US08024310B2
A computer-readable medium stores a program causing a computer to execute information processing. The information processing includes: reading user information of a user who requests to provide first document information; generating second document information, based on (i) concealment region information associated with the first document information and (ii) the read user information relating to the user; and outputting the second document information. The concealment region information includes (i) information, for specifying a region that is to be concealed when the associated first document information is provided and (ii) concealment condition information used to determine as to whether or not the concealment region is concealed. In the second document information, a region in the first document information that is to be concealed from the user is concealed.
US08024305B2
A method, information processing system, and computer readable medium for modifying at least one data warehouse schema based on detected changes in an associated observation model are disclosed. The method includes determining if at least one new observation model has been created. The method also includes determining if at least one existing observation model is associated with the new observation model. In response to the existing observation model being associated with the new observation model, at least one changed attribute is identified by comparing the new observation model and the existing observation model. A set of files associated with the existing observation model is updated to reflect the changed attribute between the new observation model and the existing observation model.
US08024304B2
Electronic document classification is disclosed. A toolbar adds the ability to classify documents based on specific properties such as security classification, information type, document type, document retention, document caveats, and the like associated. The toolbar through dropdown selections allows users to select the appropriate classification and properties based upon the content of the document and have appropriate classifiers added to the document. Document classification properties are generated that are associated with the document in the document properties and by inserting visual markings that allow users to quickly identify the security, sensitivity, intended distribution or retention. By utilizing the classification toolbar a user can classify an document by one or more classification levels and be ensured that the classification will be visible to any person viewing the document.
US08024297B2
The present invention provides a data logging system and a data logging method for heterogeneous data. The record file and the index file according to the present invention are constructed in such a way that the data from the log record corresponding to a given target visual data line are accessible within essentially constant time independent of the position of the visual data line within the data view, the size of the data view, the size of the log record, and the size of the record file. In the present invention, the interpreted data for each log record, occupying zero or at least one of the visual data lines, are represented within the data view continuously side by side. The computer readable medium having recorded thereon a program allowing a computer to execute the data logging method according to the present invention and the computer program product for the same are also provided.
US08024296B1
A method and apparatus for agent-less auditing of a server, wherein the apparatus processes data for auditing a server. One or more portions of audit information (e.g., transaction log, trace log, or both) are coupled from a target server to an information server. The one or more portions of the audit information are processed at the information server to create audit data. The audit data is stored in an audit data repository.
US08024295B2
The invention is directed towards methods and apparatuses for archiving and unarchiving objects. Some embodiments of the invention archive and unarchive objects that have global and user settings in multi-user environments. To archive objects, these embodiments identify which object settings are global settings and which settings are user settings. They store the global settings in an archive, and then store the user settings in another archive. To unarchive each object, some embodiments identify the object's settings in one or both archives. These embodiments instantiate the object, and retrieve its settings from the data archives and use the retrieved settings to define the values of the settings of the instantiated object. Some embodiments use key-value coding techniques to retrieve values and load values in an object. Key-value coding allows an archiving or unarchiving process to retrieve and load setting values for an object by using the setting names.
US08024282B2
A system for classification of a test object using a training set comprising a plurality of objects, each of which is assigned as a member of a class. Collectively, the objects in the training set are members of at least two classes. A computer system is configured as a probabilistic classifier. The classifier estimates the probability of the test object being a member of each of the classes in the training set. The probabilistic classifier estimates the probability with reference to the class assignments of the objects in the training set which are neighbors to the test object within a defined region within the training set. The probabilistic classifier takes into account the situation in which there is an imbalance in the number of objects in the different classes in the training set. Additionally, the probabilistic classifier does not require any knowledge of the probability distribution function of the classes in the training set.
US08024281B2
Some embodiments of alpha node hashing in an exemplary rule engine have been presented. In one embodiment, constraints are added into a constraint set in response to requests from one or more users of a rule engine. The rule engine then determines which constraints within the constraint set are mutually exclusive. Furthermore, the rule engine dynamically enables hashing of facts asserted into a working memory of the rule engine in response to a current number of the mutually exclusive constraints.
US08024279B2
At least one resonator is disclosed having a plurality of nanoscale resonator elements, the at least one resonator having at least two, different resonant frequencies and configured to provide at least two signals in response to an input signal and at least two adders configured to weight the signals with respective weights and to add weighted signals so as to produce an output signal.
US08024276B2
Provided is a method comprising delivering a video of an event to a learner that includes a still menu that effectuates and simulates a pause; recording a video of an action by the learner in response to the event; presenting to the learner the video of the action by the learner; presenting to the learner a video showing a preferred action by a master in response to the event; and recording at least one additional action by the learner. Also provided is a method for teaching a learner how to respond to an event comprising allowing the learner to choose among recording an action in response to a video of an event, viewing one or more recorded actions of a master, and comparing the two videos; wherein recording may be chosen before and after either or both viewing and reviewing, and the recordings are viewable as videos on a monitor.
US08024275B2
A method and system for monitoring and fine tuning a business process are disclosed. A system for monitoring and fine tuning a business process, according to an embodiment of the invention, includes a process cost definition engine to generate and define a cost definition, or function, for each sub-process that is part of a business process. The system may also include a process cost calculator for calculating the cost for each sub-process that is part of a business process, based on the cost function associated with the sub-process. The system may also include a display engine to display various views and communicate data generated by the system to various users of the system.
US08024270B2
Subscribers to a communications infrastructure, such as a GPRS network, can pre-pay for use of metered resources of the infrastructure. When a pre-payment subscriber joins the network, the current credit amount for the subscriber is distributed as credit values between user-specific virtual purses each associated with a respective metered resource. Upon use of a metered resource by the subscriber, the credit value held in the associated purse is correspondingly reduced, with use of the resource being dependent on the purse being in credit. The virtual purses are preferably electronically distributed to be close by the metered resources to which they relate whereby to reduce network billing traffic. When the subscriber leaves the network, the remaining credit values are consolidated from the purses.
US08024267B2
Various methods and systems are provided to permit the storage of online transaction records associated with user-merchant transactions facilitated by a payment service provider. In one example, such transaction records may be aggregated by the payment service provider to permit a user to search the records. In another example, such transaction records may be associated with user-selectable links to permit users to reorder previously purchased items referenced by the transaction records. In yet another example, such transaction records may be associated with warranty information to permit users to conveniently view warranty details associated with previously purchased items. In a further example, a client device may be implemented to determine whether a webpage includes transaction information associated with a user-merchant transaction. The transaction information may be captured and passed by the client device over a network in order to facilitate storage of the transaction information in a transaction record.
US08024265B2
A system for verifying loan data for a loan being delivered by a seller to a purchaser includes underwriting logic that generates a set of underwriting data for a loan and delivery logic that receives a set of delivery data for the loan from the seller and processes the delivery data. The delivery logic includes comparison logic that compares the underwriting data for the loan and the delivery data for the loan to determine any differences. If there are differences between the underwriting data and the delivery data for the loan, yield adjustments and fees may be determined for the loan based on the differences.
US08024258B2
A system for determining a basket of financial instruments for hedging investment risk in actively managed exchange traded funds is described. The system uses a trusted computer system and includes a computer storage medium storing a computer program product. The product determines the basket of hedging instruments by extracting factor information from a portfolio of the actively managed exchange traded fund and determining factors that affect the price of the exchange traded fund. The program can select a portfolio of instruments with similar behavior with respect to the determined factors to produce a hedging portfolio that tracks the price of the exchange traded fund.
US08024255B2
Methods are described for processing and clearing derivative products such as interest rate swaps (IRSs). A swap value factor (SVF) may be generated to calculate the mark-to-market value of an IRS. The SVF may be a function of interest rates derived from a yield curve. Cash flow may be generated between the buyer and the seller to reflect the change in the market price of the derivative, i.e., the mark-to-market process. The results of a cleared swap may be used to determine or alter the margin deposit required by the buyer or seller.
US08024254B2
A system for determining an opening price for products traded over a distributed, networked computer system is described. The system includes a plurality of workstations for entering orders for financial products into the distributed, networked computer system, said orders specifying a quantity of the financial product. A plurality of workstations for entering orders and a server computer coupled to the workstations, said server computer executing a server process that determines an opening price for the product. The opening price process posting an allocation message to market maker participants to communicate an expected allocation of the imbalance for execution at an initial opening of the market in the event that the imbalance exists at the opening.
US08024253B2
Techniques for creating a complex order and routing the complex order to one or more exchanges to achieve optimal pricing without exposing the customer to the conventional legging risks associated with the trading of complex orders are provided. The trading system of the present disclosure provides this mechanism by routing the order to obtain the best possible price (see FIG. 4) and by accepting the risk of a partially executed order where one leg is executed and the other is not (see FIG. 5).
US08024249B2
An issuing system for issuing unmodifiable and/or unforgeable hardcopy documents or securities includes a server and a plurality of issuing machines connected to the server via a network. Each of the issuing machines receives an ID recording medium provided by a potential purchaser, retrieves an identification recoded in the received ID recording medium, requests the potential purchaser to input request for a transaction of the security or fixed rate financing instrument, processes the requested transaction by retrieving information via a network from the server, and prints out on demand a hardcopy of the security or fixed rate financing instrument as purchased by the potential purchaser and a checksum thereon. A method for forming a new market with the issuing system.
US08024247B2
The system and method determines both a sweep liquidity offer price, and a momentum liquidity offer price. If the sweep liquidity offer price is less than the momentum liquidity offer price, the system and method publishes the sweep liquidity offer price. If the sweep liquidity offer price is greater than the momentum liquidity offer price, the system and method publishes the momentum liquidity offer price. In a similar fashion the system and method determines a sweep liquidity bid price and a momentum liquidity bid price, they are compared and the system and method publishes one.
US08024242B2
Systems, program product, and methods for securing or procuring destination currency funds for a traveler to be used for travel in a destination country commencing at a scheduled future travel date, are provided. A system can include a domestic financial institution server including foreign destination currency transaction account program product. The system provides for establishing an interest-bearing foreign destination currency transaction account having a user-selected maturity date coinciding with a preselected travel date, and near, but prior to the preselected travel date, providing to the traveler a travel debit card having access to the balance of foreign destination currency finds including both principal and accrued interest.
US08024239B2
A method and system for computing a stable index value of a regulated substance by computing a virtual value of the substance based on the value of a freely marketed product of the substance. Particularly the invention may be applied to develop a stable investment instrument for investing in fresh water.
US08024238B2
A system, apparatus, and method for managing account data for accounts having a negative balance. The invention embodiment includes a method, process or workflow for processing data for accounts associated with a debit, credit, pre-paid card or other form of financial instrument that have a negative balance. The data processing includes application of issuer criteria or filters to determine if certain of the accounts having a negative balance are not suitable for chargeback processing and instead may be processed in bulk, thereby reducing administrative and data processing overhead. For each account that is potentially eligible for chargeback processing, the invention embodiment accesses the account data and determines if the data supports initiation of a chargeback procedure for one or more transactions described by the account data. If the account contains one or more transactions that are eligible for chargeback processing, then a provisional credit in the amount of the one or more transactions may be applied to the account.
US08024233B2
A system and method are described for digitally processing a stationery order and for selecting an optimum fulfillment site for fulfilling the stationery order. For example, a method according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: providing an end user with a set of selectable stationery templates, the stationery personalization engine receiving an indication that an end user has selected a particular one of the stationery templates; collecting personalization data from the user, the personalization data including personalized messages, one or more stationery formatting options selected by the user, and names and addresses of stationery recipients; applying the personalization data to the stationery templates to generate a personalized stationery design; identifying a set of eligible fulfillment sites for printing the stationery design based on a first set of variables; and identifying an optimal fulfillment site from the set of eligible fulfillment sites based on a second set of variables.
US08024225B1
Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between computing systems, such as in accordance with usage models that are configured for available services by the providers of the services. In some situations, the services are Web services, and an electronic Web service (“WS”) marketplace is provided via which third-party WS providers make their WSes available to third-party WS consumers who purchase access to those WSes via the electronic marketplace based on configured usage models selected by the consumers. Some or all of the one or more usage models configured for an available WS may each have associated use prices and/or non-price use conditions, and if so access to those WSes using those usage models may be provided only if a consumer requesting access provides appropriate payment and otherwise satisfies the specified use conditions for a selected usage model.
US08024221B2
A data structure defines a target profile for each ad which target profile specifies characteristics of a request to which the ad may be provided in response. An ad server delivers one or more of the plurality of payloads in response to a request from a target. A payload priority is assigned for each of the payloads as a function of a delivery goal of the payload and as a function of the number of times the payload has been delivered to a target. A particular payload is selected for delivery to the particular target as a function of the particular characteristics and as a function of the payload priorities.
US08024217B2
A method and system for design and development of financial instruments which enables businesses to benefit from the economic value of risk management. First the system develops a methodology, for specific sector, to extract root products. A database is designed to continually update the technical specifications of root products to ensure the uniformity of defined generic specification. Next the system database continually monitors, stores and analyzes the market intelligence required for determining the products relative market strength. Finally, a flexible contract product is designed transforming these products to financial instruments. Such financial instruments are continuously updated, added and deleted as the technical and market conditions change.
US08024214B2
A system for identifying one or more social patterns in a status history of one or more change requests includes: a processor for executing instructions and memory comprising logic for: receiving as input change request data history; detecting social patterns in the change request data history; storing information about the social patterns, including status history data; and providing information on social patterns within the status history of the given change request. The logic includes the following elements: a hypertext transfer protocol server handler; a social pattern server database; a change log handler; a social pattern alert handler; a social pattern query handler; and a social pattern detection handler for: receiving new patterns wherein the patterns are user-defined operational descriptors, detecting social patterns in raw change request data from the change log handler, and storing the patterns in the database, and analyzing the patterns. The system further includes a graphical user interface.
US08024206B2
A travel system comprising a universal search feature and a local escapes feature is provided. The universal search feature gives an end user everything in a glance and in an organized fashion; the local escapes feature comprises at-a-glance compilation of things to do for the weekend in a specified area.
US08024195B2
Embodiments of the present invention improve speech recognition using historical information. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of performing speech recognition comprising receiving an identifier specifying a user of a kiosk, retrieving history information about the user using the identifier, receiving speech input, recognizing said speech input in the context of a first recognition set, resulting in first recognition results, and modifying the first recognition results using the history information.
US08024192B2
A technique is described for use in a decoder configured to decode a series of frames representing an encoded audio signal. The technique is for transitioning between a lost frame and one or more received frames following the lost frame in the series of frames. In accordance with the technique, an output audio signal associated with the lost frame is synthesized. An extrapolated signal is generated based on the synthesized output audio signal. A time lag is calculated between the extrapolated signal and a decoded audio signal associated with the received frame(s), wherein the time lag represents a phase difference between the extrapolated signal and the decoded audio signal. The decoded audio signal is time-warped based on the time lag, wherein time-warping the decoded audio signal comprises stretching or shrinking the decoded audio signal in the time domain.
US08024191B2
Systems and methods are provided for recognizing speech in a spoken dialogue system. The method includes receiving input speech having a pre-vocalic consonant or a post-vocalic consonant, generating at least one output lattice that calculates a first score by comparing the input speech to a training model to provide a result and distinguishing between the pre-vocalic consonant and the post-vocalic consonant in the input speech. A second score is calculated by measuring a similarity between the pre-vocalic consonant or the post vocalic consonant in the input speech and the first score. At least one category is determined for the pre-vocalic match or mismatch or the post-vocalic match or mismatch by using the second score and the results of the an automated speech recognition (ASR) system are refined by using the at least one category for the pre-vocalic match or mismatch or the post-vocalic match or mismatch.
US08024189B2
Systems and methods for detecting people or speakers in an automated fashion are disclosed. A pool of features including more than one type of input (like audio input and video input) may be identified and used with a learning algorithm to generate a classifier that identifies people or speakers. The resulting classifier may be evaluated to detect people or speakers.
US08024185B2
Methods, apparatus, products are disclosed for displaying speech for a user of a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, the surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, that include: registering, by the surface computer, a plurality of users with the surface computer; allocating, by the surface computer to each registered user, a portion of the surface for interaction between that registered user and the surface computer; detecting, by the surface computer, a speech utterance from one of the plurality of users; determining, by the surface computer using a speech engine, speech text in dependence upon the speech utterance; creating, by the surface computer, display text in dependence upon the speech text; and rendering, by the surface computer, the display text on at least one of the allocated portions of the surface.
US08024184B2
A speech recognition device and method configured to include a computer, for recognizing speech, including: a storage location for storing a feature quantity acquired from a speech signal for each frame; storage portions for storing acoustic model data and language model data; a echo speech component for generating echo speech model data from a speech signal acquired prior to a speech signal to be processed at the current time point and using the echo speech model data to generate adapted acoustic model data; and a processing component for utilizing the feature quantity, the adapted acoustic model data, and the language model data to provide a speech recognition result of the speech signal.
US08024181B2
There is provided a scalable encoding device capable of realizing a bandwidth scalable LSP encoding with high performance by improving the conversion performance from narrow band LSPs to wide band LSPs. The device includes: an autocorrelation coefficient conversion unit (301) for converting the narrow band LSPs of Mn order to an autocorrelation coefficients of Mn order; an inverse lag window unit (302) for applying a window which has an inverse characteristic of a lag window supposed to be applied to the autocorrelation coefficients; an extrapolation unit (303) for extending the order of the autocorrelation coefficients to (Mn+Mi) order by extrapolating the inverse lag windowed autocorrelation coefficients; an up-sample unit (304) for performing an up-sample process in the autocorrelation domain which is equivalent to an up-sample process in a time domain for the autocorrelation coefficients of the (Mn+Mi) order so as to obtain autocorrelation coefficients of Mw order; a lag window unit (305) for applying a lag window to the autocorrelation coefficients of Mw order; and an LSP conversion unit (306) for converting the lag windowed autocorrelation coefficients into LSPs.
US08024176B2
One embodiment generally pertains to a method of prediction. The method includes generating a set of affixes from a selected input sequence and comparing the set of affixes with a predictive set of affixes. The method also includes selecting an affix from the predictive set of affixes. The invention uses various input data sets and allows the ability to perfectly render the original data set and the minimal size of the predictive set of affixes.
US08024162B2
A particle behavior analysis method uses plural computers connected via a network to analyze particle behavior considering an interaction force with a different substance acting on a particle. The method includes analyzing the particle behavior by using a force decomposition paralleling algorithm using a force matrix considering at least two or more types of interaction forces.
US08024159B2
Systems, methods, and tools for proofing computer-aided design (CAD) objects (e.g., CAD drawings or models). The objects are implemented with CAD software and represent an apparatus. An exemplary method includes receiving a CAD object representing the apparatus, determining criteria for proofing the CAD object, determining rules, extracting items of interest from the CAD object, and comparing the extracted items with the rules. An example item of interest is a drawing note on the CAD object and an example rule includes a plurality of keywords.
US08024142B1
A method and system for analyzing a signal waveform that comprises digitally sampling a signal at a periodic sampling interval, and accumulating a count of samples of the signal at a given logic level relative to a threshold value over a given period. The threshold value is stepped through a series of values while the accumulating of samples is repeated at a series of different clock offsets. The accumulated counts permit a statistical distribution of the signal waveform to be determined. A signal density can also be calculated by determining the difference between the count of adjacent samples at successive threshold values.
US08024136B2
A method for signal processing of measurement signals of a vortex flow transducer for measuring flow of a medium through a measuring tube. The method is characterized by low needs as regards computing power and memory space. The transducer includes a bluff body arranged in the measuring tube and a sensor for registering pressure fluctuations arising at the bluff body and for converting such pressure fluctuations into an electrical measurement signal. In the method, at least a portion of the measurement signal is sampled and digitized, an autocorrelation of the digitized measurement signal is calculated, and the flow is derived on the basis of at least one characteristic of the autocorrelation.
US08024129B2
A method and apparatus for searching a gene sequence. The gene sequence search method includes receiving the gene sequence from a user, generating extended sequences including the received gene sequence, partial sequences included in the gene sequence and an inverse sequence complementary to the gene sequence, storing the gene sequence, the extended sequences, the partial sequences, the inverse sequence and input-related record information in a database, integrated-searching the gene sequence using a gene sequence search server, estimating a gene sequence search ranking for a predetermined period using the database and outputting an integrated and searched result of the gene sequence and a gene sequence search ranking result to the user.
US08024128B2
The information management system disclosed enables caregivers to make better decisions by using aggregated data. The system enables the integration, validation and analysis of genetic, phenotypic and clinical data from multiple subjects. A standardized data model stores a range of patient data in standardized data classes comprising patient profile, genetic, symptomatic, treatment and diagnostic information. Data is converted into standardized data classes using a data parser specifically tailored to the source system. Relationships exist between standardized data classes, based on expert rules and statistical models, and are used to validate new data and predict phenotypic outcomes. The prediction may comprise a clinical outcome in response to a proposed intervention. The statistical models and methods for training those models may be input according to a standardized template. Methods are described for selecting, creating and training the statistical models to operate on genetic, phenotypic, clinical and undetermined data sets.
US08024127B2
A method of finding 3D similarities in protein structures of a first molecule and a second molecule. The method comprises providing preselected information regarding the first molecule and the second molecule. Comparing the first molecule and the second molecule using Longest Continuous Segments (LCS) analysis. Comparing the first molecule and the second molecule using Global Distance Test (GDT) analysis. Comparing the first molecule and the second molecule using Local Global Alignment Scoring function (LGA_S) analysis. Verifying constructed alignment and repeating the steps to find the regions of 3D similarities in protein structures.
US08024122B2
A method for estimating resistivity of a formation includes: selecting spectra collected by pulsed neutron instrument disposed down a wellbore traversing the formation, the spectra including capture interactions and inelastic interactions; deconvolving the spectra to estimate an elemental yield; converting the elemental yield to a total concentration value; subtracting a concentration value for drilling mud and a concentration value for the formation from the total concentration value to estimate a concentration in fluid within the formation; and converting the fluid concentration value to a resistivity value. A computer program product and an instrument are provided.
US08024114B2
A computer assisted navigation system determines a recommended route for a vehicle to travel between a source and destination location, and provides exception notifications in some events where the vehicle travels a route different that the recommended route. The vehicle includes a navigation system that has a location monitoring component. It is determined if the location of the vehicle is different than a location along the recommended route. An exception notification is generated when the vehicle is not along the recommended route it is likely that the reason the recommended route was not used is because the recommended route is not the optimal route between the source and destination locations.
US08024102B2
A device and a method for notifying the driver of a motor vehicle, equipped with an adaptive distance and speed controller, by activating a takeover prompt, informing the driver that the vehicle is coming critically close to a target object. The takeover prompt is activated and deactivated as a function of a fixed minimum distance between the distance- and speed-controlled vehicle and the target object and/or a relative speed-dependent minimum distance between the distance- and speed-controlled vehicle and a target object and/or a maximum vehicle deceleration producible by the distance and speed controller.
US08024097B2
Provided is an automobile operation apparatus and method designed for detecting failure of a drive gear selector of an automatic transmission having a normal mode constituted by P, R, N and D gears, and a sport mode. The automobile operation apparatus includes up/down switches for shifting a gear of the automatic transmission up or down when a gearshift lever is shifted from the normal mode to the sport mode, a detection means for detecting whether the gearshift lever is shifted to the sport mode, and a control means for controlling a D gear operation at the up/down switches when the D gear is abnormal and the detection means detects a mode change. Therefore, an automobile can be driven, even when a D gear for forward driving malfunctions, by a virtual drive mode switch that is equivalent to the D gear in an emergency.
US08024089B2
Disclosed is a device for a child seat in a vehicle including a switch-over between comfort and safety mode of the child seat, depending on information suitable to predict an accident.
US08024088B2
A method for controlling the rear steering angle of a vehicle includes receiving a plurality of signals indicative of rear steering angle; checking at least one of the plurality of signals to determine if it falls within a valid range; correlating at least a first signal of the plurality of signals with at least a second signal of the plurality of signals to determine if either the first signal or the second signal is invalid; and rejecting any signals found to be invalid.
US08024084B2
Vehicle with diagnostic capability includes different vehicle-resident sensors, each providing a measurement related to a state of the sensor or a measurement related to a state of the mounting location of the sensor, a vehicle-resident diagnostic processor coupled to the sensors and arranged to receive data from the sensors and process the data to generate an output indicative or representative of a state of the vehicle or a state of a component of the vehicle, and a communications device coupled to the diagnostic system and arranged to automatically establish a communications channel between the vehicle and a remote facility without manual intervention and wirelessly transmit the output of the diagnostic system to the remote facility. The processor may embody a pattern recognition algorithm trained to generate the output from the data received from the sensors.
US08024076B2
A plurality of buses of an electrical power system are grouped into agents, family lines of agents and families of agents based on the reactive reserves depleted when the buses are loaded. Contingencies are applied and the reactive reserves are monitored to determine an exhaustion factor for one or more family lines in one or more families. A boundary case solution exists for each outage that has no solution when the outage is removed in small steps and an additional step has no solution and is used to assess where, why, and how the contingency causes voltage instability, voltage collapse and local blackout. Based on this information, the voltage rescheduling, active rescheduling, unit commitment and load shedding is determined that can be used as preventive, corrective or emergency controls in system design and planning, operation planning, reactive and voltage management, real time control, and Special Protection System Control.
US08024074B2
A method for managing substances in a plant root zone, including the steps of providing a fluid distribution system, controlling the fluid distribution system, modeling the plant root zone, and distributing the substances thereto. The fluid distribution system is associated with an agricultural area. The fluid distribution system is controlled by way of a controller. The plant root zone is modeled for a plurality of locations in the agricultural area. The modeling step incorporates a desired three-dimensional distribution of the substances for each of the plurality of locations for a future time period. Substances are distributed to the plurality of locations by way of the fluid distribution system under control of the controller. The controller is dependent upon the desired three-dimensional distribution and the future time.
US08024073B2
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a home energy management system and method includes a network device disposed at a residence and a wireless home energy network capable of establishing communication with the network device. A server is disposed remotely from the residence and capable of generating a control action report to control the network devices. A controller is located at the residence and in communication with the server and configured to establish the wireless home energy network; initiate a plurality of operating status requests of the network device; receive device data in response to at least one of the operating status requests; generate a site report including the device data; initiate a communication of the site report to the remote server; and detect an availability of the control action report at the remote server in conjunction with the communication of the site report.
US08024071B2
Based upon a force in a vertical direction exerted between an object and a hand and an angle made by the hand relative to a horizontal face, a transporting force estimation unit estimates a transporting force applied in the vertical direction by a person, and based upon the estimated force, a force controlling operation is carried out so as to set a force in the vertical direction of the robot arm of a robot system to a predetermined force.
US08024067B2
Immediately before a robot 20 starts to move at a high speed, a monitoring area 53 is expanded in a returning direction Y, and absence of an obstacle in the monitoring area 53 is confirmed. During the high speed movement of the robot 20, the monitoring area 53 is expanded forward, so that a safety of an operator is secured, an effective use of a working station area can be made, and an improvement of productivity can be achieved.
US08024038B2
An implantable medical device (IMD), such as a defibrillator, performs a capacitor reform or other temporary high current mode, such as to maintain efficacy of a battery or a high voltage defibrillation energy storage capacitor in spite of non-use. Before performing the capacitor reform or other high current mode, a voltage delay test can be performed. A voltage delay can be declared when an initial battery voltage measurement is less than a later battery voltage measurement during a loaded condition such as the charging of the capacitor. If a voltage delay is present, the capacitor reform or other temporary high current mode is enabled, otherwise, the capacitor reform or other temporary high current mode is inhibited. This saves energy, increasing the life of the IMD before explant.
US08024022B2
The electrode array is a device for making electrical contacts with cellular tissue or organs. The electrode array includes an assembly of electrically conductive electrodes arising from a substrate where the electrodes are hermetically bonded to the substrate. The electrodes also include an insulating layer which leaves at least one zone or at least one hole exposed for making focused electrical contact with the tissue. A hole passing completely or partially through the electrode may further provide an anchor to the living tissue, thereby stabilizing the array with respect to the tissue being examined. Also, a method of manufacture of an electrode array and associated circuitry is disclosed.
US08024020B2
An implantable device for monitoring physiological changes in an organism is disclosed. The device includes a matrix positioned proximate a biological material of the organism, an irradiation device associated with the matrix for exposing the biological material to radiation, and a sensor device associated with the matrix for detecting a response of the biological material to the irradiation. The response can be used to remotely detect a characteristic of the biological material.
US08024017B2
A slidable mobile terminal including a first body having a first surface and a second surface, a second body having a first surface and a second surface, the first body being movable with respect to the second body between a closed position where the first body substantially overlaps the second body and an open position where the first body partially overlaps the second body, is provided. The slidable mobile terminal also includes a slide module connecting the second surface of the first body to the first surface of the second body, thereby allowing the first body to move between the closed position and the open position in a sliding direction. A manipulation unit is located in the first surface of the second body and is exposed when the first body is in the open position. The manipulation unit does not overlap the slide module in the closed position.
US08024015B2
A mobile device having a housing and operating on power supplied from the battery loaded in the battery chamber including: a pair of walls of the housing having hook receiving portions formed a groove; a battery lid covering the battery chamber so as to be freely detached; a pair of positioning hooks serving to position the battery lid by entering the grooves of the corresponding hook receiving portions; overhanging edges serving to regulate position of the cover lid; and a waterproof gasket fixed to the battery chamber side of the cover lid so as to be in contact with all sides of the battery chamber.
US08024008B2
When an instruction to change the display size of the content of a 1-segment broadcast received by a television broadcast communication unit is given while the content is being displayed on a display screen, and if it is possible to receive the content of a 12-segment broadcast continuously to the content of the 1-segment broadcast, a CPU switches to receiving the 12-segment broadcast and displays the broadcast content in the standard display size (second display size) of the 12-segment broadcast. If it is not possible to receive the 12-segment broadcast continuously to the 1-segment broadcast, the CPU displays the content of the 1-segment broadcast by changing it to the second display size.
US08024007B2
A system and method for projecting information from a phone. User preferences are received for projection. The user preferences indicate information associated with one or more types of communications. A communication is received. A determination is made whether the received communication is one of the one or more types of communications associated with the user preferences. The indicated information associated with the received communication is projected in response to the determination. The indicated information being projected by a projector integrated with the phone onto a display surface.
US08024001B2
Network Allocation Vector (NAV) and “beam access control” (BAC) techniques are provided to address data collision problems in WLANs wherein APs provide wireless network access in a service area defined by multiple sectors via use of a switchable antenna system or the like. Preferably, every time the AP visits a sector and before the AP moves on to the next sector, the AP can set the NAV equal to the time it will take until its next visit. Alternatively, or in addition, a BAC bit is transmitted by an AP to control access to the AP by WTRUs disposed in a service sector in which the BAC is transmitted.
US08023990B2
A method for use in a wireless cellular access system, according to which users in a cell in the system receive one or more transmission power control commands on a control channel, where the transmission power control commands comprise an identifier for the intended user or users, said identifier being either an identifier for a specific user or for a group of users. A user disregards one or more predefined control commands if the identifier of the control command is for a group of users in which said user is included.
US08023984B2
A radio control system in a wireless communication device includes a sensor operable to detect a change in a use mode of the wireless communication device during a communication session according to a pre-determined list of conditions, the use mode being one of a plurality of use modes that the communication device can operate in. The radio control system also includes a power controller connected to the sensor, that is operable to determine a power configuration according to the user mode detected. The power configuration is adjusted to balance the radio frequency coverage of a signal to be transmitted and the SAR. Of the radiation absorption. Each use mode is a different scenario in which the wireless communication device can be used.
US08023981B2
An apparatus and method for adaptively enabling a PTT communication with efficient resource allocation in a radio access network. After a user uses a mobile device to activate a PTT call, the mobile device checks the network condition before transmitting a PTT call origination request to a PTT server. The mobile device monitors the network condition by tracking the failure rate of prior network resource requests. If the failure rate is below a threshold, the PTT call origination request is sent to a network server before or at the same time with a quality-of-service (QoS) network resource request.
US08023972B2
Users can send short message service (SMS) communication with the purpose of the communication being implied therein. An SMS broker described herein can derive the implied purpose by parsing the communication at least in part according to defined set of rules of syntax and in light of a current context within which the communication was received. In one aspect, the communication is brokered via the SMS broker and it may be intended as a message to be sent to another user identified by a moniker, such as their e-mail alias, which has the advantage of avoiding the need to store phone numbers on memory-constrained devices. In another aspect, the communication is a request for user data of other users also identified in the request by a simple moniker such as their e-mail alias. Additionally, a user can also send a communication intended to update their own user information such as their current location, availability and so on.
US08023966B2
Systems, devices and methods are presented for downloading content to a mobile terminal, during periods when the mobile terminal is outside of the home network; i.e. when the terminal is roaming. The invention provides for downloading of the content without utilizing the cellular network, thereby, circumventing the additional surcharges that may be associated with providing for downloading outside of the home network environment. In addition, the invention provides for methods and systems that may be implemented automatically, without the user having to interface with the device or system to implement the change in download techniques. Also, the content can be downloaded during normal download schedules so that the user is not adversely affected by their travel schedule and can be assured scheduled program downloads throughout the travel period.
US08023965B2
A system, method and apparatus for locating a mobile communication device are provided. A data set is received, the data set comprising strengths of signals received at the mobile communication device from a plurality of wireless access points. The data set further comprises identifiers of wireless access points from which each signal was received. Scaled signal strengths are determined from the strengths of signals. The scaled signal strengths are compared with a record of signal strengths of wireless access points at given locations. Based on the comparing, a location of the mobile communication device is determined.
US08023962B2
The present invention provides a system and mobile device for providing geographic information to a user. The system includes a mobile device that is wirelessly connected to a geographic database. The mobile device includes a plurality of sensors for determining a first location and a first direction. A controller is adapted to provide information requested based on local queries and distal queries. In addition, the controller can respond to thematic queries of each variety, wherein the database search is limited to objects, entities or features that fit within a selected theme. Finally, the controller is adapted to select and order query results based upon two- and three-dimensional query windows.
US08023956B2
A method for communications between neighboring wireless cells such as wireless regional area networks operating according to IEEE 802.22 specifications. The method involves scheduling inter-base station communications for over-the-air connections to allow neighboring base stations to communicate in environments where a single available channel is shared between the neighboring cells or where two or more channels used by two or more neighboring cells. In some embodiments, a bridge system, such as a bridge consumer premise equipment (CPE), positioned in an area of coverage overlap between two cells is used for inter-base station communications, and allocation and scheduling of bandwidth on the utilized channels is performed to provide interference free communications between the base stations. Existence announcements are provided in coexistence time slots and requests for bandwidth such as reserved and additional time slots are transmitted between the base stations using the coexistence time slots.
US08023953B2
A hotspot access point enables a mobile wireless device to resume a service with a network server when service is interrupted by the mobile device moving out of the coverage area of the access point. A short-range communication link is established by the access point with the mobile device based on a local identification of the device. The access point requests additional information from the wireless device. The additional information relates to a wide area network identification of the device. The mobile device transmits additional information to the access point which stores the local area identification and additional identification. The access point transmits to the mobile device a coded identificator of the wireless device based upon the local area identification and a network identification of the device. The access point determines whether service with the mobile device is open and establishes a wide area connection with the mobile device.
US08023947B2
A device for handing off a wireless connection can include a receiver configured to receive a communication signal from a wireless device within a first wireless cell, a first processor configured to determine communication information regarding the first wireless cell, and a storage unit configured to store directional information regarding the first wireless cell. In addition, the device can have a transmitter configured to transmit the directional information to a wireless device located within the first wireless cell, and a second processor configured to provide wireless connection to the wireless device through the receiver and the transmitter. The second processor can Handoff the wireless connection to a second wireless cell.
US08023945B2
The present invention relates to a method of releasing a network connection with a link of a medium access control layer previously accessed before performing a handover to a heterogeneous network in a mobile terminal configured with a multi-mode (e.g., interface between IEEE802.16 and IEEE802.il, interface between IEEE802.16 and 3GPP/3GPP2 or interface between IEEE802.il and 3gPP/3GPP2). In a multi-mode mobile terminal, the present invention includes the steps of creating a connection with a new link, generating a trigger event indicating a connection creation with the new link, and generating a trigger event instructing a connection release from an old link.
US08023938B2
Signal properties of a signal section (106) comprising a training sequence are compared with corresponding signal properties of other signal sections (108, 110). At a too large discrepancy, co-sequence interference is concluded to be present. The used signal property can preferably be a signal-to-noise ratio measure or a signal statistics measure. If the existence of co-sequence interference (102) is concluded, measures can be taken to avoid such interference and to mitigate the effects of the interference. A method for mitigating effects of co-sequence interference in channel estimation comprises a joint detection and estimation procedure performed under constrictions assuming presence of co-sequence interference.
US08023925B2
A cellular telephone, system and method are provided which are capable of transferring a portion of or an entire telephone directory consisting of a plurality of telephone numbers to another cellular telephone via a remote central station. The remote central station receives the telephone directory and stores the same in memory for either temporary or permanent storage. The telephone directory can then be transferred from the remote central station to the same or another cellular telephone for storing the telephone directory within a memory of the cellular telephone. An individual, a company, or other entity, utilizing the remote central station, in order to store and transfer a telephone directory from a cellular telephone to the same cellular telephone or to at least another cellular telephone, pays a fee to at least one operator of the remote central station for providing and/or performing the receiving, storing and transferring services.
US08023922B2
Receivers (5) for simultaneously receiving different radio frequency signals according to different standards are provided with first frequency translating stages (1) for converting the radio frequency signals into first intermediate frequency signals and second frequency translating stages (2) for converting the first intermediate frequency signals into second intermediate frequency signals and processing stages (3) for retrieving first information from the first intermediate frequency signals and second information from the second intermediate signals. As a result, such receivers (5) have relatively low power consumption. The first frequency translating stages (1) comprise first oscillators (19) and first mixers (11) and further first mixers (12). The second frequency translating stages (2) comprise second oscillators (29) and second mixers (21) and further second mixers (22) and third mixers (23) and further third mixers (24). The processing stages (3) comprise filters (31) for filtering the first intermediate frequency signals for removing the second information and further filters (32) for filtering the second intermediate frequency signals for removing the first information.
US08023919B2
A low noise amplifier in an integrated circuit, the circuit having a digital portion and an analog portion on a common substrate, the digital portion having at least one clocking frequency, includes an input configured to receive a signal at a tuned frequency and an output circuit. The output circuit is configurable to operate in either a single-ended mode or a pseudo differential-ended mode, wherein the output circuit is configured in the pseudo differential-ended mode when the tuned frequency is substantially similar to the at least one clocking frequency or one of its harmonics and otherwise configured in the single-ended mode.
US08023908B2
Provided are an intermodulation signal generator of a power amplifier and a pre-distortion linearizer having the same. The intermodulation signal generator of the power amplifier includes: a circulator for outputting a radio-frequency (RF) input signal input via a first port to a second port and outputting an intermodulation signal input via the second port to a third port; a directional coupler for shifting phases of the input signals input via the second port of the circulator to divide or couple the phase-shifted signals; first and second Schottky diodes, disposed symmetrically, for receiving the signals divided by the directional coupler to generate intermodulation signal components; first and second phase adjusters, disposed symmetrically, for controlling phases of the intermodulation signal components gene rated by the first and second Schottky diodes by means of first and second bias voltages; and first and second scalers, disposed symmetrically, for controlling magnitudes of the intermodulation signal components generated by the first and second Schottky diodes by means of third and fourth bias voltages. The above-described intermodulation signal generator can be applied to a power amplifier of a high-performance downscaled communication system.
US08023898B2
An interference mitigation method in a wireless network in which a plurality of nodes share an available frequency spectrum by performing wireless communication on sub-channels defined within the available spectrum. The nodes are grouped into clusters, each cluster having a leader of the cluster. Preferably, every node in the cluster is a transceiver equipped to act as leader and this leader role is rotated around the cluster.
US08023895B2
A method, apparatus, and system for tracking and locating Bluetooth enabled devices is described. A network of Bluetooth sniffers can be used to rapidly locate lost devices and their owners. Wearable child devices maintain low power contact with parent devices until such time as a signal limit is reached, at which point the parent devices alarm. An optional network of fixed sniffing devices can be used to coordinate a search for lost child devices once an alert is issued to the system.
US08023888B2
Methods and apparatuses for acquiring and demodulating a data stream transmitted in a communication system. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises finding a boundary of a physical layer frame (PLFrame) in the data stream, finding a first 26 bits of a Unique Word (UW) associated with the data stream, finding a scrambling code utilizing the UW, and using a decoding procedure to determine a modulation type and code rate used for desired signals within the data stream.
US08023880B2
The disclosure concerns a standby tray for making a sheet at the position above a processing tray. The sheet on the standby tray is dropped and supplied onto the processing tray. The upper end of the center area of a shutter supporting the rear end of the sheet on a sheet discharge tray which is slidable to the sheet discharge section of the standby tray or processing tray is made lower than the upper end of the peripheral area of the shutter. Movable portions of the shutter are extended when the sheet discharge tray is slid to close the sheet discharge sections of the processing tray and/or standby tray.
US08023872B2
In a belt device, a first detecting unit detects a widthwise displacement of a belt, and a correcting unit corrects displacement of the belt in the width direction during a period starting from turning power on and ending with completion of drive preparation of the belt based on the widthwise displacement. Moreover, a second detecting unit detects whether the belt has displaced in the width direction by an amount that is greater than a threshold, and a belt stopping unit stops running of the belt when the second detecting unit detects that the belt has displaced by an amount that is greater than the threshold.
US08023871B2
A controlling section controls an image forming section to form a calibration pattern on an object. The calibration pattern includes a plurality of marks in first and second groups. The marks in the second group are formed at a different position in the second direction from the marks in the first group. The marks in each of the first and second groups are arranged in the first direction over a predetermined range on the object. Each mark has shape and color. The detecting section detects the calibration pattern formed on the object, thereby obtaining detection results. The correcting section corrects, based on the detection results, an image forming position at which the image forming section forms an image. The marks belonging to different groups and having a same color are formed at different positions with respect to the first direction in at least part of the predetermined range.
US08023857B2
A transfer device includes: a transfer belt hung around a roller; and a transfer belt sealing member in contact with a transfer surface and a circumferential end surface of the transfer belt and in contact with the circumferential end surface of the transfer belt diagonally relative to a thickness direction of the transfer belt.
US08023855B2
A development device includes a developer carrier configured to carry developer and disposed in a development case, partly exposed from an opening of the development case facing an image carrier, a developer-transporting member configured to transport the developer to the developer carrier, and a discharging member housing a discharging space including a communicating path connecting to an area where the developer carrier faces the developer-transporting member, from which air is discharged into the discharging space, and a discharging port that opens in a longitudinal direction of the developer-transporting member, from which air is discharged from the discharging space.
US08023836B2
Supply items, such as toner bottles for laser printers, include substantially identical housings amongst the many different colors of toners. To distinguish the items and prevent improper installation, a keying structure attaches per each bottle and is indexed relative to adjacent items. In one aspect, indexing includes rotating a knob of the keying structure about a central axis to provide different keying orientations to an imaging unit in the printer. During installation, users mate the knob with variously arranged channels in a wall defining a slot for receiving the bottles. A lengthy flange on the bottle mates with a lengthy slit of the wall to provide installation stability. Other embodiments contemplate delaying engagement of a shutter on the bottle that prevents the toner from communicating with the imaging unit until the mating of the keying structure is assuredly made relatively proper. This prevents inadvertent mixing of toner colors.
US08023830B2
An optical transmitter for generating a modulated optical signal for transmission over a fiber optic link to a remote receiver including a laser; a modulator for externally modulating the optical output signal with a RF signal to produce an optical signal including a modulated information-containing component; and a phase modulator coupled either to the output of the modulator or directly to the output of the laser for reducing or canceling the noise signals generated in the laser.
US08023828B2
Structures and methods allow: transfer of quantum information represented using the states of light to a representation using the states of matter systems; transfer of quantum information represented by the states of matter systems to a representation using the states of light; and error resistant encoding of quantum information using entangled states of matter and light to minimize errors.
US08023827B2
A system is disclosed. The system includes a first optical transceiver having a first set of transmitters and a first set of receivers and a second optical transceiver having a second set of transmitters coupled anti-symmetrically to the first set of receivers of the first optical transceiver and a second set of receivers coupled anti-symmetrically to the first set of transmitters of the first optical transceiver.
US08023820B2
Systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products are provided for downloading a whitelist onto a passive optical network including a passive optical network and a management interface communicatively coupled to the passive optical network and configured to provision the whitelist. An optical line terminal also on the passive optical network includes a passive optical network card operable to broadcast the whitelist to optical network terminals which are configured to receive and enforce the whitelist.
US08023817B2
To enable satisfactory simultaneous and widely varied pictures to be obtained, for example, by allowing a common user to obtain an overall picture while the common user performing desired image capturing, or the like. A first image capturing device image-captures a subject to record this image, and also transmits a trigger signal to a second image capturing device. The second image capturing device image-captures an image to record this image in accordance with the trigger signal. Thus, the first and second image capturing devices enable both of an overall image and a zoomed image to be obtained with simultaneous timing.
US08023806B2
There is provided a heat processing furnace capable of quickly increasing and decreasing a temperature, while achieving improvement in durability. A heat processing furnace 2 comprises: a processing vessel 3 for accommodating an object to be processed w and performing thereto a heat process; and a cylindrical heater 5 disposed to surround an outer circumference of the processing vessel 3, for heating the object to be processed w. The heater 5 includes a cylindrical heat insulating member 16, and heating resistors 18 arranged along an inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member 16. Each of the heating resistors 18 is formed of a strip-shaped member that is bent into a waveform having peak portions and trough portions. Pin members 20 are arranged in the heat insulating member 16 at suitable intervals therebetween, the pin members 20 holding the heating resistor 18 such that the heating resistor 18 is movable in a radial direction of the heater.
US08023797B2
A series of content information; menu information, which is to be displayed with the content information during reproduction of the content information; and play list information for defining reproduction sequence of the content information by a unit of item, which constitutes the content information and which is accessible upon reproducing, are recorded on the information record medium. The play list information includes: item information for specifying each item which constitutes the content information; and slave item information for specifying the menu information corresponding to the each item as a slave item.
US08023789B2
A plastic optical fiber cable includes: a bare optical fiber including a core made of a poly(methyl methacrylate) or a copolymer including methyl methacrylate as a major component and a cladding layer including, at least in the outermost layer, a layer made of a certain fluorine-containing olefin-based resin; and a coating layer provided on the outer surface thereof. The coating layer includes a protective coating layer, a light blocking coating layer, and a functional coating layer, the layers being provided in the order mentioned from inner side. The protective coating layer is made of a certain resin material. The light blocking coating layer is made of a nylon-based resin including, as a major component, nylon 11 or nylon 12, the nylon-based resin containing monomer and oligomer compounds derived from the nylon-based resin in an amount of a certain range. The functional coating layer is made of a nylon-based resin composition having a crystalline melting point within a certain range, the nylon-based resin composition containing a certain amount of melamine cyanurate or bromine atoms and further containing a certain amount of inorganic chromatic pigments, or the layer is made of a nylon-based resin composition having a crystalline melting point of within a certain range and an oxygen transmission rate within a certain range.
US08023784B1
An optical subassembly package configuration for monitoring a fiber, the configuration includes a container, an optical subassembly, an optical fiber, and a ferrule. The container has a face, and the optical subassembly is disposed within the container. The optical fiber communicates with the subassembly. The ferrule is attached to the face of the container, the fiber being monitored terminates inside the ferrule.
US08023780B2
A touch panel 30 of the present invention comprises: a light-emitting sided-optical waveguide 33; a light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 34; and an electromagnetic induction-type digitizer 36. In the touch panel of the present invention, a position coordinate is recognized using an electronic pen by an electromagnetic induction-type digitizer 36 when high resolution is required. A position coordinate is recognized using a finger by the optical waveguides 33 and 34 when high resolution is not required. This makes it possible to materialize the touch panel 30 having a high resolution and a lower power consumption regardless of its narrow frame.
US08023771B2
The present invention discloses a solution for adjusting a horizontal orientation of a graphic. The solution can include a step of identifying a graphic object having a first horizontal orientation, which is to be changed to an opposite horizontal orientation. A determination as to whether the graphic object has an odd number of pixels along an x-axis can be made. When determination results are positive only, a pixel shift can be applied to the graphic object. A matrix transform can be applied to the software object regardless of the determination results. The software object can be visually presented upon a display after the applying step.
US08023767B1
A 3D metal artifacts correction technique corrects the streaking artifacts generated by titanium implants or other similar objects. A cone-beam computed tomography system is utilized to provide 3D images. A priori information (such as the shape information and the CT value) of high density sub-objects is acquired and used for later artifacts correction. An optimization process with iterations is applied to minimize the error and result in accurate reconstruction images of the object.
US08023764B2
This invention provides an image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program, which can visually remove low-frequency noise contained in image data. Image data containing low-frequency noise is input from an input terminal (201). A window unit (202) designates a window made up of a pixel of interest, and its surrounding pixels. A pixel selector (204) selects a selected pixel to be compared with the pixel of interest from the window, and a pixel value determination unit (206) determines a new pixel value of the pixel of interest on the basis of the pixel values of the selected pixel and pixel of interest. New image data is generated by substituting the pixel value of the pixel of interest by the new pixel value.
US08023762B2
An apparatus for removing a noise of a video signal is discussed, by which a noise level can be effectively estimated to enhance an image quality of the video signal, by which the noise can be removed in a manner of effectively estimating a noise level though motion adaptive filtering, and by which blurring is prevented in the process of removing the noises.
US08023761B2
An apparatus for removing a noise of a video signal is disclosed, by which a noise level can be effectively estimated to enhance an image quality of the video signal, by which the noise can be removed in a manner of effectively estimating a noise level though motion adaptive filtering, and by which blurring is prevented in the process of removing the noises. The present invention includes a temporal noise level estimation unit estimating a level of a temporal noise included in the video signal using a difference between two temporally consecutive videos, a noise correction unit correcting a noise estimated by the temporal noise level estimation unit, and a noise removal unit removing the noise included in the video signal using a level of the corrected noise.
US08023760B1
A method includes the steps of selecting an image filtering technique, receiving an image from an image source, processing the received image to provide a processed image, and displaying the processed image to a user. Processing the received image includes the steps of adjusting the received image to provide an adjusted image, filtering the adjusted image according to the selected image filtering technique to provide a filtered image, and adjusting the filtered image. The image filtering technique may be selected from histogram equalization, band-pass filtering, adaptive enhancement filtering, or other techniques. The method may be used in an image processing system having memory, a processor, and a display.
US08023751B1
A system for managing storage space on an electronic storage medium is provided in which a file format for stored data allows for progressive deletion of low-significance data, for example in a video or audio file, while allowing the remaining portions of the file to be subsequently retrieved. The file format allows for the ready deletion of low-significance data without having to open, edit and subsequently rewrite the data. Furthermore, rules-based algorithms for the deletion of low-significance data allow a user to store and progressively delete such low-significance data in accordance with time parameters, available storage space and the like, without having to delete the full file.
US08023741B2
Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for determining the location of numerals in an electronic document image.
US08023736B2
A color correction method in which an input image is corrected to generate an output image with an illumination condition different from that in the input image includes: detecting a region of a particular subject from the input image to extract color information on the region; restoring a spectral distribution of illumination in the input image by using the extracted color information and a surface reflectance of the particular subject designated in advance, calculating a spectral distribution of illumination in the output image by using the restored spectral distribution of illumination in the input image and the spectral distribution of designated target illumination, and calculating color information on each pixel of the output image on the basis of color information on each pixel of the input image, the restored spectral distribution of illumination in the input image and the calculated spectral distribution of illumination in the output image.
US08023730B2
The present invention relates to image processing in general and more specifically to methods and means facilitating the human detection of physical object representations in colour images with a wide range of applications such as aviation and air transport, land transportation, shipping, submarine work, underwater inspections, medical investigations, marine archaeology, land archaeology, agriculture, surveillance and security, food safety, energy systems and forestry. The invention achieves this by providing an image processing method for a colour image representation, Ic, formed by at least two distinct colour pixel matrixes, Mi, by carrying out a histogram equalization processing step (250), which is carried out separately for each colour pixel matrix. Different pre-washing steps may be applied prior to the histogram equalization processing step (250). The invention also provides a number of apparatuses adapted for different applications using the method according to the invention.
US08023720B2
In an exemplary method, repeated patterns are identified in a strip-like product. In the method the strip-like product is observed by at least one camera, and at least one digital image signal comprised of pixels is created for inspection. The image signal is searched for anomalies comprised of one or more pixels. A search image is created of any detected anomaly and its neighbourhood, and the search image is used to convolute the image signal being examined, creating a response image signal. The response image signal is used to determine image areas in the image signal being examined that are substantially similar to the search image.
US08023715B2
An apparatus for currency discrimination comprises first and second stationary scanheads, disposed on opposite sides of a bill transport path, for scanning respective first and second opposing surfaces of a bill traveling along the bill transport path and for producing respective output signals. The bill travels along the transport path in the direction of a predetermined dimension of the bill. A memory stores master characteristic patterns corresponding to associated predetermined surfaces of a plurality of denominations of genuine bills. Sampling circuitry samples the output signals associated with the respective first and second opposing surfaces of the scanned bill. A signal processor is programmed to determine which one of the first and second opposing surfaces corresponds to the associated predetermined surfaces of the plurality of denominations of genuine bills. The processor then correlates the output signal associated with the one of the first and second opposing surfaces corresponding to the associated predetermined surfaces with the master characteristic patterns to identify the denomination of the scanned bill.
US08023710B2
Various techniques can be used to improve classification of colon polyps candidates found via computed tomographic colonography computer aided detection (CTCCAD). A polyp candidate can be classified as a true positive or a false positive. For example, a two-dimensional projection image of the polyp can be generated from a three-dimensional representation and classified based on features of the projection image. An optimal viewpoint for the projection image can be found via techniques such as maximizing viewpoint entropy. Wavelet processing can be used to extract features from the two-dimensional projection image. Feature extraction can use a piecewise linear orthonormal floating search for locating most predictive neighbors for wavelet coefficients, and support vector machines can be employed for classification. The techniques can be useful for improving accuracy of CTCCAD techniques.
US08023708B2
For each of a number of landmarks in an image an initial position of the landmark is defined. Next a neighborhood around the initial position, comprising a number of candidate locations of the landmark is sampled and a cost is associated with each of the candidate locations. A cost function expressing a weighted sum of overall gray level cost and overall shape cost for all candidate locations is optimized. A segmented anatomic entity is defined as a path through a selected combination of candidate locations for which combination the cost function is optimized.
US08023703B2
An image of an anatomical structure can be analyzed to determine an enclosing three-dimensional boundary when the anatomical structure is filled with two substances, such as air and a fluid. Various techniques can be used to determine the enclosing boundary including: analyzing the virtual structure to segment the structure into air and fluid pockets, determining if there are multiple fluid pockets whose surface touches a single air-fluid boundary, determining a separate threshold for respective fluid pockets, resegmenting the virtual anatomical structure using the separate threshold for different fluid pockets, forming a hierarchical pocket tree which represents the relationship between the fluid and air pockets, pruning the pocket tree based on various criteria which corresponds to deleting those pruned portions from the virtual anatomical structure, and resegmenting the remaining virtual anatomical structure using one or more of fuzzy connectedness, two-dimensional gap filling, and level set segmentation.
US08023702B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a temporary storage module configured to extract performer names from a program information corresponding to a video content data, collate a extracted performer names with a names stored in a storage module, collate collation face images corresponding to the names that match the performer names with a plurality of face images, and temporarily store, out of the plurality of face images, coincident face images that match the collation face images, and a display module configured to, when displaying a list of video content data, display the program name and the coincident face images corresponding to each video content data together with the video content data.
US08023701B2
Upon extraction of a human figure region in an image, a face or facial part is detected in the image, and a candidate region that is deemed to include the human figure region is determined from position information of the detected face or facial part. Judgment is made as to whether each unit region having 2 pixels or more and comprising the candidate region represents the human figure region, and a set of the unit regions having been judged to represent the human figure region is determined as an estimated region which is estimated to include the human figure region. The human figure region is then extracted in the determined estimated region.
US08023698B2
An information device operation apparatus includes an image capturing device, an illumination device, a controller, image storage device, operation object extracting device, detection device, and signal output device. The image storage device stores a plurality of images that are acquired by the image capturing device under a plurality of illumination intensity conditions. The operation object extracting device extracts the operation object by comparing the plurality of images. The detection device detects at least one of a predetermined shape and a movement of the operation object that is extracted by the operation object extracting device. The signal output device outputs a signal to the target device, the signal corresponding to the at least one of the predetermined shape and the movement of the operation object detected by the detection device.
US08023696B2
Stationery, or other printable media, is encoded with a digital watermark. The watermark is not conspicuous to a human observer of the media, yet conveys plural bits of auxiliary information when optically scanned and digitally processed. The watermark can be formed by ink-jet printing, or otherwise. The encoded information can be used for various purposes, including authenticating the document as an original, linking to associated on-line resources, and distinguishing seemingly-identical versions of the same document (document serialization).
US08023695B2
The present disclosure includes methods and apparatus for analyzing audio and video. One claim recites: a method including at a network access point, and using a programmed electronic processor, analyzing data representing audio or video to extract identifying information therefrom, the analyzing operates on data representing audible portions of the audio or operates on data representing picture elements of the video; using the identifying information, determining whether to allow the audio or video to be communicated through the network access point; and providing details associated with said act of determining. Of course, other combinations are provided and claimed as well.
US08023689B2
A method, system and computer readable medium for the authenticating of an audio-visual signal, such as digital images or video comprising the generation of a robust image signature with variable size. In a preferred embodiment DC-values of blocks of a digital image are calculated and areas with similar DC-values are merged into regions. The signature is based on said regions and of variable length, depending on the desired localization ability or an allowable signature length. The resulting signature bits are robust to compression and other allowable image operations. The hierarchical solution provides both robustness and tampering localization.
US08023688B2
An ultra low frequency transducer or subwoofer for automotive speaker systems with a polygonal, concave diaphragm. The periphery preferably is sized to be substantially coextensive with the front of the speaker housing or cabinet. In this way, air displacement in the subwoofer is maximized for a given size of enclosure, and thus so is the loudness of the speaker. The transducer typically includes a frame or basket with a polygonal front for supporting the periphery of the diaphragm. The preferred diaphragm includes a convex surround with pleated corners. For increased durability, trusses are formed in the diaphragm.
US08023687B2
A loudspeaker includes a diaphragm and an edge having an inner periphery end portion thereof connected with an outer periphery of the diaphragm, in which an outer end portion of the edge is attached to a speaker frame. The diaphragm has a bent portion in the vicinity of a border at the inner periphery side of a connecting portion connecting the diaphragm with the edge. A reinforcing portion is formed on the bent portion in order to reinforce the bent portion. It is, therefore, possible to disperse or reduce various forces applied to the bent portion, and to prevent strength deterioration or damage of the diaphragm even when sound signals having large amplitude are applied to the loudspeaker. As a result, it is also possible to prevent deterioration of acoustic characteristics.
US08023686B2
A loudspeaker includes a basket defining a center hole therethrough, a conduction wire board fixed to the bottom surface of the basket, a magnet placed on the basket, a diaphragm arranged on the basket and above the magnet, and a voice coil. The conduction wire board defines a core hole corresponding to the center hole, and two welding foils on the bottom surface. The magnet defines a through hole corresponding to the center hole. The voice coil is wrapped around the magnet and fixed to the bottom of the diaphragm. The voice coil has leading wires, which bend inward at the top and downward pass through the through hole of the magnet, the center hole of the basket and the core hole of the conduction wire board, and then extend toward two sides of the rivet for being welded on the corresponding welding foils.
US08023678B2
A hearing device and an associated method are provided. The hearing device includes a behind-the-ear part and an in-the-ear part that are connected to one another by a connecting element. The behind-the-ear part has a switching element arranged to be functionally connected to the connecting element such that at least two switching positions of the switching element can be engaged by a movement of the connecting element.
US08023677B2
An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In an exemplary embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.
US08023676B2
An electronic and transducer device can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form a two-way communication assembly. The device contains a motion sensor to detect external forces imposed on the user such as an explosion, for example. The information is stored for medical treatment, among others. In another embodiment, the device provides an electronic and transducer device that can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form a medical tag containing patient identifiable information. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device fabricated from a thermal forming process utilizing a replicate model of a dental structure obtained by conventional dental impression methods. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.
US08023675B2
Various embodiments provide systems, methods and assemblies for in situ removal of cerumen from hearing devices positioned in the ear canal. One embodiments provides a fitting for in situ cerumen removal comprising a top portion shaped to be removably coupled to a hearing device component surface and a plurality of leg members extending axially from a perimeter of the top portion. The top portion has a plurality of openings and at least one flexible retaining element configured to releasably engage a retaining feature on the hearing device. The leg members are configured to fit over another surface of the hearing device component. The fitting is configured to remove cerumen obstructing a feature on the device component and can be removed from the device component without removing the hearing device from the ear canal. The fitting can also include a removal loop that has a non-deployed state and a deployed state.
US08023672B2
The present invention discloses an easy-to-assemble one-piece surround speaker structure, wherein a plurality of integrable speaker housings realizes a size-adjustable audio structure, and whereby an user can self-adjust the length of a surround speaker in accordance to the size of television or available space The speaker housings can contain various types of speakers, including: a main speaker, a center speaker, a surround speaker, a subwoofer speaker, etc. Thereby, an user can organize speakers to achieve the audio effect he desires. Each speaker has a plurality of I/O terminals for mutual signal and power connection. Thus, no matter what type of speaker combination is arranged or what number of speaker housings is integrated, the present invention can perform perfectly.
US08023663B2
A headphone and method for allowing manually controlled reception of ambient sound by a user. More particularly, the invention relates to a headphone for listening to an audio signal while allowing varying amounts of ambient sound to the user. In one aspect, the headphone comprises a manually-controllable physical characteristic that controls the amount of ambient sound accessible to the user. The physical characteristic can be sound ports that can be opened or closed. In another aspect, the headphone can comprise a microphone receptive of ambient sound, wherein the user can control the proportion of sound that comes from the ambient sound or the audio signal. The microphone can be part of a noise cancellation system.
US08023656B2
A system and method for automatic key and certificate management is disclosed. In particular, a key store in a base computer contains both new and previously viewed cryptographic keys. In one embodiment, for each new key, if a corresponding certificate matches an existing certificate, the new certificate may be automatically downloaded to a mobile communications device without prompting a user.
US08023643B2
A first Exclusive OR circuit operates an Exclusive OR between input data and a predetermined random number. An operation circuit performs one operation of encryption and decryption of output data from the first Exclusive OR circuit. A data register circuit, which has a plurality of data hold units, holds data from the operation circuit in one data hold unit of the plurality of data hold units in response to a selection signal, and supplies the data from the one data hold unit to the operation circuit. A second Exclusive OR circuit performs an Exclusive OR between output data from the data register circuit and the random number. The operation circuit recursively performs the one operation of the data from the data register circuit and outputs next data to the data register circuit.
US08023633B2
A communication assistance system for providing access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters desiring to access the subscriber information. A listing database is configured to store the subscriber information including a field containing wireless phone numbers of a desired portion of the subscribers and a connect field that stores information instructing the system as to whether to mask the subscriber's wireless phone number to the requester, such that during a process that the requester is being connected to a desired subscriber, the connect field is examined to determine whether to disclose the subscriber's wireless phone number to the requester. A call center routes each of the received calls from the requester to an operator terminal that has access to the database listing table, where the connect field further comprises information instructing the communication assistance system as to whether or not to mask the subscriber's wireless phone number to a customer representative who is handling a request from a requester.
US08023631B2
Systems and method for processing orders for telecommunications services are disclosed. Generally a telecommunications transaction set of an electronic data interchange standard is received, the telecommunications transaction set corresponding to a telecommunications product or service for a customer. An order for the telecommunications product or service is then generated based on processing of the telecommunications transaction set.
US08023624B2
During a telephone call between a telephone user and an interactive response system, the user is enabled to use only his voice and key presses on a numeric keypad of his telephone to interactively specify information that can be used to control delivery of content to a visual display of, or a storage medium accessible by, a target telephone which may be a land-line phone, a mobile phone, or some other device acting as a telecommunications device. The target telephone has a visual display or a memory to display or store the delivered content, which may include ringtones, text messages, games, wallpapers, ring-back tones, video clips, web pages, applications, or links to information. The user is enabled to engage in an interaction with the response system that is representative of an interaction between the user and a server connected to the Internet. On behalf of the user, a separate interaction is conducted with the server through the Internet based on the representative interaction. Information is received that can be used to identify the user and the target device. Based on the received information, user authentication information is transmitted to the user, the authentication information is received from the user, and the user is allowed to access a service.
US08023620B2
The present invention is an x-ray arrangement for examining patients, having an x-ray source and a digital flat panel detector characterized by a processing unit with a converter with an input possibility for a whole data record of system parameters as input parameters which can be easily adjusted and input by the user for conversion into a whole data record of image chain parameters as output parameters.
US08023616B2
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for setting a dynamically adjustable position of an imaging system for providing an optimum view onto a moving object during a medical intervention. A time-resolved at least three-dimensional data record of the moving object is generated. A position of the imaging system for each period of time is determined from the time-resolved data record from which the optimum view onto a structure of interest of the moving object is produced and automatically setting a calculated position of the imaging system in real-time so that the optimum view onto the structure of interest can be shown at any time. Optionally prior to determining the position of the imaging system, a structure of interest of the moving object can be segmented with this structure being segmented for each period of time from the time-resolved data record.
US08023615B2
In a medical X-ray CT apparatus, a rotary portion is rotated, and a wind is produced inside the apparatus by the rotation of the rotary portion. An expanded cover portion is forced to vibrate by the wind, and noise is produced. The expanded cover portion is provided with at least one curved member including both ends. The curved member is arranged to extend along a virtual projection line obtained by geometrically projecting a virtual straight line connecting, to each other, the two ends fixed to an outer peripheral edge of an opening of the expanded cover portion onto a surface of the expanded cover portion, and the vibration of the expanded cover portion is reduced.
US08023596B2
A system and method for estimating and tracking the frequency offset for a transmission system whose bandwidth is not insignificant with respect to the central frequency, the system transmitting a waveform including fixed carriers whose level is substantially greater than that of the carriers transporting the information, the carriers having frequencies F0 . . . FN-1, and the useful signal carrying the information. The system has N banks (100) of band-pass filters with, each bank having P filters, suitable for covering all of the values that the frequencies F0 . . . FN-1 may take after Doppler offset. A filter output is connected to a quadratic envelope detector. P adders (200) are suitable for adding the corresponding outputs of the N banks of filters. A system (300) detects the position of the two largest maxima from the P sums and validates the position of the largest maximum. A system (400) stores the positions of the two largest maxima and their “weight” and for predicting the current value. A system (500) validates/replaces the position found. A system (600) converts the positions into estimated Doppler and filters the latter through a low-pass filter.
US08023593B2
Systems and methods according to the present invention provide channel estimation methods, systems and devices which determine a coarse channel estimate (40) and a fine channel estimate (66). The coarse channel (40) estimate can be determined based on the channel estimation sequence transmitted to the receiver and then used to detect header symbols. The header symbols can be used to calculate additional channel estimates which can then be combined with the coarse channel estimate (40) to determine a fine channel estimate (66).
US08023591B2
Aspects of a method and system for a shared GM-stage between in-phase and quadrature channels may include processing an in-phase (I) component signal for the I channel and a quadrature (Q) component signal for the Q channel via one or more shared transconductance stages in a frequency demodulator. The I channel may be isolated from the Q channel and the Q channel may be isolated from the I channel using isolation resistors. The values of the isolation resistors may be selected so as to balance the isolation and signal attenuation. A folding circuit, comprising active devices, may isolate the I channel from the Q channel. A generated voltage may be utilized to bias the folding circuit. An oscillator for the I channel may be isolated from a mixer for the Q channel and an oscillator for the Q channel may be isolated from a mixer for the I channel.
US08023587B2
A device and method for pre-distorting a base-band digital signal. The device includes an adaptive parameter calculation unit and a pre-distorter. The adaptive parameter calculation unit is adapted to calculate nonlinear filter parameters in accordance with samples of a base-band digital signal and a feedback signal of a radio frequency channel, and output a calculation result to the pre-distorter. The pre-distorter is adapted to store and update the nonlinear filter parameters, perform power statistics of the base-band digital signal, select nonlinear filter parameters corresponding to a result of the power statistics, pre-distort the base-band digital signal, and output the pre-distorted base-band digital signal. With the method, the non-linearity of a power amplifier may be improved, different non-linearity inverse models may be selected according to different input signals and power amplifier characteristics, and the efficiency of a base station transmitter may be improved.
US08023586B2
A rf signal transfer link is described which uses amplitude shift keying (ASK) to transfer rf data pulses. The link minimizes state transition time at the end of each data pulse.
US08023584B2
A signaling circuit having a selectable-tap equalizer. The signaling circuit includes a buffer, a select circuit and an equalizing circuit. The buffer is used to store a plurality of data values that correspond to data signals transmitted on a signaling path during a first time interval. The select circuit is coupled to the buffer to select a subset of data values from the plurality of data values according to a select value. The equalizing circuit is coupled to receive the subset of data values from the select circuit and is adapted to adjust, according to the subset of data values, a signal level that corresponds to a data signal transmitted on the signaling path during a second time interval.
US08023582B2
A closed-loop MIMO system includes a receiver for forming a new predefined set by using elements of a previous predefined set, selecting a certain matrix of the new predefined set, and feeding back an index of the matrix, if the number of transmit antennas increases, and a transmitter for performing signal transmission by multiplying the matrix of the feedback index to a transmission signal. Although the number of transmit antennas increases, candidate matrices can be simply obtained by using candidate matrices of a previous set. Moreover, to by proposing a reference for selecting an optimal solution with a small amount of calculation, burden on a system can be considerably reduced.
US08023573B2
A wireless communication system according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication system which performs wireless communications between a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device, wherein the first wireless communication device includes: a delay profile calculation unit for calculating a delay profile by calculating a correlation value for a received signal; a valid path detection unit for detecting a valid path using the delay profile and forcibly detecting a valid path when there is no path satisfying a condition of the valid path; and a forcible valid path notification unit for notifying that the valid path is forcibly detected.
US08023568B2
An image sequence captured at a first image rate is encoded as an encoded image sequence at a second image rate with information in the encoded image sequence indicative of images that are repeated when decoded. To assist in editing a video program using the encoded image sequence, the information in the encoded image sequence indicative of images that are repeated when decoded may be cleared. Further, image index information for the encoded image sequence may be generated. This image index information is used to map a temporal position of an image in a decoded image sequence to a position of corresponding data in the encoded image sequence. Temporal positions used with the image index information correspond to the first image rate.
US08023561B1
A method of enhancing picture quality of a video signal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of generating a interpolated base frame image; receiving a first previously decoded difference picture; receiving a second previously decoded difference picture; generating a combined motion compensated difference surface; and generating a temporally interpolated enhanced picture based upon the interpolated base frame image and the combined motion compensated difference surface. A circuit for enhancing picture quality of a video signal is also disclosed. The circuit comprising a base decoder generating a base image of a standard definition picture; a temporal predictive interpolator coupled to the base decoder and generating an interpolated block; and a summing circuit coupled to the temporal predictive interpolated. The summing circuit preferably adds the interpolated block and a difference block.
US08023552B2
In an ad hoc wireless network, for purposes of neighbor discovery, a transmitting node transmits a beacon within a timeslot and at a frequency that varies from timeslot-to-timeslot according to one or more associated and known pseudo-random or cyclical frequency hopping sequences. When, during a timeslot, the frequency hopping sequence would select a beacon frequency that if transmitted would violate spectrum policy that is in place during that timeslot, then, during that timeslot, a beacon is not transmitted during that timeslot. During each timeslot, a neighbor receiving node attempts to detect and decode a transmitted beacon at a frequency specified by the frequency hopping sequence that it expects a transmitting node to be using. When a receiving node successfully detects and decodes a beacon transmitted by a transmitting node, neighbor discovery between the transmitting and receiving nodes is achieved.
US08023549B2
A tuning methods of an External Cavity Laser Diode (ECLD), comprises steps of: (1) providing a laser light to a grating so as to tilt the grating to an optical axis of a collimated laser light, (2) adjusting the orientation of the grating relative to the collimated laser light, (3) monitoring singleness of longitudinal mode and optical power of a light emitted from the grating, (4) calculating an orientation of the grating to exhibit intended optical power at which the singleness of longitudinal mode shows at least predetermined value, (5) adjusting the grating orientation or the optical axis of the collimated laser light to the calculated grating orientation.
US08023545B2
In a semiconductor light emitting device having a conductive semiconductor substrate on which at least the following layers are stacked in the order listed below: a first clad layer; an active layer which includes at least one highly strained quantum well layer having a compressive strain amount of not less than 1% with respect to the conductive semiconductor substrate; and a second clad layer, a strain buffer layer adjacently formed on the active layer and includes a layer having a compressive strain amount not greater than the strain amount of the active layer is further provided.
US08023544B2
The AlGaN upper cladding layer of a nitride laser diode is replaced by a non-epitaxial layer, such as metallic silver. If chosen to have a relatively low refractive index value, the mode loss from absorption in the non-epitaxial cladding layer is acceptably small. If also chosen to have a relatively high work-function, the non-epitaxial layer forms an electrical contact to the nitride semiconductors. An indium-tin-oxide layer may also be employed with the non-epitaxial cladding layer.
US08023542B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for cooling a laser, such as a high average power (HAP) solid state laser (SSL). A coolant that has been heated from previous use can be conditioned by transferring heat from the coolant to a phase change medium. The conditioned coolant can then be re-used to cool the laser. In this manner, a low cost, lightweight, compact cooling system that generates comparatively quiescent flow at comparatively high flow rates can be provided.
US08023532B2
A method for communication over a communication channel includes processing input data, which is accepted at a first variable bit rate, so as to produce output data that is encoded with a Forward Error Correction (FEC) code and has a second bit rate that matches an available bit rate of the communication channel. The output data is transmitted over the communication channel at the available bit rate. The output data is received from the communication channel and decoded so as to reconstruct the input data.
US08023531B2
When a two-dimensional spread code, with which spreading is made in time and frequency directions, is allocated to each channel, spread codes at least one of time and frequency directions of which are mutually orthogonal, and with which despreading can be made with spreading factors that are smaller than the original spreading factors in the respective directions are recognized as selection targets, and a spread code to be allocated to each channel is determined from among the spread codes recognized as the selection targets.
US08023530B1
Physical layer quality of service is provided for a wireless communication system by operationally adapting the physical layer format to the quality of service requirements of transmitted data. The physical layer formats for the data packets are selected based on the quality of service requirements of the data packets. Control information defining the formats is transmitted across the wireless communication link and the data packets are transmitted using the selected physical layer formats.
US08023524B2
A wireless node, such as a relay node, has different operating modes for unicast and broadcast/multicast subchannels. For unicast services the phase offsets of those relay nodes engaged in a cooperative transmission are optimized for the subchannels used for unicast services. Alternatively, when no feedback is available and an open loop MIMO or MIMO-type scheme is in use, retransmissions are performed in such a way that a destination (e.g., user terminal) receives effectively a distributed space-time block code. For the broadcast/multicast services time varying random phase offsets may be employed for the subchannels used for broadcast services. For reliable high data rate broadcast transmissions a cooperative retransmission scheme that effectively forms distributed space-time block codes may be used.
US08023522B2
A network adapter comprises a controller to change to a first mode from a second mode based on a number of transmit packets, sizes of received packets, and intervals between arrivals of the received packets. In one embodiment, the network controller further comprises a memory to buffer received packets, where the received packets are buffered for a longer period in the first mode than in the second mode.
US08023510B2
The present invention relates to a method of efficiently managing dynamic multicast groups. In the method of efficiently managing dynamic multicast groups a hierarchical structure is used as a network structure for a multicast service. Accordingly, there are advantages in that groups can be merged or divided efficiently and overload depending on group management can be reduced.
US08023508B2
Data packets transmitted over a wireless network are suppressed by hardware at the transmitting end and expanded on the receiving end. This conserves bandwidth as well as reduces the processing resource requirements in both the subscriber station and the base station. An extended header element is added to a data packet that is to be transmitted over the wireless network. The extended header element contains an index that is used along with an identifier to access a rule. The rule is used to determine which bytes are to be suppressed at the transmitter and expanded at the receiver.
US08023500B2
A system for process control comprises a server digital data processor and a client digital data processor that are coupled by a network, such as the Internet or an Intranet. The server digital data processor, which is additionally coupled to a control/sensing device and any associated interface equipment (collectively, referred to as “process control apparatus”), includes a command processor that transfers information between the network and the process control apparatus. The client digital data processor includes an information client (e.g., a so-called Internet web browser) capable of requesting and receiving an applet from the server digital data processor. The information client, further, defines a hardware-independent and operating system-independent virtual machine environment within the client digital data processor. The client digital data processor executes, within that virtual machine environment, an applet for configuring the client digital data processor as a “process controller” that establishes communications over the network with the command processor and that monitors and/or controls the process control apparatus via those communications.
US08023492B2
A mobile terminal includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address module that requests and receives a first IP address from a home anchoring point within a home network. The first IP address is an address of the home anchoring point. The system also includes a packet module that exchanges packets with the home anchoring point via a first attachment point. The packets include the first IP address.
US08023491B2
A mobile radio communication system having a mobile radio communication network and a mobile radio subscriber appliance, wherein a unit in the network layer of the core network of the mobile radio communication network is configured to transmit to the mobile radio subscriber appliance a first message, based on an occurrence of a predetermined event, with a request for a statement which describes at least one radio characteristic of the mobile radio subscriber appliance.
US08023487B2
A method for transmitting data over a network in which multiple transmission conditions can be used for transmitting data, each transmission condition being associated with a rating indicative of how successful previous data transmissions using that transmission condition have been, the method comprising using a selected transmission condition when transmitting data over the network and updating the rating associated with the selected transmission condition in dependence on the success of that transmission, updating the ratings associated with the transmission conditions other than the selected transmission condition by adjusting each of those ratings by a predetermined amount and selecting a transmission condition in dependence on the updated ratings.
US08023484B1
In various embodiments, methods and systems are provided for acquiring a mobile internet protocol address in a communication network. In an embodiment, a gateway node generates an extension where the extension comprises an authentication node identifier associated with a user identifier. The gateway node then sends a mobile internet protocol request message to a mobile network internet node where the mobile internet protocol request message comprises the extension. The mobile network internet node can then send a mobile internet protocol access request message to an authentication node utilizing the authentication node identifier obtained from the extension. In response to receiving a mobile internet protocol access accept message at the mobile network internet node transferred from the authentication node where the mobile internet protocol access accept message comprises the mobile network internet node key, the mobile network internet node assigns the mobile internet protocol address to the mobile station associated with the user identifier. A mobile internet protocol session accept message is sent to a mobile station wherein the mobile internet protocol session accept message comprises the mobile internet protocol address.
US08023480B2
A method and apparatus for preventing a plurality of stations in a wireless local area network (WLAN) from colliding with each other when accessing a medium are provided. In the method, an access point (AP) determines the transmission capabilities of a plurality of stations in a basic service set (BSS) of the AP, determines the format of control frames or data frames which have a high throughput (HT) format to be used in the BSS of the AP, and notifies the stations of the result of the determination. Therefore, it is possible to adaptively choose and use an optimum method of preventing a plurality of stations in a WLAN from colliding with each other when accessing a medium according to the circumstances in a WLAN by referencing the transmission capabilities of a plurality of stations in the WLAN.
US08023450B2
A method of transmitting data packets in an uplink from a plurality of source user equipments to a base station, the data packets being for onward transmission to a plurality of destination user equipments, is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of determining a measure of a quality of service from the base station to a destination user equipment, and scheduling uplink transmissions from the source user equipments to the base station in dependence on the measure of a quality of service.
US08023448B2
In a first-hop router, a reachability monitor monitors RP (Rendezvous-Point) reachability, and the number of times when a response time is not shorter than a predetermined time is stored in a RP management table. An RP selection process controls not to select RP whose reachability from the first-hop router is not stable, so that PIM Register transmission to an unstable RP is suppressed.
US08023447B2
A method of determining an optimal transmission mode and a data frame structure for determining an optimal transmission mode in a data transmission system using a relay, are provided. Any one of a base station, a relay, and a mobile station determines an optimal transmission mode from among a plurality of transmission modes, and the base station transmits the determined optimal transmission mode by enabling the determined optimal transmission mode to be included in the system information duration of the data frame, so that the overall relay system can transmit data according to the optimal transmission mode.
US08023440B2
Wireless transceivers connect with or in building automation components. The components are bound. Since the transceivers control the access media, the transceivers are likewise bound. The transceiver associated with a component queries the component for the component address. When a request from a controller addressed to the component is received, the transceiver for the component may recognize the component address. In response, the transceiver records the controller transceiver address in the request and transmits a response with the component transceiver address. Other features may assist in binding. For example, the controller transceiver distinguishes between components connected by wire from wireless. Only communications for wireless connections are transmitted. For example, if a binding is not used for an amount of time, the binding is removed. For example, a random or set order is used to avoid or minimize overlapping traffic for the responses for a binding list.
US08023439B2
In addition to other aspects disclosed, in response to being informed by a controller of a flow for transmission to at least one access terminal in a wireless network, a master base station router assigns the flow to one of a plurality of slave base station routers to process the flow for transmission to the access terminal.
US08023433B2
A relay device for multicast communications. The relay device transmitting a multicast user data packet containing a content to base stations. The relay device stores information indicative of a multicast group, information indicative of the base station and information indicative of a zone to which the base station belongs (these items of information forming a set by being associated with each other), and determines, when receiving a LEAVE packet via the base station, whether transmit a query packet about a leave target multicast group by comparing the information indicative of the base station associated with the leave target multicast group and with information indicative of a base station relaying the received LEAVE packet, transmits the user data packet containing the query packet to each of the base stations belonging to the zone on the basis of a result of the determination.
US08023431B2
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) concentrating systems and other equipment from various manufacturers may be tracked and monitored with a single DSL tracking tool. The DSL tracking tool functions as part of a system of computing devices and databases with various user interfaces. The DSL tracking tool can perform analyses and generate reports about DSL devices, DSL sites, DSL concentrating systems, and routers to aid service providers in provisioning and maintaining DSL equipment.
US08023430B2
A regenerative relay method includes the steps of: i) calculating an error rate of a transmission path between the first half apparatus and a main apparatus; ii) calculating an error rate of a transmission path between the main apparatus and the latter apparatus; iii) adding the error rates; iv) selecting the error correction code and data before the error is corrected in the main apparatus so as to be supplied to the latter apparatus if the added error rates are lower than a designated error correction threshold; and v) selecting data after the error is corrected in the main apparatus and the other error correction code generated from the data so as to be supplied to the latter apparatus if the added error rates are higher than the designated error correction threshold.
US08023429B2
A method of processing capacity information is disclosed. The capacity information relates to data capacity in a data network in which a consumer circuit is carried on, and consumes bandwidth made available by, a bearer circuit. The method comprises storing, in a network information database, an entity representing the bearer circuit, and associating capacity information with the bearer circuit entity specifying a first bandwidth quantity defining a quantity of bandwidth made available by the bearer circuit. Also stored is an entity representing the consumer circuit, and capacity information is associated with the consumer circuit entity specifying a second bandwidth quantity defining a quantity of bandwidth allocated to the consumer circuit. The consumer capacity information is then associated with the bearer capacity information in the database to indicate that the second bandwidth quantity allocated to the consumer circuit is to be consumed from the first bandwidth quantity made available by the bearer circuit. The resulting capacity model can be used to support service provisioning, service assurance and SLA management, network engineering and network planning processes.
US08023422B2
A dual core crosspoint system includes a differential signal core for receiving N differential input channels with common mode voltage removed and providing m differential output channels with m output stages associated with the m output channels; and a common mode core for receiving N common mode voltage input channels derived from the N differential input channels and providing m common mode voltage output channels simultaneously with the m differential output channels.
US08023414B2
A system and method are disclosed for routing packet traffic. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Provider Edge (PE) router having a routing element that routes packet traffic between a plurality of autonomous systems according to one or more Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) tables each having a plurality of Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) Autonomous System (AS) numbers. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08023413B2
A method for selectively controlling the flow of data through a network device is discussed. The network device has a plurality of ports, with each port of the plurality of ports having a plurality of priority queues. Congestion at one priority queue of the plurality of priority queues is detected and a virtual channel message is sent to other network devices connected to the network device causing data destined for the one priority queue to be halted. After the congestion at the one priority queue has abated, a virtual channel resume message is sent to the other network devices.
US08023405B2
A method for activation of circuits in telecommunications networks comprises a first step in which circuits are preplanned in the network and local definition data are distributed to network members (NE) for connection of sections of the preplanned circuits. In a second step, when it is desired to activate a preplanned circuit, activation messages for the connection of sections making up the preplanned circuit to be activated and which are defined by the data previously distributed to the network members are propagated in the network in cascade among the network members affected by the preplanned circuit by means of overhead bytes of the frames circulating in the network. The data are made up of indexed tables defining pairs formed from “next point (TP) to be connected” and “index” to be propagated for the following cross-connection. A network functioning in accordance with the method is also proposed.
US08023402B2
A method of suppressing effects of aliasing in a system for digitally processing a high speed signal having a symbol rate of 1/T. The high speed signal is sampled at a fractional multiple (N) of the symbol rate, wherein 1
US08023401B2
An FFT/IFFT apparatus and method are provided. The FFT/IFFT apparatus includes a storage unit, a first FFT/IFFT unit, a second FFT/IFFT unit, and a third FFT/IFFT unit. The storage unit has as many addresses as the number of bits of input data. The first FFT/IFFT unit sequentially stores half of the input data in the storage unit, performs a first-point FFT/IFFT operation while sequentially receiving the other half of the input data, and stores the first-point FFT/IFFT operation result in the storage unit. The second FFT/IFFT unit performs a second-point FFT/IFFT operation on the first-point FFT/IFFTed data, and stores the second-point FFT/IFFT operation result in the storage unit. The third FFT/IFFT unit performs a third-point FFT/IFFT operation on the second-point FFT/IFFTed data, and stores the third-point FFT/IFFT operation result in the storage unit.
US08023395B2
The optical storage medium comprises a substrate layer, a data layer with a mark/space structure arranged in tracks on the substrate layer, and a cover layer. One track comprises positive marks and a neighboring track comprises negative marks. The tracks are arranged in particular as spirals wherein one spiral contains a track with only positive marks and a neighboring spiral contains a track with only negative marks. The positive marks of a track and correspondingly the negative marks of a track are separated each by spaces. The optical storage medium is particularly a read-only optical disc and comprises a mask layer with a super resolution near field structure, wherein the tracks of the data layer are arranged as two spirals, one spiral consisting of positive marks only and the other spiral consisting of negative marks only. For the production of the optical storage medium, a stamper and production methods for a master for a stamper production are provided, comprising a surface with positive and negative marks, which correspond to the respective positive and negative marks of the data layer of the optical storage medium.
US08023394B2
A method is provided for manufacturing an optical data recording medium including a plurality of data recording layers each having a user data recording region and a BCA formation region positioned at an inner position than the data recording region. The method includes: forming a first data recording layer out of the plurality of data recording layers on a first substrate; forming a second data recording layer out of the plurality of data recording layers on a second substrate; forming a BCA pattern within the BCA formation region of the second data recording layer to record burst cut data; and bonding the first and second substrates after the BCA pattern is formed.
US08023389B2
An objective lens relating to the present invention includes a first optical path difference providing structure in which a first basic structure and a second basic structure are overlapped with each other. The first basic structure is a blaze-type structure which emits a Xth-order diffracted light flux, when the first light flux passes through the first basic structure, where the value of X is an odd integer. At least a part of the first basic structure arranged around an optical axis includes a step facing an opposite direction to the optical axis. The second basic structure is a blaze-type structure which emits a Lth-order diffracted light flux, when the first light flux passes through the second basic structure, where the value of L is an even integer. At least a part of the second basic structure arranged around the optical axis includes a step facing the optical axis.
US08023383B2
A recording apparatus with a device for recording information onto a medium, provided with: (i) a first layer irradiated with laser light to record information on a first area; and (ii) a second layer irradiated with laser light through the first layer and having a second area whose edge on an inner circumferential side corresponds to an edge on an outer circumferential side of the first area; and a controlling device for controlling the recording device to pre-record, into an area portion of the first area, other than an area portion having a size corresponding to a tolerance length, which indicates an acceptable range of a relative position shift between an address defined on the predetermined position in the first layer and an address related to the predetermined position in the second layer, with the edge on the outer circumferential side of the first area as a starting point.
US08023381B2
An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: an offset adding device (19-1, 19-2) for adding a first offset value (OFS) which can be set to be variable, to a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100); a correcting device (18) for correcting waveform distortion occurring in a read signal corresponding to a long mark, of the read signal to which the first offset value is added; an offset subtracting device (19-2, 19-3) for subtracting a second offset value (OFS) which can be set to be variable, from the read signal in which the waveform distortion is corrected; and a waveform equalizing device (15) for performing a waveform equalization process on the read signal in which the second offset value is subtracted.
US08023374B2
Optical disc recording and reproduction device and an optical disc recording and reproduction method
Trial writing is made by recording waveform different from that used to record information in a disc. In the trial writing, particularly, the strategy having short cooling time or large cooling power is used to make recording, so that the jitter characteristic having clear difference between jitters in magnitude can be obtained to get stable calculated power. Thus, the recording quality can be ensured and user's convenience is increased.
US08023373B2
A method of reducing power dissipation in a variable-gain photo-detector circuit is described. The variable-gain photo-detector circuit has an output to output a main spot signal and at least one side spot signal. The main spot (M) and the side spot (Si or S2) are formed by separating a light beam into a main beam and at least one side beam and focusing the main beam on the main spot (M) and the side beam on at least one side spot (Si or S2) on an optical record carrier The method processes the main spot signal with a first averaging circuit having a first cut-off frequency. The side spot signal is processed with a second averaging circuit having a second cut-off frequency. The second cut-off frequency is lower than the first cut-off frequency. The above technique reduces power dissipation in the variable-gain photo-detector circuit and is useful for all optical devices.
US08023371B2
The invention relates to an optical drive (10) and a method for determining a reading and/or writing position of an optical drive (10). The optical drive (10) in accordance with the invention comprises control means (12) and at least three PLL units (20, 22, 24), wherein the control means (12) are adapted to control the three PLL units (20, 22, 24) to try to lock on to three different frequencies characteristic for an optical disc (26). The method in accordance with the invention comprises the step of controlling at least three PLL units (20, 22, 24) to try to lock on to three different frequencies characteristic for an optical disc (26). If the optical disc (26) is a Blue Ray Disc, the three different frequencies can be the HFM frequency, the wobble frequency, and the expected HF frequency.
US08023368B2
A tilt sensor includes a photodetector having a photosensitive plane and detecting a light beam in multiple areas and outputting detection signals representing its intensities and a tilt detector for generating a tilt error signal, including information about the tilt of a disk, based on the detection signals. The light beam forms a beam spot on the photosensitive plane. The beam spot includes a +first-order light area in which zero-order and +first-order light rays, diffracted by a track on the disk, are superposed, −first-order light area in which zero-order and −first-order light rays are superposed, and a zero-order light area which is sandwiched between the +first-order and −first-order light areas, includes neither the +first-order nor −first-order light ray, but includes a zero-order light ray. The photodetector generates the detection signals except for light entering an opaque area provided for at least part of the zero-order light area.
US08023364B2
A solar panel determines whether or not a wristwatch is in darkness. When the darkness has continued for a predetermined time period, e.g., for 61-70 minutes, it is determined that the wristwatch is not in use and set in a sleep state. Out of seconds, center and hour hands, at least the seconds hand is rotated to a reference position (00-second position) and stopped, and positions of the center and hour hands are detected. Therefore, power consumption during can be reduced when the wristwatch is not in use.
US08023347B2
In an anti-fuse repair control circuit, a semiconductor memory device is integrated into a multi-chip package to perform an anti-fuse repair. An anti-fuse repair control circuit includes a data mask signal input circuit, a cell address enable unit a repair enable unit, and a repair unit. The data mask signal input circuit receives and outputs a data mask signal upon receiving a test control signal for an anti-fuse repair. The cell address enable unit receives an anti-fuse repair address to enable a cell address of an anti-fuse cell to be repaired upon receiving the data mask signal outputted from the data mask signal input circuit. The repair enable unit codes the cell address and output a repair enable signal and a drive signal according to whether or not an anti-fuse cell corresponding to the cell address is enabled. The repair unit supplies a repair voltage to the anti-fuse cell when the repair enable signal, the address, and the drive signal are enabled.
US08023339B2
A pipe latch circuit comprises a reset signal generating unit which receives a read-write flag signal and a read period signal and generates a reset signal, wherein the reset signal is enabled upon entry into a write operation or after all data are outputted to an outside upon read operation, an input/output control signal generating unit which generates a plurality of input control signals and output control signals in response to a read strobe signal and a clock signal, and is reset in response to the reset signal, and a pipe latch unit which latches inputted data in response to the input control signals and outputs the latched data in response to the output control signals.
US08023335B2
A read method of a flash memory device is provided which comprises reading a plurality of adjacent memory cells connected with a word line different from a plurality of selected memory cells; reading the plurality of selected memory cells one or more times using a plurality of coupling compensation parameters; and selectively latching the read result of the selected memory cells based on the read result of the adjacent memory cells.
US08023330B2
In a method of erasing a nonvolatile memory device, an erase operation is performed on memory cells of a selected block. A first soft program operation is performed on the cells on which the erase operation has been performed. The erase operation and the first soft program operation are repeatedly performed by increasing an erase voltage by a first step voltage until a threshold voltage of the memory cells becomes lower than a first erase verify voltage. When the threshold voltage of the memory cells becomes lower than the first erase verify voltage, a second soft program operation is performed. The second soft program operation is repeatedly performed by increasing a soft program voltage by a second step voltage until a cell is programmed to have a soft program verify voltage.
US08023326B2
A nonvolatile trap charge storage cell selects a logic interconnect transistor uses in programmable logic applications, such as FPGA. The nonvolatile trap charge element is an insulator located under a control gate and above an oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The preferred embodiment is an integrated device comprising a word gate portion sandwiched between two nonvolatile trap charge storage portions, wherein the integrated device is connected between a high bias, a low bias and an output. The output is formed by a diffusion connecting to the channel directly under the word gate portion. The program state of the two storage portions determines whether the high bias or the low bias is coupled to a logic interconnect transistor connected to the output diffusion.
US08023323B2
A non-volatile memory device and related method of driving data are disclosed. The non-volatile memory device includes an array of multi level cells and a monitoring memory cell. The method of driving including performing a preliminary read operation with respect to a monitoring memory cell using a first read voltage, determining whether data initially stored in the monitoring memory cell is identical with data read from the monitoring memory cell during the preliminary read operation, and setting a main read voltage to a level different from the level of the first read voltage when the data initially stored in the monitoring memory cell is not identical with the data read from the monitoring memory cell in relation to the first read voltage.
US08023322B2
A memory device and a method thereof allow programming and sensing a plurality of memory cells in parallel in order to minimize errors caused by coupling from fields of neighboring cells and to improve performance. The memory device and method have the plurality of memory cells linked by the same word line and a read/write circuit is coupled to each memory cells in a contiguous manner. Thus, a memory cell and its neighbors are programmed together and the field environment for each memory cell relative to its neighbors during programming and subsequent reading is less varying. This improves performance and reduces errors caused by coupling from fields of neighboring cells, as compared to conventional architectures and methods in which cells on even columns are programmed independently of cells in odd columns.
US08023319B2
The phase change memory device includes a plurality of memory banks, a plurality of local conductor lines connected to the plurality of memory banks, at least one global conductor line connected to the plurality of local conductor lines, and at least one repair control circuit configured to selectively replace at least one of the at least one global conductor line with at least one redundant global conductor line and configured to selectively replace at least one of the plurality of local conductor lines with at least one redundant local conductor line.
US08023317B2
A magnetic data storage cell, applicable to spin-torque random access memory (ST-RAM), is disclosed. A magnetic cell includes first and second fixed magnetic layers and a free magnetic layer positioned between the fixed magnetic layers. The magnetic cell also includes terminals configured for providing a spin-polarized current through the magnetic layers. The first fixed magnetic layer has a magnetization direction that is substantially parallel to the easy axis of the free magnetic layer, and the second fixed magnetic layer has a magnetization direction that is substantially orthogonal to the easy axis of the free magnetic layer. The dual fixed magnetic layers provide enhanced spin torque in writing to the free magnetic layer, thereby reducing the required current and reducing the feature size of magnetic data storage cells, and increasing the data storage density of magnetic spin torque data storage.
US08023307B1
A method for handling peripheral signals in an extensible three dimensional circuit includes forming an extensible three dimensional circuit with a plurality of stacked crossbar arrays and at least one class of traveling lines which travel vertically and laterally through the circuit. The method also includes alternating the traveling direction of bundles of traveling lines such that there are a substantially equal number of undriven lines and underutilized lines which exit out of a given side of the circuit and creating loopback traces which connect the undriven traveling lines and the underutilized traveling lines to form driven traveling lines with a full complement of memory elements and eliminate addressing gaps within the circuit.
US08023306B2
Optical and optoelectronic devices and methods of making same. Under one aspect, an optical device includes an integrated circuit an array of conductive regions; and an optically sensitive material over at least a portion of the integrated circuit and in electrical communication with at least one conductive region of the array of conductive regions. Under another aspect, a method of forming a nanocrystalline film includes fabricating a plurality of nanocrystals having a plurality of first ligands attached to their outer surfaces; exchanging the first ligands for second ligands of different chemical composition than the first ligands; forming a film of the ligand-exchanged nanocrystals; removing the second ligands; and fusing the cores of adjacent nanocrystals in the film to form an electrical network of fused nanocrystals. Under another aspect, a film includes a network of fused nanocrystals, the nanocrystals having a core and an outer surface, wherein the core of at least a portion of the fused nanocrystals is in direct physical contact and electrical communication with the core of at least one adjacent fused nanocrystal, and wherein the film has substantially no defect states in the regions where the cores of the nanocrystals are fused.
US08023304B2
The memory module includes a plurality of memory devices, a first connector and a second connector. The first connector is disposed at a first position on the memory module. The first connector is configured to carry low-speed signals for the memory devices. The second connector is disposed at a second position on the memory module, different from the first position. The second connector is configured to carry high-speed signals for at least one of the memory devices. The high-speed signals are a higher speed form of signaling than the low-speed signals. The memory system may include at least one slot electrically connected to a chip set and at least one memory module electrically connected to the slot via the first connector. A transmission line such as a fiber optic cable electrically connects the second connector and the chip set.
US08023300B1
Present embodiments allow a search engine to quickly save and restore state information to and from an external state memory when switching between multiple data flows by transferring the state information between the search engine and the external state memory in a parallel manner. More specifically, for CAM-based search engines configured according to present embodiments, the CAM array includes state information gating circuits that selectively allow state information stored in the CAM array's match latches to be transposed onto the array's bit lines and then read from the array using the array's sense amplifiers.
US08023285B2
A chip card holder for a portable electronic device includes a body member and a cover member pivotally connected thereto. The body member defines a receiving groove for a chip card. The cover member includes a contact portion, a latching portion, and a connecting portion. The contact portion is pivotally connected to the body member and contacts the chip card. The latching portion latches to the body member. The connecting portion includes a first sheet portion and a second sheet portion. The first sheet portion connects to the second sheet portion, forming a gap therebetween. The contact portion connects to the first sheet portion, outside the gap. The latching portion connects to the second sheet portion, inside the gap.
US08023284B2
An assembly structure of a membrane and a print circuit board (PCB). The assembly structure comprises a membrane, a print circuit board, a cover and bolts. A curved protrusion formed on the cover makes the golden fingers of the membrane and the PCB overlap completely when the membrane and the PCB are assembled by the bolts. Electrical contact between the membrane and the PCB is thus reliable and stable. The assemble cost is lowered, and an easy assemble method is provided.
US08023281B2
An inverter apparatus is composed of an insulated metal substrate, a conductive stud, a printed circuit board, a conductive spacer, and a bus bar. An inverter output stage is mounted on the insulated metal substrate. The conductive stud is coupled to a main surface of the insulated metal substrate, and electrically connected with the inverter output stage. The printed circuit board is supported by the stud. The stud is coupled on the rear surface of the printed circuit board. Provided on the main surface of the printed circuit board is a circuit connected to the inverter output stage. The conductive spacer is coupled on the main surface of the printed circuit board, and electrically connected with the stud. The bus bar is coupled to the spacer.
US08023275B2
An information handling system includes a printed circuit board and an extension card. The printed circuit board includes a first expansion terminal. The extension card includes a first coupling interface, a retention mechanism, and an access terminal. The first coupling interface is operable to engage the first expansion terminal. The retention mechanism is operable to be coupled to at least a first exterior portion of the first expansion terminal to secure the first coupling interface to the first expansion terminal. The access terminal is operably coupled to the first coupling interface, and the access terminal is electrically coupled the first expansion terminal to access terminal.
US08023273B2
Disclosed is an electrical device, in particular a control unit for a motor vehicle, comprising a plate-shaped circuit support fixed on a metallic base plate of the housing, on which a plastic plug part s fixed on a side facing away from the metallic base plate, characterized in that fixing means which are pivot-shaped and protrude from the base plate, are provided for the common mounting of the plastic plug part, the circuit support and the metallic base plate of the housing, that said fixing means are guided through corresponding recesses in the circuit support and in the plastic plug part, that a deformation is produced at each inserted end and that each deformation is supported y a supporting part on said plastic plug part.
US08023268B2
A terminal bump set including the outermost bump row inscribed in a first prism standing upright on the front surface of a package substrate. A heat conductive member contacts with the surface of the semiconductor element. The heat conductive member extends outward beyond the contour of the semiconductor element. A reinforcing member is interposed between the heat conductive member and the package substrate outside the contour of the semiconductor element. The reinforcing member is bonded to the front surface of the package substrate at a predetermined bonding area. The predetermined bonding area extends inward from the outer periphery of the package substrate over the front surface of the package substrate. The second prism stands upright on the front surface of the package substrate inside the first prism so as to allow the outermost bump row to circumscribe the second prism.
US08023257B2
A slide mechanism includes a main plate, a slide plate and a driving device, the slide plate slidably engages with the main plate, the driving device for driving the slide plate slide relative to the main plate includes a driving mechanism and a control module electronically connecting the driving mechanism, the driving mechanism is positioned between the main plate and the slide plate, the slide plate slide relative to the main plate by the driving mechanism, which is controlled by the control module. The invention also discloses a portable electronic device applying the slide mechanism.
US08023237B2
An Electrostatic Discharge protection circuit, the circuit includes a transient detecting circuit, a level adjusting circuit, a discharging circuit, and a sustaining circuit. The transient detecting circuit is coupled to a first pad for detecting an input signal at the first pad to generate a transient signal; the level adjusting circuit is coupled to the transient detecting circuit for adjusting an output voltage at an output terminal of the level adjusting circuit; the discharging circuit is coupled to the first pad and the output terminal of the level adjusting circuit for discharging the input signal of the first pad to a second pad when enabled by the output voltage; and the sustaining circuit is coupled between the level adjusting circuit and the transient detecting circuit, for selectively controlling the level adjusting circuit to sustain an enablement of the discharging circuit according to the transient signal.
US08023235B2
An electrical fault detection device for use in a branch of a power circuit that utilizes signals from an AC line current sensor coupled to an electrical distribution line having a primary and neutral lines, a line high-frequency sensor coupled to the electrical distribution line, a differential current sensor coupled to the primary and neutral lines, and a ground fault current sensor coupled to the primary and neutral lines. A signal conditioner receives the signals outputted by AC current line current sensor, the line high frequency sensor, the differential current sensor and the ground fault current sensor and generates a signal indicative of the load current associated with a branch of the power circuit. Output of the signal conditioner is sampled and processed by a processing resource. The processing resource has stored therein data representing a plurality of time-versus-current curves that define a plurality of regions in which tripping may or may not occur. One region has time data and current data that define a time-duration for a particular current magnitude for which no tripping will occur. Another region has time data and current data that define a time-duration of a particular current magnitude for which tripping will occur. Processing resource processes sampled signal to determine the region to which the processed time data and current data correspond, and generates a signal to initiate tripping if the sampled signal yields a time duration for a particular current magnitude that corresponds to a region for which tripping must occur.
US08023230B2
Magnetoresistive element including a pair of ferromagnetic layers coupled to a pair of shield layers
A magnetoresistive element includes a pair of shield portions, and an MR stack and a bias magnetic field applying layer that are disposed between the pair of shield portions. The shield portions respectively include single magnetic domain portions. The MR stack includes a pair of ferromagnetic layers magnetically coupled to the pair of single magnetic domain portions, and a spacer layer disposed between the pair of ferromagnetic layers. The MR stack has a front end face, a rear end face and two side surfaces. The magnetoresistive element further includes two flux guide layers disposed between the pair of single magnetic domain portions and respectively adjacent to the two side surfaces of the MR stack. Each of the two flux guide layers has a front end face and a rear end face. The bias magnetic field applying layer has a front end face that faces the rear end face of the MR stack and the respective rear end faces of the two flux guide layers.
US08023225B2
While an emitting position of light from an optical waveguide and a magnetic pole end part are made closer to each other, high-density writing onto a magnetic recording medium is realized.A thermally assisted magnetic head comprises a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end part exposed at a medium-opposing surface opposing a magnetic disk, and an optical waveguide for deflecting laser light incident thereon into a laminating direction. The main magnetic pole layer is positioned on a side where the light is deflected by the optical waveguide. The magnetic pole end part projects to the side where the light is deflected by the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide projects more than the magnetic pole end part on the medium-opposing surface side.
US08023222B2
According to one embodiment, an information storage device includes a recording/reproducing head, a positioning controller, a position detector, a storage module, and a position error detector. The position detector detects the position of the recording/reproducing head. The storage module stores servo control filters. The position error detector generates a new position error signal from a target position and the position of the recording/reproducing head when the positioning controller performs positioning control with control current obtained from a position error signal having passed through each servo control filter. Upon occurrence of a recording/reproducing error, learning to calculate a vibration amount from the position of the recording/reproducing head is sequentially performed for the servo control filters for a predetermined time. The positioning controller performs the positioning control with control current obtained from the position error signal having passed through one of the servo control filters where the vibration amount is smallest.
US08023218B2
We describe a system for electric field assisted magnetic recording where a recordable magnetic medium includes a magnetic recording layer of high coercivity and vertical magnetic anisotropy that is adjacent to an electrostrictive layer which can be placed in a state of stress by a electric field or which is already pre-stressed and which pre-stress can be turned into strain by an electric field. When the magnetic medium is acted on simultaneously by a magnetic writing field and an electric field, the stress in the electrostrictive layer is transferred to a magnetostrictive layer which is the magnetic recording layer by itself or is coupled to the magnetic recording layer, whereupon the magnetic recording layer is made more isotropic and more easily written upon. Residual stresses in the electrostrictive layer can then be removed by an additional electric field of opposite sign to the stress-producing field.
US08023204B2
A compact short back focus imaging lens system with two lenses is revealed and includes along the optical axis from an object side to an image side: an aperture stop, a first lens with positive refractive power that is a meniscus aspherical lens with convex surface facing the object side, a second lens with negative refractive power that is a meniscus aspherical lens with convex surface facing the image side, an IR cut-off filter and an image sensor. Moreover, the following conditions are satisfied by the imaging lens system: - 0.3 ≤ f 1 f 2 ≤ - 0.01 0.25 ≤ bf TL ≤ 0.4 wherein f1 is focal length of the first lens, f2 is focal length of the second lens, bf is back focal length of the imaging lens system, and TL (overall length) is the distance from the aperture stop to the image plane. Thus, the imaging lens system of the present invention has short back focal length effects and reduced overall length so as to achieve the requirement of minimized volume for mobile phones or mini-cameras.
US08023201B2
A retractable lens barrel that improves shock resistance without obstructing miniaturization. In the retractable lens barrel, pins formed in the lens barrel are engaged with grooves formed in a cam ring, and the lens barrel is caused to move in a direction of an optical axis by rotation of the cam ring. The pins include a cam pin for moving the lens barrel, and a slip-off preventive pin for preventing the cam pin from slipping off the groove. The grooves include a cam groove with which the cam pin is engaged, and a slip-off preventive groove with which the slip-off preventive pin is engaged. In an area close to a retracted position of the lens barrel, the cam groove and the slip-off preventive groove overlap to be shared grooves with which the cam pin and the slip-off preventive pin are engaged.
US08023192B2
Lens array, lens unit, led head, exposing unit, image forming apparatus, and image reading apparatus
A lens array forms an erect image of an object. The lens array includes at least one row of lens elements and at least one rib. The lens elements are aligned in a first direction perpendicular to optical axes of the lens elements having an incidence surface and an exit surface. The rib is formed on the lens array and extending in a second direction parallel to the first direction and in a third direction parallel to the optical axes further than the incidence surface and the exit surface. A lens unit includes a shielding member and the lens array assembled to the shielding member. The shielding member includes diaphragms formed therein and aligned in a first direction, and a first engagement portion. The lens array includes a second engagement portion for engaging the first engagement portion to correct deformation of the lens array.
US08023187B1
A cabinet projection screen with an automatic push-pull structural function is provided, which includes a cabinet body (1). A screen push-pull base (13) is disposed on the cabinet body (1) through sliding rails (2, 4, 10, and 11). A scrolling mechanism (6) is disposed inside the cabinet body (1), and includes a scrolling shaft (61), a scrolling motor (8), a tape (62), and a telescopic device (7). One end of the tape (62) is fixed on the scrolling shaft (61), and the other end thereof is fixed on the screen push-pull base (13). When the scrolling motor (8) drives the scrolling shaft (61) to rotate, the scrolling shaft (61) winds the tape (62) on the scrolling shaft (61), so as to drive the screen push-pull base (13) to move towards one side of the scrolling shaft (61) through the tape (62), and at the same time the screen push-pull base (13) compresses the telescopic device (7). An elevator screen (12) is disposed on the screen push-pull base (13). The cabinet projection screen has advantages of versatility and occupying no space.
US08023183B1
A wide-field-of-view (WFOV) optical system includes a negative optical-power primary mirror configured to receive and reflect light from an image scene; a low optical-power secondary mirror configured to receive and reflect light from the primary mirror; a negative optical-power tertiary mirror configured to receive and reflect light from the secondary mirror; and a positive optical-power quaternary mirror configured to receive and reflect light from the tertiary mirror. The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary mirrors are configured to maintain an effective focal length (EFL) at edges of the field of view (FOV) of the optical system to be at least equal to a center of the FOV of the optical system so that a spatial resolution of the optical system essentially remains constant across the FOV.
US08023181B2
Provided is an optical fiber for amplification and an optical fiber amplifier for use in L-band, in which optical fiber the increase of transmission loss and the degradation of hydrogen-resistant characteristic can be restrained. The optical fiber is basically made of silica glass and comprises: a core region doped with erbium and P element of 2 wt % to 5 wt % concentration, Ge not being added thereto; and a cladding region enclosing the core region and doped with F element, wherein the optical fiber has a gain at least in a wavelength range of 1570 to 1620 nm. The optical fiber amplifier comprises: the optical fiber; a pump light source for outputting the pump light capable of exciting a rare-earth element added to the core region of the optical fiber; and an optical coupler for introducing into the optical fiber the pump light having been output from the pump light source.
US08023168B2
A method for manipulating light comprises receiving an incoming beam of light at a tunable optical device, the tunable optical device comprising an organic material having an optical property that can be selectively varied under the influence of an external bias. The method further comprises applying a selected external bias to the tunable optical device to change an optical property of the tunable optical device. The method also comprises controlling an optical property of a beam of light exiting the tunable optical device as a result of the selected external bias.
US08023167B2
A transmissive backlit display is disclosed. In one aspect, the backlit display comprises a backlight and an array of transmissive interferometric modulators. Each interferometric modulator comprises a fixed and moving dielectric mirror stack. The interferometric modulators cause light within the desired wavelength range to be transmitted while reflecting at least a portion of the remaining light.
US08023165B2
Shown is a lens device 16 comprising a displaceable lens 18 and a guide 42, by means of which the lens is guided so as to be capable of being displaced. The lens device 16 comprises a first and a second galvanometric motor 46a, 46b and a first and a second force transmission device 54a, 56a; 54b, 56b, which is coupled to the rotor of the first and second galvanometric motor 46a, 46b, respectively, and which is coupled to the lens 18 at a first and second junction 58a, 58b, respectively. The force transmission device is suitable to convert a rotary motion of the rotor of the first and second galvanometric motor 46a, 46b, respectively, into a displacement motion of the lens 18. The first and the second junction 58a, 58b are thereby spaced apart from one another in a direction at right angles to the displacement direction of the lens 18.
US08023162B2
A scanning technique for imaging sites in an array includes illuminating or irradiating sites in lines of the array, and collecting returned radiation from the sites for imaging. The sites are sequentially scanned by means of confocally directed radiation lines from source optics. The orientation of the radiation lines with respect to the lines of sites in the array is such that the distance between nearest edges of sites in adjacent lines is greater than lines through those edges in a direction parallel to the radiation lines used for scanning. The resulting system experiences less crosstalk and a greater ability to distinguish between neighboring sites in resulting images.
US08023155B2
In connection with the digitization of documents, a process and system wherein an automated quality control function operates to automatically determine the quality of an image according to predetermined characteristics and their associated values. According to this novel system and process, if an image fails to meet specified quality criteria it may be marked as such and that information as well as other information concerning the image will be made available during archival and thereafter including during a retrieval operation.
US08023153B2
As provided herein, there are supplied teachings to systems and methods for resizing a halftone image using halftone tile parameters. One approach entails receiving into a digital imaging system, a digital halftone image and a desired resizing factor for the digital halftone image. Subsequently the system will define cells within the digital halftone image and determine from those cells, a number of halftone tile seams to suitable for manipulation. The orientation of these halftone tile seams is dictated by the received desired resizing factor. The energy of the number of halftone tile seams is determined according to an energy metric so as to provide indication of at least one low energy determined halftone tile seam. A resizing of the halftone image is then performing by manipulating at least one low energy halftone tile seam in the halftone image. The resized halftone image may then be printed on a printer.
US08023151B2
An image processing method involves processing image data indicative of an image represented with a prescribed number of input tones by each of pixel groups composed of a plurality of print pixels, and generating dot data representing a status of dot formation on each of the print pixels to be formed on a print medium. The method includes preparing a first conversion table and a second conversion table, determining the pixel group tone value in response to the input tone value corresponding to the pixel group, converting the determined pixel group tone value into the code values for each of the pixel groups, by referring to the first conversion table, decoding the acquired code value into the output dot arrangement for each of the pixel groups, by referring the second conversion table, and outputting the dot data in response to the output dot arrangement.
US08023149B2
When generating a color conversion table for converting a device independent color into a device color, a conversion target color of the device independent color corresponding to a lattice point of the color conversion table is set based on color reproduction information indicating the relationship between the device color and device independent color. The conversion target color is changed to generate a plurality of neighbor colors of the conversion target color. The conversion target color and the plurality of neighbor colors are converted into device colors based on the color reproduction information, and the device color corresponding to the conversion target color is calculated from the conversion results.
US08023143B2
An image-forming system prevents a print overrun error even if there are bands of divided data having different band heights. An image-forming system has a band divider to divide image data into a plurality of bands each containing divided image date, a loader to load the bands into a band memory, and an output unit to sequentially output the bands from the band memory to a print engine at predetermined timing. The band divider can change the height of at least one of the bands from the height of the remaining bands. The band memory includes VRAMs into which a band of bitmap data whose band height is higher than a threshold is loaded and an auxiliary VRAM (VRAM-special) into which a band of bitmap data whose height has been changed.
US08023138B2
A method of generating a second interactive substrate in response to a first interactive substrate. The method comprises the steps of: (i) interacting with the first interface surface using an optically imaging pen having a nib; (ii) imaging and decoding a coded data tag; (iii) generating indicating data regarding the identity of the first interactive substrate and a position of the nib relative to the first printed surface; and (iv) sending the indicating data to a computer system, thereby causing a printer to print a second interactive substrate in response to the computer system receiving the indicating data.
US08023137B2
An extended user interface compatibility confirming method has the steps of: (a) connecting an image forming apparatus and an extended user interface device to a network, the extended user interface device having an extended operation panel and sending a web service request from the extended operation panel to the image forming apparatus to perform an image forming function corresponding to the web service request; (b) requesting manufacturer information of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus with SNMP protocol by the extended user interface device, and receiving the manufacturer information from the image forming apparatus by the extended user interface device; and (c) sending a web service request compatible with the manufacturer information to the image forming apparatus by the extended user interface device to inquire whether or not the image forming apparatus is capable of using the extended user interface device.
US08023135B2
A method is provided for creating a print container with a series of resident fixed documents. The method opens a user interface (UI). Using the UI, a first plurality of elements stored in memory is selected and a print container is created. The print container preserves a second plurality of elements as separate entities in the print container. For example, a print container may have an element hierarchy of jobs in the print container, fixed documents in a job, and fixed pages in a fixed document may be created. Elements are defined as print containers, fixed documents, application-specific documents, page description language (PDL) documents, extensible markup language (XML) paper specification (XPS) fixed documents, or combinations of the above-mentioned elements. In one aspect, the selected elements are extensible markup language (XML) paper specification (XPS) fixed documents, which are preserved as separate entities in an XPS container.
US08023134B2
Disclosed herein is a method of preparing production tickets that involves selecting order data from at least a first data field in an ordering system, feeding the selected order data to a workflow management system, and generating a production ticket for a print production job using at least a portion of the selected order data to name the print production job. One embodiment employs a join identifier to include several related files on the same production ticket. Corresponding configuration tools and workflow management systems also are disclosed.
US08023126B2
An image forming apparatus includes a main power unit that outputs a first DC power and an auxiliary power unit that outputs a second DC power to the components of the image forming apparatus. The auxiliary power unit includes a rechargeable capacitor. A measuring unit measures performance of the capacitor and a determining unit determines performance insufficiency of the capacitor based on the measured performance and the system configuration of the image forming apparatus. The performance is, for example, changes in a capacitance of the capacitor with time. When the determining unit determines performance insufficiency of the capacitor, a control unit adjusts, for example, a use range of the capacitor.
US08023125B2
To remove effects on the access of the hard disk drive apparatus (HDD), caused by the shock at a time where the user pulls out the paper tray, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an apparatus error detection unit for detecting the removal and occurrence of errors requiring the intervention of the user, an information storage unit for bringing the pickup unit near the rotating recording medium to record and reproduce information, and a memory control unit for stopping access to the information storage unit from a time where the error is detected by the apparatus error detection unit until a time where removal of the error is detected.
US08023123B2
An apparatus receives printing structured document data relating to data broadcasting, that has been described in a markup language. The received printing structured document data is parsed, and layout information for printing is extracted. The descriptions relating to printing that are included in the printing structured document data are changed into descriptions which can be parsed by a browser application capable of displaying contents described in a markup language, using the layout information. Thus, when printing data broadcast data in digital broadcasting, a suitable preview display can be made of printing data which has been generated from printing structured document data described in a markup language, using browser functions of a digital TV, before performing printing output of printing data.
US08023106B2
Positional information of a wafer stage in a Z-axis direction and a tilt direction with respect to the XY plane (for example, a θy direction) is measured, using a surface position measurement system, such as, for example, a Z head and the like, and the wafer stage is driven based on the measurement results.At the same time, positional information of the wafer stage is measured using an interferometer system such as, for example, a Z interferometer. When abnormality of the surface position measurement system is detected or when the wafer stage moves off from a measurement area of the surface position measurement system, drive control is switched to a drive control based on the measurement results of the interferometer system. Accordingly, the wafer stage can be driven continuously even at the time of abnormality generation in the surface position measurement system.
US08023095B2
A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display is provided, which includes: forming a sealant on a first panel; dropping liquid crystal on the first panel to form a plurality of liquid crystal dots; assembling a second panel with the first panel, wherein the first and the second panels have a striped array of pixel areas, each stripe extending in a first direction, and a first distance in the first direction between the liquid crystal dots is equal to or smaller than a second distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between the liquid crystal dots.
US08023093B2
The present invention is to provide a display panel, a multi-layer display element, and a method of fabricating same, which can readily align alignment positions of individual display panels with each other even though common alignment marks are provided on each of display panels. A display panel includes a pair of substrates faced to each other as a display material layer is sandwiched between the substrates, a plurality of pixels provided in a plane almost in parallel with a substrate surface between the substrates, and a plurality of alignment marks formed in different shapes and linearly arranged on at least one of the pair of the substrates at a predetermined interval for alignment in placing the display panels in layers.
US08023089B2
A pixel array and a display panel with the pixel array are provided. The number of the scan lines used in the pixel array is reduced to half, while the number of data lines is doubled because every two sub-pixel rows correspond to one scan line in the pixel array. The wire impedances between the data lines and the pixel array are thus made the same. The aperture ratio of each sub-pixel is thereby increased and the size of the TFT in each sub-pixel is also reduced. The complexity in the wire arrangement of the pixel array is accordingly lowered to improve the transmittance of the display panel and make the frame resolution of the display panel more even.
US08023088B2
A manufacturing method for a horizontal electric field type liquid crystal display device of fringe field switching (FFS) or the like mode whereby pixel electrodes and a common electrode are disposed opposing each other on a planarization layer with an insulator interposed, includes a step whereby a planarization layer 18 is formed that has openings formed therein at the positions where contact holes 21a are to be formed in the surface of a passivation layer 17, and the portions of such planarization layer at the periphery of the display area are removed, followed by a step whereby the exposed portions of the passivation layer 17 are removed using a fluorine etching gas. By employing such method, the size of the contact hole 21a mouths can be rendered smaller, and also the number of manufacturing processes can be reduced, compared to the related art.
US08023076B2
The liquid crystal display includes a first substrate, a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the first substrate and including a plurality of transparent electrodes and a plurality of reflective electrodes formed on portions of the transparent electrodes, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a plurality of organic insulator patterns formed in regions corresponding to the reflective electrodes. The planar shape of the organic insulator patterns for adjusting cell gaps of the liquid crystal display in the transmissive regions and the reflective regions may be adjusted such that the liquid crystals formed using drop injection may be dispersed rapidly and a uniformly to maintain uniform cell gap and prevent staining of the display.
US08023068B2
An optical sheet, a backlight unit including the optical sheet, and a liquid crystal display including the backlight unit are provided. The optical sheet includes a base film including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and a plurality of projections on the base film. A first thickness between the first surface and the second surface is different from a second thickness between the first surface and the second surface.
US08023056B2
An active matrix substrate including, in each pixel area, a transistor, a pixel electrode (17), a conductive member (18) functioning as one of electrodes of a storage capacitor, a drain lead-out (7) electrode connected to a drain electrode of the transistor, and overlapping with the conductive member (18), and a contact hole for connecting the drain lead-out electrode (7) to the pixel electrode (17), includes a gate insulating film (40) covering a gate electrode of each transistor, the gate insulating film including a first thickness portion (41) overlapping with at least part of the contact hole, and a second thickness portion (42) formed adjacent to the first thickness portion, and overlapping with the drain lead-out electrode, the first thickness portion (41) having a greater thickness than the second thickness portion (42). This makes it possible to provide the active matrix substrate in which a short-circuit between the conductive member functioning as one of the electrodes of the storage capacitor, and the drain lead-out electrode (or the pixel electrode) is successfully prevented.
US08023052B1
A polarization modulator for time-multiplexed stereoscopic 3D applications rapidly switches between two polarization states in alternate subframes. The polarization modulator uses two liquid crystal devices arranged in optical series and driven such that the second device compensates a change the first device makes to an input polarization state of incident light during alternate subframes. The compensating liquid crystal devices are characterized in that, if the same voltage is applied to both of them, the second device compensates the change that the first device makes to the input polarization state, regardless of the applied voltage level. If the applied voltage is changed from one level to another and the liquid crystal material in the liquid crystal devices relaxes to the new voltage level, polarization state compensation will take place throughout the duration of the relaxation so that the slow, unpowered transition does not manifest itself as a change in polarization state.
US08023051B2
The material utilization efficiency of FPC's is improved, to provide a low cost touch panel. A touch panel 100 is constituted by: a rectangular transparent panel 104; and a plurality of light emitting elements 8a and a plurality of light receiving elements 8b provided at the peripheral portions of the transparent panel 104, for specifying the coordinates of targets of detection. An elongate FPC 106 is folded at a plurality of predetermined locations to be provided as a frame along the four sides 122a, 122b, 122c, and 122d of the transparent panel 104. The plurality of light emitting elements 8a are provided on the FPC 106 along two adjacent sides of the transparent panel 104, and the plurality of light receiving elements 8b are provided on the other two sides of the transparent panel 104 so as to face the light emitting elements 8a.
US08023050B2
An optical device includes a vertically aligned liquid crystal cell that holds a liquid crystal material, a compensating element made of a negative uniaxial refractive material having an optical axis tilted with respect to a system optical axis, and having a fixed positional relation with the liquid crystal cell, an adjustment element having a planar shape and a phase difference in a plane perpendicular to the system optical axis, and a rotary adjustment mechanism that rotates the adjustment element in the plane perpendicular to the system optical axis to adjust the phase difference influencing light transmitted through the adjustment element.
US08023042B2
In an active matrix type liquid crystal display device, in which functional circuits such as a shift register circuit and a buffer circuit are incorporated on the same substrate, an optimal TFT structure is provided along with the aperture ratio of a pixel matrix circuit is increased. There is a structure in which an n-channel TFT, with a third impurity region which overlaps a gate electrode, is formed in a buffer circuit, etc., and an n-channel TFT, in which a fourth impurity region which does not overlap the gate electrode, is formed in a pixel matrix circuit. A storage capacitor formed in the pixel matrix circuit is formed by a light shielding film, a dielectric film formed on the light shielding film, and a pixel electrode. Al is especially used in the light shielding film, and the dielectric film is formed anodic oxidation process, using an Al oxide film.
US08023031B2
In an image pickup apparatus having a display unit that displays an image, an operation member to which a plurality of functions are assigned, and a detection unit that detects touching to the operation member, a display control for the display unit judges with use of the detection unit whether the operation member is touched, and controls, if touching to the operation member is detected, to display on the display unit the functions assigned to the operation member in an operational state of the image pickup apparatus when the touching to the operation member is detected.
US08023022B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising: a pixel section including a matrix having a plurality of pixels, each pixel including photoelectric conversion means, a storage section, transfer means, amplification means, and reset means, on a column basis, an output signal line whose one end is coupled to a constant-current source, and in which the area carrying thereon the matrix of the pixels includes a light-shielding area, a read area, and a transition area disposed between the light-shielding area and the read area; and control means for performing control to keep the potential difference between the one end and the other end of the constant-current source in a range with which the constant-current source can be operated by using the pixel signal to be output to the output signal line at the time of resetting the pixel of the transition area, when outputting the pixel signal corresponding to the incident light from the pixel of the read area.
US08023020B2
A photodetecting circuit is disclosed. The photodetecting circuit includes a photodetector, a storage node with first and second node terminals, a transfer transistor disposed intermediate the first node terminal of the storage node and the photodetector for electrically connecting the first node terminal and the photodetector upon receiving a transfer signal to a gate of the transfer transistor, a reset transistor disposed intermediate a reset voltage node and the first node terminal of the storage node for electrically connecting the first node terminal to the reset voltage node upon receiving a reset signal to a gate of the reset transistor, and an output circuit for generating an output signal based on a voltage at the first terminal. First the reset signal is applied, followed by the transfer signal. Next, a compensation signal is applied at the second terminal of the storage node. The compensation signal increases the voltage at the first terminal whilst the output circuit generates the output signal. The compensation signal is a logically negated version of the transfer signal.
US08023003B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for generating panorama images and an apparatus and method for tracking an object using the same. The apparatus for generating panorama images estimates regional motion vectors with respect to respective lower regions set in an image frame, determines a frame motion vector by using the regional motion vectors based on a codebook storing sets of normalized regional motion vectors corresponding to a camera's motion and then accumulates motion mediating variables computed with respect to respective continuous image frames to determine an overlapping region, and matches the overlapping regions to generate a panorama image.
US08023000B2
Image pickup apparatus, image processing apparatus, image pickup method, and image processing method
The present invention, which transforms multiple images so that positions of corresponding points will coincide between the images and composites the images with the corresponding points matched, provides an image pickup apparatus, image processing apparatus, image pickup method, and image processing method which make it possible to obtain an intended all-in-focus image or blur-emphasized image even if there is camera shake or subject movement.
US08022996B2
A device for stabilizing images acquired by a digital-image sensor includes a motion-sensing device, for detecting quantities correlated to pitch and yaw movements of the digital-image sensor, and a processing unit, connectable to the digital-image sensor for receiving a first image signal and configured for extracting a second image signal from the first image signal on the basis of the quantities detected by the motion-sensing device. The motion-sensing device includes a first accelerometer and a second accelerometer.
US08022995B2
An image pickup apparatus is disclosed which provides an appropriate inclination guide display in accordance with an aspect ratio of a picked-up image and the like. The image pickup apparatus includes an inclination detector which detects an inclination of the image pickup apparatus, a display device capable of superimposedly showing an inclination guide display corresponding to a detection output from the inclination detector, on a picked-up image, and an aspect ratio setter which sets the aspect ratio of a picked-up image. The apparatus includes a display controller which controls whether or not to show the inclination guide display on the display device on the basis of the aspect ratio set by the aspect ratio setter.
US08022988B2
A display apparatus includes an object recognizing unit for receiving a plurality of video channels and recognizing at least one object moving in the video channels, a display unit for displaying the plurality of video channels so that at east one of the objects recognized by the object recognizing unit is selectable, and if receiving a selection of an object, to which a user pays attention, displaying the video channel including the attention object as an attention object, considering the selected object as the attention object, a frame in and/or out detecting unit for detecting frame-out of the attention object out of the tracking video, and a video searching unit for searching other video channels using the attention object as a searching key if the frame-out of the attention object is detected and allowing the display unit to display the detected video channel.
US08022987B2
A sensor node detects a plurality of information-based events. The sensor node determines whether at least one other sensor node is an information neighbor of the sensor node based on at least a portion of the plurality of information-based events. The information neighbor has an overlapping field of view with the sensor node. The sensor node sends at least one communication to the at least one other sensor node that is an information neighbor of the sensor node in response to at least one information-based event of the plurality of information-based events.
US08022984B2
A system and method for reducing jitter during an optical navigation operation operates to automatically switch the current resolution based on jitter-resolution correlation data.
US08022982B2
A system and method for controlling a camera assembly may include monitoring an image field for blinks by one or more subjects in the image field. The monitoring may be carried out by generating a video signal of the image field, the video signal having a sequence of frames; subtracting a previous frame of the video signal from a current frame of the video signal to generate a difference frame; and identifying image data in the difference frame that is representative of a blink. Each blink may be tracked and associated with a subject from the one or more subjects. Statistical data regarding blink duration and blink rate for each subject from the one or more subjects may be generated. In response to user input to command the taking of a photograph, a determination if a blink is in progress may be made and a flash of the camera assembly may be fired and image data for the photograph may be captured if no blink is detected at the time of the command. Otherwise, firing of the flash and the capturing of the image data may be delayed by an amount of time that is based on the statistical data to minimize firing the flash and capturing the image data during a blink of the one or more subjects.
US08022981B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for automatically controlling power of a video appliance. The apparatus for automatically controlling power of a video appliance includes an image input unit for capturing a viewer's posture, a posture detection unit for detecting posture information from the image captured by the image input unit, a horizontal-level calculation unit for calculating a horizontal level by using the posture information detected by the posture detection unit and comparing the calculated horizontal level with a preset reference horizontal level, an alert-sound output unit for outputting an alert sound corresponding to the horizontal level compared by the horizontal-level calculation unit; and a power-signal transceiver unit for outputting a power-off signal to the video appliance corresponding to the horizontal level compared by the horizontal-level calculation unit. Accordingly, upright posture of viewers watching the video appliance can be ensured since a viewer's posture is detected and power of the video appliance is automatically controlled according to the detected posture.
US08022980B2
A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. Post processing may be used to fuse images shown simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract.
US08022978B2
An automatic control system for directional control of an aircraft moving on the ground utilizing computer vision methods and camera sensing methods (visible, infrared or microwave) to optically recognize and track taxiway navigation features thereby providing pilot television picture steering cues or force inputs to the nosewheel steering system to maintain the aircraft on the centerline.
US08022969B2
In a system comprising a processor, an image storage and a display, said display capable of displaying an image, and said image being renderable in a plurality of rotation degrees upon said display upon receipt of a command, a method of rotating an image, said image further comprising at least one member of a group, said group comprising text and images capable of being sub-pixel rendered, comprises the steps of: sub-pixel rendering said at least one member of a group; grouping said sub-pixels into a plurality of sub-pixel groups; rotating said plurality of sub-pixel groups such that each said sub-pixel group is rotated as a pixel on a pixel-to-pixel basis. In another embodiment, the display upon which rotation is performed comprises substantially equal subpixel rendering addressability limits in horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions.
US08022959B1
A system including a first chip, a display controller and a copy device. The first chip includes a first memory. The display controller is configured to read a first frame from a second memory external to the first chip. The copy device is configured to copy the first frame from the second memory to the first memory while the display controller reads the first frame from the second memory. Subsequent to the copy device copying the first frame from the second memory to the first memory, the first frame is stored in both the first memory and the second memory.
US08022957B2
A data processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units each performing a respective one of process parts into which a predetermined process to be performed on data is divided, and a changing unit that changes a connection between the plurality of processing units on the basis of setting parameters that are set to enable a plurality of types of processing procedures.
US08022947B2
Systems and methods for imaging waveform volumes. An image of the waveform volume may be drawn on a display device as a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image of a sampling probe and redrawn in real-time at interactive rates using a graphics accelerator or a graphics card. The image of the waveform volume may also include seismic-data traces that are color-filled according to texture coordinates for pixels on the display device that intersect the waveform volume.
US08022944B2
Provided is an inputting device that is disposed in an opening of a cabinet surface. The device includes an elastic sheet having an outside surface disposed on an inside surface of the cabinet including the opening and across the opening. A sliding key is fixed on the outside surface of the elastic sheet with at least a portion in the opening of said cabinet surface. The device also includes sensors to detect movement, in a horizontal direction that is substantially parallel to said cabinet surface, of the sliding key. The device also includes guides being possible to be recognized optically that are disposed on designated positions on the elastic sheet, and the sensors detect the moved direction and the amount of the horizontal movement of the sliding key by reading the movements of said guides optically.
US08022938B2
A control apparatus for input screens includes a display unit, a switch portion and a control unit including a microcomputer. If one of a menu switch of the switch portion and a plurality of dummy switches included in a screen displayed by the display unit is operated, the microcomputer causes the display unit to display a new screen including a plurality of dummy switches. The microcomputer estimates a time period required for the operator to watch a screen to operate the dummy switch, depending on the displayed screen (the number of dummy switches). If the sum of estimated time periods exceeds a reference time period, the microcomputer nullifies operation of the dummy switch to prevent the screen from being switched. After the lapse of a predetermined time period, the microcomputer cancels the nullification of the operation of the dummy switch.
US08022936B2
The image display apparatus includes an image data acquiring section for acquiring image data, an image display section having a plurality of substantially sheet-like image display mediums bundled and integrated for displaying images by using the obtained image data, an image display mode setting device for setting an image display mode in displaying an image on an image display screen of each of the plurality of image display mediums and an image display adjusting section for adjusting a display image according to the set image display. The image display method bundles and integrates a plurality of substantially sheet-like image display mediums for displaying images by using image data and sets an image display mode indicative of a display mode of an image on each of the image display mediums. The apparatus and method make it possible to comfortably appreciate the digital images with ease.
US08022932B2
In view of the foregoing, an improved handheld electronic device having a reduced keyboard provides facilitated language entry by making available to a user certain words that a user may reasonably be expected to enter. Incoming data, such as the text of a message, can be scanned for proper nouns, for instance, since such proper nouns might not already be stored in memory and might be expected to be entered by the user when, for example, forwarding or responding to the message. A proper noun can be identified, for instance, on the basis that it begins with an upper case letter. The proper nouns can be stored, for example, in memory that may, by way of further example, be a temporary dictionary.
US08022923B2
A backlight control device for controlling a driving current of an LED is disclosed. By controlling current outputs from current sources of a plurality of current output units, a display will be able to generate desirable backlight. Then by adjusting currents output by the plurality of current output units, brightness of a plurality of pixels can be dynamically adjusted. The brightness of pixels with higher gray levels can be increased while the brightness of pixels with lower gray levels can be decreased, thereby improving the contrast of image and saving power consumption.
US08022922B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) and a method of driving the same are provided. The LCD includes a liquid crystal panel partitioned into a plurality of panel regions, each panel region being independently driven and having data lines and gate lines; a backlight unit that is partitioned into a plurality of backlight regions corresponding to the plurality of panel regions and which irradiates light to the plurality of panel regions; and a driver unit driving the plurality of panel regions.
US08022917B2
An LCD panel driving method and device with charge sharing is disclosed. The LCD panel includes a plurality of switches, a plurality of data lines, a signal driving circuit for generating a plurality of image signals, a charge sharing common voltage driving circuit and a common capacitor having one end connected to the charge sharing common voltage driving circuit through a common voltage node. The method turns the switches on to thereby form the charge sharing common voltage driving circuit and the signal driving circuit as a short circuit, such that charges stored in the common capacitor flow into the data lines to drive the common voltage node to enter in an inverse phase state in order to sequentially turn the switches on and then off to accordingly sample the respective data lines.
US08022915B2
Disclosed is a liquid crystal driving device, which is without a gate PCB, having improved uniformity of screen, and a driving method thereof. The liquid crystal driving device comprises: a sequence recognition means for recognizing sequence of a pertinent gate driver IC by a pulse width of a vertical start signal inputted in synchronization with a vertical synchronous signal, and generating a Carry signal and location data of the pertinent gate driver IC; and a gate-off voltage generation means for receiving a first gate-off voltage and the location data of the pertinent gate driver IC, and outputting a second gate-off voltage which is generated by subtracting a voltage attenuation quantity corresponding to the location data of the gate driver IC from the first gate-off voltage.
US08022910B2
A liquid crystal display includes a signal control unit which supplies an image signal; a voltage supply unit which outputs a first reference voltage when the image signal is not at a highest grayscale level and outputs a second reference voltage having a voltage level higher than that of the first reference voltage when the image signal is at the highest grayscale voltage level; a grayscale voltage generating unit which receives the first reference voltage or the second reference voltage and generates a plurality of positive- and negative-polarity grayscale voltages whose voltage levels sequentially decrease; and a data driving unit which receives the image signal, the plurality of positive- and negative-polarity grayscale voltages and applies an image data voltage corresponding to the image signal to a pixel.
US08022909B2
Discussed herein is a circuit for generating grayscales in a display. The circuit generally comprises grayscale values, one of which is a present grayscale value. Also included is at least one grayscale pattern, comprising at least one pattern bit and corresponding to each of the grayscale values. The circuit may comprise at least one programmable register configured to store at least one grayscale pattern, and a first row multiplexor corresponding to the number of grayscale values, the first row multiplexor configured to receive a pattern bit from each grayscale pattern. The first row multiplexor may also be collectively configured to select a desired grayscale pattern, determined from the present grayscale value. The pixel select circuit is generally configured to determine a desired pattern bit. Finally, a second row multiplexor is coupled to the first row multiplexor and configured to select the desired pattern bit.
US08022905B2
A display device includes a pixel array section and a driving section. The pixel array section includes scanning lines arranged in rows, signal lines arranged in columns, and pixels arranged in a matrix. Each of the pixels includes at least a sampling transistor, a drive transistor, a holding capacitance, and a light-emitting device. The sampling transistor has its control terminal connected to the scanning line and its pair of current terminals connected between the signal line and the control terminal of the drive transistor. The drive transistor has one of its pair of current terminals connected to the light-emitting device and the other of its pair of current terminals connected to a power source. The holding capacitance is connected between the control and current terminals of the drive transistor.
US08022898B2
Provided is a flat display device having a display region in which more than one thin film transistor and more than one pixel are included. The device includes a driving line that supplies driving power to the display region, and an auxiliary driving line, which is coupled with the driving line, is formed in a different layer from the driving line. The driving line may be an identical layer to the source/drain electrodes of the display region.
US08022893B2
A multimedia capture and presentation system includes a plurality of imaging systems and one or more detection systems. The plurality of imaging systems capture image areas of a scene from at least partially different locations. The one or more detection systems determine a relative position of each of the plurality of imaging systems with respect to the different locations of the scene from where the image areas are captured. The relative position of each of the plurality of imaging systems and the captured image areas are used to generate a multimedia presentation of the scene. The control system adjusts the output of the captured image areas from the plurality of projection systems to conform to a display environment. The one or more detection systems determine another relative position of each of the plurality of imaging systems with respect to the display environment on which the image areas are displayed. The plurality of imaging systems output the captured image areas for the multimedia presentation system. The control system adjusts the output from one or more of the plurality of imaging systems to generate the multimedia presentation based on the determined relative position of each of the plurality of imaging systems with respect to the different locations of the scene from where the image areas are captured and the determined relative position of each of the plurality of imaging systems with respect to the display environment on which the image areas are displayed.
US08022889B2
A method for modulating the impedance of an antenna circuit supplying pump signals to a charge pump comprising at least one first pump stage and one last pump stage, the last pump stage supplying a continuous voltage. The output of the first pump stage is short-circuited by means of a switch and the last pump stage goes on pumping electric charges and supplying the continuous voltage. Application in particular to RFID passive transponders.
US08022874B2
A respective electromagnetic parameter and spatial disposition of an unknown number of signal sources in a surveillance space simultaneously bombarded by multiple signals are determined by receiving multiple signals at each of a plurality of widebeam, wideband antennas equally spaced apart in a linear array. Respective antenna signals are simultaneously sampled to generate a two-dimensional array of values. A two-dimensional Fourier transform is computed whose peaks satisfy one or more predetermined criteria, each peak being indicative of a signal source in the surveillance space, whereby the location of the peak in the Fourier transform Fjk indicates the frequency and the azimuth of the respective signal source and the amplitude of the peak indicates the amplitude of the signal source. When implemented using two mutually perpendicular arrays of receiving antennas, an additional Fourier transform of the two-dimensional Fourier transform generates, for each identified emitter, independent azimuth and elevation angles.
US08022870B2
A method, a mobile device arid a computer program product for acquiring GPS on a mobile device possessing GPS capability are disclosed. The method comprises the step of setting a current value of the period of the power-up phase of the GPS dependent upon adaptive predictions of when the GPS should be powered on to meet specifications on positioning accuracy and GPS acquisition time.
US08022867B2
A global navigation satellite system-tracking (“GNSS-tracking”) device and method for determining one or more positions of the GNSS-tracking device utilizing a user-plane service is disclosed. The GNSS-tracking device may comprise: charging and tracking modules adapted to be disengagably coupled together, wherein the tracking module comprises (i) tracking circuitry for determining at least one position of the tracking module using the user-plane service in a satellite positioning system, and (ii) a chargeable source for supplying power to the tracking circuitry when disengaged from the charging module, and wherein the charging module is operable to charge the chargeable source when the charging module is coupled to the tracking module.
US08022866B2
Aspects of a method and system for Doppler estimation may include generating, in a GNSS receiver operating in a duty-cycle mode, a plurality of lag-m products that may be based on a plurality of correlation coefficients corresponding to one or more received signals, wherein the plurality of correlation coefficients may be generated during an active period of the duty-cycle mode of operation. A Doppler frequency may be estimated based on the plurality of lag-m products. The GNSS receiver may be compliant with one or more standards comprising GALILEO, GLONASS, IRNSS, and BEIDOU. The active period of the duty-cycle mode may be chosen arbitrarily from a range of 1% to 99%.
US08022857B2
A submarine warfare radar training system 10 includes an underwater vehicle 15 towing a float device 40 and a radar reflective target 45. The radar reflective target 45 is configured as a hollow tube-shaped element 50 having circular open leading and trailing open circular end to allow water to flow through the target as it is towed. The target 45 includes a positive buoyancy material layer 60 and is horizontally oriented during towing. The float device 40 is configured to support the radar reflective target 45 open leading end above the water surface 30 as the float device 40 and radar reflective target 45 are towed along the water surface to deliver air into the hollow cross-section. The radar reflective target 45 has an adjustable RCS which can be increased or decreased by lengthening or shortening the radar reflective target.
US08022852B2
This invention provides a digital-analog converter circuit capable of appropriately correcting the optical characteristics of the liquid crystals according to the change in design or the preference of the user, and achieving goals of miniaturization, cost-lowering, as well as wide design suitability. The digital-analog converter circuit includes a storage device for storing a voltage characteristic curve, a modulating device for generating a frequency signal in accordance with a data from the voltage characteristic curve stored in the storage device in response to a selected data, a variable resistance device connected between a first power source and a second power source, in which the resistance value of the variable resistance device is changed in accordance with the frequency signal from the modulating device, a holding device for holding a voltage generated at the variable resistance device, and an output device for outputting the voltage to a desired output end.
US08022843B2
A method and apparatus in a sensor network in an aircraft for collecting data about the aircraft. The sensor network in the aircraft collects the data about the aircraft. The sensor network comprises a set of wireless sensors attached to a first set of locations for the aircraft, a set of wireless routers attached to a second set of locations for the aircraft, and a set of gateways connected to an aircraft data processing system. The set of wireless routers is capable of receiving the data in wireless signals transmitted by the set of wireless sensors. The set of gateways is capable of receiving data in the wireless signals from the set of wireless routers to form received data and is capable of transmitting the received data into the aircraft data processing system.
US08022842B2
An optical system for detecting ice and water on the surface of an aircraft includes an elongated transparent optical element having first and second end portions. A light source and light detector are disposed in one end of the optical element and a reflective surface is disposed in the opposite end portion. The reflective surface defines a critical angle and reflects light from the light source to the light detector when the critical angle is in contact with air and refracts the light toward the external environment when the reflective surface is in contact with ice or water. The system may also incorporate an optical element wherein the reflective surface includes a continuous array of convex elements extending outwardly from and across one end of the optical element and wherein each of the convex elements defines a critical angle.
US08022838B2
A logging system for use in a wellbore formed in an earth formation. A tubular conduit is provided extending from surface into the wellbore, as well as a surface communication and control device located at the surface. A telemetry device located inside the wellbore is capable of sending and receiving signals to and/or from the surface communication and control device, the signals representing commands and/or data. Also provided is a logging tool string that is capable of passing from a position within the conduit to a position outside the conduit at a lower end part thereof and capable of being suspended by the conduit in said position outside the conduit. Communication of the commands and/or data between the logging tool string and the telemetry device is established using a communication interface between the logging tool string and the telemetry device.
US08022837B2
An apparatus for and method of distributing and reproducing infrared signals within a digital network is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a control unit for digitizing a received infrared signal command from a wireless remote and transmitting the digitized signal over the digital network. The apparatus also-comprises at least one transceiver device coupled to the network and identified by the control unit to receive the digitized signal and reproduce the infrared signal as originally received. The transceiver device can provide the reproduced infrared signal to at least one electronic device located within a vicinity of the transceiver device.
US08022835B2
An improved optic system for measuring and/or controlling displacement, force, pressure, position, or chemistry is disclosed. This apparatus allows for more accurate, robust, and economical communication between the transducer (or control input element) and the reader device (or control output), allows the use of a single optic fiber and/or or a gap for the communication link, and produces substantial insensitivity to attenuation due to mechanical, chemical, thermal, and radiation effects acting on the optic fiber or open space in which the signal propagates. It is also significantly immune to interference from electromagnetic radiation, since the link can be easily produced as a non-conductor which will not propagate unwanted electrical energy or lightning, and is intrinsically safe from igniting fires or explosions. It also facilitates use on rotating machinery and remote location of the transducer by the ability to transmit the signal across a large gap or air space.
US08022832B2
A system for certifying provenance of an alcoholic beverage includes a radio-frequency identification tag and a server. The radio-frequency identification tag, associated with a bottle containing an alcoholic beverage, periodically measures a plurality of values of an environmental condition of the bottle. The radio-frequency identification tag stores the plurality of measured values. The server receives the plurality of measured values for analysis. The server provides, via a user interface, a description of a provenance of the alcoholic beverage, the description generated responsive to an analysis of the plurality of measured values.
US08022828B2
The invention relates to a device and a method for reading and/or writing data from and/or to a multiplicity of RFID chips arranged in smart labels within a smart label production device, wherein the smart labels each comprising a first antenna are applied next to and behind one another on a common continuous film-like strip, wherein each smart label from a selected set of smart labels arranged next to and/or behind one another is respectively assigned a second antenna for the simultaneous transmission of read and/or write data between the first and second antennas by means of ultrahigh frequency waves, wherein the second antennas are arranged in a planar manner within at least one common antenna carrier.
US08022824B2
The subject of the invention is an anti-intrusion system for protecting electronic components (3) including a substrate (2) on which the electronic components are placed. A conducting enclosure (1) encapsulates the electronic components on the surface of the substrate (2). The system also includes a warning device. The system includes a transmitting antenna on the surface of the substrate (2), and a capacitive electromechanical microswitch. The microswitch is linked to the warning device by a signal line, so as to be able to activate it.
US08022820B2
The present invention is directed toward a data acquisition and display system for vehicles that connects to the vehicle's on-board computer(s) via a data link connector (DLC). The system includes a display module suitable for permanent or temporary attachment within the interior of a vehicle. The display module preferably includes a full color monitor that also functions as a touch screen for inputting commands to the computer within the display module. The computer includes a suitable processor, operating system, software and tangible data storage media to allow multiple user configurable graphics. The display module collects information from the vehicle via multiple busses and senders through the data link connector and displays the information on the screen of the display module in a user configured graphics format. The software is constructed and arranged to allow user configuration of the displayed graphics by clicking or touching the graphics image.
US08022818B2
Warning apparatus (2) for a motor vehicle (1) having an indicator system (6) for indicating a change of lane comprising at least one signal display (7) arranged in the field of view of the driver and having a sensor system for detecting obstacles in the blind spot (4), wherein the sensor system generates a warning signal in the event of detection of an obstacle, wherein the signal display (7) of the indicator system (6) is connected to the sensor system such that the warning signal is reproduced in visual form via the signal display (7).
US08022811B2
A system including wireless tags that transmit information from fixed locations to nearby wireless tag readers possessed by moving persons also includes a wireless tag status inference apparatus to which the wireless tag readers send identifying information received from the wireless tags. The wireless tag status inference apparatus logs the information received from the wireless tag readers, and compares the logged information with a stored list of installed wireless tags to identify suspected inoperable wireless tags. Wireless tags requiring replacement or repair can thereby be identified promptly and inexpensively, without the need to dispatch personnel on periodic inspection tours of all areas in which the wireless tags are installed.
US08022802B2
Sensor for measuring electrical parameters in a high voltage environment comprising a high voltage side (4) for connection to high voltage conductors, a low voltage side (6) for connection to low voltage power supply and measurement signal control circuitry, a measurement signal circuit (16), and a power supply circuit (14), and at least one isolating transformer (18, 20) for transmission of electrical power supply and/or measurement signals between the low voltage side and the high voltage side. The isolating transformer comprises at least a first and a second transformer core (28), a transformer coil (33) on a circuit board around a branch (27) of the transformer core on the high voltage side and a transformer coil (32) on a circuit board around a branch (29) of the transformer core on the low voltage side, the isolating transformer further comprising an intermediate coil (36) encircling at least one branch of each said at least two transformer cores.
US08022801B2
A coil unit includes a planar air-core coil that has an air-core section, a printed circuit board that is disposed on a transmission side of the planar air-core coil, and a magnetic sheet that is disposed on a non-transmission side of the planar air-core coil opposite to the transmission side. The planar air-core coil includes a lead line connected to an inner end of the planar air-core coil over the transmission side, and the printed circuit board includes a receiving section that receives the lead line.
US08022795B2
A variable impedance adapter that has a value of characteristic impedance that is responsive to changes in the configuration of the adapter. In one embodiment, the variable impedance adapter includes an elongated section and a telescoping section that surround a center conductor that transmits an electrical signal across the adapter. A pair of tuning elements is disposed on a portion of the center conductor, one or more of the elements being shaped and configured to move along the center conductor amongst a plurality of positions in response to relative movement between the elongated section and the telescoping section. The first position and the second position correspond to different values of characteristic impedance of the variable impedance adapter.
US08022794B2
A micromachine switch switches an electrical connection between signal electrodes in accordance with control signals. The micromachine switch includes a substrate, a rotating body provided on the substrate, and a movable electrode provided on the rotating body. The micromachine switch also includes a first signal electrode, one end of which is electrically connected to one end of the movable electrode, and a second signal electrode provided near the rotating body to be positioned such that a rotation of the rotating body causes the second signal electrode to be electrically connected to another end of the movable electrode. Further, a drive section causes, based on a first control signal, the rotating body to rotate until the movable electrode and the second signal electrode are electrically connected, and causes, based on a second control signal, the rotating body to rotate until the movable electrode and the second signal electrode are disconnected.
US08022791B2
An RF device is provided. The RF device includes a vibratile carbon nanotube having a nanotube natural frequency (f0), a negative electrode fixed to a first end of the carbon nanotube, a vibratile tuning electrode having a variable resonance frequency and facing a second end of the carbon nanotube, and a positive electrode electrically connected to a first end of the tuning electrode. A second end of the tuning electrode is adjacent to the second end of the carbon nanotube, and the carbon nanotube vibrates at a carrier frequency according to an external electromagnetic wave having the carrier frequency, and the tuning electrode having variable resonance frequency characteristics amplifies distance variation between the second end of the carbon nanotube and the second end of the tuning electrode to increase an electron emission sensitivity according to field emission.
US08022787B2
A duplexer includes a common terminal, receiving filters, a transmitting filter, and a hybrid having four terminals (terminals 1 to 4). A first terminal (terminal 1), which is one of the four terminals of the hybrid is connected to the common terminal, the receiving filters are connected to a second terminal and a third terminal to which a signal is transmitted if it is input from the first terminal, and a transmitting filter is connected to a fourth terminal (terminal 4) of the hybrid. Thus, it is possible to improve the isolation of the duplexer, while avoiding an increase in the number of parts as well as greater complexity.
US08022772B2
A cascode amplifier with protection circuitry is described. In one exemplary design, the amplifier includes multiple branches coupled in parallel, with at least one branch being switchable between “on” and “off” states. Each switchable branch includes a gain transistor coupled to a cascode transistor. The gain transistor amplifies an input signal and provides an amplified signal in the on state and does not amplify the input signal in the off state. The cascode transistor buffers the amplified signal and provides an output signal in the on state. The output signal swing may be split between the gain transistor and the cascode transistor in both the on and off states with the protection circuitry. Each transistor may then observe a fraction of the voltage swing. The voltage splitting in the off state may be achieved by floating the gain transistor and shorting the gate and source of the cascode transistor.
US08022771B2
The disclosed systems and methods utilize an advanced linearized trans-impedance amplifier (ATIA) that allows for the recovery and amplification of low amplitude analog and digital signals. This disclosure further describes unique approaches of addressing issues inherent in the transmission and reception of small amplitude multi-carrier signals used for distribution of voice, video, and data communications over both fiber optic cables and free space transmitters.
US08022757B2
A class D power amplifier includes: a signal input terminal for receiving an analog signal; an analog signal processing unit for amplifying the analog signal; an integrating circuit for integrating the analog signal received from analog signal processing unit; a PWM circuit for providing pulse width modulation to an integration signal received from the integrating circuit, and outputting a resulting pulse width modulation signal having a duty ratio falling within a first duty ratio range; a duty ratio adjusting circuit for adjusting the pulse width modulation signal, received from the PWM circuit, to have a pulse width falling within a second duty ratio range narrower than the first duty ratio range; a first driver and a second driver each for processing the pulse width modulation signal received from the duty ratio adjusting circuit; and power transistors.
US08022742B2
A circuit for outputting an amplified clock signal is disclosed. The circuit includes a first input terminal for inputting a first clock signal, a second input terminal for inputting a second clock signal, a first amplifier circuit for amplifying the first clock signal and outputting a first amplified clock signal at a first output terminal, and a second amplifier circuit for amplifying the second clock signal and outputting a second amplified clock signal at a second output terminal. The circuit additionally includes a level maintenance circuit connected to the first output terminal and the second output terminal. The circuit further includes an output circuit connected to the first output terminal and the second output terminal and configured to output a further amplified clock signal based on the first amplified clock signal and the second amplified clock signal. The level maintenance circuit is configured to reduce duty distortion in the further amplified clock signal.
US08022739B2
A charge pump circuit and a method of compensating current mismatch in a charge pump circuit. The charge pump circuit comprises a core charge pump circuit; a replica charge pump circuit for sensing a current mismatch in the core charge pump circuit and for converting the sensed current mismatch into a voltage signal V_ctrl; wherein V-ctrl is utilized for compensating the current mismatch in the core charge pump circuit.
US08022738B2
An apparatus is provided for detecting the loss of an input clock signal for a phase-locked loop (PLL). The apparatus includes a time delay circuit, a first frequency divider and a digital logic circuit. The time delay circuit receives the input clock signal and outputs a first time-delayed clock signal. The first frequency divider receives an input signal from an internal clock of the PLL and outputs a clock signal having the same frequency or a lower frequency than that of the time-delayed clock signal. The digital logic circuit that receives the first frequency divider output signal and the first time-delayed clock signal and outputs a signal indicating the loss of the input clock signal if there is no first time-delayed clock signal for a cycle of the first frequency divider output signal.
US08022735B2
An input circuit comprises a buffer enable signal generating circuit for generating a buffer enable signal having an predetermined enable period in response to an external command, and a buffer circuit for buffering and outputting the external command and an external address signal in response to the buffer enable signal.
US08022729B2
A signal driver circuit having an adjustable output voltage for a high-logic level output signal. The signal driver circuit includes a signal driver configured to output a first logic level signal having a first voltage and output a second logic level signal having a second voltage according to an input signal. A voltage controlled voltage supply coupled to the signal driver provides the first voltage for the first logic level signal. The magnitude of the first voltage provided by the voltage controlled voltage supply is based on a bias voltage. A bias voltage generator can be coupled to the voltage controlled voltage supply to provide the bias voltage.
US08022713B2
There is provided to a method for measuring antenna characteristics operating in an out-of-operational frequency range of a chamber, in the chamber having a predetermined operational frequency range, including the steps of: a) measuring reflected wave characteristics of the out-of-operational frequency range generated within the chamber; b) measuring the characteristics of a measurement target antenna operating in the out-of-operational frequency range of the chamber; and c) measuring final characteristics of the measurement target antenna by compensating the characteristic data of the measurement target antenna measured in the step b) for reflected wave data measured in the step a).
US08022703B1
The present invention provides a method for rapid detecting tumor. Moreover, this invention uses only the T1−1 value as a parameter to distinguish tumor from normal tissue, and the accuracy of this detection is highly reliable.
US08022701B2
Method and apparatus for simultaneously acquiring multiple slices/slabs in magnetic resonance system
Provided is a method for simultaneously acquiring magnetic resonance slices/slabs of a subject. The method comprises steps as follows. First, apply one or more than one RF pulse, which carries at least two frequency components, and a slice/slab selection magnetic field gradient so that at least two slices/slabs of the subject respectively corresponding to the at least two frequency components are excited simultaneously. Second, apply a spatial encoding magnetic field gradient. Third, apply a slice/slab separation magnetic field gradient so as to separate the at least two slices/slabs. The method according to the present invention can be used to acquire data for simultaneously reconstructing multiple slices/slabs. The method is compatible with existing MRI systems.
US08022700B2
A method for acquiring magnetic resonance (MR) data for a three-dimensional (3D) dynamic study includes partitioning a ky-kz plane with a plurality of views into an inner region and a plurality of outer regions. The inner region includes a set of views in a central region of the ky-kz plane and each outer region includes a plurality of views outside of the central region of the ky-kz plane. The method also includes partitioning each outer region into a plurality of radial fan beam segments, defining a first view ordering for the inner region and defining a second view ordering for each outer region. Once the ky-kz plane is partitioned and the view orderings are defined, MR data is acquired for the set of views in the inner region and for all of the views in each of the outer regions in an alternating acquisition order where the set of views in the inner region are acquired more frequently than the views in each of the outer regions. At least one MR image is generated based on the acquired MR data.
US08022697B2
This system for measuring an electromagnetic field radiated by an electrical component of an electronic circuit, the electrical component being fixed to a dielectric substrate of the electronic circuit, is wherein a transducer (90 to 95) is etched on the substrate of the electronic circuit.
US08022687B2
The invention relates to a method for measuring objects for measurement, by means of a network analyzer with several measurement ports, at least one signal generator, for stimulating the object for measurement and at least one local oscillator, for measurement of the signal transmitted or reflected from the object for measurement by the superposition principle. According to the invention, on a frequency change, only the frequency of the local oscillator or the frequency of the signal generator is changed but not the frequency of the local oscillator and the signal generator simultaneously.
US08022682B2
A circuit for minimizing voltage inrush upon startup in a switching power converter having a switching stage including high and low switches connected at a common node, a feedback loop for maintaining a target output voltage, an output capacitor connected between an output node and the ground, an inductor connected between the common node and the output node, and a control circuit having a first error amplifier for providing a first signal based on a comparison of a reference voltage and voltage provided by the feedback loop, the control circuit including a level switch connected between the ground and the common node, the level switch being controlled in accordance with the first signal, wherein a large inrush current flowing into the output capacitor when the circuit is starting up is minimized.
US08022680B2
A power converter includes a power switch adapted to receive an input power from an external power source and to generate an output power, and an adaptive oscillator adapted to output an adaptive minimum-on signal of the power switch in response to a change in measured magnitude of at least one of the input power and the output power.
US08022674B2
State of charge control for electric and hybrid vehicles. In one embodiment, a battery may be electrically connected to an electric motor to propel a vehicle. In such an embodiment, during vehicle operation a state of charge of the battery may fluctuate within a given state of charge range and may be regulated to a target state of charge. Such target state of charge may be set below the midpoint of the state of charge range. As the vehicle operates various devices may be controlled to regulate the state of charge to the target. In particular, an electric motor may be employed to lower the state of charge and an internal combustion engine may be employed to raise the state of charge. In other embodiments, regenerative braking, solar power or the like may be employed to raise the state of charge from at or below the target state of charge to the upper state of charge limit.
US08022668B2
A charger includes a shell assembly defining a receiving space therein, a locating body fixed in the shell assembly and defining a locating cavity and a plurality of locating fillisters communicating with the locating cavity, and a plug pivotally received in the receiving space and having a base portion and at least two conductive blades fixed partially in the base portion. The base portion protrudes oppositely to form a pair of pivoting shafts pivoted in the shell assembly. A free end of one of the pivoting shafts defines a locating pillar pivoted in the locating cavity of the locating body. A side surface of the locating pillar protrudes outward to form a plurality of locating ribs buckled into the corresponding locating fillisters of the locating body when the conductive blades of the plug are completely rotated into and out of the receiving space.
US08022665B2
A bidirectional power converting device coupled between first and second power storage units includes: a coupling circuit including a first winding coupled to the first power storage unit, and a second winding coupled in series to the first winding; first and second switches coupled to the first winding; a capacitor coupled between the first and second switches; a third switch coupled between the second winding and the capacitor; and a fourth switch between the second winding and the second power storage unit. The first, second, third and fourth switches are operable so that an input voltage supplied by one of the first and second power storage units is converted into an output voltage that is to be supplied to the other one of the first and second power storage units.
US08022651B2
Provided are an electric power steering device which is capable of determining a failure without using a motor current, and an electric power steering device which removes any motor current detecting unit for detecting the motor current such as a shunt resistor, and suppresses the heat generation and the power loss in the device, thereby making it possible to realize the downsized device, a reduction in the costs, and the higher efficiency. An electric power steering device according to the present invention includes: a motor coupled with a steering system; a drive control unit for controlling a drive of the motor; a motor impression voltage detecting unit for detecting an applied voltage of the motor; and an abnormality determining unit for determining abnormality based on a comparison result of the detected motor impression voltage and an output voltage of the drive control unit.
US08022646B1
Information indicative of the placement of spindle motor components may be obtained and used to provide a correction to one or more BEMF-derived attributes used to control the spindle speed. In some implementations, first and second signals indicative of BEMF of different stator windings may be used to determine a speed-related characteristic. The speed related characteristic may be used to determine an error amount, which may be used to determine a correction factor to control the speed of the spindle motor.
US08022645B2
A circuit configuration includes an output stage having at least one inductive load and a switching transistor configuration for switching the at least one inductive load. A supply voltage has a first supply potential and a second supply potential for feeding the supply voltage to the output stage. A registering device registers a particular instance when a potential at a specific circuit node of the output stage is outside a potential range defined by the first and second supply potentials.
US08022639B2
A ballast system for, and a method of, controlling illumination of a lamp, include a dimmer switch having an actuator settable at different settings corresponding to different output voltages across the dimmer switch, a dimming electronic ballast operatively connected to an electrical power source and to the dimmer switch for dimming the lamp upon setting of the actuator, and a shutdown circuit, preferably provided in the ballast, for measuring the output voltages across the dimmer switch, and for automatically powering the ballast off and, in turn, for turning the lamp off when one of the voltages measured by the shutdown circuit does not exceed a reference voltage that corresponds to one of the settings of the actuator.
US08022637B2
A method detects a non-zero-voltage switching operation of a lamp ballast, the lamp ballast including a half-bridge circuit with a first and a second semiconductor switching element, a resonant circuit connected to the half-bridge circuit, and a snubber capacitance connected in parallel with one of the semiconductor switching elements. The method includes obtaining a voltage measurement signal representative of a voltage at an output of the half-bridge circuit. The method also includes providing a comparison signal representative of a comparison of the voltage measurement signal with a reference value. The method further includes evaluating the comparison signal in each case before the first semiconductor element is switched on and in each case before the second semiconductor element is switched on, and detecting one of a first and second non-zero-switching operations based on these evaluations.
US08022634B2
A dimming control circuit for dimming light emitting diodes receives an AC input voltage signal from a dimming circuit. The control circuit includes a power stage and a current control loop coupled to the power stage. An AC detector is operable to detect an instantaneous value of the AC input voltage signal and to generate a signal indicating whether the AC input voltage signal is present or absent. A current control circuit is operable responsive to the signal to adjust the operation of the current control loop and to control current through the light emitting diodes to achieve the desired dimming, and to prevent inrush current on the AC input voltage signal.
US08022631B2
An illuminating device includes a light source including a lighting device, such as a solid state lighting device, which emits light, a phosphor material which converts at least a portion of the light emitted by the lighting device to light of a different wavelength. A controller adjusts a ratio of on time to off time of a current waveform supplied to the lighting device. This enables the color of light emitted by the light source to be controlled.
US08022630B2
An arc discharge lamp (10) has an envelope (12) including a base (14) containing lead-ins (16, 18). An arc tube (20) is positioned within the envelope (12) and has electrodes (22, 24) sealed therein. The electrodes have connection ends (26, 28) extending outside of the arc tube (20). A flexible primary electrical connector (30) is fixed between one of the lead-ins (16) and one of the connection ends (26) of one of the electrodes (22), the flexible primary electrical connector (30) having an area “A” subject to intergranular corrosion in the presence of oxygen and arc tube operating temperatures. A rigid secondary, intergranular-corrosion-resistant electrical connector (32) is electrically connected between the lead-in (16) and the one of the connection ends (26) of the one of the electrodes (22), the rigid secondary electrical connector (32) by-passing the area “A” that is subject to intergranular corrosion.
US08022628B2
A plasma display panel has a front substrate including a plurality of display electrode pairs, a dielectric layer, and a protective layer, and a rear substrate including a plurality of data electrodes, a barrier rib, and a phosphor layer. The front substrate and rear substrate face each other so that the display electrode pairs and the data electrodes intersect, and a hydrogen-absorbing material containing palladium is disposed inside the plasma display panel.
US08022627B2
An electrodeless high pressure discharge lamp is described. The lamp includes a resonating body configured to provide microwave energy and a discharge vessel, the discharge vessel containing a fill that forms a light-emitting plasma when receiving the microwave energy. The lamp further includes an outer bulb surrounding the discharge vessel. The lamp further includes a support structure within the outer bulb, the support structure comprising a plurality of wires forming a cage, wherein each end of each of the plurality of wires are directed to either end of the discharge vessel. The lamp further includes a first wire structure configured to hold the discharge vessel in place within the cage and surrounding each end of the discharge vessel.
US08022620B2
A display device includes a substrate, light-emitting elements formed on the substrate, a reflective layer disposed between the substrate and the light-emitting elements and reflecting the light emitted from the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting elements each include a transparent layer that contact the reflective layer, a light-emitting layer disposed on the upper surface of the transparent layer, and an electrode layer with transparency disposed on a side of the light-emitting layer. The distance between the reflective layer and the electrode layer in each of the light-emitting elements is set such that a light component of a specific color in the light emitted from the corresponding light-emitting layer is enhanced by interference and emitted from the electrode layer. The light-emitting elements include light-emitting elements in which blue and red light components in the light emitted from the light-emitting layers are simultaneously enhanced and emitted from the electrode layers.
US08022607B2
In an example embodiment, an electrodeless plasma lamp is, provided which comprises a dielectric body having an effective dielectric constant greater than two. The dielectric body may have a surface with a first region coated with an electrically conductive material and a second region that is not coated with the electrically conductive material. A bulb is located proximate to the second region of the dielectric body and having an outer surface area and the second region may have an uncoated surface area that is less than about sixty percent (60%) of the outer surface area of the bulb. A power source is coupled to the dielectric body to provide radio frequency power to the dielectric body at a frequency that resonates at a fundamental mode in the dielectric body. The bulb contains a fill that forms a plasma when the radio frequency power is provided from the dielectric body through the second region.
US08022606B2
An electron multiplier that can easily obtain characteristics according to a purpose is provided. By bonding a marginal portion 23 of an MCP 2 and a marginal portion 33 of an MCP 3 to each other via a conductive spacer layer 7, a gap 12 is formed between channel portions 22, 32. Therefore, when the electron multiplier is used for a purpose that requires a particularly high gain, by adjusting the thickness of the spacer layer 7, the gain can be increased by increasing the gap 12. In addition, when the electron multiplier is used for a purpose that requires an increase in gain as well as time characteristics, by adjusting the thickness of the spacer layer 7, the size of the gap 12 can be adjusted so that desired characteristics are obtained. Consequently, by only adjusting the thickness of the spacer layer 7, characteristics according to the purpose can be easily obtained.
US08022605B2
A piezoelectric multi-layer component is described herein. The component includes a plurality of ceramic layers, and one or more electrode layer. The one or more electrode layer has a material structure that is different than the plurality of ceramic layers and is configured to at least partially block a propagation in a longitudinal direction of pressure waves acting on the piezoelectric multi-layer component.
US08022603B2
A piezoelectric actuator (2) comprising a stack of one or more piezoelectric elements (4) defining an external surface, and passivation means (20) applied to the external surface of the stack, wherein the passivation means (20) includes a self-supporting polyimide material (20b) (e.g. in the form of a layer, film or membrane).
US08022599B2
An actuator includes: a substrate; a fixed electrode provided on a major surface of the substrate; a first dielectric film provided on the fixed electrode, and made of crystalline material; a movable beam opposed to the major surface, and held above the substrate with a gap thereto; a movable electrode; and a second dielectric film. The movable electrode is provided on a surface of the movable beam facing the fixed electrode, and has an alternate voltage applied between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode. The second dielectric film is provided on a surface of the movable beam facing the fixed electrode, and is made of crystalline material.
US08022597B2
A driving apparatus (100) is provided with: a base portion (110); a stage portion (130) on which a driven object (12) is mounted and which can be displaced; an elastic portion (120) which connects the base portion and the stage portion and which has elasticity to displace the stage portion in one direction; a first applying device (141, 142, 143, 22) for applying an excitation force for displacing the stage portion such that the stage portion is resonated in the one direction (Y axis) at a resonance frequency determined by the stage portion and the elastic portion; and a second applying device (161, 162, 22) for applying a driving force for displacing, in a stepwise manner or in a continuous manner, the stage portion or the driven object mounted on the stage in other direction (X axis).
US08022587B2
Electric machines which are excited with permanent magnets are to be improved in terms of their smoothness of operation and their loss properties. For this purpose, an electric machine is proposed comprising a first active part (40) on which one electric magnet (41, 42) and at least one permanent magnet (44) are mounted, and a second active part (43) which has a multiplicity of pole teeth (45, 46) and which interacts magnetically with the first active part (40). The pole teeth (45, 46) are spaced apart from one another in a non-uniform fashion in the direction (3) of the movement of the electric machine and/or have different average widths from one another, with the respective width of a tooth being measured in the direction (3) of movement and being averaged in terms of the extent of the tooth in the transverse direction with respect to the direction of travel. The geometry of the tooth causes the harmonics of the magnetic field to be influenced in a selective fashion. The second active part can be implemented cost-effectively as, for example, a simple punched sheet-metal part.
US08022584B2
A stator for a dynamoelectric machine includes a stator body having slots and a winding system positioned in the slots of the stator body and having coils terminating in winding heads on end faces of the stator body, wherein each slot receives different coil sides of neighboring coils. Arranged between the coil sides in at least one of the slots is a temperature sensor to ascertain a temperature in the stator, in particular between the coil sides of the winding system in the slots of the stator.
US08022578B2
An electric power supply cut-off circuit comprises an IC which outputs a normal operation signal when the IC is operated normally, a switch which makes connection or disconnection between the IC and a power source, and a switching control circuit which continuously outputs a connection instruction signal during a period in which the normal operation signal is inputted from the IC, wherein the switch connects the IC and the power source when the connection instruction signal is inputted, and the switch cuts off the connection between the IC and the power source when the connection instruction signal is not inputted. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably avoid any excessive increase in the temperature of the IC and the ignition of the IC.
US08022574B2
A maximum voltage source selector adapted for use in a semiconductor device operative in a disable state or an enable state is disclosed. The maximum voltage source selector includes an output unit having an output node providing a maximum voltage selected from a first input voltage and a second input voltage. First and second gate transistors are commonly coupled to the output node and are respectively configured to select and provide the greater of the first and second input voltages to the output node in response to first and second selection signals without regard to whether the semiconductor device is in the disable state or the enable state. A selection unit generates the first and second selection signals in response to the first and second input voltages.
US08022565B2
A control system for a wind turbine, the control system having at least one measurement device configured to measure at least one operating condition of the wind turbine and a first controller. The first controller is configured to calculate an operating limit of the wind turbine based on the measured operating condition and to adjust the operating limit based on a limiting condition of a component of the wind turbine.
US08022563B2
A wave energy generator includes a float for floating on the surface of a body of water. An electrical energy generator that is capable of generating usable electrical energy from the kinetic energy of waves is mounted to or otherwise engaged with the float. The electrical energy generator includes a housing, a coil of electrically conductive material, a reciprocally movable electromagnetically active mass, and springs for connecting the mass to the housing. The electrical energy generator may optionally include spring adjustment means engaged with the housing, means for constraining non-linear motion of the electromagnetically active mass, and/or means of mitigating motion retardation of the electromagnetically active mass within the housing.
US08022559B2
A substrate for a display panel includes an alignment accuracy measurement mark which is used for measuring alignment accuracy between patterns on the substrate without decreasing an aperture ratio of a pixel. The substrate for a display panel includes the alignment accuracy measurement mark in an isolated configuration which is used for measuring alignment accuracy between a pattern of a gate signal line and an auxiliary capacitance line and a pattern of a source signal line and a drain line, where the alignment accuracy measurement mark has a shape such that at least one straight line portion is included, is formed in a layer where the pattern of the source signal line and the drain line is formed, and is positioned on the gate signal line.
US08022558B2
A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip and a ribbon. The ribbon includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The first metal layer is welded to the first chip and the second metal layer is attached to the second chip.
US08022555B2
Example embodiments relate to semiconductor packages and methods of forming the same. A semiconductor package according to example embodiments may include a printed circuit board (PCB), a first semiconductor chip mounted on the PCB, and a chip package mounted on the first semiconductor chip. The chip package may be in direct contact with the first semiconductor chip.
US08022543B2
A first metallic diffusion barrier layer is formed on a last level metal plate exposed in an opening of a passivation layer. Optionally, a metallic adhesion promotion layer is formed on the first metallic diffusion barrier layer. An elemental metal conductive layer is formed on the metallic adhesion promotion layer, which provides a highly conductive structure that distributes current uniformly due to the higher electrical conductivity of the material than the layers above or below. A stack of the second metallic diffusion barrier layer and a wetting promotion layer is formed, on which a C4 ball is bonded. The elemental metal conductive layer distributes the current uniformly within the underbump metallurgy structure, which induces a more uniform current distribution in the C4 ball and enhanced electromigration resistance of the C4 ball.
US08022541B2
A gold-silver based wire for a semiconductor package has high humidity reliability as well as high dry reliability. The wire includes a first additive ingredient that contains 5˜15 wt % of at least one kind of elements from among first group elements composed of palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt) added to a gold (Au)-silver (Ag) based alloy that contains 10˜40 wt % of Ag added to Au.
US08022533B2
Circuit elements including a plurality of semiconductor devices and passive elements embedded in an insulating resin film are formed on a metal substrate having a surface roughness Ra of 0.3 to 10 μm. This produces an anchoring effect occurs between the substrate and the insulating film, thereby improving the adhesiveness between the substrate and the insulating resin film.
US08022529B2
A semiconductor device having a through electrode excellent in performance as for an electrode and manufacturing stability is provided. There is provided a through electrode composed of a conductive small diameter plug and a conductive large diameter plug on a semiconductor device. A cross sectional area of the small diameter plug is made larger than a cross sectional area and a diameter of a connection plug, and is made smaller than a cross sectional area and a diameter of the large diameter plug. In addition, a protruding portion formed in such a way that the small diameter plug is projected from the silicon substrate is put into an upper face of the large diameter plug. Further, an upper face of the small diameter plug is connected to a first interconnect.
US08022528B2
A method of forming a stack-type semiconductor package includes preparing a lower printed circuit board including a plurality of interconnections and a plurality of ball lands for connection on an upper surface thereof. One or more first chips, which are electrically connected to the plurality of interconnections and sequentially stacked, are mounted on the lower printed circuit board. A lower molded resin compound is formed on the lower printed circuit board to cover the first chips, and is formed to have via holes exposing the ball lands for connection. An upper chip package, under which solder balls are formed, is aligned so that the solder balls correspond to the via holes of the lower molded resin compound, respectively. The solder balls are reflown to form connection conductors filling the via holes. A stack-type semiconductor package structure and an electronic system including the same are also provided.
US08022521B1
In accordance with one embodiment, a failure prognostic package includes a substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface. An electronic component trace is coupled to the first surface. An electronic component is electrically coupled to the electronic component trace. A prognostic trace is coupled to the first surface of the substrate and is electrically isolated from the electronic component. A failure zone of the failure prognostic package includes a plurality of sides and a plurality of corners, wherein the prognostic trace is weaker at the failure zone than the electronic component trace. Failure of the prognostic trace does not cause failure of the failure prognostic package. However, failure of the prognostic trace provides advanced notice of failure of the failure prognostic package.
US08022516B2
A fabrication method for a BGA or LGA package includes a low-cost metal leadframe with internally extended leads. I/O attach lands can be placed at any location on the metal leadframe, including the center of the package. An I/O attach land can be fabricated at any position upon an extended lead (e.g., near the center of the package). During fabrication of the package, an isolation saw cut to the bottom of the package can be used to electrically disconnect the leadframe circuit from the peripheral extension traces to prevent tampering with the IC die by probing the edge metal traces.
US08022511B2
Described herein are semiconductor device packages with EMI shielding and related methods. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device package includes: (1) a substrate unit; (2) a grounding element disposed adjacent to a periphery of the substrate unit and extending upwardly from an upper surface of the substrate unit; (3) a semiconductor device disposed adjacent to the upper surface; (4) a package body disposed adjacent to the upper surface and covering the semiconductor device and the grounding element; and (5) an EMI shield disposed adjacent to exterior surfaces of the package body and electrically connected to a lateral surface of the grounding element. A lateral surface of the package body is substantially aligned with a lateral surface of the substrate unit. The grounding element corresponds to a remnant of a conductive bump, and provides an electrical pathway to ground electromagnetic emissions incident upon the EMI shield.
US08022504B2
A capacitor is formed over a semiconductor substrate. The capacitor includes a lower electrode, a capacitor dielectric film and an upper electrode in this order recited, and has an area S equal to or larger than 1000 μm2 and L/S equal to or larger than 0.4 μm−1, where S is an area of a capacitor region in which the lower and upper electrodes face each other across the dielectric film, and L is a total length of a circumference line of the capacitor region.
US08022502B2
A nonvolatile memory element comprises a first electrode layer (103), a second electrode (107), and a resistance variable layer (106) which is disposed between the first electrode layer (103) and the second electrode layer (107), a resistance value of the resistance variable layer varying reversibly according to electric signals having different polarities which are applied between the electrodes (103), (107), wherein the resistance variable layer (106) has a first region comprising a first oxygen-deficient tantalum oxide having a composition represented by TaOx (0
US08022499B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor memory device including floating body cells. The semiconductor memory device includes memory cell active regions formed on a Silicon-On Isolator (SOI) semiconductor substrate, a plurality of floating body cell transistors formed in the memory cell active regions, and “inactive transistors” for providing cell isolation that are formed between the plurality of floating body cell transistors. Here, the inactive transistors for providing cell isolation are controlled so that they always are in an OFF state while the semiconductor memory device is operating.
US08022496B2
A structure comprises a single wafer with a first subcollector formed in a first region having a first thickness and a second subcollector formed in a second region having a second thickness, different from the first thickness. A method is also contemplated which includes providing a substrate including a first layer and forming a first doped region in the first layer. The method further includes forming a second layer on the first layer and forming a second doped region in the second layer. The second doped region is formed at a different depth than the first doped region. The method also includes forming a first reachthrough in the first layer and forming a second reachthrough in second layer to link the first reachthrough to the surface.
US08022492B2
A semiconductor device for performing photoelectric conversion has a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and a well region of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type and formed in a predetermined region of the semiconductor substrate. A pair of trenches are formed directly adjacent to respective opposite sides of the well region and have widths greater than those of respective depletion layers generated on the respective opposite sides so as to remove junction interfaces on the respective opposite sides. A depth of each trench from a surface of the semiconductor substrate is greater than that of a depletion layer generated on a bottom side of the well region. An insulating layer is buried in each of the trenches.
US08022488B2
A high-performance semiconductor structure and a method of fabricating such a structure are provided. The semiconductor structure includes at least one gate stack, e.g., FET, located on an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate. The structure further includes a first epitaxy semiconductor material that induces a strain upon a channel of the at least one gate stack. The first epitaxy semiconductor material is located at a footprint of the at least one gate stack substantially within a pair of recessed regions in the substrate which are present on opposite sides of the at least one gate stack. A diffused extension region is located within an upper surface of said first epitaxy semiconductor material in each of the recessed regions. The structure further includes a second epitaxy semiconductor material located on an upper surface of the diffused extension region. The second epitaxy semiconductor material has a higher dopant concentration than the first epitaxy semiconductor material.
US08022486B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and a p-channel MOS transistor provided on the semiconductor substrate, the p-channel MOS transistor comprising a first gate dielectric film including Hf, a second gate dielectric film provided on the first gate dielectric film and including aluminum oxide, and a first metal silicide gate electrode provided on the second gate dielectric film.
US08022480B2
Disclosed are a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device includes at least two of first and second conductive-type high-voltage transistors and first and second conductive-type low-voltage transistors. The first conductive-type high-voltage transistor include a first conductive-type well in a semiconductor substrate, a device isolation film in the first conductive-type well, a gate pattern on the first conductive-type well, second conductive-type drift regions in the semiconductor substrate at opposite sides of the gate pattern, second conductive-type source and drain regions in the second conductive-type drift region, a pick-up region to receive a bias voltage, and a first latch-up inhibiting region under the pick-up region. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce and prevent latchup without using a double guard ring and to eliminate an additional process to form first and second latch-up inhibiting regions.
US08022479B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulating film provided on the semiconductor substrate, and a semiconductor film provided on the insulating film. The semiconductor substrate includes a region of a first current path including at least one diode, the semiconductor film includes a region of a second current path including at least one diode, the first current path and the second current path are connected in parallel to each other, the region of the first current path includes at least part of an area directly below the region of the second current path, and the first current path has a higher resistance than the second current path.
US08022469B2
The invention provides a semiconductor device and its manufacturing method in which a memory transistor and a plurality of thin film transistors that have gate insulating films with different thicknesses are fabricated over a substrate. The invention is characterized by the structural difference between the memory transistor and the plurality of thin film transistors. Specifically, the memory transistor and some of the plurality of thin film transistors are provided to have a bottom gate structure while the other thin film transistors are provided to have a top gate structure, which enables the reduction of characteristic defects of the transistor and simplification of its manufacturing process.
US08022461B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of bit lines repeatedly arranged with a same line width and pitch in a memory device region; a plurality of shunt lines arranged in a same layer as that of the plurality of bit lines, in parallel therewith, and with the same line width and pitch as those of the plurality of bit lines in the memory device region; and an upper-layer contact plug arranged from an upper-layer side so as to be connected to the plurality of shunt lines by extending over two or more shunt lines.
US08022460B2
An object is to provide a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which is superior in writing property and charge holding property. A semiconductor substrate in which a channel formation region is formed between a pair of impurity regions is provided, and a first insulating layer, a floating gate electrode, a second insulating layer, and a control gate electrode are provided over the semiconductor substrate. The floating gate electrode includes at least two layers. It is preferable that a band gap of a first floating gate electrode, which is in contact with the first insulating layer, be smaller than that of the semiconductor substrate. It is also preferable that a second floating gate electrode be formed of a metal material, an alloy material, or a metal compound material. This is because, by lowering the bottom energy level of a conduction band of the floating gate electrode than that of the channel formation region in the semiconductor substrate, a carrier injecting property and a charge holding property can be improved.
US08022457B2
Channels of two transistors are vertically formed on portions of two opposite side surfaces of one active region, and gate electrodes are vertically formed on a device isolation layer contacting the channels of the active region. A common bit line contact plug is formed in the central portions of the active region, two storage node contact plugs are formed on both sides of the bit line contact plug, and an insulating spacer is formed on a side surface of the bit line contact plug. A word line, a bit line, and a capacitor are sequentially stacked on the semiconductor substrate, like a conventional semiconductor memory device. Thus, effective space arrangement of a memory cell is possible such that a 4F2 structure is constituted, and a conventional line and contact forming process can be applied such that highly integrated semiconductor memory device is readily fabricated.
US08022452B2
A source/drain region of a transistor or amplifier is formed in a substrate layer and is connected to a voltage source. A glow blocking structure is formed at least partially around the source/drain region and is disposed between the source/drain region and an imaging array of an image sensor. A trench is formed in the substrate layer adjacent to and at least partially around the source/drain region. The glow blocking structure includes an opaque material formed in the trench and one or more layers of light absorbing material overlying the source/drain region and the opaque material.
US08022446B2
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate; a first well region of a first conductivity type in the semiconductor substrate; a metal-containing layer on the first well region, wherein the metal-containing layer and the first well region form a Schottky barrier; and a first heavily doped region of the first conductivity type in the first well region, wherein the first heavily doped region is horizontally spaced apart from the metal-containing layer.
US08022445B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including the steps of preparing a silicon substrate which has a main surface whose plane direction is a surface (100); forming an n channel MISFET (Metal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) which has a gate electrode, a source region, a drain region and a channel whose channel length direction is parallel to a crystal orientation <100> of the silicon substrate; and forming NiSi over the gate electrode and NiSi2 over the source region and the drain region at the same steps.
US08022442B2
A semiconductor device has: a silicon substrate; trench formed downward from the surface of the silicon substrate, the trench defining active regions on the surface of the silicon substrate; a first liner layer of a silicon nitride film covering an inner wall of the trench; a second liner layer of a silicon nitride layer formed on the first liner layer; an element isolation region of an insulator formed on the second liner layer; a p-channel MOS transistor formed in and on one of the active regions; a contact etch stopper layer of a silicon nitride layer not having a ultraviolet shielding ability, formed above the silicon substrate, and covering the p-channel MOS transistor; and a light shielding film of a silicon nitride layer having the ultraviolet shielding ability and formed above the contact etch stopper layer.
US08022440B2
A compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate having a pseudomorphic high electron mobility field effect transistor structure including an InGaAs layer as a strained channel layer and an AlGaAs layer containing n type impurities as a front side electron-donating layer, wherein said substrate contains an InGaP layer in an orderly state on the front side of the above described InGaAs layer as the strained channel layer.
US08022439B2
Two first semiconductor layers are on a silicon substrate at a given distance from each other. Two second semiconductor layers are on the respective first semiconductor layers and includes a material different from a material of the first semiconductor layers. A first channel region is formed like a wire between the two second semiconductor layers. A first insulating layer is around the first channel region. A second insulating film is on each of opposite side surfaces of the two first semiconductor layers. A third insulating film is on each of opposite side surfaces of the two second semiconductor layers. A gate electrode is on the first, second, and third insulating films. Film thickness of the second insulating film is larger than film thickness of the first insulating film.
US08022419B2
A flip-chip type semiconductor light-emitting device having a positive electrode and a negative electrode similar in electrode area and capable of preventing the misalignment of the light-emitting device by utilizing the self alignment effect in manufacturing a light-emitting diode lamp and a printed circuit board for the flip-chip type semiconductor light-emitting device are provided. Furthermore, adopted are a flip-chip type semiconductor light-emitting device 1 which is provided with a negative electrode pad and a positive electrode pad formed on the side opposite the transparent substrate side of the semiconductor layer, wherein each of the electrode pads is formed in the same shape as each other and a printed circuit board for the light-emitting device has a pair of the electrode patterns which are formed in the same shape as each other. Still furthermore, a soldering film is included in each of the electrode pads.
US08022417B2
Methods of forming integrated circuit packages having an LED molded into the package, and the integrated circuit package formed thereby. An integrated circuit including one or more semiconductor die, passive components and an LED may be assembled on a panel. The one or more semiconductor die, passive components and LED may all then be encapsulated in a molding compound, and the integrated circuits then singularized to form individual integrated circuit packages. The integrated circuits are cut from the panel so that a portion of the lens of the LED is severed during the singularization process, and an end of the lens remaining within the package lies flush with an edge of the package to emit light outside of the package.
US08022409B2
A substrate has an active region divided into storage node contact junction regions, channel regions and a bit line contact junction region. Device isolation layers are formed in the substrate isolating the active region from a neighboring active region Recess patterns are formed each in a trench structure and extending from a storage node contact junction region to a channel region Line type gate patterns, each filling a predetermined portion of the trench of the individual recess pattern, is formed in a direction crossing a major axis of the active region in an upper portion of the individual channel region.
US08022400B2
An organic thin film transistor, a method of fabricating the same, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device having the same. The organic thin film transistor includes a substrate, a buffer layer disposed on the substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the buffer layer, a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode, an organic semiconductor layer disposed on the gate insulating layer, source and drain electrodes disposed on the gate insulating layer and electrically connected with the organic semiconductor layer, and a passivation layer formed of a polymer composite and disposed on the organic semiconductor layer.
US08022399B2
The organic light-emitting device of the present invention includes: a substrate; a plurality of organic light-emitting elements formed on the substrate; and an element isolation layer formed between the plurality of organic light-emitting elements, each of the elements having: on the substrate in mentioned order, a first electrode patterned for each of the organic light-emitting elements, an organic compound layer patterned for each of the organic light-emitting elements, and a second electrode; the element isolation layer formed across a space between the plurality of first electrodes to cover the ends of the first electrodes, and having an opening at a portion corresponding to the organic light-emitting elements, and at least a portion of the element isolation layer in contact with the organic compound layer is formed of an inorganic material.
US08022397B2
An electrolyte-gated field effect transistor is disclosed, the transistor comprising an electrolyte including a polymeric ionic liquid analogue. In a preferred embodiment, the transistor further comprises a source electrode, a drain electrode disposed so as to be separated from the source electrode, forming a gap between the source and drain electrodes, a semiconductor layer bridging the gap between the source and drain electrodes and thus forming a transistor channel, and a gate electrode positioned so as to be separated from the source electrode, the drain electrode and the semiconductor layer. In this embodiment, the electrolyte is disposed so as to contact at least a part of both the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer.
US08022396B2
A semiconductor device includes: an organic semiconductor layer made of an organic semiconductor material; a gate electrode for applying an electric field to the organic semiconductor layer; a first insulating layer insulating the gate electrode from the organic semiconductor layer; and a second insulating layer. The organic semiconductor layer is located between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, and the second insulating layer is composed of a polymer having a fluorene skeleton.
US08022395B2
A photoelectric conversion layer comprising a compound represented by the following formula (I): wherein V1, V2, V3 and V4 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent.
US08022394B2
A molecular quantum interference device for use in molecular electronics. In one embodiment, the device includes a molecular quantum interference unit having a first terminal group and a second terminal group between which quantum interference affects electrical conduction, a molecular spacer having a first terminal group and a second terminal group and coupled to the molecular quantum interference unit through a chemical bonding between the first terminal group of the molecular spacer and the second terminal group of the molecular quantum interference unit, a first electrode electrically coupled to the molecular quantum interference unit and configured to supply charge carriers to or receive charge carriers from the molecular quantum interference unit, and a second electrode electrically coupled to the molecular spacer and configured to receive charge carriers from or supply charge carriers to the molecular spacer.
US08022386B2
In a vertical topology light emitting device, an adhesion layer or adhesion structure is provided between one of the electrodes and the metal contact pad associated with that electrode. The vertical topology light emitting device further comprises a support layer, a reflective structure, which also serves as the other electrode, over the support layer, and a semiconductor device including an n-type GaN-based layer, an active layer and a p-type GaN-based layer. In certain embodiments, the adhesion layer, or adhesion structure, may comprise two layers, for example, a Cr layer and an Au layer. In other embodiments, the vertical topology device may comprise an adhesion layer, or structure, between the reflective structure and the support structure.
US08022385B2
A memory device wherein a diode is serially connected to a programmable resistor and is in electrical communication with a buried digit line. An electrically conductive plug is electrically interposed between the digit line and a strapping layer, thereby creating a double metal scheme wherein the strapping layer is a second metal layer overlying metal wordlines. In a method of a first embodiment the strapping material is electrically connected to the digit line through a planar landing pad overlying the conductive plug. An insulative material is sloped to the planar landing pad in order to provide a surface conducive to the formation of the strapping material.
US08022384B2
A microelectronic programmable structure suitable for storing information and array including the structure and methods of forming and programming the structure are disclosed. The programmable structure generally includes an ion conductor and a plurality of electrodes. Electrical properties of the structure may be altered by applying energy to the structure, and thus information may be stored using the structure.
US08022382B2
A phase change memory device and a method of forming the same are provided. The phase change memory device includes a conducting electrode in a dielectric layer, a bottom electrode over the conducting electrode, a phase change layer over the bottom electrode, and a top electrode over the phase change layer. The phase change memory device may further include a heat sink layer between the phase change layer and the top electrode. The resistivities of the bottom electrode and the top electrode are preferably greater than the resistivity of the phase change material in the crystalline state.
US08022380B2
The present invention is to provide a laser irradiation method for performing homogeneous laser irradiation to the irradiation object even when the thickness of the irradiation object is not even. In the case of irradiating the irradiation object having uneven thickness, the laser irradiation is performed while keeping the distance between the irradiation object and the lens for condensing the laser beam on the surface of the irradiation object constant by using an autofocusing mechanism. In particular, when the irradiation object is irradiated with the laser beam by moving the irradiation object relative to the laser beam in the first direction and the second direction of the beam spot formed on the irradiation surface, the distance between the irradiation object and the lens is controlled by the autofocusing mechanism before the irradiation object is moved in the first and second directions.
US08022378B2
A system for attenuating a primary radiation beam applied to a target area on a patient for generating an image of the target area during a radiological procedure is disclosed. The system includes a radiation attenuation material positionable over the target area to partially attenuate the primary radiation beam before the primary radiation beam reaches the target area. The system also includes a buffer positionable between the radiation attenuation material and the target area. The buffer is formed of a polymeric material and is configured to improve the clarity of the generated image.
US08022374B2
Provided is a holder device for analyzing characteristics of a dosimeter. In the holder device, the dosimeter is located in a desired direction on a radiation path along which radiation is irradiated from a radiation emitter, and a radiation absorbance characteristic is recognized according to a radiation dose absorbed by the dosimeter. The holder device includes: a dosimeter holder fixedly supporting the dosimeter; a body having a partial spherical portion with a specific curvature, and having a plurality of mounting holes containing the dosimeter holder; and a supporter supporting the body so that the dosimeter is located on the radiation path. Accordingly, in the holder device for analyzing characteristics of a dosimeter, one or more dosimeters can be disposed at a desired angle and position with respect to a radiation emitter, characteristics of the dosimeter can be accurately analyzed, and thus radiation treatment and treatment schedule can be effectively performed.
US08022372B2
An apparatus for performing non-contact material characterization includes a wafer carrier adapted to hold a plurality of substrates and a material characterization device, such as a device for performing photoluminescence spectroscopy. The apparatus is adapted to perform non-contact material characterization on at least a portion of the wafer carrier, including the substrates disposed thereon.
US08022368B2
A method for reducing randoms variance in a Positron Emission Tomograph (PET) or Positron Emission Tomograph combined with another Medical Imaging device is disclosed. An average of an element of the randoms event (delayeds) sinogram may be estimated by dividing fan sums in delayeds sinogram by singles rates taken from headers of the delayeds sinogram.
US08022362B2
An ionization device includes an ionization chamber (1) and a charging chamber (20) separately prepared therefrom. The ionization chamber (1) has a discharge electrode (6) and an opposing electrode (10) in an interior (4) of a case having an ionizing gas introducing inlet (14). The opposing electrode (10) has an orifice (8) communicating with outside and formed at a position opposing the tip end of the discharge electrode (6). The charging chamber (20) is arranged adjacent to the orifice (8) side of the ionization chamber (1). An introduction inlet (28) of a charge object introduction portion of the charging chamber (20) is arranged at the position near the exit of the orifice (8). The size of the orifice (8) is set so that the charge object is sucked therein by a negative pressure generated when a gas containing ions is sprayed from the exit of the orifice (8) into the charging chamber (20) and the ionization chamber (1) has a higher pressure than the charging chamber (20).
US08022357B2
A method for calibrating a non-pixelated gamma camera is provided, wherein the method includes determining a linearity map and a uniformity map of a reference isotope; and determining a linearity map and uniformity map of another isotope. Delta maps are calculated based on the maps of the reference isotope and the maps of the other isotope. During recalibration, new maps of the reference isotope are determined, thereby enabling new maps of the other isotope to be created based on the delta maps.
US08022355B2
A method for controlling gain of a scintillation detector includes using a reference radiation source and a photomultiplier tube and controlling the gain of the scintillation detector based on the reference radiation source. The controlling includes detecting change in the gain of the scintillation detector, determining an amount of the change in the gain, outputting a control signal to compensate the amount of the change in the gain, and stabilizing the gain against the reference radiation source based on the control signal. A gain control system for controlling gain of a scintillation detector includes computer-readable instructions stored in the memory for causing the processor to detect change in the gain of the scintillation detector determine an amount of the change in the gain, output a control signal to compensate the amount of the change in the gain, and stabilize the gain against the reference radiation source based on the control signal.
US08022353B2
An improved device for measuring the count and frequency of seeds in a stream of seeds is described. The device is useful for measuring the frequency and accuracy of seed planting devices. A seed counting system can include an imaging region, an image sensing device, and a lens between the imaging region and the image sensing device. An optical distance extender between the imaging region and the lens, creates an effective optical distance between the imaging region and the lens that is substantially greater than the physical distance between the imaging region and the lens, thereby providing a substantial depth of field.
US08022347B2
A surface-emitting laser array includes a plurality of surface-emitting laser devices arranged in an array. An optical system includes a plurality of optical devices to guide a light beam composed of lights emitted from the surface-emitting laser array to a target surface to be scanned. A light-intensity-control-device switching unit places one of light-intensity control devices having different light transmittances at a predetermined position in an optical path of the light beam.
US08022341B2
An improved oven is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and delivering an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to conventional high-speed cooking ovens. The oven includes tubes that generate plume arrays of a heated gas and introduce them into a cooking chamber of the oven. The tubes may be removably located at the bottom of the cooking chamber of the oven. The tubes are dimensioned for hot air impingement to tighten impingement plume arrays, subject to the space constraints of the oven's cooking chamber. With the optimized cooking efficiency provided by the present invention, high-speed cooking technology may now be extended to ovens operating on a power supply based on a voltage less than 220 volts, preferably between 110 and 125 volts, with more productive results, so that the high-speed cooking technology may find wider applicability and a broader customer base.
US08022324B2
The present invention discloses a method of manufacturing a keypad structure having a transparent keycap and a keypad structure having a transparent keycap. A metal pattern layer is formed on a transparent resin layer of a keycap component. Two print layers are formed on a transparent resin layer of an overprint component. Two print layers and the metal pattern layer are overlapped and have a level difference in height of the total thickness of the two transparent layers. Accordingly, the figure of the keypad seems to be floated and is felt to be three-dimensional.
US08022322B2
A key switch arrangement is able to prevent liquid such as water from entering a membrane sheet and staying therein. The key switch arrangement includes a waterproof sheet arranged above the membrane sheet, a first fixing member arranged in above the waterproof sheet and having a first projection protruding on the side of the waterproof sheet, and a second fixing member arranged below the membrane sheet and having a second projection protruding on the side of the membrane sheet. In the waterproof sheet and the second projection, holes are formed to which the first projection enters, while in the membrane sheet, a hole is formed to which the second projection enters so as to adhere the waterproof sheet closely to the second projection.
US08022320B2
This invention provides a lever engagement type electric power source circuit breaker in which a connector is not easily deformed and terminals and fuses accommodated inside are not exposed outside. The invention is lever engagement type electric power source circuit breaker includes a service plug including a service plug housing having a plurality of first connector terminals on a first side of the service plug housing, a metal cover covering a second side of the service plug housing opposing to the first side and including a main body, a boss integrally formed on the periphery of the main body, an electric power source side connector including a plurality of second connector terminals to be connected to the first connector terminals and a shaft, and a lever including a cam groove to be engaged with the boss and pivotably supported by the shaft. When the lever is operated to rotate, the service plug and the electric power source side connector are engaged with each other and then the first and the second connector terminals are electrically connected.
US08022319B2
The present invention relates generally to linkage means. More particularly, the invention encompasses a handle operator linkage with sealing means. The present invention is also directed to a novel linkage for controlling switches or breakers, and more particularly to a linkage for use as a double throw switch for controlling two switches or breakers mounted in the same enclosure so that only one switch can be ON at any given time, and the second switch would automatically be in an OFF state.
US08022318B2
An arrangement is provided for the overall handling of removable controls for an electrical device including the installation and removal of controls from a base or other housing portion of the overall device, e.g. an overhead switch utilized in electrical power distribution/transmission. The arrangement includes facilities for selectively securing or releasing the controls with respect to cooperating housing portions of the device. An operating member is provided with provisions for cooperating with the controls for securing and releasing the control with respect to the operating member. In a preferred arrangement, the controls have separate control functions.
US08022310B2
The present invention provides a multilayer wiring board in which warpage during reflow soldering can be reduced even if there is no sufficient space for disposing a dummy pattern or if a dummy pattern cannot be disposed. A difference between the ratios of copper remaining in wiring layers causes a difference between the amounts of thermal expansion of the wiring layers. The fiber bundle content of at least one resin base material layer is made different from that of the other resin base material layers, to cause a difference between the amounts of thermal expansion of the resin base material layers. This difference between the amounts of thermal expansion of the resin base material layers is used to cancel the difference between the amounts of thermal expansion of the wiring layers. Thus, warpage of the board during reflow soldering is reduced.
US08022308B2
A wired circuit board has an insulating layer extending in a longitudinal direction, a conductive layer having a plurality of signal wirings covered with the insulating layer and arranged in mutually spaced-apart and parallel relation in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal direction and a thickness direction of the insulating layer, and connecting terminals provided on both longitudinal ends of each of the signal wirings and exposed from the insulating layer, and a ground layer covered with the insulating layer and formed to surround each of the signal wirings in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal direction. A slit along the longitudinal direction is formed between each of the signal wirings in the insulating layer.
US08022303B2
A feed-through for feeding electric power to a submerged pump installed in a tank for cryogenic liquefied gases such as (LNG) liquefied natural gas and (LPG) liquefied propane gas. In the feed-through, a bushing made of an insulating material is inserted in the bushing insertion hole of a flange, and a conductor is inserted in the hollow part of the bushing. A gap between the flange and each end of the bushing insertion hole and a gap between each end of the bushing and the conductor are sealed airtight by seal members. A through-hole is formed in the wall of the bushing, and a space part communicating with the through-hole is formed in the flange. The pressure in the space part of the flange is detected by a pressure detector.
US08022301B2
This invention relates to collet-type splices and collet-type dead ends and methods for splicing together two electricity transmission cables or terminating one electricity transmission cable, the cables comprising a composite core surrounded by a conductor. The collet-type fittings use a collet inside a collet housing to hold the composite cores without penetrating or otherwise weakening the core itself. The composite cores can be stripped of the aluminum conductor to provide a bond between the collet and the composite core. The collet seats within the collet housing thereby holding the composite core with frictional forces. The design of the collet enables the composite core to stretch longitudinally through the collet to strengthen the frictional hold.
US08022299B2
A kind of rotatory emergency stop cover with plug-in unit includes lock cover 11 having shutter 9 that contains raised block b and return spring inside, lock base 15 having groove a, stop button 4 having torsional spring; lock cover has cam 8 and torsional spring, stop button 4 has retainer 3 and plug-in unit that is passing through stop button 4 to go into cam 8 for the connection of stop button 4 to cam 8. Shape and size of unit 1 are adjusted to woke in with that of cam 8 for only use in plug-in unit 1. Plug-in unit is operable to actuate and separate synchronously stop button 4 from cam 8 to ensure that stop button 11 won't open if plug-in unit is not inserted after locking. Support plate 13 has additional hole b, with rectangular hole c being on lock cover 7; it is convenient for user to secure with a lock without removal of unit when lock cover 11 is operated. Stop button 4 has retainer 3, retainer is used to cover hole g to prevent foreign objects from falling into after removal of plug-in unit 1.
US08022297B1
An electrical floor box assembly for installation in a floor structure includes an electrical floor box having a plurality of sidewalls and at least one clamp device attached to a sidewall so that the floor box may be mounted to a raised floor structure or leveled atop a support surface using the clamp device. The clamp device includes a clamp body, a threaded rod mounted for rotation along a longitudinal axis within the clamp body, and a clamp arm threadingly engaging the threaded rod so that it is movable along the rod in association with rotation thereof and can be moved into engagement with the undersurface of the floor structure to secure the floor box in place. The clamp device may further include a leveling subassembly for installation of the electrical floor box onto a support surface prior to construction of the floor around the leveled floor box.
US08022294B2
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device sensitized by supporting a methine based dye represented by the following formula (1): (in the above formula, n represents an integer of 0 to 7; X and Y each represent a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted aromatic residue, an optionally substituted aliphatic hydrocarbon residue and the like. In addition, X and Y may combine together to form an optionally substituted ring. A1, A2 and A3 represent each independently an optionally substituted aromatic residue, an optionally substituted aliphatic hydrocarbon residue and the like. In addition, when n is other than 0, a plural number of A1 and/or A2 and/or A3 may form an optionally substituted ring. The benzene ring “a” may have substituent selected from a halogen atom, an amide group, a hydroxyl group, a cyano group and the like); on a thin film of oxide semiconductor fine particles provided on a substrate, and has features that the device can be manufactured at low cost and has high conversion efficiency.
US08022289B2
A first harmonic sound generating unit 1 generates a first harmonic sound signal as a product of a multiplication of a signal of a specific frequency and a signal including frequency components of odd multiples of a music signal. Then, frequency components of non-integer multiples shifted back and forth in the specific frequency from the odd multiples are generated based on the first harmonic sound signal. A full-wave rectifying unit 21 rectifies the first harmonic sound signal to generate a second harmonic sound signal including frequency components of even multiples. An adding unit 4 adds the first harmonic sound signal and the second harmonic sound signal, and then adds the additional value to the music signal.
US08022282B1
A baseplate, for use with a bass drum, including a center plate and a pair of wings extending outwardly therefrom. Each wing cradles and is adjustably secured to a lug affixed to a drum shell of a bass drum. A connection plate unitarily constructed with and extending from the center plate includes a terminal end with a lip for adjustably interfacing with a pedal clamp of a drum beater assembly for connecting the drum beater assembly to the bass drum. The pedal clamp is removably connectable to any point along the lip for laterally adjusting the striking point of a beater head onto the bass drum, the bass drum isolated from the pedal clamp for improving the resonance performance thereof, without changing the length of a beater shaft or the feel of the drum beater assembly.
US08022279B2
Compositions which comprise an anthracycline agent, and a cytidine analog are encapsulated in liposomal carriers. The preferred anthracycline agent is selected from the group of daunorubicin, doxorubicin, and idarubicin, while the preferred cytidine analog is selected from the group of cytarabine, gemcitabine, or 5-azacytidine. The combination of the anthracycline agent and cytidine analog encapsulated in said liposomal carriers are useful in achieving a drug retention and a sustained drug release for each therapeutic agent.
US08022276B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated D5886524. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety D5886524. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety D5886524 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety D5886524 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08022275B2
The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions include a novel nucleotide sequence for a tissue-preferred maize promoter. A method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using the promoter sequence disclosed herein is provided. The method comprises stably incorporating into the genome of a plant cell a nucleotide sequence operably linked to the tissue-preferred promoter of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant that expresses the nucleotide sequence.
US08022267B2
A nonwoven fabric comprising at least 50% by weight microfibers having a fineness of 1.0 dtex or less and a length of at least 30 mm and having been combined by hydroentangling. The fabric is apertured by said hydroentangling, and has been carded before hydroentangling. The fabric may be used as a topsheet material on an absorbent article.
US08022259B2
A method for hydroconversion of a combined feed of at least one low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon and at least one biorenewable feedstock in a hydroconversion reaction zone in the presence of a hydroconversion catalyst at hydroconversion reaction conditions for a period of time sufficient to form a hydroconversion reaction product.
US08022256B2
Mixed butene streams containing butene-1 and isobutylene and optionally butene-2 are hydroformylated under conditions that hydroformylates all the monomers to yield a mixture of valeraldehydes. Higher temperatures and/or longer residence times and/or higher partial pressure of carbon monoxide than in conventional processes are used to ensure hydroformylation of all the monomers.
US08022255B2
A process for preparing ketones of the general formula (III) where R is an optionally substituted carbocyclic aromatic radical having 6 to 24 carbon atoms or an optionally substituted alkyl radical or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic radical having 5 to 24 carbon atoms, and R1 is an optionally substituted carbocyclic aromatic radical having 6 to 24 carbon atoms or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic radical having 5 to 24 carbon atoms, by reacting alpha-oxo carboxylates of the general formula (I) wherein n and m is a number in the range from 1 to 6, M(m+) is a cation, and R has the meaning indicated for formula (III), with aryl bromides of the general formula (II) R1—Br (II) where R1 has the meaning indicated for formula (III), in the presence of two transition metals or compounds thereof as catalyst, is described.
US08022236B2
A process is described for producing fatty acid alkyl esters for both diesel fuel and non-fuel uses. The feed material includes whole oleaginous seeds slurried in a liquid triglyceride oil containing at least two weight percent free fatty acid, wherein oil from inside the seeds is first extracted with concurrent esterification of free fatty acids from all sources in an acidic environment. Following sufficient free fatty acid reaction, the intermediate product is subjected to base-catalyzed concurrent extraction and transesterification. Decanting of the byproduct glycerin is followed by water washing. Subsequently, the fatty acid ester product is concurrently purified and fractionated into a biodiesel fuel stream and a non-fuel fraction, each of which undergoes post treatment as needed. The process is optionally integrated with glycerin purification and/or methanol recovery.
US08022235B2
The present invention discloses boronic acids and esters of phospholipid ether analogs and methods for their synthesis and use. The boronic acids and esters of phospholipid ether analogs described herein can be used in treating cancer and in particular can be used in conjunction with radiation therapy, such as external beam radiation therapy and neutron capture therapy to specifically target and kill cancer cells.
US08022232B2
This patent discloses a method for resolution of 4-[4-(dimethylamino)-1-(4′-fluorophenyl)-1-hydroxybutyl]-3-(hydroxymethyl)-benzonitrile as a racemic or non-racemic enantiomer mixture into its isolated enantiomers, said method comprising the step of fractionally crystallizing 4-[4-(dimethylamino)-1-(4′-fluorophenyl)-1-hydroxybutyl]-3-(hydroxymethyl)-benzonitrile as a salt with the (+)-(S,S)- or (−)-(R,R)-enantiomer of O,O′-di-p-toluoyl-tartaric acid in a solvent system comprising 1-propanol, ethanol or acetonitrile.
US08022230B2
Molecular mimics of Smac are capable of modulating apoptosis through their interaction with cellular IAPs (inhibitor of apoptosis proteins). The mimetics are based on a monomer or dimer of the N-terminal tetrapeptide of IAP-binding proteins, such as Smac/DIABLO, Hid, Grim and Reaper, which interact with a specific surface groove of IAP. Also disclosed are methods of using these peptidomimetics for therapeutic purposes. In various embodiments of the invention the Smac mimetics of the invention are combined with chemotherapeutic agents, including, but not limited to topoisomerase inhibitors, kinase inhibitors, NSAIDs, taxanes and platinum containing compounds use broader language.
US08022222B2
Provided are compounds of formula I wherein R2, L, Z, Y, G and R1 are as defined herein, that are useful in the treatment and/or prevention of diseases or disorders mediated by deficient levels of glucokinase activity or which can be treated by activating glucokinase including, but not limited to, diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance, IFG (impaired fasting glucose) and IFG (impaired fasting glycemia), as well as other diseases and disorders such as those discussed herein.
US08022218B2
The present invention relates to 4-phenyl-5-oxo-1,4)5,6,7,8-hexahydroquinoline derivatives according to Formula I, Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is (1-6C)alkyl, (2-6C)alkenyl or (2-6C)aDcynyl; R2, R3 are independently halogen, (1-4C)allcyl, (2-4C)alkenyl, (2-4C)-alkynyl, (1-4C)aBcoxy, (3-4C)alkenyloxy or (3-4C)alkynyloxy; R4 is phenyl or (2-5C)-heteroaryl, both substituted with R7 and optionally substituted on the (hetero)aromatic ring with one or more substituents selected from hydroxy, amino, halogen, nitro, trifluoromethyl, cyano, (1-4C)alkyl, (1-4C)alkoxy, (1-4C)alkylthio and (di)(1-4C)-alkylamino. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said derivatives, as well as to the use of these 4-phenyl-5-oxo-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-quinoline derivatives in therapy, more specifically for the treatment of infertility.
US08022215B2
The present invention is directed to fused pyridone compounds of formula (I) (I) that are M1 receptor positive allosteric modulators and that are useful in the treatment of diseases in which the M1 receptor is involved, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, pain or sleep disorders. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, and to the use of the compounds and compositions in the treatment of diseases mediated by the M1 receptor.
US08022212B2
A light-emitting element having excellent light-emitting properties and with which it is possible to emit blue light at a high luminance for a long period of time, and an iridium complex for realizing the same. The light-emitting element has an external quantum efficiency of at least 5% and a light emission maximum wavelength λ max of no more than 500 nm. Further, there is provided a light-emitting element including a light-emitting layer or a plurality of organic compound layers having the light-emitting layer, with at least one of the compound layers including at least one kind of a compound having a partial structure represented by the general formula K-0. In the general formula K-0, R1 to R7 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent, provided that if R2 is a fluorine atom, R3 is not a hydrogen atom.
US08022204B2
A method of forming a 3-phenylimino-3H-phenothiazine or a 3-phenylimino-3H-phenoxazine mediator includes providing a first reactant including phenothiazine or phenoxazine, providing a first solvent, providing a second reactant and providing a second solvent. The first reactant, first solvent, second reactant and second solvent are combined to form a reactants solution. Sodium persulfate is added to the reactants solution to couple the first and second reactants resulting in a reaction solution including the 3-phenylimino-3H-phenothiazine or the 3-phenylimino-3H-phenoxazine mediator.
US08022202B2
The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of protein kinase. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising said compounds and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disease, conditions, or disorders. The invention also provides processes for preparing compounds of the inventions.
US08022200B2
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of liquid, storage-stable isocyanate mixtures which are characterized by a low color number and which contain carbodiimide (CD) and/or uretonimine (UI) groups. This invention also relates to the isocyanate mixtures obtained by this process, to their use for the preparation of blends with further isocyanates, and to the preparation of prepolymers containing isocyanate groups and of polyurethane plastics, preferably polyurethane foams from these isocyanate mixtures.
US08022191B2
The present invention provides a polyethylene glycol-conjugated erythropoietin (PEG-conjugated EPO) prepared by PEG conjugation on the lysine residue at position 52 of native erythropoietin (native EPO). In order to achieve more sustained efficacy without losing physiological activities of native EPO, a glycoprotein rich in sugar chains, there has been a need to develop a PEG-conjugated EPO with significantly sustained efficacy by introducing a controlled number of PEG molecules at controlled positions. This PEG-conjugated EPO addresses such a need and provides more sustained efficacy.
US08022187B2
The present invention relates to recombinant blood coagulation factor IX (rFIX) mutants having factor VIII (FVIII) independent factor X (FX) activation potential. Five full length FIX proteins with combinations of mutations of amino acids important for functional activity of FIX and FIX wild type were cloned and expressed in HEK 293 cells. The proteins were tested by an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) assay in FVIII-depleted plasma as well as in FVIII-inhibited patient plasma. In FVIII-depleted plasma functional activity of the FIX mutants was calculated as increased FVIII equivalent activity. The mutant proteins had increased FVIII equivalent activity. In FVIII-inhibited patient plasma the FEIBA equivalent activity was calculated for analysis of FVIII independent FX activation potential. The proteins had also increased FEIBA equivalent activity. Furthermore, the pre-activated FIX proteins had an increased activity in FIX-depleted plasma containing FVIII inhibitors. Therefore these FIX mutants are alternatives as bypassing agents for treatment of FVIII inhibitor patients.
US08022182B2
The disclosure provides a non-naturally occurring BAFF-R glycoprotein having a deletion in the extracellular domain which results in an altered O-linked glycosylation pattern. The disclosure also provides methods and pharmaceutical compositions for treating B-cell- and T-cell-mediated disorders.
US08022175B1
Anti-peptide monoclonal antibodies (MAb's) specific for Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) are used for rapid diagnostic identification between poultry infected with vaccine strains of NDV (LaSota/B1) and END virus (ENDV). Exotic Newcastle Disease is a contagious and fatal viral disease of birds and poultry. The present invention provides for diagnostic detection of ENDV in commercial poultry.
US08022172B2
Clostridial toxin substrates comprising a lanthanide donor complex, an acceptor, and a Clostridial toxin recognition sequence including a cleavage site; methods for determining the activity of a Clostridial toxin from a test sample using such Clostridial toxin substrates; cell compositions comprising such Clostridial toxin substrates and a Clostridial toxin receptor; and methods for determining the activity of a Clostridial toxin from a test sample using such cell compositions.
US08022171B2
The invention relates to a process for making a monofilament-like product from a precursor containing a multitude of continuous polyolefin filaments, comprising exposing the precursor to a temperature within the melting point range of the polyolefin for a time sufficient to at least partly fuse adjacent fibers and simultaneously stretching the precursor at a draw ratio of at least 2.8. With the process according to the invention a monofilament-like product can be made that shows improved tensile properties; making it very suitable for application as e.g. fishing line.
US08022167B2
A liquid-phase process is provided for the manufacture from glutaronitriles and related compounds of 2,6-diaminopyridine and related compounds, which are used industrially as compounds and as components in the synthesis of a variety of useful materials. The synthesis proceeds by means of a dehydrogenative aromatization process.
US08022159B2
The invention includes terminating compounds, polymers, rubber compositions and tires. The terminating compounds can provide terminating groups on the polymer. Polymers can be homopolymers, copolymers and terpolymers, and can include repeat units provided from conjugated diene monomers. Rubber compositions can be made from the polymers, and tires and various parts of tires can be made from those rubber compositions.
US08022158B2
The present invention relates to biomedical devices, and particularly contact lenses comprising a polymer having entangled therein at least one acyclic polyamide.
US08022156B2
A greaseproof paper is provided for use in food processing and/or packaging of foods in which paper has been rendered oleophobic by treatment with a fluorine-containing polymer. The fluorine-containing polymer may be prepared by polymerizing a fluorine-containing monomer in the presence of a mercapto group-containing organopolysiloxane. The fluorine-containing polymer may be applied to paper by coating onto pre-formed paper, or by applying the polymer as a size during a papermaking process.
US08022141B2
In a golf ball composed of a core and a cover having a plurality of layers that encloses the core, at least a first layer of the cover is formed primarily of a heated mixture of (A) a metal ion neutralization product of an olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer and/or a metal ion neutralization product of an olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester copolymer, (B) at least one type of olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer and/or olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester copolymer having the same content of unsaturated carboxylic acid as component A, and (C) a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer; and at least one other cover layer adjoining the at least first cover layer is formed primarily of a non-ionomeric thermoplastic elastomer. Because the golf ball is made using a cover stock having a good heat resistance, good moldability, good paint film adhesion and good adhesion to adjoining layers, it has an excellent rebound, an excellent feel when hit, and is more resistant to a decline in durability to impact.
US08022139B2
A polylactic acid composition comprising (A) a polylactic acid-series resin and (B) an acrylic triblock copolymer is prepared. The composition fulfills the following requirements: (1) the acrylic triblock copolymer (B) is a triblock polymer comprising (B1) a polymer block having a glass-transition temperature of not higher than 25° C., (B2a) a polymer block which has a glass-transition temperature of not lower than 60° C. and is bound to a terminal of the polymer block (B1), and (B2b) a polymer block which has a glass-transition temperature of not lower than 60° C. and is bound to another terminal thereof; (2) the polymer block (B1) comprises a main structural unit derived from an acrylate, and the polymer block (B2a) and the polymer block (B2b) independently comprise a main structural unit derived from a methacrylate; and (3) both of the weight-average molecular weights of the polymer block (B2a) and polymer block (B2b) are smaller than the weight-average molecular weight of the polymer block (B1). The polylactic acid-series resin (A) and the acrylic triblock copolymer (B) may form a phase separation structure.
US08022138B2
Aqueous polyurethane dispersion are disclosed where the dispersions contain from 5 to 70 weight percent polyurethane solids wherein the solids are obtained from at least one isocyanate terminated prepolymer prepared by reacting (a) a polyol or polyol blend having a mean average equivalent weight of 200 to 2,000; and (b) at least one polyisocyanate where the prepolymer is dispersed in water; optionally in the presence of (c) one or more stabilizers; or (d) one or more amine chain extenders or both; wherein the prepolymers have an isocyanate (NCO) content of from 2 to 40 weight percent and the polyol or polyol blend (a) contains at least 15 weight percent of a polyester based on a polycarboxylic acid or lactone component and a glycol component, wherein the glycol component contains isomers of 1,3- and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (1,3-/1,4-CHDM) where the ratio of the 1,3-/1,4-isomers is from 35:65 to 65:35.
US08022134B2
The present invention relates to novel modified polyaminoamides which are useful as dispersing agents for particulate inorganic solids, especially for inorganic pigments such as clay minerals. The new polyamides are also useful as graying inhibiting additives and detergency boosting additives in washing composition for laundry. In the modified polyaminoamide according to the invention at least a part of the amino nitrogens of the polymer carry both a hydrocarbon radical R which is selected from C1-C6-alkyl, C6-C16-aryl-C1-C4-alkyl and a group AIk-O-A, wherein A is hydrogen or an acidic group selected from B1—PO(OH)2, B1—S(O)2OH and B2—COOH which may be present in the acidic or anionic form, wherein B1 is a single bond or C1-C6-alkanediyl, and B2 is C1-C6-alkanediyl and Alk is C2-C6-alkane-1,2-diyl, and a moiety of the formula (I) —(CH2—CR1R2—O—)pA ,wherein A is as defined above R1 is independently selected from hydrogen, C1-C12-alkyl, C2-C8-alkenyl, C6-C16-aryl or C6-C16-aryl-C1-C4-alkyl, R2 is independently selected from hydrogen or methyl and p is an integer provided that p has a number average of at least 10.
US08022130B2
Adhesive and sealant systems based on epoxy resins, polyurethane, silane-terminated polymers, silicones, unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, acrylates, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl ether, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, polyvinyl acetates, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, styrene-butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, polysulfide, polyethylene, polypropylene, fluorinated hydrocarbons, polyamides, saturated polyesters and copolyesters, phenol-formaldehyde resins, cresol-/resorcinol-formaldehyde resins, urea-formaldehyde resins, melamine-formaldehyde resins, polyimides, polybenzimidazoles, polysulfones, which contain 1 wt. % to 15 wt. % of a compacted, hydrophobic pyrogenic silica.
US08022126B2
An encapsulating resin composition is provided, which gives a cured product having heat resistance, light resistance, and flexibility equivalent to those of silicone resins and having a refractive index of 1.57 or greater which is larger than that of epoxy resins. The encapsulating resin composition contains: a high refractive index acrylic-based or methacrylic-based monomer having a refractive index of 1.55 or greater; and a nonfunctional fluorene compound. In a preferred form, each of the high refractive index acrylic-based or methacrylic-based monomer and the nonfunctional fluorene compound has a 9,9-bisphenylfluorene skeleton.
US08022112B2
A plasticized ceramic-forming mixture and a method for stiffening the mixture, the mixture comprising a combination of inorganic powder, one or more plasticizing organic binders, a radiation-curable monomer, a photoinitiator, and water, and the method comprising stiffening the surfaces of extruded shapes of the mixture by applying electromagnetic energy to the surfaces following extrusion.
US08022101B2
A method of treatment of native, non-denatured tissue to increase resistance to tearing, fissuring, rupturing, and/or delamination, comprising the step of: contacting at least a portion of the tissue with an effective amount of a reagent that increases crosslinks in the tissue.
US08022098B2
This invention is directed to deuterated aminocyclohexyl ether compounds and processes for preparing same and methods of using same.
US08022078B2
Disclosed are compounds of the formula I: wherein R1, R2, V, W, X, Y and Z can be as defined herein. The compounds can be used in the treatment of disorders mediated by the cannabinoid receptors.
US08022075B2
To provide a diagnostic drug which binds specifically to an amyloid aggregate and/or an amyloid deposit, to thereby realize imaging and quantification of a disease caused by amyloid aggregation and/or deposition.The invention provides a compound represented by formula (1): (wherein X1 represents an optionally substituted bicyclic heterocyclic group; X2 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a chelate-forming group; ring A represents a benzene ring or a pyridine ring; and ring B represents an optionally substituted 5-membered aromatic heterocyclic group which is bonded to the benzene ring or the pyridine ring via a carbon atom of ring B), a salt thereof, a solvate of any of these, or a transition metal coordination compound of any of these, and a diagnostic, preventive, or therapeutic drug containing the same.
US08022073B2
A pyridazine compound of the formula: has an excellent plant disease controlling effect.
US08022068B2
The present invention relates to compounds of the general formula (I) and the salts thereof, preferably the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; in which R has the meaning explained in the description, a process for their preparation and the use of these compounds as medicines, especially as renin inhibitors.
US08022061B2
Compounds having formula I: where A1, A2, L, V, W, R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are as described herein, compositions thereof, and their use for the treatment or prevention of type 2 diabetes and type 2 diabetes-related conditions are provided herein.
US08022060B2
Spirocyclic heterocyclic derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, and methods for their pharmaceutical use are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the spirocyclic heterocyclic derivatives are ligands of the δ opioid receptor and may be useful, inter alia, for treating and/or preventing pain, anxiety, gastrointestinal disorders, and other δ opioid receptor-mediated conditions.
US08022056B2
The present invention relates to the use of specific compounds related to the indolocarbazole K252a, for the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of various forms of cancer.
US08022052B2
This invention relates to methods for using agents to inhibit peroxisome proliferator activated receptor expression.
US08022050B2
The present invention relates to a TRPA1 activation inhibitor, more precisely a TRPA1 activity inhibitor containing isopentenyl pyrophosphate and a method for inhibiting pain containing the step of administering isopentenyl pyrophosphate to a subject. Isopentenyl pyrophosphate of the present invention can regulate pain caused by TRPA1, so that it can be effectively used for the development of a pain inhibitor which is effective but has less side effects.
US08022043B2
α-Galactosylceramides and glycosylceramides (“ceramide-like glycolipids”) that modulate NK T cells. The ceramide-like glycolipids vary in the cytokines induced in NK T cells and vary in the antigen-presenting cells that are capable of efficiently presenting the compounds to NK T cells. Pharmaceutical compositions of the ceramide-like glycolipids are provided, as are pharmaceutical compositions of the ceramide-like glycolipids combined with dendritic cells. Methods utilizing the ceramide-like glycolipids in vaccines, to activate NK T cells, to stimulate the immune system, and to treat mammals are also provided. The invention also provides methods of evaluating a compound for its ability to activate an NK T cell in the presence of a cell expressing a CD1d protein.
US08022042B2
The present invention discloses anti-cancer compositions, and associated methods, including an anti-cancer composition comprising: a cellular energy inhibitor having the structure according to formula I wherein X is selected from the group consisting of: a nitro, an imidazole, a halide, sulfonate, a carboxylate, an alkoxide, and amine oxide; and R is selected from the group consisting of: OR′, N(R″)2, C(O)R′″, C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl, C1-C6 heteroalkyl, a C6-C12 heteroaryl, H, and an alkali metal; where R′ represents H, alkali metal, C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl or C(O)R′″, R″ represents H, C1-C6 alkyl, or C6-C12 aryl, and R′″ represents H, C1-C20 alkyl or C6-C12 aryl. The anti-cancer composition can additionally comprise at least one sugar, which stabilizes the cellular energy inhibitor by substantially preventing the inhibitor from hydrolyzing. Also, the anti-cancer composition can comprise a glycolysis inhibitor. Further, the anti-cancer composition can comprise a biological buffer that is present in an amount sufficient to at least partially deacidify the cellular energy inhibitor and neutralize metabolic by-products of the cellular energy inhibitor.
US08022035B2
Y4 receptor agonist peptide selected from the group consisting of: [Ala30]PP2-36, [Thr30]PP2-36, [Asn30]PP2-36, [Gln30]PP2-36, [Glu10]PP2-36, [Glu10,Leu17,Thr30]PP2-36, [Nle17,Nle30]PP2-36, [Glu10,Nle17,Nle30]PP2-36, their PP1-36 equivalents, and analogues and derivatives thereof as described in the specification, are selective agonists of the Y4 receptor relative to the Y1 and Y2 receptors, and are useful in the treatment, for example, of obesity and overweight, and conditions in which these are considered contributory factors, and in the treatment of diarrhoea and intestinal hypersecretion.
US08022032B2
The method set out herein involves identifying the concentration of each of two or more active therapeutics tailored to treat a particular patient's unique metabolism and one or more diseases, communicating that information to a producer who has multiple fixed or variable concentrations of each active available, where the producer then combines the individual concentrations of each active into single units such as a tablets or pills, and distributes those indirectly or directly to the patient.
US08022029B2
Fabric softening compositions comprising polymeric materials capable of retaining volatile perfume ingredients are disclosed, as well as methods of softening fabrics.
US08022007B2
The present invention relates to a ligand and its use in a catalyst for the oligomerization of olefinic monomers, the ligand having the general formula (II); P(R1)(R2)—P(R4)═N(R3) (II) wherein: the R1 group is selected from a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, heterohydrocarbyl and substituted heterohydrocarbyl group; the R2 group is selected from a hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, heterohydrocarbyl and substituted heterohydrocarbyl group; the R3 is selected from hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl group, a substituted hydrocarbyl group, a heterohydrocarbyl group, a substituted heterohydrocarbyl group, a silyl group or derivative thereof; the R4 group is an optionally substituted alkylenedioxy, alkylenedimercapto or alkylenediamino structure which is bound to the phosphorus atom through the two oxygen, sulphur or nitrogen atoms of the alkylenedioxy, alkylenedimercapto or alkylenediamino structure or an optionally substituted arylenedioxy, arylenedimercapto or arylenediamino structure which is bound to the phosphorus atom through the two oxygen, sulphur or nitrogen atoms of the arylenedioxy, arylenedimercapto or arylenediamino structure.
US08022001B2
A method for producing an aluminum nitride sintered product according to the present invention includes the steps of (a) preparing a powder mixture that contains AlN, 2 to 10 parts by weight of Eu2O3 with respect to 100 parts by weight of AlN, Al2O3 such that a molar ratio of Al2O3 to Eu2O3 is 2 to 10, and TiO2 such that a molar ratio of TiO2 to Al2O3 is 0.05 to 1.2, but not Sm; (b) producing a compact from the powder mixture; and (c) firing the compact by subjecting the compact to hot-press firing in a vacuum or in an inert atmosphere.
US08021995B2
A fiber mixture according to the invention comprises fibers A comprising a polymer A containing a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer and fibers B comprising a thermoplastic polymer B other than the thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, said thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer having a starting temperature for solidifying of 65° C. or above as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and containing 3.00×106 or less polar-solvent-insoluble particles per g counted on a particle size distribution analyzer, which is based on an electrical sensing zone method, equipped with an aperture tube having an orifice of 100 μm in diameter. An elastic nonwoven fabric comprises the fiber mixture.
US08021989B2
One inventive aspect is related to a method for isolating structures of a semiconductor material, comprising providing a pattern of the semiconductor material comprising at least one elevated line, defining device regions in the pattern, the device regions each comprising at least said at least one elevated line, and modifying the conductive properties of the semiconductor material outside said device regions, such that the device regions are electrically isolated.
US08021988B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor device having an improved silicon oxide film as a gate insulation film of a Metal Insulator Semiconductor structure and a method of making the same.
US08021986B2
A method for producing a transistor with metallic source and drain including the steps of: a) producing a gate stack, b) producing two portions of a material capable of being selectively etched relative to a second dielectric material and arranged at the locations of the source and of the drain of the transistor, c) producing a second dielectric material-based layer covering the stack and the two portions of material, d) producing two holes in the second dielectric material-based layer forming accesses to the two portions of material, e) etching of said two portions of material, f) depositing a metallic material in the two formed cavities, and also including, between steps a) and b), a step of deposition of a barrier layer on the stack, against the lateral sides of the stack and against the face of the first dielectric material-based layer.
US08021984B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor includes forming an active region for an ESD device, an active region for a first polygate and the semiconductor, and a second polygate having a form of a blanket trench on a substrate, forming an interlayer dielectric layer including first and second insulating on the substrate, planarizing the interlayer dielectric layer, forming a contact pattern to open a portion of the interlayer dielectric layer over the first polygate, forming a first polygate trench by performing a first etch process with respect to the second insulating layer below the contact pattern, and performing a second etch process to remove the first insulating layer inside the first polygate trench and to remove the first insulating layer over the active region of the semiconductor other than the second polygate.
US08021982B2
A method is provided for forming a metal semiconductor alloy that includes providing a deposition apparatus that includes a platinum source and a nickel source, wherein the platinum source is separate from the nickel source; positioning a substrate having a semiconductor surface in the deposition apparatus; forming a metal alloy on the semiconductor surface, wherein forming the metal alloy comprises a deposition stage in which the platinum source deposits platinum to the semiconductor surface at an initial rate at an initial period that is greater than a final rate at a final period of the deposition stage, and the nickel source deposits nickel to the semiconductor surface; and annealing the metal alloy to react the nickel and platinum with the semiconductor substrate to provide a nickel platinum semiconductor alloy.
US08021981B2
Redistribution layers for microfeature workpieces, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. One method for processing a microfeature workpiece system includes positioning a preformed redistribution layer as a unit proximate to and spaced apart from a microfeature workpiece having an operable microfeature device. The method can further include attaching the redistribution layer to the microfeature workpiece and electrically coupling the redistribution layer to the operable microfeature device.
US08021977B2
Provided are methods of forming contact structures and semiconductor devices fabricated using the contact structures. The formation of a contact structure can include forming a first molding pattern on a substrate, forming an insulating layer to cover at least a sidewall of the first molding pattern, forming a second molding pattern to cover a sidewall of the insulating layer and spaced apart from the first molding pattern, removing a portion of the insulating layer between the first and second molding patterns to form a hole, and forming an insulating pattern between the first and second molding patterns, and forming a contact pattern in the hole.
US08021971B2
An integrated circuit is provided including a narrow gate stack having a width less than or equal to 65 nm, including a silicide region comprising Pt segregated in a region of the silicide away from the top surface of the silicide and towards an lower portion defined by a pulldown height of spacers on the sidewalls of the gate conductor. In a preferred embodiment, the spacers are pulled down prior to formation of the silicide. The silicide is first formed by a formation anneal, at a temperature in the range 250° C. to 450° C. Subsequently, a segregation anneal at a temperature in the range 450° C. to 550° C. The distribution of the Pt along the vertical length of the silicide layer has a peak Pt concentration within the segregated region, and the segregated Pt region has a width at half the peak Pt concentration that is less than 50% of the distance between the top surface of the silicide layer and the pulldown spacer height.
US08021963B2
A wafer treating method includes the steps of irradiating a wafer, provided with devices on the face side, from the back side with a laser beam capable of being transmitted through the wafer, while converging the laser beam to a predetermined depth, so as to form a denatured layer between the face side and the back side of the wafer, and separating the wafer into a back-side wafer on the back side relative to the denatured layer and a face-side wafer on the face side relative to the denatured layer. The denatured layer remaining in the face-side wafer is removed, and the face-side wafer is finished to a predetermined thickness, whereby the devices constituting the face-side wafer are finished into products, and the back-side wafer is recycled.
US08021953B2
A microelectronic device includes: at least one cell or element including at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode, and at least one stack of thin layers between the first electrode and the second electrode. The stack includes at least one doped chalcogenide layer capable of forming a solid electrolyte, the doped chalcogenide layer being provided on and in contact with the first electrode; at least one interface layer provided on and in contact with the doped chalcogenide layer, the interface layer being based on a material different from the chalcogenide, the material being carbon or carbon comprising a metallic additive or a semiconducting additive; and at least one metallic ion donor layer provided on and in contact with the interface layer, the metallic ion donor layer being an ion source for the solid electrolyte.
US08021950B1
Disclosed are embodiments of a semiconductor wafer processing method that allow device regions to be selectively annealed following back end of the line (BEOL) metal wiring formation without degrading wiring layer reliability. In the embodiments, a semiconductor device is formed adjacent to the top surface of a wafer such that it incorporates a selectively placed infrared absorbing layer (IAL). Then, following BEOL metal wiring formation, the bottom surface of the wafer is exposed to an infrared light having a wavelength that is transparent to the wafer. The infrared light is absorbed by and, thereby heats up the IAL to a first predetermined temperature (e.g., a dopant activation temperature, a temperature required for a state change, etc.). The resulting heat is transferred from the IAL to an adjacent region of the semiconductor device without raising the temperature of the metal wiring above a second predetermined temperature (e.g., a temperature that could degrade the metal wiring) that is lower than the first predetermined temperature.
US08021944B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes: forming a photoresist film on a semiconductor substrate including a silicide forming region and non-silicide forming region; forming a photoresist pattern as a non-salicide pattern by patterning the photoresist film, so as to cover the non-silicide forming region and open the silicide forming region, with an overhang structure that a bottom is removed more compared to a top; forming a metal film on a top of the photoresist pattern and overall the semiconductor substrate in the silicide forming region; stripping the photoresist pattern and the metal film on the photoresist pattern; and forming a silicide metal film by annealing the metal film remaining on the semiconductor substrate. Therefore, the present invention simplifies a salicide process of a semiconductor device, making it possible to improve yields.
US08021940B2
Methods of forming a microelectronic structure are described. Those methods may include forming a gate dielectric layer on a substrate, forming a metal gate layer on the gate dielectric layer, and then forming a polysilicon layer on the metal gate layer in situ, wherein the metal gate layer is not exposed to air.
US08021937B2
A method of fabricating an array substrate includes: forming a gate line and a gate electrode connected to the gate line; forming a gate insulating layer on the gate line and the gate insulting layer; sequentially forming an intrinsic amorphous silicon pattern and an impurity-doped amorphous silicon pattern on the gate insulating layer over the gate electrode; forming a data line on the gate insulating layer and source and drain electrodes on the impurity-doped amorphous silicon pattern, the data line crossing the gate line to define a pixel region, and the source and drain electrodes spaced apart from each other; removing a portion of the impurity-doped amorphous silicon pattern exposed through the source and drain electrodes to define an ohmic contact layer; irradiating a first laser beam onto the intrinsic amorphous silicon pattern through the source and drain electrode to form an active layer including a first portion of polycrystalline silicon and a second portion of amorphous silicon at both sides of the first portion; forming a passivation layer on the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode, the passivation layer having a drain contact hole exposing the drain electrode; and forming a pixel electrode on the passivation layer in the pixel region, the pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode through the drain contact hole.
US08021924B2
A method for fabricating an encapsulant cavity integrated circuit package system includes: forming a first integrated circuit package with an inverted bottom terminal having an encapsulant cavity and an interposer, and attaching a component on the interposer in the encapsulant cavity.
US08021920B2
The invention relates to a metal-ceramic substrate for electric circuits or modules, the substrate including a ceramic layer which is provided with at least one metallic layer of a first type applied to a surface of the ceramic layer in a plane manner. An insulating layer made up of a glass-containing material is applied to at least one partial region of a surface of the metallic layer of the first type, the surface opposing the ceramic layer, and a metallic layer of a second type is applied to the insulating layer, the insulating layer and the metallic layer of a second type respectively being thinner then the ceramic layer and the metallic layer of the first type.
US08021911B2
For producing a photovoltaic module (1), the front electrode layer (3), the semi-conductor layer (4) and the back electrode layer (5) are patterned by separating lines (6, 7, 8) to form series-connected cells (C1, C2, . . . Cn, Cn+1). The patterning of the front electrode layer (3) and of the semiconductor layer (4) is done with a laser (13) emitting infrared radiation. During patterning of the semiconductor layer (4) the power of the laser (13) is so reduced that the front electrode layer (3) is not damaged.
US08021902B2
A method of fabricating a light emitting diode includes the following steps. A substrate is provided and a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer are placed on the substrate. A carbon nanotube structure is provided and the carbon nanotube structure is lie on the second semiconductor layer. A first electrode is formed on the carbon nanotube structure. A portion of the first semiconductor layer is exposed and a second electrode is formed on the exposed portion of the first semiconductor layer to obtain the light emitting diode.
US08021898B2
A materials processing system comprises a thermal processing chamber including a heating source, a first noncontacting thermal measurement device positioned to measure temperature on a first area of the material being processed, and, a second noncontacting thermal measurement device positioned to measure temperature on a second area of the material being processed, the first device being relatively more sensitive to changes in surface emissivity than the second device. By comparing the outputs of the two devices, emissivity changes can be detected and used as a proxy for some physical change in the workpiece and thereby determine when the desired process has been completed. The system may be used to develop a process recipe, or it may be part of a system for real-time process control based on emissivity changes. Applicable processes include heating, annealing, dopant activation, silicide formation, carburization, nitridation, sintering, oxidation, vapor deposition, metallization, and plating.
US08021894B2
This invention provides methods of retentate chromatography for resolving analytes in a sample. The methods involve adsorbing the analytes to a substrate under a plurality of different selectivity conditions, and detecting the analytes retained on the substrate by desorption spectrometry. The methods are useful in biology and medicine, including clinical diagnostics and drug discovery.
US08021891B2
Compositions, methods and related apparatus, as can be used for selective protein detection and identification.
US08021890B2
A method and kit for determining a concentration of iron in brake fluid when contacting a calorimetric reagent such that a color results. The level of iron can be used to determine the amount of active corrosion within a brake system and determine if special service procedures are required.
US08021886B1
The present disclosure relates to a method for assessing if a patient is affected with a lung cancer. The method includes analyzing the presence and amount of cyclohexanone contained in the urine excreted from the patient and determining if the presence and amount of cyclohexanone is indicative of lung cancer.
US08021885B2
The present invention concerns a method for the determination of the oxidative stability of a lubricating fluid, comprising the steps of: introducing a sample of the lubricating fluid under test in an reaction cell; introducing catalytic amounts of a catalyst to the reaction cell; heating the cell to the oxidation temperature of the lubricating fluid and maintaining this temperature; delivering oxygen containing gas at constant flow rate through the cell over the course of the reaction; delivering a gas comprising nitrogen dioxide at a constant flow rate through the cell for a specified time; applying and maintaining a specified vacuum on the reaction cell; allowing the mixture to react for a specified time; measuring the viscosity of the oxidized lubricating fluid. Additionally, the present invention describes an apparatus for the determination of the oxidative stability of a lubricating fluid.
US08021881B2
A medium is described for the protein-free and serum-free cultivation of cells, especially mammalian cells, whereby the medium contains a proportion of soy hydrolysate.
US08021876B2
The present invention is directed to pluripotent fetal stem cells derived from chorionic villus, amniotic fluid, and placenta and the methods for isolating, expanding and differentiating these cells, and their therapeutic uses such as manipulating the fetal stem cells by gene transfection and other means for therapeutic applications.
US08021868B2
The invention described relates to novel strains of lactic acid bacteria and their use in anti-allergy. The composition may be in the form of foodstuffs or in the form of pharmaceutical compositions.
US08021867B2
Rationally-designed LAGLIDADG (SEQ ID NO: 37) meganucleases and methods of making such meganucleases are provided. In addition, methods are provided for using the meganucleases to generate recombinant cells and organisms having a desired DNA sequence inserted into a limited number of loci within the genome, as well as methods of gene therapy, for treatment of pathogenic infections, and for in vitro applications in diagnostics and research.
US08021864B2
The present invention provides a resin capable of contributing greatly to solve environmental problems and problems related to exhaustion of fossil fuel resources and having physical properties suited for practical use.The polyester according to the present invention has a diol and a dicarboxylic acid as constituent components and has an amount of terminal acid of 50 equivalents/metric ton or less.
US08021858B2
The present invention is a method for preparing a hemoglobin based oxygen carrier to deliver oxygen to tissue. The method comprises mixing a deoxygenated hemoglobin with a maleimide-activated polyakylene oxide (PAO) to obtain an oxygen carrying product. This product is characterized as having 2 to about 8 PAO moieties covalently bound to a deoxygenated hemoglobin and a p50 less than native stroma-free hemoglobin from the same animal source when measured under the same conditions.
US08021856B2
The present invention relates to the field of glycosylation engineering of proteins. More particularly, the present invention relates to glycosylation engineering to generate proteins with improved therapeutic properties, including antibodies with increased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.
