US08023933B2
A radio control method is arranged to use a mobile station 10, an active set 20 to perform radio communication with the mobile station 10, and a radio control apparatus 30 for controlling the radio communication between the mobile station 10 and the active set 20, and the radio control method has a determination step wherein in a situation where the mobile station 10, while performing radio communication through A-DPCH with the active set 20, performs radio communication through HS-PDSCH with one radio base station included in the active set 20, the radio control apparatus 30 makes a determination of maintenance to perform a process of maintaining the radio communication through the HS-PDSCH, on the occasion when the mobile station 10 gives a change command to change a configuration of the active set 20 so as to result in failure in maintenance of the radio communication through the HS-PDSCH.
US08023928B2
A system and method for monitoring an analog data signal is provided that includes an analog data compression subsystem. The analog data compression subsystem includes a frequency bandpass filter, a rectifier, and an integrator such as a leaky integrator or one that is reset after being sampled. An analog data signal is bandpass filtered by the frequency bandpass filter, rectified, and integrated in the analog domain. The output of the integrator is converted into a digital data value by an analog-to-digital converter circuit that samples the integrator at a desired sample rate or duty cycle. The output of the integrator can trigger an event based upon established criteria. Multiple analog data compression subsystems can be used in parallel to monitor multiple frequency bands-of-interest.
US08023927B1
A computer implemented method for registering user accounts that includes sending a first request to an online service wherein the first request includes a telephone number, sending a second request to the online service wherein the second request includes an invitation code received via a telephone associated with the telephone number, and upon acceptance of the invitation code by the online service, receiving an invitation from the online service, to register a user account.
US08023926B2
Communication networks and methods are disclosed for providing offline charging in a 3GPP network for sessions over a wireless local area network (WLAN) access network. A AAA server in the 3GPP network provides offline charging messages for a session to an offline charging system. If a data flow is established during the session, such as streaming video, then a packet data network gateway provides offline charging messages for the data flow to the offline charging system. The AAA server and the packet data network gateway share charging identifiers so that one or both are able to include the charging identifier for the session and the charging identifier for the data flow in an offline charging message. This allows the offline charging system to effectively correlate CDRs for the session with CDRs for the data flow occurring during the session.
US08023924B2
A method for reducing power consumption in a multi-user digital communication system and mobile station employing the method adjusts receive and transmit mode durations of the mobile device using downlink and uplink allocations from a base station of the system, as well as other factors.
US08023923B2
The invention relates to a mixer circuit 31 comprising a down-conversion mixing component 33 arranged for down-converting an input radio frequency signal Irf+, Irf−. In order to improve such a mixer circuit, it is proposed that it comprises in addition an active mixer load circuit 34 connected to output terminals of the mixing component. The active mixer load circuit includes an active mixer load 51, T1, T2 and modulating means S1-S4 arranged for modulating a flicker noise produced by the active mixer load away from the signal band of a signal Ibb+, Ibb− output by the down-conversion mixing component. The invention relates equally to a receiver, a chip and a device comprising such a mixer circuit and to a method for use with such a mixer circuit.
US08023914B2
The invention discloses a method for determining a region where a broadcasting receiver is located by detecting the signal strength of a plurality of channels. When a user takes the broadcasting receiver from region A to region B, the broadcasting receiver provides a list of regions including region B when the broadcasting receiver is turned on. When the user chooses to change the current region to region B, and after the channel scan is performed, the user can effortlessly view the broadcast programs of region B.
US08023901B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for deciding a channel quality indicator (CQI) in a wireless communication system. The method includes randomly generating CQI values encoded into genotypes to form an initial genetic group; evaluating fitnesses using the CQI values and a measured block error rate (BLER), and if the CQI value indicating the highest fitness is not within a range of the BLER, selecting a specific gene of genes of the initial genetic group to perform crossover and mutation operations; and repeating the crossover and mutation operations to allow a new genetic group generated by the crossover and mutation operations to be within the range of the BLER.
US08023900B2
Each of a mobile station and a base station stores a Wideband CQI table and a Subband CQI table. At the mobile station, a control unit transmits a CQI report value indicating Wideband CQI, and an index (Index S) indicating a differential value of a Diff reference value based on the CQI report value and Subband CQI, on the basis of the tables. In addition, the control unit makes the Diff reference value variable to prevent an expression amount of the index from being damaged if the Wideband CQI report value is in a range close to an upper lit or a lower limit of the Wideband CQI table.
US08023897B2
In a control method of a communication system, a Base Station (BS) receives noise and interference information from at least one neighboring BS in charge of a neighboring cell being adjacent to a serving cell of the BS, calculates a control value of Mobile Stations (MSs) located in the serving cell according to the received noise and interference information, and generates control information according to the calculated control value, and transmits the generated control information to the MSs.
US08023892B2
The wafer mobile phone platform system provides a minimalist mobile telephone that can be used alone as a wireless communication device or utilized to transfer its mobile telephone functions from one peripheral device to another. A transceiver unit having telephone circuitry and componentry is mounted on a mobile phone wafer having a battery, memory storage device, display screen and an on/off switch. A short range radio frequency device, such as a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled module, provides short range communication to an earpiece, headset, or other peripheral devices. The wafer can have an antenna, headphone jack and be adapted for use with wired communication devices, such as USB, serial, parallel or firewire cables. The wafer can be used with a vehicle stereo, a health monitoring device to monitor health statistics of the user or a console having a telephone to combine the functions of the wafer with the peripheral device.
US08023890B2
A communication system includes the following elements: a transmitter including a transmission circuit unit configured to generate an RF signal for transmitting data and an EFC antenna configured to transmit the RF signal as an electrostatic field or an induced electric field; a receiver including an EFC antenna and a reception circuit unit configured to receive and process the RF signal received by the EFC antenna; and an impedance snatching unit configured to make an impedance of the EFC antenna of the transmitter equal to an impedance of the EFC antenna of the receiver. The RF signal is transmitted by electric-field coupling between the EFC antennas, facing each other, of the transmitter and the receiver.
US08023876B2
According to an aspect of the invention, a fixing device includes, a fixing member that fixes an image onto a sheet, a satellite member arranged parallel to the fixing member with respect to an axial direction and having a smaller heat capacity than the fixing member, an endless belt laid over the fixing member and the satellite member, and a pressurizing member facing the fixing member and forming a nip via the endless belt.
US08023868B2
A development roller includes a base unit having a base recess and a base projection that are formed in a predetermined area of a circumference surface of the base unit by pressing a regular pattern in pressure machining, and a surface layer formed on the circumference surface of the base unit and having a recess and a projection formed respectively in accordance with the base recess and the base projection of the base unit. A thickness of the surface layer is larger than a maximum height of a base swollen portion close to the side edge of the base projection from a regular surface of the base projection.
US08023867B2
A magnet roller includes a cylindrical roller body including a side surface in which a groove is formed, a magnet body which is disposed in the groove, and a magnetic metal member which is attached to a surface of the magnet body, which is remote from an opening of the groove.
US08023862B2
An unit is provided with a friction member which is disposed at a position that is on a downstream side of a drive roller driving a belt and is on an immediate upstream side of a position sensor. The friction member wipes off contaminants adhering to a rear surface of the running belt, thereby constantly keeping the rear surface clean, and therefore, no toner scatters to the sensor. Further, the friction member gives a moderate tension to the belt, so that the posture of the belt is stabilized at a position where it passes the sensor, resulting in enhanced detection accuracy of the sensor.
US08023860B2
A developing-transferring module includes a sub frame which is detachably mounted to a main frame, a plurality of photosensitive units which are disposed inside the sub frame with a predetermined interval and includes a photosensitive body to which a developer is attached, and a intermediate transferring unit which are provided inside the sub frame disposed opposite the plurality of photosensitive units so that the developer of the photosensitive units can be primarily transferred thereto and secondarily transfers the primarily transferred developer to a record medium of the main frame.
US08023856B2
A belt is disposed in a main body and moves circularly to transport a recording medium placed thereon. A cleaning roller contacts an outer surface of the belt for removing extraneous matter deposited on the outer surface of the belt. A pair of backup rollers is disposed in opposition to the cleaning roller with the belt interposed between the backup rollers and the cleaning roller. The pair of backup rollers contacting the belt at first and second positions and the cleaning roller contacting the belt at a third position where the third position is interposed between the first and second positions. A holder rotatably holds the pair of backup rollers. Rotational axes of the backup rollers are kept parallel to each other. An urging unit urges the backup rollers toward the cleaning roller. A driving unit is supported on the main body and moves the holder to change a distance between the pair of backup rollers and the cleaning roller.
US08023850B2
An image forming apparatus includes an oil input device and a fixing device including a fixing member, a pressing member, and an oil applier. In the oil applier, an oil application member applies oil supplied from an oil supply mechanism to one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In the oil supply mechanism, an oil supply member provided adjacent to an oil storage member supplies oil sent from the oil storage member to the oil application member. When the fixing device is reattached to the image forming apparatus after the fixing device is detached from the image forming apparatus, oil sent from the oil input device through an oil inlet overflows the oil storage member, and is supplied to one of the oil supply member and the oil application member provided adjacent to the oil storage member before an image forming operation starts.
US08023845B2
An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member; charging means for electrically charging the image bearing member; voltage applying means for applying to the charging means an oscillating voltage including an oscillating component and a constant component in one cycle; discharging means for selectively discharging an electrically charged surface of the image bearing member to form an electrostatic latent image; and changing means for changing an application time of the constant component during the one cycle depending on a spatial frequency, with respect to a movement direction of the image bearing member, of the electrostatic latent image to be formed.
US08023842B2
Methods and apparatus for adjusting printing device power consumption based on previously acquired usage data. The printing device has multiple energy consumption states including at least a ready state in which the printing device is ready to commence processing of a print job immediately upon receipt and including at least a low power state where the printing device is not ready to commence processing of a newly received print job. Acquired usage data includes parameters of print jobs submitted during a data collection period of time. The parameters may include time and date of submitted print jobs. Based on the usage data a usage profile is determined. The usage profile identifies one or more high usage periods of time and one or more low usage periods of time. Methods and apparatus then switch the printing device among the multiple energy consumption states based on the usage profile.
US08023839B2
The developing apparatus, having stirring members for conveying and stirring developer-tank-contained developer and a developer holder, comprises a developer replenishing tank; a toner concentration detecting sensor; a trickle-type discharging mechanism; a developer amount estimating sensor; and a controller for controlling replenishment operation for replenishing the toner and the carrier for replenishment to the developer tank when the toner concentration is lower than a predetermined reference toner concentration, wherein the controller determines the amounts of the toner and the carrier to be replenished on the basis of the calculated toner concentration and the estimated amount of the developer.
US08023838B2
In a method or system for controlling an electrophotographic printer or copier that has at least one developer station, a toner discharge from the developer station is detected during the print operation and a developer regeneration process is started when the detected toner discharge fulfills a predetermined first regeneration criterion. A charge image is generated on the photoconductor, the charge image is developed by the developer station, and the developed image is removed by a cleaning device without being transferred as printed onto a recording medium. New toner is introduced into the developer station. Also in accordance with the method or system for controlling an electrophotographic printer or copier that has at least two developer stations, during a print operation the print data is used to determine which developer stations are needed for printing of the data. In the event it is established that a developer station was not needed or will not be needed, the developer station is shifted into a standby state in which at least one part of mechanical actuators of the developer station is stopped.
US08023834B2
A method for operating an optical receiver includes at each of a sequence of sampling times, producing a first 2D complex digital signal vector whose first component is indicative of a phase and amplitude of one polarization component of a modulated optical carrier and whose second component is indicative of a phase and amplitude of another polarization component of the carrier. For each one of the sampling times, the method includes constructing a second 2D complex digital signal vector that is a rotation of the first 2D complex digital vector for the one of sampling times. The rotation compensates a polarization rotation produced by transmission of the modulated optical carrier between an optical transmitter and the optical receiver.
US08023832B2
A light receiving circuit (114) includes a light inputting circuit (113) which converts one-system optical signal to be outputted from an optical transmission path (101) to an electrical signal and inverts a potential of the electrical signal each time the optical signal is detected, and a buffer circuit (110) which amplifies the electrical signal converted by the light inputting circuit and outputs the same. According to such configuration, since one-system optical signal may be inputted to the light receiving circuit, a system circuit configuration can be avoided to be complicated.
US08023831B1
In one of many possible implementations and embodiments, a method is provided for providing linearized phase modulation and demodulation in an RF-photonic link. This includes phase modulating a photonic carrier signal in a signal arm using the RF input and using the RF output in a negative feedback phase tracking loop to modulate either the RF input modulated carrier signal in the signal arm, or a signal in a local oscillator arm. Optical signals from the signal arm and the local oscillator arm are optically coupled. The optically coupled signals are photodetected and differentally combined. The differentially combined signals are amplified to provide the RF output signal. In some implementations, the photonic carrier signal is suppressed prior to photodetection. Further, in some implementations a small portion of the local oscillator signal may be coupled with the carrier suppressed optical signal.
US08023818B2
An articulating infrared window to be installed into a panel of a cabinet is disclosed. The window includes a window housing and an infrared transparent pane. The infrared transparent pane is installed within the window housing. Embodiments of the window housing can include various articulation mechanisms including individually or in combination a double gimbal assembly, a single gimbal and rotary stage, a ball and socket joint, and an extension joint (such as a bellows) for articulating the infrared transparent pane.
US08023815B2
Provided is a method for focusing a camera lens assembly, the focusing method including assembling a lens and a camera device; measuring an actual distance between the lens and the camera device in an assembled position; inputting a difference of the actual distance from a focal length of the lens; and when power is applied to the camera lens assembly, adjusting a distance between the lens and the camera device according to the offset value, such that the distance between the lens and the camera device becomes equal to the focal length of the lens.
US08023812B2
A position controller includes a movable member which holds the optical element and supported by a support member to be linearly movable from an anti-shake driving range in which the optical element is positioned on an optical axis to a removed position outside of the anti-shake driving range, an electromagnetic actuator including first and second coils supported by the support member and first and second magnets supported by the movable member, and an insertion/removal operational member. When the movable member is in the anti-shake driving range, the first and second magnets face the first and second coils, respectively. The first and second magnets are arranged on opposite sides of a removing-direction center line passing through a center of the optical element in a moving direction of the movable member so that a distance between magnetic-pole boundary lines of the first and second magnets increases toward the anti-shake driving position.
US08023810B2
A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller.The movable platform has an imager that captures an optical image through a taking lens, and is movable and rotatable on an xy plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the taking lens.The controller calculates an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus, which is formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force, and performs a controlled movement of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on the inclination angle.The controller calculates an elevation/depression angle that represents an angle at which the optical axis intersects the level plane, and determines whether the controlled movement of the movable platform for the inclination correction is performed on the basis of the elevation/depression angle.
US08023805B2
A method for switching from playing a first compressed data segment to playing a second compressed recorded data segment, the method including playing an uncompressed copy of a start of the second compressed recorded data segment upon switching from playing the first compressed data segment, decoding the second compressed recorded data segment from a preceding random access point, the preceding random access point preceding, in the second compressed recorded data segment, a point at which playing is to be switched to the second compressed recorded data segment, stopping the decoding of the second compressed recorded data segment when reaching a point beyond a point currently being played in the uncompressed copy, and switching to playing the second compressed recorded data segment when playing the uncompressed copy of a start of the second compressed recorded data segment reaches the point at which the decoding of the second compressed recorded data segment was stopped. Related apparatus and methods are also provided.
US08023803B2
A moving picture recording apparatus comprises an acquisition unit which acquires moving picture data that includes video data and at least two channels of audio data; a first recording unit which records the moving picture data as a moving picture file; an extracting unit which extracts audio data of channels from a third channel onward included in the moving picture data; and a second recording unit which records the extracted audio data of channels from the third channel onward as an audio file different from the moving picture file.
US08023787B2
An optical drop cable includes optical fiber cores, tension-resistant members, and a single-material outer sheath covering the cores and the tension-resistant members. The bark of a young tree has elasticity, so that if cicadas lay eggs in the bark, the holes in which eggs are laid close and the eggs will not hatch. Cicadas cannot stick their ovipositors into bark having abrasion resistance. Thus, the outer sheath is made of polyurethane resin having rebound resilience equivalent to that of the bark of a young tree, and having high abrasion resistance. By making the outer sheath from such resin having elasticity and abrasion resistance, holes in which eggs are laid close, thus making hatching of the eggs impossible, or cicadas cannot stick their ovipositors into the outer sheaths. Black cicadas will therefore not lay eggs in the outer sheath, preventing damage to or breakage of the optical fiber.
US08023779B2
An optical touch panel 10 includes: a coordinate input region 11; a light-emitting element 12 which emits light in a near-infrared region; a light-receiving element 13 which receives light in visible and near-infrared regions; a light-emitting sided-optical waveguide 14 connected to the light-emitting element 12 and having an output end; and a light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 15 connected to the light-receiving element 13 and having an input end. The output end 14a of the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide 14 and the input end 15a of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 15 are located on opposite sides of the coordinate input region. The light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 15 has an organic colored layer 16 provided on at least part of a surface thereof. The organic colored layer 16 has a lower light transmittance in a visible light region than in a near-infrared region.
US08023778B2
An optical touch panel 10 has means 20 for generating a signal to provide an operator with input operational feeling. The center of a light-emitting sided-core 17 is positioned lower than the center of a light-emitting sided-optical waveguide 14 and the center of a light-receiving sided-core 19 is positioned lower than the center of a light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 15, thereby light beams 22 are situated close to a transparent panel 21, and this enables to obtain natural input operational feeling having a minimal time lag between input operation and a signal generation to provide input operational feeling.
US08023775B2
An optical frequency COM generator generating an optical frequency COM having flat spectrum characteristics using a single modulator. The optical frequency COM generator has a drive signal system (11) and a bias signal system (14) which drive a first drive signal (9), a second drive signal (10) and bias signals (12, 13) to satisfy the following expression (I). ΔA+Δθ=π/2 (I). (where, ΔA and Δθ are defined as ΔA≡(A1−A2)/2 and Δθ≡(θ1−θ2)/2, respectively, A1 and A2 represent the amplitudes of the first and second drive signals when they are inputted to the electrodes of the first and second drive signals, respectively, and θ1 and θ2 represent the phases of bias voltages applied to first and second waveguides, respectively.)
US08023769B2
An apparatus and method for selectively outputting image frames are provided. The apparatus includes a main topic frame extractor which extracts a main topic frame, which expresses a main topic selected by a user, from continuous image frames; a composite image frame creator which extracts a key object to realize the main topic from the main topic frames, and estimates a background object with respect to the key object to create a composite image frame using the key object and the background object; a wide-angle image frame creator which creates a wide-angle image frame, which includes the composite image frame and an image frame having common information to the composite image frame, among the continuous image frames; an attractive region setting unit which sets an attractive region with respect to the wide-angle image frame; and an output unit which outputs the attractive region.
US08023757B2
Systems and methods generate video fingerprints for video data streams. A collection of sub-fingerprints constitute a fingerprint block. The size and temporal position of the block is chosen to represent the video that is being served. The video server has prior information about the video semantics. Based on this information, the server generates control codes that identify which blocks, based on time/byte offsets, in the sequence best represent the video object. The video receiver is equipped with facilities to generate these fingerprint blocks. The block(s) are sent back to the server. The server is equipped with facilities to verify and record the mismatches with respect to references. The mismatch statistics may be archived for use in a number of applications.
US08023756B2
This invention encodes an image mixed of a character or line-drawing image and a natural image. An extraction unit extracts the color of a pixel, which constitutes a high-frequency component, from the input image data as an extracted color and generates identification information indicating whether each pixel in the image data is a pixel of an extracted color or non-extracted color. A replacement unit replaces a pixel value of an extracted color with an average value of non-extracted colors. Using a window having a size of 2×2 pixels, a reducing unit generates one pixel from the window after replacement. If even one non-extracted-color pixel exists in the window, the average value of non-extracted colors within the window is determined to be a pixel value of the reduced image. A packing unit concatenates the extracted color, the result of lossless-encoded identification information and lossy-encoded data of the reduced image.
US08023753B2
According to a picture coding method of the present invention, a coded picture identified by a picture number is stored, as a reference picture, into a storage unit; commands indicating correspondence between picture numbers and reference indices for designating reference pictures and coefficients used for generation of predictive images are generated; a reference picture being used when motion compensation is performed on a current block in a current picture to be coded is designated by a reference index; a predictive image is generated by performing linear prediction on a block being obtained by motion estimation within the designated reference picture, by use of a coefficient corresponding to the reference index; a coded image signal including a coded signal obtained by coding a prediction error being a difference between the current block in the current picture to be coded and the predictive image, the commands, the reference index and the coefficient is outputted. At that time, information indicating the maximum reference index value is coded and included into the coded image signal, and the commands indicating correspondence between at least one picture number and a plurality of reference indices are generated.
US08023750B2
A method of losslessly compressing and encoding signals representing image information is claimed. A lossy compressed data file and a residual compressed data file are generated. When the lossy compressed data file and the residual compressed data file are combined, a lossless data file that is substantially identical to the original data file is created.
US08023742B2
To render the comparison of image patches more efficient, the data of an image patch can be projected into a smaller-dimensioned subspace, resulting in a descriptor of the image patch. The projection into the descriptor subspace is known as a linear discriminant embedding, and can be performed with reference to a linear discriminant embedding matrix. The linear discriminant embedding matrix can be constructed from projection vectors that maximize those elements that are shared by matching image patches or that are used to distinguish non-matching image patches, while also minimizing those elements that are common to non-matching image patches or that distinguish matching image patches. The determination of such projection vectors can be limited such that only orthogonal vectors comprise the linear discriminant embedding matrix. The determination of the linear discriminant embedding matrix can likewise be constrained to avoid overfitting to training data.
US08023739B2
Processes, data structures, and apparatuses to represent knowledge are disclosed. The processes can comprise labeling elements in a knowledge signature according to concepts in an ontology and populating the elements with confidence values. The data structures can comprise knowledge signatures stored on computer-readable media. The knowledge signatures comprise a matrix structure having elements labeled according to concepts in an ontology, wherein the value of the element represents a confidence that the concept is present in an information space. The apparatus can comprise a knowledge representation unit having at least one ontology stored on a computer-readable medium, at least one data-receiving device, and a processor configured to generate knowledge signatures by comparing datasets obtained by the data-receiving devices to the ontologies.
US08023725B2
A method for identifying a predefined graphic symbol having a plurality of graphical characters. The method comprises the following steps: a) receiving a digital image having a plurality of pixels depicting a scene, b) identifying a plurality of first groups of contiguous pixels in the proximity of one another, members of each one the first group having a first common pixel defining property, and c) identifying at least one of the plurality of first groups as one of the plurality of graphical characters, thereby detecting the predefined graphic symbol in the digital image.
US08023721B2
A panel inspection device and inspection method is provided. At least an image capturing element is disposed above or below a spacing between a first conveyer and a second conveyer. During a panel is conveyed from the first conveyer to the second conveyer, the image capturing element captures the image of the panel as the panel passes through the spacing.
US08023717B1
A method for processing backwards documents in a document processing system involves a reverse recognition algorithm. The document processing system includes a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) reader. A waveform is determined for a magnetic ink character string on a document. A forward recognition algorithm is applied to compare the determined waveform to a set of known character profiles. In a case where the magnetic ink character string remains unrecognized after application of the forward recognition algorithm, a reverse recognition algorithm is applied to compare the determined waveform to the set of known character profiles. The reverse recognition algorithm considers the determined waveform as resulting from the document being oriented backwards when passing though the magnetic ink character recognition reader when comparing the waveform to the set of known character profiles.
US08023716B2
A tool may be provided that may allow a first party (e.g., a sending bank) to synchronize its image scan settings with unknown image assessment standards of a second party (e.g., a recipient bank). However, such a tool may be used within a single party that performs both scanning and image assessment, and is not limited for use between two or more parties.
US08023713B2
The CT imaging system optimizes its image generation by substantially reducing artifacts caused by a known amount of readout time lag in the X-ray detectors or data acquisition system. Although each detector row takes the same amount of time to read out the signals, the time lag cumulates over the rows as each row is sequentially read out. The back-projection coordinates are correspondingly corrected based upon the above described delay.
US08023711B2
A method is disclosed for the segmented representation of vessel-like structures of an object under examination, on the basis of tomographic data, wherein a three-dimensional tomographic volume data record of the object under examination is generated and a segmentation is carried out which enhances the vessel-like structures in the representation of the tomographic data. According to an embodiment of the invention, for each voxel, the probability with which the voxel is located in a vessel structure is determined from the environmental data of the voxel with the aid of a vessel-specific filter of a spatial dimension which corresponds to the tomographic volume data record, on the basis of Gaussian functions, and these determined probabilities are additionally used as criterion for the presence of a vessel in the segmentation process for the representation of vessel structures. An embodiment of the invention also relates to a tomography system, with a device for scanning an object under examination, preferably a patient, and at least one computer system for editing tomographic image data records containing a memory for storing program code and a processor system for executing the programs, wherein program code is stored which executes the method steps of an embodiment of the method.
US08023707B2
The invention relates to an evaluation method for mapping the myocardium of a patient, in particular the automated, functional evaluation, for instance the heart perfusion, in angiographic series with the steps: recording a series of angiographic recordings directly after administering a contrast agent to the patient; determining a reference area in an angiographic recording; determining a trend pattern of the contrast agent as a reference curve within the reference area from the series of angiographic recordings; obtaining trend patterns of the contrast agent from all areas of the angiographic recordings; determining the correlation between the trend patterns and the reference curve as a measure for the interrelationship between statistical variables, comparison with stored reference curve; comparison of the correlation coefficient with a threshold value; and reproduction of a marker identifying the myocardium.
US08023705B2
In a method for reconstructing an image from an echo planar imaging sequence, the echo planar imaging sequence is used to obtain multi-line k-space data from a subject and the multi-line k-space data are divided into odd line data and even line data. Fourier transform is performed on the odd line data and on the even line data separately to obtain corresponding amplitude images. The amplitude images obtained is this manner are added to produce the final image. The method effectively eliminates N/2 artifacts by over-sampling in the phase direction. By image reconstruction being carried out separately on the odd line data and even line data of k-space data and then integrating the images, the method effectively avoids the problem of the image signal loss caused by the mutual cancellation of the odd line data and even line data.
US08023690B2
The disclosure, in one aspect, provides a method for providing an image of a fluid that includes passing light through the fluid, detecting light passing through the fluid at at least one wavelength and producing signals corresponding to the detected light, and processing the signals to provide the image of the fluid.
US08023681B2
An electronic device (100) having a speaker (30) located in a sealed and separate speaker enclosure is described. The electronic device includes a housing (20) having a cavity (22) receiving the speaker with at least one conductive post (342), a circuit board (70), and a cover (60) with at least one through hole (622). The cover is disposed between the housing and the circuit board. One end of the conductive post passes through the through holes and electronically connects the speaker to the circuit board.
US08023680B2
The speaker unit 1 includes a speaker 2 and a mounting bracket 3. The mounting bracket 3 includes an attachment 16, a connecting part 17, and an elastic part 18. The attachment 16 is attached to the speaker 2. The connecting part 17 is linked with the attachment 16. The elastic part 18 is linked with the connecting part 17. A biting projection 23 and the interfering projection 24 are formed on the elastic part 18. The biting projection 23 and the interfering projection 24 project from the elastic part 18. The biting projection 23 bites an inner surface of a hole of a dashboard. The interfering projection 24 interferes with a projection formed on the inner surface of the dashboard, and is disposed at a deeper side of the hole than the projection.
US08023679B2
A wireless earphone with an indicating light includes a cover, a hanger connected to the cover, a housing, a microphone, an indicating light and a PCB. An outer hole is opened in the cover. The housing is accepted in the cover. An inner hole is opened in the housing and corresponding to the outer hole. The microphone and the indicating light are arranged in the housing and connect to the PCB, the indicating light protrudes into the inner hole. An escutcheon is arranged between the outer hole and the inner hole to resist dust into the inner hole. The light from the indicating light is delivered via the inner hole and the outer hole to the outside.
US08023673B2
A sound processing process, device and software are disclosed which seek to improve pitch perception, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals. In certain embodiments, the channelized signals are adjusted in timing so as to align the phase of modulated envelope signals in different channels. This results in provision of synchronous (phase aligned) modulation periodicity across channels and hence less pitch ambiguity for listeners to the processed signal, or for application of the signal to hearing prostheses such as cochlear implants. In some embodiments, a broadband envelope signal is used to modulate the level of the narrow band channel signals, so that voicing frequency modulation information in the broadband envelope signal is provided in all narrow band channel signals and the phase of modulated signals in the channels are aligned. A preferred form uses an envelope signal which is modified to increase its modulation depth, and is normalized so as to allow for modulation of the channel signals.
US08023665B2
A method and system is described to improve the reproduction of sound of an acoustic musical instrument. According to one embodiment, a first microphone is placed at a proximate location to the musical instrument to pick up the sound of the musical instrument. The sound as picked up by the first microphone is compared to a reference sound of the instrument (e.g., the sound of the instrument as perceived at a normal listening position). Based on this comparison, a tailor-made equalizer is designed to compensate for the differences between the sounds as picked up by the first microphone and the reference sounds of the musical instrument. Accordingly, using the tailor-made equalizer allows the reproduction of sound from the first microphone to have a quality similar to that of the reference sound of the musical instrument. In an implementation of the above system, a filter arrangement is provided having a low-pass and a high-pass filter that allows separate control of the frequency and/or gain for each filter.
US08023664B2
A rapid installation and detachment device for flush mounting speaker on ceiling or wall is composed of a hinge bracket, coil springs, gaiters, press fits, cushion springs and stop blocks. The above mechanisms are driven by the coil springs to rapidly and efficiently install a speaker on the hinge bracket. The detachment of the speaker never damages the surrounding surface material of the ceiling or wall. The device is applicable to all kinds of surface materials with different thickness.
US08023661B2
A self-adjusting speaker integrated with an alarm system is provided. The self-adjusting speaker may be used to aurally monitor an area (such as monitoring the ambient noise in the vicinity of the speaker) and adjust the speaker accordingly. The circumstances under which to aurally monitor a premises (such as how to monitor, when to monitor, what type of monitoring, etc.) may be varied. For example, there are several ways how to perform the aural monitoring (such as how to sense the ambient noise), including using a separate microphone or the speaker itself. A self-monitoring speaker integrated with an alarm system is also provided. The self-monitoring speaker may monitor the aural output of the speaker using a microphone or similar type of transducer. The aural output monitored by the microphone may be analyzed, and, based on the analysis, the data and/or operation of the speaker may be modified.
US08023657B2
The casino gaming system includes gaming machines and a gaming server having keys. A network bus interconnects the gaming machines and the gaming server. The network bus provides a communication link to transmit information between the gaming machine and the gaming server. The gaming server transmits keys over the network bus to the gaming machines. The gaming machines use the keys to encrypt information, and the gaming machines transmit the encrypted information over the network bus and/or an outside network connected to the gaming server.
US08023654B2
A method for securing human to human communication over a network includes receiving, by a first computer, an incoming authenticated data stream from a second computer over a first communication channel, the incoming authenticated data stream having been computed using an incoming digital experiential data stream and a first imprint, and extracting the first imprint from the incoming authenticated data stream. The incoming authenticated data stream is then presented for sensory experience by a human. An outgoing digital experiential data stream is then input and the method computes a second imprint associated with the first computer and computes an outgoing authenticated data stream using the outgoing digital experiential data stream and the second imprint. A second communication channel is then secured from the first computer to the second computer using the first imprint, the second communication channel suitable for sending the outgoing authenticated data stream to the second computer.
US08023653B2
A modified media key used to decrypt protected media content stored on an optical disc, such as an HD-DVD or Blu-ray disc, is created through application of a transformation using a constant value which is programmatically generated by procedural code that runs on a player. The transformation is obfuscated through application of a random value to the constant value through a logical XOR operation. The programmatically-generated constant, called Soft Key Conversion Data (“SKCD”) is used by a security layer to derive the modified media key, called a Soft Media Key. At the player, a conventionally calculated media key is used to decrypt the first title, while the Soft Media Key is used to decrypt subsequent titles. Optionally, the SKCD may be updated one or more times so that the Soft Media Key is repeatedly transformed and respectively applied, for example, on a title-by-title basis, or to groups of subsequent titles.
US08023650B2
An information processing apparatus includes a detection section for detecting that the information processing apparatus is started for the first time, a selection section for selecting at least one kind of the setting information from among a plurality of kinds of the setting information where it is detected by the detection section that the information processing apparatus is started for the first time, and a processing section for performing an initial setting process for the information processing apparatus using the setting information selected by the selection section. Consequently, the necessity for a user to perform inputting of the setting information is eliminated thereby to enhance the convenience, and also the fabrication source can reduce the management cost for the setting information.
US08023646B2
IBE extensions to IBE schemes may be provided by creating multiple instances of the same IBE scheme, where each instance has an associated IBE master key and corresponding IBE public parameters. During encryption, an IBE extension identity for each instance of the IBE scheme may be mapped to a corresponding component identity. A message may be encrypted using the component identities to create multiple ciphertexts. The ciphertexts can be combined and sent to a recipient. The recipient can request a private key. The private key may be generated by mapping the IBE extension identity into a component identity in each instance, by extracting private keys for each of the component identities, and by combining the private keys into a single IBE extension private key.
US08023629B2
The present invention relates to a method for establishing a call from a calling party to an extension of a PBX. By providing the calling party with a graphical display of information of extension of the PBX the user may easy and fast select a desired extension.
US08023627B1
A method and apparatus for retrieving information from household appliances are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a user of an appliance. The method then receives stored information from the appliance as one or more Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signals.
US08023621B2
A database and communications server allow for composure of a family disaster plan that is tailored to the demographic and geographic information provided by a subscriber to the disclosed system. In the event of an emergency, relevant portions of a family disaster plan are communicated to a subscriber and the family members of the subscriber. Each subscribing family member may communicate with the database, which in turn automatically distributes the message to all family members. After the disaster has ended, insurance information is relayed to the subscriber, and the subscriber's insurance companies are notified.
US08023614B2
A counting circuit includes first to fifth flip-flops (FFs) and a logic operation unit. Each of the first to fourth FFs has an initial value based on a preset control signal input through a 4-bit set terminal and outputs a signal according to a clock signal. The fifth FF is coupled to the output terminal of the fourth FF and is configured to output the output signal of the fourth FF synchronously with the clock signal. The logic operation unit logically combines the output signals of the second to fourth FFs and outputs first and second counting signals.
US08023613B2
A shift register circuit includes a plurality of shift register stages for providing plural gate signals to plural gate lines. Each shift register stage includes an input unit, a first pull-up unit, a second pull-up unit, a pull-down unit and an auxiliary pull-down unit. The input unit inputs a first gate signal generated by a preceding shift register stage to become a driving control voltage. The first pull-up unit pulls up a second gate signal according to the driving control voltage and a first clock signal. The second pull-up unit pulls up a third gate signal according to the driving control voltage and a second clock signal. The auxiliary pull-down unit is employed to pull down the driving control voltage according to a fourth gate signal generated by a subsequent shift register stage. The pull-down unit pulls down the first and second gate signals according to the driving control voltage.
US08023611B2
The present invention relates to a shift register having a plurality of stages electrically coupled to each other in series. Each stage includes a first and second TFT transistor. The first TFT transistor has a get electrically coupled to the output of the immediately prior stage, a drain electrically coupled to the boost point of the stage, and a source configured to receive one of the first and second control signals. The second TFT transistor has a get electrically coupled to the output of the immediately next stage, a drain and a source electrically coupled the drain and the source of the first transistor, respectively.
US08023610B2
A dual-gate transistor formed of two transistors connected in series between a first power terminal and a first node is used as a charging circuit for charging a gate node (first node) of a transistor intended to pull up an output terminal of a unit shift register. The dual-gate transistor is configured such that the connection node (second node) between the two transistors constituting the dual-gate transistor is pulled down to the L level by the capacitive coupling between the gate and second node in accordance with the change of the gate from the H level to the L level.
US08023608B2
A communication system using multi-phase clock signals. The communication system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter outputs first data and a clock signal based on first multi-phase clock signals, and performs a coarse lock operation on the clock signal in response to a bit lock detection signal indicating whether or not the first data are bit-locked. The receiver receives the first data and the clock signal from the transmitter, generates second multi-phase clock signals based on the clock signal, generates second data by sampling the first data based on the second multi-phase clock signals, and performs a fine lock operation on the second multi-phase clock signals in response to the bit lock detection signal. Therefore, a jitter noise may be reduced and a size of a multi-phase clock generator included in the receiver may be reduced.
US08023606B2
With the clock data restoration device 1, as a result of the processing of a loop which comprises the sampler section 10, detection section 20, timing determination section 30, and clock output section 40, the respective phases of the clock signal CKXA, clock signal CKXB, and clock signal CK are adjusted to match the phase of the input digital signal, the digital signal sampling time indicated by the clock signal CKXA is adjusted to match the peak time of the distribution of data transition times in a case where the value D (n−2) and value D(n−1) of the preceding two bits differ from one another, and the digital signal sampling time indicated by the clock signal CKXB is adjusted to match the peak time of the distribution of data transition times in a case where the value D (n−2) and value D(n−1) of the preceding two bits are equal to one another.
US08023602B2
Serial data communication methods and apparatus using a single line are provided. The data communication methods may include: setting a rising edge of a serial pulse signal so that a cycle of the serial pulse signal begins therefrom; setting a falling edge of the serial pulse signal within the cycle of the serial pulse signal according to a data value recorded within the cycle of the serial pulse signal; and transmitting a packet formed by combining at least one cycle of the serial pulse signal in series via a single line.
US08023597B2
The present invention provides methods for selecting the coarse frequency offset estimation in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system that may include: searching within a predefined subset for a set of frequency offset candidates; selectively searching outside the predefined subset for additional frequency offset candidates; and combining one or more ICDC method and CIR based method to select the coarse frequency offset.
US08023595B2
A time-of-arrival (TOA) estimation method for multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM) signals uses a simple equally-spaced channel model to recover the impulse response of the wireless channel, and locates the delay of the first channel path by minimizing the energy leakage from the first channel path. The TOA is estimated based on the delay. Such a method does not require channel information for TOA estimation at the receiver and does not require modification of the receiver structure. The method also avoids a sub-optimal solution known to occur in maximum likelihood (ML) estimation.
US08023594B1
A biphase mark signal receiver includes a data and clock recovery circuit. The data recovery circuit may include a coarse recovery stage and a fine recovery stage. The coarse recovery stage is configured to detect repeating occurrences of a first preamble (e.g., Y-preamble) within a biphase encoded data stream received by the data recovery circuit. The fine recovery stage is configured to generate a recovered data stream, in response to estimating a plurality of timing decision points (e.g., 3UI, 2UI and 1UI) from the repeating occurrences of the first preamble detected by the coarse recovery stage.
US08023589B2
Various wireless precoding systems and methods are presented. In some embodiments, a wireless transmitter comprises an antenna precoding block, a transform block, and multiple transmit antennas. The antenna precoding block receives frequency coefficients from multiple data streams and distributes the frequency coefficients across multiple transmit signals in accordance with frequency-dependent matrices. The transform block transforms the precoded frequency coefficients into multiple time domain transmit signals to be transmitted by the multiple antennas. The frequency coefficients from multiple data streams may be partitioned into tone groups, and all the frequency coefficients from a given tone group may be redistributed in accordance with a single matrix for that tone group. In some implementations, the frequency coefficients within a tone group for a given data stream may also be precoded. In some alternative embodiments, tone group precoding may be employed in a single channel system.
US08023579B2
A quadrature demodulation device effectively utilizes the result of quadrature detection in order to improve demodulation efficiency. The quadrature modulation device includes a quadrature detector DT which performs quadrature detection on a reception signal obtained by receiving a radio wave from a radio frequency identification tag, to generate an in-phase signal and a quadrature-phase signal, and a demodulation circuit DM which detects a preamble of a particular transition pattern in at least one of the in-phase signal and the quadrature-phase signal and which decodes the at least one of the in-phase signal and the quadrature-phase signal to obtain data succeeding the preamble, the demodulation circuit DM further performing error detection on a decoding result to check for errors.
US08023570B2
A powerful new class of methods for encoding digital data for reliable transmission over unreliable communication channels is described. With this method, the message bits are divided into multiple submessages and the bits in each layer are encoded using a standard error correction code to provide a plurality of subcodewords. A first linear transformation is applied to each of the subcodewords. The so-transformed subcodewords from the different submessages are then combined to form a first redundancy block to be transmitted. Additional redundancy blocks are generated by repeating this process on the same message but with jointly related nonidentical sets of linear transformations. The result is a set of codewords for each message which are then used to generate a transmitted waveform in one of several different ways, depending upon the application. For example, the codewords can be used in sequence (temporally) to form a rateless code for transmission over channels of unknown quality, in which case a receiver accumulates as many of the codewords as are necessary to successfully decode. As another example, the codewords can be spatially distributed if the channel has multiple-inputs, as would be the case in a multi-antenna system. As still another example, the codewords can be distributed over subchannels in a frequency-division multiplexing system.
US08023565B2
A picture processing apparatus includes a decoder configured to decode encoded data to generate a decoded picture. A picture memory has a plurality of banks each containing a plurality of pages to which row addresses are assigned, and is configured to store the decoded picture. A bank selector is configured to divide the decoded picture into a plurality of blocks, and to select a page of a different bank as a write location for a block adjacent in at least one of either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction. A write controller is configured to write pixel data of pixels occupying even lines of each of the blocks, and pixel data of pixels occupying odd lines of each of the blocks in a column address direction of each of the page in an alternating manner.
US08023564B2
Described here are systems and methods for providing data starting from start codes aligned with byte boundaries in multiple byte words. A start code is written starting at a byte in a middle portion of a data word in a memory. An address associated with the byte is written in a table. Data is fetched from the memory starting from the byte.
US08023560B2
The present invention relates to three-dimensional video processing apparatus and method using MPEG-4 object descriptor information and structures. The three-dimensional video processing apparatus and method that can support a three-dimensional video service smoothly to thereby provide a sense of reality and a cubic effect in an MPEG-4-based system by suggesting a three-dimensional video object descriptor structure and providing to a client an object descriptor, which includes information on kind of three-dimensional video, number of viewpoints, number of media streams and a plurality of display methods; and a method thereof.
US08023557B2
A method is disclosed for controlling the operation of a low power radio platform that realizes the physical layer (PHY) with a software portion and an analog front end, the analog front end disposed between the DSP and an antenna, and realizes the MAC layer with a microcontroller unit (MCU). The DSP, analog front end and MCU are maintained in a low power mode of operation when not in data communication. When data communication is initiated, a hardware controller controls at least one hardware interface disposed between the DSP and the analog front end to initiate multiple time based tasks to transfer data to and from a buffer. During the execution of these tasks, the controller causes a task in the DSP to be initiated for processing of data in the buffers and, upon completion of at least one of the tasks, notifying the MCU of such. The controller controls the hardware interface to terminate operation when predetermined time based events have occurred. The MCU in at least one mode of operation thereof is operable to initiate the operation of the hardware controller and then convert to a low power mode of operation to await notification.
US08023555B2
A repeater circuit configured to duplicate or otherwise coordinate signal transitions between state conductors, such as for use in asynchronous communication systems. The repeater circuit may include a state node or other feature to facilitate enforcing or otherwise ordering transitioning of the state conductors.
US08023536B1
A weapon system includes a weapon system illuminator laser system and one or more optical fibers. The weapon system illuminator laser system can produce one or more illuminator laser beams to illuminate at least one object outside the weapon system without destroying the object. The weapon system illuminator laser system is located at a first location within the weapon system. The object, or a second object associated with the object, is to be destroyed or damaged by energy. The one or more optical fibers are configured to transport the one or more illuminator laser beams from the first location to a second location within the weapon system. The one or more optical fibers can provide beam containment and beamwalk maintenance in the presence of mechanical or thermal disturbances. The one or more optical fibers and the weapon system illuminator laser system can withstand mechanical or thermal disturbances.
US08023534B2
Systems and methods that measure the delay (latency) through a digital processor or circuit. A waveform generator outputs a primary (chirp) signal to the digital circuit, along with an auxiliary pulse signal to a delay circuit. The auxiliary signal corresponds to a sample of the primary signal that is input to and output from the digital circuit. A clock circuit provides input and output clock signals to the digital circuit and delay circuit. Clocked outputs of the digital circuit and delay circuit are input to an analyzer. The time delay between the auxiliary signals and delayed auxiliary signals are measured by a time measurement circuit. The analyzer processes the outputs of the processor and delay circuit and the time delay (reference time) using an analysis routine to determine the latency of the digital circuit. The analyzer collects data containing primary signals during a data collection time period, and determines the latency of the digital circuit by adding the data collection time to the reference time and subtracting the time between the start of data collection and the delayed auxiliary signal.
US08023519B2
A lookup table for searching for a longest prefix match for a key is disclosed. The lookup table provides a match for a key in a single search cycle. The number of matches stored in the lookup table is maximized by storing each match in only one location in the lookup table. The binary tree is divided into a plurality of levels and each level has a plurality of subtrees. A subtree descriptor stored for a subtree includes a field for each node in the subtree. The state of the field indicates whether an entry for the node is stored in the table. The bit vector allows indexing of the single match stored for the key.
US08023511B2
Congestion caused by a large number of IGMP requests sent from set top boxes at channel switching is prevented in an optical line terminal (OLT). An IGMP processing section in the OLT has a delayed data generation threshold and a delayed data transmission threshold. When the number of ONTS participating in a multicast group is increased, the OLT generates a delayed multicast group for video data. The delayed multicast group having a few second delay accommodates a new user. With this, the end time of a highly popular program and a commercial start time are shifted among users to prevent, in the OLT, congestion caused by IGMP requests sent for channel switching at an identical time point.
US08023509B2
A multicast communication system in which a receiving node which has detected a packet loss can make a retransmission request without applying a high load to a transmitting node, all receiving nodes, and the band of the entire network. The transmitting node transmits an explicit multicast data packet including an address list including a plurality of destination addresses and a bitmap indicating whether the data packet has been delivered to the respective destination addresses, to a plurality of the receiving nodes. The receiving node which has detected the packet loss checks an address list and bitmap of another data packet received and selects a receiving node to which the another data packet has been delivered as a retransmission requester. The receiving node which has detected the packet loss creates a unicast retransmission request packet with the selected receiving node as the destination and transmits it to the selected receiving node.
US08023506B2
The present invention discloses a method for advertising and processing pseudo-wire (PW) information, which comprises: the sending provider edge (PE) device using two or more methods to group PWs, identifying the group identifier assigned to each PW with each grouping method, and sending all group identifiers of each PW to the receiving PE device; the sending PE device sending to the receiving PE device the notification message that carries information identifying the affected PW group, and the receiving PE device identifying the PWs belonging to the affected PW group according to the received notification. The present invention also discloses the sending and receiving PE devices for advertising and processing PW information. The method and the devices of the present invention can support grouping PWs with more than one method, allowing for flexible use of PW group-based messaging and message processing.
US08023496B2
A system for constructing and deconstructing data packets is disclosed, wherein the system is operable to support a number of different coding formats. The system comprises a processor means operatively coupled to a processor bus. A packet processing data path is attached to the processor bus as a slave via a bus interface means. The packet processing data path comprises a number, n, of blocks, where n is an integer. Respective blocks comprise configuration registers operable to provide information on what operation the blocks should perform for the current packet field being processed. The bus interface means comprises a first register operable to control a bus of Update Enable signals, which bus is also connected to the n blocks. The bus interface means also comprises a second register operable to control a Mode signal, which is also connected to the n blocks.
US08023486B2
The present invention is directed to a multicell joint detection method, it deals against the interference between same frequency neighboring cell's signals in slotted CDMA system, and provides a joint detection method based on the multicell structure information. The method includes the steps of: using channel estimation of multi-set of codes to obtain channel estimation results of each neighboring cell; grouping each neighboring cell's code channel, including grouping based on the code channel's cell, grouping based on the code channnel's power or amplitude intensity, grouping based on the code channel's pertinence, and mixed grouping based on the above methods; making use of the channel estimation result and the result of code channel grouping to process the joint detection and output the detection data. This method makes full use of the structure information of each multicells signal, and efficiently restrains the multiple-access interference of the same frequency neighboring cell. This method can be used in slotted CDMA system or wireless communicataion system with similar signal structure.
US08023482B2
A dynamic rate limiting mechanism for wireless mesh networks. In particular implementations, a method comprising monitoring one or more clients associated with a wireless mesh network and the respective hop counts of the clients to a root mesh node of the wireless mesh network; determining, responsive to one or more events, a client data rate for one or more clients of the wireless mesh network based on the number of current clients and the respective hop counts of the current clients; and applying the client data rate to the wireless mesh network.
US08023477B2
A method of managing connections in a mobile communications network, the method comprising: transmitting over a connection from a network entity to a mobile device natural traffic and keepalive messages at a frequency determined by at least one keepalive parameter; at the mobile device, monitoring receipt of natural traffic and keepalive messages, and in the event of inadequate natural traffic and missing keepalive messages, closing the connection; and dynamically adjusting the at least one keepalive parameter for subsequent transmission of keepalive messages from the network entity so as to maintain the connection at a minimum frequency of keepalive messages.
US08023474B2
Systems and methods for communicating control information in slots that use at least two different slot formats. In one embodiment, a method implemented in a wireless communication system includes providing at least two different slot formats, formatting control data in the slots of a control frame according to the at least two different slot formats, transmitting the control frame from a mobile station to a base station via a control channel, receiving the control frame, extracting data rate information from the control frame according to the at least two different slot formats, decoding the extracted control data, parsing the extracted data into separate data rate information and decoding data received via one or more data channels using the decoded control data. In one embodiment, the method is used to enable additional TFCI data corresponding to two different data channels to be transmitted on a single control channel.
US08023472B2
A method for identifying a cell that provides a differentiated service in a mobile communication system. The method comprises searching for a plurality of pilots having strength greater than a minimum pilot strength; comparing strengths of the pilots, and designating a pilot having the greatest strength as an active pilot; determining whether a corresponding cell of the active pilot transmits a cell classifier for the differentiated service along with an overhead message; if the corresponding cell transmits a cell classifier, determining whether the cell classifier matches a cell classifiers stored in an access terminal; and if the cell classifier matches with a cell classifier stored in the access terminal, performing an operation under the control of the corresponding cell.
US08023469B2
The invention provides a method, to be used by a RNC (230), for assisting a handover of a data session from a first routing path, associated with a first access network, to an alternative routing path, associated with an alternative access network, wherein data is routed over said first access network to a UT (240) by binding a session identifier to a first routing identifier, wherein said session identifier and said first routing identifier are defined in accordance with a standard protocol routing scheme of said first access network, the method comprising the following steps: —receiving a capability message uniquely identifying said UT (240) according to a standard protocol routing scheme of said first access network and according to an alternative standard protocol routing scheme of said alternative access network, —creating an alternative routing identifier for said session complying with the standard protocol routing scheme of said alternative access network and associating said alternative routing identifier with said UT (240), and, —associating said session identifier with said alternative routing identifier. The invention also provides an RNC (230), a UT (240), software and software media for realising the invention.
US08023468B2
Methods, devices and system for access point facilitated fast handoff are provided. Each access point (AP) in a wireless local area network is provided with a primary interface and a secondary interface wherein the primary interface performs normal communication with user terminals and broadcasts standard beacon frames on its working channel, and the secondary interface broadcasts extended beacon frames on working channels of neighbor APs sequentially. The extended beacon frame includes at least information of BSSID, SSID, working channel and the like of the primary interface of the corresponding AP. The user terminal may receive the standard beacons from the serving AP it is communicating with and the extended beacons from the neighbor APs, and according to the two kinds of beacons, the terminal may calculate the signal quality with the primary interface of the serving AP and the signal qualities with the neighbor APs at the current position. By an algorithm of comparing the signal qualities of the best neighbor AP and the serving AP, the terminal may accurately and quickly determine whether to perform handoff with minimized cost.
US08023463B2
A method and system for an enhanced uplink (EU) operation in a wireless communication system during soft handover. The system comprises a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), at least two Node-Bs, and a radio network controller (RNC). One Node-B may be designated as a primary Node-B, and the primary Node-B may control EU operation during soft handover including uplink scheduling and hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ). Soft buffer corruption is avoided during soft handover by controlling H-ARQ by the primary Node-B. Alternatively, an RNC may control EU operation during soft handover including H-ARQ. In this case, an RNC generates final acknowledge/non-acknowledge (ACK/NACK) decision based on the error check results of the Node-Bs.
US08023462B2
A method allocates frequency subchannels in an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) network including a set of base stations and a set of mobile stations for each base station. A graph of nodes and edges is constructed, in which the nodes represent the mobile stations in the network, and the edges connecting the nodes represent subchannel allocation constraints to be satisfied for the mobile stations represented by the nodes. The nodes are colored with colors selected from a set of colors such that subchannel allocation constraints of a pair of nodes connected by one of the edges are satisfied. The subchannels are allocated to the mobile stations according to the colors of the corresponding the nodes.
US08023458B2
A method and apparatus for wideband voice and optional data conferencing over a telecommunications network channel between at least two wideband communications devices. An exemplary method comprises establishing an audio link, verifying wideband capability between the at least two wideband communications devices, training modems of the at least two wideband communications device to line conditions, and adjusting the telecommunications connection line conditions between the communications devices. Once a wideband connection has been established, audio and data may be simultaneously exchanged.
US08023457B2
In a closed-loop wireless communication system, a codebook-based precoding feedback compression mechanism is provided to remove redundancy from the precoding feedback that is caused by channel correlation in time and frequency. Redundancy due to temporal correlation of the transmission channel is removed by sending precoding feedback only if there is a change in the precoder state for the channel to the receiver. Redundancy due to frequency correlation is removed by run length encoding the precoding feedback, thereby compressing the precoding feedback prior in the frequency domain. By compressing the precoding feedback, the average rate of precoder feedback is reduced.
US08023453B2
A method for acknowledged multicast operation in a wireless network having a base station and at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) includes the base station transmitting a first multicast signal during a first scheduled interval, the at least one WTRU receiving the first multicast signal during the first scheduled interval, and the at least one WTRU transmitting an acknowledgement signal to the base station during a second scheduled interval.
US08023449B2
A method ensures that a reduction in data throughput is minimized in the event of a cell change in a GPRS network. When it is determined that cell change is appropriate for a mobile station, the BSS ensures that no further data for the mobile station is transmitted form the SGSN, and then continues to transmit all buffered data to the mobile station. The throughput may be deliberately reduced for a part of this time, so that the system timers become adapted to the reduction in throughput which will occur at the cell change. When the buffer has been emptied, the cell change is effected and, thereafter, that mobile station is prioritised in the BSS, in order to allow any buffered data on the uplink or downlink to be cleared.
US08023445B2
Provided are a relaying method and system in a communication system having a BS, a MS for communicating with the BS, and an RS for relaying signals between the BS and the MS, in which the RS receives a first pilot sequence from the BS, replaces the first pilot sequence with a second pilot sequence, and transmits the second pilot sequence to the MS. Here, a partial cross correlation between the first and second pilot sequences is always ‘0’.
US08023444B2
Described in example embodiments herein are techniques for implementing power savings in a wireless local area network (WLAN). In accordance with an example embodiment, a centralized controller can be employed to gather data about network activity and select access points to switch to power save mode. Optionally, the controller may designate certain access points to remain active so as to monitor for clients attempting to access the WLAN. An aspect of an example embodiment is that it allows the controller to configure and manage power consumption based on demands on the overall system. In an example embodiment, techniques for implementing power savings within individual hardware components, such as access points, are disclosed. An aspect of a technique described in an example embodiment is that it provides flexibility to balance power savings and performance.
US08023442B2
A method and apparatus for DRX of a UE in a mobile communication system are provided, in which the UE receives setting information from a network, the setting information including a first DRX cycle length and a second DRX cycle length for a predetermined data service. Upon generation of uplink data, the UE transitions to a downloading phase in which active periods are set according to the first DRX cycle length.
US08023421B2
A system for the assessment of network performance criteria, and applying this criteria to the classification of network addresses into appropriate ranges, using these ranges to consolidate performance measurements for the associated addresses, and applying these metrics toward the optimization of the network towards performance or policy objectives.
US08023418B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a method of testing a broadband internet connection including the steps of transmitting test signals via a broadband internet connection to a cellular network core, the test signals representative of those sent by an access point base station, measuring and recording a property relating to the transmission of the test signals, comparing the property to a minimum acceptable level and thereby determining whether the broadband internet connection is suitable for providing an access point base station.
US08023412B2
Systems and methods for modeling a mobile ad hoc wireless network are disclosed herein. In some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, methods for modeling a mobile ad hoc wireless network for a predetermined geographical area. An exemplary method includes dividing the geographic area into a network grid including a plurality of network grid elements, locating obstacles, if any, to communication between transmission nodes located in at least two different grid elements from the plurality of network grid elements, locating bottlenecks within the plurality of network grid elements, locating network grid elements from the plurality of network grid elements where wireless transmission is unconstricted, determining a transmission flow rate across the bottlenecks, and comparing the transmission flow rate across the bottlenecks to determine if any of the bottlenecks are not real bottlenecks.
US08023409B2
Methods and systems for a reconfigurable pattern filtering engine may include assembling a hardware filter from a plurality of minimum length hardware filters. A length of the assembled hardware filter may vary in multiples of a length of one of the minimum length hardware filters. The assembled hardware filter and the minimum length hardware filters may be integrated within a single chip. Specific messages in the data stream may be filtered using the assembled hardware filter. The assembled hardware filter may use at least one filter coefficient, an inclusion mask, and an exclusion mask to filter messages. At least a portion of the filtered messages may be stored in memory via direct memory access transfers.
US08023408B2
A message sequence regulator (MSR) system includes a message parser, a message extraction repository, a rules repository, a message definition repository, an interface to a resource monitor for monitoring system resources by single resource monitoring agents, and a notification component for identifying sequence regulation operations which cannot be executed. The MSR system receives copies of messages loaded into or retrieved from queues by a queue manager as well as event messages from the resource monitor. The message extracts parts of the message using message structures defined in the rules repository and stores the extracted parts in the message extraction repository. If a defined condition is found to exist, the MSR system initiates calculation of an appropriate message sequence number or message priority level. The queue manager updates the message record without removing the message from the queue.
US08023392B2
A method is provided, which includes reading data from a data storage medium. Reading data from the medium causes the data to be erased. The method further includes determining a desired position to rewrite the data by computing a position error signal based on the data signal and compensating the position error signal for non-zero bias. The data is then rewritten non-synchronously. An apparatus is also provided, including a data storage medium with a data communication transducer configured to receive data from the medium. Data is erased after it is read. The data communication transducer is configured to rewrite the read data back onto the data storage medium in a non-synchronously. A non-zero bias compensator is provided to compensate data received by the data communication transducer to determine a desired position to rewrite the previously read data back onto the medium.
US08023385B2
A method of recording holographic information and an apparatus for recording/reproducing holographic information. The method includes: forming an information layer by recording a hologram on a holographic recording layer of a holographic information storage medium; and fixing the information layer on which the hologram is recorded, by radiating light on the information layer.
US08023369B2
Disclosed herein are aspects of optical tape technology, tape manufacturing, and tape usage. Methods and systems of tape technology disclose optical tape media including: configurations, formulations, markings, and structure; optical tape manufacturing methods, systems, and apparatus methods and systems including: curing processes, coating methods, embossing, drums, testing, tracking alignment stamper strip; optical tape methods and systems including: pick up head adapted for the disclosed optical tape; and optical tape uses including optical storage media devices for multimedia applications.
US08023362B2
A detection unit detects light passing through apertures provided in a seconds wheel, a center wheel and an hour wheel, respectively, which rotate on the same axis. The apertures in the seconds wheel include a circular aperture provided at a reference position therein, and two apertures provided separated by corresponding arcuate apertures of different lengths from the aperture on its opposite sides, respectively. By counting the number of light non-detection events the detection unit encounters due to the light blocking area covering the detection unit, the rotational position of the seconds wheel is detected accurately and securely.
US08023360B2
A system for detecting precursor seismic electromagnetic waveforms includes a transducer connected to the emitter of a transistor and arranged to conduct in response to an electromagnetic seismic precursor. Conduction by the transducer initiates a current in the transistor's base-emitter junction, reversing the bias of the function and enabling a resonating current in the junction.
US08023357B2
A semiconductor memory includes an address converting circuit which latches an address and a bank signal and generates a latch address for activating a data access path of a second bank group, and converts the latch address according to a level of the bank signal and generates a variable address for activating a data access path of a first bank group, a first column decoder which decodes the variable address and generates a first output enable signal for activating the data access path of the first bank group, and a second column decoder which decodes the latch address and generates a second output enable signal for activating the data access path of the second bank group.
US08023356B2
A voltage adjustment circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a control voltage generating unit configured to distribute an external voltage for selectively outputting a plurality of distribution voltages as a control voltage in response to a control signal, the plurality of the distribution voltages each have different voltage levels, a comparing unit configured to include a voltage supply unit configured to control an external voltage supplied to a first node and a second node if a level of an output voltage is higher than a level of a reference voltage in response to a level of the control voltage, and a detection signal generating unit configured to drop potential levels of the first and second nodes according to the levels of the output voltage and the reference voltage, and to output the potential level of the second node as a detection signal, and a voltage generating unit configured to drive the external voltage according to a potential level of the detection signal and to output the external voltage as the output voltage.
US08023348B2
Techniques for testing a semiconductor memory device are provided. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells and a plurality of row lines and column lines connected to the memory cells for selectively accessing one or more of the memory cells. The method includes the steps of: applying a first voltage to at least a given one of the row lines corresponding to at least a given one of the memory cells to be tested, the first voltage being selected to stress at least one performance characteristic of the memory device, the first voltage being different than a second voltage applied to the given one of the row lines for accessing at least one of the memory cells during normal operation of the memory device; exercising the memory device in accordance with prescribed testing parameters; and identifying whether the memory device is operable within prescribed margins of the testing parameters.
US08023337B2
A semiconductor memory device having shared sense amplifiers is provided. The semiconductor memory device has a bit-line selector disposed closer to a memory cell array than a column decoder. When the column decoder outputs a bit-line indication signal corresponding to the number of bit lines, the bit-line selector selects a plurality of bit lines in response to the bit-line indication signal. Thus, it is possible to reduce the number of signals output from the column decoder.
US08023328B2
A memory device is disclosed. The memory device includes a charge trapping layer, and a substrate underlying the charge trapping layer. The carriers are introduced into the charge trapping layer to make a first memory state, for example, when a positive voltage is applied to the gate. At least one of the carriers is released from the charge trapping layer to make a second memory state, for example, when a negative voltage is applied to the gate.
US08023324B2
Self-calibration for a memory controller is performed by writing a voltage to a selected cell. Adjacent cells around the selected cell are programmed. After each of the adjacent programming operations, the voltage on the selected cell is read to determine any change in voltage caused by systemic offsets such as, for example, floating gate-to-floating gate coupling. These changes are averaged and stored in a table as an offset for use in adjusting a programming voltage or a read voltage in a particular area of memory represented by the offset. Self calibration method for temperature is determined by writing cells at different temperatures and reading at different temperatures to generate temperature offset tables for the write path and read path. These offset tables are used to adjust for systematic temperature related offsets during programming and during read.
US08023318B2
A resistance memory element, a phase change memory element, a resistance random access memory device, an information reading method thereof, a phase change random access memory device, and an information reading method thereof are provided. The resistance random access memory device includes an array of resistance memory element arranged in a matrix. Each resistance memory element includes a substrate in which a source region and a drain region are formed along the column direction and a channel region is formed between the source region and the drain region, a bit line formed on the channel region out of a conductive material to have a shape extending along the arrangement direction of the columns, a resistance switching layer formed on the bit line out of a material of which electrical resistance is switched by an electrical signal, and a word line formed on the resistance switching layer out of a conductive material to have a shape extending along the row direction.
US08023310B2
A nonvolatile memory cell includes a storage element, the storage element comprising a carbon material, a steering element located in series with the storage element, and a metal silicide layer located adjacent to the carbon material. A method of making a device includes forming a metal silicide over a silicon layer, forming a carbon layer over the metal silicide layer, forming a barrier layer over the carbon layer, and patterning the carbon layer, the metal silicide layer, and the silicon layer to form an array of pillars.
US08023299B1
A CAM device includes an array of CAM cells each having a spin torque transfer (STT) storage cell to store a data bit. Each STT storage cell includes a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element coupled between a first input node and an output node of the CAM cell, a second MTJ element coupled between a second input node and the output node of the CAM cell, and a first match transistor coupled between the match line and ground potential and having a gate coupled to the output node. The logic state of the data bit is represented by the relative resistances of the first and second MTJ elements.
US08023297B2
A photovoltaic (PV) inverter includes a single DC to AC converter configured to operate solely in a buck mode for PV array voltage levels greater than a connected power grid instantaneous voltage plus converter margin, and further configured to operate solely in a boost mode for PV array voltage levels plus margin less than the connected power grid instantaneous voltage, such that the PV inverter generates a rectified sine wave current in response to the available PV array power, and further such that the PV inverter generates a utility grid current in response to the rectified sine wave current.
US08023295B1
In one embodiment, a power converter system comprises an input terminal operable to connect to a DC power source and an output terminal at which an output voltage can be provided. An active clamped forward converter is operable to provide forward power flow from the DC power source to the output terminal. A flyback converter is operable to provide backward power flow from the output terminal to the DC power source. The active clamped forward converter and the flyback converter cooperate to generate a rectified sinusoidal waveform at the output terminal.
US08023291B2
A voltage detecting circuit to perform voltage detection by introducing a voltage from a detection node, comprises: a first resistance, a second resistance, and a first switching element, connected in series with each other from the detection node to reference electric potential in order; and a detection circuit for performing a detection operation of a voltage by receiving input of the voltage from a node between the first resistance and the second resistance, wherein a control voltage generated on the basis of the voltage at the detection node is supplied to a control terminal of the first switching element, and the first switching element is turned on when the voltage at the detection node is large, and the first switching element is turned off when the voltage at the detection node is small.
US08023288B2
An inverter (1) for a grounded direct voltage source, in particular for a photovoltaic generator (2), a battery or a fuel cell, for converting the direct voltage into an alternative voltage with a DC-DC converter (3) and a pulse inverter that is supplied by said DC-DC converter (3), said DC-DC converter (3) being configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter and comprising a series resonant oscillating circuit, said DC-DC converter (3), which is configured to be an oscillating circuit inverter, being configured to be a series-compensated oscillating circuit inverter with a choke (L1) and a series-mounted capacitor array consisting of two or several oscillating circuit capacitors, a rectifier bridge branch including 2 diodes (D3, D4; D5, D6, . . . ), being connected to each of the partial oscillating circuit capacitors, said rectifier bridge branch being connected with its positive or its negative pole to output side intermediate circuit capacitors which are preferably connected in series so that said DC-DC converter (3) delivers at least two bipolar output voltages and is combined with the pulse inverter (4) with a divided voltage intermediate circuit that is supplied from the oscillating circuit inverter.
US08023286B2
A mounting plate assembly for a notification appliance. For example, a mounting plate is designed with at least one aperture for receiving a plurality of leads, e.g., from a backbox. In turn, these leads can be received by a plurality of contacts that are deployed on the mounting plate. In one embodiment, at least two of these contacts are in physical contact with each other at a juncture, thereby providing a connectivity between these two contacts. However, the physical contact at the juncture is non-resetable, i.e., if a force is applied to the juncture, then the connectivity is severed and the physical contact between the two contacts cannot be easily re-establish even if the force is removed.
US08023283B2
A portable electronic device includes a main body and a supporting stand. The main body defines a sliding groove. The supporting stand includes a fixed bracket assembled in the sliding groove of the main body, and a rotatable bracket rotatably connected to the fixed bracket. The fixed bracket defines a receiving groove. The rotatable bracket is received in the receiving groove of the fixed bracket at a first state, and the rotatable bracket is rotated out from the receiving groove of the fixed bracket at a second state to support the portable electronic device to stand on a flat surface.
US08023282B2
A hybrid structure of multi-layer substrates comprises a first multi-layer substrate and a second multi-layer substrate. The first multi-layer substrate stacks up first metal layers, first dielectric layers alternately and has VIAs. A border district of a first metal layer connects with a border district of the corresponding first dielectric layer. The border districts are separated from adjacent first metal layers and adjacent first dielectric layers. The second multi-layer substrate stacks up second metal layers and second dielectric layers alternately. A border district of a second metal layer connects with a border district of the corresponding second dielectric layer. The border districts are separated from adjacent second metal layers and adjacent second dielectric layers. The VIAs are located at the border districts of the first dielectric layers and each VIA has electric conductor therein to connect one first metal layer with one second metal layer.
US08023280B2
A system and method is provided for transmitting a signal to a plurality of slave devices (e.g., memory devices, etc.) via a communication circuit having a plurality of segments that are substantially equal in length and/or impedance. Specifically, according to one embodiment of the invention, an electronic system includes a processor, a plurality of memory devices, and a communication circuit (i.e., a bus) having a central node and a plurality of segments. Specifically, the plurality of segments are used to connect the plurality of devices (e.g., the processor, the plurality of memory devices) to the central node. For example, the processor is connected to the central node via a primary segment, the first memory device (M0) is connected to the central node via a first segment, etc. In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of segments are substantially equal in length. In other words, the central node is substantially electrically-equidistant from each memory device. In another embodiment of the invention, the plurality of segments have substantially equal impedances. By arranging the plurality of memory devices in this manner (e.g., substantially electrically-equidistant from the central node, etc.), a well behaved signal can be received at each memory device.
US08023277B2
The electronic component integrated module includes a wiring board; an electronic component provided on the wiring board; solder for electrically connecting the electronic component onto the wiring substrate; and an encapsulating resin for encapsulating the electronic component and the solder. The average linear thermal expansion coefficient α of the encapsulating resin, which is calculated by using the glass transition temperature of the encapsulating resin, a linear thermal expansion coefficient α1 obtained at a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature, a linear thermal expansion coefficient α2 obtained at a temperature exceeding the glass transition temperature, room temperature, and a peak temperature of reflow packaging of the electronic component integrated module, is not less than 17×10−6/° C. and not more than 110×10−6/° C.
US08023271B2
Improved Sealed Expansion Module is an enclosure for housing electronics, such as circuit boards, POTS/VDSL cables having connectors, a fiber cable having a connector and a power cable having a connector. The preferred embodiment of Improved Sealed Expansion Module is comprised of at least some of the following: an enclosure having two internally undivided chambers (upper and lower), an access hatch attached with captive fasteners to the lower chamber of the enclosure, circuit boards located in the upper chamber of the enclosure, a surge protector and POTS/VDSL, fiber and power cables with connectors within the lower chamber of the enclosure, and a plurality of openings on the bottom of the lower chamber for POTS/VDSL interconnection cables, fiber interconnection cables, power interconnection cables at customer sites.
US08023263B2
A latch apparatus and method to facilitate leveraged insertion of a component into a component bay to an interfaced position, securing of the component in the component bay when the component interfaces with a host computer, leveraged dislodgement of the component from its interfaced position for removal of the component from the component bay, and proper positioning of the latch apparatus upon insertion of the component housing to ensure proper engagement of the latch apparatus with the component bay for leveraged insertion and removal. One latch apparatus comprises a frame adapted to be secured to a proximal end of a component housing, a handle pivotally secured to the frame, and an extendable arm slidably secured to a distal end of the handle and biased toward an extended position, wherein the distal end of the extendable arm has a distally extending latch key for engaging a slot in the component bay.
US08023261B2
Apparatus and methods for assembling an electronic device and components thereof are provided. The electronic device may include a housing and a cover inserted into an opening in the housing. The electronic device may also include a first assembly that may be inserted into the housing through a first end, and a second assembly that may be inserted into the housing through a second end. The electronic device may also include end cap assemblies. In some embodiments, the electronic device may include an input mechanism coupled to the housing and a plate coupled to the housing. In some embodiments, a connector of the electronic device may be mounted on a circuit board by inserting a fixture into the connector, mounting the connector to a portion of the circuit board, removing the fixture from the connector, and separating the portion of the circuit board from another portion of the circuit board.
US08023254B2
An electronic device includes a main body, a cover, and a keyboard. The main body includes a receptacle having an opening. The cover is coupled to the main body. The keyboard is positioned in the receptacle of the main body. The keyboard is slidable in the receptacle and is detachable from the main body via the opening.
US08023252B2
An article of manufacture, such as a laptop computer, comprising a housing, a processor disposed within the housing, a computer readable medium disposed within the housing and in communication with the processor, a lock mechanism disposed within the housing, wherein the lock mechanism can be moved between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, and computer readable program code encoded in the computer readable medium and useable with the processor, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect moving the lock mechanism between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration.
US08023244B2
A system for switching on an electrical device includes a startup circuit for an associated electrical device. The electrical device has a main power circuit comprising first and second paths and a main switch for selectively connecting the electrical device with an associated power source. The startup circuit uses a pulse of electromagnetic energy transmitted wirelessly from an associated remote control device to form a third path, whereby power is supplied from the associated power source for actuating the main switch.
US08023241B2
Circuit arrangement embodiments that use relative groupings of energy pathways that include shielding circuit arrangements that can sustain and condition electrically complementary energy confluences.
US08023234B2
The present invention relates to a method for determining the existence of an earth-fault on-the-fly and thereby protecting a motor controller having a high- and a low-side DC-link, and having high- and low-side switching elements, the high- and low-side switching elements being operatively connected to the high- and low-side DC-link buses, respectively, the method comprising the steps of generating a fault signal, generating at least one test vector in response to the fault signal by switching at least one of the switching elements on, and measuring, while the at least one switching element is on, the magnitude of a current flowing in that DC-link operatively connected to the conducting switching element in order to detect an earth-fault. The present invention further relates to additional methods for on-the-fly determination of earth-faults.
US08023227B2
Disclosed is a perpendicular recording head for a hard disk drive. The perpendicular recording head includes a yoke that has a plurality of grooves essentially perpendicular to a magnetic flux that flows in a vertical direction relative to the yoke. The perpendicular grooves inhibit residual magnetism in the vertical direction and enhance yoke domain stability.
US08023226B2
A thermally assisted magnetic head comprises a slider having a medium-opposing surface and a light source unit secured to a surface of the slider on the side of the slider opposite from the medium-opposing surface. The slider has a slider substrate and a magnetic head part provided on a side face of the medium-opposing surface in the slider substrate. The magnetic head part includes a magnetic recording device for generating a magnetic field and a waveguide for receiving light from an end face opposite from the medium-opposing surface and guiding the light to the medium-opposing surface side. The light source unit has a light source supporting substrate, a light source secured to the light source supporting substrate and adapted to supply light to the end face of the waveguide, and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the light source.
US08023224B2
A hard disk drive includes a base, a cover coupled to an upper portion of the base to accommodate a plurality of parts between the cover and the base, a spindle motor including a FDB (fluid dynamic bearing) having an FDB fixing portion fixed to the base and an FDB rotation portion partially inserted in an inside of the FDB fixing portion and which rotates with respect to the FDB fixing portion, a hub to support a disk, having an end portion coupled to the FDB rotation portion, and which rotates with the FDB rotation portion and a power generation portion to generate power to rotate the hub, and an anti-stick portion provided with at least one of the cover and the spindle motor and which prevents the FDB rotation portion from being restricted as the FDB rotation portion partially contacts the FDB fixing portion by an impact applied to the spindle motor when the disk rotates.
US08023220B2
A method for writing servo sector sets that include a plurality of separate servo sectors on a disk so that servo sectors are present at same circumferential positions but different radial positions. The method includes reading a first servo sector set in a track with a read element such that the track includes first, second and third servo sector sets. The method also includes writing the third servo sector set with a write element at a different radial position from the read element with positional control and timing control using the first servo sector set while skipping the second servo sector set if all servo sectors of the first servo sector set are non-defective. Moreover, the method includes using positional control and timing control using the second servo sector set in the writing of the third servo sector set if the first servo sector set includes a defective servo sector.
US08023215B1
A method is provided that decides whether a region of data storage units in a data storage system should be scanned for defective data. A current region of data storage units affected by a write operation is determined and which select transducing head of the data storage system that corresponds with the current region is also determined. A scalar value that corresponds with the select transducing head is retrieved. The scalar value related to a condition of the select transducing head based on previously conducted performance tests. An incremented write count of the affected region is scaled by the scalar value to obtain a new increment write count. A defective data scan is performed on the affected region if the new increment write count exceeds a default write count threshold.
US08023211B2
A lens assembly includes a barrel having an object-side opening and an image-forming-side opening. The barrel further has a positioning section that positions an image-forming-side surface of a lens by having line contact around an optical axis at a center. The positioning section is disposed at a position that is closer to an object side than the image-forming-side opening of the barrel is. The barrel also has an image-forming section that extends from the positioning section to a center of the optical axis along the image-forming-side surface of the lens and forms an edge of the image-forming-side opening of the barrel.
US08023206B2
An achromatic refractive beam shaping optical system that transforms the intensity distribution of a light beam, preferably provides transformation of a beam which intensity distribution described by Gaussian function to a beam of uniform intensity. The system consists of at least two lens groups, one of lens groups is made from at least two lenses having different characteristics, of spectral dispersion, thus achromatic for a certain spectral range optical design providing zero or negligible for practical applications wave aberration is realized. By choosing parameters of lens groups the system can be realized as a telescope of Galilean or Keplerian type, or as a collimator, or as an objective lens. To provide adjustment features one lens group of the system is movable along the optical axis.
US08023200B2
The present invention is directed to a movable body driving mechanism including a first frame and a second frame that is capable of moving relative to the first frame. The movable body driving mechanism includes a cam groove that is formed in the first frame, and a cam follower that is formed in the second frame and inserted movably in the cam groove. The cam groove includes a plurality of regions having different widths. The cam follower is formed to have a shape with a plurality of outer diameters, and different parts of the cam follower contact an inner lateral surface of the cam groove in each of the plurality of regions. With this configuration, the lateral surface of the cam follower can be made to contact the lateral surface of the cam groove constantly, thus achieving the cam driving without looseness. Also, since the biasing means or the like is not needed, it is possible both to simplify the configuration and to reduce the number of manufacturing steps.
US08023195B2
A laser eye protection (LEP) system for a helmet having a helmet-mounted display (HMD) system. The LEP system includes a large outer visor, which provides ballistic protection, LEP and a display surface for the HMD, and a smaller inner visor, which also provides LEP. LEP is split between the two visors, so that the outer visor can block light in a wavelength that overlaps with the peak wavelength range of the HMD without impairing the wearer's ability to view HMD imagery. The outer visor also preferably does not block near IR light, which allows image-enhancement devices to be positioned within the protective envelope of the outer visor while the smaller inner visor protects the wearer from near IR threats.
US08023193B2
An illumination system including at least one coherent light source, a light uniforming device and a lenticular sheet module is provided. The coherent light source is capable of emitting a coherent beam. The light uniforming device is disposed on a transmission path of the coherent beam. The lenticular sheet module disposed on a transmission path of the coherent beam and between the coherent light source and the light uniforming device, includes a first lenticular sheet and a second lenticular sheet. The first lenticular sheet includes a plurality of first rod-like lenticulars disposed side by side extending along a first extending direction. The second lenticular sheet disposed between the first lenticular sheet and the light uniforming device, includes a plurality of second rod-like lenticulars disposed side by side extending along a second extending direction. The first extending direction and the second extending direction make an angle greater than 0 degree.
US08023178B2
A line-like (line) laser beam flux irradiating apparatus includes a laser source which emits a divergent laser beam flux, a conversion lens which converts the divergent laser beam flux to a parallel laser beam flux, a first lens which forms a first line-like laser beam flux, a second lens which forms a second line-like laser beam flux intersecting the first line-like laser beam flux, and a reflective optical system having a first reflective surface which reflects the parallel laser beam flux toward the first lens and a second reflective surface which reflects the parallel laser beam flux toward the second lens. The parallel laser beam flux is simultaneously guided to the first and second reflective surfaces so as to form a cross-wise line-like laser beam flux on the same plane by the cooperation of the first line-like laser beam flux and the second line-like laser beam flux.
US08023176B2
The present invention provides a multicolor display optical composition comprising a dispersion medium, a periodic structure having a porous structure inside communicated with the outside, and mobile particles contained in the dispersion medium so as to be movable and having a volume average primary particle diameter from 1 nm to 80 nm in a dispersion state in the dispersion medium, a volume average particle diameter of coagulated particles of 100 nm or larger in optical coagulation state by stimulation application, and having a refractive index different from that of the dispersion medium by 0.1 or more, wherein the mobile particles show no coloration in the dispersion state when the particles are dispersed in the dispersion medium and show white coloration with a predetermined whiteness value or higher in the coagulation state when the particles are coagulated, an optical device, and a display method of the optical device.
US08023173B2
A controllable reflecting device having an array of bi-axial mirrors that are capable of pivoting in at least four directions is described. At least three primary colored light beams are directed at each of the bi-axial mirror in three of the four pivoting directions, one for each of the primary colored light beams and a single colored beam is reflected and directed toward a projection lens. In the fourth pivoting direction, no color beam is directed to the projection lens and black is projected.
US08023166B2
An optical scanning device includes, in an effective scanning area in the target surface, a mechanism that causes a scanning speed at each scanning position with respect to a scanning speed at an approximately center in the effective scanning area to be within a range under a predetermined condition.
US08023163B2
An image reading and recording apparatus includes a trigger arm configured to start transmission of a drive to a paper feed unit in accordance with the position of a carriage. The trigger arm includes a first lever portion for feeding a recording sheet in a state in which a cap is separated from a recording head and a second lever portion for feeding a document in a state in which the cap is in contact with the recording head.
US08023160B2
What is disclosed is a novel system and method for encoding/decoding data in a cover contone image via halftone dot orientation modulation. Arrays of halftone threshold values are used to determine a desired orientation, e.g. 0/90°+/−45° for a given single data value of the original message to be embedded. Message data is embedded as a function of halftone dot orientation. Detection modeling of the print-scan process enables the determination of dot orientation from the image scan via statistically motivated image moments. A probabilistic model of the print-scan channel conditions received moments on input orientation. Density values of the received moments are used to determine dot orientation for each halftone cell. The embedded data is retrieved based on the determined orientations. The present method is applicable to areas of data embedding, document security, and the like.
US08023154B2
The image output system of the invention collects a preset number of adjacent pixels to one pixel group to divide a number of pixels constituting an image into multiple pixel groups and specifies a pixel group tone value as a representative tone value of each pixel group. The image output system refers to a conversion table to generate dot number data of each pixel group. The conversion table stores dot number data, which represents number of dots to be created in one pixel group, in relation to a combination of a pixel group classification number allocated to each pixel group and the specified pixel group tone value of the pixel group. The image output system then refers to a priority order of pixels representing potentials of dot creation in respective pixels of one pixel group, determines the positions of dot-on pixels in each pixel group according to the generated dot number data of the pixel group, and actually creates dots according to the determined positions of the dot-on pixels. The dot number data does not include information on the positions of the dot-on pixels and has a small data volume, thus enabling high-speed data transfer. The dot number data is readily obtained by simply referring to the conversion table. This leads to high-speed output of high-quality image data. The technique of the invention thus enables easy and high-speed output of a high-quality image.
US08023148B2
Print structure, printing method and reading method for medium surface with print-formed dot pattern
With the aim of realizing an easy and inexpensive method of realizing a “stealth” dot pattern, whose presence on a medium surface is not visually recognizable, merely through minor improvements in the existing printing technology, the present invention provides dots which form a dot pattern by printing these dots using an ink of any color reactive in the infrared or ultraviolet wavelength range on a medium surface on which a dot pattern is to be formed, for use with a dot pattern reading system that irradiates infrared or ultraviolet light on a medium surface having a dot pattern provided thereon, recognizes the dot pattern by reading the reflections of the light with an optical reading means, converts the dot pattern into the corresponding data, and outputs the text, voice, images and so forth contained in the data.
US08023145B2
An image processing system is provided and includes a first receiving unit, a print control unit, a second receiving unit, a read control unit, and a composition unit. The first receiving unit receives an order-sheet request, and the print control unit causes a printer unit to print an area notation indicating a free rendering area on paper in accordance with the order-sheet request. The second receiving unit receives a scan request, and the read control unit causes an scan unit to read the paper on which a subject is recorded in the free rendering area in accordance with the scan request. Also, the composition unit composites an image of the free rendering area read by the scan unit in accordance with the scan request and the other image or images. A method that the system performs is also provided.
US08023140B2
A method of magnifying printed content using a handheld display device having a touch-sensitive screen and a transceiver for sending and receiving digital information. The method comprises the steps of: imaging an area of the substrate containing printed content and generating image data using an optical sensor; determining interaction data using the image data, the interaction data identifying a substrate identity; retrieving, using the interaction data and the page description, display data corresponding to the printed content; displaying, on the touch-sensitive screen, display information based on the display data, the display information including displayed content corresponding to the printed content; and interacting with the displayed content via the touch-sensitive screen. Interacting with the displayed content via the touch-sensitive screen magnifies the displayed content on the screen.
US08023127B2
An image processing apparatus includes a background image generation section and a combining section. The background image generation section generates a background image, which represents (i) background information containing copy prohibition information indicating copy is prohibited and (ii) copy prohibition release information indicating a condition to release copy prohibition, by predetermined patterns. The combining section combines a target image to be formed and the background image generated by the background image generation section to generate a composite image and that outputs the composite image to a formation section that forms an image on a recording medium. When generating the background image, the background image generation section arranges the pattern of the copy prohibition release information in an end region of the recording medium.
US08023119B2
A method for analyzing mucosa structure with optical coherence tomography (OCT) is provided, and includes: (a) scanning a mucosa sample with optical coherence tomography; (b) choosing a lateral range from a two- or three-dimensional OCT image and analyzing all the A-scan intensity profiles in the lateral range; (c) calculating three indicators in each A-scan intensity profile, including the standard deviation for a certain depth range below the sample surface, the exponential decay constant of the spatial-frequency spectrum and the epithelium thickness under the condition that the basement membrane is identifiable; and (d) using the three indicators of each A-scan intensity profile within the lateral range to analyze the mucosa structure.
US08023112B2
An alignment apparatus for a planar member includes, an image capturing unit which captures an image of a rotationally asymmetrical alignment mark provided on the planar member, a position detection unit which detects a position of the alignment mark from the image, a position adjusting unit which adjusts, based on the detected position of the alignment mark, the position of the planar member relative to a reference position, and an orientation detection unit which detects an orientation of the planar member based on the rotational asymmetry of the alignment mark captured in the image.
US08023110B1
Methods and systems for determining the quality of a substrate are disclosed. One or more substrates may be examined to determine whether bending is present at the edge of a substrate. The substrate may be accepted if it is determined that bending is not present at the edge of the substrate. The substrate may be rejected if it is determined that bending is present at the edge of the substrate.
US08023105B2
The present invention relates to provide a projection exposure device having a small volume, thereby not occupying a large installation space. The projection exposure device is configured to transfer patterns formed on a mask to a surface of film-shaped tape on an upright exposure stage by projecting the patterns onto the surface using light. This projection exposure device includes a transfer mechanism for feeding the tape to the exposure stage vertically, and a projection optical mechanism for irradiating the surface of the tape with the light. The projection optical mechanism is composed of Dyson optics located opposite the transfer mechanism across the exposure stage, and has an optical axis that is substantially perpendicular to the exposure stage.
US08023101B2
An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed in which a gas knife is shaped and a liquid removal device is positioned to improve removal of liquid from the surface of the substrate.
US08023098B2
Provided is a production method for a thin birefringent film with a satisfactory alignment property, in which a refractive index is controlled three-dimensionally and optical properties are unlikely to decrease in the case where the birefringent film is placed under high temperature and high humidity. The production method for a birefringent film of the present invention includes: the step (1) of preparing a solution that exhibits a nematic liquid crystal phase, containing at least one kind of polycyclic compound containing a —SO3M group and/or a —COOM group (M represents a counter ion) and a solvent; the step (2) of preparing a base material at least one surface of which is subjected to a hydrophilization treatment; and the step (3) of applying the solution prepared in the step (1) to the surface of the base material prepared in the step (2), the surface being subjected to the hydrophilization treatment, followed by drying, in which a contact angle of water at 23° C. on the surface of the base material prepared in the step (2), the surface being subjected to the hydrophilization treatment is 45° or less.
US08023090B2
A gate-in-panel type liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates spaced apart from and facing each other, the first and second substrates including a display area and a non-display area; gate lines, data lines, thin film transistors and pixel electrodes in the display area on the first substrate, the gate lines and the data lines crossing each other to define pixel regions, the thin film transistors connected to the gate lines and the data lines, the pixel electrodes connected to the thin film transistors; gate pads and data pads in the non-display area on the first substrate, the gate pads and the data pads receiving direct current (DC) signals and alternating current (AC) signals; gate link lines connected to the gate pads and including first gate link lines and second gate link lines, the first gate link lines transmitting the DC signals and disposed to be adjacent to and parallel to each other, the second gate link lines transmitting the AC signals and disposed to be adjacent to and parallel to each other; connection lines connected to the gate link lines; gate circuit blocks connected to the connection lines, the gate circuit blocks generating gate signals using the DC signals and the AC signals and providing the gate signals to the gate lines; and a seal pattern between the first and second substrates and overlapping the gate link lines.
US08023086B2
A pad structure of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The pad structure of the LCD device includes: a bottom electrode formed with a predetermined area at one edge side of each of signal lines formed on an array substrate; an insulation layer formed over the bottom electrode; a contact hole for exposing the bottom electrode, the contact hole formed as a predetermined portion of the insulation layer is etched; and a terminal electrode formed over the contact hole, thereby being connected with the bottom electrode, wherein the bottom electrode is formed in a dual structure including an aluminum alloy layer using AlNd and a molybdenum (Mo) layer and a thickness of the Mo layer is greater than at least about one quarter of the thickness of the aluminum alloy layer formed beneath the Mo layer.
US08023077B2
A liquid crystal apparatus includes a pair of substrates. The pair of substrates includes a liquid crystal layer disposed therebetween, and a two-dimensional array of pixel regions each including a transmissive display region and a reflective display region, the transmissive display regions of different pixel regions having areas different from one another. One of the substrates has a plurality of color filter layers provided in correspondence with the pixel regions, a reflective film provided over the color filter layers, and an overcoat film covering the reflective film. Among the pixel regions including the transmissive display regions having different areas, a pixel region including a transmissive display region with a large area has a color filter layer with a thickness larger than that of a color filter layer provided in a pixel region including a transmissive display region with a small area.
US08023073B2
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) includes forming only a λ/4 plate between a polarizer and a display panel and setting a direction of an absorption axis of the polarizer and a slow axis of the λ/4 plate, so that the LCD can have a smaller thickness and its fabrication cost can be reduced while having better or the same characteristics than an LCD using both λ/2 and λ/4 plates. In addition, in an ECB mode backlit LCD, transmittance, contrast ratio, and viewing angles can be enhanced by attaching both the λ/4 or λ/2 plate and allowing the absorption axis of the polarizer and the slow axis of the λ/4 and λ/2 plates to have predetermined angle relationships.
US08023063B2
In a backlight apparatus, laminated optical sheets are housed in a tray such that a wall portion thereof surrounds their circumferences so that the optical sheets receive light from fluorescent lights. Tips of one corner portion A of optical sheets preferably have a shape in which the tips are trimmed by line segments extending between two edges defining the corner portions. At the wall portion of the tray, an opposing surface is formed along the line segments of the corner portions so as to correspond to the shape of the corner portions having tips trimmed off. The opposing surface restrains the line segments.
US08023061B2
A display system includes a housing member which has space therein, a plurality of light source units which are placed in the space, a diffusion member which is disposed on the light source units, a liquid crystal display panel which is disposed on the diffusion member, an infrared camera unit which is interposed between the liquid crystal display panel and the diffusion member and photograph a front region of the liquid crystal display panel, and a plurality of infrared light sources which emit infrared light to the front region of the liquid crystal display panel.
US08023060B2
A flexible display including a flexible display panel and a flexible hollow supporting structure is provided. The flexible display panel has a first end and a second end opposite to each other. The flexible hollow supporting structure is integrated with the flexible display panel and extends from the first end to the second end of the flexible display panel. In addition, a supporting medium can be infused into the flexible hollow supporting structure so as to stretch and support the flexible display panel.
US08023059B2
An array substrate of a liquid crystal display includes data lines; scanning lines configured to cross with the data lines; a test line provided outside a display region of the array substrate for test of the array substrate; and a repair line provided outside the display region for repair of a defective data line. The test line is configured to be electrically isolated from the repair line when the repair is not carried out and is electrically connected to the repair line and the defective data line when the repair is performed. A method of repairing the array substrate and a liquid crystal display using the array substrate are also provided. According to the invention, the test line can be used as a part of a repair circuit for repair of the data lines, thereby greatly decreasing non-display area.
US08023057B2
A method for manufacturing a TFT array panel is presented. The method includes: forming a gate line and a gate electrode on a substrate with a first mask; depositing an insulation layer on the gate line and on the gate electrode; depositing a semiconductor layer; depositing an n+ amorphous silicon layer; forming a data line, a source electrode and a drain electrode on the substrate with a second mask; removing the exposed portion of the n+ amorphous silicon layer; forming a passivation film on the semiconductor layer, the n+ amorphous silicon layer, the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode by using a third mask such that a portion of the drain electrode and the semiconductor layer is exposed; removing the exposed portion of the semiconductor layer; and forming a pixel electrode connected to the exposed portion of the drain electrode by using a fourth mask.
US08023055B2
In a semiconductor device, a first interlayer insulating layer made of an inorganic material and formed on inverse stagger type TFTs, a second interlayer insulating layer made of an organic material and formed on the first interlayer insulating layer, and a pixel electrode formed in contact with the second interlayer insulating layer are disposed on a substrate, and an input terminal portion that is electrically connected to a wiring of another substrate is provided on an end portion of the substrate. The input terminal portion includes a first layer made of the same material as that of the gate electrode and a second layer made of the same material as that of the pixel electrode. With this structure, the number of photomasks used in the photolithography method can be reduced to 5.
US08023048B2
To reduce latency during channel change, when a user changes the TV channel on a mobile TV device such as a wireless phone, the device leaves the power save mode and enters, for a limited timeout period, a fully energized mode in which the receiver and front end logic of the device remain energized during periods in which content from the old channel, content from the new channel, and content from a “next” channel are interleaved into the broadcast.
US08023046B2
Methods and systems for encoding and decoding signals using a Multi-input Multi-output Time Encoding Machine (TEM) and Time Decoding Machine are disclosed herein.
US08023041B2
A method for detecting moving interlaced text in a video sequence originating through telecine is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking a motion condition of a current block in a current field in the video sequence for motion both (i) from a previous field in the video sequence to the current field and (ii) from the current field to a next field in the video sequence, (B) checking an artifact condition of the current block for a plurality of symmetric interlaced artifacts in both (i) a forward temporal direction and (ii) a backward temporal direction and (C) asserting a block motion indicator for the current block if all of (i) the motion condition is true and (ii) the artifact condition is true.
US08023039B2
An image capture apparatus includes a housing body, an image capture optical system, an image capture device, a connector, a cover, and an operation member. The display panel is provided to the housing body to be pivotable between a usage position where a display surface of the display panel is visible and a storage position where the display surface of the display panel is in contact with a surface of the housing body. The cover opens or closes the insertion/removal opening by extending or retracting on the insertion/removal opening from an interior of the housing body. The operation member is provided to the housing body, and is operated to move the cover along a direction of opening or closing the insertion/removal opening, the operation member being provided to the housing body.
US08023037B2
A focus-adjustment signal generating apparatus includes a filter to extract a high-frequency component at a specific frequency or higher from a luminance signal of an input video signal, a comparator to compare an absolute value of the high-frequency component with a specific reference value, to output a first detection signal when the absolute value is equal to or larger than the reference value whereas a second detection signal when the absolute value is smaller than the reference value, an extender to extend an output period of the first detection signal according to a period indicated by a period-length setting signal, to output an extended first detection signal, and a selector to select a first chrominance difference signal indicating a specific color in response to the extended first detection signal whereas a second chrominance difference signal indicating an achromatic color in response to the second detection signal, the first or the second chrominance difference signal being output as a focus-adjustment signal.
US08023029B2
A camera-projector assembly for viewing captured images in a near-view mode and in a distal-view projection mode. The assembly includes a camera housing and an image capture assembly within the housing collecting image data. The camera-projector assembly includes a projection assembly mounted on the camera housing that includes a projection lens and a projection light source. A transmissive display such as an LCD is provided external to the camera housing and adapted to be positionable in a first position proximate to the camera housing and in a second position between the projection lens and light source. The transmissive display is positionable against an external surface of the camera housing when it is in the first position and at least partially spaced apart from the external surface in the second position. The transmissive display maybe rotated or slid from the first to the second position on the camera housing.
US08023028B2
A solid-state imaging device and a charge transfer method are provided. The solid-state imaging device includes light receiving portions arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, vertical transfer portions, and a horizontal transfer portion. The vertical transfer portions are formed for each column of the matrix of the light receiving portions, for transferring charges transferred from the light receiving portions in a vertical direction. The horizontal transfer portion transfers the charges transferred from the vertical transfer portions in a horizontal direction. The vertical transfer portions divide the charges transferred to the vertical transfer portions and transfer the divided charges in the vertical direction. The horizontal transfer portion transfers the divided charges in a mixed state in the horizontal direction.
US08023016B2
A small, low-profile imaging device that obtains imaging signals having similar light intensity distributions for different colored light, even when there is variability in component precision or assembly. The imaging device (101) includes a plurality of lens units (113) each including at least one lens, a plurality of imaging areas corresponding one-to-one with the plurality of lens units, and each having a light receiving surface (123) substantially perpendicular to an optical axis direction of the corresponding lens unit, an imaging signal input unit (133) that receives as input a plurality of imaging signals each output from a different one of the plurality of imaging areas, and an intensity correcting unit (142) that corrects the intensity of each of the plurality of imaging signals, so that the degree of correction changes depending on the position of the imaging area.
US08023001B2
An analog front-end circuit includes an analog processing circuit, an A/D converter, a calculation circuit, and a correction amount register in which a correction amount is set. The analog processing circuit includes an offset adjustment circuit that includes an offset adjustment register. The calculation circuit monitors an A/D-converted value output from the A/D converter, detects the change amount of the A/D-converted value when changing an offset adjustment value set in the offset adjustment register by 1 LSB as the correction amount, and sets the detected correction amount in the correction amount register.
US08022993B2
An image supply device is capable of transmitting image data to a recording apparatus so as to record an image, receiving status information transmitted as a code from the recording apparatus, determining the degree of interpretation of plural-level information corresponding to a device level included in the received code, determining an interpretation level for the plural-level information included in the code and interpreting the code. Then, the device determines information based on the result of the interpretation and notifies a user of the information.
US08022991B1
A system and method for three-axis stabilization of focal plane data. The system and method include performing a two-dimensional vertical shear transformation and a two-dimensional horizontal shear transformation. The system and method further incorporate a SIMD computer architecture and an array of addressable processing elements that process the field-of-view for a target image received by a focal plane array of detector elements. Each processing element includes a calculation device that calculates the row and column address of virtual pixels for a virtual field-of-view. The system and method further include a plurality of memory modules configured to store data in a plurality of addressable storage locations by column and row, and each memory module is identified with a different processing element. A dedicated memory routing network for the processing elements and memory modules permits the exchange of information between processing elements and memory modules associated with each processing element.
US08022979B2
The endoscope system of the present invention includes: an endoscope that has an image pickup device that picks up an observation image of a test object; an image display unit that converts image pickup signals that have been sent from the image pickup device into images and then displays these images; a first mounting portion that is provided in an operating section of the endoscope and on which the image display unit is mounted; and a second mounting portion that is provided in the operating section of the endoscope and on which the image display unit is mounted in a different position from that of the first mounting portion.
US08022974B2
An exposure device includes plural light emitting elements that light in turn for exposure, plural driving elements that drive each of the light emitting elements and a time changing member that changes one time period of a switching signal to switch light emitting elements driven by the driving elements among the plurality of light emitting elements in turn from a reference time, depending on an image forming speed, wherein the time changing member changes the one time period from the reference time for some of the light emitting elements during one main scan, and maintains the one time period as the reference time for the remaining light emitting elements.
US08022971B2
A data driver, including a first digital-to-analog converter configured to select two reference voltages of a plurality of reference voltages depending on upper bits of data, and a second digital-to-analog converter configured to divide the two reference voltages into a plurality of voltages and supply any one voltage of the two reference voltages and the divided voltages to an output terminal as a data signal depending on lower bits of the data, wherein the second digital-to-analog converter is configured to supply an intermediate gray scale voltage to the output terminal prior to supplying the data signal, the intermediate gray scale voltage having a voltage between the two reference voltages.
US08022954B2
Three-digital micromirror devices (“DMD”) are used to alter the shape of light that is projected onto a stage. The DMDs each receive a primary color and selectively reflects some light of that color, thereby shaping the light that is projected onto the stage. The control for the alteration is controlled by an image. That image can be processed, thereby carrying out image processing effects on the shape of the light that is displayed. One preferred application follow the shape of the performer and illuminates the performer using a shape that adaptively follows the performer's image. This results in a shadowless follow spot.
US08022946B2
A wipe pattern generation apparatus that can generate wipe patterns of various shapes at high speed and moreover can be miniaturized. is provided.A wipe pattern generation apparatus 100 includes a sin θ generation section 101 for calculating sin θ from input angle information θ; a multiplier 103 for multiplying the calculation result of sin θ by a first coefficient; a cos θ generation section 102 for calculating cos θ from the angle information θ; a multiplier 104 for multiplying the calculation result of cos θ by a second coefficient; a multiplier 106 for multiplying the result of adding output of the multiplier 103 and output of the multiplier 104 by a third coefficient and outputting as the reciprocal of the distance from the polar coordinate center to an arbitrary line on a display screen; a multiplier 107 for multiplying output of the multiplier 106 by distance information r; and a comparator 108 for making a comparison between output of the multiplier 107 and a fourth coefficient, and generates wipe pattern output data 110 from the angle information θ and the distance information r.
US08022929B2
In a pointing device for electronic equipment, the equipment includes a casing and a receiving space defined by the casing, and the pointing device includes a sensor unit, a column, and a joystick. The sensor unit is disposed in the receiving space. The column is disposed on the sensor unit, and is swingable relative to the sensor unit. The sensor unit is used to detect swinging state of the column. The joystick is mounted on the column, and is movable relative to the column between first and second positions. The joystick projects from an outer surface of the casing when at the first position, and is accommodated in the receiving space when at the second position. Thus, the joystick can be accommodated in the receiving space to avoid inadvertent actuation so as to enhance the convenience of carrying the electronic equipment.
US08022928B2
A position detection method using one or more one-dimensional image sensors for detecting a light source (22) in free space is adapted for use as a portable free-space data input device (20) for controlling of a cursor (42) on the display (44) of a computer. A user of the portable free-space data input device (20) should move the portable free-space data input device (20) in free space to control the movement of the cursor on the display. This portable free-space data input device (20) can also be used as a free-space handwriting device. It is possible to adapt this pointing device in a design of a user-friendly remote control for a multimedia home entertainment system.
US08022925B2
Provided are a method for configuring a three-dimensional (3D) input device, a method for reconfiguring the 3D input device, a method for recognizing wearing of the 3D input device, and an apparatus for the same. The method of configuring a three-dimensional (3D) input device, which performs information input operations using a finger device that is worn by a user and senses the user's finger movement, includes recognizing whether the user is wearing the finger device and recognizing the finger positions of the device, and adaptively configuring the 3D input device based on the recognition results. Thus, it is possible to implement a user-friendly 3D input device by automatically or manually configuring the 3D input device.
US08022920B2
An organic light emitting display includes: a first shift register which is electrically coupled with a clock line, a negative clock line, and an initial drive line; a first NAND gate which is electrically coupled with the initial drive line, a first light emitting control line which is an output line of the first shift register, and a first clock line; a second NAND gate which is electrically coupled with the initial drive line, the first light emitting control line, and a second clock line; a first pixel part which is electrically coupled with a first scan line which is an output line of the first NAND gate; a second pixel part which is electrically coupled with a second scan line which is an output line of the second NAND gate; a third pixel part which is electrically coupled with the first scan line; and a fourth pixel part which is electrically coupled with the second scan line.
US08022906B2
A driver for use in a flat panel display, the driver adapted to drive segment lines by using a current, the current being generated by referring to a reference current outputted from a reference current source, the driver includes a driving block selector for selecting a reference current driving block to be activated according to a reference current value with respect to the reference current; and a plurality of reference current driving blocks for transferring the reference current value to a part where the segment lines are driven.
US08022901B2
In a current control driver that drives an active matrix device, a write current can be set larger and unevenness in currents can be reduced between elements receiving the currents. In the current control driver having an element circuit for each of the elements comprising a converting unit for converting an applied current into a voltage, a retaining unit for retaining the voltage converted by the converting unit, and a driving unit that converts the voltage retained by the retaining unit into an output current and supplies the output current, the converting unit is shared between two or more of the element circuits and a switch located between the shared converting units connects two or more of the converting units to one of the elements during a current supply period for the element.
US08022900B2
An OLED display includes a pixel having a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, a third sub-pixel, and a fourth sub-pixel, each of which displays a different color, a gate line for transmitting gate signals to the pixel, a data line for transmitting data signals to the pixel, a first driving voltage line that transmits a driving voltage to the pixel and is substantially parallel to the data line, and a second driving voltage line that is connected to the first driving voltage line and is substantially parallel to the gate line.
US08022890B2
A quadrifilar helix antenna used to transmit and receive wireless signals may include a number of inductively loaded antenna elements. The antenna elements may be helically wound around a cylindrical structure.
US08022878B2
An RFID tag having a tag antenna and an LSI chip, comprising: a power-supply pattern on which the LSI chip is mounted; a patch antenna that functions as the tag antenna; and a high-frequency connection section that makes a high-frequency connection between the power-supply pattern and the patch antenna. The high-frequency connection section is formed, for example, by forming a slot in the patch antenna, layering one end of a small dipole antenna that functions as the power-supply pattern over the slot so that it crosses over the slot, and supplying power from the small dipole antenna to the patch antenna.
US08022873B2
A method of determining angles of sight between a receiver device having at least two reception antennas and at least one transmitter device having at least one transmission antenna for the transmission of radioelectric signals including at least two wavelengths. The determining method is based on angular phase measurements of the radioelectric signals, which are measured modulo 2π and are therefore ambiguous since they are known to within an integer number of times 2π. The ambiguity in the phase measurements is resolved in the case of an application of the determining method to a receiver device dimensioned by applying a method of design of a system for determining angles of sight. A receiver device implements the determining method, and a system for determining angles of sight includes the receiver device and at least one transmitter device.
US08022872B2
A positioning receiver in which the circuit configuration of the receiving system corresponding to a plurality of positioning systems can be simplified and the current consumption and circuit size of which can be reduced. A positioning receiver (100) comprises first low-pass filters (111, 121) which limit outputs of a first signal mixer (103) and a second signal mixer (104) to a first bandwidth, and second low-pass filters (112, 122) which are provided on the output side of the first low-pass filters (111, 121) and limit the outputs of the first low-pass filters (111, 121) to a second bandwidth narrower than the first bandwidth and sets the filter bandwidth of the first low-pass filters (111, 121) greater than that of the second low-pass filters (112, 122).
US08022869B2
An apparatus and method for cross-correlation spur mitigation comprising choosing from a plurality of peak measurements, a first peak measurement with a first carrier-to-noise density estimate and a first Doppler offset measurement, and a second peak measurement with a second carrier-to-noise density estimate and a second Doppler offset measurement to form a pair; calculating a carrier-to-noise density difference based on the first carrier-to-noise density estimate and the second carrier-to-noise density estimate; calculating a Doppler difference based on the first Doppler offset measurement and the second Doppler offset measurement; comparing the carrier-to-noise density difference to a carrier-to-noise density threshold; and comparing the Doppler difference to at least one Doppler threshold.
US08022863B1
A method includes correlating a plurality of samples of a waveform into a correlation domain to provide a mainlobe defined by a first subset of a plurality of pulse-compressed samples and a plurality of sidelobes defined by a second subset of the plurality of pulse-compressed samples. A weight is calculated for at least one of the pulse-compressed samples, and one of a plurality of SVA filter values is selected to apply to the at least one pulse-compressed sample based on the calculated weight of the at least one pulse-compressed sample. The SVA filter values include one, one minus a quotient of one-half divided by the calculated weight of the at least one sample, and a scale factor having a value greater than zero and less than or equal to one. The selected SVA filter values are applied to the at least one pulse-compressed sample.
US08022856B2
A successive approximation type A/D converter includes: a reference signal generating section generating a reference signal; a comparator comparing an analog signal input thereto with the reference signal and converting the analog signal into a digital signal; and a control section controlling the reference signal to perform oversampling by executing an A/D conversion process on the analog signal at the comparator plural times such that the analog signal is A/D-converted into a digital value of N bits at the first A/D conversion process and such that the second and subsequent A/D conversion processes are performed starting with a lower bit of the (N−n)-th or lower order with upper n bits of the N-bit digital value obtained at the first A/D conversion process fixed.
US08022846B2
A keypad is provided for a computing device. The keypad includes one or more lighting devices or mechanisms for illuminating a plurality of keys structures. In an embodiment, the plurality of key structures are formed from a milky material.
US08022845B2
A vehicle monitoring and traffic enforcement system in which a wireless communication device is associated with motor vehicles. The device will transmit vehicle identification data which is relayed to a database which maintains current information concerning insurance law compliance, motor vehicle registration and licensing compliance, traffic citations and other information. If a violation or compliance failure is noted, this is transmitted to a law enforcement agency and a nearby law enforcement vehicle. A law enforcement officer may be required to pursue the vehicle depending on the violation and traffic conditions. The system uses GPS and GIS technology to provide law enforcement with a real time display which will not only show the vehicle being tracked but also a map of the area showing roads, traffic conditions and even the location of other law enforcement or emergency vehicles so that officials may make a safe and fast response to situations. In another embodiment, the device may be a device such as an RFID tag which can be scanned and interrogated by a law enforcement official and which may be used for traffic and also parking control.
US08022844B2
The marine vessel monitoring system of the present invention enables marine vessel owners to monitor their vessels when they are unable or unavailable to personally do so. The system of the present invention provides an efficient method for inspecting and repairing a designated marine vessel at periodic intervals and for reporting the results of such inspections and repairs to the vessel's owner in a timely manner for the owner's review and consideration.
US08022840B2
A method for enhancing downhole telemetry performance comprising enhancing a signal in order to offset signal-to-noise ratio reduction with increasing measured depth, wherein the signal is modified at specified measured depths which are inferred from acoustic wave velocity determination.
US08022827B2
Antennas (50) for RFID tags are made to exhibit circular polarization to give the tag an omnidirectional characteristic. The antennas are crossed dipoles (52,54) with respective feed points (56,58). The signal source (60) is coupled to a splitter (62) having output leads (64) directly coupled to the feed point (56) of dipole (52). The other output leads (66) from splitter (62) are coupled to a delay line (68) with the delayed output coupled to a feed point (58) of dipole (54).
US08022826B2
A transponder that may be used as an RFID tag includes a passive circuit to eliminate the need for an “always on” active RF receiving element to anticipate a wake-up signal for the balance of the transponder electronics. This solution allows the entire active transponder to have all circuit elements in a sleep (standby) state, thus drastically extending battery life or other charge storage device life. Also, a wake-up solution that reduces total energy consumption of an active transponder system by allowing all non-addressed transponders to remain in a sleep (standby) state, thereby reducing total system or collection energy. Also, the transponder and wake-up solution are employed in an asset tracking system.
US08022825B2
A multi-mode RFID tag includes a power generating and signal detection module, a baseband processing module, a transmit section, a configurable coupling circuit, and an antenna section. In near field mode, the configurable coupling circuit is operable to couple the transmit section to a coil or inductor in the configurable coupling circuit to transmit an outbound transmit signal using electromagnetic or inductive coupling to an RFID reader. In far field mode, the configurable coupling circuit is operable to couple the transmit section to the antenna section, and the multi-mode RFID tag then utilizes a back-scattering RF technology to transmit the outbound transmit signal to RFID readers.
US08022812B2
An information collection system is provided, which can automatically calculate an operation or a travel path of a tag reader for collecting information of an RF tag. The information collection system of the present invention moves, in a movable area of a two-dimensional map, the tag reader along a surface of an object by referring to a three-dimensional map to emit radio waves while moving an information collection robot, records, upon reception of tag ID from the RF tag, a position of the information collection robot at the time as a data acquisition position, and calculates a path passing through data acquisition positions of all the recorded data as a moving sequence in a movable area of the information collection robot.
US08022804B2
A winding assembly for a transformer includes a wire winding and a sheet winding. The wire winding includes a spirally wound insulated wire and the sheet winding includes a metallic winding sheet that forms a single turn winding. Instead of winding the wire winding on a bobbin, sleeve or the like, the wire winding is attached directly to a surface of the winding sheet by means of a self-bonding technique.
US08022799B2
A magnetic circuit unit includes a pole piece, a magnet, and a yoke and a suspension made of a magnetic material. A magnetic gap is formed between an inner circumferential side surface of the suspension and a circumference of the pole piece. Accordingly, it is possible to allow the magnet in the magnetic circuit unit to be thinly constructed. In addition, it is possible to implement a multi-function vibration actuator having a thin structure and capable of obtaining a sufficiently sensible vibration.
US08022789B2
A tuning arrangement for a resonant circuit, the tuning arrangement having an output reactance dependent upon a plurality of input applied signals one of which is an input tuning signal, and including: an array of tuning circuits connected in a network whose output reactance is used to control the resonance frequency of the resonant circuit, each tuning circuit having a control input and having a reactance which varies in dependence upon the value of a control signal applied to the control input; elements for generating a plurality of different control signals for application to the control inputs of the tuning circuits; and each such control signal varying substantially linearly with the input tuning signal throughout a predetermined range specific to that control signal, so that the frequency response of the resonant circuit to the input tuning signal is substantially linear throughout a desired range of the input tuning signal.
US08022788B2
The invention relates to a process for the production of a microwave waveguide having a step of determining the zone or zones of the waveguide where an electric field concentration occurs. A step of produces at least one enlargement of the waveguide in the zone or zones thus determined. The invention also relates to a microwave filter in which the stubs are provided with such enlargement. The invention has application in microwave filters.
US08022786B2
A front-end circuit of the wireless transceiver is disclosed to reduce the number of the pin count of the chip, and achieve the impedance matching. The circuit comprises an antenna unit, a receiver, and a transmitting block, all of which are connected together, wherein there is no switch provided between the receiver and the antenna unit, such that the loss of switch can be avoided for reducing the noise figure and improve the sensitivity of the receiving path accordingly.
US08022784B2
A wireless communication module includes a plurality of monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuits (MMICs) for signal processing attached to the top surface of a multi-layer low temperature co-fired ceramic substrate; a planar transmission line formed on the top surface of the multi-layer substrate for communications between the MMICs; a metal base attached to the bottom surface of the multi-layer substrate and having an opening to which an antenna is attached; a plurality of vias for connecting the metal base and the planar transmission line within the multi-layer substrate to establish a uniform potential on a ground plane of the multi-layer substrate; an embedded waveguide formed in the opening surrounded with the vias within the multi-layer substrate; and a planar transmission line-to-waveguide transition apparatus for the transition of waves between the planar transmission line and the embedded waveguide.
US08022782B2
A two-point phase modulator and a method of calibrating conversion gain of the same are provided. The two-point phase modulator locks an output frequency signal by charging and pumping charge in a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit at the beginning of operation, opens a loop of the PLL circuit for a period of time, and applies a step signal, thus calibrating conversion gain of a modulation signal that controls the output frequency signal. Thus, the conversion gain may be accurately calibrated by the calibration operation at one time.
US08022776B2
The present disclosure relates to coupled circuits and methods of coupling circuits having a power supply wherein a plurality of transistors are inductively coupled directly to the power supply for providing a single DC supply voltage directly to each of the plurality of transistors, and wherein a plurality of transformers have primary and secondary windings, the primary and secondary windings providing, at least in part, inductive loads for inductively coupling the plurality of transistors to the power supply, the plurality of transformers also providing an AC signal path for coupling neighboring ones of the plurality of transistors together.
US08022766B2
CMOS power amplifiers (PAs) are disclosed having one or more integrated one-time programming (OTP) memories that are utilized to control at least in part operation of the CMOS PAs. The integrated OTP memories within the CMOS power amplifiers (PAs) allow adjustments, such as one-time factory trimming, of CMOS PA integrated circuits to optimize or improve performance. With this capability, for example, the tuning and biasing of stages within a multi-stage amplifier within a CMOS PA can be measured during factory test and adjusted by setting one or more bits in the OTP memories, as desired. Further, the operation of other circuitry within the PA can also be controlled at least in part with parameter settings stored in the OTP memories.
US08022765B1
Circuits and methods for compensating for an input-dependent gain error in a buffer and/or amplifier circuit, including applying a dynamic current to the input transistor. Circuits generally include a dynamic current supply coupled to a terminal of the input transistor, the dynamic current supply providing a compensating current. The compensating current can have a magnitude equal to the output impedance of the input transistor times a magnitude of the output voltage. The compensating current can be provided via a current mirror, or directly to a terminal of the input transistor. Methods generally include regulating variations in the current through the input transistor by sinking or sourcing a static current and a dynamic current at a terminal of the input transistor. The dynamic current can be regulated in response to a variation in the input signal.
US08022763B2
An amplifier failure detection apparatus for a radio transmitter that has a function for compensating for amplifier distortion of the radio transmitter and a function for determining amplifier failure has occurred by detecting that the gain of an amplifier has dropped a set level or more, in which: a gain-detection unit detects the gain of the amplifier; an alarm-detection-level-generation unit, which has a table for storing alarm-detection levels that correspond to input-amplitude levels, generates an alarm-detection level that corresponds to an input-amplitude level; and a comparison unit compares the gain detected by the gain-detection unit with the alarm-detection level, and generates an alarm based on the comparison results.
US08022759B2
The present invention relates to methods and devices to control and operate the functionality of a power amplifier system (100) capable of operating in at least three differential amplification modes. The drive signal's amplitude envelope controls an integrated switch network (104; 105, 106) that routes both the signal envelope and signal phase to different modulation blocks (111, 112: 109, 110: 115). Depending on the envelope strength, the operational mode of the amplifier system is possible to alter to best serve the signal statistics to provide the highest overall power efficiency.
US08022758B2
A circuit comprises an amplifier circuit and a trimming circuit. The amplifier circuit includes an operational amplifier. The operational amplifier has a first input configured to receive input signals, and the operational amplifier also has a second input and an amplifier output. One of the first input or the second input is a negative input. The trimming circuit is coupled to the amplifier output. The trimming circuit includes a termination resistor coupled in parallel with at least one trimming resistor. The termination resistor is coupled to a first switch in series, and the trimming resistor is coupled to a second switch in series. The amplifier output is connected back to the negative input through the first switch.
US08022752B2
A voltage reference circuit and method for generating a reference voltage using the circuit uses a comparison of the voltages on first and second nodes of a diode resistor network to produce a comparison signal, which is then used to increase the voltage on an output of a charge pump to generate the reference voltage.
US08022747B2
An integrated circuit with body-bias inputs coordinated by a switch at initial power application. A switch coupled to the N-well bias and P-type substrate bias lines of an integrated circuit selectively couples the substrate to ground or the substrate bias supply, depending upon the state of the bias supply lines. During power-up and the initial application of the N-well bias, the substrate is coupled to ground to prevent a leakage induce rise in the substrate potential. Upon sensing the presence of the substrate bias potential on the substrate bias line, the switch couples the substrate to the substrate bias line instead of ground. In another embodiment, a switch indirectly senses the availability of the substrate bias potential by sensing a charge pump enable signal.
US08022745B1
The present invention is a high voltage semiconductor switch that is formed from a chain of series coupled cascode circuits. In one embodiment, the switch may be a single-throw configuration coupled between an output and a direct current (DC) reference. In an alternate embodiment, the switch may be a double-throw configuration such that the output is switched between either a first DC reference or a second DC reference, such as ground. Each cascode circuit may have clamp circuits to prevent over voltage during switching transitions. The series coupled cascode circuits may be formed using discrete components or on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer, which may have a Silicon Dioxide insulator layer or a Sapphire insulator layer.
US08022740B2
Phase-locked loop charge pump driven by low voltage input. In one aspect, a phase-locked loop circuit includes a phase frequency detector operating at a low voltage and providing low-voltage sourcing control signals and low-voltage sinking control signals at the low voltage. A charge pump operates at a high voltage and includes a sourcing control circuit coupled to the low-voltage sourcing control signals and selectively causing the charge pump to source the sourcing current to an output of the charge pump based on the low-voltage sourcing control signals. The charge pump also includes a sinking control circuit that receives the low-voltage sinking control signals and selectively causes the charge pump to sink the sinking current from the output of the charge pump based on the low-voltage sinking control signals.
US08022736B2
A line driver includes current sources and resistors that form a bridge circuit in which a bridge resistor is connected between an internal node and ground, and a series resistor connected between the internal node and the driver's output node. The internal node is connected to receive a unit current from a first stage transistor, and the output node is connected to receive an amplified current from a second stage transistor that is N times the unit current. The bridge resistor is formed with a resistance value set such that the voltages at the internal node and the output node are equal, i.e., such that no current flows through the series resistor. The resistance value of the series resistor is thus adjustable to optimize output impedance in a manner independent of the driver's gain. An echo cancellation circuit is utilized to eliminate noise from two associated line drivers.
US08022734B1
A power detection system is disclosed that includes a detector circuit and a comparator circuit. The detector circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor that is not identical to the first transistor, and a third transistor that is substantially identical to the first transistor. Each of the transistors is commonly coupled to a current source and is coupled to a differential input voltage. The comparator circuit is for providing an output that is representative of whether the input voltage is above or below a threshold voltage responsive to a difference between the first transistor and the second transistor.
US08022726B2
A control circuit generates an output based on the first signal and the second signal by encoding the output to be a multi-state signal having at least three states. A magnitude of the multi-state signal generated by the controller varies depending on binary states of the first signal and the second signal. The controller utilizes the output (i.e., the multi-state signal) to control a switching circuit. A driver circuit receives the output generated by the control circuit. In one embodiment, the multi-state signal has more than two different logic states. The driver decodes the multi-state signal for generating signals to control switches in the switching circuit. One signal generated by the driver circuit is a pulse width modulation signal; another signal generated by the driver circuit is an enable/disable signal.
US08022706B2
An imaging subject (16) is disposed in an examination region (12) for examination. A cover (18) is disposed around the examination region (12). Magnetic field gradient coils (30) impose selected magnetic field gradients on a main magnetic field (B0) within the examination region (12). A radio frequency (RF) coil (36) generates radio frequency excitation pulses in the examination region (12), the radio frequency coil (36) including a plurality of coil elements (381, 382, 383) disposed on the cover (18) distally from the examination region (12). A radio frequency (RF) screen (40) associated with the coil elements (381, 382, 383) shields the coil elements (381, 382, 383) and is disposed about the gradient coils (30) such that the coil elements (381, 382, 383) are mechanically decoupled from the RF screen (40) and substantially acoustically isolated from the RF screen (40) and gradient coils (30).
US08022695B2
A rotation angle detection device includes a rotary body rotating in linked motion with a steering wheel; a detector rotating in linked motion with the rotary body; a magnetic detection element placed on a wiring board and detecting magnetism of a magnet placed at the detector; a control part for detecting a rotation angle of the rotary body based on a detection signal from the magnetic detection element; and a holder latched onto the wiring board and rotatably holding the detector.
US08022690B2
An intelligent electronic device for monitoring and determining an amount of electrical power usage by a consumer, or end user, and for providing broadband Internet access to the consumer. The intelligent electronic device includes at least one sensor coupled to an electric circuit configured for measuring at least one power parameter of the electrical circuit and generating at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one power parameter; at least one digital to analog converter coupled to the at least one sensor configured for receiving the at least one analog signal and converting the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal; a processor configured for receiving the at least one digital signal and calculating energy consumption in the electrical circuit; and a gateway configured for receiving data transmissions imposed on the electrical circuit and for demodulating the imposed data transmission for providing data communications.
US08022685B2
A circuit and a method for regulating a voltage supply where the method includes the steps of concurrently measuring temperature, IR drop and frequency response within the circuit, adjusting voltage supplied to the circuit in response to the measured temperature, IR drop and frequency response, and determining a correction value based on the variance of the measured frequency response from an expected frequency response and providing a correction for subsequent predetermined frequency response values. The frequency response measurement is dependent upon the constant bandgap voltage source which may very according to temperature. Upon a determination that corrections may be required for the bandgap voltage source to compensate for temperature variations, the measurement process which uses the bandgap voltage source can be altered to compensate for the temperature variations.
US08022679B2
A switching circuit approximating the fast switching characteristics and small forward voltage drop of an ideal diode is provided. The switching circuit may include a voltage multiplier circuit, a reservoir capacitor and a pull up switch configured to be coupled to the control terminal of a semiconductor switch.
US08022669B2
A battery management system can include a battery having a plurality of cells, a plurality of devices coupled to the battery, and a control unit coupled to a first device of the devices. The devices can assess the statuses of the cells. The control unit can communicate with a destination device of the devices via a default path and can communicate with the destination device via a backup path if an undesirable condition occurs in the default path.
US08022667B2
A method and system for connecting a vehicle to a charging source comprising: at least one retractable protrusion operatively connected to a battery terminal; the at least one retractable protrusion being mounted on the vehicle; at least one receptacle operatively connected to the charging source adapted to receive the retractable protrusion for electrical connection of a vehicle to a charging source; whereby by driving the vehicle in the proximity of the at least one receptacle, the charging source is connected to the electrical system of the vehicle as the retractable protrusion engages the at least one receptacle. Another embodiment comprises at least one solar element for converting solar power to electric power; at least one battery for storing electricity generated by the solar element; the solar element being operatively connected to the at least one battery for storing electric power therein; first and second vehicle based connectors for connecting the vehicle power supply to the charging system, the first and second vehicle based connectors being located on the periphery of the vehicle such that the vehicle may be connected to the vehicle charging system by alignment of the vehicle with first and second external connectors operatively associated with the external charging system; whereby by maneuvering the vehicle, the first and second vehicle based connectors are bought into contact with the first and second external connectors to enable charging of the vehicle battery.
US08022660B2
A control controls starting of an AC rotary machine by calculating a resistance drop component, corresponding to a resistance drop of the AC rotary machine, based on a detection current, and adjusts angular frequency of an AC output voltage based on subtracting the resistance drop component from a voltage command, and, simultaneously, adjusting amplitude of the AC output voltage so that amplitude of an AC phase current may change in conformity with a predetermined function.
US08022656B2
An electric brake circuit for holding an alternating current motor rotor stationary uses a direct current brake acting on an AC motor rotor. The rotor has at least one groove formed therein positioned for alignment with at least one AC motor pole when switching from an alternating current to DC. The AC induction motor holds the rotor stationary against a heavier load by using the grooved rotor with the grooves formed in the rotor aligning with the AC motor's poles.
US08022654B2
A power tool has an electric motor with field windings. Each field winding includes two coils. When the motor is first energized, the two coils of each field winding are connected in series, reducing in-rush current. Upon expiration of a soft start period, the two coils of each field winding are connected in parallel. In another aspect, the field windings that are connected in series with a separate start winding when the motor is first energized. Upon expiration of the soft start period, the start winding is bypassed. In another aspect, the field windings are connected in series with a start impedance when the motor is first energized and a time delay relay having a set of delay contacts coupled across the start impedance energized. Upon expiration of the soft start period, the time delay contacts close, bypassing the start impedance. In an aspect, the motor is a universal motor.
US08022644B2
Ignition of a gas discharge lamp 10, which has a gas containing main space and two inner electrodes, of a lighting unit 4 of a lighting system is achieved by the use of a high frequency resonance circuit. The resonance circuit is connected to the inner electrodes and to a supply device 2, which supplies an alternating supply voltage. An outer electrode 22 is arranged near one the inner electrodes and to a node of the resonance circuit. Upon supplying the supply voltage a high voltage alternating burst will be generated at the outer electrode. This will result into a discharge of the gas in the main space. In turn, this will induce a discharge of the remaining gas. Then the frequency of the supply voltage will increase and a small reactive current only will remain to flow through the resonance circuit.
US08022626B2
A lighting module comprising a base panel and a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) chips attached directly to the base panel. The LED chips are in electrical communication with conductive traces on the base panel, which deliver a current to the LED chips. Various embodiments of this generally described lighting module are also presented. Additionally, methods of preparing such a lighting module, and system components of the lighting module are presented.
US08022616B2
An organic light emitting display apparatus that has high (or improved) contrast and/or impact resistance. The organic light emitting display apparatus includes: a substrate; an organic light emitting device on the substrate to display an image; a sealing member on the organic light emitting device; a semitransparent film on a surface of the sealing member facing away from the organic light emitting device to transmit a portion of external light and to reflect another portion of the external light; a passivation film on the semitransparent film to protect the semitransparent film; and a transmissive black layer between the sealing member and the organic light emitting device to increase contrast, wherein the semitransparent film has a refractive index greater than that of the passivation film.
US08022612B2
A light-emitting diode device, includes a substrate; and a light-emitting element having two or more commonly-controlled portions, the light-emitting element having two electrodes and a common unpatterned white-light-emitting layer formed between the two electrodes, at least one portion having an optical spacer, each portion having a different optical structure, the optical structure in one portion being tuned to emit substantially white light and that one portion having a transparent electrode, and the optical structure in a different portion being tuned to emit colored light.
US08022608B2
By applying a drive voltage Vf [V] between first and second conductive films, when electrons are emitted by the first conductive film, an equipotential line of 0.5 Vf [V] is inclined toward the first conductive film, rather than toward the second conductive film, in the vicinity of the electron emitting portion of the first conductive film, in a cross section extending across the electron emitting portion and the portion of the second conductive film located nearest the electron emitting portion. The present invention improves electron emission efficiency.
US08022601B2
A generator includes a first conductive layer, a plurality of elongated piezoelectric nanostructures and a conductive electrode. The piezoelectric nanostructures extend upwardly from the first conductive layer and include a carbon nanotube core and a piezoelectric sheath enveloping at least a portion of the carbon nanotube core. Each piezoelectric nanostructure includes a first end disposed adjacent to the first conductive layer and an opposite second end. The conductive electrode is disposed adjacent to the second end of each of the piezoelectric nanostructures. The conductive electrode is configured so that a Schottky barrier is formed between the second end of at least one of the piezoelectric nanostructures and the conductive electrode when a force is applied to the generator that causes the conductive electrode to touch the piezoelectric nanostructures and to induce stress in the piezoelectric nanostructures.
US08022600B2
Oscillators (101a and 101b) are attached to a spring material (100) whose both ends (105a and 105b) are held, and piezoelectric elements (103a, 103b, and 106) are attached to the spring material or the oscillators. Assuming that an axis parallel to an axis connecting the both ends of the spring material is a Y-axis, an axis parallel to a plane including the Y-axis and the oscillators and orthogonal to the Y-axis is an X-axis, and an axis orthogonal to the Y-axis and the X-axis is a Z-axis, the oscillators are asymmetric with respect to a plane including the Y-axis and the Z-axis. Consequently, when acceleration is applied, torsional vibrations act on the spring material. When the torsional rigidity of the spring material is set to be low, the resonant frequency of the torsional vibrations can be reduced. Since the both ends of the spring material are held, the spring material is bent in a small amount. Therefore, it is possible to realize a downsized piezoelectric power generating mechanism with a low resonant frequency.
US08022594B2
To provide a manufacturing method for a surface acoustic wave device, which makes it possible to easily and reliably connect a piezoelectric element to a substrate having an external connection terminal, and a surface acoustic wave device capable of being made smaller using this manufacturing method. A surface acoustic wave device, having a first substrate which has a interdigital transducer and an electrode pad on one side; and a second substrate which has an external terminal, and a castellation formed on the side connected to the external terminal, wherein the surface of the second substrate opposite the surface on which the external terminal is formed is bonded by a bonding layer to the electrode pad, the first substrate is larger in size than the second substrate, and a part of the electrode pad, which extends outwardly of the second substrate, is connected to the castellation by a plating layer.
US08022585B2
There is provided an in-vehicle AC generator having a regulator assembly that is mounted in the bracket of the AC generator. The regulator holding unit provided in the regulator assembly has a containing portion in which at least the whole periphery of an opening is surrounded by a wall member; a circuit unit of the regulator is inserted into the containing portion through the opening; the heat sink for the regulator is held by the containing portion in such a way that the peripheral portion thereof is adhered to the wall member that surrounds the whole periphery of the opening, and closes the opening; and the containing portion is provided with a resin filled in the vicinity of the contained circuit unit.
US08022582B2
A permanent magnet rotor for an electrical generator includes a rotor shaft and a rotor core mounted coaxially upon the rotor shaft. The rotor core defines a plurality of longitudinal core passages which include a segment of a rotor cooling circuit, and further includes a permanent magnet outer core component mounted on an inner core component and including a plurality of permanent magnets. A cooling liquid containment mechanism for the permanent magnet rotor includes a first liquid containment cover coupled to the inner core component and a second liquid containment cover coupled to the inner core component. The liquid containment covers are configured to contain cooling liquid passed from an inlet segment of the rotor cooling circuit defined by the rotor shaft into the plurality of longitudinal core passages, and thenceforth into an outlet segment of the rotor cooling circuit also defined by the rotor shaft. The liquid containment covers are mounted on the inner core component at locations radially inward of a cylindrical outer surface thereof.
US08022581B2
A stator arrangement of a generator for a wind turbine includes a plurality of stator segments substantially forming the stator of the generator. Each stator segment has at least one stator winding and/or a laminate stack of sheets wherein each stator segment is moulded or casted into a material with an electrical insulating property and/or with a non-corroding quality and/or with a heat conductive property. The direct drive generator is also provided having such a stator arrangement and a wind turbine is provided having such a direct drive generator.
US08022575B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and controller for damping multimode electromagnetic oscillations in electric power systems which interconnect a plurality of generators and consumers. The controller for damping such oscillations includes a phasor measurement unit (PMU) and a power oscillation damper (POD) controller. Each oscillating mode signal is damped and then superposed to derive a control signal. A feedback controller is used to feedback the control signal to a power flow control device in the power system.
US08022571B2
This is directed to methods, systems, and apparatuses for implementing circuitry that can be used to control multiple solar cells to generate power for a portable electronic device. For example, in response to determining that one or more of the solar cells is generating a reduce voltage output (e.g., due to a partial obstruction of one or more of the solar cells), the connections among the solar cells can be configured to generate a constant preset voltage, as long as a subset of the solar cells is operating. The voltage generated by the solar cells can then be boosted to a value suitable for powering the portable electronic device and/or any of its individual components. As another example, the connections among the solar cells can be configured to generate a startup voltage to directly power the portable electronic device and/or any of its components.
US08022569B2
Systems and methods are provided for discharging a high-voltage bus using semiconductor devices. A discharge system for a first voltage rail and a second voltage rail comprises a first semiconductor device coupled to a first voltage rail and a second semiconductor device coupled between the first semiconductor device and a second voltage rail. A control circuit is coupled to the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device. In response to a discharge condition, the control circuit is configured to activate the first semiconductor device and gradually activate the second semiconductor device, such that the energy potential between the first voltage rail and the second voltage rail is gradually dissipated through the semiconductor devices.
US08022562B2
In a cycloconverter generator, AC power required by the load is detected and a desired speed of the engine is determined based on the required AC power, operation of an actuator is controlled such that the engine speed becomes equal to the desired engine speed, and the required AC power is generated by turning on switching elements (thyristors) such that a number of the phase signal within one period of frequency of the AC power, becomes equal to a number determined by the desired engine speed, thereby preventing undesirable increase in fuel consumption and noise by operating the engine at a speed corresponding to required AC power and enabling to generate stable AC power even when the engine speed changes abruptly.
US08022561B2
An apparatus and method for harvesting energy in a wellbore is disclosed. In one embodiment, a harvester tool positioned in a wellbore for capturing energy in the wellbore is disclosed. The harvester tool includes a rotor comprising a magnet. The magnet is disposed eccentric to a center of the harvester tool. In addition, the rotor is rotatable around the center of the harvester tool. The harvester tool also includes a stator. Rotation of the rotor induces a voltage in the stator.
US08022557B2
Flip chip ball grid array semiconductor devices and methods for fabricating the same. In one example, a near chip scale method of semiconductor die packaging may comprise adhering the die to a substrate in a flip chip configuration, coating the die with a first polymer layer, selectively removing the first polymer layer to provide at least one opening to expose a portion of the die, and depositing a first metal layer over the first polymer layer, the first metal layer at least partially filling the at least one opening to provide an electrical contact to the die, and including a portion that substantially surrounds the die in a plane of an upper surface of the first metal layer to provide an electromagnetic shield around the die.
US08022554B2
A stacked die package for an electromechanical resonator system includes a chip that contains an electromechanical resonator bonded onto the control chip for the electromechanical resonator by a thermally and/or electrically conductive epoxy. In various embodiments, the electromechanical resonator can be a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonator or a nano-electromechanical system (NEMS) resonator. Packaging configurations that may include the chip that contains the electromechanical resonator and the control chip include chip-on-lead (COL), chip-on-paddle (COP), and chip-on-tape (COT) packages. The stacked die package provides small package footprint and/or low package thickness, as well as low thermal resistance and a robust conductive path between the chip that contains the electromechanical resonator and the control chip.
US08022553B2
A mounting substrate and a method of manufacturing the mounting substrate. The mounting substrate can include an insulation layer, a bonding pad buried in one side of the insulation layer in correspondence with a mounting position of a chip, and a circuit pattern electrically connected to the bonding pad. By utilizing certain embodiments of the invention, the process for stacking a solder resist layer can be omitted, as the bonding pads can be implemented in a form recessed from the surface of the insulation layer. In this way, the manufacturing process can be simplified and manufacturing costs can be reduced. Since the surface of the mounting-substrate on which to mount a chip can be kept flat without any protuberances, the occurrence of voids in the underfill can be minimized. This is correlated to obtaining a high degree of reliability, and leads to a greater likelihood of successful mounting.
US08022526B2
On a typical motherboard the processor and memory are separated by a printed circuit data bus that traverses the motherboard. Throughput, or data transfer rate, on the data bus is much lower than the rate at which a modern processor can operate. The difference between the data bus throughput and the processor speed significantly limits the effective processing speed of the computer when the processor is required to process large amounts of data stored in the memory. The processor is forced to wait for data to be transferred to or from the memory, leaving the processor under-utilized. The delays are compounded in a distributed computing system including a number of computers operating in parallel. The present disclosure describes systems, method and apparatus that tend to alleviate delays so that memory access bottlenecks are not compounded within distributed computing systems.
US08022519B2
A system-in-a-package based flash memory card including an integrated circuit package occupying a small overall area within the card and cut to conform to the shape of a lid for the card. An integrated circuit may be cut from a panel into a shape that fits within and conforms to the shape of lids for a finished memory card, such as for example an SD Card. The integrated circuit package may be a system-in-a-package, a multi-chip module, or other arrangement where a complete electronic system is formed in a single package.
US08022517B2
A semiconductor chip package includes a lead frame, an insulation member, a chip, bonding wires and a sealing member. The lead frame includes a plurality of first leads and a plurality of second leads. The second leads have a chip adhesion region. The insulation member fills a space between the second leads in the chip adhesion region. The chip is provided on at least one surface of the insulation member. The chip has single-side bonding pads. The bonding wires electrically connect the leads and the bonding pads. The sealing member covers the lead frame, the insulation member, the chip and the bonding wires. Since the space between the second leads is filled with the insulation member, voids may be prevented from occurring.
US08022503B2
An anti-fuse structure and a method of fabricating the same are described. The anti-fuse structure is disposed over a substrate having at least one device and a copper layer therein. The anti-fuse structure includes a bottom conductive layer, an insulating layer and a top conductive layer. The bottom conductive layer is disposed over and electrically connected with the copper layer. The insulating layer is conformally disposed over the bottom conductive layer covering a corner or a downward turning portion of the bottom conductive layer to form a turning portion of the insulating layer. The top conductive layer is conformally disposed over the insulting layer covering the turning portion of the insulating layer.
US08022501B2
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for isolating the same. The semiconductor device includes: a silicon substrate provided with a trench including at least one silicon pillar at a bottom portion of the trench, wherein the silicon pillar become sidewalls of micro trenches; and a device isolation layer selectively and partially filled into the plurality of micro trenches.
US08022493B2
Provided are embodiments of an image sensor. The image sensor can comprise a first substrate including a transistor circuit, a lower interconnection layer, an upper interconnection layer, and a second substrate including a vertical stacked photodiode. The lower interconnection layer is disposed on the first substrate and comprises a lower interconnection connected to the transistor circuit. The upper interconnection layer is disposed on the lower interconnection layer and comprises an upper interconnection connected with the lower interconnection. The vertical stacked photodiode can be disposed on the upper interconnection layer and connected with the upper interconnection through, for example, a single plug connecting a blue, green, and red photodiode of the vertical stack or a corresponding plug for each of the blue, green, and red photodiode of the vertical stack.
US08022485B2
A semiconductor device having reduced input capacitance is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a pedestal region having a gate overlying a sidewall of the pedestal region and gate interconnect overlying a major surface of the pedestal region. The pedestal region includes a conductive shield layer (260). The conductive shield layer (260) is isolated from the gate of the transistor by more than one dielectric layer (330, 340, and 350) to reduce input capacitance. The pedestal region includes an air gap region (1525) to further lower the dielectric constant of the pedestal region between the gate/gate interconnect and the conductive shield layer (260).
US08022482B2
A trenched semiconductor power device includes a trenched gate insulated by a gate insulation layer and surrounded by a source region encompassed in a body region above a drain region disposed on a bottom surface of a semiconductor substrate. The source region surrounding the trenched gate includes a metal of low barrier height to function as a Schottky source. The metal of low barrier height further may include a PtSi or ErSi layer. In a preferred embodiment, the metal of low barrier height further includes an ErSi layer. The metal of low barrier height further may be a metal silicide layer having the low barrier height. A top oxide layer is disposed under a silicon nitride spacer on top of the trenched gate for insulating the trenched gate from the source region. A source contact disposed in a trench opened into the body region for contacting a body-contact dopant region and covering with a conductive metal layer such as a Ti/TiN layer. In a preferred embodiment, the semiconductor power device constitutes an asymmetrical double diffusion metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (DMOSFET) device.
US08022476B2
A semiconductor device having both vertical and horizontal type gates and a method for fabricating the same for obtaining high integration of the semiconductor device and integration with other devices while also maximizing the breakdown voltage and operational speed and preventing damage to the semiconductor device.
US08022472B2
The semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor layer, a trench formed by digging the semiconductor layer from the surface thereof, a gate insulating film formed on the inner surface of the trench, and a gate electrode made of silicon embedded in the trench through the gate insulating film. The gate electrode has a high-conductivity portion formed to cover the gate insulating film with a relatively high conductivity and a low-conductivity portion formed on a region inside the high-conductivity portion with a relatively low conductivity.
US08022468B1
A memory device may include a substrate, a first dielectric layer formed over the substrate and a charge storage element formed over the first dielectric layer. The memory device may also include a second dielectric layer formed over the charge storage element and a control gate formed over the second dielectric layer. The memory device may further include an interlayer dielectric formed over the control gate and the substrate, where the interlayer dielectric includes a material that is substantially opaque to ultraviolet radiation.
US08022466B2
Memory cells including a semiconductor layer having at least two source/drain regions disposed below a surface of the semiconductor layer and separated by a channel region; a lower insulating layer disposed above the channel region; a charge storage layer disposed above the lower insulating layer; an upper insulating multi-layer structure disposed above the charge storage layer, wherein the upper insulating multi-layer structure comprises a polysilicon material layer interposed between a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer; and a gate disposed above the upper insulating multi-layer structure are described along with arrays thereof and methods of operation.
US08022454B2
Ferroelectric structures and methods of making the structures are presented. The ferroelectric structures can include an electrode in contact with a ferroelectric thin film. The contact can be arranged so that a portion of the atoms of the ferroelectric thin film are in contact with at least a portion of the atoms of the electrode. The electrode can be made of metal, a metal alloy, or a semiconducting material. A second electrode can be used and placed in contact with the ferroelectric thin film. Methods of making and using the ferroelectric structures are also presented.
US08022453B2
An image sensor including a first region where a pad is to be formed, and a second region where a light-receiving element is to be formed. A pad is formed over a substrate of the first region. A passivation layer is formed over the substrate of the first and second regions to expose a portion of the pad. A color filter is formed over the passivation layer of the second region. A microlens is formed over the color filter. A bump is formed over the pad. A protective layer is formed between the bump and the pad to expose the portion of the pad.
US08022444B2
Provided are a biosensor with a silicon nanowire and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, a biosensor with a silicon nanowire including a defect region formed by irradiation of an electron beam, and a method of manufacturing the same. The biosensor includes: a silicon substrate; a source region disposed on the silicon substrate; a drain region disposed on the silicon substrate; and a silicon nanowire disposed on the source region and the drain region, and having a defect region formed by irradiation of an electron beam. Therefore, by irradiating a certain region of a high-concentration doped silicon nanowire with an electron beam to lower electron mobility in the certain region, it is possible to maintain a low contact resistance between the silicon nanowire and a metal electrode and to lower operation current of a biomaterial detection part, thereby improving sensitivity of the biosensor.
US08022437B2
One embodiment of the present invention is an organic electroluminescence element having a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate, an organic luminescent medium layer which includes an organic luminescent layer and is formed on the first electrode, a second electrode formed on the organic luminescent medium layer and arranged so as to face the first electrode, a first passivation layer formed on the second electrode, an adhesive layer adhered to the substrate and formed so as to cover the first electrode, the organic luminescent medium layer, the second electrode and the first passivation layer, a sealing substrate formed on the adhesive layer and a second passivation layer formed so as to entirely cover the adhesive layer, the sealing substrate and an upper surface of an exposure part of the substrate.
US08022428B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor light emitting device. The semiconductor light emitting device comprises a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer under the first conductive semiconductor layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer under the active layer, a second electrode layer under the second conductive semiconductor layer, and a transmissive conductive layer at least one part between the second conductive semiconductor layer and the second electrode layer.
US08022425B2
An exemplary semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor stacked layer and a conductive structure. The conductive structure is located on the semiconductor stacked layer. The conductive structure includes a bottom portion and a top portion on opposite sides thereof. The bottom portion is in contact with the semiconductor stacked layer. A ratio of a top width of the top portion to a bottom width of the bottom portion is less than 0.7. The conductive structure can be a conductive dot structure or a conductive line structure.
US08022414B2
The silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a trench formed from a surface of a drift layer of a first conductivity type formed on a substrate of the first conductivity type, and a deep layer of a second conductivity type located at a position in the drift layer beneath the bottom portion of the trench. The deep layer is formed at a certain distance from base regions of the second conductivity type formed on the drift layer so as to have a width wider than the width of the bottom portion of the trench, and surround both the corner portions of the bottom portion of the trench.
US08022406B2
While suppressing the frequency of a signal line driver circuit, a blur of a moving image of a light-emitting device using a light-emitting transistor can be prevented, without reducing a frame frequency. A switching element is provided in a path of a current which flows between a source and a drain of a light-emitting transistor, and the light-emitting transistor is made not to emit light by turning off the switching element, whereby pseudo-impulse driving is performed. Switching of the switching element can be controlled by a scan line driver circuit. In a specific structural example, the light-emitting device includes, in a pixel, a light-emitting transistor, a first switching element which controls supply of a potential of a video signal to a gate of the light-emitting transistor, and a second switching element which controls a current which flows between a source and a drain of the light-emitting transistor.
US08022391B2
A composite material is described. The composite material comprises semiconductor nanocrystals, and organic molecules that passivate the surfaces of the semiconductor nanocrystals. One or more properties of the organic molecules facilitate the transfer of charge between the semiconductor nanocrystals. A semiconductor material is described that comprises p-type semiconductor material including semiconductor nanocrystals. At least one property of the semiconductor material results in a mobility of electrons in the semiconductor material being greater than or equal to a mobility of holes. A semiconductor material is described that comprises n-type semiconductor material including semiconductor nanocrystals. At least one property of the semiconductor material results in a mobility of holes in the semiconductor material being greater than or equal to a mobility of electrons.
US08022388B2
A multi-chip light emitting device (LED) lamp for providing white light includes first and second broadband LED chips. The first LED chip includes a multi-quantum well active region having a first plurality of alternating active and barrier layers. The first plurality of active layers respectively include different relative concentrations of at least two elements of a first semiconductor compound, and are respectively configured to emit light of a plurality of different emission wavelengths over a first wavelength range. The second LED chip includes a multi-quantum well active region having a second plurality of alternating active and barrier layers. The second plurality of active layers respectively include different relative concentrations of at least two elements of a second semiconductor compound, and are respectively configured to emit light of a plurality of different emission wavelengths over a second wavelength range including wavelengths greater than those of the first wavelength range. The light emitted by the first and second LED chips combines to provide white light. Related devices are also discussed.
US08022387B2
A semiconductor device includes a light-emitting layer of a first conductivity type, a second conductivity type or non-doped type, a first contact layer of the second conductivity type disposed on the light-emitting layer and supplied with a voltage via a predetermined contact, a second contact layer of the second conductivity type disposed below the light-emitting layer and supplied with a voltage via a predetermined contact, a first etching stopper layer of the first or second conductivity type disposed below the light-emitting layer and above the second contact layer, and a third contact layer of the first conductivity type disposed below the second contact layer and supplied with a voltage via a predetermined contact.
US08022381B2
A memory device has a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of cell arrays stacked above the substrate, each cell array having memory cells, bit lines each commonly connecting one ends of plural cells arranged along a first direction and word lines each commonly connecting the other ends of plural cells arranged along a second direction; a read/write circuit formed on the substrate as underlying the cell arrays; first and second vertical wiring disposed on both sides of each cell array in the first direction to connect the bit lines to the read/write circuit; and third vertical wirings disposed on both sides of each cell array in the second direction to connect the word lines to the read/write circuit.
US08022379B2
A beam direction sensor for determining the direction of each beam in an array of light beams. The invention basically consists of a screen positioned to intersect the array of beams and a video camera to record the position of the images of the intersections. The screen can be any of a wide variety of screens that produce an image of the beams when illuminated with the beam. These include frosted glass and various diffusers. A preferred screen is a holographic diffusers.
US08022373B2
An observing apparatus includes: a photographic unit that takes a region where cells are present as an observation object region based upon a macro image captured at low magnification of an interior of a cell culture vessel, and photographs the cells in the observation object region; an illuminating unit that irradiates light upon the cells only during photography by the photographic unit; and an output unit that outputs a fluorescent image photographed by the photographic unit while irradiating light only during photography by the illuminating unit. A recognition section recognizes at least one observation object region, within the macro image, in which cells are present. A selection unit selects a tiling mode or a random mode. A controller points an objective lens at an observation object region in which the recognition unit has recognized that cells are present.
US08022366B2
Mid-IR spectrometer with no moving parts, which is small and compact, low power consuming, and can monitor blood sugar (glucose) and other blood and bodily fluid analytes on a continuing basis. It has many applications in the health, forensic, environmental and other areas.
US08022352B2
A flexible substrate having a plurality of lenses disposed in an array on a surface of the substrate wherein the lenses are formed by etching the substrate.
US08022348B2
A projection type display apparatus includes a plurality of light sources 7a-7d, a display device unit 5, a light-combining unit 3 that combines output light from the plural light sources, a condensing unit 4 that propagates output light from the light-combining unit to the display device unit, and a projecting unit 6 that projects an image by the use of output light from the display device unit. In the projection type display apparatus, cooling units having fans 21a-21d are disposed respectively on the plural light sources, and a controlling unit 31 is provided to control the cooling units. Information regarding the lighting state of the plural light sources is inputted into the controlling unit, and the controlling unit controls a rotation rate of the fans of the cooling units with reference to the information. Concerning a case of temperature management of a plurality of light sources used, an accurate and reliable control is performed; problems such as whitening of the light sources, degradation of life property, blacking, brightness degradation and the like are suppressed, thereby high quality and high reliability are obtained.
US08022345B1
An adaptive optics system comprises a spatial light modulator, a beamsplitter, a pixelated spatial phase shifter, a beam combiner, an imaging device, and a processor. The spatial light modulator can modulate an incoming beam with an aberrated wavefront. The beamsplitter can receive the modulated beam and divide the modulated beam into a first beam and a second beam. The pixelated spatial phase shifter can spatially phase shift the second beam by at least two phases. The beam combiner can interfere the spatially phase shifted second beam with the first beam to form at least two interferograms on the imaging device, which can capture an image of the at least two interferograms in a single frame. The processor can determine the aberrated wavefront based on the at least two interferograms and provide one or more control signals to the spatial light modulator to mitigate aberrations in the aberrated wavefront.
US08022344B2
An optical wavefront control pattern generating apparatus (1) relating to the present invention includes: a target image detector unit (60) configured to detect spatial information of the object (B) as a target image; a reconstructed image detector unit (40) configured to detect the reconstructed image displayed on the reconstructed image display unit (30); and an optimizer unit (50) configured to evaluate, on the basis of the target image detected by the target image detector unit (40), the reconstructed image detected by the reconstructed image detector unit (40), and to apply a modification process to the optical wavefront control pattern in a way that a result of the evaluation satisfies a predetermined condition, so as to generate the optimum optical wavefront control pattern.
US08022343B2
According to the invention, the system comprises an infrared detector (7) for alternately generating images (5′) of sources of light (5) in the near infrared emitted by a missile flying towards a target and thermal images of the observed scene, said thermal images being visible on the display means (11).
US08022342B2
A microwave source system 1 extracts power in a predetermined microwave frequency band out of thermal noise power generated by a resistor (3) by using filter means (4), amplifies the power through a first amplifier (5) and a second amplifier (7), and outputs the power. The first amplifier (5) is variably controllable in gain and control means (6) controls the gain in such a way as to maintain the intensity of the microwave power output from the first amplifier 5 at a predetermined constant value. The second amplifier (7) has a predetermined gain. The resistor (3) is attached to one of the first amplifier (5) and the second amplifier (7), for example, to the second amplifier (7). Thereby, the resistor (3) receives heat from the amplifier (7). Output of the microwave source system (1) is supplied to, for example, a microwave discharge lamp (2). The microwave source system (1) having the above configuration can be compact and inexpensive without a need for a magnetron or a high voltage power supply.
US08022340B2
The invention relates to a unit for fixing a base body provided with a housing of a cigar lighter heating element, in particular for motor vehicles. The inventive fixing unit is used for fixing a button actuating said heating element. Said fixing unit comprises a fixing element fixable to the housing of the base body of the heating element and an adapter for fixing the button, wherein said adapter is adjustably inserted into the fixing element and is guided in such a way that it is axially displaceable with respect thereto. The fixing unit makes it possible to mount the button only at a last operation for assembling said heating element, thereby enabling the button, which is embodied in the form of a decorative element, not to be exposed to mechanical stresses produced during an assembling process and to prevent the button damage by assembling operations.
US08022321B2
A hydraulic pressure switch apparatus includes a porous disc directly installed at a media entry port for dampening and filtration purposes. The porous disc includes a number of pores that are connected together and to the surface of the porous disc for allowing media to flow into a base fitting. The media exerts pressure on a piston associated with the base fitting, which in turn is capable of being absorbed by a compression spring. The compression spring transfers a required motion to a plunger associated with a micro switch in order to provide on/off switching capabilities. Electrical indications can then be transferred to a vehicle control unit utilizing a termination connector, based on particular user requirements. The porous disc can be utilized to dampen the pressure spikes and surges, which significantly prolong the life of the pressure switch apparatus in harsh applications.
US08022316B2
A force measuring device, especially a weighing device, has at least one force-measuring module that includes a force-measuring cell, a communication means, a terminal and at least one communication line, through which communication signals are transmitted between the terminal and the communication means. In a method for determining the condition of such a device, at least one voltage present at the communication line or at the communication means is measured. The measured value, or a processed result therefrom, are transmitted through the communication line to the terminal. A parameter representing the condition of the force-measuring device is determined from the measurement value, or the processed result, in an accurate and simple manner.
US08022313B2
A circuit board includes a plurality of differential signal line pairs, and a plurality of electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) patterns, each configured to be disposed to overlap the plurality of differential signal line pairs, wherein the EBG patterns are electrically insulated from the differential signal line pairs.
US08022311B2
Disclosed are a printed circuit board for improving the tolerance of embedded capacitors and a method of manufacturing the same. The printed circuit board having embedded capacitors is manufactured by transferring and embedding a circuit layer having a lower electrode formed through an additive process into a resin insulating layer, and thereby is minimized in the circuit tolerance conventionally caused by an etching process to thus be applied to capacitors for RF matching.
US08022304B2
A grommet providing triple sealing feature when mounted in an opening of a panel is disclosed. When the panel into which the grommet is mounted is between a compartment exposed to ambient conditions and a passenger compartment, a seal minimizes water, fumes, dust, and noise from entering into the passenger compartment. The triple seal, according to an embodiment, provides higher sealing forces than shown previously. The disclosed grommet can be engaged with a flat, non-flanged panel as well as a panel having a flange near the opening. The disclosed grommet has multiple longitudinal slits sawed through a tubular portion of the grommet through which the wiring harness is threaded. The cuts allow a subset of wires to be splayed out from the grommet at a different routing than the remainder of the wires in the wiring harness bundle.
US08022300B2
For connecting a flat cable having a wire interval and a plurality of contact blades having a terminal interval different from the wire interval, a wiring harness includes a flat cable having a plurality of electric wires and joints joining the adjacent electric wires to each other, and a plurality of contact blades arranged along a widthwise direction of the flat cable and connected to a core wire of the electric wire by penetrating an interim portion in a lengthwise direction of the flat cable. A slit is provided at the interim portion at the joint. The plurality of electric wires at the interim portion is positioned corresponding to the contact blade to be electrically connected thereto by being neared to each other by narrowing a width of the slit.
US08022295B2
Materials for photoelectric conversion devices, consisting of polyacene derivatives represented by general formula (I) below; and photoelectric conversion devices made by using the materials. The materials for photoelectric conversion devices have excellent workability and productivity, exhibit low toxicity, are easily flexibilized, and have high photoelectric conversion efficiencies. In the formula, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, A1, A2, A3, and A4 are independent from each other, either the same or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 40 carbon atoms, or the like. n is an integer of 1 or more.
US08022293B2
The present invention relates to photoelectric conversion devices, characterized by using oxide semiconductor particles sensitized with a methine dye represented by the Formula (1):(KA 1) (in the Formula (1), m represents 1 to 4; n1 represents 1 to 7; p1 represents 1 to 4; X1 represents an optionally substituted aromatic residue, an optionally substituted aliphatic hydrocarbon residue, a cyano group, a phosphoric acid group, a sulfonic acid group, or a carboxyl group, a carbonamide group, and the like; L1 represents an optionally substituted aromatic residue and the like; A1 and A2 each independently represent an optionally substituted aromatic residue, a hydroxyl group, a phosphoric acid group, a cyano group, a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom and the like; the ring a1 has 1 or a plurality of halogen atoms, amide groups, hydroxyl groups, cyano groups, nitro groups, alkoxy groups, acyl groups and the like.), and solar cells made by using the same. The devices and the cells are characterized by relatively low cost, high stability, and high photoelectric conversion efficiency.
US08022286B2
A method of sound-object oriented analysis and of note-object oriented processing a polyphonic digitized sound recording present in the form of a time signal F(A, t) includes the following analytical and processing steps: portion-wise readouts of the time signal F(A, t) using a window function and overlapping windows; Fourier-transforming the readout signal into frequency space, in particular by applying a discrete Fourier transform; calculating an energy value E at each bin from the frequency amplitude resulting from the Fourier transformation, in particular by squaring the real and imaginary parts or forming energy values derived from them; generating a function F(t, f, E); identifying event objects; identifying event objects; identifying note objects; comparing the temporal occurrence of event objects and note objects and associating event objects to note objects in the case of plausible time occurrences; calculating spectral proportion factors for each note object.
US08022284B1
The present invention concerns itself with methods and systems for just intonation tuning of a digital/electrical piano in real time. A simple and economical solution is presented, which makes use of a PLC (i.e., Programmable Logic Controller), having 13 inputs (an octave plus one input for the pedal) and 22 outputs (22 possible frequencies per octave), relays, and parallel connections between octaves and PLC inputs, as well as, between PLC outputs and relays.
US08022281B2
A shell for drum according to the present invention includes a laminated plywood-panel including a plurality of single-panels having different densities, the plurality of single-panels being jointed in decreasing order of density from a center portion in a thick direction of the laminated plywood-panel toward an outermost portion and an innermost portion, such that a single-panel having a highest density is arranged at the center portion, and single-panels having lowest densities are arranged at the outermost portion and the innermost portion.
US08022277B2
The invention relates to the novel cotton variety designated 07W505DF. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants, plant parts and derivatives of the cotton variety 07W505DF. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the cotton variety 07W505DF and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing cotton plants by crossing the cotton variety 07W505DF with itself or another cotton variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08022271B2
The present invention provides novel expression control elements and methods for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest in plants. Isolated nucleic acids, expression cassettes and vectors comprising the expression control elements are provided. Also provided are transformed plants, plant tissues, plant cells, plant seed, and the like, comprising the isolated nucleic acids, expression cassettes and vectors of the invention. Further provided are methods of expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest in a plant, plant tissue, plant cell, and the like.
US08022268B2
Provided is a novel APP (amyloid precursor protein) transgenic non-human animal modeling in vivo the pathophysiological effects and effects on cognitive behavior of early intraneuronal and extracellular brain parenchymal amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and cerebral amyloid angiopathy associated with brain microhemorrhages and reduced vasoreactivity and blood flow. Furthermore, methods of screening for therapeutic or diagnostic agents useful in the treatment or diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, in particular for improving blood flow to the brain are provided as well as the corresponding therapeutic methods.
US08022265B2
A reduced weight decontamination formulation that utilizes a solid peracid compound (sodium borate peracetate) and a cationic surfactant (dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride) that can be packaged with all water removed. This reduces the packaged weight of the decontamination formulation by ˜80% (as compared to the “all-liquid” DF-200 formulation) and significantly lowers the logistics burden on the warfighter. Water (freshwater or saltwater) is added to the new decontamination formulation at the time of use from a local source.
US08022258B2
The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of diesel range hydrocarbons wherein a feed is hydrotreated in a hydrotreating step and isomerised in an isomerisation step, and a feed comprising fresh feed containing more than 5 wt % of free fatty acids and at least one diluting agent is hydrotreated at a reaction temperature of 200-400° C., in a hydrotreating reactor in the presence of catalyst, and the ratio of the diluting agent/fresh feed is 5-30:1.
US08022254B2
The invention relates to a halide-containing alkali tungstate catalyst for the synthesis of alkylmercaptans from alkanols and hydrogen sulfide, and to a process for the preparation of this catalyst.
US08022245B2
The present invention provides a novel α-fluoromethoxycarboxylic ester represented by Formula (1): (CF3)2C(OCH2F)COOR wherein R is a hydrocarbon group that may have a substituent; a process for producing 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl fluoromethyl ether, the process including hydrolyzing and decarboxylating the α-fluoromethoxycarboxylic ester; and a process for producing an α-fluoromethoxycarboxylic ester represented by Formula (1): (CF3)2C (OCH2F)COOR, the process including reacting an α-hydroxycarboxylic ester represented by Formula (2): (CF3)2C(OH)COOR with a halofluoromethane in the presence of an alkaline compound. According to the present invention, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl fluoromethyl ether (sevoflurane), which is known as an anesthetic compound, can be efficiently produced at low cost.
US08022240B2
Processes comprising: transesterifying a dialkyl carbonate and an aromatic hydroxyl compound in the presence of a transesterification catalyst to provide a diaryl carbonate product comprising the transesterification catalyst as an impurity; subjecting the diaryl carbonate product to distillation in a first distillation column having an upper part and a lower part, wherein the upper part comprises a rectifying section and the lower part comprises a stripping section; and withdrawing a first sidestream from the first distillation column, wherein the first sidestream comprises a purified diaryl carbonate.
US08022228B2
The invention relates to an orthorhombic crystal form of compound trans-5-chloro-2,3,3a,12b-tetrahydro-2-methyl-1H-dibenz[2,3:6,7]oxepino[4,5-c]pyrrole(Z)-2-butenedioate, to methods for the preparation of this crystal form and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising an orthorhombic crystal form.
US08022225B2
A compound represented by the formula (I) below or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof has an effect of inhibiting binding between S1P and its receptor Edg-1(S1P1), and is useful as a pharmaceutical product. [where A represents a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, a formula —SO— or a formula —SO2—; R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or the like; R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or the like; R3 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R4 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group or the like; R5 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; and R6 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group or a substituted phenyl group].
US08022224B2
There is provided a compound of Formula I wherein R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 are independently selected from H and —Y—R8; wherein each R8 is independently selected from —OH, hydrocarbyl groups, oxyhydrocarbyl groups, cyano (—CN), nitro (—NO2), H-bond acceptors, and halogens; wherein at least one of R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 is —Y—R8 wherein R8 is selected from substituted and unsubstituted heterocyclic rings and amino substituted phenyl groups, wherein X is a bond or a linker group; wherein Y is an optional linker group; and wherein ring A is optionally further substituted; wherein R9 is selected from H, —OH and —OSO2NR1R2; wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from H and hydrocarbyl; wherein (a) X is a bond and at least one of R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 is —Y—R8; OR (b) R9 is —OSO2NR1R2 or —OH and four of R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 are H and one of R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 is —Y—R8. These compounds inhibit steroid sulphatase and aromatase activity and are useful in the treatment of endocrine-dependent tumors.
US08022219B2
The present invention relates to the compound 3,4,5-piperidinetriol, 2-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[(4-(pentyloxy)phenyl)methyl]-, (2S,3S,4R,5S), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof, which is useful as an inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthase. The compounds of the Invention are useful for treating various glycolipid storage diseases, such as Gaucher's disease, Sandhoff's disease, Tay-Sacs disease, Fabry disease, and GM1 gangliosidosis; glycolipid accumulation disorders, such as Niemann-Pick disease, mucopolysaccharidoses, mucolipidosis type IV and α-mannosidosis; various cancers that involve abnormal glycolipid synthesis; and various infectious diseases that involve cell surface glycolipids as receptors for the infectious organisms or for their toxins; as well as a variety of other disorders involving glycolipid synthesis, including neuronal disorders, inflammatory diseases, obesity, and the like.
US08022209B2
The present invention relates to substituted nitrogen-containing heteroaryl derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, and methods of using any of these derivatives and compositions for H4 receptor activity modulation and the treatment of states mediated by histamine H4 receptor activity.
US08022203B2
New aminoalkoxyimino derivatives at position 3 of substituted B-homoandrostanes and B-heteroandrostanes, processes for their preparation, and to pharmaceutical compositions containing them for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, such as heart failure and hypertension. In particular compounds having the general formula (I) are described, where the radicals have the meanings described in detail in the application.
US08022193B2
The present invention provides 6-modified bicyclic nucleoside analogs and oligomeric compounds comprising these nucleoside analogs. In preferred embodiments the nucleoside analogs have either (R) or (S)-chirality at the 6-position. These bicyclicnucleoside analogs are useful for enhancing properties of oligomeric compounds including nuclease resistance.
US08022192B2
The present invention relates to a method for preparing the glucopyranosyloxypyrazole derivatives which are useful as agents for the prevention or treatment of a disease associated with hyperglycemia such as diabetes, diabetic complications, obesity or the like. A glucopyranosyloxypyrazole derivative can be easily and efficiently prepared by allowing a benzylpyrazole derivative represented by the general formula: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 may be the same or different, for example each of them is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl, alkoxy, arylmethyloxy group or the like, R6 is an alkyl group, for example R7 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, alkoxy, arylmethyloxy group or the like, to react with a compound represented by the general formula: wherein as an example, PG1 is a pivaloyl group or the like, as an example, X1 is a bromine atom or the like, therefore the present invention is extremely useful as a method for preparing pharmaceutical compounds.
US08022189B2
The present invention relates to methods and compositions containing novel leptin peptides, preferably for the modulation of body mass (i.e., weight), more specifically for novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications in homeostasis of body weight and adipose tissue mass.
US08022184B2
The present invention provides an improved coating for surfaces of medical implants. The coating comprises at least one interfacial biomaterial (IFBM) which is comprised of at least one binding module that binds to the surface of an implant or implant-related material (“implant module”) and at least one binding module that selectively binds to a target analyte or that is designed to have a desired effect (“analyte module”). The modules are connected by a linker. In some embodiments, the IFBM coating acts to promote the recognition and attachment of target analytes to surface of the device. The IFBM coating improves the performance of implanted medical devices, for example, by promoting osteointegration of the implant.
US08022177B2
Calcium channels in a variety of tissues may contain different subunits, including several different γ (gamma) subunits. We report studies regarding structural features of certain gamma subunits, for example the N-terminal first transmembrane domain (TM1) of the subunit γ6. We disclose that certain structural motifs, for example a GxxxG-like structural motif as described herein, can mediate subunit function for calcium channels. A particular peptide motif that has been identified as significant for the ability to mediate a decrease in calcium current is GxxxA. Compositions and methods are disclosed which are useful in modifying calcium regulation in mammalian cells. In various embodiments, calcium current is modified.
US08022170B2
The invention relates to semi crystalline, melt processible, partially aromatic copolyamides, producible by condensation of at least the following monomers or the precondensates thereof: a) terephthalic acid b) at least one dimerised fatty acid with up to 44 carbon atoms and c) at least one aliphatic diamine of the formula H2N—(CH2)x—NH2, wherein x means a whole number from 4-18.
US08022169B2
A method of preparing an aliphatic copolyester by mixing a first compound defined by the equation: and a catalyst, and adding a second compound defined by and a lactide, wherein the second compound and the lactide have a total weight less than the first compound, wherein a is 10-230, b, d and e have a ratio of 10-35:10-35:80-30, c is 1-4, and f is 1-10. The method further adds the second compound and the lactide, wherein the second compound and the lactide have a total weight less than the first compound, the second compound and the lactide in the prior mixing step. The method further adds the second compound and the lactide, wherein the second compound and the lactide have a total weight less than the first compound, the second compound and the lactide in of the prior mixing steps.
US08022166B2
Polycarbonate compositions are disclosed. The compositions comprise a polycarbonate polymer (A) having repeating units derived from 2-phenyl-3,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine (PPPBP); a polycarbonate polymer (B) which is different from polymer (A); and an impact modifier (C) which is different from polymer (A) and polymer (B). The resulting composition has an improved combination of properties, particularly heat resistance, low temperature impact performance, and viscosity. Also disclosed are articles formed from such compositions.
US08022155B2
The invention relates to polymerizable compositions which comprise 10-80% by weight of a reactive diluent based on acrylic acid or methacrylic acid derivatives, and 10-50% by weight of a monomer of the indicated chemical formula which is liquid or which can be dissolved in the formulation. The formula may contain amino acid residues or peptide sequences, especially such that are specific of the collagen. These structural elements allow the enzymatic degradation of the polymers of the inventive composition.
US08022151B2
Provided are: an adamantane derivative represented by the following general formula (I) giving a cured product excellent in optical characteristics such as transparency and light resistance, durabilities such as heat resistance, and electrical characteristics such as dielectric constant; a method of producing the adamantane derivative; a resin composition containing the adamantane derivative and an epoxy resin curing agent; and a sealing agent for an optical semiconductor using the resin composition: where: Y represents a group selected from a hydrocarbon group, a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, and an ═O group formed by two Y's being combined together; Z represents a cyclic ether group; n represents an integer of 0 or more; and p represents an integer of 2 to 4 and q represents an integer of 0 to 14, while satisfying 2≦p+q≦16.
US08022150B2
The invention relates to the polyoxyalkylene-polysiloxane block polymers of general formula (I) C—B—(AB)a—C1 (I), wherein A=a polyoxyalkylene block of the general formula —(CnH2nO)b—, B=a polysiloxane block of the general formula —(SiR2—O)c—, C, C1=the same or different alkoxypolyoxyalkylene groups of the general formula Z—O—[CH2—CH(R1)O]d—, R=the same or different C1-4 alkyl groups or phenyl groups, with the proviso that at least 90% of the groups R are methyl groups, R1=the same or different hydrogen, C1-12 alkyl groups or phenyl groups, Z=an alkyl, alkylene, aryl or alkylaryl group, a=1 to 20, preferably 2 to 10, b=an average value of 10 to 130, preferably 20 to 100, c=3 to 100, preferably 10 to 80, d=independently is in the range of C/C1 values of 2 to 20, preferably 2 to 12, with the proviso that the average value is in the range of 2 to <15, preferably 2 to 12, especially 5 to 10, and d is preferably unequal b, n=2 to 12 having an average value of 2.7 to 4.0. The invention also relates to a method for producing said block polymers and to their use in antifoaming agents in aqueous dispersions.
US08022148B2
A polypropylene resin composition that has a melt flow rate of 1.5 (g/10 minutes) or more and is obtainable by melt-kneading 94 to 98 parts by weight of (A) a propylene copolymer that comprises a polymer portion being obtainable by polymerizing monomers containing propylene as the major component and having an intrinsic viscosity of 2.0 (dL/g) or more and a copolymer portion being obtainable by copolymerizing propylene and ethylene, 2 to 6 parts by weight of (B) an ethylene polymer having a density of 0.920 g/cm3 or more, and (C) an organic peroxide, provided that the total weight of the propylene copolymer (A) and the ethylene polymer (B).
US08022143B2
A dual reactor solution process gives high density polyethylene compositions containing a first ethylene polymer and a second ethylene polymer which have a good balance of processability, toughness, and environmental stress crack resistance combined with good organoleptic properties. The polyethylene compositions are suitable for compression molding or injection molding applications and are particularly useful in the manufacture of caps and closures for bottles.
US08022132B2
The present invention provides a rubber composition for a studless tire, which can achieve sufficient abrasion resistance, performance on ice and snow, and wet grip performance in a balanced manner, and a studless tire having a tread produced from the above composition. The rubber composition for a studless tire contains a rubber component including natural rubber and butadiene rubber; aromatic oil; silica; and carbon black, wherein the total amount of the natural rubber and the butadiene rubber is 30% by mass or more based on 100% by mass of the rubber component, the amount of the aromatic oil is 12-85 parts by mass and the amount of the silica is 12-85 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component, and the proportion of the silica is 45% by mass or more based on 100% by mass of the total of the silica and the carbon black.
US08022128B2
A thermoplastic elastomer composition comprises (A) about 25 to about 55 parts by weight of a block terpolymer including an aromatic vinyl compound and an alkene compound; (B) about 20 to about 50 parts by weight of a paraffin oil; (C) about 5 to about 15 parts by weight of a polyolefin resin; (D) about 5 to about 20 parts by weight of an inorganic additive; and (E) about 3 to about 15 parts by weight of a polyphenylene ether. The thermoplastic elastomer composition can have excellent physical properties, such as flexibility (or resilience), surface hardness, and restoring force at high temperatures.
US08022125B2
A pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet contains at least a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer containing an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive containing an acrylic polymer composition containing an acrylic polymer as a main component and a tackifier containing a tackifying resin as a main component, wherein reflection rate and attached amount in the fogging test in accordance with German Industrial Standard DIN 75201 are 70% or more and 2.0 mg or less, respectively. In the acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive which forms the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, a ratio of components having a molecular weight of 300 or less is preferably 4.2% by weight or less based on the total amount of solid matter of the acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive. Furthermore, in the tackifying resin in the tackifier, a ratio of components having a molecular weight of 300 or less is suitably 4.2% by weight or less based on the total amount of solid matter of the tackifying resin.
US08022121B2
The present invention provides a rubber composition for a studless tire and a high-performance studless tire produced therefrom, which achieve good braking force and handling stability on ice and snow. The rubber composition for a studless tire includes: a rubber component; a zinc salt of a C4-C12 aliphatic carboxylic acid, or a C4-C12 aliphatic carboxylic acid and zinc oxide; and an oil or a plasticizer. The rubber component contains 40% by mass or more of butadiene rubber per 100% by mass of the rubber component.
US08022109B2
A filter system for use in a three-phase slurry reactor is provided. The filter system comprises one or more bundles of a plurality of filter elements for separating liquid from a mixture of liquid and solids contained in the reactor. Each filter bundle is connected to a product transfer conduit transporting separated liquid to a location outside of and downstream from the reactor. The transfer conduit is provided with means for backflushing the filter bundle and guard filter means.
US08022089B2
An isoxazoline-substituted benzamide compound of formula (1) or a salt thereof: wherein A1, A2 and A3 independently of one another are carbon atom or nitrogen atom, G is benzene ring, etc., X is halogen atom, C1-C6haloalkyl, etc., Y is halogen atm, C1-C6alkyl, etc., R1 is C1-C12alkyl arbitrarily substituted with R16, C3-C12alkenyl, arbitrarily substituted with R16 is oxygen atom or sulfur atom, —N(R20)R19, etc., R2 is hydrogen atom, C1-C4alkoxy C1-C6alkyl, etc., R3 is C1-C6haloalkyl, etc., R16 is halogen atom, cyano, phenyl substituted with (Z)p1, D-1 to D-60, E-1 to E-49, etc., R19 is phenyl, phenyl substituted with (Z)p1, etc., R20 is hydrogen atom, C1-C6alkyl, etc., Z is halogen atom, nitro, C1-C4alkoxy, etc., D-1 to D-60 are 5- or 6-membered aromatic heterocyclic rings, E-1 to E-49 are 5- or 6-membered saturated heterocyclic rings, m is an integer of 0 to 5, n is an integer of 0 to 4, p1 is an integer of 1 to 5. The pesticide containing these compounds.
US08022086B2
The present invention relates to a preventive and/or therapeutic agent for a glomerular disease containing, as active ingredients, pitavastatin or a salt thereof and candesartan cilexetil or a salt thereof. The agent of the present invention exhibits an excellent effect in the prevention and/or therapy of a glomerular disease.
US08022072B2
An azolylmethylidenehydrazine derivative represented by the formula (I) wherein Ar is an aryl group optionally having substituent(s) or a heteroaryl group optionally having substituent(s), R1 and R2 are the same or different and each is an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aralkyl group optionally having substituent(s), an aryl group optionally having substituent(s), a heteroarylalkyl group optionally having substituent(s), or R1 and R2 are bonded to each other to form a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group optionally having substituent(s), and X is CH or a nitrogen atom, or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof is useful as a medicament, particularly as an antifungal agent, or an anti-inflammatory agent or an antiallergic agent.
US08022064B2
The present invention relates to compounds of general formula (I): wherein: R1 and R2, identical or different, represent: an atom of hydrogen or halogen, CN or NO2, with R1 and R2 not representing hydrogen simultaneously, m represents: 1 or 2 n represents: 0, 1 or 2 R3 represents: phenyl substituted or not by one or more residues chosen among halogen, hydroxyl or C1-C6 alkyl; C2-C6 alkyl substituted or not by one or more residues chosen among halogen or hydroxyl; cycloalkyl; pyridine; thiophene; pyrrole substituted or not by C1-C6 alkyl; thiazole or furan; or the therapeutically-acceptable salts or solvates thereof.
US08022058B2
The present invention provides novel compounds of Formula I and salts, hydrates, solvates, complexes, and prodrugs thereof. The present invention further provides methods for synthesizing compounds of Formula I. The invention additionally provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of Formula I and methods of using the pharmaceutical compositions of Formula I to treat and prevent disorders and diseases associated with the RyR receptors that regulate calcium channel functioning in cells. Such disorders and diseases include, by way of example only, cardiac disorders and diseases, skeletal muscular disorders and diseases, cognitive disorders and diseases, malignant hyperthermia, diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome. Cardiac disorder and diseases include, but are not limited to, irregular heartbeat disorders and diseases; exercise-induced irregular heartbeat disorders and diseases; sudden cardiac death; exercise-induced sudden cardiac death; congestive heart failure; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and high blood pressure. Irregular heartbeat disorders and diseases include and exercise-induced irregular heartbeat disorders and diseases include, but are not limited to, atrial and ventricular arrhythmia; atrial and ventricular fibrillation; atrial and ventricular tachyarrhythmia; atrial and ventricular tachycardia; catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT); and exercise-induced variants thereof. Skeletal muscular disorder and diseases include, but are not limited to, skeletal muscle fatigue, exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue, muscular dystrophy, bladder disorders, and incontinence. Cognitive disorders and diseases include, but are not limited to, Alzheimer's Disease, forms of memory loss, and age-dependent memory loss.
US08022054B2
In certain embodiments, the invention is directed to composition comprising stable particles comprising ganaxolone, wherein the volume weighted median diameter (D50) of the particles is from about 50 nm to about 500 nm.
US08022049B2
A polysaccharide comprising galactose, glucose, rhamnose, and pyruvic acid as constituents, wherein the galactose, glucose, and rhamnose are contained in a molar ratio of 4:2:1, and the pyruvic acid is contained in an amount of 4 to 7 wt %. The polysaccharide can be obtained by culturing Bifidobacterium longum JBL05 (NITE BP-82) under anaerobic conditions.
US08022046B2
A method is provided that includes using an antisense approach to reverse and/or delay an autoimmune diabetes condition in vivo. The oligonucleotides are targeted to bind to primary transcripts CD40, CD80, CD86 and their combinations.
US08022036B2
It is described the use of thymosin alpha 1 for preparing a medicament useful for the prevention or treatment of graft-versus-host disease or graft rejection reactions in organ transplantation, in a mammal subject, in which the cells, tissues or organs for transplant is selected from the group comprising: stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, bone marrow, heart, liver, kidney, lung, pancreas, small intestine, cornea or skin.
US08022033B2
A complex of an echinocandin compound with a carbohydrate is described having improved thermal stability and water solubility. A process for making the echinocandin/carbohydrate complex is also described as well as the use of the complex in pharmaceutical formulations and treatments of fungal infections.
US08022031B2
A liquid aqueous composition comprising (i) a factor VII polypeptide, (ii) an agent suitable for keeping pH in the range of from about 4.0 to about 8.0; (iii) an agent selected from the list of: a calcium salt, a magnesium salt, or a mixture thereof; wherein the concentration of (iii) is at least 15 mM.
US08022023B2
A molybdated succinimide complex is disclosed which is prepared by a process comprising (a) reacting a succinimide of a polyamine of formula I: wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical having a number average molecular weight of about 500 to about 5,000, a and b are independently 2 or 3, and x is 0 to 10, with an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid or anhydride thereof, in a charge mole ratio of the ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid or anhydride thereof to the succinimide of formula I of about 0.9:1 to about 1.05:1; and (b) reacting the succinimide product of step (a) with an acidic molybdenum compound. Also disclosed is a lubricating oil composition containing at least (a) a major amount of a base oil of lubricating viscosity and (b) a minor amount of the molybdated succinimide complex.
US08022019B2
Method and system for making a spherical proppant having a selected grade from a naturally occurring mined mineral having a hardness of over 6.0 Mohs. The method and system involves preprocessing the mineral mechanically into a semi-dry feedstock comprising a mass of particles with initial sphericity values generally less than 0.60; subjecting the semi-dry feedstock to an aggressive abrasive attrition operation for a process time; and, controlling the process time to a value wherein the particles of the feedstock are converted to final processed particles having a sphericity greater than 0.60 by increasing the sphericity of the feedstock particles by at least 0.10. In addition, the processed particles are screened to obtain a proppant having a selected grade.
US08022015B2
Compositions and methods of treating high temperature subterranean formations of up to about 500° F. (260° C.) are provided. The compositions and methods utilize a high molecular weight synthetic copolymer and a pH buffer than maintains a pH in a range of about 4.5 to about 5.25 for the compositions. The high molecular weight synthetic copolymer is derived from acrylamide, acrylamidomethylpropanesulfonic acid, and vinyl phosphonate.
US08022013B2
A method of forming a solid-phase support, the method including the steps of providing a substrate having a reaction vessel, dispensing a particle in the reaction vessel, and permanently bonding the particle in the substrate within the reaction vessel. The particle may include a microbead. The particle may include controlled pore glass. A method of synthesis is also disclosed that includes including the steps of providing a solid-phase support including a particle embedded to the substrate adjacent a surface of substrate, the particle being functionalized to covalently attach an intermediate compound of a synthetic reaction, dispensing a liquid including a reagent to the solid-phase support to effect the synthetic reaction, and removing the liquid from the solid-phase support by centrifugation, whereby the intermediate compound remains attached to the substrate by the particle.
US08022010B2
Nitrogen oxide storage materials and methods of manufacturing nitrogen oxide storage materials are disclosed. The nitrogen oxide storage materials can be used to manufacture catalytic trap disposed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine which is operated periodically between lean and stoichiometric or rich conditions, for abatement of NOx in an exhaust gas stream which is generated by the engine. In one embodiment, the nitrogen oxide storage material comprises alkaline earth material supported on ceria particles having a crystallite size of between about 10 and 20 nm and the alkaline earth oxide having a crystallite size of between about 20-40 nm.
US08022009B2
The present invention provides a cost effective process of generating LixMyZO4/carbon composite material. Further, this novel method of preparation can be modified by adding a dopant and the calcinations can be carried out using microwave heating to reduce the synthesis time and cost. The LixMyZO4/carbon composite material can be used as a cathode for a secondary electrochemical cell. Selection of one or more metals in the cathode material can be used change the voltage, the capacity, and the energy density of the electrochemical cell.
US08022002B2
Regeneration flue gas streams containing unacceptable levels of CO can be effectively combusted (i.e., for more complete combustion or oxidation of CO to CO2) by contact with a second catalyst undergoing regeneration, for example in a second regenerator. While the second catalyst may also be regenerated by contact with an oxygen-containing gas stream, this second catalyst additionally comprises a noble metal, or is present in combination with a combustion comprising a noble metal. Representative catalysts used in an integrated regeneration process are those used for oxygenate conversion and olefin cracking, both for the purpose of producing light olefins (e.g., ethylene and propylene).
US08021998B2
An absorbent structure made at least in part from a superabsorbent material having a retention capacity (CRC) as determined by a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Test of at least about 25 g/g and a free swell gel bed permeability (GBP) as determined by a Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability Test of at least 575×10−9 cm2. In another embodiment, the absorbent structure is made at least in part from a superabsorbent material having a retention capacity (CRC) as determined by a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Test of at least about 25 g/g, an absorbency under load (AUL) at 0.9 psi as determined by an Absorbency Under Load Test of at least 18 and a free swell gel bed permeability (GBP) as determined by a Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability Test of at least about 350×10−9 cm2.
US08021997B2
A multicomponent spunbonded nonwoven is provided which is composed of at least two polymers which form interfaces toward one another, which are produced by at least one spinning machine having uniform spinning nozzle apertures, and which are hydrodynamically drawn, lapped in a sheet-like manner, and bonded, the multicomponent spunbonded nonwoven being composed of different filaments which contain at least two polymers, or it being composed of a mixture of multicomponent filaments and monocomponent filaments which each contain only one of the polymers, the multicomponent filament being composed of at least two elementary filaments and the titer of the individual filaments varying by the number of elementary filaments contained in the filaments.
US08021983B2
A method of forming a pattern of an inorganic material film, which method is more versatile, easy, and practical. The method includes the steps of: (a) forming a sacrifice layer having a pattern on a substrate by employing a material having a different thermal expansion coefficient from that of an inorganic material of the inorganic material film; (b) forming an inorganic material layer on the substrate, on which the sacrifice layer has been formed, at a predetermined deposition temperature by employing the inorganic material; (c) lowering a temperature of at least the inorganic material layer to produce cracks in the inorganic material layer formed on the sacrifice layer; and (d) removing the sacrifice layer and the inorganic material layer formed thereon.
US08021979B2
To provide a technology capable of improving reliability and manufacturing yield of a semiconductor device by reducing variations of electrical characteristics in connection hole portions. After a semiconductor wafer is placed over a wafer stage provided in a chamber for dry cleaning treatment of a deposition system, dry cleaning treatment is performed to a principal surface of the semiconductor wafer by supplying reducing gas, sequentially, heat treatment is performed to the semiconductor wafer at a first temperature of 100 to 150° C. by a showerhead which is maintained at 180° C. Next, after the semiconductor wafer is vacuum transferred from the chamber to a chamber for heat treatment, heat treatment is performed to the semiconductor wafer at a second temperature of 150 to 400° C. in the chamber, thereby removing a product remaining over the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer.
US08021972B1
A method of manufacturing an array substrate includes the following steps. A substrate having a thin film transistor disposed thereon is provided. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. An organic material layer is formed to cover the substrate and the thin film transistor. A via hole is formed in the organic material layer to expose the drain electrode. A first inorganic material layer is formed to cover at least a sidewall of the via hole and a part of the organic material layer, and the first inorganic material layer exposes at least the drain electrode. A patterned transparent pixel electrode layer is formed on the first inorganic material layer, wherein the patterned transparent pixel electrode layer contacts the drain electrode through the via hole.
US08021968B2
Provided is a susceptor 13 for manufacturing an epitaxial wafer, comprising a mesh-like groove 13b on a mount face on which a silicon substrate W is to be mounted, wherein a coating H of silicon carbide is formed on the mount face, and the coating has a surface roughness of 1 μm or more in centerline average roughness Ra and a maximum height of a protrusion 13p generated in forming the coating H of 5 μm or less. Thus, defects such as warping and slip as well as adhesion of the silicon substrate to the susceptor are prevented.
US08021958B2
A method for manufacturing an SOI substrate in which crystal defects of a single crystal semiconductor layer are reduced is provided. An oxide film containing halogen is formed on each of surfaces of a single crystal semiconductor substrate and of a semiconductor substrate provided with a single crystal semiconductor layer separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate, whereby impurities that exist on the surfaces of and inside the substrates are decreased. In addition, the single crystal semiconductor layer provided over the semiconductor substrate is irradiated with a laser beam, whereby crystallinity of the single crystal semiconductor layer is improved and planarity is improved.
US08021956B2
An oxynitride pad layer and a masking layer are formed on an ultrathin semiconductor-on-insulator substrate containing a top semiconductor layer comprising silicon. A first portion of a shallow trench is patterned in a top semiconductor layer by lithographic masking of an NFET region and an etch, in which exposed portions of the buried insulator layer is recessed and the top semiconductor layer is undercut. A thick thermal silicon oxide liner is formed on the exposed sidewalls and bottom peripheral surfaces of a PFET active area to apply a high laterally compressive stress. A second portion of the shallow trench is formed by lithographic masking of a PFET region including the PFET active area. A thin thermal silicon oxide or no thermal silicon oxide is formed on exposed sidewalls of the NFET active area, which is subjected to a low lateral compressive stress or no lateral compressive stress.
US08021954B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit system includes: providing a substrate including front-end-of-line circuitry; forming a first group of metal layers including a first finger and a second finger over the substrate utilizing a first design rule, the first group of metal layers being formed without a finger via; forming a second group of metal layers including a first finger, a second finger, and a finger via over the first group of metal layers utilizing a second design rule that is larger than the first design rule; and interconnecting the first group of metal layers with the second group of metal layers to form a capacitor.
US08021947B2
In one embodiment, a method for forming a transistor having insulated gate electrodes and insulated shield electrodes within trench regions includes forming disposable dielectric stack overlying a substrate. The method also includes forming the trench regions adjacent to the disposable dielectric stack. After the insulated gate electrodes are formed, the method includes removing the disposable dielectric stack, and then forming spacers adjacent the insulated gate electrodes. The method further includes using the spacers to form recessed regions in the insulated gate electrodes and the substrate, and then forming enhancement regions in the first and second recessed regions.
US08021936B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The TFT includes a transparent substrate, an insulating layer on a region of the transparent substrate, a monocrystalline silicon layer, which includes source, drain, and channel regions, on the insulating layer and a gate insulating film and a gate electrode on the channel region of the monocrystalline silicon layer.
US08021934B2
A method including: making a structure on a substrate, said structure comprising at least a portion of a semiconductor material forming a channel of a field effect transistor, a gate located on the channel; forming at least one dielectric portion completely covering said structure and zones of the substrate corresponding to locations of a source and a drain of the field effect transistor; making two holes in the dielectric portion on each side of said structure, such that the locations of the source and the drain form bottom walls of the two holes and sides of the channel are exposed; depositing a first metallic layer on at least the bottom walls of the two holes, at least covering said sides of the channel; and depositing a second metallic layer on the first metallic layer-to form the source and the drain of the field effect transistor.
US08021926B2
Electronic elements (40) with very low resistance back-side coupling are provided by forming one or more narrow trenches or pipes (411), preferably dielectric lined, in front sides (523) of substrates (52′), filling the trenches or pipes with a conductor (54) having a coefficient of expansion not too different from that of the substrate (52′) but of higher conductivity, forming an epitaxial SC layer (64) over the front side (523) of the substrate (52′) in Ohmic contact with the conductor (54) in the trenches or pipes (411), forming various semiconductor (SC) devices (42, 80) in the epi-layer (64), back grinding the substrate (52′) to expose bottoms (548) of the conductor filled trenches or pipes (41), and providing a back-side conductor (524) contacting the conductor (54) in the trenches or pipes (411). For silicon SCs, tungsten is a suitable conductor (54) for filling the trenches or pipes (411) to minimize substrate stress. Series ON-resistance of the elements (40) due to the substrate resistance is substantially reduced.
US08021917B2
An object is to suppress deterioration of element characteristics even when an oxide semiconductor is formed after a gate insulating layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed. A gate electrode layer is formed over a substrate. A gate insulating layer is formed over the gate electrode layer. A source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are formed over the gate insulating layer. Surface treatment is performed on surfaces of the gate insulating layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer which are formed over the substrate. After the surface treatment is performed, an oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the gate insulating layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer.
US08021907B2
A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor die. Encapsulant is flowed around a portion of the semiconductor die. The encapsulant is etched and a conductive material is deposited into the etched portion of the encapsulant to form a thermally conductive structure. In one embodiment, a trench is etched into the encapsulant and a thermally conductive material is deposited into the trench to form a thermal channel. In alternative embodiments, thermally conductive through hole vias (THVs) are formed in the encapsulant. A thermally conductive pad may be formed over the semiconductor die to facilitate removal of heat energy from the hot spots of the semiconductor die. A thermally conductive trace is formed to interconnect the thermal channel and the thermally conductive pad. A heat sink may be deposited over the semiconductor package. The packages are singulated by cutting through the encapsulant or the thermal channel.
US08021901B2
A method of fabricating a vertical structure nitride semiconductor light emitting device having a cross-sectional shape of a polygon having five or more sides or a circle. A light emitting structure is formed on a sapphire substrate. A metal layer having a plurality of patterns is formed on the light emitting structure. The patterns of the metal layer each have a shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of a wanted final light emitting device and are spaced apart by a predetermined distance such that an upper surface of the light emitting structure is partially exposed. The light emitting structure is divided into a plurality of individualized light emitting structures by removing the light emitting structure below the exposed region between the patterns of the metal layer. The sapphire substrate is separated from the light emitting structure by irradiating a laser beam.
US08021899B2
The semiconductor device of the present invention includes a first insulating film on a substrate having a first region and a second region, a light shielding film formed in the first region and an interconnect film formed in the second region in the first insulating film and a second insulating film having a first concave portion above the light shielding film in the first region and an interconnect hole having a via hole and a second concave portion in the second region in the second insulating film on the first insulating film, wherein an area of the light shielding film is overlapping an area of the first plurality of concave portions.
US08021896B2
A semiconductor substrate with an insulating film, a barrier layer containing a metal and formed over the insulating film in a region that includes a peripheral edge part of a semiconductor substrate, a capacitor lower electrode layer formed on the barrier layer and having an edge-cut on the peripheral edge part of the semiconductor substrate, an oxide layer formed on the barrier layer at the peripheral edge part where the barrier layer is not covered by the lower electrode layer, a ferroelectric layer formed on the lower electrode layer and the oxide layer, and a capacitor upper electrode layer formed over the ferroelectric layer.
US08021887B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus that measure the concentration of glycated hemoglobin by an optical technique. A wavelength in which the molecular extinction coefficient of oxyhemoglobin agrees or substantially agrees with the molecular extinction coefficient of deoxyhemoglobin is adopted as a measurement wavelength. Preferably, the measurement wavelength is set at from 417 to 421 nm. In the present invention, the concentration of glycated hemoglobin is measured by making use of column chromatography and of using a sample prepared from red blood cells in blood.
US08021883B2
Many probiotic Bifidobacteriacea contains an active tetW that renders the cells resistant to tetracycline. This may present a risk of a horizontal transfer of functional antibiotic genes. The present invention relates to a method of obtaining novel tetracycline-sensitive strains of the genus of Bifidobacteriacea (Bifidobacterium sp.). In particular, the present invention relates to novel antibiotic-sensitive strains obtained from antibiotic-resistant probiotic strains and the use of such novel strains for the preparation of a food or feed product or a dosage form comprising viable organisms.
US08021874B2
The present invention relates to processes for production of Very Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (VLC-PUFAs). The present invention also relates to compositions (e.g., nutritional supplements and food products) containing such VLC-PUFAs. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to methods for biosynthesis and production of the VLC-PUFAs described herein (particularly C28-C38 PUFAs, also referred to herein as supraenes or supraenoics) by the expression, in a production host cell, of the full or partial sequence(s) of Elovl4 DNA/mRNA nucleic acids or ELOVL4 protein sequences encoded thereby, from any species (prokaryotic or eukaryotic) for use in the biosynthesis, production, purification and utilization of VLC-PUFAs in particular by the elongation of C18-C26 saturated fatty acids and PUFAs. The composition of the invention comprises, in various embodiments, a dietary supplement, a food product, a pharmaceutical formulation, a humanized animal milk, an infant formula, a cosmetic item and a biodiesel fuel for example. A pharmaceutical formulation can include, but is not limited to: a drug for treatment of neurodegenerative disease, a retinal disorder, age related maculopathy, a fertility disorder, particularly regarding sperm or testes, or a skin disorder.
US08021871B2
Systems and methods for automatically controlling conditions of a process are disclosed. In one example, a controller is programmed with a sequence of steps and parameters required to carry out a bioreactor process. A sensor system interacts with the bioreactor to receive information related to a condition of the bioreactor and/or receive a sample from the bioreactor, which it analyzes. The sensor system sends data signals related to the information and/or the sample to a controller, which determines a control signal based on the received information. The controller sends the control signal to the sensor system which, based on the control signal, performs an action that affects a condition of the bioreactor or affects the sensor system itself.
US08021860B2
A method for obtaining agonist, antagonist and inverse agonist, to a given physiological receptor is disclosed. For the method, use is made of in silico design synthetic immunogens, which are caused to act in vitro on human lymphocyte-containing cell populations. A preferred receptor is human CD152, particularly the regions of CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 that elicit antibodies serving as antagonist, inverse agonist and agonist, respectively. Also provided is a method in the treatment of human peripheral lymphocytes for use in the screening of CD152 ligands that yield pharmacological effects.
US08021847B2
Methods and compositions for diagnosis and/or analysis of a condition in a mammal are disclosed in which RNA from microvesicles is enriched and differentiated to so obtain a result that is indicative of the condition of tissue or organ from which the microvesicle originated. In especially preferred embodiments, the condition is a neoplastic disease of a human and can be identified and staged by differential analysis of one or more distinct RNAs, optionally together with identification and analysis of a non-RNA component of the microvesicle.
US08021845B2
Primer sets for amplifying target regions containing sites to be detected in the obesity gene (the β2AR gene, the β3AR gene, and the UCP1 gene) by a gene amplification method are provided, wherein the primer sets can amplify the regions specifically. Three pairs of primer sets are used including forward primers composed of the base sequences of SEQ ID NO: 9 or SEQ ID NO: 109, SEQ ID NO: 25, and SEQ ID NO:43 as well as reverse primers composed of the base sequences of SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 30, and SEQ ID NO: 63, respectively. The use of these primer sets makes it possible to specifically amplify a target region including a site where a polymorphism to be detected is generated in the β2AR gene, the β3AR gene, and the UCP1 gene, in the same reaction solution at the same time.
US08021841B1
Methods and apparatuses for analyzing biomolecules are presented. The methods include dividing of sample molecules into multiple fragments, spatially separating these fragments while maintaining knowledge of their original ordering, and analyzing individual fragments. Apparatuses and methods detailed provide for the spatial separation of sample fragments while maintaining their original ordering. In one embodiment, a sample molecule (2902) is attached to a top surface (2804) of a layer (2802). Layer (2802) is extended such that sample molecule (2902) is divided into fragments (3002), and fragments (3002) are spatially separated. Other embodiments are described and shown.
US08021832B2
The present invention is directed to reagents useful for generating immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and for diagnosing infection and disease in a subject that has been exposed to M. tuberculosis.
US08021831B2
The present invention provides a method for determining the chemosensitivity of a cancer cell to a taxane comprising assessing the effect of the taxane on the expression level or activity of one or more cell cycle molecules in a cancer cell. Such a method makes use of an automated analyzer system wherein cell cycle parameters (molecules) such as CDK1 kinase activity, CDK1 expression, CDK2 kinase activity, CDK2 expression, MAD2 expression, Cyclin B1, Cyclin E expression, p21 expression, and CDK6 expression; are assessed. The present invention further provides a method of obtaining a cell cycle profile of a cancer cell that is sensitive to a taxane.
US08021817B2
A toner in form of aggregate of resin-containing particles is manufactured by aggregating the resin-containing particles which contain binder resin and the colorant, with the aid of an aggregate dispersant containing a polymer in which anionic polar groups are bonded to a main chain. To be specific, salt of divalent or higher valent metal is added to a slurry of the resin-containing particles so that a metal ion and the anionic polar group are bonded to each other, and a temperature of the slurry is increased so that a bond between the anionic polar group and a water molecule is broken. This decreases water-solubility of the polymer so that the resin-containing particles are aggregated.
US08021813B2
An electrostatic-image-developing toner includes a phosphonic acid based sequestering agent.
US08021812B2
Present embodiments pertain to an improved electrostatographic imaging member having low contact friction surfaces to ease sliding mechanical interaction and suppressing abrasion/wear failure and methods of preparing thereof. The improved imaging member has layers comprising slippery polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane molecules that enhance the physical and mechanical functions and reduce the layers surface contact friction of the imaging member to extend service life.
US08021811B2
Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a protective overcoat layer including a polyol binder; a hole transport material; a curing agent; and a surface-treated tin oxide particle filler. Also disclosed is a process for forming a photoreceptor that includes providing a photoreceptor substrate; applying a charge generating layer; applying a charge transport layer; and applying a protective overcoating layer over the substrate; such that the protective overcoat layer includes a polyol binder; a hole transport material; a curing agent; and a surface-treated tin oxide particle filler. Also included is a method of forming an image, including the disclosed photoreceptor.
US08021802B2
A phase shift mask includes a substrate; a first phase shift pattern formed in a groove shape having a first depth within the substrate so that when a first light with a first wave length is incident, the first light transmitted through a surface of the substrate and the first light transmitted through the groove are destructively interfered and when a second light with a second wave length is incident, the second light transmitted through the surface of the substrate and the second light transmitted through the groove have a phase difference of 180 degrees; and a second phase shift pattern formed in a groove shape having a second depth within the substrate so that when the first light with the first wave length is incident, the first light transmitted through the surface of the substrate and the first light transmitted through the groove have a phase difference of 180 degrees and when the second light with the second wave length is incident, the second light transmitted through the surface of the substrate and the second light transmitted through the groove are destructively interfered.
US08021799B2
The embodiments generally relate to a high performance ceramic anode which will increase flexibility in the types of fuels that may be used with the anode. The embodiments further relate to high-performance, direct-oxidation SOFC utilizing the anodes, providing improved electro-catalytic activity and redox stability. The SOFCs are capable of use with strategic fuels and other hydrocarbon fuels. Also provided are methods of making the high-performance anodes and solid oxide fuel cells comprising the anodes exhibiting improved electronic conductivity and electrochemical activity.
US08021786B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell superior in resistance against continuous charging at high potential is provided. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell includes: a positive electrode having lithium phosphate and a positive electrode active material comprising lithium cobalt oxide containing at least one selected from Mg, Al, Ti, and Zr; and a separator having pores having an average diameter of 0.05 to 0.2 μm.
US08021783B2
The present invention provides a lithium manganese-based composite oxide represented by the compositional formula: Li1+x(Mn1-m-nFemTin)1−xO2, wherein 0
US08021779B2
A battery sheath having a radiation layer on its surface and a lithium polymer battery using the sheath are provided. The radiation layer improves radiation performance and mechanical strength of the battery, and also improves the response of a PTC device. The battery sheath comprises a metal layer having first and second surfaces, a radiation layer on the first surface of the metal layer, and a cast polypropylene (CPP) layer on the second surface of the metal layer. The lithium polymer battery has a PTC device electrically connected to a protective circuit module. The PTC device directly contacts the radiation layer of the battery sheath, thereby improving the response of the PTC device.
US08021777B2
A battery apparatus and electronic equipment in which the battery apparatus has a characteristic compatible with the electronic equipment can be suitably attached to the electronic equipment. In a battery apparatus, an identification section of the battery apparatus serves to identify a characteristic of the battery apparatus, and which is provided on an end surface and on both sides of a battery-side terminal in the width direction of the battery apparatus. The identification section is configured with identification recesses formed in a manner open to the end surface, and at least one of the positions, cross-sectional shapes, and lengths on the end surface of the identification recesses, is formed on the basis of the characteristic of the battery apparatus. The cross-sectional shape and length of the identification recess is formed on the basis of the characteristic of the battery apparatus.
US08021767B2
The present invention provides a high-performance organic light-emitting device, and a novel organic compound for use in the device. The novel compound of the present invention is a 4-arylfluorene compound having a specific structure. The organic light-emitting device of the present invention is an organic light-emitting device including: a pair of electrodes comprising an anode and a cathode; and an organic compound layer interposed between the pair of electrodes, wherein the organic compound layer contains the 4-arylfluorene compound.
US08021765B2
A phenylcarbazole-based compound is represented by Formula 1, and has superior electric properties and charge transport abilities, and thus is useful as a hole injection material, a hole transport material, and/or an emitting material which is suitable for fluorescent and phosphorescent devices of all colors, including red, green, blue, and white colors. The phenylcarbazole-based compound is synthesized by reacting carbazole with diamine. The organic electroluminescent device manufactured using the phenylcarbazole-based compound has high efficiency, low voltage, high luminance, and a long lifespan.
US08021758B2
Composites comprising an aluminum phosphate-based coating component and methods for sealing porous substrate surfaces.
US08021754B2
Decorative system composites and methods for forming the same are described. The composites employ new and improved support film systems that have enhanced tensile strength under typical thermoforming conditions, including elevated temperatures. An optional release film can be used in conjunction with the support film. The support film is particularly suitable for use with decorative films used to impart a surface effect, such as paint or color-containing film systems, to a thermoformed plastic component. The support film systems also possess enhanced bag/sag/drape control characteristics.
US08021752B2
The present invention provides a light-weight fiber-reinforced composite material that has excellent flame retardance and mechanical properties and never emits a halogen gas. The present invention also provides a prepreg and an epoxy resin composition suited to obtain the above described fiber-reinforced composite material. The present invention also provides an integrated molding which is produced using the above described fiber-reinforced composite material, thereby suitable for use in electric/electronic casings. The epoxy resin composition is such that it contains the following components [A], [B], [C], [D], and [E]: [A] epoxy resin, [B] amine curing agent, [C] phosphorus compound, [D] curing accelerator, and [E] thermoplastic resin, wherein the resin composition has a phosphorus atom concentration of 0.2 to 15% by weight.
US08021746B2
Disclosed are rigid or semi-rigid multilayer structures that provide high oxygen permeability values comprising metallocene polyethylene, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers or highly neutralized blends of ethylene acid copolymers, organic acid salts and optionally one or more ethylene-containing polymers or silicon-containing polymers. Such structures have improved oxygen permeability and are useful in packaging food products such as case ready meat, fish, sausage, fresh produce, and the like that require breathable packages.
US08021744B2
The present invention relates to a friction material having a fully fibrous content fibrous base material. The base material has dispersed therethrough, in a penetrating gradient, a desired amount of friction modifying particles.
US08021743B2
A substrate processing chamber component is capable of being exposed to an energized gas in a process chamber. The component has an underlying structure and first and second coating layers, the first coating layer comprising a first material having a first thermal expansion coefficient and a first surface having an average surface roughness of less than about 25 micrometers. The second coating layer is over the first surface of the first coating layer, the second coating layer comprising a second material having a second thermal expansion coefficient that differs by less than 5% from the first thermal expansion coefficient of the first material and a second surface having an average surface roughness of at least about 50 micrometers.
US08021736B2
Substantially flame retardant-free carpets comprising poly(trimethylene terephthalate) yarn having minimal carrier and, optionally, minimal antistatic agent, are disclosed, as are methods for making such carpets.
US08021735B2
A stitchbonded fabric has a regionally segmented base layer in which one or more physical properties in at least one region is substantially different from those of another region. Typical physical properties that can differ among substrate regions include density, basis weight, chemical composition, thickness, porosity, permeability, elongation, elasticity, tensile strength, barrier properties, dyeability, abrasion resistance, and texture. The stitchbonded fabric thus has an improved combination of properties. In one aspect the base layer is discontinuous such that at least one region is devoid of all substrate material. The base layer is stitched continuously over its full extent such that all regions including open areas devoid of substrate material are stitched. The stitchbonded fabric with a discontinuous base layer advantageously can provide enhanced stretch capability to the overall fabric, especially in the cross direction and is particularly useful for stretchable skirts of mattress covers. A process for making a stitchbonded fabric includes continuously feeding substrate webs of diverse properties to a stitchbonding machine. Optionally, the webs are laterally separated or partially excised to create regions devoid of substrate material.
US08021731B2
An adhesive sheet (10) for use in affixing a badge to a garment comprises a plurality of cutouts (18, 20, 22, 24), each cutout having a shape (19, 21, 23, 25) that approximately matches a shape of a badge.
US08021730B2
A thermoplastic elastomer composition possessing superior air impermeability, excellent durability and flexibility. In particular, the composition includes (A) at least one halogenated isobutylene-containing elastomer; and (B) at least one nylon resin having a melting point of about 170° C. to about 260° C.; and (C) a low molecular weight polymeric nylon plasticizer; wherein: (1) the at least one elastomer is present as a dispersed phase of small vulcanized particles in a continuous nylon phase; and (2) the elastomer particles are formed by dynamic vulcanization. Use of a low molecular weight nylon plasticizer provides for improved mixing and rubber dispersion while retaining the high levels of impermeability achievable by the use of nylon resin and halogenated isobutylene-containing elastomer in a dynamically vulcanized composition. Such compositions are particularly useful in applications such as tire innerliners and barrier films or layers as well as hoses.
US08021729B2
An exemplary housing includes a metallic main body; and two coatings formed on the metallic main body. The coatings include an adhesive layer on the metallic main body, and an outer layer formed on the adhesive layer. Surface treating methods for making present housing are also provided.
US08021720B2
A process for extending the cyclic service life of thermal barrier coatings made of yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide (YSZ) or the like which have been applied to a substrate with an oxidizing bond coat in between includes increasing or long-term stabilizing the strain tolerance of the thermal barrier coating.
US08021715B2
A method for coating a workpiece by cold gas spraying is carried out using a cold gas spray nozzle which generates a particle jet that is directed onto the surface. Additional energy is introduced into the layer that is being formed by way of an electromagnetic energy source, e.g. a laser, which the energy introduced into the particles by the cold gas spray nozzle also contributes to forming the layer. The cold spraying process can be used flexibly as a result of the additional activation by way of electromagnetic radiation. Moreover, layers having a complicated structure, e.g. strip conductors, can be created with the aid of the laser without further processing. A coating unit includes a generator for electromagnetic radiation in addition to the cold gas spray nozzle and is therefore suitable for carrying out the novel method.
US08021713B2
A recessed field is formed surrounding resist columns that are in a pattern of bit patterned magnetic media. A filler layer is formed in the recessed field. The resist columns are removed to leave recesses in the filler layer that replicate the pattern. Bit patterned magnetic media is formed in the recesses.
US08021704B2
A method of making an aldobionate product is described. The method may include providing a milk product having one or more reducing sugars, and maintaining a pH of the milk product at about 5.5 or more by adding a buffer compound to the milk product. The method may also include adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the milk product, where at least a portion of the reducing sugar is oxidized into the aldobionate product. In addition, a method of making an aldobionate product is described that includes the steps of providing a milk product comprising a reducing sugar, mixing oxygen into the milk product, and adding an oxidoreductase enzyme to the milk product, where at least a portion of the reducing sugar is oxidized into the aldobionate product.
US08021703B2
Canola oil seeds are treated for the production of a canola oil seed meal for recovery of canola protein isolates therefrom. The canola oil seeds are heat-treated to inactivate myrosinases and other enzymes and dehulled prior to crushing dehulled canola oil seeds and removing oil therefrom and to provide the canola oil seed meal.
US08021700B1
A general healing ointment for use on cracked lips, rashes, burns and the like is herein disclosed. The ointment is manufactured from an all natural blend of petroleum jelly, vitamin E cream and oil, cocoa butter, and pine pitch. It provides relief for a variety of ailments such as cracked skin, cold sores, rashes, acne, boils, and the like. It is readily absorbed by the skin and not visible to others, but won't dry out the skin afterwards.
US08021692B2
Described are packaged, sterile medical graft products containing controlled levels of a growth factor such as Fibrob-last Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2). Also described are methods of manufacturing medical graft products wherein processing, including sterilization, is controlled and monitored to provide medical graft products having modulated, known levels of a extracellular matrix factor, such as a growth factor, e.g. FGF-2. Preferred graft materials are extracellular matrix materials isolated from human or animal donors, particularly submucosa containing extracellular matrix materials. Further described are ECM compositions that are or are useful for preparing gels, and related methods for preparation and use.
US08021685B2
This disclosure relates to wound care devices which are capable of one-way, directional flow of fluids and contaminants away from the wound site to the opposite side of the wound care device, which functions as a fluid reservoir. This fluid transport mechanism generally aids in reducing wound maceration by removing excess fluid, and potentially even bacteria, and is carried out without loss of physical integrity of the wound care device itself. In addition to providing a uni-directional fluid transport mechanism, the wound care device may contain a topically applied silver-based antimicrobial finish which provides certain levels of antimicrobial agent to the wound in order to clear infection from the wound site and control bacterial growth in the wound care dressing. Exemplary topical antimicrobial finishes include silver ion-releasing compounds.
US08021671B2
Whole-cell vaccines and methods for their use in producing protective immune responses in vertebrate hosts subsequently exposed to pathogenic bacteria. The present invention involves a method of enhancing antigen presentation by intracellular bacteria in a manner that improves vaccine efficacy. After identifying an enzyme that has an anti-apoptotic effect upon host cells infected by an intracellular microbe, the activity of the enzyme is reduced, thereby modifying the microbe so that it increases immunogenicity. Also, the present invention provides a method of incrementally modifying enzyme activity to produce incrementally attenuated mutants of the microbe from which an effective vaccine candidate can be selected.
US08021666B2
Tolerance of the immune system for endogenous CD20 can be overcome and an immune response stimulated by administration of xenogeneic or xenoexpressed CD20 antigen. For example, mouse CD20, or antigenically-effective portions thereof, can be used to stimulate an immune response to the corresponding differentiation antigen in a human subject. Administration of xenogeneic antigens in accordance with the invention results in an effective immunity against CD20 expressed by the cancer in the treated individual, thus providing a therapeutic approach to the treatment of lymphomas and leukemia expressing CD20.
US08021665B2
The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition useful for treating bacterial infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to a human or animal in need thereof, an antibacterially effective combination of a β-lactam antibiotic and an inhibitor of any bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis enzyme, especially GlmU, GlmU, MurA, MurB, MurC, MurD, MurE, MurF, MurG, MraY, and UppS. Further provided is a method of discovering synergists for antibiotics including: a) expressing in a cell an antisense nucleic acid against a nucleic acid encoding a gene product so as to reduce the activity or amount of the gene product in the cell, thereby producing a cell sensitized to an antibiotic; b) characterizing the sensitization of the cell to the antibiotic and selecting pairs of antibiotics and genes that result in antibiotic efficacy at one-fifth or less the concentration required in the absence of the antisense gene; c) screening for chemical compounds that inhibit the gene product corresponding to the selected synergistic gene; and d) selecting or creating chemical analogs that inhibit the gene product corresponding to the selected synergistic gene such that the inhibition occurs in the bacteria.
US08021656B2
The present invention relates to a method of treating gut pain or gut discomfort related or linked to gut muscular abnormalities comprising the step of administering to a human or an animal having gut pain or gut discomfort an effective amount of a selected probiotic.
US08021655B2
An isolated microorganism comprising a Propionibacteria strain is described. When the microorganism is fed to a ruminant, protein and fat levels in milk produced by the ruminant are increased, while body condition and milk production levels are maintained. When fed to the ruminant, the microorganism also has positive effects on various metabolic hormones and metabolites, e.g, an increase in energy balance, plasma non-esterified fatty acids levels, and plasma leptin level. Supplementation with propionibacteria reduced dry matter intake but did not affect milk production in the cows. Therefore, the propionibacteria of the invention made the cows more energy efficient as cows produced the same amount of milk, yet consumed less dry matter.
US08021648B2
Agricultural crops are protected from the growth of undesirable vegetation as well as nematode and insect infestations, by the application of hydrogen cyanamide in combination with a short-chain, water-soluble monocarboxylic acid, with improved pesticidal effect.
US08021630B2
An anticoagulant-coated dipstick is selectively receivable by the central fill port of a rotor of a blood centrifuge. The dipstick includes an elongated, rod-like member having a first axial end and an opposite second axial end, and a cap affixed to the second axial end. At least a portion of a surface of the rod-like member is coated with an anticoagulant. The elongated rod-like member of the dipstick is dimensioned in length and diameter to be receivable through the central fill port of the rotor to contact a blood sample contained therein. The cap is circular in shape, with a diameter that is greater than that of the rotor fill port to entirely cover and seal the fill port to prevent leakage therethrough of a blood sample contained in the rotor, especially when the rotor is gently agitated or inverted.
US08021627B2
A pipetting device with a displacement chamber, a flexible membrane delimiting the displacement chamber, a driving equipment for deforming the membrane, a coupling equipment between the driving equipment and the membrane for coupling the driving equipment with the membrane, an equipment for detachably holding a pipette tip, a connection channel between the displacement chamber and the equipment for detachably holding the pipette tip, and an aperture equipment, covering the edge region of the membrane with at least one adjustable aperture opening straight through which the central region of the membrane is deformable.
US08021620B2
The process and apparatus converts ethylene in a dilute ethylene stream that may be derived from an FCC product to heavier hydrocarbons. The catalyst may be an amorphous silica-alumina base with a Group VIII and/or VIB metal. The catalyst is resistant to feed impurities such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon oxides, hydrogen and ammonia. At least 40 wt-% of the ethylene in the dilute ethylene stream can be converted to heavier hydrocarbons.
US08021619B2
A separation module which contains at least one bundle of ceramic capillaries (9), in which, for controlling the material transport and the flow in the separation module, a certain distance is established between the capillaries (9) by joining. The separation module can be used in a variety of ways in the separation of substances by filtration, also in combination with further measures of chemical process engineering.
US08021617B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for measuring sulfur trioxide/sulfuric acid content of flue gas. A probe is provided that extracts two separate lines of gas samples simultaneously from the flue gas. One of the two lines is dynamically spiked with a known quantity of sulfur trioxide, preferably generated in the probe. A comparison of sulfur trioxide/sulfuric acid content measurements from the spiked and unspiked lines helps identify and adjust for inherent biases in the measuring system. Also disclosed are catalyst structures and methods for use thereof for generating sulfur trioxide at known concentration.
US08021611B2
An automated assay system is described with stations for placement of materials to be used in an assay of materials inside capillaries and an automated gripper for manipulating capillaries. The system includes a separation and immobilization station where reactions inside the capillaries take place and a detector station where photoemissions from the capillary reactions are detected. The photoemissions from the capillaries may be displayed as line graphs or in columns of a pseudo-gel image resembling the familiar Western gel blot. An automated control system has a user interface by which an operator can select a run protocol and define the locations of samples and reagents to be used in the protocol run. Following the setup the control system will cause the automated system to execute the protocol, then display the results in a selected display format.
US08021609B2
A highly stabilized hydrogen peroxide useful for chemical sterilization of packaging materials in high-speed aseptic packaging plants.
US08021599B2
A method for producing steel products (1) with optimum surface quality wherein the molten steel (1b) is produced in a process route (10, 100; 12; 13) that is selected according to a desired final microstructure (9), by melting in a furnace (2b) with an electrode system (31), and in a vacuum degassing system; or by melting in a furnace installation (35) or an individual furnace vessel (30), in a ladle furnace (25), and in a differential-pressure vacuum degassing system (43); or by melting in a furnace (2b) with additions of alloying materials (26), a partial-quantity degassing in the ladle furnace (25), or a vacuum degassing system (27) and a ladle degassing (27).
US08021593B2
A method of producing a three-dimensional structure contains the steps of: arranging a substrate close to a tip of a needle-shaped fluid-ejection body having a fine diameter supplied with a solution, ejecting a fluid droplet having an ultra-fine diameter toward a surface of the substrate by applying a voltage having a prescribed waveform to the needle-shaped fluid-ejection body, making the droplet fly and land on the substrate, and solidifying the droplet after the fluid droplet is landed on the substrate; further a three-dimensional structure has a fine diameter comprises droplets having an ultra-fine particle diameter, wherein the structure is grown by solidifying the droplets and stacking the solidified droplets.
US08021590B2
Molds are disclosed for forming golf-ball covers by casting. An exemplary mold includes first and second support members that are placeable in face-to-face opposition to each other. At least one respective mold-cavity insert, defining a respective hemispherical cavity, is mounted to each support member. The mold-cavity insert is floatable in at least three (e.g., x, y, z) degrees of freedom relative to the respective support member. Each mold-cavity insert on the first support member is in face-to-face opposition to a respective mold-cavity insert on the second support member whenever the support members are in face-to-face opposition to each other, such that the respective hemispherical cavities of each opposing pair of inserts form respective spherical ball-cover cavities. A respective z-direction bias is associated with each mold-cavity insert. Also, a respective self-centering device is associated with each opposing pair of inserts. The self-centering device urges movement of at least one mold-cavity insert of the opposing pair in any of at least three degrees of freedom as required to center the mold-cavity inserts of the opposing pair with each other.
US08021583B2
A process of producing a blanket is described and can involve forming an aqueous slurry of hydrophobic aerogels, fibers, and at least one wetting agent, drying the aqueous slurry to form a substantially dried product, and calendaring the substantially dried product to form the blanket. The blanket can be used in a variety of applications, including windows.
US08021577B2
Methods and apparatus may permit the generation of consistent output synthesis gas from highly variable input feedstock solids carbonaceous materials. A stoichiometric objectivistic chemic environment may be established to stoichiometrically control carbon content in a solid carbonaceous materials gasifier system. Processing of carbonaceous materials may include dominative pyrolytic decomposition and multiple coil carbonaceous reformation. Dynamically adjustable process determinative parameters may be utilized to refine processing, including process utilization of negatively electrostatically enhanced water species, process utilization of flue gas (9), and adjustment of process flow rate characteristics. Recycling may be employed for internal reuse of process materials, including recycled negatively electrostatically enhanced water species, recycled flue gas (9), and recycled contaminants. Synthesis gas generation may involve predetermining a desired synthesis gas for output and creating high yields of such a predetermined desired synthesis gas.
US08021576B2
To provide a phosphor having nearly spherical shapes, the phosphor has an elemental ratio represented by the formula below, and contains at least two kinds of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, P, Cl, F, Br, I, Zn, Ga, Ge, In, Sn, Ag, Au, Pb, Cd, Bi and Ti. M1aM2bM3cOd (M1 represents Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm or Yb, M2 mainly represents a bivalent metal element, M3 mainly represents a trivalent metal element, and a, b, c and d are 0.0001≦a≦0.2, 0.8≦b≦1.2, 1.6≦c≦2.4 and 3.2≦d≦4.8, respectively.)
US08021567B2
A sintered ferrite magnet having an M-type ferrite structure and comprising Ca, an R element which is at least one rare earth element indispensably including La, Ba, Fe and Co as indispensable elements, which is represented by Ca1-x-yRxBayFe2n-zCoz, wherein (1−x−y), x, y, z and n are numbers representing the amounts of Ca, the R element, Ba and Co and a molar ratio, meeting 0.2≦x≦0.65, 0.001≦y≦0.2, 0.03≦z≦0.65, and 4≦n≦7.
US08021560B2
In a process for the fabrication of a radiation-absorbing optical element that contains a substrate (1) of plastic, a layer with a graduated refractive index (4) is fabricated on at least one surface (2) of the substrate (1) using a plasma etching process, after which a metal layer (7) is applied on top of the layer with a graduated refractive index (4).
US08021558B2
A method for dispersing an oil additive into an oil passing through a filter, the method including the steps of: filling a first cavity of an additive cartridge with an additive; locating the additive cartridge within a housing of the filter, the additive cartridge being located within a flow path through the filter, the additive cartridge having a second cavity without any additive disposed therein, the second cavity defining a first fluid path through the additive cartridge and the oil must pass through the second cavity in order to exit the filter; and metering the additive through an opening in the additive cartridge, the opening providing a second fluid path into the additive cartridge.
US08021557B2
A method and an apparatus for the modification of seawater, brine, or alike, to render it suitable for irrigation, industrial use, or for further treatment in a drinking water purification plant, as well as to extract desired substances from brines, such as boron, and to clear waste from mining processes, by reducing environment endangering contaminants, like petroleum hydro-carbons, or radioactive substances, as well as inactivating microorganisms and virus in biosolids, by means of exposing the substances to high-intensity macrosound, i.e., alternating mechanical energy radiation at (ultra-) sonic frequencies. The treatment enhances the separation of salt, or/and other desired materials, from the water, and activates in situ the adsorption of the materials on sorbefacient substances supplied to the desalination process in form of dust of pulverized, liquefied, or vaporized substances, or by elements (of walls) of treatment chambers, or filters. The separation of the adsorption material together with the adsorbed salt, or/and any other extract from the liquid, is accomplished by common techniques, such as sedimentation, decanter, filter, or (electrostatic) separator.
US08021546B2
This invention relates to a method for easy installation and removal of a screen assembly for vibratory machinery and more particularly to shake table screening. The screen assembly comprises a screen frame, a screen cloth and a screen bed, whereby no clamping components are visible on top of the screen. Each assembly section can be controlled independently and clamping force is controlled by a pneumatic regulator located near an air line connection on the side of a shaker.
US08021545B2
The present invention relates to swimming pools and other pools of standing water, and in particular to a dispensing unit that distributes a chemical solution that reduces evaporation and heat loss by forming a film or monomolecular layer over the surface or substantial surface area of the swimming pool or water pond.
US08021537B2
The present invention provides for steam generation replacing natural gas with a selected refined product of a feedstock of bitumen, asphaltenes or heavy oil using locally produced surplus bitumen, asphaltene or heavy oil, separating the asphaltenes and other components of the feedstock for use in providing a liquid fuel for steam generation. The lighter products from the separation equipment not used for liquid fuel may be blended into the produced bitumen, asphaltenes or heavy oil, to increase its API gravity and reduce the diluent required for transportation. This technology may be employed in open pit mining operations for the generation of steam and power. The refined components of the feedstock used to provide liquid fuel are selected to optimize energy output balancing planned energy demand against the value of the components of the feedstock used.
US08021535B2
Methods and structures for electroplating shield structures for perpendicular thin film write poles having ultra thin non-magnetic top gaps on the order of a few nanometers are disclosed. Ultra thin, conductive seed layers serve a dual purpose as both plating seed layer and non-magnetic top gap for the write pole. Due to reduced current carrying capacity of ultra thin seed layers, an additional thick seed layer is also employed to aid delivering plating current to regions near the pole.
US08021529B2
A measurement/calibration cell for potentiometrically measuring ion concentration in a fluid interposes a barrier between measuring and reference electrodes and positions the measuring electrode at a sufficiently higher gravimetric potential above the reference electrode that seepage of electrolyte from the latter to the former is effectively precluded. A controller associated with the cell displays instructions and other desired information on a scrolling display such that a substantial amount of information can be presented in a relatively small display window.
US08021517B2
Fluorescent nanoparticles such as quantum dots are incorporated into paper and other web products such as plastics to achieve cross-direction and machine direction on-line detection of selected components during manufacture. Fluorescent nanoparticles markers are added in known proportions into product formulations along with the selected components of interest. By detecting the fluorescence from the nanoparticles, the selected components can be traced at various stages of production. In addition, by using different fluorescent nanoparticles that emit radiation at different wavelengths, data from individual materials or layers in a composite structure can be ascertained simultaneously with a single sensor. The technique is particularly suited for monitoring expensive and difficult-to-measure components that may be present only in trace quantities. The technique can be implemented continuously during normal production, during start-up or re-formulation, such as a grade change in paper production, when considerable changes in the process parameters occur.
US08021514B2
A plasma processing chamber particularly useful for pre-treating low-k dielectric films and refractory metal films subject to oxidation prior to deposition of other layers. A remote plasma source (RPS) excites a processing gas into a plasma and delivers it through a supply tube to a manifold in back of a showerhead faceplate. The chamber is configured for oxidizing and reducing plasmas in the same or different processes when oxygen and hydrogen are selectively supplied to the RPS. The supply tube and showerhead may be formed of dielectric oxides which may be passivated by a water vapor plasma from the remote plasma source. In one novel process, a protective hydroxide coating is formed on refractory metals by alternating neutral plasmas of hydrogen and oxygen.
US08021511B2
A needle-based medical device including a needle guide and a method for constructing the same are disclosed. The needle-based medical device includes a tube having a first lumen; a needle guide which is dimensioned to be inserted into the lumen of the tube, and a needle. The needle is inserted such that an end is positioned in the needle guide. A glue may also be provided to secure the needle guide to the tube. In one embodiment, the tube may be made of extruded plastic.
US08021502B2
A martensitic stainless steel pipe, which comprises specified quantities of C, Si, Mn, P, S, Cr, Ni, Al, N, Cu, Ti, V, Mo, Nb, B and Ca, and the balance being Fe and impurities, has satisfactory toughness at a high strength of 650 MPa or more by yield strength and also excellent hot workability. Therefore, it can be used as a high-strength martensitic stainless steel pipe for carbon dioxide gas corrosion resistant use, to be used in oil and/or gas well environments containing no hydrogen sulfide but carbon dioxide gas. This high-strength martensitic stainless steel pipe is an inexpensive martensitic stainless steel pipe, which does not require an addition of large quantities of expensive elements such as Ni and Mo, and moreover does not require the control of the content of P to a value less than 0.010% by mass.
US08021498B2
A magnetic core making use of an Fe-based amorphous alloy ribbon that simultaneously attains miniaturization and noise reduction through realization of high Bs; and an applied product making use of the same. There is provided a magnetic core making use of an Fe-based amorphous alloy ribbon, wherein the saturated magnetic flux density (Bs) of the Fe-based amorphous alloy ribbon is ≧1.60 T and wherein the ratio between magnetic flux density at a core external magnetic field of 80 A/m (B80) and Bs of the Fe-based amorphous alloy ribbon, B80/Bs, is ≧0.90.
US08021493B2
A warewashing composition includes a cleaning agent having a detersive amount of a surfactant, an alkaline source in an amount effective to provide a use composition having a pH of at least about 8 when the use composition is measured at a solids concentration of about 0.5 wt %, and a corrosion inhibitor in an amount sufficient for reducing corrosion of glass when the warewashing composition is combined with water of dilution at a dilution ratio of at least about 20:1 water of dilution to detergent composition o form a use composition. The corrosion inhibitor includes a salt of calcium, magnesium, or a mixture of calcium and magnesium. The salt has a water solubility of less than about 0.5 wt % in water at about 20° C. and atmospheric pressure so that the salt precipitates to form a protective layer on a substrate in contact with the use composition. A method of reducing corrosion using the warewashing composition is also disclosed.
US08021482B2
A method for eliminating precipitates contained in an II-VI solid semiconductor material, in which the solid semiconductor material is a congruent sublimation solid semiconductor material, the method including: providing an inert gas flow; heating the solid semiconductor material under the inert gas flow up to a temperature T, between a first temperature T1, corresponding to compound II-VI/element VI eutectic, and a second temperature T2, corresponding to maximum congruent sublimation temperature; maintaining the solid semiconductor material at this temperature T under a neutral gas flow for a time period sufficient to eliminate the precipitates; cooling the solid semiconductor material under the inert gas flow from temperature T to ambient temperature, at a rate such that, during the cooling, the solid semiconductor material merges with its congruent sublimation line; and recovering a precipitate-free solid semiconductor material.
US08021474B2
A method of inhibiting oxidation of a porous carbon-carbon composite is disclosed and comprises the steps of: (a) contacting the carbon-carbon composite with an oxidation inhibiting composition comprising phosphoric acid or an acid phosphate salt, at least one aluminum salt, and at least one additional metal salt, the oxidation inhibiting composition penetrating at least some of the pores of the carbon-carbon composite; and (b) heating the carbon-carbon composite at a temperature sufficient to form a deposit from the oxidation inhibiting composition within at least some of the penetrated pores of the carbon-carbon composite. The foregoing oxidation inhibiting composition and carbon-carbon composites treated by the foregoing method are also disclosed.
US08021465B2
A compressed air supply device for a commercial vehicle is provided. The compressed air supply device includes a valve housing and an air-drying cartridge connected releasably to the valve housing. The valve housing and the air-drying cartridge are connected to each other via a bayonet fastening arrangement.
US08021463B2
The invention relates to a method for producing spherical activated carbon, wherein polymer globules, which comprise thermally decomposing chemical groups, are carbonized. It is characterized by that during the carbonization, a supplier of free radicals is added to the polymer globules, the supplier of free radicals forming free radicals, which are different from the free radicals that are generated by the decomposition of the chemical groups.
US08021455B2
A filter element having multiple formed layers of filtration media is disclosed. The media are layered so as to form a pore size gradient. The filter element is capable of removing both solid and liquid particulates from a moving fluid stream. The filter element has high strength and compressibility. The layers can be supported on a porous or perforate support to provide mechanical stability during filtering operations. The filtration media layers can be formed into various filter element forms such as panels, cartridges, inserts, and the like.
US08021450B2
An abrasive device for a grinding tool. The abrasive device includes abrasive grains material-lockingly connected with one another by a bonding agent. The abrasive grains have an approximately spherical contour. The abrasive device further includes a porosity of at least 35 percent. The present disclosure also relates to a method for producing the abrasive device.
US08021449B2
A surface-modified abrasive grain includes an abrasive grain as a substrate, and a film on the abrasive grain that includes a relatively hydrophilic silane component and a relatively hydrophobic silane component. The film can be a single film layer or multiple film layers, wherein a film layer most proximal to the abrasive grain has a predominately hydrophilic silane component, and a film layer more distal to the abrasive grain includes predominately a relatively hydrophobic silane component. Coated abrasive products and bonded abrasive products include the surface-modified abrasive grains.
US08021442B2
The process of the invention is an improvement over the existing process of producing salt of high purity from alum-treated brine disclosed recently in the prior art. More particularly, the invention rectifies the ratio of Ca2+ to Mg2+ from a value <1 to a value in the range of 2-3 desired by chlor-alkali and soda ash industries. The improved process involves the adjustment of pH of clarified brine with aqueous HCl so as to carry out salt crystallization at a pH of 6.5 instead of at the natural pH of 7. The pH adjustment reduces the Mg2+ impurity in salt while slightly raising the Ca2+ impurity in the salt and thereby achieving the desired ratio.
US08021441B2
A method of vaporizing a solid organometallic compound in which the method comprises filling the solid organometallic compound into a container, introducing a carrier gas to the container and taking out the gas containing the organometallic compound, wherein the solid organometallic compound is in the form of pellets and contains an inert support.
US08021437B2
This invention relates to cleaning compositions comprising organic catalysts having enhanced enzyme compatibility and processes for making and using such cleaning compositions.
US08021433B2
A prosthesis for partial replacement of a long bone in humans or animals, the prosthesis including: a proximal or distal end component forming one component of a prosthetic joint; a shaft on or assembled with the distal or proximal end component in use; a stem for engagement in a resected bone; and an initially separate collar assembled to the shaft or an extension thereof in use, the collar being dimensioned to abut the resected end face of the bone into which the prosthesis is to be fitted, wherein the end face of the collar facing the resected face of the bone is sized and shaped to correspond to the resected end face of the bone.
US08021431B1
Basal thumb joint implant has a head with a smooth, generally hemispherical, medio-proximally directed, articulating surface, and a generally abrupt, distally directed, truncation thereto; and a stem attached to the head, which arises from the truncation of the head and includes at least one of the following features: A) a general angle of attachment to the head which is acute in relation to the truncation of the head; B) a flanged cross-sectional stem profile; C) an inwardly curved stem; D) an eccentric head attachment site for the stem. The implant may be one-piece or modular in construction. The modular basal thumb joint implant, however, which is not necessarily limited by requiring inclusion of the aforesaid additional features A-D, includes a head with a smooth, generally hemispherical, medio-proximally directed, articulating surface, a generally abrupt, distally directed truncation thereto, and a stem trunion-receiving cup in the truncation; and a stem attachable to the head, which stem has intracarpal spike-like distal end, and a proximally directed trunion, which trunion is insertable into the stem trunion-receiving cup of the head. Other digits may be provided with analogous implants, particularly with respect to those digital implants amenable to modularity.
US08021429B2
A segmented intervertebral body fusion support includes a plurality of segments, the segments including an initial segment, a final segment and at least one intermediate segment. The intermediate segment has a generally trapezoidal configuration and the initial and final segments include tapered side walls providing triangular gaps between adjacent segments. A draw wire is fixed to the first segment and passes through the remaining segments. By pulling the draw wire relative to the segments, the segments are drawn together in a generally arcuate configuration. The draw wire includes an enlargement that passes through the final segment and engages a plurality of fingers on the final segment, which prevents the draw wire from retracting, maintaining the arcuate configuration. The segmented device can be inserted through a laparoscopic device into the intervertebral space and can be subsequently drawn into the arcuate configuration to establish the desired intervertebral spacing.
US08021426B2
The present invention relates to a device and method which may be used to reinforce the native annulus during spinal surgery. The device is a catheter based device which is placed into the inter-vertebral space following discectomy performed by either traditional surgical or endoscopic approaches. The distal end of the catheter is comprised of an expansile loop which may be increased in diameter by advancement of a portion of the catheter via its proximal end, such proximal end remaining external to the body. The expansile loop may be formed of a woven or braided material and may be made of a polymer such as nylon, polyurethane, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or any of the well known and biocompatible polymers. Alternatively the expansile portion of the catheter may be formed from a metallic braid of stainless steel, elgiloy, Nitinol, or other biocompatible metals. The expansile loop may be formed such that when the loop is diametrically contracted the loop feeds into its other end, similar to a snake eating its own tail. Stabilization of the outer portion of the loop and pulling out the inner portion will thereby increase the overall diameter of the loop while maintaining it as a closed loop or torus. The present invention comprises four embodiments and can be used to 1) facilitate disk fusing, 2) perform an artificial replacement of the nucleus, 3) perform an artificial replacement of the annulus, or 4, perform an artificial replacement of both the nucleus and annulus.
US08021422B2
A pneumatic pump comprises two coaxial cylindrical pumping chambers, each enclosing a piston connected to the other through a partition by a tube, thereby forming a monolithic piston assembly that is driven axially by a common electrical actuator providing reciprocating motion. The volume in the bottom chamber is selected as needed to provide the desired pressure in the left ventricle of an artificial heart driven by the pump. The diameter of the tube connecting the pistons is selected such that the stroke volume of the top chamber is reduced with respect to that of the bottom chamber as needed to match the reduced pressure requirements of the right ventricle of the artificial heart. Check valves are used in each chamber to ensure venting of excess pressure during the blood ejection phase and to limit the vacuum during the fill phase.
US08021419B2
A stent graft (10; 40; 80) has a tubular body (12; 42; 82) of a biocompatible material and at least two fenestrations (18, 20; 48, 50; 84, 86, 88). The at least two fenestrations (10, 20; 48, 50; 84, 86, 88) are adjacent each other and each has a tube {24, 26; 54, 55; 90, 92, 94) extending into the tubular body (1 2; 42; 82). The tubes (24, 26; 54, 55; 90, 92, 94) are joined inside the tubular body (12; 42; 82) into a single larger tube (30; 60; 96) to facilitate catheterization.
US08021418B2
A stent comprises a tubular framework having an outer surface and an inner surface and a plurality of interconnected struts. An outer covering of PTFE extends along at least a portion of the outer surface of the expandable framework and an inner covering of PTFE extends along at least a portion of the inner surface of the expandable framework. At least a portion of the inner and outer coverings are contiguous with one another. The stent further comprises at least one radiopaque marker disposed between the inner covering and the outer covering.
US08021414B2
A stent in a non-expanded state has a first and second expansion column, each consisting of a plurality of expansion strut pairs. An expansion strut pair includes a first expansion strut, a second expansion strut and a joining strut that couples the first and second expansion struts at one end. Expansion strut pairs include expansion strut pair first and second corners formed where the joining strut couples the first and second expansion struts. A connecting strut column, formed of a plurality of connecting struts couples the first and second expansion columns. Connecting struts include a proximal section, a distal section and an intermediate section. The proximal section is coupled to the corner of an expansion strut pair of the first expansion column, and the distal section is coupled to the joining strut of an expansion strut pair of the second expansion column intermediate the expansion strut pair first corner and the expansion strut pair second corner.
US08021412B2
A leg extension (10) for a stent grafting system to connect between an aortic graft and an iliac graft. The leg extension is a tubular body (12) of a biocompatible graft material with self-expanding stents connected along the length of the tubular body and the tubular body having a distal end with a connection region. The connection region has a flared stent defining an external frusto-conical surface to provide a connection arrangement to engage within an internally flared portion of an iliac graft.
US08021388B2
A circumferential compression sleeve has bladder openings extending through a bladder, making the sleeve generally breathable and comfortable for the wearer. The device has a static evaporation rate through the device of at least about 20 mg/minute. The device has a convective evaporation resistance of less than about 75. In one example, the device includes a wicking layer for contacting the wearer's skin. The wicking layer wicks moisture from the wearer's skin and generally moves the moisture to portions of the layer in registration with the openings where the moisture is allowed to evaporate therethrough.
US08021385B2
A method for treating a lung using an intra-bronchial device may be placed and anchored in an air passageway of a patient to collapse a lung portion associated with the air passageway. The method includes using an obstructing member that prevents air from being inhaled into the lung portion, and an anchor that anchors the obstruction device within the air passageway. The anchor may piercingly engage the air passageway wall. The anchor may be releasable from the air passageway for removal of the obstructing member. The anchor may be releasable by collapsing a portion of the obstructing member, or by drawing the obstructing member toward the larynx. The obstructing member may be a one-way valve.
US08021378B2
A surgical clip includes a U-shaped configuration with first and second arms, and a bridge portion therebetween. The first arm is provided with a tip preferably having a catch, and the second arm extends into a deformable retainer having a tissue-piercing end and preferably also a hook. During application, tissue is clamped, and the clip is forced over the clamped tissue and the retainer of the second arm is bent and may be pierced through the tissue. The retainer is toward and around or adjacent the tip of the first arm preferably until the hook is engaged about the catch to secure the clip to the tissue and prevent the clip and tissue from separating. The clip is provided with structure that facilitates the stacking of a plurality of clips in a clip chamber of a clip applier.
US08021371B2
Disclosed herein is a medical wire with an intracorporeally indwelling member connected to the leading end part of a conductive wire body through a thermally-fusible connecting member, wherein expected heat generation can be achieved even when a conductive member that causes leak comes into contact with the leading end part of the conductive wire body, and thus the intracorporeally indwelling member can be surely released.This medical wire comprises a conductive wire body and an intracorporeally indwelling member connected to the leading end part of the conductive wire body through a thermally-fusible connecting member, in which the connecting member is heated and fused by supplying an electric current for fusion through the conductive wire body, thereby releasing the intracorporeally indwelling member, wherein a non-conductive coating film is formed on an external peripheral surface of an electrode-forming portion in the leading end part of the wire body, and a part of the surface of the wire body is exposed through the coating film, thereby forming a heating electrode portion.
US08021369B2
A femoral neck resection guide assembly for use in minimally invasive hip surgery is disclosed. The assembly includes a guide portion having at least two spaced resection guide surfaces for guiding a cutting tool. A bushing and fastener elements are also included in the assembly for cooperating with and fixing the guide portion to the bone. Preferably, the assembly allows for initial connection of the guide portion to the bone and polyaxial rotation of the guide before such is statically affixed.
US08021354B2
A needleless injection structure includes a duct, a stuff base and a casing. The duct has a through channel. The duct has a ring channel and a transverse channel formed on a top thereof. The stuff base is disposed on the top of the duct. The stuff base has an uneven portion, a first fillet, a plurality of first protrusions and a closed space. The casing is assembled on the duct. The casing has an opening, a second fillet, an accommodating space and a plurality of second protrusions. The opening communicates with the accommodating space. The stuff base stays in the accommodating space. The improved needleless injection structure is provided thereby, which results in increasing the use of safety, saving the cost, and mitigating the pain of the patient.
US08021332B2
An agent delivery catheter which has a support member comprising at least one articulating arm having an end fixedly secured relative to the shaft and having an anchor end section opposite to the fixed end. The articulating arm is biased to pivot at the fixed end away from the shaft, to transform from a low profile configuration to a high profile configuration in which the arm extends laterally away from the shaft and the anchor end section contacts the patient's body lumen wall, to support the shaft in the body lumen during delivery of an agent, for example by injection from a needle extended from the catheter into the wall of the body lumen.
US08021317B2
Orthopedic device for treating neuropathic ulcers and other injuries while allowing easy access to the wound site on the plantar surface of a patient's foot includes a base portion and a sole that is either movably connected or removably connected to either the base or to a strut member. The base or strut is maintained in position on the lower leg while the sole may be rotated, slid, or completely removed for allowing inspection and access to the plantar surface of the patient's foot.
US08021316B2
The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to a device and/or system (e.g., redistributing weight away from a subject's foot), which may comprise (a) a platform, (b) at least one vertical support fixed to the platform and extending upwardly from the platform, and (c) at least one cuff (i) configured to surround and releasably grip at least a portion of a subject's leg other than the foot and (ii) adjustably mounted to the at least one vertical support at a vertical position along the at least one vertical support sufficient to suspend a subject's foot in a non-weight-bearing position above the platform during ambulation, wherein the platform, the at least one vertical support, and the at least one cuff together are configured to bear at least the subject's full weight.
US08021313B2
An air-tight foam-filled bladder is used for varying massage intensity in a massage chair, massage mat, or other massage device. The bladder may be compressed from a default or relaxed thickness by evacuating air from the bladder. The thickness of the foam-filled bladder may be reduced to a collapsed thickness in which the foam is compressed within the bladder. In use, the foam-filled bladder is placed proximate a conventional fixed massage mechanism in a massage device, such as in the back rest of a massage chair. By controlling the amount of air evacuated from the bladder, the intensity of the massage is controlled by varying the amount of pressure exerted by the fixed massage mechanism on the user. In the case of a massage chair, the user may advantageously sit back in the chair without discomfort when the user does not want a massage, and may control the intensity of the massage provided by the chair. In another embodiment, an active pump may be used to inflate one or more bladders that may or may not include a foam insert. The number, size and location of the bladders may be varied in any of the embodiments.
US08021300B2
A volume is represented using high spatial resolution ultrasound data. By modulating B-mode data with Doppler or flow information, the spatial resolution or contrast of the B-mode data may be enhanced. The same set of ultrasound data is used for identifying a boundary, for placing the perspective position within the volume and rendering from the perspective position. The identification of the boundary and rendering are automated or performed by a processor. Ultrasound data may be used for generating three-dimensional fly-through representations, allowing for virtual endoscopy or other diagnostically useful views of structure or fluid flow channel. Virtual processes are not invasive, allow for more patient comfort, have selectable or different depths of focus, may allow for fly-through of different types of anatomy and may be used as a training tool.
US08021296B2
A wound retractor (320) comprises a distal ring (3) for insertion through a wound opening (6), a proximal ring (4) for location externally of the wound opening (6), a valve (10) mounted to the proximal ring (4), and a sleeve (2) for retracting laterally the sides of the wound opening (6). The wound retractor (320) also comprises a flexible release member (81) for releasing the distal ring (3) from a retracting configuration for removal of the distal ring (3) from the wound opening (6). A first end (301) of the release member (81) is attached to the valve housing (102), the release member (81) loops around the distal ring (3), and a second end (302) of the release member (81) is movable relative to the proximal ring (4) to release the distal ring (3) from the retracting configuration.
US08021294B2
A surgical system includes a first instrument defining a first channel and a second instrument receivable by the first channel. The second instrument defines a second channel. A valve coupled to the first instrument controls fluid flow through the first channel, such that impedance of fluid flow through the first channel is substantially the same without the second instrument received in the first channel and with the first channel partially blocked by the second instrument. In another aspect, a surgical apparatus includes an outer member and an inner member received within the outer member to define a first channel therebetween. The inner member houses an optical lens and defines a second channel for receiving a surgical instrument. The first and second channels are configured such that a pump having an inflow rate of up to about 0.7 L/min connected to the second channel can maintain fluid pressure inside an organ.
US08021292B2
Various example embodiments are disclosed. According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include a voltage source coupled to a motor via a diode, the diode coupled to the motor and the voltage source, a rechargeable battery, and a motor. The diode may be configured to allow current to flow from the voltage source to the motor. The motor may be configured to spin a disk upon which a plurality of magnets are mounted. The apparatus may be configured to recharge the rechargeable battery with the voltage source and to enable the rechargeable battery to supply power to the motor when a voltage of the voltage source drops below a threshold voltage level.
US08021291B2
In an embodiment, an implantable marker, which is adapted to be implanted into patient tissue using a hollow needle, includes a marker body including a radiopaque material and a polymeric material that encapsulates at least a portion of the marker body. In an embodiment, an outer surface of the encapsulating material includes one or more protrusions to reduce a tendency of the marker to migrate and rotate within a patient's body after implantation.
US08021289B2
A clean-in-place decanter centrifuge for processing a combined liquid and solid material to separate the solid material from the liquid. The centrifuge is designed for use in the food processing industry, particularly for dairy products, and therefore has fluid injectors for cleaning all surfaces within the centrifuge including the opposed mating surfaces which function as non-contacting seal mechanisms. The centrifuge has no metal-to-metal contact areas within the interior of the bowl and scroll assembly. In one embodiment, the outer wall of the bowl and scroll assembly comprises a plurality of drain lines located in the rear wall section of the bowl to allow essentially all liquid to drain from the bowl and scroll assembly. In another embodiment, the bowl hub comprises at least one drain line to allow lubrication oil to drain into said cavity and prevent ingress of lubrication oil into said bowl and scroll assembly. In another embodiment, the discharge housing further comprises an enclosure bound by the interior surface of the exterior wall of the discharge housing, partitions within the discharge housing, and the outer wall of the rotating bowl, said partitions being separated from the outer wall of the rotating bowl by non-contacting seals whereby fine solid material that migrates into said enclosure is removable from the discharge housing by liquid sprayed from one or more fluid injectors inserted into said enclosure.
US08021285B2
An endless cord exercise machine in which a user applies a continuous pulling motion to a cord that is attached to a resistance mechanism is disclosed. The machine may be arranged to simulate the acts of rope climbing or of scaling a wall with the assistance of a rope, or may be arranged to provide other types of upper and lower body muscle development. The resistance mechanism is ideally comprised of a plurality of rotary viscous dampers of differing viscosities housed in a rotating drum. A spring-loaded adjustment key mechanism extending through the hub of the drum and dampers allows the user to selectively engage any combination of dampers to provide exercise resistance.
US08021267B2
A coupling assembly for transmitting torque between a first body and a second body is disclosed herein. The coupling assembly includes a diaphragm plate extending radially between a radially inner periphery fixed for rotation with the first body. The diaphragm plate extends to a radially outer periphery and is operable to elastically deform in response to changes in the axial positions of the first and second bodies relative to one another. The coupling assembly also includes a socket assembly engaged with the radially outer periphery of the first diaphragm plate for concurrent axial movement in response to changes in the axial positions of the first and second bodies relative to one another. The socket assembly is also operable to transmit torque between the second body and the diaphragm plate. The socket assembly includes a radially-accommodating structure operable to at least partially move in response to changes in an outer profile of the second body. The diaphragm plate and the socket assembly are engaged such that the socket assembly does not impart loading on the diaphragm plate in response to changes in the outer profile of the second body.
US08021266B2
A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting mechanisms. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting mechanisms include clutches and a brake. The torque transmitting mechanisms are each selectively engageable to interconnect at least one of the first, second, and third members of the planetary gear sets with at least another one of the first members, second members, third members of the planetary gear sets, and the stationary element. The torque transmitting mechanisms are selectively engageable in combinations of at least two to establish at least eight forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio between the input member and the output member.
US08021260B2
A transmitting torque limiting apparatus, used in a power transmitting apparatus, includes side gears (40) and side gears piece (42) one of which are axially shiftable. The side gears (40) and the side gear pieces (42) respectively have first engaging teeth (60a) and second engaging teeth (60b) each being provided with a pressure angle (Alpha). Due to such pressure angle, when an excessive torque is inputted into the power transmitting apparatus, a thrust force (F1) is generated for disengaging the engagement between the first engaging teeth (60a) and second engaging teeth (60b). Thus, inputting of the excessive torque into the power transmitting apparatus can be limited.
US08021258B2
An axle assembly with an axle shaft, an annular disc and a pair of change members. The axle shaft includes an unthreaded body portion having a first diameter. The annular disc is mounted on the body portion and has a central aperture through which the unthreaded body portion is received. The central aperture has a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter. Rotation of the axle shaft causes the annular disc to translate on the unthreaded body portion between the change members and wherein a direction in which the annular disc translates is changed through contact between the annular disc and the change members.
US08021255B2
The present invention is directed to decreasing noise from the onset of engagement with the sprocket teeth till seating thereon and also to reducing wear to the silent chain and the sprocket. A face (a) of a sprocket tooth, which contacts the chain at the onset of engagement, has a tooth profile that is an envelope (1) of trajectories described by the inner flank surface (23) of the link plate (2) when the chain moves linearly toward the sprocket (S) and engages with the sprocket (S) without causing a chordal action. A crest (b) of the sprocket tooth, which contacts the chain (S) at the time of seating on the sprocket tooth, has a tooth profile that is an envelope (m) of trajectories described by the crotch (25) of the link plate (2) when the link plate (2) rotates around the connecting pin during the wrapping motion of the chain around the sprocket (S). A connecting surface (c) that connects the face (a) of the sprocket tooth with the crest (b) is formed of a curved surface which is inscribed in the envelope (1) of the trajectories during the linear motion of the link plate and the envelope (m) of the trajectories during the rotational motion of the link plate.
US08021237B2
The present invention is a system for recreational purposes. The system includes a vessel rotatably mounted, a support stand, and a drive system. The vessel has a wall that defines an internal cavity, sufficient for at least one occupant to be received wherein the occupant is in contact with the wall, and a tunnel for accessing the internal cavity. The wall has dampens the contact between the occupant and the vessel. The support stand has two connectors carried by elevated members on opposing sides of the vessel for supporting the vessel. A drive system that includes a motor mechanically connected to at least one of the connectors for rotating the vessel and the occupant within the internal cavity.
US08021235B2
A shaft assembly includes a first shaft member and a second shaft member telescopically engaged with the first shaft member. A roller carrier supporting a plurality of rollers is disposed between the first and second shaft members. The first shaft member defines a first slot extending along and angled relative to a longitudinal axis. The second shaft member defines a second slot extending along and angled relative to the first slot and the longitudinal axis. The roller carrier defines a carrier slot extending transverse to the longitudinal axis. A pin extends through the first slot, the second slot and the carrier slot and moves the roller carrier at a slower speed than the relative movement speed between the first shaft member and the second shaft member during telescoping movement. A wedge is disposed between the first shaft member and a portion of the rollers to de-lash the shaft assembly.
