltage using a loop gain of the amplifier, wherein the loop gain is a combination of the first gain, the second gain, and a gain of the feedback network.
US08004357B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a high power amplifier in a communication system are provided. The apparatus includes a Radio Frequency (RF) power detection unit for detecting an intensity of an RF input signal, a high power amplifier controller for determining a control signal, which indicates a voltage value of a drain bias to be provided to at least one drain node from among drain nodes of a drive amplifier and a main amplifier included in the high power amplifier, according to the detected intensity, a Direct Current (DC) voltage supplying unit for generating a DC voltage corresponding to the determined control signal, a drain bias connection unit for providing the generated DC voltage to said at least one drain node from among the drain nodes of the drive amplifier and the main amplifier, and the drive amplifier and the main amplifier for amplifying the RF input signal according to the provided DC voltage.
US08004355B2
A low dissipation, low distortion amplifier includes a driver amplifier stage and a main output stage, with a plurality of impedance networks providing, among other things, feedback paths from outputs of the driver and main output stages to the input of the driver stage. The impedance networks also provide coupling paths from the outputs of the driver and main output stages to the load. The impedance networks can all be formed of resistors, capacitors, or network combinations thereof. An additional feedback path can be added from the load to the driver stage to flatten out the frequency response at low frequencies. The driver and main output stages may be operated in Class AB and B modes respectively, and/or in Class G or H modes. An intermediate amplifier driver stage may be added between the driver and main output stages.
US08004353B2
A circuit and an adjusting method with a differential amplifier and with a control circuit, wherein the differential amplifier has a first amplifier transistor which for amplifying an input signal of the differential amplifier is connected in a first branch of the differential amplifier, wherein the differential amplifier has a second amplifier transistor which for amplifying the input signal of the differential amplifier is connected in a second branch of the differential amplifier, wherein the differential amplifier has at least one first series connection with a first transistor and a first semiconductor switch, the amplifier being connected parallel to the first amplifier transistor, wherein the differential amplifier has at least one second series connection with a second transistor and a second semiconductor switch, the amplifier being connected in parallel to the second amplifier transistor, and wherein the control circuit is connected to the switch inputs of the semiconductor switches to control the switching states of the semiconductor switches.
US08004349B2
High-accuracy overcurrent detection is performed, while a loss resulting from the current detection is significantly reduced. A switch section outputs the voltage between the both terminals of a current detection resistor using an AND signal between an output signal from a hysteresis comparator and an output signal from a pre-driver. The voltage is filtered by an electrostatic capacitor element and a resistor, and inputted to a comparator. The comparator makes a comparison between the signals inputted to the two input terminals thereof, and outputs the result of the comparison to a digital filter. When an overcurrent begins to flow in a power supply unit, the levels of the voltages inputted to the two input terminals of the comparator are inverted so that the comparator outputs an inversion signal to the digital filter. The digital filter outputs a detection signal to an overcurrent detection circuit when an arbitrary time has elapsed.
US08004343B2
A driver circuit includes first and second switching elements connected in series to two ends of an electric voltage source. A driven load having a capacity is connected to a connection line connecting the first and second switching elements to each other. An inverter inverts a control signal into an inverted control signal applied to the second switching element. When the first switching element is turned on by the control signal and the second switching element is turned off by the inverted control signal, a drive voltage is applied from one of the two ends of the electric voltage source to the driven load. When the first switching element is turned off by the control signal and the second switching element is turned on by the inverted control signal, an electric charge of the driven load is discharged to another of the two ends of the electric voltage source.
US08004338B2
At an occasion of a level transition when a second periodic voltage becomes equal to a main reference voltage a first periodic voltage generating circuit starts a first monotonically changing time-period in which a voltage value of a first periodic voltage increases monotonically from 0, which is an initial value, towards a voltage value of the main reference voltage. At an occasion of a level transition of a first main switching signal when the first periodic voltage becomes equal to the main reference voltage, a second periodic voltage generating circuit starts a second monotonically changing time-period in which a voltage value of the second periodic voltage increases monotonically from 0, which is an initial value, towards a voltage value of the main reference voltage.
US08004330B1
Apparatus and methods modulate the slew rate of high-speed edges of a differential digital signal. High-speed digital signals carried over printed circuit boards, backplanes, cables, and the like can radiate electromagnetic waves. These electromagnetic waves can cause electromagnetic interference (EMI), and are tightly regulated by appropriate agencies, such as the FCC. Common mode radiation from differential signals can also cause EMI. By modulating the slew rates of the rising and falling edges of the differential signal, and by applying negative feedback, symbol-rate related spurs can be spread over a wider frequency range than conventional spread spectrum clocking (SSC) techniques, and thus should generally be capable of greater EMI reduction than conventional SSC techniques.
US08004318B2
The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement, which is used for controlling a high side CMOS transistor (M1) in a high voltage deep sub micron process. To provide a circuit arrangement for switching a high side CMOS transistor (M1) in a circuit having a very thin gate oxide, produced by a deep sub micron process, a circuit arrangement is proposed for controlling a high side CMOS transistor (M1), wherein the high side CMOS transistor (M1) is coupled between a high side voltage potential (Vbat) and a control output (OUT) for switching an external device, the high side CMOS transistor (M1) is controlled at its gate by a reference potential (Vbat-Vref), which is provided by a high side voltage reference (11) having a capacitor (C1), which is charged for switching on and discharged for switching off the high side CMOS transistor (M1).
US08004309B2
A Programmable Logic Device (PLD) structure using third dimensional memory is disclosed. The PLD structure includes a switch configured to couple a polarity of a signal (e.g., an input signal applied to an input) to a routing line and a non-volatile register configured to control the switch. The non-volatile register may include a non-volatile memory element, such as a third dimension memory element. The non-volatile memory element may be a two-terminal memory element that retains stored data in the absence of power and stores data as a plurality of conductivity profiles that can be non-destructively sensed by applying a read voltage across the two terminals. New data can be written to the two-terminal memory element by applying a write voltage across the two terminals. Logic and other active circuitry can be positioned in a substrate and the non-volatile memory element can be positioned on top of the substrate.
US08004293B2
A method and apparatus for monitoring the integrity of a ground member coupling a substrate support to a chamber body in a plasma processing system is provided. In one embodiment, a processing chamber is provided that includes a ground path member coupled between a substrate support and a chamber body. A sensor is positioned to sense a metric indicative of current passing through the ground member. In another embodiment, a method monitoring the integrity of a ground member coupling a substrate support to a chamber body in a plasma processing chamber includes monitoring a metric indicative of current passing through the ground member during processing, and setting a flag in response to the metric exceeding a predefined threshold.
US08004288B1
The present subject matter provides apparatus and methods for testing high dielectric capacitors. A testing process whereby voltage and temperature is varied to provide temperature dependent plots to determine the reliability of a capacitor is provided. A testing system is demonstrated to measure capacitor reliability and/or relative capacitor reliability.
US08004275B2
A position sensor arrangement and method for determining the position of a movable device, such as an electronic gear shifter for vehicle. According to one embodiment, the position sensor arrangement is arranged in a skewed or offset fashion, with respect to the shifting pattern of the electronic gear shifter, such that movement of the gear shifter from one discrete position to an adjacent discrete position causes a change in both an x-axis coordinate and a y-axis coordinate.
US08004273B1
A system for testing a device under test includes a probe that detects a signal from the device under test, a display device that depicts a trace based on the signal, where the trace exhibits an attribute, and an indicator that emits an indication signal based on the attribute.
US08004267B2
A DC/DC power converter includes an electrically configurable transformer/inductor. The electrically configurable transformer/inductor receives a power plug. The power plug, depending on its configuration, configures the operation of the transformer/inductor and therefore the DC/DC power converter. The power plug may permit access to power received from the power converter. The power plug may also pass power to the power converter from a remote electrical source.
US08004262B2
A controller for use in a power factor correction (PFC) converter is disclosed. An example controller includes an integrator coupled to receive a voltage sense signal responsive to a magnitude of an ac voltage source. The ac voltage source is coupled to an input of the PFC converter, which is coupled to an energy transfer element, which is coupled to a power switch. The integrator is further coupled to receive a current sense signal responsive to a current flowing in the power switch when the power switch is on. The integrator is to generate an integrator output signal in response to the voltage sense signal and the current sense signal. On/off logic is to be coupled to drive the power switch on and off to control a transfer of energy through the energy transfer element to a load coupled to an output of the PFC converter. The on/off logic is coupled to terminate an on time of the power switch when the integrator output signal reaches a threshold value. A gain of the integrator circuit is adjusted in response to the voltage sense signal such that the threshold value is substantially constant independent of the magnitude of the ac voltage source when a magnitude of the load is constant.
US08004254B2
A power supply circuit includes a first voltage regulator, a second voltage regulator, and a voltage comparator. The first voltage regulator is connected to a direct current power supply, and regulates a direct current supply voltage down to a first voltage level to output a first voltage at a first output terminal. The second voltage regulator is connected to the first voltage regulator, and regulates the first output voltage down to a constant, second voltage level to output a second voltage at a second output terminal. The voltage comparator is connected to the first and second voltage regulators, compares the first output voltage against a given threshold level greater than the second voltage level, and deactivates the second voltage regulator until the first output voltage exceeds the given threshold level upon startup of the power supply circuit.
US08004253B2
A two-stage converter including a buck converter and a DC-DC converter that receives power from the buck converter. The DC-DC converter generates an output voltage of the two-stage converter. A buck control circuit generates a drive signal for the buck converter. The drive signal is based on a first signal representing the output voltage, a second signal representing load applied to the buck converter, and a compensation signal. A characteristic of the compensation signal varies based on the drive signal.
US08004252B2
A power system stabilizer includes: a sensor configured for sensing a signal representative of electromechanical oscillations of the power system; a controller configured for using the sensed signal for generating control signals for damping the electromechanical oscillations; and a damper including a damping converter and a resistor coupled to the damping converter, the damping converter being coupled to the power system through a power bus, the damping converter configured for using the control signals for damping the electro-mechanical oscillations.
US08004239B2
A battery management system which can output a battery state enabling optimum charge and discharge control to be performed even when a temperature variation occurs among individual single cells. A plurality of temperature sensors measure temperature values of a battery. A measurement unit measures a voltage and a current of the battery. A maximum/minimum temperature selection unit in a calculation unit determines a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature from the temperature values measured by the temperature sensors. An available power calculation unit calculates respective values of maximum available charge and discharge powers or maximum available charge and discharge currents of the battery corresponding to the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature based on the voltage and the current of the battery. A selection unit selects and outputs smaller maximum available charge and discharge powers or smaller maximum available charge and discharge currents from the respective values of the maximum available charge and discharge powers or the maximum available charge and discharge currents of the battery corresponding to the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature, which are calculated by the calculation unit.
US08004238B2
An apparatus balances a charging voltage of each battery cell of a battery pack. The apparatus includes a discharge resistor installed on a conductive line connected to both ends of a battery cell in parallel; a balance signal relay unit for relaying a charging voltage of the battery cell according to a balance control signal; and a discharge switching unit for receiving the relayed charging voltage of the battery cell as a driving voltage and connecting the battery cell to the discharge resistor to discharge the battery cell if the driving voltage is over an effective voltage level. This apparatus prevents overcharging of a battery cell, caused by a failure of a control processor, while balancing a charging voltage of battery cells. Also, the control processor may be protected against an electric impact by electrical insulation from a discharge circuit. Accordingly, the safety of the battery pack is improved.
US08004237B2
A bidirectional battery charge control system for a portable electronic device which uses a rechargeable main battery. The system enables the connection of an auxiliary battery to the device for inputting additional current to the device. Control of the current flow into and out of the auxiliary battery is performed by a bidirectional charger. The auxiliary battery can contain one or more readily available primary or secondary cells, and the bidirectional charger is such that an external charger connected to the device, generally used to charge the main rechargeable battery of the device, can also recharge a secondary cell or cells in the auxiliary battery, if such are installed. The use of such an auxiliary battery enables the main battery to be hard-wired into the device.
US08004234B2
A power management system comprises a power management module configured to receive a requested duration for powering an electronic device by a battery, the power management module configured to control use of power-consuming elements of the electronic device based on a prioritization of the power-consuming elements to enable powering of the electronic device by the battery for at least the requested duration.
US08004228B2
A two degree-of-freedom positioning and manipulating apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a first driven member rotatable about a first driven axis, a first driver member coupled to a first driven member for rotating the first driven member about the first driven axis, and a link member fixedly connected to the first driven member. The apparatus further includes a second driven member rotatably mounted to the link member for rotating about a second driven axis, with the second driven axis generally parallel to the first driven axis, and a second driver member coupled at a drive point to the second driven member for rotating the second driven member about the second driven axis. The drive point is generally coincident with the first driven axis.
US08004224B2
Method—and device for the implementation thereof intended to provide a protection system for barriers which are movable along an operating path and actuated by a motor, such as roller blinds, gates or the like, comprising the steps of connecting the barrier, with play, to a fixed part (30) so that the barrier is able to move independently of the action of the motor over a travel section (98); defining within the section (98) a set of safety positions corresponding to a safety position for the barrier; detecting along the travel section (98) the actual position of the barrier with respect to the fixed part (30); preventing or reversing the action of the motor and/or the movement of the barrier when the barrier, inside the travel section (98), does not have a position included within the set of safety positions.
US08004223B2
An electric bike includes a wheel driving apparatus. The wheel driving apparatus includes an electric wheel drive motor which drives a wheel, a gap changer which changes a gap length in the wheel drive motor, and a motor control unit which controls the wheel drive motor and the gap changer. The motor control unit calculates a target gap length for the gap changing motor in the gap changer based on an accelerator opening-degree signal, a rotation speed, a q-axis electric-current command value, a power source voltage, and a voltage utilization rate. Then, a feedback control is provided to the gap changer based on a difference value between the target gap length and the actual gap-length. A good vehicle characteristic is obtained without being affected by individual variability or operating environment of the electric motor through efficient drive of the electric motor from a low-speed range through a high-speed range.
US08004219B2
A hybrid power plant for efficiently propelling a vehicle is described. In particular, an internal combustion motor and a generator capable of producing electrical energy is mechanically coupled to the internal combustion motor. An electrical motor is powered by the generator and a controller is coupled to the generator, providing control of the rate of electricity provided to the electrical motor by the generator. Here the electrical motor facilitates rotation of a wheel of the vehicle and the internal combustion motor is operated at an idle or near-idle speed to provide sufficient energy to be converted into electrical energy by the generator, thereby enabling the electrical motor to propel the vehicle in excess of sixty miles per hour, without engaging the internal combustion motor to the wheel and without drawing energy from the battery.
US08004218B2
An object of the present invention is to suppress reverse of a vehicle on an up-hill road against an intention of a driver. A drive device for a vehicle according to the present invention includes: an estimator for estimating whether or not reverse of the vehicle occurs on an up-hill road; a rotating electric machine for generating electric power by rotation of a drive wheel in the vehicle when the vehicle reverses; a capacitor for electrically charging the electric power generated by the rotating electric machine; and a battery connected in parallel to the capacitor, wherein the estimator estimates that the reverse of the vehicle occurs when a current traveling road is an up-hill road and a vehicular speed is smaller than a threshold whereas the electric power of the capacitor is electrically discharged to the battery when the reverse of the vehicle is estimated and the amount of electric energy of the capacitor is greater than a certain threshold.
US08004216B2
A variable intensity LED illumination system is configured to provide a change in luminance versus input voltage that corresponds to a desired transfer function, such as the dimming characteristics of an incandescent lamp, which more closely resembles the response of the human eye. The system also advantageously provides overvoltage protection, increased brightness, energy efficiency, and significantly better longevity and ruggedness, compared to incandescent lamps.
US08004214B2
A fluorescent tube power supply including a rectification circuit, a smoothing circuit, an inverter, and a control circuit for controlling the inverter, further includes a current detecting unit for detecting an input current of the inverter. The control circuit is stopped based on an output signal of the current detecting unit when the input current increases.
US08004200B2
A light emitting device and an element substrate which are capable of suppressing variations in the luminance intensity of a light emitting element among pixels due to characteristic variations of a driving transistor without suppressing off-current of a switching transistor low and increasing storage capacity of a capacitor. According to the invention, a depletion mode transistor is used as a driving transistor. The gate of the driving transistor is fixed in its potential or connected to the source or drain thereof to operate in a saturation region with a constant current flow. A current controlling transistor which operates in a linear region is connected in series to the driving transistor, and a video signal for transmitting a light emission or non-emission of a pixel is inputted to the gate of the current controlling transistor through a switching transistor.
US08004197B2
A collector sweeping method for controlling an electron beam in a beam collector, in particular of a magnetic gyrotron device, comprises the steps of subjecting the electron beam to a transversal sweeping field having a field component perpendicular to a longitudinal direction (z) of the beam collector and providing a tilted, rotating intersection area of the electron beam in the beam collector, and varying at least one of a longitudinal position and a tilting angle of the intersection area by a modulation of the transversal sweeping field. Furthermore, a collector sweeping apparatus and a microwave generator are described.
US08004192B2
A black paste contains an organic component and an inorganic powder containing a glass powder and a cobalt oxide. A plasma display panel having a black layer made from the black paste, and methods for fabricating the black paste, the plasma display are also provided.
US08004183B2
It is a problem to provide an electric apparatus less in consumption power and long in life by the manufacture using the display device. An insulating bank is provided in a form surrounding the pixel portions on first electrodes over a substrate. The entire surface is applied, by a wet scheme (method), with an organic conductive film which has a thickness form of T2>T1>T3 under the influence of the insulating bank. Accordingly, the portion T3 has an increased resistance in a lateral direction, making possible to prevent against crosstalk. Due to a conductive polymer as a buffer layer, a display device can be provided which is low in drive voltage. Furthermore, because the portion T2 is increased in thickness, the electric-field concentration is relaxed at and around the pixel portion. This makes it possible to prevent the organic light-emitting element from deteriorating at around the pixel.
US08004180B2
An organic light emitting display is divided into a light emitting region and a non-light emitting region, the non-light emitting region of the organic light emitting display including: a first substrate; a first passivation layer and a second passivation layer sequentially arranged on the first substrate and having a step in an undercut shape; and an auxiliary electrode layer, an El common layer, and a second layer sequentially arranged throughout the non-light emitting region including the first and second passivation layers, the auxiliary electrode layer being shorted to the second layer in the step at the slope of the second passivation layer or shorted to the first passivation layer in the undercut shape arranged under the second passivation layer.
US08004178B2
An organic light emitting diode display comprises a substrate having a pixel area and a non-pixel area, a plurality of pixels formed in the pixel area, a power line with a uniform width formed in the non-pixel area configured to supply a common power voltage to the pixels, a cathode electrode formed on the substrate, and a cathode power line formed in the non-pixel area on the same layer as the power line and coupled to the cathode electrode to supply a cathode voltage to the pixels, wherein each pixel comprises a thin film transistor and an organic light emitting element.
US08004172B2
A semiconductor light emitting apparatus includes an elongated hollow wavelength conversion tube that includes an elongated wavelength conversion tube wall having wavelength conversion material, such as phosphor, dispersed therein. A semiconductor light emitting device is oriented to emit light inside the elongated hollow wavelength conversion tube to impinge upon the elongated wavelength conversion tube wall and the wavelength conversion material dispersed therein. The elongated hollow wavelength conversion tube may have an open end, a crimped end, a reflective end, and/or other configurations. Multiples tubes and/or multiple semiconductor light emitting devices may also be used in various configurations. Related assembling methods are also described.
US08004170B2
A low pressure fluorescent tanning lamp (10) includes an elongated, tubular glass envelope (12) including an arc generating and sustaining medium (14) and electrodes (16) therewithin and having a first section (18) and a second section (20). A phosphor coating (22) is provided on the interior of the first section (18) and only a portion (24) of the second section (20). The phosphor coating comprises materials emitting in the UVA and UVB areas of the electromagnetic spectrum and additionally in the visible area of the electromagnetic spectrum in the range above 600 nm. The second section (20) includes a clear window (26) and the phosphor comprises a mixture comprising about 91% BaSi2O5:Pb; about 6% MgSrAl10O17:Ce; and about 3% Y2O3:Eu.
US08004161B2
A multilayered piezoelectric element and a method of producing the multilayered piezoelectric element are disclosed. The multilayered piezoelectric element is made of piezoelectric ceramic layers and electrode formation layers which are alternately laminated. The piezoelectric ceramic layers are made of crystal oriented ceramic as polycrystalline material. The crystal oriented ceramic is made mainly of an isotropic perovskite type compound in which the specific {100} crystal plane of each of crystal grains that form the polycrystalline material is oriented. The electrode formation layers have electrode parts forming inner electrodes containing a conductive metal. The isotropic perovskite type compound is expressed by a general formula (1): [Agh{Lix(K1-yNay)1-x}1-h]j(Nb1-z-wTazSbw)O3-k (1), where 0≦x≦0.2, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦0.4, 0≦w≦0.2, x+z+w>0, 0
US08004154B2
The invention relates to a piezoelectric actuation structure including at least one strain gauge and at least one actuator produced from a stack on the surface of a substrate of at least one layer of piezoelectric material arranged between a bottom electrode layer and a top electrode layer, at least a portion of the stack forming the actuator being arranged above a cavity produced in the substrate, characterized in that the strain gauge is a piezoresistive gauge located in the top electrode layer and/or the bottom electrode layer, the layer or layers including electrode discontinuities making it possible to produce said piezoresistive gauge. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a structure.
US08004150B2
An ultrasonic actuator may be provided in which generation of a stress is prevented in the connection face of the piezoelectric element between the electrodes and the conductive members. The ultrasonic actuator includes a piezoelectric element (P1) and flexible cables (F1). The piezoelectric element (P1) includes: a piezoelectric layer (1); a power supply electrode (2) provided on a principal surface of the piezoelectric layer (1); a counter electrode (3) provided to face the power supply electrode (2) with the piezoelectric layer (1) interposed therebetween; a power supply external electrode (4) which is provided on a short-side surface of the piezoelectric element (P1), and is electrically coupled to the power supply electrode (2); and a counter external electrode (5) which is provided on a short-side surface of the piezoelectric element (P1), and is electrically coupled to the counter electrode (3). The flexible cables (F1) include a first flexible cable (F11) connected to the power supply external electrode (4), and a second flexible cable (F12) connected to the counter external electrode (5).
US08004149B2
A motor which includes two drive elements, especially piezoelectric bending actuators, having effective directions that are perpendicular to each other. These actuators act upon a drive ring to thereby rotate a shaft. Two tension-compression bars, which are parallel to an effective direction, are connected to the drive ring, have respective joints at their ends and are connected to the ends of a diagonal bar, relative to which the ring can be displaced in the other effective direction. The diagonal bar itself can be displaced relative to fixing elements to an effective direction via a diagonal suspension. The drive is compact, having actuators that are non-radially hinged to the ring.
US08004148B2
A surface acoustic wave element includes: a diamond layer; an alumina nitride layer provided on the diamond layer; a silicon oxide layer provided on the alumina nitride layer; and a pair of electrodes provided between the alumina nitride layer and the silicon oxide layer, the electrodes applying a voltage to the alumina nitride layer. If a thickness of the alumina nitride layer is represented by H1, a thickness of the silicon oxide layer is represented by H2, a wavelength of a surface acoustic wave is represented by λ, x is defined as x=2πH1/λ, and y is defined as y=2πH2/λ, (x, y) meets all of the following formulas 1 to 4 below. That is, the formula 1 is y≦0.750×x+0.325; the formula 2 is y≦−0.300×x+1.690; the formula 3 is y≧−0.500×x+0.950; and the formula 4 is y≧0.700×x−0.610.
US08004147B2
The invention relates to waveguide components based on acoustic surface waves, comprising at least one interdigital converter for exciting acoustic surface waves in a piezoelectric substrate or a piezoelectric layer. The object of the invention is to change known waveguide components, comprising at least one interdigital converter for exciting acoustic surface waves in a piezoelectric substrate or a piezoelectric layer, such that no reflectors are necessary with an otherwise equivalent function. The inventive waveguide components are characterized in that the interdigital converter(s) a) is or are disposed at a defined distance over the piezoelectric substrate or the piezoelectric layer for exciting wave fields, or b) is or are in contact with the piezoelectric substrate or the piezoelectric layer, wherein in version a) the piezoelectric substrate is designed as a ring and the piezoelectric layer is designed as a circular region. In case of version b), the interdigital converter and/or the piezoelectric layer form circular regions. The components can be used for example as resonators, filters, oscillators and sensors.
US08004140B2
An internal permanent magnet (IPM) machine is provided. The IPM machine includes a stator assembly and a stator core. The stator core also includes multiple stator teeth. The stator assembly is further configured with stator windings to generate a stator magnetic field when excited with alternating currents and extends along a longitudinal axis with an inner surface defining a cavity. The IPM machine also includes a rotor assembly and a rotor core. The rotor core is disposed inside the cavity and configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis. The rotor assembly further includes a shaft. The shaft further includes multiple protrusions alternately arranged relative to multiple bottom structures provided on the shaft. The rotor assembly also includes multiple stacks of laminations disposed on the protrusions and dovetailed circumferentially around the shaft. The rotor assembly further includes multiple pair of permanent magnets for generating a magnetic field, which magnetic field interacts with the stator magnetic field to produce a torque. The multiple pair of permanent magnets are disposed between the stacks. The rotor assembly also includes multiple middle wedges mounted between each pair of the multiple permanent magnets.
US08004135B2
An integrated electric motor and controller assembly includes a motor, a controller mounted to the motor, and a sensor device disposed at an interface between the motor and the controller. The sensor device includes a sensor disposed at the controller and a magnet disposed at the motor. An alignment structure is provided at the interface between the motor and the controller for positioning the sensor relative to the magnet when the controller is mounted to the motor. The magnet is recessed in the motor and the sensor is protected by a controller housing of the controller. This arrangement has the advantages of protecting the sensor device from damage during shipment and assembly and providing a quick assembly and connection of the sensor device to the motor and the controller.
US08004122B2
A power converter controller is operable to control power provided to a load circuit coupled between a first voltage supply terminal and a first switching element by controlling the first switching element and to control power provided to an energy storage element coupled to the first switching element. The energy storage element is operable to provide a power supply. A first control terminal couples to a control input of the first switching element. A first load terminal couples to the first switching element and the charge storing element. A second switching element couples between the first load terminal and a second voltage supply terminal. Timing logic is operable to selectively provide a control signal at the first control terminal to control the first switching element and to selectively control the second switching element to supply power to the load circuit during a load powering phase by enabling the first and second switching elements, charge the energy storage element during a bootstrap charging phase by enabling the first switching element and disabling the second switching element, and allowing the load circuit to operate in isolation during a passive phase by disabling at least the first switching element.
US08004118B2
A power transmission control device provided in a power transmitting device of a non-contact power transmission system includes a driver control circuit that controls a power transmitting driver that drives a primary coil, a load state detection circuit that detects a power-receiving-side load state, and a control circuit that controls the driver control circuit. The control circuit performs a foreign object detection process based on load state detection information from the load state detection circuit after receiving ID authentication information from a power receiving device, and starts normal power transmission to the power receiving device after performing the foreign object detection process.
US08004117B2
A converter circuit providing multiple current bypass routes between the output leads to provide reliability in a series connection of several converters. If the converter malfunctions due to component failure, the current bypass routes provide a path for the current that views the malfunctioning converter as substantially a short. Diodes prevent backflow into the power source connected to the converter. Redundancy is provided in the bypass portions of the converter circuit that provides alternate parallel paths in case a defective component in one of the paths opens the circuit along that path. In one example, the converter is implemented as a buck plus boost converter where either the buck or the boost portion or both are operative responsive to a controller controlling the switches of both portions. Most of the converter circuit may be implemented in an integrated circuit.
US08004115B2
An automatic transfer switch for automatically switching an electrical load between two power sources that includes a switch module containing circuitry for facilitating the switching function, and having two attached input cables and one attached output receptacle. The switch module may be mounted directly on or adjacent to the back of a piece of rack-mounted equipment, thereby minimizing the probability of a power failure between the switch and the equipment. The switch is relatively small, requires no mounting space within a rack, and requires minimal cord lengths.
US08004113B2
Solar power tracking techniques are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, a solar power tracking apparatus includes, but is not limited to, a voltage converter and a controller coupled to the voltage converter. The voltage converter includes an input capable of being coupled to a solar power source and an output capable of being coupled to an electronic load, such as, for example, a portable electronic device. The voltage converter is configured to monitor or detect an amount of power drawn by the electronic load at the output of the voltage converter. In response to the monitored power drawn, the controller is configured to control the voltage converter to reduce amount of power to be drawn subsequently if the monitored amount of power exceeds a predetermined threshold. As a result, the output voltage from the solar power source is maintained within a predetermined range. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08004107B2
A direct drive generator for a wind turbine is provided. The direct drive generator includes a stator arrangement and a rotor arrangement. The stator arrangement and/or the rotor arrangement include an at least partly flexible front and/or rear endplate. The endplate is at least partly made of fiberglass.
US08004105B2
The present invention relates to a wave energy conversion device (1), for use in relatively shallow water, which has a base portion (2) for anchoring to the bed of a body of water (6) and an upstanding flap portion (8) pivotally connected (12) to the base portion. The flap portion is biased to the vertical and oscillates, backwards and forwards about the vertical in response to wave motion acting on its faces. Power extraction means extract energy from the movement of the flap portion. When the base portion (2) is anchored to the bed of a body of water (6) with the flap portion (8) facing the wave motion, the base portion (2) and the flap portion (8) extend vertically through at least the entire depth of the water, to present a substantially continuous surface to the wave motion throughout the full depth of water from the wave crest to the sea bed. A plurality of devices can be interconnected to form one system. The distance between the plurality of flaps is dependent on the wavelength.
US08004102B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for generating refrigeration in a process operating at sub-ambient temperatures in which the refrigeration is generated by a turboexpander. The turboexpander is coupled to a generator controlled so that its speed is maintained at a setpoint through electromagnetic braking and its power output is maintained at line matching voltage and frequency. The speed control of the generator therefore, also controls the speed of the turboexpander. The setpoint is calculated to be equal to a product of an operational efficiency parameter, U/Co, and a square root of twice the enthalpy drop in the flow passing through the turboexpander divided by a product of pi and a diameter of an impeller employed within the turboexpander.
US08004092B2
The invention provides a semiconductor chip comprising an interconnecting structure over said passivation layer. The interconnecting structure comprises a first contact pad connected to a second contact pad exposed by an opening in a passivation layer. A metal bump is on the first contact pad and over multiple semiconductor devices, wherein the metal bump has more than 50 percent by weight of gold and has a height of between 8 and 50 microns.
US08004089B2
On the lower surface of a semiconductor construct having an external connection electrode, there are formed an insulating film having a planar size greater than that of the semiconductor construct, and a metal layer and a mask metal layer having a connection pad portion in which a first opening corresponding to the external connection electrode is formed. A laser beam is applied using the mask metal layer as a mask, and a second opening is thereby formed in a part of the insulating film corresponding to the external connection electrode. Then, a connection conductor is formed to connect a wiring line to the external connection electrode via the second opening of the insulating film.
US08004079B2
A chip package structure includes a substrate, a chip, a thermal conductive layer, a plurality of signal contacts, and a molding compound. The substrate includes a plurality of first thermal conductive vias, a connecting circuit, and a plurality of signal vias electrically connected to the connecting circuit, and the substrate has a chip disposing region. The chip is disposed on the chip disposing region of the substrate and electrically connected to the signal vias through the connecting circuit. The thermal conductive layer is disposed over the substrate, connected to the first thermal conductive vias, and located above the chip disposing region. Besides, the thermal conductive layer has first openings exposing the signal vias. The signal contacts are respectively disposed in the first openings and connected to the signal vias. The molding compound encapsulates the chip.
US08004075B2
Use of Pb-free solder has become essential due to the environmental problem. A power module is formed by soldering substrates with large areas. It is known that in Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu which hardly creeps and deforms with respect to large deformation followed by warpage of the substrate, life is significantly shortened with respect to the temperature cycle test, and the conventional module structure is in the situation having difficulty in securing high reliability. Thus, the present invention has an object to select compositions from which increase in life can be expected at a low strain rate. In Sn solder, by doping In by 3 to 7% and Ag by 2 to 4.5%, the effect of delaying crack development at a low strain rate is found out, and as a representative composition stable at a high temperature, Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu-5In is selected. Further, for enhancement of reliability, a method for partially coating a solder end portion with a resin is shown.
US08004067B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes: a substrate of single crystal silicon; a first device formed in a first region of a surface of the substrate; a first interlayer insulating film formed on the substrate; a polycrystalline silicon layer formed in a second region on the first interlayer insulating film; a second device formed in the polycrystalline silicon layer; a second interlayer insulating film formed on the first interlayer insulating film, the second interlayer insulating film covering the polycrystalline silicon layer; and a pad formed in a third region on the second interlayer insulating film. The second region includes at least part of a directly overlying zone of the first region. The third region includes at least part of a region which is the directly overlying zone of the first region and a directly overlying zone of the second region.
US08004051B2
One embodiment relates to an integrated circuit that includes a lateral trench MOSFET disposed in a semiconductor body. The lateral trench MOSFET includes source and drain regions having a body region therebetween. A gate electrode region is disposed in a trench that extends beneath the surface of the semiconductor body at least partially between the source and drain. A gate dielectric separates the gate electrode region from the semiconductor body. In addition, a field plate region in the trench is coupled to the gate electrode region, and a field plate dielectric separates the field plate region from the semiconductor body. Other integrated circuits and methods are also disclosed.
US08004050B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed, which comprises a gate electrode having a laminated structure of a polycrystalline silicon film or a polycrystalline germanium film containing arsenic and a first nickel silicide layer formed in sequence on an element forming region of a semiconductor substrate through a gate insulating film, a sidewall insulating film formed on a side surface of the gate electrode, source/drain layers containing arsenic formed in the element forming region at both side portions of the gate electrode, and second nickel silicide layers formed on the source/drain layers, wherein a peak concentration of arsenic contained in the gate electrode is at least 1/10 of a peak concentration of arsenic contained in the source/drain layers.
US08004037B2
A surface between gate electrodes in an MOS gate structure is patterned so that missing portions are partially provided in surfaces of n+ emitter regions to thereby enlarge surface areas of p+ contact regions surrounded by the surfaces of the n+ emitter regions. In this manner, a highly reliable MOS type semiconductor device is provided which is improved in breakdown tolerance by suppressing an increase in the gain of a parasitic transistor caused by photo pattern defects produced easily in accordance with minute patterning in a process design rule.
US08004035B2
A dual stress liner manufacturing method and device is described. Overlapping stress liner layers of opposite effect (e.g., tensile versus compression) may be deposited over portions of the device, and the uppermost overlapping layer may be polished down in a process that uses the bottom overlapping layer as a stopper. An insulating film may be deposited on the stress liner layers before the polishing, and another insulating film may be deposited above the first insulating film after the polishing. Contacts may be formed such that the contacts need only penetrate one stress liner layer to reach a transistor well or gate structure.
US08004022B2
A field effect transistor includes a GaN epitaxial substrate, a gate electrode formed on an electron channel layer of the substrate, and source and drain electrodes arranged spaced apart by a prescribed distance on opposite sides of the gate electrode. The source and drain electrodes are in ohmic contact with the substrate. At an upper portion of the gate electrode, a field plate is formed protruding like a visor to the side of drain electrode. Between the electron channel layer of the epitaxial substrate and the field plate, a dielectric film is formed. The dielectric film is partially removed at a region immediately below the field plate, to be flush with a terminal end surface of the field plate. The dielectric film extends from a lower end of the removed portion to the drain electrode, to be overlapped on the drain electrode.
US08004010B2
In a semiconductor device with a shared contact, a gate electrode is formed via a gate insulating film on a semiconductor substrate and a sidewall insulating film is formed on both side faces of the gate electrode. At least one of the surface parts of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to both sides of the gate electrode is removed beyond the lower part of the sidewall insulating film and to the underside of the gate electrode. Then, the gate insulating film exposed in the remove part is removed. An impurity-doped semiconductor layer is formed in the part where the semiconductor substrate and the gate insulating film have been removed.
US08004001B2
A semiconductor device for light emission having a plurality of epitaxial layers with an n-type layer for light emission and a p-type layer for light reflection. The p-type layer has at least one seed layer for an outer layer of a conductive metal. The at least at least one seed layer is a material for providing a buffer for differential thermal expansion of the outer layer and the light reflecting layer.
US08003999B2
Disclosed is an organic light emitting device which includes a substrate; a encapsulation substrate, an organic light emitting unit interposed between the substrate and the encapsulation substrate. A water vapor absorption material-containing transparent sealant layer covers the organic light emitting unit. The sealant layer includes a transparent sealant having a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of about 20 g/m2·day or less and a water vapor absorption material having an average particle size of about 100 nm or less.
US08003998B2
A light-emitting diode arrangement is disclosed, comprising at least one light-emitting diode (LED) chip with a radiation decoupling surface through which a large portion of the electromagnetic radiation generated in the LED chip exits in a main direction of emission; a housing laterally surrounding the LED chip; and a reflective optic disposed after the radiation decoupling surface in the main direction of emission. The LED arrangement is particularly well suited for use in devices such as camera-equipped cell phones, digital cameras or video cameras.
US08003996B2
The present invention relates to a semiconductor component and an associated production method, said component emitting at least two defined wavelengths with a defined intensity ratio. It is an object of the present invention to specify an optical semiconductor component and an associated production method, said component emitting at least two defined wavelengths with a defined intensity ratio. In this case, the intention is that both the wavelengths and the intensity ratio can be set extremely precisely. The semiconductor component according to the invention has a substrate (8), a first charge carrier barrier layer (7) arranged on the substrate (8), a photoluminescent layer (6) arranged on the first charge carrier barrier layer (7), a second charge carrier barrier layer (5) arranged on the photoluminescent layer (6), and an active electroluminescent layer (4) composed of at least one inorganic semiconductor and arranged on the second charge carrier barrier layer (5), wherein the photoluminescent layer (6) absorbs at least part of the light emitted by the electroluminescent layer (4), and an at least partly transparent contact layer (1) arranged on the active electroluminescent layer (4) is furthermore provided.
US08003988B2
A thin film transistor array panel comprises a repair line disposed in a peripheral area of a display area and being configured to repair when at least one of a gate line and a data line are disconnected, and a detour line disposed in the peripheral area and comprising at least one resistor having higher resistance than a remaining portion of the detour line, wherein both ends of the detour line are connected to the repair line to protect the array panel.
US08003984B1
Techniques are provided for forming die on wafers with large area test structures between primary die. A reticle is used to pattern each die. The pattern on the reticle forms a primary die and test structures in scribelines that abut edges of the die. A reticle can be used to form additional test structures that are separated from the primary die. A gap is formed between the additional test structures and the primary die in each exposure. In subsequent exposures, test structures for adjacent die are formed in the gaps between the previously formed primary die and their additional test structures. These techniques are used to provide larger test structure area between each primary die. A blade can be used to block portions of the reticle that form the additional test structures. The reticle can then be used to pattern die with smaller test structures during high volume chip production.
US08003976B2
An organic light-light conversion device excellent in device characteristics, comprising a light sensing unit having a layer including a photo-conductive organic semiconductor developing a photo-current multiplication phenomenon by light irradiation, and a light emitting unit having a layer including an electroluminescent organic semiconductor emitting light by current injection, characterized in that at least one of the photo-conductive organic semiconductor and an electroluminescent organic semiconductor is polymer semiconductor. An imaging intensifier consisting of a plurality of arranged above organic light-light conversion devices. An optical sensor provided with a means of measuring and outputting voltages applied to the above organic light-light conversion device and to the opposite ends of a layer including the electroluminescent organic semiconductor.
US08003975B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: a semiconductor layer having a principal surface on which a source electrode, a drain electrode and a gate electrode are formed and having a first through hole; an insulating film formed in contact with the semiconductor layer and having a second through hole; a first interconnection formed on the semiconductor layer through the first through hole and connected to one of the source electrode, the drain electrode and the gate electrode which is exposed in the first through hole; and a second interconnection formed on the insulating film through the second through hole and connected to another of the source electrode, the drain electrode and the gate electrode which is exposed in the second through hole. The first interconnection and the second interconnection face each other and form a microstrip line.
US08003959B2
In an ion implanter, a Faraday cup is utilized to receive an ion beam generated during ion source cleaning. The detected beam has an associated mass spectrum which indicates when the ion source cleaning process is complete. The mass spectrum results in a signal composed of a cleaning agent and the material comprising the ion source. This signal will rise over time as the ion source chamber is being cleaned and will level-off and remain constant once the deposits are etched away from the source chamber, thereby utilizing existing implant tools to determine endpoint detection during ion source cleaning.
US08003937B2
An electrospray ion (ESI) source and method capable of ionizing an analyte molecule without oxidizing or reducing the analyte of interest. The ESI source can include an emitter having a liquid conduit, a working electrode having a liquid contacting surface, a spray tip, a secondary working electrode, and a charge storage coating covering partially or fully the liquid contacting surface of the working electrode. The liquid conduit, the working electrode and the secondary working electrode can be in liquid communication. The electrospray ion source can also include a counter electrode proximate to, but separated from, said spray tip. The electrospray ion source can also include a power system for applying a voltage difference between the working electrodes and a counter-electrode. The power system can deliver pulsed voltage changes to the working electrodes during operation of said electrospray ion source to minimize the surface potential of the charge storage coating.
US08003934B2
Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, processes and other inventions relating to: ion sources with controlled electro-pneumatic superposition, ion source synchronized to RF multipole, ion source with charge injection, optimized control in active feedback system, radiation supported charge-injection liquid spray, ion source with controlled liquid injection as well as various embodiments and combinations of each of the foregoing.
US08003931B2
A transparent-front vending machine includes an optical vend-sensing system with an article sensing subsystem arranged athwart a vend space. The article sensing subsystem has two emitter/detector arrays, each having at least one emitter and a plurality of detectors. The emitter/detector arrays are arranged so that at least some electromagnetic radiation emitted by an emitter of the first array can be detected by at least two active detectors of the second array, and at least some electromagnetic radiation emitted by an emitter of the second array can be detected by at least two active detectors of the first array so that articles falling through the vend space will interrupt electromagnetic radiation between an emitter and at least one detector. At least two emitters are active at one time.
US08003927B2
An image projection apparatus of the present invention projects a corrected image according to a projection surface, and includes: an imaging unit for capturing a projected image; a correction parameter calculation unit for calculating a correction parameter, on the basis of the captured image, for correcting an image distortion caused by the projection surface; a correction unit for generating a corrected image by correcting the image using the correction parameter; a reproduction level calculation unit for calculating a reproduction level of the corrected image relative to the original image; an image generation unit for generating a guidance image regarding the reproduction level; and a control unit for controlling projection of the guidance image.
US08003915B2
A system and method for inscribing marks, that will remain non-discernable after tinting, on materials in general, and on plastic ophthalmic lenses in particular. The system uses a laser, which typically performs a heating-type inscription process, such as by use of a CO2 laser. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for producing laser inscription on materials, including laser inscription apparatus for inscribing inscriptions on a surface of the materials, and apparatus for treating a zone of the surface that was affected by the laser inscription beam, to prevent it from absorbing excessive dye relative to other zones, wherein the inscriptions remain non-discernable after applying the dye.
US08003913B2
Electrodes are formed in a predetermined pattern on a base plate. Side face regions of each electrode or certain regions of each electrode, which certain regions contain the side face regions and neighboring regions, have a composition different from the composition of the other region and have insulation characteristics. The base plate with electrodes is produced with a process wherein a conductor layer is formed on the base plate, a resist pattern is formed on the conductor layer, the conductor layer is etched with the resist pattern acting as a mask, the electrodes being thereby formed in the predetermined pattern, and an insulation characteristics imparting processing gas is brought into contact with the electrodes.
US08003903B2
On a pivot bolt which rotatably and pivotally supports a side stand bar on a vehicle-body-side bracket, a switch unit which is constituted of a base and a rotary made of a resin and detects a rotational position of the side stand bar is mounted. A first engaging mechanism which is constituted of a groove and a projection is arranged between a cylindrical portion formed on the rotary and an engaging shaft and, at the same time, a second engaging mechanism which is constituted of a groove and a projection is arranged between the base and the cylindrical portion. The rotary on which a movable contact formed of a leaf spring is mounted allows a positioning pin which is formed on one end portion thereof to be engaged with a pin hole formed in a pivot portion and hence, the rotary is integrally rotated with the side stand bar.
US08003902B1
An apparatus and method for simultaneously operating the horn and light systems of a motorized vehicle is provided. The controller used to operate the systems can be a single controller that operates the horn when a certain range of pressure is applied to the controller and operates the horn and lights systems when a stronger pressure is applied. The system can include a dedicated horn operating system controller independent of the dual function controller to eliminate the need for differing pressures to operate the horn and light systems substantially simultaneously.
US08003883B2
A photovoltaic device that includes a substrate and a nanowall structure disposed on the substrate surface. The device also includes at least one layer conformally deposited over the nanowall structure. The conformal layer(s) is at least a portion of a photoactive junction. A method for making a photovoltaic device includes generating a nanowall structure on a substrate surface and conformally depositing at least one layer over the nanowall structure thereby forming at least one photoactive junction. A solar panel includes at least one photovoltaic device based on a nanowall structure. The solar panel isolates such devices from its surrounding atmospheric environment and permits the generation of electrical power. Optoelectronic device may also incorporate a photovoltaic device based on a nanowall structure.
US08003882B2
Methods and systems for photovoltaic roofing systems are provided. The system includes a back sheet including a length, L, a width, W, and a thickness, T, the back sheet including an overlap portion extending along length L having a width, WO and an active portion extending along length L having a width, WA. The system also includes a photovoltaic cell formed on a surface of the active portion, the photovoltaic cell including a photovoltaic member electrically responsive to an absorption of photons, a negative electrode coupled to a surface of the photovoltaic member, and a positive electrode coupled to the surface of the photovoltaic member, wherein the thickness T is selected such that thickness T plus a thickness of the photoelectric cell substantially match a thickness of a proximate non-photovoltaic roofing member when the photovoltaic roofing system is installed.
US08003871B2
A keyboard apparatus made longitudinally compact while ensuring a pivotal motion range of hammers within a limited space. Common base ends, to which main bodies of white and black keys are connected via vertically extending hinges, are stacked one upon another and fastened to a fastening part of a frame. Hammers are each supported on a hammer pivot shaft such that its rear end is moved upward about the pivot shaft in a key-depression forward stroke. The hammers have their rear ends located forward of rearmost positions of visible parts of black keys. The hammer pivot shafts are located rearward of frontmost positions of the visible parts. A plate portion of the frame, on which key switches are disposed, is located forward of the rearmost positions of the visible parts of the black keys and upward of the fastening part of the frame.
US08003866B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH444919. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH444919, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH444919 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH444919.
US08003856B2
The present invention provides novel soybean lines having high sucrose content and low phytic acid and low stachyose content. The soybeans are easily digested and provide high energy content for animals and humans. The low phytic acid content permits animal feed to be produced that does not require phytase, yet does not result in significant production of pollution to the environment from excretion by farm animals.
US08003852B2
Transgenic plants are described which are engineered to overexpress vacuolar H+-PPase. Plants such as tobacco and petunia transformed with A. Thaliana AVP-1 are shown to have increased meristematic activity resulting in larger leaves, stem, flower, fruit, root structures, increased salt tolerance, enhanced drought and freeze tolerance. Methods of making such plants are also described.
US08003850B2
Provided is a method for producing a target protein via cultivation of transgenic plant cells comprising a promoter capable of expressing the protein under sugar-free conditions in the response to the depletion of sugar and a gene encoding the target protein, without exchange of a cell growth medium with a sugar-depleted medium comprising the addition of an amino acid mixture to the sugar-rich medium used to grow the plant cells.
US08003849B2
Isolated polynucleotides encoding polypeptides active in lignin, fructan and tannin biosynthetic pathways are provided, together with expression vectors and host cells comprising such isolated polynucleotides. Methods for the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides are also provided.
US08003836B2
A process has been developed for producing diesel boiling range fuel from renewable feedstocks such as plant oils, animal fats and oils, and greases. The process involves treating a renewable feedstock by hydrogenating and deoxygenating to provide a diesel boiling range fuel hydrocarbon product. If desired, the hydrocarbon product can be isomerized to improve cold flow properties. A portion of the hydrocarbon product is recycled to the treatment zone to increase the hydrogen solubility of the reaction mixture.
US08003835B2
A method for converting solid biomass into hydrocarbons includes contacting the solid biomass with a catalyst in a first riser operated at a temperature in the range of from about 50° C. to about 200° C. to thereby produce a first biomass-catalyst mixture and a first product comprising hydrocarbons; a) separating the first product from the first biomass-catalyst mixture; c) charging the first biomass-catalyst mixture to a second riser operated at a temperature in the range of from about 200° C. to about 400° C. to thereby produce a second biomass-catalyst mixture and a second product comprising hydrocarbons; d) separating the second product from the second biomass-catalyst mixture; e) charging the second biomass-catalyst mixture to a third riser operated at a temperature greater than about 450° C. to thereby produce a spent catalyst and a third product comprising hydrocarbons; and f) separating the third effluent from the spent catalyst.
US08003822B2
A process for continuous carbonylation of carbonylatable reactants with carbon monoxide in the gaseous phase in the presence of a catalyst, wherein said catalyst is a Supported Ionic Liquid-Phase (SILP) catalyst comprising a solution of a Group VIII metal in an ionic liquid confined on a support. The SILP catalyst offers a very large active catalyst area resulting in a very efficient use of catalyst material and a simple apparatus design.
US08003820B2
A process for preparing a bisphosphonate compound comprises reacting a carboxylic acid with a phosphonating agent, in a cresol solvent.
US08003815B2
The present invention provides a method of preparing a cross-condensed compound of an amino-acid derivative and (aminoalkyl)trialkoxysilane using microwave, including: irradiating and heating an amino-acid derivative and (aminoalkyl)trialkoxysilane in a microwave reactor to obtain a reaction product (step 1); and refining the reaction product obtained in the step 1 by removing an unreacted solid material from the reaction product and then leaving the reaction product at room temperature under vacuum to remove excess (aminoalkyl)trialkoxysilane therefrom (step 2). According to the method, since a cross-condensation reaction is performed using microwave, unlike a conventional condensation reaction, economic efficiency is increased due to no catalyst, short reaction time and no solvent. Further, the yield and selectivity of products is increased, and the condensation reaction can be environment-friendly performed because a solvent which can badly influence the environment may not be used.
US08003809B2
Methods for synthesis of 1-(acyloxy)-alkyl carbamates, particularly, the synthesis of 1-(acyloxy)-alkyl carbamate prodrugs of primary or secondary amine-containing drugs are described. Also described are methods for synthesis of 1-(acyloxy)-alkyl N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbonates which are useful intermediates in the synthesis of 1-(acyloxy)-alkyl carbamates are also described.
US08003801B2
A highly active synthetic epothilone compound whose activity exceeds that of either epothilone EpoA or EpoB when assayed as a cytotoxic agent against a cancer cell line is disclosed as is a pharmaceutical composition containing the synthetic epothilone.
US08003800B2
The invention relates to thiophene derivatives of formula (I)/their preparation and their use as pharmaceutically active compounds. Said compounds particularly act as immunosuppressive agents wherein: A represents *—CO—CH═CH—, *—CO—CH2CH2—, *—CO—CH2—NH—, wherein the asterisks indicate the bond that is linked to the thiophene group of Formula (I), and R1-R3 are as defined in the claims.
US08003799B2
Compounds of general formula (I): in which n, G, Q1, Q2, X1, X2, Y and Z are as defined in the description, process for preparing these compounds, fungicidal compositions comprising these compounds, processes for treating plants by applying these compounds or compositions.
US08003793B2
Disclosed are methods for making aldehydes and ketones comprising allowing the corresponding primary or secondary alcohol to react in the presence of trichoroisocyanuric acid, a compound of formula R1SR2 and a base. In one embodiment, the alcohol is a compound of formula (I): wherein R3 is a protecting group. Also disclosed are methods for making 3-O-protected morphine dienol carboxylates comprising allowing a compound of formula (I) to oxidize in the presence of a chlorine-containing compound and a compound of formula R1SR2; and allowing the product of the oxidation step to react with an acylating agent.
US08003791B2
Disclosed herein is a method for reducing the rate of degradation of proteins in an animal, comprising contacting cells of the animal with certain boronic ester and acid compounds. Also disclosed herein are novel boronic ester and acid compounds, their synthesis and uses.
US08003789B2
This invention concerns the use of compounds of formula the N-oxides, pharmaceutically acceptable addition salts, quaternary amines, stereochemically isomeric forms thereof, wherein -a1=a2-a3=a4- forms phenyl, pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, pyrazinyl with the attached vinyl group; n is 0 to 5; R1 is hydrogen, aryl, formyl, C1-6alkylcarbonyl, C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl, substituted C1-6alkyl, substituted C1-6alkyloxyC1-6alkylcarbonyl; R2 is hydroxy, halo, optionally substituted C1-6alkyl, C2-6alkenyl or C2-6alkynyl, C3-7cycloalkyl, C1-6alkyloxy, C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl, carboxyl, cyano, nitro, amino, mono- or di(C1-6alkyl)amino, polyhalomethyl, polyhalomethyloxy, polyhalomethylthio, —S(═O)pR6, —NH—S(═O)pR6, —C(═O)R6, —NHC(═O)H, —C(═O)NHNH2, —NHC(═O)R6, —C(═NH)R6, 5-membered heterocyclic ring; L is optionally substituted C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl or C3-7cycloalkyl; or —X—R3; Q is hydrogen, C1-6alkyl, halo, polyhalo-C1-6alkyl, optionally substituted amino group; Y represents hydroxy, halo, C3-7cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C1-6alkyl, C2-6alkenyl or C2-6alkynyl, C1-6alkyloxy, C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl, carboxyl, cyano, nitro, amino, mono-or di(C1-6alkyl)amino, polyhalomethyl, polyhalomethyloxy, polyhalomethylthio, —S(═O)pR6, —NH—S(═O)pR6, —C(═O)R6, —NHC(═O)H, —C(═O)NHNH2, 13 NHC(═O)R6,—C(═NH)R6, aryl; for the treatment of subjects suffering from HIV infection.
US08003778B1
A real-time reverse transcription-PCR, or NABSA, method (and associated primers) targeting the rbcL gene for the detection and quantitation of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis.
US08003774B2
The present invention relates to molecules, particularly polypeptides, more particularly immunoglobulins (e.g., antibodies), comprising a variant Fc region, wherein said variant Fc region comprises at least one amino acid modification relative to a wild-type Fc region, which variant Fc region binds FcγRIIIA and/or FcγRIIA with a greater affinity, relative to a comparable molecule comprising the wild-type Fc region. The molecules of the invention are particularly useful in preventing, treating, or ameliorating one or more symptoms associated with a disease, disorder, or infection. The molecules of the invention are particularly useful for the treatment or prevention of a disease or disorder where an enhanced efficacy of effector cell function (e.g., ADCC) mediated by FcγR is desired, e.g., cancer, infectious disease, and in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of therapeutic antibodies the effect of which is mediated by ADCC.
US08003772B2
Disclosed are chimeric polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) polyketide synthase (PKS) proteins and chimeric PUFA PKS systems, including chimeric PUFA PKS proteins and systems derived from Schizochytrium and Thraustochytrium. Disclosed are nucleic acids and proteins encoding such chimeric PUFA PKS proteins and systems, genetically modified organisms comprising such chimeric PUFA PKS proteins and systems, and methods of making and using such chimeric PUFA PKS proteins and systems.
US08003769B2
The invention provides novel dye-labeled ribonucleotide analogs and methods for synthesizing those analogs. The compounds of the invention are especially useful for DNA sequencing by the polymerase chain reaction.
US08003764B2
The present disclosure relates to Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, nucleic acids encoding the BHD gene, and antibodies that specifically bind to the BHD protein (folliculin). In addition, the present disclosure relates to methods of diagnosing BHD disease and related conditions, such as spontaneous pneumothorax and kidney cancer, by detection of altered expression of folliculin using folliculin-specific antibodies.
US08003761B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing cancerous disease modifying antibodies using a novel paradigm of screening. By segregating the anti-cancer antibodies using cancer cell cytotoxicity as an end point, the process makes possible the production of anti-cancer antibodies for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. The antibodies can be used in aid of staging and diagnosis of a cancer, and can be used to treat primary tumors and tumor metastases. The anti-cancer antibodies can be conjugated to toxins, enzymes, radioactive compounds, cytokines, interferons, target or reporter moieties and hematogenous cells.
US08003758B2
BPC-1: a secreted brain-specific protein expressed and secreted by prostate and bladder cancer cells
Described is a novel gene and its encoded secreted tumor antigen, termed BPC-1, and to diagnostic and therapeutic methods and compositions useful in the management of various cancers which express BPC-1, particularly including prostate cancer and bladder cancer. In human normal tissues, BPC-1 is only expressed in certain tissues of the brain. However, BPC-1 is expressed at high levels in prostate cancer cells and is also expressed in bladder cancer cells. The structure of BPC-1 includes a signal sequence and a CUB domain. BPC-1 protein is secreted. Preliminary experimental evidence suggests that BPC-1 is directly involved in oncogenesis or maintenance of the transformed phenotype of cancer cells expressing BPC-1. BPC-1 also appears to bind specifically to a cellular protein expressed in prostate cancer cells and other cells.
US08003757B2
Described is a recombinant receptor comprising an extracellular ligand-binding domain and a cytoplasmic domain that comprises a heterologous bait polypeptide. The recombinant receptor is activated by binding of a ligand to the ligand-binding domain and by binding of a prey polypeptide to the heterologous bait peptide. The invention also discloses a method for detecting compound-compound binding using the recombinant receptor.
US08003750B2
A thermosetting composition comprising (a) 97.9 to 40 percent by weight of at least one bis(dihydrobenzoxazine) prepared by the reaction of an unsubstituted or substituted bisphenol with at least one unsubstituted position ortho to each hydroxyl group, formaldehyde and a primary amine; (b) 2 to 50 percent by weight of at least one organic polyamine; and (c) 0.1 to 10 percent by weight of at least one curing catalyst, selected from the group of carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids and phosphonic acids having at least two acid groups and no other reactive groups; wherein the percent by weight refer to the total amount of components (a), (b) and (c) in the composition, with the proviso that (a), (b) and (c) add up to 100 percent by weight; and (d) and optionally other components. Cured products of these compositions show valuable chemical, physical and mechanical properties.
US08003742B2
An activated, substantially water-soluble polyoxazoline is provided having a linear or branched poly(ethylene glycol) backbone and at least one terminus linked to the backbone through a hydrolytically stable linkage, wherein the terminus is branched and has proximal reactive groups. The free reactive groups are capable of reacting with active moieties in a biologically active agent such as a protein or peptide thus forming conjugates between the activated polyoxazoline and the biologically active agent.
US08003741B2
The present invention relates generally to catalysts, to methods of making catalysts, to methods of using catalysts, to methods of polymerizing, and to polymers made with such catalysts. More particularly, the present invention relates to polyolefin catalysts and to Ziegler-Natta catalysts, to methods of making such catalysts, to methods of using such catalysts, to polyolefin polymerization, and to polyolefins.
US08003735B2
Provided is a thermoplastic resin composition having high impact resistance at low temperature and molded articles with good appearance using the thermoplastic resin composition.The thermoplastic resin composition contains 0.5 to 20 parts by mass of a rubbery elastomer (B) relative to 100 parts by mass of a resin mixture (A) comprising 45 to 97% by mass of a polycarbonate resin (a-1) and 55 to 3% by mass of a fatty acid polyester (a-2), wherein the component (B) is dispersed in the component (a-1).
US08003734B2
The invention relates to low molecular weight polyethylenimines, to vectors for inserting nucleic acids into cells which contain low molecular weight polyethylenimines, and to the preparation and use of the low molecular weight polyethylenimine and the vector.The invention relates to a vector for inserting a nucleic acid into a cell, which vector contains a low molecular weight polyethylenimine (LMW PEI) and a nucleic acid, with the LMW PEI having a molecular weight of less than 50,000 Da.
US08003732B2
An ion conducting polymeric structure suitable for fuel cell applications is provided. The polymeric structure comprises a non-homogenous polymeric layer. The non-homogeneous layer is a blend of a first polymer comprising cyclobutyl moiety; and a second polymer having a non-ionic polymer segment. The weight ratio of the first polymer to the second polymer varies as a function of position within the non-homogenous layer. The blend composition may be cast into an electrolyte membrane that can be used to prepare electrochemical cells such as batteries and fuel cells.
US08003731B2
The invention relates to biodegradable polyester mixture, comprising i) from 5 to 80% by weight, based on the total weight of components i to ii, of at least one polyester based on aliphatic and aromatic dicarboxylic acids and on aliphatic dihydroxy compounds, and ii) from 20 to 95% by weight, based on the total weight of components i to ii, of at least one biodegradable homo- or copolyester selected from the group consisting of polylactide, polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and polyesters composed of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids and of aliphatic diols, and iii) from 0.1 to 15% by weight, based on the total weight of components i to ii, a) of a copolymer containing epoxy groups and based on styrene, acrylate, and/or methacrylate, b) of a bisphenol A epoxide, or c) of a fatty acid amide or fatty acid ester or natural oil containing epoxy groups; and iv) from 0 to 15% by weight of additive; and v) from 0 to 50% by weight of inorganic or organic filler, and also to processes for their preparation and a method for their use.
US08003728B2
Swellable hydrogel-forming polymers having high permeability Swellable hydrogel-forming polymer comprising at least one hydrophilic polymer of dendritic structure and at least one water-insoluble phosphate, a process for preparing the swellable hydrogel-forming polymer and also its use in hygiene articles.
US08003727B2
Disclosed herein is a scratch resistant flame retardant thermoplastic resin composition comprising: 100 parts by weight of a base resin comprising (A) about 1 to about 99% by weight of a polycarbonate resin and (B) about 99 to about 1% by weight of a modified methacrylate resin; and (C) about 1 to about 50 parts by weight of a flame retardant.
US08003721B2
Polyglycolic acid and polylactic acid having a weight-average molecular weight of at most 50,000 are melt-kneaded in the presence of a thermal stabilizer to obtain a polyglycolic acid-based aliphatic polyester composition. The aliphatic polyester composition alleviates the too fast crystallizability of polyglycolic acid which has been problematic in forming or molding of polyglycolic acid alone or in combination with another thermoplastic resin, thus showing a crystallization speed which has been lowered and can be controlled in a wide range.
US08003720B2
Chemical additives disclosed for reducing “plate-out” which have applications in polymers, such as polyolefins. It is possible to provide for a composition and a process for producing parts, sheet and film from polyolefin extrusion applications wherein the polyolefins are processed with a minimal quantity of “plate-out.” A polyolefin composition may contain a sorbitol-based clarifying system of a derivative of Dibenzylidene, along with one or more co-additives to achieve a reduction in undesirable plate-out.
US08003717B2
The invention is directed to a novel bitumen composition comprising a paraffin wax, wherein the wax has a congealing point of between 85 and 120° C. and a PEN at 43° C., expressed in 0.1 mm, as determined by IP 376 of more than 5.
US08003716B2
Aqueous polymer dispersions based on copolymers of vinyl aromatics and conjugated aliphatic dienes having a mean particle size of from 80 to 150 nm, obtained by free radical emulsion copolymerization of (a) from 19.9 to 80 parts by weight of at least one vinyl aromatic compound, (b) from 19.9 to 80 parts by weight of at least one conjugated aliphatic diene, (c) from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of at least one ethylenically unsaturated acid, and (d) from 0 to 20 parts by weight of at least one other monoethylenically Unsaturated monomer, the sum of the parts by weight of the monomers (a), (b), (c) and (d) always being 100, in an aqueous medium in the presence of at least one degraded starch having an intrinsic viscosity ηi of less than 0.07 dl/g with the use of at least 0.9% by weight, based on the monomers used altogether, of initiators selected from peroxodisulfates, peroxosulfates, azo initiators, organic peroxides, organic hydroperoxides and hydrogen peroxide, at least 30% by weight of the initiators being initially taken together with the degraded starch in the aqueous medium and the monomers and the remaining initiators being metered into this initially taken mixture under polymerization conditions.
US08003712B2
A polyester resin component having crystallization improved and including a cyclic compound shown by a below-described formula and polyester capable of having a crystal structure: In the formula, each of ring A and a ring B is a benzene ring, and the hydrogen bonded to the benzene rings be substituted with other groups. Additionally, Y is —CONH— or —NHCO— and X is a heterocyclic group or a condensed heterocyclic group including one or more NH or CO.
US08003704B2
Use is disclosed of (a) an AlDH-inhibitory amount of a Trp metabolite, or an analogue or derivative thereof or (b) a bioprecursor thereof, or (c) a potentiator of (a) and/or (b), in the preparation of a medicament for treating alcoholism and/or alcohol dependence.
US08003699B2
Disclosed is an amide compound represented by the following formula (1). (1) (In the formula, X1 represents a fluorine atom or a methoxy group; X2 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group or the like; Z represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; and A represents an A1-CR6R7R8 group, an A2-Cy1 group or an A3-Cy2 group, wherein A1 represents a CH2 group or the like, A2 represents a single bond, a CH2 group or the like, Cy1 represents a C3-C6 cycloalkyl group substituted with a C1-C6 alkoxy group or the like, Cy2 represents a C3-C6 cycloalkyl group which may be substituted with at least one halogen atom or the like, R6 and R7 independently represent a C1-C4 alkyl group, and R8 represents a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group or the like.) The amide compound has excellent plant disease controlling activity.
US08003691B2
The present invention relates to an antiviral and antibacterial pharmaceutical composition comprising cantharidic anhydride-essential oil preparation as effective ingredient and method for preparing thereof. The cantharidic anhydride-essential oil preparation is prepared by dissolving cantharidic anhydride at appropriate temperatures. The clinical trials demonstrate that the cantharidic anhydride-essential oil preparation is effective in the treatment of tuberculosis and various viruses infected diseases. Furthermore, a series of local formulations for external use for treatment and prevention of virus infections can be prepared from the said cantharidic anhydride-essential oil preparations.
US08003687B2
Esters of compounds in the leptomycin family, having a structure according to formula I where R, R10, R11, R12, R13, and R14 are as defined herein, exhibit anti-tumor properties.
US08003686B2
The present invention relates to the use of acyl derivatives of curcumin, desmethoxy curcumin and bisdesmethoxy curcumin and of curcuminisoxazolide as components of animal feed or feed additives for the improvement of animal performance and the new acyl derivatives per se as well as the corresponding animal feed or feed additives containing them.
US08003669B2
The present invention has been made based on the finding that a compound acting on the ORL-1 receptor as an agonist acts as a non-photic entrainment factor, and advances the circadian rhythm phase, and provides a novel therapeutic agent for a sleep disorder such as circadian rhythm sleep disorder, more particularly, an agent for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of a sleep disorder, which contains an ORL-1 receptor agonist, and a novel compound useful as such agent for the prophylaxis and/or treatment.
US08003663B2
The invention provides N-{[1,6-diethyl-4-(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-ylamino)-1H-pyrazolo [3,4-b]pyridin-5-yl]methyl}-4-({8-[(2-hydroxyethyl) (methyl)amino]octanoyl}amino)benzamide, whose formula is or a salt thereof, such as the monohydrochloride salt thereof. The invention also provides the use of the compound or salt as inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type IV (PDE4) and/or for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of inflammatory and/or allergic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or rhinitis (e.g. allergic and/or non-allergic rhinitis).
US08003662B2
Compounds of Formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, are useful for inhibiting receptor tyrosine kinases and for treating disorders mediated thereby. Methods of using compounds of Formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, for in vitro, in situ, and in vivo diagnosis, prevention or treatment of such disorders in mammalian cells, or associated pathological conditions are disclosed.
US08003653B2
The present invention is directed to imidazolidinone compounds which are inhibitors of the beta-secretase enzyme and that are useful in the treatment of diseases in which the beta-secretase enzyme is involved, such as Alzheimer's disease. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the treatment of such diseases in which the beta-secretase enzyme is involved.
US08003652B2
The use of acetyl L-carnitine in combination with propionyl L-carnitine and sildenafil is described for the preparation of a medicament and/or dietetic product for the treatment of erectile dysfunction secondary to all those conditions in which there is distress or iatrogenic damage of the lesser pelvis within which the neurovascular bundles of the penis run.
US08003649B2
The invention concerns bicyclic compounds of Formula I wherein the integers X1, X2, X3, Ring A, R4, R5 and m are as defined in the description. The present invention also relates to processes for the preparation of such compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in the manufacture of a medicament for use in the prevention or treatment of androgen-receptor associated conditions.
US08003648B2
The present invention provides compounds useful, for example, for treating metabolic disorders in a subject. Such compounds have the general formula I: where the definitions of the variables are provided herein. The present invention also provides compositions that include, and methods for using, the compounds in preparing medicaments and for treating metabolic disorders such as, for example, type II diabetes.
US08003647B2
The present invention provides compounds useful as agents for the prevention or treatment of a disease associated with abnormal serum uric acid level which has a uricosuric activity or the like. The present invention relates to (aza)indole derivatives represented by the following general formula (I) having xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities and useful as agents for the prevention or treatment of a disease associated with abnormality of serum uric acid level, prodrugs thereof, or salts thereof. In the formula (I), T represents nitro or cyano and the like; ring J represents aryl or heteroaryl and the like; Q represents carboxy or 5-tetrazolyl and the like; Y represents H, OH, NH2, halogen, nitro, alkyl, alkoxy and the like; X1, X2 and X3 independently represent CR2 or N; R1 and R2 independently represent halogen, cyano, haloalkyl, A-D-E-G, —N(-D-E-G)2 and the like, in the formula, A represents a single bond, O, S and the like; D and G independently represent optionally substituted alkylene, cycloalkylene, heterocycloalkylene, arylene, heteroarylene and the like; E represents a single bond, O, S, COO, SO2 and the like.
US08003640B2
The present invention relates to compounds of the general formula (I) and the salts thereof, preferably the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; in which in which R1 has the meaning explained in the description, a process for their preparation and the use of these compounds as medicines, especially as renin inhibitors.
US08003633B1
Anti-cancer compositions and methods are described including one or more compounds having the structural formula I: where R is phenyl, where R1 is (CH2)n—Se—C(═NH)—NH2, where R2 is (CH2)n—Se—C(═NH)—NH2 or R2 is H, and where each n is independently 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8. Methods of treating a subject are provided according to embodiments of the present invention which include administering a therapeutically effective amount of a composition including one or more compounds having the structural formula I to a subject having a condition characterized by Akt dysregulation. Administering a therapeutically effective amount of a composition including one or more compounds having the structural formula I to a subject detectably increases apoptosis and/or decreases proliferation of cancer cells, particularly cancer cells characterized by Akt dysregulation. Compositions of the present invention inhibit Akt enzymes, iNOS, and increase MAP kinase activity such that cancer cells contacted with the compositions are inhibited.
US08003628B2
Methods of inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and the activity of osteoclasts are disclosed. Methods of treating patients who have diseases characterized bone loss are disclosed. According to the methods, an amount of a TRANCE/RANK inhibitor effective to inhibit osteoclastogenesis is administered to the patient. Pharmaceutical compositions which comprise TRANCE/RANK inhibitor in an amount effective to inhibit osteoclastogenesis. Methods of modulating dendritic cell maturation, T cell proliferation, and/or CD40 receptor systems in an individual are disclosed. The methods comprise the step of administering to the individual an amount of a TRANCE/RANK inhibitor effective to modulating dendritic cell maturation, T cell proliferation, and/or CD40 receptor systems.
US08003617B2
The invention provides methods of treating a diabetic subject comprising administering a glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor to the subject.
US08003613B2
The C-terminal domain of focal adhesion kinase (FAK-CD) was isolated using a Baculoviral system. Using phage display techniques, a phage encoding a 12 amino-acid peptide (peptide 35) and AV3 that binds to FAK-CD were identified. The peptides were also conjugated to TAT-FITC to produce a fluorescently labeled chimeric molecule capable of penetrating cell membranes. Contacting various breast cancer cell lines with these molecule caused detachment, rounding, apoptosis and cell death. These effects were not observed in normal (non-cancerous) breast cells.
US08003610B2
A bradykinin B2-receptor antagonist peptide, kinestatin, isolated from toad (Bombina maxima) defensive skin secretion, and analogs thereof, is disclosed. The structure of kinestatin is pGlu-Leu/Ile-Pro-Gly-Leu/Ile-Gly-Pro-Leu/Ile-Arg-NH2. Also disclosed are kinestatin analogs, prodrugs including the peptides, fusion peptides and multimeric peptides including the peptide sequences, pharmaceutical compositions including kinestatin and analogs thereof, prodrugs, fusion and multimeric peptides thereof, nucleic acids encoding kinestatin and analogs thereof, and nucleic acids encoding the fusion and multimeric peptides. Kinestatin and analogs thereof (including the prodrugs and multimeric and/or fusion peptides) can be used to treat and/or prevent disorders associated with bradykinin, including cardiovascular disorders, inflammation, asthma, allergic rhinitis, pain, angiogenesis and the like.
US08003599B2
Described is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound(s) interfering with the biological activity of L1 and/or ADAM10 or their expression. Also described is the use of said compound(s) for the prevention/treatment of carcinomas like ovarian and endometrial carcinoma. Finally, the diagnosis of highly malignant forms of carcinomas which is based on the determination of the activity/expression of L1 and/or ADAM10 is described.
US08003584B2
There is disclosed a lubricating composition comprising a friction modifier and a base oil comprising less than about 3% by weight of tetracycloparaffins. Methods of making and using the composition are also disclosed.
US08003583B2
Benzo[b]perhydroheterocyclic arylamine compounds have shown to be particularly useful as stabilizers. The compounds may serve as antioxidants, antiozoants, heat stabilizers and ultraviolet light stabilizers and such compounds are oil soluble, thus particularly suited for use as an antioxidant in a lubricating oil composition.
US08003579B2
A process for preparing a binder which comprises a heterocondensate of silicon compounds and metal and/or boron compounds. The process comprises mixing a silicon component which comprises (A), at least one hydrolyzable silicon compound having a non-hydrolyzable polymerizable group, with water to form a hydrolysis product, and 15 s to 15 min after mixing (A) with water, the addition of (B), at least one compound of boron or a metal selected from Al, Ga, In, Tl, Ge, Ga, Sn, Pb, Ti, Zr, Hf, Sc, Y and La.
US08003573B2
A method to remove hydrate plugs in a production system by passing a non-hydrate-forming or a hydrate-forming gas, which forms hydrates at a higher pressure than the existing hydrate, through the flow-restricting hydrate.
US08003570B2
A composition for and a method to kill nematodes, weeds, weed seeds and weed rhizomes in soils.
US08003561B2
The invention aims at providing a platinum black material, without using an expensive and rare material, which is excellent in CO poisoning inhibiting effect, H2S poisoning inhibiting effect, SO4 poisoning inhibiting effect and HCHO poisoning inhibiting effect, and a method for fluorinating platinum black. The platinum black material is characterized by fluorine adsorbed on its surface. The method for fluorinating platinum black is characterized by allowing platinum black to stand in a mixed gas atmosphere of n inert gas and fluorine in a low-pressure chamber to make fluorine adsorbed on the surface of the platinum black.
US08003560B2
Disclosed is a heat-sensitive recording material comprising a support and a heat-sensitive recording layer formed on the support, the heat-sensitive recording layer containing dye precursor-containing composite particles and a developer, the dye precursor-containing composite particles being obtained by dissolving a solute containing a dye precursor in a solvent containing a polyvalent isocyanate compound-containing polymerization component, emulsifying and dispersing the obtained solution in an aqueous medium, and then performing a polymerization reaction of the polyvalent isocyanate compound-containing polymerization component in the presence of polyethyleneimine having a molecular weight of 200 to 1,500. Also disclosed is a method of producing such a heat-sensitive recording material.
US08003555B2
A flame retardant synthetic fiber and a flame retardant fiber composite that satisfy high flame retardance and high fire resistance, a method for producing the flame retardant synthetic fiber and the flame retardant fiber composite, and a textile product are provided. The flame retardant synthetic fiber of the present invention includes a polymer (1) containing 30 to 70 parts by mass of acrylonitrile, 70 to 30 parts by mass of a halogen-containing vinylidene monomer and/or a halogen-containing vinyl monomer, and 0 to 10 parts by mass of a vinyl-based monomer copolymerizable therewith, based on 100 parts by mass of the polymer, and at least one kind of a metal compound (2) that accelerates a dehalogenation reaction of the polymer (1) during burning and a carbonization reaction of the polymer (1) during burning, wherein the flame retardant synthetic fiber has a shrinkage variation of 45% or less when a temperature is raised from 50° C. to 300° C. under a load of 0.0054 mN/dtex.
US08003549B1
A nitrogen-free anti-reflective layer for use in semiconductor photolithography is fabricated in a chemical vapor deposition process, optionally plasma-enhanced, using a gaseous mixture of carbon, silicon, and oxygen sources. By varying the process parameters, a substantially hermetic layer with acceptable values of the refractive index n and extinction coefficient k can be obtained. The nitrogen-free moisture barrier anti-reflective layer produced by this technique improves plasma etch of features such as vias in subsequent processing steps.
US08003544B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes processing a second film 14 formed on a semiconductor substrate to a pattern including a plurality of linear parts and end portions formed in an end of each of the linear parts, having a width wider than the linear parts, forming a first pattern 16 by slimming the pattern, forming a second pattern including a first opening 180 that traverses the end portion 141a of the first pattern 16, etching the second film 14 exposed in the first opening 180, and dividing the end portion 141a into a first end portion 142a close to the linear part 140a and a second end portion 143a apart from the linear part 140a.
US08003543B2
A method of forming hard mask employs a double patterning technique. A first hard mask layer is formed on a substrate, and a first sacrificial pattern is formed on the first hard mask layer by photolithography. Features of the first sacrificial pattern are spaced from one another by a first pitch. A second hard mask layer is then formed conformally on the first sacrificial pattern and the first hard mask layer so as to delimit recesses between adjacent features of the first sacrificial pattern. Upper portions of the second hard mask layer are removed to expose the first sacrificial pattern, and the exposed first sacrificial pattern and the second sacrificial pattern are removed. The second hard mask layer and the first hard mask layer are then etched to form a hard mask composed of residual portions of the first hard mask layer and the second hard mask layer. A fine pattern of a semiconductor device, such as a trench isolation region or a pattern of contact holes, can be formed using the hard mask as an etch mask.
US08003540B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an underlying layer over a semiconductor substrate; forming a hard mask layer over the underlying layer; forming first etch patterns over the hard mask layer; forming second etch patterns between the first photoresist patterns; etching the hard mask layer using the first and second etch patterns as an etch mask to form a hard mask pattern; and etching the underlying layer using at least the hard mask pattern. The first and second etch patterns are formed on the same layer.
US08003539B2
A method for making a semiconductor device is provided which comprises (a) creating a data set (301) which defines a set of tiles for a polysilicon deposition process; (b) deriving a polysilicon deposition mask set (311) from the data set, wherein the polysilicon deposition mask set includes a plurality of polysilicon tiles (303); (c) deriving an epitaxial growth mask set (321) from the data set, wherein the epitaxial growth mask set includes a plurality of epitaxial tiles (305); and (d) using the polysilicon deposition mask set and the epitaxial growth mask set to make a semiconductor device (331); wherein the epitaxial growth mask set is derived from the data set by using at least a portion of the tile pattern defined in the data set for at least a portion of the tile pattern defined in the epitaxial deposition mask set.
US08003530B2
The present invention relates to a method for metallizing semiconductor components in which aluminium is used. In particular in the case of products in which the process costs play a big part, such as e.g. solar cells based on silicon, a cost advantage can be achieved with the invention. In addition, the present invention relates to the use of the method, for example in the production of solar cells.
US08003520B2
A hard mask is formed on an interconnect structure comprising a low-k material layer and a metal feature embedded therein. A block polymer is applied to the hard mask layer, self-assembled, and patterned to form a polymeric matrix of a polymeric block component and containing cylindrical holes. The hard mask and the low-k material layer therebelow are etched to form cavities. A conductive material is plated on exposed metallic surfaces including portions of top surfaces of the metal feature to form metal pads. Metal silicide pads are formed by exposure of the metal pads to a silicon containing gas. An etch is performed to enlarge and merge the cavities in the low-k material layer. The metal feature is protected from the etch by the metal silicide pads. An interconnect structure having an air gap and free of defects to surfaces of the metal feature is formed.
US08003513B2
A multilayer circuit includes a dielectric base substrate, conductors formed on the base substrate and a vacuum deposited dielectric thin film formed over the conductors and the base substrate. The vacuum deposited dielectric thin film is patterned using sacrificial structures formed by electroplating techniques. Substrates formed in this manner enable significant increases in circuit pattern miniaturization, circuit pattern reliability, interconnect density and significant reduction of over-all substrate thickness.
US08003511B2
Memory cell formation using ion implant isolated conductive metal oxide is disclosed, including forming a bottom electrode below unetched conductive metal oxide layer(s), forming the unetched conductive metal oxide layer(s) including depositing at least one layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO) material (e.g., PrCaMnOX, LaSrCoOX, LaNiOX, etc.) over the bottom electrode. At least one portion of the layer of CMO is configured to act as a memory element without etching, and performing ion implantation on portions of the layer(s) of CMO to create insulating metal oxide (IMO) regions in the layer(s) of CMO. The IMO regions are positioned adjacent to electrically conductive CMO regions in the unetched layer(s) of CMO and the electrically conductive CMO regions are disposed above and in contact with the bottom electrode and form memory elements operative to store non-volatile data as a plurality of conductivity profiles (e.g., resistive states indicative of stored data).
US08003510B2
Fabrication methods for nano-scale chalcopyritic powders and polymeric thin-film solar cells are presented. The fabrication method for nano-scale chalcopyritic powders includes providing a solution consisting of group IB, IIIA, VIA elements on the chemistry periodic table or combinations thereof. The solution is heated by a microwave generator. The solution is washed and filtered by a washing agent. The solution is subsequently dried, thereby acquiring nano-scale chalcopyritic powders.
US08003501B2
A method of doping p-type impurity ions in a dual poly gate, comprising: forming a polysilicon layer doped with n-type impurity ions on a substrate with a gate insulation layer being interposed between the polysilicon layer and the substrate; exposing a region of the polysilicon layer; implementing a first doping of p-type impurity ions into the exposed region of the polysilicon layer by ion implantation so with a projection range Rp to a predetermined depth of the polysilicon layer; and implementing a second doping of p-type impurity ions into the exposed region of the polysilicon layer doped with the p-type impurity ions by plasma doping with a sloped doping profile.
US08003491B2
Methods and apparatus for producing semiconductor on insulator structures using directed exfoliation
Methods and apparatus provide for forming a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure, including subjecting a implantation surface of a donor semiconductor wafer to an ion implantation step to create a weakened slice in cross-section defining an exfoliation layer of the donor semiconductor wafer; and subjecting the donor semiconductor wafer to a spatial variation step, either before, during or after the ion implantation step, such that at least one parameter of the weakened slice varies spatially across the weakened slice in at least one of X- and Y-axial directions.
US08003484B2
The present invention provides a method for forming a silicon oxide film, which has excellent insulating properties and higher quality that can enhance a yield in manufacture of semiconductor devices, while keeping advantageous points in a plasma oxidation process. In this method, plasma is generated under a first process condition that a ratio of oxygen in a processing gas is 1% or less and pressure is within a range of 0.133 to 133 Pa, so as to form the silicon oxide film, by oxidizing silicon on a surface of an object to be processed including silicon as a main component, by using the plasma (first oxidation step). Following the first oxidation step, the plasma is generated under a second process condition that the ratio of oxygen in the processing gas is 20% or more and the pressure is within a range of 400 to 1333 Pa, so as to form an additional silicon oxide film, by further oxidizing the surface of the object to be processed, by using the plasma (second oxidation step).
US08003482B2
A method of processing a semiconductor substrate in forming scribe line alignment marks includes forming pitch multiplied non-circuitry features within scribe line area of a semiconductor substrate. Individual of the features, in cross-section, have a maximum width which is less than a minimum photolithographic feature dimension used in lithographically patterning the substrate. Photoresist is deposited over the features. Such is patterned to form photoresist blocks that are individually received between a respective pair of the features in the cross-section. Individual of the features of the respective pairs have a laterally innermost sidewall in the cross-section. Individual of the photoresist blocks have an opposing pair of first pattern edges in the cross-section that are spaced laterally inward of the laterally innermost sidewalls of the respective pair of the features. Individual of the photoresist blocks have an opposing pair of second pattern edges in the cross-section that self-align laterally outward of the first pattern edges to the laterally innermost sidewalls of the features during the patterning.
US08003481B1
A method for forming an HSG (hemispherical grain) layer on a storage electrode of a capacitor formed on a substrate is provided. The method includes a step of introducing a source gas into a reacting chamber to deposit a small amount of HSG nuclei on a conductive layer pattern of a capacitor electrode during a step of stabilizing the substrate temperature. After the substrate temperature is stabilized, a larger amount of source gas is introduced into the chamber to form additional HSG nuclei. Thereafter, a step of annealing is performed to form the HSG layer.
US08003478B2
In one embodiment, a bi-directional diode structure is formed to have a substantially symmetrical current-voltage characteristic.
US08003475B2
A method for fabricating a transistor structure with a first and a second bipolar transistor having different collector widths is presented. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate, introducing a first buried layer of the first bipolar transistor and a second buried layer of the second bipolar transistor into the semiconductor substrate, and producing at least a first collector region having a first collector width on the first buried layer and a second collector region having a second collector width on the second buried layer. A first collector zone having a first thickness is produced on the second buried layer for production of the second collector width. A second collector zone having a second thickness is produced on the first collector zone. At least one insulation region is produced that isolates at least the collector regions from one another.
US08003471B2
Systems and methods for raised source/drain with super steep retrograde channel. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, in one embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises a substrate comprising a surface and a gate oxide disposed above the surface comprising a gate oxide thickness. The semiconductor device further comprises a super steep retrograde channel region formed at a depth below the surface. The depth is about ten to thirty times the gate oxide thickness. Embodiments in accordance with one embodiment may provide a more desirable body biasing voltage to threshold voltage characteristic than is available under the conventional art.
US08003470B2
In a method for forming a semiconductor device, a gate electrode is formed over a semiconductor body (e.g., bulk silicon substrate or SOI layer). The gate electrode is electrically insulated from the semiconductor body. A first sidewall spacer is formed along a sidewall of the gate electrode. A sacrificial sidewall spacer is formed adjacent the first sidewall spacer. The sacrificial sidewall spacer and the first sidewall spacer overlying the semiconductor body. A planarization layer is formed over the semiconductor body such that a portion of the planarization layer is adjacent the sacrificial sidewall spacer. The sacrificial sidewall spacer can then be removed and a recess etched in the semiconductor body. The recess is substantially aligned between the first sidewall spacer and the portion of the planarization layer. A semiconductor material (e.g., SiGe or SiC) can then be formed in the recess.
US08003456B2
A method for producing a semiconductor component is proposed. The method includes providing a semiconductor body having a first surface; forming a mask on the first surface, wherein the mask has openings for defining respective positions of trenches; producing the trenches in the semiconductor body using the mask, wherein mesa structures remain between adjacent trenches; introducing a first dopant of a first conduction type using the mask into the bottoms of the trenches; carrying out a first thermal step; introducing a second dopant of a second conduction type, which is complementary to the first conduction type, at least into the bottoms of the trenches; and carrying out a second thermal step.
US08003449B2
A gate electrode is formed by forming a first conductive layer containing aluminum as its main component over a substrate, forming a second conductive layer made from a material different from that used for forming the first conductive layer over the first conductive layer; and patterning the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. Further, the first conductive layer includes one or more selected from carbon, chromium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, silicon, and nickel. And the second conductive layer includes one or more selected from chromium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, silicon, and nickel, or nitride of these materials.
US08003438B2
A circuit module includes an electronic component, a ceramic multilayer substrate and a resin wiring substrate. The ceramic multilayer substrate is provided with a wiring layer disposed on top thereof and a cavity in which the electronic component is mounted, wherein a space between the electronic component and the cavity is filled with a thermosetting resin and a surface of the filled cavity is planarized. The resin wiring substrate has an insulating adhesive layer disposed at one side thereof and provided with at least one opening filled with a conductive resin. The ceramic multilayer substrate and the resin wiring substrate are bonded by the insulating adhesive layer, and the wiring layer on the ceramic multilayer substrate is electrically connected with the conductive resin.
US08003430B1
A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region, forming a first electrode layer overlying the surface region, forming a copper layer overlying the first electrode layer and forming an indium layer overlying the copper layer to form a multi-layered structure. The multi-layered structure is subjected to a thermal treatment process in an environment containing a sulfur bearing species to forming a copper indium disulfide material. The copper indium disulfide material comprising a copper-to-indium atomic ratio ranging from about 1.2:1 to about 2:1 and a thickness of substantially copper sulfide material having a copper sulfide surface region. The thickness of the copper sulfide material is selectively removed to expose a surface region having a copper poor surface comprising a copper to indium atomic ratio of less than about 0.95:1. The method subjects the copper poor surface to a sulfide species to convert the copper poor surface from an n-type semiconductor characteristic to a p-type semiconductor characteristic. A window layer is formed overlying the copper indium disulfide material.
US08003429B2
A method of fabricating an image sensor includes forming a photoelectric transformation device on a substrate and forming a dielectric layer structure on the substrate. The dielectric layer structure includes multi-layer interlayer dielectric layers and multi-layer metal interconnections which are located between the multi-layer interlayer dielectric layers. A cavity which penetrates the multi-layer interlayer dielectric layers on the photoelectric transformation device is formed. A heat treatment is performed on the substrate on which the cavity is formed.
US08003427B2
An example tunable cavity resonator for filtering radiation in the optical and IR wavelengths and an example method for fabricating same. The example resonator includes a pair of reflectors, one in fixed relationship to a substrate and the other formed upon a suspended moveable membrane disposed a cavity length from the one reflector. The resonator also includes a pair of spaced apart electrodes either constituted by the reflectors or juxtaposed therewith, which are electrostatically operable to move the membrane and other reflector relative to the one reflector.
US08003426B2
A package structure of optical devices has a chip, a sealant, a cover, a substrate, a plurality of bonding wires, and a transparent encapsulant. The chip has at least an optical device and a plurality of chip connection pads. The sealant is disposed around the optical elements. The cover is disposed on the sealant. The substrate supports the chip and has a plurality of connection pads. The bonding wires are used for electrically connecting the chip connection pads of the chip to the connection pads of the substrate. The transparent encapsulant is formed over the substrate and the cover, and encapsulates the bonding wires.
US08003424B2
A CMOS image sensor includes a photosensitive device, a floating diffusion region, a transfer transistor, and a pocket photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type. The floating diffusion region is of a second conductivity type. The transfer transistor has a channel region disposed between the photosensitive device and the floating diffusion region. The pocket photodiode is of the second conductivity type and is formed under a first portion of a bottom surface of the channel region such that a second portion of the bottom surface of the channel region abuts the semiconductor substrate.
US08003422B2
According to the present invention, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device comprises: a thin film structure including at least a metal layer and a protection layer deposited in any order; and a protrusion connected under the thin film structure. A preferred thin film structure includes at least a lower protection layer, a metal layer and an upper protection layer. The MEMS device for example is a capacitive MEMS acoustical sensor.
US08003420B2
According to one feature of the invention, a region of an insulating film surface at least overlapped with a part of a gate electrode or wiring is coated with an organic agent; a fluid in which conductive fine particles are dispersed in an organic solvent is discharged by a droplet discharging method in the insulating film surface ranging from a region where the organic agent is coated and left to a region where the organic agent is not coated. The organic agent is coated to improve wettability of the fluid in the insulating film surface, and one of each ends of the source electrode and the drain electrode adjacent to each other by interposing the curve therebetween is formed by being curved in a concave and the other end is formed by being curved in a convex.
US08003411B2
Provided is a substrate processing apparatus and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which are hard to cause a defect in processing a substrate owing to that a pressure inside a process chamber is not kept constant, and which enable a better processing of a substrate.
US08003404B2
Compositions, methods and related apparatus, as can be used for selective pathogen detection and identification.
US08003403B1
A chemical sensor for detecting organic or inorganic target vapors and comprising a silicon member having a silicon surface with semiconductor pores therein, at least one luminescent sensory material entrapped in the semiconductor pores. The luminescent spectral material is exposed to the target vapors, wherein an excitation of the at least one luminescent sensory material results in a luminescent spectral response due to emission interference. The change in the luminescent spectral response is measured during this exposure.
US08003400B2
The present invention relates to a method of measuring a vitamin D metabolite in a sample, the method comprising the steps of (a) treating said sample with a vitamin D metabolite releasing reagent under conditions appropriate to release a vitamin D metabolite from vitamin D-binding protein and not to cause protein precipitation, (b) subjecting the treated sample obtained in step (a) to a chromatographic separation, and (c) measuring a vitamin D metabolite during or after said chromatographic separation. The present invention also relates to methods for determining the vitamin D status of a subject, for use in the diagnosis of disease, and to agents and kits for use in performing the methods of the invention.
US08003399B2
A diagnostic test kit for detecting the presence or absence of nitrites within a test sample is provided. The test kit comprises an aromatic primary amine that is capable of reacting with a nitrite to form a diazonium ion. The test kit also comprises a lateral flow device that comprises a chromatographic medium and an absorbent material that receives the test sample after flowing through the chromatographic medium. The chromatographic medium defines a detection zone within which is contained a detection reagent (e.g., nucleophilic aromatic amine) that is capable of reacting with the diazonium ion to form an indicator (e.g., azo compound). The indicator exhibits a color that is different than the color of the detection reagent.
US08003389B2
A method for introducing biologically active molecules into animal or human cells using electric current includes suspending the cells and dissolving the biologically active molecules in a buffer solution which has a buffer capacity of at least 20 mmol×l−1×pH−1 and an ionic strength of at least 200 mmol×l−1 at a change in the pH from pH 7 to pH 8 and at a temperature of 25° C. to form a suspension. The method further includes applying an electric voltage to the suspension so as to introduce the biologically active molecules into animal or human cells.
US08003386B1
The present invention relates to novel Tumor Necorsis Factor Receptor proteins. In particular, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided encoding the human TNFR-6α & -6β proteins. TNFR-6α & -6β polypeptides are also provided as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of TNFR-6α & -6β activity. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting immune system-related disorders and therapeutic methods for treating immune system-related disorders.
US08003370B2
This invention provides an apparatus for providing heating and cooling of samples in sample vessels having uniform temperature profiles. The apparatus can be used for performing PCR, and real time PCR in particular, with control and uniformity. The system employs a heat block containing a liquid composition to efficiently transfer heat to and from reaction vessels.
US08003356B2
Methods for the microbial production of para-hydroxycinnamic acid (pHCA) and cinnamic acid (CA) are provided. Microbes producing either tyrosine or phenylalanine are grown in the presence of either tyrosine ammonium lyase or phenylalanine ammonium lyase respectively where some part of the fermentation is accomplished at alkaline pH. The process results in greater yields and higher rates of para-hydroxycinnamic acid (pHCA) and cinnamic acid (CA) production as compared with fermentation exclusively at physiological pH.
US08003347B2
The present invention relates to a G-protein coupled receptor and a novel ligand therefor. The invention provides screening assays for the identification of candidate compounds which modulate the activity of the G-protein coupled receptor, as well as assays useful for the diagnosis and treatment of a disease or disorder related to the dysregulation of G-protein coupled receptor signaling.
US08003344B2
The present invention provides a microbial hydrogen-producing process, comprising: providing at least one Clostridium microbe and at least one Bacillus microbe; and co-culturing said at least one Clostridium microbe and said at least one Bacillus microbe in a fermentation culture system to produce hydrogen. The present invention also provides a microbial hydrogen-producing system, characterized by that the system comprises at least one Clostridium microbe and at least one Bacillus microbe, and it uses an organic waste medium as the substrate to perform a hydrogen-producing fermentation having high efficiency, high stability, and high reproducibility.
US08003339B2
The present invention provides a method for determining endoglycosidase activity, and in particular of the heparanase type, in a sample, and also a method for detecting compounds that modulate the activity of endoglycosidases and in particular endoglycosidases of the heparanase type.
US08003333B2
The present invention provides an improved method of diagnosing a subject having received an organ transplant with Acute Cellular Rejection (ACR). The method comprises obtaining a biological sample from the subject, detecting an amount of at least one protein indicative of ACR in the sample, and comparing the amount of the protein in the sample to a control, wherein a difference between the amount of the protein in the sample relative to the control indicates the subject has or is developing ACR. The difference can be an increase or a decrease. In one version the biological sample comprises a serum sample, and the transplanted organ is selected from a heart, kidney, liver, bone marrow, pancreas, eye, lung or skin. A kit and methods of treating a subject having an organ transplant for ACR and treating an immune suppressed subject are also provided.
US08003332B2
Methods of inhibiting viral infection of a eukaryotic cell by a target virus having a class II virus fusion protein are provided. Also provided are methods of screening a test compound for the ability to inhibit infection by a virus having a class II viral fusion protein. Additionally provided herewith are aqueous-soluble proteins comprising a portion of a class II viral fusion protein comprising a Domain III of the viral fusion protein.
US08003331B2
A method for identifying a target protein of a compound having a pharmacological action by detecting a tertiary structural change of a target protein by binding a compound having a pharmacological action to a target protein with the use of a molecular chaperone protein having a characteristic of binding to a protein by recognizing a tertiary structural change of the protein is disclosed. Further, a method for screening a therapeutic agent for diabetes using a target protein of biguanide which is a therapeutic agent for diabetes and was found by the identification method, a screening tool which can be used in the screening method and a pharmaceutical composition for treating diabetes containing a substance obtained by the screening method are disclosed.
US08003320B2
The present invention concerns methods and compositions for isolating, enriching, and/or labeling miRNA molecules and for preparing and using arrays or other detection techniques for miRNA analysis. Moreover, the present invention concerns methods and compositions for generating miRNA profiles and employing such profiles for therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic applications.
US08003317B2
Provided herein are optimized methods for performing multiplexed detection of a plurality of sequence variations. Also provided are methods for performing multiplexed amplification of target nucleic acid.
US08003316B2
A nanoscale motion detector attaches a gold nanorod (30) to the rotating arm (26) of a molecular structure (10) to cause the nanoparticle to rotate. The molecular structure is an F1-ATPase enzyme. The gold nanorod is exposed to a light source. The long axis of the gold nanorod scatters red light when the nanorod is in a first position. The short axis of the gold nanorod scatters green light when the nanorod is in a second position. A polarizing filter filters the red and green light to detect the rotational motion by observing alternating red and green lights. A detection DNA stand (50) is coupled between the gold nanorod and the molecular structure. The detection DNA strand hybridizes with a target DNA strand (58) if the target DNA strand matches the detection DNA strand to form a structural link between the molecular structure and gold nanorod.
US08003308B2
A device manufacturing method is provided. The method includes generating a first patterned beam, projecting the first patterned beam onto a substrate to form a first plurality of spot exposures on the substrate, scanning the substrate in a direction while projecting the first patterned beam, generating a second patterned beam, projecting the second patterned beam onto the substrate to form a second plurality of spot exposures on the substrate, and alternating spot exposures of the first plurality of spot exposures with respective spot exposures of the second plurality of spot exposures.
US08003298B2
Disclosed herein is a printing resist sequentially transferred to a printing plate and a substrate after being applied to a printing roll. The printing resist comprises at least one polymer main chain bound to a tackiness-inducing vinyl group. The surface of the printing resist has tackiness without complete dryness, thus enabling a correct transfer of the printing resist to the printing plate and substrate.
US08003296B2
The present invention provides a chemically amplified positive composition comprising: (A) a resin comprising a structural unit having an acid-labile group and being itself insoluble or poorly soluble in an alkali aqueous solution but becoming soluble in an alkali aqueous solution by the action of an acid, (B) a resin comprising a structural unit represented by the formula (I): wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group or a C1-C4 perfluoroalkyl group, Z represents a single bond or —(CH2)k—CO—X4—, k represents an integer of 1 to 4, X1, X2, X3 and X4 each independently represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, m represents an integer of 1 to 3 and n represents an integer of 0 to 3, and a structural unit having a fluorine atom in a side chain, and an acid generator.
US08003294B2
A photosensitive composition comprises: (A) a compound capable of generating an acid represented by formula (I) upon irradiation with actinic ray or radiation; and (B) a resin that decomposes by the action of an acid to its increase solubility in an alkali developer wherein Ra represents an alkyl group substituted with a fluorine atom, or an aryl group substituted with a fluorine atom or a group having a fluorine atom; Rb represents an alkyl group not substituted with a fluorine atom on α-position of the alkyl group, or an aryl group not substituted with a fluorine atom or a group having a fluorine atom.
US08003291B2
A method of charging toner particles in a liquid toner comprising: mixing the toner with an acid; and mixing the toner with a base that reacts with the acid to charge the toner particles.
US08003290B2
A method for manufacturing a developing agent by mixing a resin having a dissociable functional group and an aqueous medium, subjecting the mixture to mechanical shearing, finely pulverizing the pulverized mixture to form resin microparticles, adding a dispersion of colorant particles, causing the resin microparticles and colorant particles to agglomerate, and forming toner particles.
US08003286B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor which is not impaired in electrophotographic properties such as charge potential and residual potential and which is also excellent in repetition stability. The invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive support having thereon a photosensitive layer containing a zirconium compound represented by the following general formula (1): and one or more charge transport agents having an arylamino group in its molecule.
US08003283B2
This invention provides the user the ability to accurately nanomachine surfaces with reduced tip induced errors. Nanomaching has two types of errors, a first type of error is brought about by the tip's shape and its aspect ratio. A second type of error due to the tip's deflection as it works the material. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention minimizes tip deflection errors allowing allow high aspect Nano-bits to reliably and accurately nanomachine small high aspect three dimensional structures to repair and rejuvenate photomasks.
US08003278B2
A power generation cell includes a membrane electrode assembly, and first and second separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly. The first separator includes an oxygen-containing gas flow field. An inlet buffer area is provided between the oxygen-containing gas flow field and an oxygen-containing gas supply passage, and an outlet buffer area is provided between the oxygen-containing gas flow field and an oxygen-containing gas discharge passage. Plural columnar resistance members are provided within the inlet buffer area and the outlet buffer area. The membrane electrode assembly further includes first and second humidification sections.
US08003274B2
A direct liquid fuel cell is disclosed and wherein the fuel cell includes an anode fluid diffusion layer positioned adjacent to the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly, and which consists of, at least in part, a porous electrically conductive ceramic material which is substantially devoid of predetermined fluid passageways. A source of an aqueous hydrocarbon fuel solution is coupled in direct fluid flowing relation relative to the anode fluid diffusion layer, and the anode fluid diffusion layer substantially evenly distributes the aqueous hydrocarbon fuel solution across the active area surface of the anode side of the membrane electrode assembly.
US08003263B2
Disclosed are a separator for a battery, which is coated with a gel polymer over 40-60% of total separator area, and a rechargeable lithium battery using the separator. The separator partially coated with a gel polymer reduces the battery resistance so that the battery power can be improved. Additionally, the separator increases electrolyte impregnation rate and provides uniform electrolyte impregnation, thereby improving the life, capacity and high-rate discharge property of a battery. Further, the separator permits electrode reactions to be performed uniformly, thereby preventing lithium precipitation and improving the battery safety.
US08003262B2
An object of this invention is to improve battery performance such as a rate capability of a nonaqueous electrolyte solution secondary battery using a separator constituting a thermoplastic resin-based porous film containing a filler.This invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte solution secondary battery separator which is formed from a porous film containing a thermoplastic resin and a filler contained in the thermoplastic resin and has a ratio of an average pore diameter (μm) to a maximum pore diameter (μm) defined by ASTM F316-86 of 0.6 or more as well as relates to a nonaqueous electrolyte solution secondary battery using this separator.
US08003259B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including: a positive electrode; a negative electrode; a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; a non-aqueous electrolyte; and a porous insulating film adhered to a surface of at least one selected from the group consisting of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the porous insulating film including an inorganic oxide filler and a film binder, wherein the ratio R of actual volume to apparent volume of the separator is not less than 0.4 and not greater than 0.7, and wherein the ratio R and a porosity P of the porous insulating film satisfy the relational formula: −0.10≦R−P≦0.30.
US08003257B2
The invention relates to an anode for lithium secondary battery comprising vapor grown carbon fiber uniformly dispersed without forming an agglomerate of 10 μm or larger in an anode active material using natural graphite or artificial graphite, which anode is excellent in long cycle life and large current characteristics. Composition used for production for the anode can be produced, for example, by mixing a thickening agent solution containing an anode active material, a thickening agent aqueous solution and styrene butadiene rubber as binder with a composition containing carbon fiber dispersed in a thickening agent with a predetermined viscosity or by mixing an anode active material with vapor grown carbon fiber in dry state and then adding polyvinylidene difluoride thereto.
US08003256B2
A positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to an aspect of the present invention is a lithium-transition metal compound oxide which is produced by mixing a lithium compound, a transition metal compound, a magnesium compound, and a sulfate and conducting firing and which contains magnesium atoms and sulfate groups, wherein a magnesium halide is used as the magnesium compound.
US08003254B2
Batteries are disclosed. In some embodiments, a battery includes a cathode having a composition that includes a manganese oxide. The composition has an X-ray diffraction pattern with a first peak at about 18 degrees, a second peak at about 22 degrees, and a third peak at about 32 degrees.
US08003248B2
An improved lid for closing the open end of a casing of an electrochemical energy storage device is described. The improved lid comprises a flat region having spaced apart upper and lower planar surfaces joined by a peripheral edge, an angled transition forming a boss protruding from the lower surface, and a bore extending through the boss to the upper surface. An electrical energy storage device is also described, which includes the improved lid secured to the open end of the casing container of the device.
US08003231B2
A member with alumina-based hard coating formed there-on wherein said hard coating contains nitrogen and has a composition represented by the formula (1) below: Al1-xMx(O1-yNy)z (1) (0≦x≦0.5, 0
US08003224B2
A method for producing a cellulose acylate composition, which comprises filtering a solution in which cellulose acylate satisfying the following formulae 1 to 3 and having melt viscosity of 150 to 1000 Pa·s at 230° C. is dissolved in a solvent through a filter having a retention particle size of 0.1 to 40 μm, and mixing the filtered solution with a poor solvent to reprecipitate cellulose acylate: 1.5≦A+B≦3 Formula 1 0≦A≦2.0 Formula 2 1.0≦B≦3 Formula 3 where A is a substitution degree for an acetyl group of a hydrogen atom which constitutes a hydroxyl group of cellulose, and B is a substitution degree for an acyl group having 3 to 7 carbon atoms of a hydrogen atom which constitutes a hydroxyl group of cellulose.
US08003223B2
The present invention is directed to a heat-sealable propylene-based polymer composition comprising a propylene polymer composition including a propylene polymer component and propylene/ethylene random copolymer component; an ethylene/α-olefin random copolymer; and a soft propylene polymer composition. The present invention also provides a heat-sealable film using the composition and a packaging bag comprising the film. The heat-sealable film of the present invention has high heat-seal strength, with little decrease in heat-seal strength even after heat treatment. The heat-sealable film also has excellent blocking resistance, rigidity and low-temperature impact resistance.
US08003216B2
A heat-conductive dielectric polymer material having an inter-penetrating-network (IPN) structure includes a polymer component, a curing agent, and a heat-conductive filler uniformly dispersed in the polymer component. The polymer component includes a thermoplastic plastic and a thermosetting epoxy resin. The curing agent is used to cure the thermosetting epoxy resin at a curing temperature. The heat conductivity of the heat-conductive dielectric polymer material is larger than 0.5 W/mK. A heat dissipation substrate including the heat-conductive dielectric polymer material in the present invention has a thickness of less than 0.5 mm and bears a voltage of over 1000 volts.
US08003209B2
Bicomponent fibers comprising a thermoplastic polymer and an elastomeric compound are made which can be continuously extruded from the melt at high production rates. The elastomeric compound has high flow and consists essentially of a selectively hydrogenated block copolymer and a tackifier resin, an alpha-olefin copolymer, an alpha-olefin terpolymer, a wax or mixtures thereof. In one embodiment the block copolymer has at least one polystyrene block of molecular weight from 5,000 to 7,000 and at least one polydiene block of molecular weight from 20,000 to 70,000 and having a vinyl content of greater than 60 mol %. In a second embodiment the block copolymer has a vinyl content of less than 60 mol %. The bicomponent fibers are useful for the manufacture of articles such as woven fabrics, spun bond non-woven fabrics or filters, staple fibers, yarns and bonded, carded webs.
US08003203B2
The present invention provides a porous resinous oil-retaining article, containing lubricating oil, which is excellent in the utilization efficiency of the lubricating oil, has a high mechanical strength, and further allows the resin and the lubricating oil to be combined with each other according to a use and a specification. The present invention also provides a method of producing the resinous oil-retaining article. The resinous oil-retaining article comprises a resinous porous article having interconnected holes which are open to a surface of the resinous porous article; and an oil impregnated into the resinous porous article. The interconnected holes are formed by molding a resin containing a pore-forming substance into a molding and extracting a part of the pore-forming substance from the molding with a solvent which dissolves the pore-forming substance and does not dissolve the resin. An interconnected hole porosity of the resinous porous article is not more than 30%.
US08003201B2
A polyamide molding composition which can be used for production of a printable or printed item contains a) at most 90 parts by weight of a polyamide obtained from a lactam or from an amino carboxylic acid having at least 10 carbon atoms; and b) from 10 to 100 parts by weight of PA1010, wherein a total of components a) and b) is 100 parts by weight.
US08003197B2
The present invention is directed to providing a retroreflective sheet for security that is difficult to be counterfeited, cannot be reused if once released, includes a printed image that can be identified visually regardless of an object to be attached such as a colored glass and also can be identified visually clearly even in the night time, and is directed to providing a method for manufacturing the same. The retroreflective sheet for security of the present invention includes: a surface layer 1; a binder layer 2; high-refractive-index glass beads 3; a print resin layer 4; a focusing layer 5; a metal layer 6; and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 7 in this order, wherein the print resin layer 4 forms a mark, the high-refractive-index glass beads 3 are disposed in the binder layer 2, a position for disposing the high-refractive-index glass beads 3 does not coincide with a position of the print resin layer 4, when being observed from the surface layer 1 side in a thickness direction of the retroreflective sheet for security, and the print resin layer 4 is made of a composition containing a room temperature curing resin as a main component.
US08003192B2
A nanodevice including a nanorod and a method for manufacturing the same is provided. The nanodevice according to an embodiment of the present invention includes i) a substrate; ii) at least one crystal that is located on the substrate and includes a plurality of side surfaces forming an angle with each other; and iii) at least one nanorod that is located on the crystal and extends along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the substrate.
US08003187B2
An optical medium including a plurality of data layers stacked relative to each other in a dielectric medium. A respective data layer including mark and land regions for having information recorded thereon. A mark region and a land region in the respective data layer are disposed beside each other and have substantially the same optical path length across respective thicknesses of the mark region and the land region. A method and computer program product associated with forming the optical medium which determines whether an admittance curve for a material to be used as the mark region forms an intersection with a desired admittance curve based on the admittance of a land region disposed beside the mark region, and determines a thickness of the material based on the intersection.
US08003184B2
A card sheet includes a top material having weakened separation lines and a carrier material of at least one layer of polymer. The weakened separation lines define the borders of cards. The carrier material is directly applied on an inner surface of the top material. The top material has an outer printable surface. The card sheet is constructed so as to allow the cards to be separated from the carrier material at an interface between the top material and the carrier material to form separate or separable cards after a printing operation on the printable surface.
US08003178B2
A container that has improved release properties for a viscous material configured to minimize residual material remaining in the container upon normal use thereof and also generally maintains the physical stability of a material in the container. The container includes a coating applied to a portion of the inner surfaces thereof that is effective to provide the improved release properties.
US08003175B2
A liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase that includes two components, wherein the first component is a specific five-membered ring compound having a large maximum temperature and a large dielectric anisotropy and the second component is a specific compound having a small viscosity, and a liquid crystal display device containing the composition.
US08003174B2
A method of forming a dielectric film, includes: introducing a siloxane gas essentially constituted by Si, O, C, and H and a silazane gas essentially constituted by Si, N, H, and optionally C into a reaction chamber where a substrate is placed; depositing a siloxane-based film including Si—N bonds on the substrate by plasma reaction; and annealing the siloxane-based film on the substrate in an annealing chamber to remove Si—N bonds from the film.
US08003173B2
The present invention relates to a method for forming a photoresist-laminated substrate including: preparing a laminated substrate having an insulating substrate and a metal layer; coating with an aerosol of metal nanoparticles on the metal layer; laminating a photoresist film on the metal layer coated with the aerosol of metal nanoparticles. The method of the present invention is a environmentally friendly method since an aerosol of metal nanoparticles is used, differentiated from the conventional wet process.
US08003171B2
A grip for the handle of a golf club having at least a polymerized region with two or more polymers. The first and second polymers cooperate to form a pattern on the top surface of the region. The region may be combined with a substrate to form a sheet. The sheet may be formed into a grip interface having any of a number of shapes including a panel shape. In the case of a panel shaped grip interface, the panel is then attached to an underlisting sleeve to form the grip. The grip reduces impact shock and provides a feeling of tackiness in the manner of a spirally wrapped polyurethane-felt grip while allowing the use of multiple colors being polymerized together. The grip may be easily installed onto a golf club shaft and further accommodates the use of polymers including various different characteristics including level of tackiness or durometer.
US08003170B2
A system for controlling the residual moisture in pre-cured binder coated glass fibers. The moisture of the binder coated glass fibers is measured after the process water is extracted in a collection box. Based on the level of moisture found in the coated glass fibers, adjustments are made to the process upstream of the moisture measurements. The adjustments include, but are not limited to, adjusting the amount of water used to make the binder composition; adjusting the amount of heat applied to the binder composition as it is applied to the glass fibers and adjusting the vacuum conditions used to extract the process water from the binder coated glass fibers. Control of the residual moisture in the precured binder coated glass fibers helps ensure proper curing of the binder during the subsequent curing step.
US08003167B2
There is provided a method of making a heat treated (HT) coated article to be used in shower door applications, window applications, or any other suitable applications where transparent coated articles are desired. The method may include heat treating a glass substrate coated with at least a layer of or including diamond-like carbon (DLC) or other type of carbon, with a protective film thereon. In certain example embodiments, the protective film may be of or include a layer of or including SnOx prior to HT. Optionally, a release layer of a material such as zinc oxide may be provided between the SnOx and the DLC. Following and/or during heat treatment the SnOx transforms into SnOy (y>x) so that stress is created due to the SnOx to SnOy transition. Then, during quenching, stress relief may occur which causes the layer to buckle, creating cracks which may act as liquid channels that permit the sacrificial film to be easily removed via washing or the like.
US08003163B2
Provided are a magnetic recording medium and a method of manufacturing the magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a soft magnetic underlayer formed on the substrate, a texturing layer formed on the soft magnetic underlayer and including a uniform pattern, and a recording layer including magnetic grains and a non-magnetic boundary region isolating the magnetic grains. The magnetic grains and the non-magnetic boundary region of the recording layer are formed into a regular granular structure by segregation according to the regular pattern of the texturing layer. Therefore, a regular granular structure can be formed in the recording layer without a process such as etching of the recording layer, so that the recording density of the magnetic recording medium can be largely improved.
US08003154B2
This application provides a process for producing a refried bean product. The refried bean product contains both homogenized cooked bean particles and larger sized cooked bean particles and provides a texture typical of refried beans. The present process includes hydrating dried beans in water a period of time sufficient to increase the moisture content of the beans, cooking the hydrated beans in water, coarse grinding the cooked beans to provide a bean slurry, dividing the bean slurry into first and second portions, milling the first bean portion to provide a milled bean portion, homogenizing the milled bean portion with water to provide an homogenized bean portion, combining the homogenized portion and the second coarse ground bean portion with water, spices and lard to provide a combined bean mixture, and mixing the combined bean mixture to provide a refried bean product.
US08003140B1
A herbal medicinal composition, an extract thereof, and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The herbal medicinal composition may be used to induce proliferation of cranial nerve cells, and it includes: 1.5-6 parts by weight of Salvia Radix, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Atractylodis Rhizoma, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Poria, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Glycyrrhizae Radix, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Angelicae Radix, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Paeoniae (Ovatae) Radix Rubra, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Ligustici Rhizoma, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Rehmanniae Radix, 2.5-10 parts by weight of Aconiti Tuber, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Zingiberis Rhizoma, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Scutellariae Radix, 2.5-10 parts by weight of Cinnamon Seed, 10-40 parts by weight of Astragali Radix, 1.5-6 parts by weight of Cinnamomum Ramulus, and 1.5-6 parts by weight of Ginseng Radix.
US08003135B2
The invention relates to a method for producing an extract containing xanthohumol (XN), which is obtained from toasted cereal products, cereal malt, coffee or cocoa. The XN-content in said extract is in the region of 10 mg/kg-2 g/kg xanthohumol. The use of XN-toasted extracts enables the XN-content of foodstuffs and pharmaceutical products to be increased in a natural manner.
US08003130B2
A method for the production of milk with increased melatonin content or a milk product made therefrom. The method comprises dividing the daily cycle of a female mammal into a daytime phase under a first light regime with a proportion of blue light and a night-time phase under a second light regime and milking the mammal at least once during the night-time phase in order to obtain milk with an increased melatonin content. For the second light regime there is used at least one light source which emits light in the wavelength range of 500 nm or above and substantially no light in the wavelength range below 500 nm.
US08003127B2
Compositions comprising a nanoparticulate corticosteroid and an antihistamine are described. The compositions are useful in the prophylaxis and chronic treatment of asthma in adults and pediatric patients and for the relief of allergic conjunctivitis, symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in adults and pediatric patients. Combining an antihistamine with a nanoparticulate corticosteroid in a single formulation results in improved efficacy.
US08003125B2
A cyclodextrin polymer-based injectable composition comprising cyclodextrin, a polymer which is capable of forming a hydrogel with the cyclodextrin, and a pharmacologically effective amount of at least one drug. The polymer is selected from poly(ethylene glycol), derivatives thereon or a copolymer with a poly(ethylene glycol) segment. The copolymer with a poly(ethylene glycol) segment may include a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyurethanes, polyamides, polyethers, polysaccharides, poly(amino acid)s, polypeptides, and proteins. The composition may be injected subcutaneously, intramuscularly, intradermally, or intracranially.
US08003109B2
Pharmaceutical compositions are described containing a long pentraxin PTX3, particularly human PTX3, for the therapy of infectious and inflammatory or tumor diseases; expression vectors containing cDNA coding for PTX3; recombinant host cells transfected with such vectors; a method for producing substantial amounts of PTX3 involving the culturing of such cells, and the use of said vectors in the gene therapy of tumors.
US08003108B2
Compositions and methods relating to epitopes of sclerostin protein, and sclerostin binding agents, such as antibodies capable of binding to sclerostin, are provided.
US08003097B2
The invention provides improved agents and methods for treatment of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and methods to effect prophylaxis of CAA. The methods can treat CAA concurrently with Alzheimer's disease or separately. The methods can effect prophylaxis of CAA concurrently with Alzheimer's disease or separately. The methods involve administering antibody that is specific for the N-terminus of Aβ or an agent that can induce such an antibody.
US08003092B2
The present invention provides an antiallergic agent containing, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria selected from the group consisting of lactic acid bacteria of the species Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum, and combinations thereof. The antiallergic agent is capable of improving allergic diathesis by reducing the IgE level, which is contributive to development of Type I allergy, and is easy to take and highly safe. The present invention also provides use of the antiallergic agent for reducing allergy, and a method for reducing allergy using the antiallergic agent.
US08003090B2
The present invention relates to the use of IL-6 or a fragment, variant, fusion protein, functional derivative or salt thereof in microvascular complications.
US08003087B1
The present invention is directed to a class of polyesters that have dimethicone copolyol and polysorbate units linked by the reaction of their hydroxyl groups into a polyester by the esterification reaction with succinic anhydride. The polymers and a contribute softness, lubricity and antistatic properties when applied to hair, skin, textile fiber and paper.
US08003081B2
A method for improvement of tolerance for therapeutically effective agents delivered by inhalation comprising a pretreatment of a patient with a nebulized lidocaine or a lidocaine-like compound administered immediately or up to about thirty minutes before administration of the primary therapeutically effective agent. The pretreatment of the patient with the nebulized lidocaine or a lidocaine-like compound improves airway tolerance and deposition of the agent in the lungs and makes such deposition more safe, efficacious, controllable and predictable. The method of the invention is especially useful for enhancement of deposition of immunosuppressive agents in the lung(s) of transplant patients, improved tolerance of the drugs by reducing cough, and improving pulmonary drug deposition.
US08003076B2
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for purifying metabolites of interest and conducting metabolic analyses. The methods generally involve determining metabolic flux values for a plurality of target analytes by monitoring the relative isotope abundance of a stable isotope in a substrate labeled with the stable isotope and/or one or more target metabolites formed through metabolism of the labeled substrate. Certain methods utilize multiple electrophoretic methods to separate the target analytes from other components within the sample being analyzed. The methods can be used in a variety of applications including screens to identify metabolites that are correlated with certain diseases and diagnostic screens for identifying individuals having, or susceptible to, a disease.
US08003072B2
A seed crystal for the fabrication of a superconductor is grown from a rare-earth oxide having the basic formula XwZtBaxCuyOz, X comprising at least one rare-earth element and Z being a dopant which raises the peritectic decomposition temperature (Tp) of the oxide. In a preferred embodiment, the dopant is Mg. Use of this rare-earth oxide material for seed crystals increases the temperature at which cold-seeding can be performed and thus enables the growth of a wider range of hulk superconductor materials by this process.
US08003069B2
The invention relates to a method for producing carbon black or other flame aerosols, comprising the following steps: the heat is removed from the flame by dissipation and/or radiation; a thin gas boundary layer is formed; the flow formed by the flame and the gas boundary layer is accelerated or expanded; the obtained aerosol is withdrawn; and the cooling surface is cleaned. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out such a method and a black carbon having a maximum pH value of 6.0, a maximum ignition residue of 0.1 percent, and a maximum 5 μm screening refuse of 200 ppm. The inventive black carbon can be used in rubber, plastic, printing inks, inks, inkjet inks, toners, lacquers, dyes, paper, bitumen, concrete, and other construction materials.
US08003068B2
An air pollution control system comprises: a carry-in tank truck that carries in a feedstock, i.e., concentrated hydrochloric acid (35% hydrochloric acid); a hydrogen chloride vaporizer that vaporizes the concentrated hydrochloric acid to obtain hydrogen chloride; a liquid level regulator that separates residual hydrogen chloride from extracted dilute hydrochloric acid discharged as a by-product from the hydrogen chloride vaporizer, and that regulates the liquid level of the hydrogen chloride vaporizer; a concentration regulating tank that regulates the hydrochloric acid concentration of extracted dilute hydrochloric acid 25B from which the residual hydrogen chloride has been separated to a predetermined concentration (e.g., 22%); a by-product tank that stores therein dilute hydrochloric acid regulated to have a predetermined concentration; and a carry-out tank truck that carries out the dilute hydrochloric acid with a predetermined concentration discharged from the by-product tank.
US08003066B2
A method for scrubbing an amine extractant (A) containing an amine added with hydrochloric acid, and an amine binding a metal chloro complex ion, in a scrubbing stage constituting a solvent extraction step, characterized by substituting a chloride ion of the amine, which is added with hydrochloric acid, with sulfuric acid ion, by bringing the amine extractant (A) into contact with a sulfuric acid solution with a concentration of 3 to 10 N, and subsequently, by eliminating a metal by bringing the substituted amine extractant (B) into contact with water.
US08003064B2
The present invention relates generally to a process for controlled leaching and sequential recovery of two or more metals from metal-bearing materials. In one exemplary embodiment, recovery of metals from a leached metal-bearing material is controlled and improved by providing a high grade pregnant leach solution (“HGPLS”) and a low grade pregnant leach solution (“LGPLS”) to a single solution extraction plant comprising at least two solution extractor units, at least two stripping units, and, optionally, at least one wash stage.
US08003061B2
The present invention relates to a test strip for determining and/or quantifying a property of a sample, such as the concentration of an analyte, the pH, the viscosity, or the specific gravity of a fluid specimen. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved test strip and scale for determining and/or quantifying a property of a sample, such as the concentration of an analyte, the pH, the viscosity, or the specific gravity of a fluid specimen.
US08003057B2
A method and apparatus for controlling emissions of acid forming gases such as sulfur dioxide from cement plants is disclosed. Gaseous effluent from the cement plant pyroprocessing chamber is routed to the plant's raw mill to heat and dry the feed meal used in cement production. When the raw mill is in operation microfine lime particles are sprayed into the raw mill using a nozzle system. The spraying of hydrated lime into the raw mill scrubs acid forming gases in the process gaseous effluent. When the raw mill is not operational, microfine lime is sprayed into a gas conditioning tower that is also used to reduce the temperature of the effluent gases to facilitate efficient collection of dust particles prior to emission of the cleansed effluent flow into the atmosphere.
US08003048B2
An automated standards sampling apparatus (50) and method for using such, apparatus are described. The apparatus can be integrated with a liquid analyzer to form a compact, integrated liquid analysis unit. When used in combination with a specially adapted vial se of standard liquids, the apparatus provides a system for automated, substantially error-free periodic calibration and accuracy verification for an online TOC analyzer (52). The automated standards sampling apparatus of this invention facilitates the easy introduction of known concentrations of standard solutions and “grab” samples into online TOC analyzers to satisfy regulatory compliance, calibration, and validation requirements. The automated standards sampling apparatus of this invention also provides substantially improved reliability, higher productivity and better performance when running the critical and regulatory driven System Suitability Test than does any conventional sampling equipment, and it is likely to find wide use in a variety of industrial applications other than its principal intended use in the pharmaceutical industry.
US08003047B2
A vehicle efficacious constituents supply apparatus 10 includes a main unit 13 including an air gun and a subunit 15 including an air gun. A curling ring V1 of air containing aromatic constituents is projected from the main unit 13 towards an efficacious area A, while a curling ring V2 of air is projected from the subunit 15 towards the efficacious area A. A control unit for controlling projection timings of curling rings V1, V2 includes an alarming mode in which a projection interval at which curling rings v1 are projected is set shorter than a projection interval at which curling rings V2 are projected, and by executing this alarming mode, curling rings V2 can be applied to an occupant without causing the curling rings V2 so projected to disappear in the efficacious area A.
US08003043B2
A method and apparatus for accessing a furnace melt are provided. Preferably, the method and apparatus provide for the safe and efficient access to the molten metal melt in a furnace. According to one aspect of the invention used in a steel making process in an electric arc furnace, a furnace aperture plug is reciprocated through a furnace aperture, the furnace aperture plug is retracted from the furnace aperture, access is provided to the molten metal melt in the furnace, and the furnace aperture plug is reinserted into the furnace aperture when the access is concluded.
US08003040B2
The present invention provides a process for producing at least one three-dimensional object, comprising: providing a material to be solidified; delivering electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation in a pattern or an image to a building region for solidifying said material; wherein said delivering of electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation is performed selectively to a defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; and wherein an energy density of electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation is controlled and/or adjusted in a border region of said pattern or image and/or is varied in border regions of patterns or images of different building regions of said material, to have an energy density different from the building region other than said border region(s), wherein the controlling and/or adjustment is dependent on, alone or in combination: (a) intensity of electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation delivered to said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; (b) total shape or contour shape of said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; (c) size of said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; and (d) material to be solidified. A device is provided likewise.
US08003037B2
A surface-reinforced article includes a core assembly (12) comprising a foam core (20) with a surface region (22) that includes fine fibers, and an outer reinforcing covering (14) which includes thicker fibers in a resin (30). The fine fibers includes coupling fibers (100) with outer ends (106) embedded in the resin. After the core assembly is molded, the spacers are removed, the core assembly is wrapped in the outer fibrous material, and the wrapped core assembly (120) is placed in the second mold cavity that is formed by the original mold but without the spacers.
US08003034B2
A method and apparatus are provided for forming a composite structure with an automatic placement head, through the use of a non-rotating tooling tablet having first and second substantially oppositely facing surfaces thereof, joined around the peripheries thereof by a side surface of the tablet, with at least one of the first or second surfaces forming a tool surface of the tablet. Layers of pre-impregnated fiber or tape are applied to the tool surface of the tablet by the automated fiber placement head.
US08003032B2
A system for processing materials includes handling and cutting stations positioned at appropriate positions along first and second conveying portions. A crust cutting station is positioned along the first conveyor portion. A crust removal station is positioned to span across the first and second conveying portions. Similarly, a stacking station is also positioned to span across the first and second conveying portions. Further, a first (vertical) cross cutting station is position along the second conveyor portion. Similarly, a second (horizontal) cross cutting station is located along the second conveyor portion. The process of using the disclosed system eliminates the need for specially designed stacking frames or trays and support rods, and improves cutting capacity and reduces processing time by only stacking the materials to be processed once, without de-stacking and restacking steps.
US08003030B2
The process for producing gaskets includes the steps of: forming a metal core material (2) using a stainless steel plate; treating the resulting metal core material (2) with an alkali treating solution; preparing an unvulcanized rubber molded product (1); mounting the metal core material (2) treated in the treating step to the unvulcanized rubber molded product (1); and vulcanizing the rubber-molded product to thereby anchor the elastic material to the metal core material (2) without using an adhesive; characterized in that the alkali treating solution used in the step of alkali treatment includes the following components (A), (B), and (C): (A) an alkali metal hydroxide or an alkaline earth metal hydroxide; (B) an alkali metal silicate or an alkaline earth metal silicate; and (C) a carboxylate salt.
US08003026B2
Method for making carbon-carbon composite friction product, by: fabricating carbon fiber preform; heat-treating the carbon fiber preform; infiltrating the carbon fiber preform with a high carbon-yielding pitch using VPI (vacuum pressure infiltration) or resin transfer molding (RTM) processing; carbonizing the preform with an intermediate heat-treatment at 800-2000° C.; repeating the pitch infiltration and carbonization steps to achieve a final density of >1.75 g/cc; machining the surfaces of the preform; and applying an oxidation protection system. This approach overcomes problems inherent in lower density carbon-carbon composites by employing high carbon-yielding pitches to densify the carbon-carbon composites to a high density. The high carbon yielding pitches may include isotropic pitches, 100% anisotropic (mesophase) pitches, or mixtures of the two. They may be derived from petroleum, coal tar, or synthetic feedstocks.
US08003024B2
Contact lens molds and methods of producing soft cast-molded contact lens products are provided. The methods include placing a soft hydrophilic contact lens-forming composition in a cavity formed between a first mold member and a second mold member, subjecting the composition in the cavity to conditions effective to form a contact lens product from the composition, and repeating the placing and subjecting steps a plurality of times, thereby producing a plurality of soft contact lens products. At least the first mold members, and advantageously all of the first and second mold members, are injection-molded with a nucleated thermoplastic polyolefin resin having a melt flow rate in a range of 10 g/10 min to about 40 g/10 min.
US08003021B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods of producing PbSexY1-x alloys and methods of producing PbSe/PbY core/shell nanowires. The method of producing PbSexY1-x alloys comprise providing PbSe nanowires, producing a PbY solution where Y═S or Te, adding the PbSe nanowires to an growth solution, and producing PbSexY1-x, nanowire alloys by adding the PbY solution to the heated growth solution comprising PbSe nanowires.
US08003019B2
A silver particle dispersion liquid comprising a silver particle powder having an average particle diameter (DTEM) of 50 nm or less, the surface of the particle being covered with an organic protective material, dispersed in a non-polar or small polar liquid organic medium having a boiling point of 60 to 300° C., wherein the organic protective material is an amine compound having one or more unsaturated bonds in one molecule. The silver particle dispersion liquid can be produced by reducing a silver compound in a liquid including one or more alcohol or polyol acting as a reducing agent, wherein the reduction reaction is conducted in the presence of an amine compound having a molecular weight of 100 to 1,000 and having one or more unsaturated bonds in one molecule.
US08003010B2
A water-stable semiconductor nanocrystal complex that is stable and has high luminescent quantum yield. The water-stable semiconductor nanocrystal complex has a semiconductor nanocrystal core of a III-V semiconductor nanocrystal material and a water-stabilizing layer. A method of making a water-stable semiconductor nanocrystal complex is also provided.
US08003003B2
An improved refrigerant composition, or a kit for an improved refrigerant composition, for use in air conditioners comprising a refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluorocarbon having a GWP of less than about 10 and an ODP of about zero, which is present at a concentration of at least about 50% by weight of the refrigerant composition; a lubricant wherein the lubricant is a polar, oxygenated lubricant; and an acid scavenger comprising a siloxane, an activated aromatic compound, or any mixtures thereof.
US08003002B2
A thermoelectric material of the p-type having the stoichiometric formula Zn4Sb3, wherein part of the Zn atoms optionally being substituted by one or more elements selected from the group comprising Sn, Mg, Pb and the transition metals in a total amount of 20 mol % or less in relation to the Zn atoms is provided by a process involving zone-melting of a an arrangement comprising an interphase between a “stoichiometric” material having the desired composition and a “non-stoichiometric” material having a composition deviating from the desired composition. The thermoelectric materials obtained exhibit excellent figure of merits.
US08002992B2
A method for treating a liquid is disclosed using an apparatus having: (a) a pump volute or hydrocyclone, (b) a throat connected to the pump volute or hydrocyclone head, (c) a parabolic reflector having a vertex, a focus and an opening at the vertex, wherein the opening is connected to the throat such that the vertex and focus are axially aligned with the central axis and the focus is not located within the throat, and (d) a wave energy source having a first electrode within the pump volute or hydrocyclone head that extends into the throat along the central axis of the throat, and a second electrode extending into the parabolic reflector proximate to the focus wherein the second electrode is spaced apart and axially aligned with first electrode. The liquid is supplied to the pump volute or hydrocyclone head and is irradiated by the wave energy source.
US08002990B2
A filter for removing soluble, colloidal, and insoluble particles from a fluid, including lead using a first filter media for filtering soluble material from the fluid, a second filter media, adjacent and in fluid communication with, the first filter media, for filtering soluble material from said fluid, wherein the first and second filter media create a physical non-soluble particle barrier at their interface for capturing non-soluble particles, that when retained at the interface, become soluble over time in the fluid, and are subsequently removed by the second filter media. At least one of the filter media can be fibrillated nanofibers that are loaded with finely subdivided media of powdered ion exchange resins. A third filter media may be placed between the first and second filter media to enhance capturing and dissolving the physical non-soluble particles.
US08002987B2
Provided are a stationary phase and a column using a cucurbituril-bound silica gel, and a method of separating taxane using the column. The taxane separation method includes: preparing a column for taxane separation, the column being packed with a stationary phase including a cucurbituril-bound silica gel in which a cucurbituril represented by Formula 1 or 2 is covalently bound to a modified silica gel represented by Formula 3; dissolving a taxane powder in a solvent to prepare a taxane-containing solution; applying the taxane-containing solution to the column; supplying a mobile-phase solvent to the column to obtain a taxane extract from the column; and purifying taxane from the taxane extract. Therefore, highly purified taxane can be separated from a low-purity crude taxane extract.
US08002980B2
A former (11) works, when supplied with wastewater containing heavy metals and hydrogen sulfide, to react heavy metals contained in wastewater with hydrogen sulfide to form sulfide salts, an acquirer (12) works, when supplied with sulfide salts and acid, to acquire hydrogen sulfide and heavy metal ions produced by reactions between sulfide salts and acid, a hydrogen sulfide supply line (13) supplies hydrogen sulfide acquired by the acquirer to the former, and a collection line (20) collects heavy metal ions.
US08002973B2
A lubricant reclamation system having a reclamation device (100) is sectioned into three processing sections: a centralized core section (150), a peripheral filtering section (170), and a base filtering section (190). A series of peripheral conduits (172, 182) are disposed within the peripheral filtering section (170) having an entrance port (174) in communication with an inlet manifold (105) and discharging via an exit port (176) in communication with the base filter (190), a peripheral filtering material (178), or the core filtering section (150). The peripheral conduits (172, 182) can be linear, multi-directional, tapering, and spiraling. The filter is in fluid communication with a series of stacked reclamation members (130, 140). The stacked reclamation members (130, 140) provide processing and/or monitoring of the lubricant via electrical or pneumatic interface.
US08002972B2
A system for producing petroleum products from oil shale includes one or plural kiln lines made up of plural series-connected, indirect-fired, inclined rotary kilns. Plural kiln lines are operated for parallel processing. Oil shale is advanced through kilns in succession and exhausted from each kiln line substantially free of hydrocarbons. Successive kilns along the advancement of oil shale are maintained at successively higher temperatures. A fuel distinct from hydrocarbons in oil shale, such as syngas from a gasifier or hydrogen gas from a separator, drives pyrolysis to extract hydrocarbons. A refining unit located proximate to the kiln lines upgrades extracted hydrocarbons into petroleum products and separates the petroleum products by criteria. A heat extraction unit recovers heat from exhausted oil shale for reuse in kilns. A method involves drying oil shale followed by heating dry oil shale in successively hotter pyrolysis environments.
US08002971B2
Processes and systems associated with hydrodynamic cavitation-catalyzed oxidation of sulfur-containing substances in a fluid are described. In one example method, carbonaceous fluid is combined with at least one oxidant to form a mixture and then the mixture is flowed through at least one local constriction in a flow-through chamber at a sufficient pressure and flow rate to create hydrodynamic cavitation in the flowing mixture having a power density of between about 3,600 kWatts/cm2 and about 56,000 kWatts/cm2 measured at the surface of the local constriction normal to the direction of fluid flow. The creation of hydrodynamic cavitation in the flowing mixture initiates one or more chemical reactions that, at least in part, oxidize at least some of the sulfur-containing substances in the carbonaceous fluid. An example system includes a device configured to mix a carbonaceous fluid and one or more oxidants, at least one cavitation chamber configured to produce cavitation bubbles in the mixture, and at least one elevated pressure zone configured to collapse the cavitation bubbles, thereby catalyzing oxidation of the sulfur-containing substances.
US08002968B2
A process for treating a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock is disclosed. The process involves separating the feedstock into a residue component and a light component, the residue component having a lower API gravity than the light component and treating at least a portion of the light component to produce a synthetic transport diluent suitable for combining with at least a portion of the residue component to produce a product which meets applicable criteria for pipeline transport.
US08002961B2
An electrolyte and method of producing the same. In one embodiment, the electrolyte includes water, ascorbic acid, a phosphorous donor, ammonium perchlorate, ferrous perchlorate, cobalt perchlorate, and a buffering agent.
US08002952B2
A distillation column is disclosed with a folded design. The column includes a plurality of rectification zones and corresponding stripping zones Each rectification zone is linked to a heat pump or a stage of a heat pump. Overhead vapor from the top rectification zone is compressed and used to heat bottoms liquid from the bottom stripping zone. Similarly, overhead vapor from the middle rectification zone is compressed and used to heat liquid from a middle stripping zone and overhead from a lower rectification zone is compressed and used to heat liquid taken from the uppermost or top stripping zone. A single multiple stage heat pump compressor may be utilized as opposed to a plurality of heat pumps Because the heat exchanger from each rectification-stripping zone pair has a lower duty, economical stab-in heat exchangers may be utilized.
US08002949B2
A composition for cellulostic fibers containing amino silicone to impart improved hand feel. The composition may be included in a lotion applied to tissue paper and may include a hydrophilic softener. A carrier for trace substances, fragrances, vitamin E, aloes and colouring agents may also be used. Such carrier may comprise microcapsules.
US08002943B2
A floor tile for a raised floor. The floor tile is defined by a shallow upwardly-opening metal pan defining a shallow compartment in which a main preformed one-piece concrete block is secured. The main concrete block is preferably formed from a plurality of one-piece preformed concrete sub-blocks which are adhesively adhered in sideward abutting relationship to define a plan profile corresponding to the main concrete block. The main concrete block is then adhesively secured within the compartment of the metal pan.
US08002942B2
A triaxial acceleration sensor which has a structure including a cover joined to a substrate including a mechanically operable functional unit to be sealed, is adapted in such a way that the joined state can be reliably obtained so as to not interfere with a displacement of the functional unit. A sealing frame is made of a heated polyimide on a periphery of an upper main surface of a substrate provided with a functional unit, and a sealing layer made of a polyimide is formed over an entire lower main surface of a cover. For integrating the substrate and the cover so as to seal the functional unit, the sealing frame and the sealing layer are joined to each other by heating and pressurizing the sealing frame and the sealing layer at a temperature that is about 50° C. to about 150° C. higher than a glass transition temperature of the polyimide while bringing the sealing frame and the sealing layer into contact with each other. In this case, a recess is formed in the vicinity of a portion of the sealing layer to be brought into contact with the sealing frame so that a bump, generated from the sealing layer which is deformed in the joining step, is prevented from protruding toward the functional unit.
US08002935B2
A method of making a polymeric laminated wafer comprising different film materials that are softenable and formable at different softening temperatures corresponding with the film materials. Also disclosed is a laminated wafer wherein a first layer has different thermal properties than a second layer of the wafer.
US08002929B2
The present invention relates to systems and methods for forming images in solid surfaces, and to solid surfaces containing an image. In particular, the present invention provides systems and methods for forming images in polymeric materials, and polymeric materials containing an image with novel optical density characteristics.
US08002924B2
A continuous splicer includes first and second closely spaced rotating cylinders each having a respective cutting element and tape retaining arrangement disposed on its outer periphery. With a depleting web fed by the first cylinder and a replenishing web fed by the second cylinder, an end of the replenishing web is adhesively joined to the depleting web while in motion and the depleting web is severed by the first cylinder's cutting element in forming a splice of the two webs. As the replenishing web depletes, a third web may be inserted on the first cylinder and automatically or manually spliced to the original replenishing web without stopping or re-configuring the splicer. The splicer is capable of delivering the webs at a constant rate or a rapidly changing and/or dynamic cycling rate, and applies relatively low web tension for operation with delicate, narrow and extensible webs.
US08002919B2
A method of inserting z-axis reinforcing fibers into a multi-layer composite laminate. Layers of material made up of z-axis fiber and y-axis fibers are automatically transported into a z-fiber deposition machine having a housing with upper and lower surfaces. Z-axis apertures are formed in the respective upper and lower surfaces. An elongated solid rod having a tapered front tip is aligned in close proximity to the aperture in the bottom surface. The rod is first rotated by a motor and then actuated upwardly completely through the thickness of the layer of x-y material by an actuator. A first hollow tube having a z-axis is axially aligned with the aperture in the top surface and a fiber bundle is threaded downwardly through a first hollow tube to a position adjacent its bottom end. The z-fiber deposition machine has structure to feed a predetermined length of the fiber bundle downwardly through the first hollow tube so that it follows the pathway in the x-y material formed by the rod which is now withdrawn downwardly through the aperture in the bottom wall. The z-axis fiber is thus deposited into the x-y material. The top end of the z-axis fiber is then severed and the x-y material is then advanced a predetermined distance to complete the cycle and is, thus, set to be repeated.
US08002915B2
A novel compound, used for example, as a gas generating fuel, is defined as a compound having the structural formula of wherein: R4 is a triazine ring; R1 is selected from the group consisting of a tetrazolyl group, CH3, OCH3, —CN, —C2H, NCO, —NHNH2, NO, NO2, OH, Cl, —NHCONH2, —OCOR, NHNO2, substituted tetrazoles, and substituted triazoles; R2 is selected from the group consisting of a tetrazolyl group, CH3, OCH3, —CN, —C2H, NCO, —NHNH2, NO, NO2, OH, Cl, —NHCONH2, —OCOR, NHNO2, substituted tetrazoles, and substituted triazoles; R3 is selected from the group consisting of a tetrazolyl group, CH3, OCH3, —CN, —C2H, NCO, —NHNH2, NO, NO2, OH, Cl, —NHCONH2, —OCOR, NHNO2, substituted tetrazoles, and substituted triazoles.
US08002914B1
A flash powder formulation for use in flash grenades that produces reduced smoke containing from about 10 percent by weight to about 60 percent by weight of zirconium hydride, from about 40 percent by weight to about 90 percent by weight CAN, and from zero percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight of a binder material.
US08002912B2
High temperature aluminum alloys that can be used at temperatures from about −420° F. (−251° C.) up to about 650° F. (343° C.) are described. The alloys are strengthened by dispersion of particles based on the L12 intermetallic compound Al3X. These alloys comprise aluminum, at least one of nickel, iron and chromium; at least one of scandium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium, and at least one of gadolinium, yttrium, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, and niobium.
US08002909B2
Alloy compositions suitable for fabricating medical devices, such as stents, are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the compositions have small amounts of nickel, e.g., the compositions can be substantially free of nickel.
US08002906B2
The present invention provides a rare earth magnet, which is formed through at least hot molding, the rare earth magnet containing grains including an R2X14B phase as a main phase, and a grain boundary phase surrounding peripheries of the grains, in which R is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb and Ho, and X is Fe or Fe with a part being substituted by Co; in which an element RH is more concentrated in the grain boundary phase than in the grains, in which the element RH is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Dy, Tb and Ho; and the element RH is present with a substantially constant concentration distribution from the surface part of the magnet to the central part of the magnet.
US08002904B2
A duct system includes at least one duct for communicating air or fluid within a building that has a plurality of openings along the top of the duct along the central axis of the duct. An ingress pipe is coupled to the openings along the top of the duct. A plurality of openings are also provided along the bottom of the duct along the central axis of the duct, with a drain pipe coupled to the opening along the bottom of the duct. A user may inject a fluid into the duct ingress pipe and the fluid is drained and collected from the duct using the drain pipe.
US08002900B2
A method and apparatus 30 are provided for cleaning of bottle filling equipment 10 that has a plurality of elevated valves 18, each valve being in flow communication with filling liquid supply means 14. The method includes storing a manifold 32 that has a plurality of cleaning openings 42 in a configuration resembling that of the valves, in a position that allows clear visibility and access to the operation of the valves. The manifold 32 is lowered relative to the valves 18, so that it is below the valves and is positioned underneath the valves, with each cleaning opening 42 in flow communication with a valve. The valves 18 are rinsed with liquid flowing through the filling liquid supply 14, the valves and the manifold 32. Afterwards, the manifold 32 is removed from the valves 18 and returned to its stored position.
US08002899B2
Aspects of the invention generally provide methods and apparatus for cleaning adhesive residual on a photomask substrate. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a processing cell, a support assembly configured to receive a photomask substrate disposed thereon disposed in the processing cell, a protection head assembly disposed above and facing the support assembly, and a head actuator configured to control the elevation of the protection head assembly relative to an upper surface of the support assembly. A cleaning device is provided and positioned to interact with the photomask substrate disposed on the support assembly. In another embodiment, a method of cleaning a periphery region of a photomask substrate includes providing a photomask substrate having a periphery portion and a center portion disposed on a support assembly in a processing cell, lowering a protection cover disposed in the processing cell to cover the center portion of the photomask substrate, providing a brush in the processing cell to clean the periphery portion of the photomask substrate.
US08002894B2
In a processing apparatus including a diaphragm valve provided on a process gas discharge line for discharging a process gas from a processing chamber and configured to control the internal pressure of the processing chamber by adjusting the opening of the diaphragm valve, an antistatic agent source is connected to the process gas discharge line at a position upstream of the diaphragm valve. Damage of a diaphragm valve element due to spark discharge resulted from electric charge generated by friction between the gas flowing through the diaphragm valve and the diaphragm valve element can be prevented.
US08002893B2
In a Czochralski (CZ) single crystal puller equipped with a cooler and a thermal insulation member, which are to be disposed in a CZ furnace, smooth recharge and additional charge of material are made possible. Further, elimination of dislocations from a silicon seed crystal by use of the Dash's neck method can be performed smoothly. To these ends, there is provided a CZ single crystal puller, wherein a cooler and a thermal insulation member are immediately moved upward away from a melt surface during recharge or additional charge of material or during elimination of dislocations from a silicon seed crystal by use of the Dash's neck method.
US08002875B1
A hydrogen purification system that is used to separate hydrogen gas from a mixed gas source. The hydrogen purification system includes a hydrogen separator. Within the hydrogen separator is a first chamber into which the mixed gas source is fed. A plurality of tubes extend into the first chamber. Each of the plurality of tubes is permeable only to hydrogen. Gap spaces exist within the first chamber in between any of the plurality of tubes that are arranged in adjacent positions. The mixed source gas passes through the gap spaces as it permeates the first chamber. The mixed gas source spreads thinly over the exterior of the tubes within the confines of the gap spaces. Hydrogen from the mixed gas source permeates thru the tube walls and into the interior of the tubes that are in parallel and the hydrogen is collected in a chamber.
US08002869B2
An air cleaner includes a housing and an access cover. The internal volume of the housing can be reached through an opening in a side wall of the housing. A filter element having fluted filter media is removable and replaceable from the air cleaner. The housing is constructed and arranged to cam the element into sealing engagement with the housing. The access cover includes structure to help support and ensure proper seating of the filter element within the housing. A method of installing the filter element in the air cleaner includes sliding a portion of the filter element against a slide surface in the housing. A method of servicing an air cleaner includes tilting the filter element against a tilt surface in the housing to release a seal between the filter element and the housing. The filter element can have a handle to assist in servicing of the air cleaner. The housing can have a window to allow visual inspection of the internal component of the housing and to determine visually whether a filter element is installed therein.
US08002861B2
Abrasive grain powder, in particular intended for machining silicon ingots, such that the granulometric fraction D40-D60 comprises more than 15% and less than 80%, as percentages by volume, of grains having circularity of less than 0.85.
US08002856B2
The present invention relates to a process for contacting a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas with a catalyst bed in a reactor at a space velocity of at least 10,000 h−1, said process being characterised in that a) the reactor has a polygonal internal cross-section at least in the section where the catalyst bed is held, b) the catalyst bed is made up of 2 or more layers of catalyst in the form of tiles of polygonal shape, said tiles have at least 4 sides, c) each layer of catalyst comprises at least 4 tiles which tessellate together to form said layer, and d) the edges where 2 tiles meet in one layer do not align with the edges where 2 tiles meet in an adjacent layer.
US08002844B2
A patch for repairing an intra-abdominal defect is disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention as including a mesh layer providing a grid of material perforated by apertures through the mesh. This mesh is used to reinforce an area around an intra-abdominal defect. A containment layer is secured proximate an edge of the mesh layer. A filler is distributed across the apertures of the mesh to contain a fluid from passing through the mesh. The mesh layer, containment layer, and filler are connected to form a chamber to selectively expand upon receipt of a quantity of fluid between the containment layer and the filler.
US08002841B2
A method prepares an ankle joint of a patient for replacement. The patient includes a tibia (20) having a medial portion (22), a talus (40), and an ankle (10) having a medial portion. The method employs a cutting alignment apparatus (50) including a first portion external to the patient and a second portion, and surgically prepares and exposes the medial portion of the ankle for replacement. The second portion of the cutting alignment apparatus is coupled to the tibia, and a cutting guide (90) is disposed with respect to the cutting alignment apparatus. The medial portion of the tibia is detached, a portion of the tibia proximate the talus is cut, and a portion of the talus proximate the tibia is cut. An ankle prosthesis (100) is installed to the ankle, and the medial portion of the tibia is reattached.
US08002836B2
Devices for implantation into an intervertebral disc can include a membrane support member to augment a disc having a defect. A defect in the anulus of a disc can be repaired using a prosthesis such as a barrier. The barrier can include a sealant and an enlarger. The barrier can be implanted into the disc using a delivery cannula, an advancer and at least one control filament to control the positioning of the barrier. A stiffening element can be included within the barrier to impart stiffness to the barrier. The support member can also be connected to an anchor.
US08002835B2
The present invention relates to an intervertebral disc prosthesis preferably comprising at least three pieces including an upper plate (1), a lower plate (2) and a mobile core (3) at least in relation to the lower plate (2), co-operation means (23, 33) allowing to limit or eliminate the movements of the core (3) in relation to the lower plate (2), in translation and in rotation, respectively, about an axis substantially parallel to the lower plate (2) and about an axis substantially perpendicular to the lower plate (2), at least one part of the surface of at least one plate being concave and complementary with a convex surface (30) of the core (3), with which it is in contact, wherein the tip (31) of the convex surface (30) of the core (3) is off centre, in at least one direction, in relation to the centre (32) of this convex surface (30).
US08002828B2
Various polymers are provided that can be polymerized in the lens capsule with the ability to covalently bond an intraocular lens implant to the posterior capsule of the eye such that there is no space available between the intraocular lens implant and the lens capsule for lens epithelial cells to proliferate and thereby significantly reducing posterior capsule opacification.
US08002811B2
A resorbable screw fastener and a method of firing with an applicator capable of applying a surgical fastener to tissue in order to form tissue connection to secure objects to tissue, the fastener including a body portion having a helical thread, a head portion disposed at the proximal end of the body portion. The resorbable screw fastener is 100% resorbed in vivo during a period of time ranging from about 14 days to about one year after implantation.
US08002806B2
Anchor assemblies are provided to secure one or more implants along the spinal column that include a retainer in a receiver member. The retainer is configured to distribute the forces exerted on the retainer toward the proximal end of the retainer where it may deform without deforming, distorting or altering the retainer where it supports the anchor member in the receiver member. The desired positioning of the anchor member relative to the retainer and receiver member can thus be attained even when the retainer is subject to deformation forces.
US08002802B2
A spinal implant device includes a spacer region and an attachment region. The spacer region is adapted to be positioned between first and second spinous processes of first and second vertebral bodies to limit movement of the first spinous process and the second spinous process toward one another. The attachment region attaches to the first spinous process via a fastener that extends substantially along a long axis of the spinous process.
US08002800B2
A dynamic stabilization, motion preservation spinal implant system includes an anchor system, a horizontal rod system and a vertical rod system. The systems are modular so that various constructs and configurations can be created and customized to a patient.
US08002792B2
Devices and methods for accessing and closing vascular sites are disclosed. Self-sealing closure devices and methods are disclosed. A device that can make a steep and controlled access path into a vascular lumen is disclosed. Methods for using the device are also disclosed.
US08002786B2
A seal assembly for permitting hand assisted laparoscopic procedures is disclosed. The seal assembly includes a seal cap having a seal positioned within a housing. The housing includes a lower seal ring having a track which supports an upper seal ring for relative rotational motion. The seal is supported between the upper seal ring and the lower seal ring for rotation between an open orientation and a closed orientation. A ratchet mechanism is provided for controlling motion of the upper seal ring relative to the lower seal ring. The ratchet mechanism includes a deflection feature and a series of gear teeth, wherein the series of gear teeth are oriented to engage the deflection feature.
US08002769B2
An electrosurgical system includes a generator for generating radio frequency power, and an electrosurgical instrument including at least three electrodes. The generator includes a radio frequency output stage having at least a pair of RF output lines, and a power supply coupled to the output stage for supplying power to the output stage. A controller is operable to limit the radio frequency output voltage developed across the output lines to at least a first predetermined threshold value to produce a cutting RF waveform, and a second threshold value to produce a coagulating RF waveform. In a combined mode, the controller delivers both cutting and coagulating waveforms by alternating discontinuously between the first and second threshold values to form a blended signal. The system also includes means for feeding the waveform to the three or more electrodes such that the cutting RF waveform is delivered between a first pair of the electrodes, and the coagulating waveform is delivered between a second pair of the electrodes.
US08002767B2
A handle used to control movement of a medical instrument. The medical instrument may be coupled to a robotic arm that is connected to a controller. The medical instrument may have a plurality of functions such as wrist locking and motion scaling. One of the functions may be selected through a graphical user interface operated by the end user. The handle may have a plurality of buttons. One of the buttons may allow the end user to control the selected function. For example, when wrist locking/unlocking is selected, depressing the button can toggle the medical instrument wrist between a locked state and an unlocked state.
US08002765B2
A medical valve has a body and a flexible element. The body includes a wall structure defining an internal cavity having an inside and an outside. The body also has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end has an opening sufficiently large to receive a tip of a delivery end of a medical implement which transfers fluid through the delivery end. The body has a fluid escape space in its wall structure. The flexible element is adapted to be moved into a compressed state upon insertion of the tip of the medical implement into the opening. The flexible element is sufficiently resilient to return to a decompressed state upon removal of the tip of the medical implement from the opening. The fluid escape space is in fluid communication with the outside of the cavity when the seal is in its compressed state.
US08002763B2
A mandrel includes a mandrel body with a proximal major diameter barrel section, a diameter reducing/tapered portion and a distal minor diameter barrel section. The tapered portion connects the proximal major diameter barrel section and distal minor diameter barrel section. The proximal major diameter barrel section has a major diameter, the distal minor diameter barrel section has a minor diameter, the minor diameter less than the major diameter. The minor diameter is less than a diameter of an inner lumen of a coaxial catheter, and the major diameter exceeds the inner diameter of the outer lumen guidewire exit port of the coaxial catheter, and the tapered portion is sized to form a fluid seal the inner diameter of the outer lumen guidewire exit port. The distal minor diameter barrel section of the mandrel occupies and substantially seals and prevent flow through it to the catheter distal end guidewire entry port.
US08002762B2
A pouch for an absorbent pad is disclosed. The pouch (3) comprises a sheet of waterproof fabric formed into a pouch shape with a base (5) and a side wall (7) that extends from the base and is inwardly turned and defines an opening to insert a pad into the pouch so that the pouch covers the back and sides of the pad. In use, an assembly of the pouch and the pad received in the pouch can be positioned in a crotch region of an adult, child or baby in an operative position of the pad and with the pouch and the skin of the person enclosing the pad and forming a barrier to leakage from the pad.
US08002756B2
Adapters for utilizing a syringe or pen injector with a subcutaneous injection port to deliver a therapeutic substance through the injection port and methods of using the adapters are provided. A syringe adapter has a body having a first end and a second end. The first end of the body is configured to receive and engage the end of a syringe so that the cannula of the syringe is held at a fixed position with the respect to the adapter. The second end of the adapter configured to mate with a mating portion of the injection port. When the second end of the adapter engages the mating portion of the injection port, the adapter assures that the cannula of the syringe is properly aligned with the subcutaneous injection port and assures that the cannula penetrates the injection port to the proper depth. Adapters for use with pen style delivery systems are also disclosed. Additionally, an adapter to facilitate loading a syringe with a therapeutic substance from a vial is disclosed.
US08002744B2
A non-compliant fiber-reinforced medical balloon comprises a first fiber layer and a second fiber layer embedded in a continuous matrix of thermally-weldable polymer material defining a barrel wall, cone walls and neck walls. The fibers of the first fiber layer run substantially parallel to one another and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The fibers of the first fiber layer have a pattern of different lengths and are divisible into a first group and a second group based on length. Each fiber of the first group begins in the neck wall at one end of the balloon, extends continuously in the longitudinal direction and terminates in the neck wall at the opposite end of the balloon. Substantially all of the fibers of the first group have a generally uniform length. Each fiber of the second group begins in the cone wall at one end of the balloon, extends continuously in the longitudinal direction and terminates in the cone wall at the opposite end of the balloon. The length of the fibers of the second group varies progressively in accordance to their proximity to the fibers of the first group; the fibers of the second group closest to the fibers of the first group being longer than the fibers of the second group further from the fibers of the first group. The fiber of the second fiber layer winds circumferentially around the longitudinal axis of the balloon substantially over the entire length of the balloon including the neck walls, the cone walls and the barrel wall.
US08002739B2
The present invention provides a deflectable catheter-based system for assisting in the delivery of therapeutic agents, cellular materials and the like to one or more sites in a target body tissue. The system provides for one or more injections to a predetermined needle insertion depth with a single core needle that can be advanced and retracted from the tip of the catheter. The catheter assembly includes a handle subassembly having a mechanism for setting and limiting the depth of insertion of the needle, a slide for moving the injection needle between retracted and extended positions, a return spring for biasing the needle to the retracted position, and a modified pulley mechanism for compensating for catheter shaft compression when the catheter is deflected.
US08002732B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a suction evacuation system, or smoke evacuation system, for incorporation into hand-held surgical devices. In particular, the system according to embodiments of the invention can be used in hand-held surgical suction-irrigation devices that may also include electrical systems which deliver energy to effect cutting, ablation and coagulation effects at the surgical site. Embodiments of the invention provide a smoke evacuation system that can be incorporated into a hand-held surgical device wherein the smoke evacuation system is structurally and functionally integrated with the suction control system of the device.
US08002731B2
The anti-obesity stent includes a tubular structure having outer and inner surfaces and proximal and distal ends. The tubular structure is sized to fit within a duodenum in substantially coaxial relation therewith. The tubular structure is impervious or semi-permeable to digestive substances and chyme within the duodenum. The anti-obesity stent includes a transport structure at least a part of which is coincident with or connected to the outer surface. The transport structure extends to the distal end of the tubular structure. At least one retainer structure is connected to the tubular structure. The retainer structure secures the tubular structure within the duodenum such that the transport structure is positioned to receive digestive fluids from a papilla of Vater on an inner surface of the duodenum. The transport structure provides a conduit for the digestive fluids therein to flow to the distal end.
US08002720B2
A support for a chest compression system includes a back plate, a front part having a seat for a compression member of a chest compression system, and a side part connecting the back plate to the front part. The side part is adapted to provide adjustable spacing between the seat and the back plate to accommodate patients having different chest heights to allow the support to be snugly placed around the chest of a patient.
