US08154696B2
An array substrate for a fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of gate lines on a substrate; a gate insulating layer on the plurality of gate lines; a plurality of data lines on the gate insulating layer and crossing the plurality of gate lines to define a plurality of pixel regions; a thin film transistor electrically connected to the gate and data lines and in each pixel region; a pixel electrode having a plate shape and in the each pixel region, the pixel electrode connected to a portion of the thin film transistor; a first passivation layer on the pixel electrode and over the thin film transistor; and a common electrode on the first passivation layer and having a plurality of openings of a bar shape in the each pixel region, each of the openings having a major axis along the data line and a minor axis along the gate line, wherein a center portion of each opening overlaps the pixel electrode, and both ends along the major axis of each opening protrude beyond the pixel electrode.
US08154694B2
Provided are a laminated optical film capable of enhancing a contrast ratio in an oblique direction remarkably while enhancing viewing angle characteristics when being used in a liquid crystal display apparatus or the like, and a liquid crystal panel and a liquid crystal display apparatus using the laminated optical film. The laminated optical film of the present invention includes a polarizer, a first optical compensation layer, and a second optical compensation layer in the stated order, in which the first optical compensation layer has a refractive index profile of nx>nz>ny and is placed so that a slow axis direction thereof is substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to an absorption axis direction of the polarizer, and the second optical compensation layer converts linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light or circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light in a visible light region.
US08154692B2
A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a liquid crystal display panel, and a light diffusing layer which has first and second major surfaces and which is arranged such that the first major surface opposes a viewer side surface of the liquid crystal display panel. The light diffusing layer includes a first region formed of a first substance which has a first refractive index N1 and a plurality of second regions formed of a second substance which has a second refractive index N2 (
US08154687B2
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having light scattering patterns at an edge region of a light guide plate, capable of preventing a hot spot phenomenon occurring when an edge-type backlight unit is implemented with using light emitting means such as light emitting diodes (LED). The LCD device comprises: an LC panel; a light guide plate disposed below the LC panel, and having light scattering patterns formed in a plurality of groups with a constant gap therebetween at one or more edge regions on an upper surface thereof; and light emitting devices disposed at a side wall of the light guide plate, each light emitting device disposed to correspond to a region between the light scattering patterns, for emitting light.
US08154686B2
A directional backlight, a multiple view display and a multi-direction display A multiple view display (18) comprises a directional display device (19) for displaying a first image or sequence of images so as to be mainly visible from a first range of directions relative to the device and for simultaneously displaying a second image or sequence of images so as to be mainly visible from a second range of directions relative to the device different from the first range. The display (18) further comprises a directional backlight (20) for directing light through the display device (19) at least mainly in the first and second ranges. Since the directional backlight (20) directs light through the display device (19) at least mainly in the first and second ranges, the display provides users located in the first and second ranges with images of greater intensity than a conventional display. The backlight may be arranged to direct substantially no light in at least part of a third range of directions that lies between the first range of directions and the second range of directions. This provides a ‘black window’ between the first and second ranges in which the intensity of the display is lower than in other ranges. The intensity of the display in the black window is possibly zero, or close to zero, so that an observer located in this window will not perceive an image.
US08154685B2
A laser light source (1) emits a beam. A collimator lens (2) converts the beam emitted from the laser light source (1) into first substantially parallel light. A lenticular lens (3) expands a beam of the first substantially parallel light converted by the collimator lens (2) into a linear shape in a first direction. A Fresnel lens (4) converts the beam expanded in the first direction by the lenticular lens (3) into second substantially parallel light. A free curved surface mirror (5) has a reflecting surface formed into a free curved surface, and expands a beam of the second substantially parallel light converted by the Fresnel lens (4) into a planar shape in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. This arrangement enables to provide a planar illumination device with a small thickness and high light use efficiency.
US08154683B2
The present invention relates to a method for easily manufacturing an illumination device in which a surface mount chip-type LED is used, and a wiring board is formed into a truncated conical or another shape. The method includes, in a flexible strip-like wiring board having a partial ring or a linear shape, providing a through-hole T for filling with solder paste S at a wiring end portion L to be connected with a terminal of an LED, temporarily fixing the LED with bond B onto the wiring board held in a plate-like state, filling the through-hole T with the solder paste S from a back surface of the wiring board, rounding the wiring board mounted with the LED into a truncated conical or cylindrical shape, and reflowing the wiring board in the rounded state to solder the LED.
US08154678B2
The present invention provides a display device which can display characters clearly and display images smoothly. An area gray scale method is adopted and a configuration of one pixel is changed depending on a mode, by selecting one or more display regions in each pixel. When characters are needed to be displayed clearly, one pixel is configured by selecting a stripe arrangement. Thus, clear display can be conducted. When images are needed to be displayed, one pixel is configured by selecting an indented state. Thus, smooth display can be conducted.
US08154671B2
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a reflective liquid crystal display apparatus which includes a polarization beam splitter having a polarization split film used as both a polarizer and an analyzer; a reflective liquid crystal display device; a quarter wave plate; and a projection optical system; where the absolute value of phase difference of diffracted light generated by the reflective liquid crystal display device in a black display state is reduced by the phase difference of the quarter wave plate, and thus the amount of stray light of the diffracted light guided from the polarizing beam splitter to the projection optical system decreases.
US08154669B2
A system includes a light source, a driving module and a processing unit. The light source includes a red, green and blue light emitting diodes. The driving module is electrically coupled to the red, green and blue light emitting diodes. The driving module is for controlling a driving current outputted to each of the red, green and blue light emitting diodes. The processing unit is communicatively coupled to the driving module. The processing unit receives a video signal containing display information which is inputted into a display screen and is to be displayed thereon. The processing unit analyzes the video signal and determines color temperature of the display information, and outputs a first controlling signal to the driving module for synchronously adjusting the color temperature of the light emitted from the light source to be substantially equal to that of the display information displayed on the display screen.
US08154667B2
It is intended to provide a digital planetarium picture-projecting apparatus capable of recording and executing an operation procedure, facilitating recording of the operation procedure, editing the operation procedure, and executing an ad-lib representation when the operation procedure is executed. The digital planetarium picture projecting apparatus comprises an operating portion which accepts an operation by an operator about picture projection, an operation display panel which displays information about picture projection to the operator, a manual process recording portion which records an operation procedure executed to the operating portion, and a control portion which executes picture projection according to the operation procedure recorded in the manual process recording portion, wherein a temporary stop or restart operation by the operator is accepted during recording of the operation procedure by the manual process recording portion. Further, information about a projection screen is displayed on an operation display panel during execution of picture projection according to the operation procedure.
US08154660B2
A method of controlling a display device selectively displaying one of a first signal received from a first signal source and a second signal received from a second signal source is provided. The method includes the steps of: displaying the second signal; detecting whether the first signal is received; and displaying the first signal when the first signal is received by the display device.
US08154643B2
An image pick-up apparatus includes an image pick-up device, a storage media which stores an image picked up by the image pick up device, a color space converter which converts a color space of the image; a storage media reader which reads out the image from the storage media, an external display interface, a coefficient determiner which determines a coefficient for color conversion based on comparison between a resolution of the image read out by the storage media reader and a resolution of a display which is connected to the external display interface, and a display controller which outputs the image of which color is converted by the color space converter based on the coefficient for color conversion to the display.
US08154642B2
An apparatus and method for controlling an image sensor output are discussed. When a certain number of valid pixels of an image sensor, such as a CCD, is selected, a corresponding timing parameter is calculated. Signal values output from charge wells respectively corresponding to unit cells of the image sensor are separated or merged and then output by using the calculated timing parameter. Therefore, an image of a user-defined number of valid pixels can be varied and output in various ways, and all electric charges that are photoelectrically converted by the maximum number of valid pixels of the image sensor can be efficiently used.
US08154635B2
An image sensor and digital gain compensation thereof. The image sensor includes a variable amplification device for amplifying an inputted analog image signal as a variable first gain value, an analog-to-digital conversion unit for converting the amplified analog image signal into a digital image signal, and a digital gain compensation device for comparing the first gain value with a reference gain value and compensating the digital image signal as a digital second gain value when the first gain value is less than the reference gain value.
US08154634B2
A merged image is generated by merging together a first image obtained by shooting with a reduced exposure time, a second image obtained by shooting with an increased exposure time, and a third image obtained by filtering out a high-frequency component from the first image. Here, a merging ratio at which the second and third images are merged together is determined by use of differential values obtained from the second and third images. Also, a merging ratio at which the first image and the second and third images (a fourth image) are merged together is determined by use of edge intensity values obtained from an image based on the first image.
US08154632B2
A system and method for detecting defective pixels in a sensor. A plurality of pixel values of the sensor may be detected. The values may include those of a first pixel and each nearest neighboring pixel to the first pixel. A second pixel may have the highest value of the neighboring pixels. A third pixel may have the next highest value of the neighboring pixels. A first function may be performed on the second pixel value, producing a first output value. A second function may be performed on the third pixel value, producing a second output value. If the first pixel value is higher than the first output value, or, if the first pixel value is higher than the second output value and the second pixel value is higher than the second output value, it may be determined that the first pixel is defective.
US08154631B2
The application describes an X-ray detector, which uses direct X-ray conversion (DiCo) combined with CMOS pixel circuits. DiCo materials have to be used with high voltage to achieve a high field strength. This makes the sensor prone to leakage currents, which falsify the measured charge result. Moreover, most direct conversion materials suffer from large residual signals that lead to temporal artifacts (ghost images) in an X-ray image sequence. A circuit is described, which senses the sensor's dark current including residual signals from previous exposures before the sensor is exposed (again) to X-ray, and freezes relevant circuit parameters at the end of the sensing phase in such way, that the dark current (leakage current and residual signal) can still be drained during exposure. Therefore, the charge pulses generated in the sensor due to X-ray exposure can be integrated without charges carried by the leakage current or residual signal, thus obtaining a more accurate estimate of the deposited X-ray energy.
US08154630B2
An image processing apparatus includes a noise reduction unit which performs noise reduction processing to image signals, a first noise presumption unit which presumes a first noise amount from a present image signal among the image signals, and a second noise presumption unit which presumes a second noise amount based on the first noise amount, the present image signal, and the image signal of the past which underwent the noise reduction processing. The noise reduction unit performs the noise reduction processing to the present image signal based on the second noise amount.
US08154621B2
An image of a subject is focused on an image pickup device through a zoom lens and a diaphragm. The image focused on the image pickup device is photoelectrically converted into an electric signal. The electric signal as a picture signal is supplied to an amplifying circuit. The amplifying circuit amplifies the supplied picture signal. The amplified picture signal is digitized by an A/D converter. The digitized picture signal is supplied to a signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit performs a clamping process, a color signal process, a luminance signal process, and other processes such as contour compensation, defect compensation, and white balance compensation. A camera CPU controls the zoom lens through a lens driving circuit, controls the image pickup device through a timing generating circuit, and controls an auxiliary lighting portion 7. A signal received from an operating portion is supplied to the camera CPU.
US08154605B2
An image tracking apparatus includes: an imaging device that generates image information by capturing an image formed through an image forming optical system; a setting unit that sets, based upon the image information, first reference image information that includes image information corresponding to a part of an image to be designated as a target in the image information and also sets second reference image information based upon information related to an image assuming a position close to an image corresponding to the first reference image information; and a recognition unit that recognizes the target based upon the first reference image information and the second reference image information.
US08154604B2
A camera motion parameter retrieving system and solving process begins with using the equation of that the vector field divergence volume integral is equal to the total outgoing throughput passing through the surface area of the volume through the vector in conjunction with camera motion detection to solve the Motion Vectors (MVs) in the domain, followed by operation to further solve camera motion parameter respectively contains that for PAN, TILT and ZOOM while the value of the parameter represents the motion value; upon obtaining those three parameters, the moving direction of the camera motion of the present image being indicated after simple addition and subtraction operation.
US08154599B2
An imaging region adjustment device includes plural camera terminals, capable of imaging an entire imaging target without blinds spots. Each of the camera terminals includes a camera which images a virtual imaging region obtained while changing the position of an imaging region within a specific region in a specific period of time and an adjusting unit B which adjusts the position of the virtual imaging region by controlling the camera. The adjusting unit B adjusts the position and aspect ratio of the virtual imaging region of one's own camera terminal so that a combined region of the virtual imaging regions of the camera terminals completely covers a specific imaging target region, based on the virtual imaging region of one's own camera terminal and virtual imaging regions of the other camera terminals, and when the virtual imaging regions A of N other camera terminals are contained in the virtual imaging region of one's own camera terminal, divides the virtual imaging region of one's own camera terminal into N+1 regions.
US08154596B2
An image transmitting method is disclosed for reducing the load on a CPU of an image transmission apparatus. An image change monitoring unit provided in the image transmission apparatus monitors the latest image used to generate image data transmitted to an image reception apparatus via a network, and a subsequent image to determine whether or not the latest image has changed. An image capture unit captures the image after the image has changed to acquire the image when the image change monitoring unit determines that the latest image has changed.
US08154595B2
What is disclosed is a device (1) for automatic detection of a possible incorrect measurement, wherein the device (1) comprises at least one reflected light illumination apparatus (14) and/or a transmitted light illumination apparatus (6) and at least one imaging optical system (9) and one detector (11) of a camera (10) for imaging structures (3) on a substrate (2), wherein a first program portion (17) is linked to the detector (11) of the camera (10), said detector being provided for determining the position and/or dimension of the structure (3) on the substrate (2), wherein the device (1) determines and records a plurality of measurement variables Mj, jε{1, . . . , L}, from which at least one variable G can be determined, wherein a second program portion (18) is linked to the detector (11) of the camera (10), said program portion calculating an analysis of the measurement variables Mj with regard to a possible incorrect measurement. Also disclosed is a method for automatic detection of a possible incorrect measurement wherein an analysis of the measurement variables Mj with regard to a possible incorrect measurement is calculated with a second program portion (18) which is linked to the detector (11) of the camera (10).
US08154593B2
An appearance inspection device, which inspects an appearance of test objects, includes a first and second conveying means 21 and 22a conveying the test objects, a back/front reversal means 23 turning over the front and back surfaces of the test objects being conveyed by the first conveying means 21 and supplying the test objects to the second conveying means 22a, and a plurality of image-pickup means 30b and 30c capturing images of each test object from upper oblique directions while the test objects are conveyed by the first and second conveying means 21 and 22a. The appearance inspection device also includes a defect detection means detecting the presence of defects in the test objects based on image data captured by the image-pickup means 30b and 30c. This appearance inspection device makes it possible to reliably and readily inspect an entire appearance of the test objects.
US08154587B2
A three-dimensional image display apparatus displays element images each composed of a set of parallax component images. An exit pupil array is located opposite the display surface. Exit pupils of the array correspond to the respective element images. The horizontal pitch of the exit pupils or an integral multiple of the horizontal pitch is set equal or slightly smaller than an integral multiple of the horizontal pitch of pixels. The parallax component images are oriented in different directions via the exit pupil. Principal beams from the parallax component images via the exit pupils are emitted substantially parallel to one another. The element image contains substantially the same parallax image component in two pixel areas in which two adjacent parallax image components are otherwise displayed. The same parallax image component is oriented in different directions via the corresponding exit pupil.
US08154586B2
The invention involves a sort of curved film projection system, including a rendering surface, a projection screen, a real scene rendering model of image system, a rendering model of projection system that renders the projection the image rendered by the rendering model of image system on the rendering surface, and projecting devices that projects the image finally rendered by the rendering model of projection system onto the projection screen through optical lens. The viewing direction and angle from observer's eyes to the rendering surface is consistent with that to the projection screen. The image system rendering model can be reversible on optical path with the projection system rendering model. The curved film projection system not only reduces the rendering cost, but also produces lifelike experience for audience.
US08154580B2
A system and method for facilitating user communication from a location. The system comprises two or more cameras for capturing two or more videos at a first location, a control unit for streaming one or more of the videos captured to a first communication unit at the first location through a first network, and streaming one or more of the videos captured to a second communication unit located at a second location through a second network, a server for identifying a location data of the first location based on an identifier of the control unit, and a communication platform associated with the first location. The communication platform is accessible by the first and second communication units through the first and second networks respectively. The communication platform comprises a first display for displaying one or more of the videos captured, a second display for displaying the location data of the first location identified by the server, and one or more control interfaces for controlling the camera view of the one or more videos displayed in the first display, wherein controlling the camera view comprises switching the one or more videos displayed in the first display between videos captured by the two or more cameras.
US08154578B2
Video communication devices and methods are provided. The device has an image display device; a first image capture device that acquires video images depicting a wide field of view within the local environment; a second image capture device that acquires video images depicting a narrow field of view within the wide field of view; a communication system that is adapted to use a communication network to transmit outgoing video images; and a computer causing the capture of video images during a communication event, and further being adapted to identify a video context for the communication event; wherein said computer uses a scene analysis algorithm to examine concurrent video images from the image capture device based upon the identified video context to determine the extent to which video images from the first image capture device and the second image capture device are to be incorporated into the outgoing video images.
US08154573B2
A method of forming a latent image portion on an overcoat layer by a difference in surface brilliance, at the time of layering an overcoat layer on a thermal transfer subject sheet by a heat transfer method, includes the steps of: setting at least two types of applied energy from the thermal head wherein a plurality of thermal elements are arrayed in line form, and layering the overcoat layer on the thermal transfer subject sheet; forming a difference in surface brilliance made up of a region of relatively high degree of brilliance and a region of relatively low degree of brilliance, based on the difference in the applied energy, to form a line pattern with a plurality of lines; and forming the lines by shifting a phase of a line pattern of the latent image portion and the line pattern of a background portion excluding the latent image portion.
US08154551B2
When a character input is necessary during an execution of an engine application 39k in an engine section, a character input processing request section 65 of the engine section issues a character input processing request FRQ depending on a request from the engine application 39k. After receiving the character input processing request, a character input processing section 61 of a host section carries out a character input processing, and notifies a character input processing result to the engine section. In the engine section which has received the character input processing result, characters according to the character input processing result are displayed by using character font data in the engine section. As a result, it is possible to make an apparatus structure compact, as well as to improve a convenience for a user.
US08154549B2
A data display apparatus includes: an axis display section that displays an axis indicating a predetermined range on a display section; a data association section that associates a plurality of data with positions on the axis based on attribute information of the data, the plurality of data being different from one another; and a data display control section that arranges, out of the plurality of data, a certain number of data associated with arbitrary areas on the axis in a predetermined order and displays the certain number of data.
US08154548B2
A measured value of a physical quantity measured using a measuring device within a predetermined region on a real space, and a position where the measuring device performs measurement are acquired (S1001 to S1003). An analytic value of the physical quantity at that position in the predetermined region is calculated (S1004). A first object representing the measured value and a second object representing the analytic value are arranged at a place corresponding to this position on a virtual space having a coordinate system which matches the coordinate system of the real space (S1005, S1006). An image which is seen upon viewing the virtual space on which the first and second objects are arranged from a viewpoint is generated, and the generated image is output (S1008, S1009).
US08154544B1
An embodiment of the invention creates contact deformations in objects by combining two deformations. A collider contacting an object defines a primary deformation that modifies at least a portion of the object in contact with the collider. A secondary deformation based at least in part on user-provided parameters is added in the vicinity of the primary deformation to deform nearby portions of the objects that are not in contact with the collider, providing an aesthetic contact effect. A secondary deformation specification defines the general shape of the secondary deformation. The secondary deformation specification is associated with a location based on the location of the primary deformation. In an embodiment, the modification of the object due to the secondary deformation specification is modulated by attributes of the collision points, the primary deformation, user-specified weightings, and/or weight maps.
US08154537B2
A system for generating haptic effects on a rotary knob includes an electrical coil and a core. A first level of voltage is applied to the coil to enable a first surface interface having a first coefficient of friction and to generate a first haptic effect by varying the voltage. A second level of voltage is applied to the coil to enable a second surface interface having a second coefficient of friction that is greater than the first coefficient of friction and to generate a second haptic effect by varying the voltage.
US08154535B2
An image generating unit of a display apparatus generates a determination image based on first and second light reception images obtained from light reception cells in a light-emission period and in a non-light-emission period, respectively. An image determining unit determines whether or not an image of an object to be detected is included in the determination image, stores data corresponding to the determination image as initial data into a storage when the object image is not included in the determination image, and stores the data corresponding to the determination image as detection data into the storage when the object image is included in the determination image. A position determining unit determines at least an object position based on an image represented by the detection data in the storage and an image represented by the initial data in the storage.
US08154534B2
A device for detecting an incident light distribution. The device has an array of light sensors, and a shadow casting element spaced above the light sensor array, with the shadow casting element between the incident light to be modeled and the sensor array. A processor interprets a cast shadow detected by the light sensor array thereby to derive information relating to the directional distribution of the incident light.
US08154529B2
In a touch sensor, as well as providing touch position data, additional data is provided on the shape of the touch. This is achieved by having sampling nodes on a finer mesh than the size of the actuating object, typically a finger, so each finger touch activates a group of adjacent nodes on the sensor. In this way, each touch has a shape formed by the activated nodes. The shape allows the touch sensor to report an angle with each touch and data indicating how elongate the touch is, preferably both together as a vector in which the direction of the vector gives the angle and the magnitude of the vector gives the ellipticity. For each frame of data collected from the sensor array, the sensor outputs an (x, y) coordinate of touch position and a further (x, y) coordinate of a shape vector. This allows many novel gestures to be provided, such as single finger “drag and zoom” and single finger “drag and rotate”. It also allows for correction of systematic human error in the placement of finger touches on virtual keys.
US08154528B2
A matrix sensing apparatus with architecture having reduced quantity of required sensing lines is disclosed. The matrix sensing apparatus includes a plurality of driving lines, a plurality of sensing lines and a matrix sensing region. The matrix sensing region includes a plurality of sensing areas. Each sensing area includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a sensing unit for generating a sensing signal. The first transistor is coupled to the sensing unit and a corresponding sensing line. The second transistor is coupled to the first transistor, a first corresponding driving line and a second corresponding driving line. The first transistor together with the second transistor functions to control the signal connection between the sensing unit and the corresponding sensing line based on the driving signals of the first and second corresponding driving lines.
US08154517B2
A multifunctional display and operating device in a motor vehicle includes a display field for displaying information, and, situated adjacent to the display field, includes operating elements for selecting functions, the operating elements arranged as keys which are each pivotable about a rotational axis extending in, or at an end region of the keys parallel to a surface of the display field.
US08154508B2
The present invention discloses a REPEATED-SCAN driving method, which applies to a field sequential color liquid crystal display, wherein each sequential-color cycle of the multiplex-scan signal has at least two stages of scans to increase the luminous fluxes of all colors of backlights and bring closer the total amounts of fluxes, whereby is achieved higher color saturation and better flux uniformity between the rows. Further, the method of the present invention controls the backlights to form dark stages between the intervals respectively of two different colors of the backlights and controls the dark stage to coincide with a color-mixing interval, which is caused by response delay of liquid crystal, to prevent from color distortion caused by color mixing. Therefore, the present invention can generate the pure colors and the designed derived colors accurately.
US08154505B2
The backlight module includes a first lamp, a second lamp, a circuit board and a driving circuit board. The circuit board includes chambers to be connected to the first lamp and the second lamp, and capacitors to stabilize a voltage across two ends of each of the first lamp and the second lamp. The driving circuit board includes an inverter for driving the first lamp and the second lamp via the circuit board.
US08154500B2
A gate driver includes: a shift register and a gate signal generating unit. The shift register unit sequentially outputs scanning signals. The gate signal generating unit generates a normal gate signal and an inverted gate signal based on the scanning signals, controls a charge sharing operation of the normal gate signal and the inverted gate signal, and generates an output gate signal having a rising edge and a falling edge at which a voltage level of the output gate signal is increased and decreased by a charge sharing voltage.
US08154495B2
The present invention discloses a method for improving the image quality of a MSHD (Multi-Switch Half source Driving) display panel and a device used the same. The method comprising following steps: First, using a polarity-line-inversion source driver to drive a plurality of pixels of a MSHD display panel, then a frame displaying in polarity-dot-inversion. The device comprises a polarity-line-inversion source driver and a MSHD display panel, wherein the polarity-line-inversion source driver drives a plurality of pixels of the MSHD display panel. The pixels of the MSHD display panel displays a frame in polarity-dot-inversion form.
US08154483B2
Disclosed is an image display wherein luminance change due to change of the light-emitting device over time is compensated while suppressing affects of characteristics change in the drive transistor. Specifically disclosed is an image display comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel has a light-emitting device (OLED) which emits light when current is passed therethrough, a driver device (Td) for controlling light emission of the light-emitting device, and a control circuit (A) which is electrically connected to the light-emitting device and the driver device, and directly or indirectly detects the voltage applied to the light-emitting device at least during when the light-emitting device is emitting light and reflects the detection results to the driver device.
US08154481B2
A memory managing method for display data of a light emitting display device, which uses field light-emitting of organic materials. A plurality of pixels are each provided with at least two sub-pixels to emit different color lights, wherein one field has at least first and second subfields divided and driven independently. At least two data signals corresponding to substantially the same color are time-divided and applied to a data line during the one field, and selecting signals are sequentially applied to a plurality of scan lines at the first and second subfields. The method includes a) dividing input data corresponding to a display image into data for the first and second subfields, b) arranging the data for the first and second subfields according to a sequence of light-emitting driving, and c) storing the arranged data as pixel-based data.
US08154473B2
A display control system for a multi-layer display system including at least one multi-layer display unit (6). A multi-layer display unit includes multiple stacked or overlapped display layers (1a, 1b, 1c, 14, 15) each adapted to render display elements (2, 16B, 17B, 18B) thereon for viewing through the uppermost display layer. The level of difficulty for a user to view an overlapped image differs depending on the colour, brightness or type of images (for example text-on-text) being displayed and also the layer in which the image is being displayed and whether the image is currently active. At least any overlapping portion of display elements from different display layers are adjusted (automatically or by a user) in order to improve the viewing experience for a viewer. Types of adjustment possible include moving the images within their display layer or to an alternative display layer or altering their visual properties (such as colour, brightness, contrast etc).
US08154470B2
An electrical connector assembly (100) with antenna function comprising: an electrical connector (20) comprising a metal shell (21); a metal patch (30) connecting to the metal shell (20) and comprising a radiating element (32) and a connecting element (31); the connecting element connecting to the metal shell that serve as a grounding element; the radiating element, the connecting element, and the metal shell forming an antenna that serves as a medium for transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals.
US08154468B2
A multi-band antenna includes a grounding element located on a first planar, a connecting element, a first radiating portion, and a second radiating portion. The connecting element is substantially of L-shape configuration and located on the first planar. The first radiating portion, with a free end, extends from connecting element. The second radiating portion, with a free end, extends from the connecting element and is separated from the first radiating element. The free end of the first radiating portion and the free end of the second radiating portion extend in the same direction.
US08154466B2
A feed module is provided for an array antenna. The feed module comprises a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) feed structure for coupling signals between connections to transmitters or receivers and connection points for connecting to antenna elements of the array antenna. The multi-layer PCB feed structure comprises a body portion, incorporating coupling components, and a number of line sections for connecting to elements of the array antenna. The planar layers of the multi-layer PCB are arranged to be mounted substantially perpendicular to a planar array of antenna elements of the array antenna when the feed module is integrated therewith.
US08154461B2
A multi-directional panel antenna is provided for the reception of TV broadcast VHF and UHF signals. The panel antenna's circuit board has its current path substantially covers the surface of the circuit board so as to produce multi-directional reception patterns. An iron-core winding is configured at a feed-in terminal of the panel antenna for impedance matching and signal concentration. The panel antenna also uses air to reduce dielectric loss. A MMIC signal amplification device is provided for enhanced gain. Ceramic capacitors are provided to increase the reception wavelength of the panel antenna so that it falls within a lower section of the VHF band.
US08154449B2
A global positioning system (GPS) system includes a clock module for providing multiple counter values at multiple time points. The GPS system also includes a system module coupled to the clock module. The system module is capable of obtaining a time value for each time point according to a set of signals from a signal source. The system module is further capable of calculating a set of parameters based on the counter values and the time value for each time point, and determining an estimated time value based on the parameters and a present counter value from the clock module.
US08154448B2
A Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver includes a GPS receiving unit configured to receive navigation data from at least one visible satellite, a decoder configured to decode the received navigation data to extract time and almanac information from the decoded navigation data and a database configured to store satellite disposition information. A satellite location determining unit is configured to select at least one visible satellite candidate using the time information and the satellite disposition information, and to determine locations-in-space of the at least one visible satellite candidate with the almanac information. Also, a navigation filter is configured to calculate pseudo-ranges from the at least one visible satellite and the selected at least one visible satellite candidate using the corresponding locations-in-space, and to determine a location of the GPS receiver using the calculated pseudo-ranges.
US08154445B2
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) pseudorange measurements must be compensated for receiver hardware and directionally dependent antenna errors to obtain desired accuracies for high precision GNSS positioning applications. The problem of pseudorange measurement errors resulting from directionally dependent group delays is not an issue in Fixed Reception Pattern Antenna (FRPA) GNSS sensors. However, for the complex case of a GNSS receiver employing a controlled reception pattern antenna (CRPA) and dynamic beam steering, the multiplicity of combinations of antenna element outputs makes compensation of directionally dependent antenna induced errors more difficult, as the simple subtraction that might be used for FRPA compensation does not work with a CRPA. Example embodiments provide for frequency domain correction of GNSS pseudorange measurements in CRPA receivers. The correction takes place in the signal processing of the satellite signals, after they have been converted to the frequency domain, but before they are formed into beams for the respective satellites.
US08154441B2
A system and method for positioning an electronic device. The electronic device communicates with one or more monitoring electronic devices via a location server and a plurality of base stations. The system and method receives a standard command message, determines whether information in a received message is the same as information in the standard command message, and obtains position information of the electronic device if the information in the received message is the same as the information in the user-defined standard command message. The system and method further transmit a reply message, which comprises the position information and time for acquiring the position information of the electronic device, to a corresponding monitoring electronic device.
US08154435B2
A stability monitoring system is described that provides an accurate, automated, and remote way of monitoring small movements over a large surface area without the need to pre-place reflective targets using a mobile SAR. The stability monitoring system allows the rapid, automated identification and measurement of small surface movements over a wide field of view from a safe standoff distance without the need for personnel working in hazardous zones. Using this data, authorities can more accurately identify hazard areas and efficiently allocate mitigation resources.
US08154426B2
The present invention is aimed at setting an efficient target track of a vehicle and thus improving convenience of the parking assist. According to the present invention, a parking assisting apparatus for assisting parking a vehicle is provided. The parking assisting apparatus comprises detecting means for detecting a positional relationship between an obstacle near the vehicle and a parking section line painted on the ground. The parking assisting apparatus is configured to vary a target track of the vehicle toward a target parking position based on the detected positional relationship between the obstacle and the parking section line.
US08154410B2
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a radio frequency tag comprising: a base; a radio frequency antenna disposed on the base; a circuit chip mounted on the base and electrically connected to the radio frequency antenna, the circuit chip performing radio communication via the radio frequency antenna; and a protection sheet disposed on the radio frequency antenna, the protection sheet comprising a flexible material and rigid bodies dispersed in the flexible material so as to prevent the protection sheet from being collapsed when the radio frequency tag is bent and compressed.
US08154409B2
Method, systems, and articles of manufacture for assigning priority to antenna are disclosed. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, reader antenna (151, 152, 153) identify the location of an object by detecting a tag or other identifier associated with each object. Sensors (121, 122, 123) can be provided to provide additional information regarding the environment of the objects to their surroundings. A priority order is assigned to the reader antenna based on the location and other characteristics of the objects and/or their environment. A polling sequence for reading the reader antennae is determined according to the priority order.
US08154406B2
Apparatus for RFID tagging of packages is provided, including a conveyor, along which tags having microchips and antennae are applied to packages, with the tags being encoded via radio waves, to contain information about package identification and other information, with the encoding being done upstream of a palletizer system, and with the palletizer system being provided for receiving encoded packages from the conveyor.
US08154394B2
An occupant system includes a sensing device disposed in a seat and an electronic device configured to acquire data from the sensing device. The electronic device includes a system controller which uses that data to determine an appropriate system response. Data is acquired in at least two different system configurations and in at least two different time periods. A data set is created which represents a comparison of data acquired in the different configurations and times. The elements of this data set are compared to each other to identify anomalous data and respond accordingly.
US08154393B2
This invention relates to a warning system for use on board a motorized road vehicle. The warning system includes an activity detector that detects an RF signal emitted from a mobile phone when a person driving the motorized vehicle is communicating over the mobile phone. The warning system also has a display device in communication with the activity detector, the display device providing a visual indication to a motorist of another vehicle near the motorized vehicle in traffic, in a manner that allows the motorist of the other vehicle to ascertain when the person driving the motorized vehicle is using the mobile phone.
US08154390B2
A computer-based system for monitoring medication compliance. The system can include one or more processors configured to process and manage data. Additionally, the system can also include one or more medication packagings comprising a machine-readable medium. Notably, the machine-readable medium can comprise medication information among other types of information. The one or more processors can be configured to receive the medication information of the machine-readable medium. The machine-readable medium and corresponding medication information can be adjustable based on a dispensing of a medication from the one or more medication packagings.
US08154372B2
A lightweight inductor for the motor controller of an aircraft starter includes a toroidal inductor core divided into multiple sections that are separated by a thermally conductive, but electrically insulating, material. The inductor core is wound with wire and positioned inside of an electrically and thermally conductive container, which acts as a heat sink and EMI shield, while also reducing eddy currents within the inductor core.
US08154368B2
An actively shielded superconducting magnet configuration (M1; M2; M3; 14) for generating a homogeneous magnetic field B0 in a volume under investigation (4b) has a radially inner superconducting main field coil (1) which is disposed rotationally symmetrically about an axis (z axis) and a coaxial radially outer superconducting shielding coil (2) which is operated in an opposite direction. The magnet configuration consists of the main field coil, the shielding coil and a ferromagnetic field-shaping device (3; 18), wherein the ferromagnetic field-shaping device is disposed radially inside the main field coil. The main field coil consists of an unstructured solenoid coil or of several radially nested unstructured solenoid coils (15, 16) which are operated in the same direction. An extension Labs of the shielding coil in the axial direction is smaller than the extension Lhaupt of the main field coil in the axial direction. ⅆ 2 ⅆ z 2 B H + A ( z ) ❘ z = 0 ≤ 0 applies for the axial magnetic field profile BH+A(z) generated by the main field coil and the shielding coil during operation along the z-axis in the center at z=0 and ⅆ 2 ⅆ z 2 B F ( z ) ❘ z = 0 ≥ 0 applies for the axial magnetic field profile BF(z) generated by the ferromagnetic field-shaping device (3; 18) during operation along the z-axis in the center at z=0, wherein the z-axis is oriented in a positive direction of the B0-field. An actively shielded superconducting magnet configuration of considerably simplified structure is thereby provided with a homogeneous and particularly high magnetic field B0 in the volume under investigation.
US08154367B2
Regarding a switch used for various controls of a motor vehicle in particular and a switch device using the switch, it becomes possible to simplify the configuration and to perform reliable detection of trouble. A first detector is disposed on a surface opposing to a magnet fitted to an actuator, and a second detector is disposed thereunder. A controller detects magnetism of the magnet by using the first detector and the second detector. In case one of the detectors is out of order, it can also be detected from ON/OFF signal from the first detector and the second detector.
US08154355B2
A high-frequency Colpitts circuit having a feedback transistor Q2 in addition to an oscillation transistor Q1 is provided, wherein a collector of the transistor Q1 is connected to a base of the transistor Q2, a supply voltage is applied to a collector of the transistor Q2 through a resistance R5 and is connected to an output terminal, the collector is connected to a base of the transistor Q1 through a feedback resistance Rf, a crystal oscillator and one end of capacitors C1 and C2 connected in series are connected to the base, the other end of the capacitors is grounded, and a point between the capacitors C1 and C2 is connected to an emitter of the transistor Q1 and is grounded through a resistance R4.
US08154354B2
Methods and apparatus for implementing stable self-starting and self-sustaining high-speed electrical nonlinear pulse (e.g., soliton, cnoidal wave, or quasi-soliton) oscillators. Chip-scale nonlinear pulse oscillator devices may be fabricated using III-V semiconductor materials (e.g., GaAs) to attain soliton pulse widths on the order of a few picoseconds or less (e.g., 1 to 2 picoseconds, corresponding to frequencies of approximately 300 GHz or greater). In one example, a nonlinear pulse oscillator is implemented as a closed loop structure that comprises a nonlinear transmission line and a distributed nonlinear amplifier arrangement configured to provide a self-adjusting gain as a function of an average voltage of the oscillator signal. In another example, a nonlinear oscillator employing a lumped nonlinear amplifier and a nonlinear transmission line in a closed loop arrangement may be used in combination with a two-port nonlinear transmission line that provides additional pulse compression for pulses circulating in the oscillator.
US08154353B2
An integrated circuit 2 is provided with one or more monitoring circuits 14, 16, 18, 20 in the form of ring oscillators 22. These ring oscillators 22 include a plurality of tri-state inverters 24, 26, 28 containing a current-limiting transistor 42 operating in a leakage mode. The leakage current through the transistor 42 is dependent upon an operating parameter of the integrated circuit 2 being monitored. Accordingly, the oscillation frequency Fosc of the ring oscillator 22 varies in dependence upon the operating parameter to be measured.
US08154349B2
An atomic clock including a mechanism applying both a static magnetic field and two oscillating magnetic fields, all mutually perpendicular, in a magnetic shield. The amplitudes and frequencies of the oscillating magnetic fields may be chosen so as to annihilate energy variations between sub-transition levels of excited atoms and to reinforce a clock output signal, and with low sensitivity to defects in regulation.
US08154341B2
A power amplifying apparatus includes a high-speed low pass filter which inputs an envelope signal included in a transmission signal therein, a low-speed low pass filter which inputs the envelope signal therein, a determination unit which inputs the envelope signal therein and determines rising or falling of the envelope signal, a selecting unit which selects one of the high-speed low pass filter and the low-speed low pass filter according to a determined result of the determination unit, and a voltage supply unit which generates a voltage based on a signal input according to a selection by the selecting unit and supplies the voltage to a power amplifier which inputs the transmission signal therein so as to amplify a power of the transmission signal.
US08154340B2
Power amplifying systems and modules and components therein are designed based on CRLH structures, providing high efficiency and linearity.
US08154338B2
An offset cancellation circuit for canceling an offset voltage in an amplifier is provided herein. The offset cancellation circuit includes a current source configured to provide an offset current, a switching stage comprising first and second switches, and a cascode stage. The cascode stage comprises a first cascode device configured to receive the offset current from the first switch and inject the offset current into a first differential end of the amplifier, and a second cascode device configured to receive the offset current from the second switch and inject the offset current into a second differential end of the amplifier. Offset voltages are common to many differential circuits as a result of mismatch. The injection of current by the offset cancellation circuit can reduce or eliminate an offset voltage, while the cascode stage can prevent parasitic capacitance associated with the offset cancellation circuit from creating further mismatch.
US08154327B2
A phase adjusting apparatus includes a comparison code generating section, a calculating section, and a delay section. The comparison code generating section individually generates a first comparison code having a phase of a head code advanced and a second comparison code having the phase of the head code delayed, the head code being included in serial transfer data. The calculating section acquires a direction of adjustment of a phase of the serial transfer data using a comparison result of the head code and the first comparison code and a comparison result of the head code and the second comparison code. The delay section adjusts a delay amount of the serial transfer data based on the direction of adjustment of the phase.
US08154322B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed, such as those involving a high frequency transmitter. One such apparatus includes a pre-amplifier configured to receive an input signal via an input node; and a capacitor block electrically coupled between the pre-amplifier and an output node from which an output signal is transmitted. The capacitor block is configured to provide charge to the output node or pull charge from the output node while the output signal transitions. The apparatus further includes a switch electrically coupled between the output node and a voltage reference, wherein the switch is turned on or off at least partly in response to a signal from the pre-amplifier. This configuration effectively reduces rise and fall time of the output signal for high-frequency transmission.
US08154319B2
A hybrid CMOL stack enables more efficient design of CMOS logical circuits. The hybrid CMOL structure includes a first substrate having a CMOS device layer on the substrate, a first interconnect layer with interface pins over the CMOS device layer of the first substrate, a first array of nanowires connected to the interface pins of the first interconnect layer, a layer of nanowire junction material over the first array of nanowires, a second array of nanowires over the nanowire junction material, a second interconnect layer having interface pins disposed over the second array of nanowires, the interface pins being connected to the second array of nanowires, and a second substrate, the second substrate including a second CMOS device layer disposed over the second interconnect layer.
US08154315B2
A voltage regulator includes an input terminal for receiving a power input having a first voltage level, and an output terminal for generating a power output. A reference signal having a second voltage level is derived from the first voltage level adjusted with a predetermined offset value for controlling the power output to be at a third voltage level proportional to the second voltage level.
US08154314B2
In a side-docking type test handler, a descending mechanism lowers a horizontally postured test tray, which has been transferred into a soak chamber, down to a descent finish position and a vertical posture changing mechanism changes the posture of the test tray, which has been lowered to the descent finish position, from the horizontal state to a vertical state, to transfer the test tray into a test chamber. Further, a horizontal posture changing mechanism changes the posture of the test tray in the test chamber from the vertical state to the horizontal state while transferring the test tray to an ascent start position in a desoak chamber.
US08154308B2
A method of detecting small changes to a complex integrated circuit measuring RF/microwave scattering parameters between every pin over a wide frequency range. The data from a characterization of a known good integrated circuit is stored and compared to each subsequent integrated circuit of unknown background.
US08154299B2
Provided is a deterioration determination circuit configured by including: an SOC detection unit for detecting an SOC of a secondary battery; an internal resistance detection unit for detecting an internal resistance value of the secondary battery; a first determination unit for determining the status of deterioration of the secondary battery based on the internal resistance value detected by the internal resistance detection unit when the SOC detected by the SOC detection unit is within a range of a pre-set first range; a second determination unit for determining the status of deterioration of the secondary battery based on the internal resistance value detected by the internal resistance detection unit when the SOC detected by the SOC detection unit is within a range of a pre-set second range as a range of an SOC, in which a variation of the internal resistance of the second battery in relation to a variation of the SOC of the secondary battery is different from the first range; and a final determination unit for ultimately determining that the secondary battery is deteriorated when the first determination unit determines that the secondary battery is of the deteriorated status and the second determination unit additionally determines that the secondary battery is of the deteriorated status.
US08154291B2
The present invention relates to an element configuration within an RF coil for use for MRI. The invention provides for an inherently electromagnetically decoupled solenoid element pair for receiving radio frequency magnetic resonance signals within a vertical field MRI system. The elements of the solenoid element pair described herein are typically positioned in a coplanar, side-by-side position. The decoupling of the solenoid pair can be accomplished through numerous methods including but not limited to an overlapping between the elements of the solenoid pair, use of a capacitor shared between the elements of the solenoid pair, or the use of overlapped inductors between the elements of the solenoid pair.
US08154288B2
In a method for selective presentation of a movement of the lung, magnetic resonance images (MR images) of the lung are acquired in a temporal progression, i.e. MR images of the lung are acquired over multiple breathing cycles. The acquired MR images are registered with regard to a reference position and the signal curve over time is determined in the acquired MR images. The frequency spectrum of the determined signal curves is then determined, such as by a Fourier transformation. A specific frequency spectrum is filtered with a frequency band filter, wherein the frequency range of the frequency band filter is adapted to the movement to be shown. The filtered frequency spectrum is transformed back into a filtered signal curve of the MR images, and the magnetic resonance images obtained via this back-transformation are displayed in the temporal progression with the filtered signal curve. A computer readable medium, an image processing unit and a magnetic resonance apparatus implement such a method.
US08154287B2
A system and method enables the creation of medical images using data related to ghost artifacts. The method thus allows components of an imaged subject to be segmented based on state changes in the components that lead to the controlled production of ghost artifacts. This is achieved in MR by performed a pulse sequence so that multiple sets of MR data are acquired in which the signals from a target tissue vary across the data sets while the signals from a background tissue do not vary across the data sets. A composite data set is generated by populating selected k-space lines of the composite data set with information from a first MR data set and populating the remaining k-space lines of the composite data set with information from a second MR data set. An MR image is then reconstructed from the composite data set. The MR image contains ghost artifacts that faithfully reproduce the 2D or 3D anatomic detail of the target tissues without signal contributions from the background tissues, allowing for background-suppressed or segmented MR images of a target tissue without the need for image subtraction.
US08154285B1
Magnetic resonance systems, devices, methods, and compositions are provided. Further provided are systems, devices, methods, and compositions for obtaining magnetic resonance information of a region within a biological subject without the need or use of an external-magnet.
US08154283B2
A method and an apparatus for analyzing at least one material characteristic of a tire wherein nuclear magnetic resonance measuring is applied to a tread block of the tire by means of a nuclear magnetic resonance measuring system including a nuclear magnetic resonance sensor. The apparatus includes a magazine for storing at least one tire, a nuclear magnetic resonance measuring system including a nuclear magnetic resonance sensor, positioning means for moving the nuclear magnetic resonance sensor in at least one direction with respect to the tire, a driving means for driving the tire with respect to its rotational axis, a control unit for controlling the positioning means and the driving means, and a computer connected with the control unit and the nuclear magnetic resonance measuring system. It is possible to automatically analyze the material characteristics of a plurality of tires within a short time.
US08154271B2
The semiconductor integrated circuit device includes load circuits and internal voltage generators for generating internal source voltages for driving the load circuits. Each of the internal voltage generators includes a reference voltage generating circuit for generating reference voltages, and regulator circuits for generating the internal source voltages with reference to the reference voltages. The regulator circuit is formed over an SOI substrate and includes a preamplifier circuit for detecting and amplifying a difference between each of the internal source voltages and each of the reference voltages, a main amplifier circuit for amplifying the output of the preamplifier circuit and generating a control signal, and a driver circuit for generating the internal source voltage in response to the control signal. An input stage of the main amplifier circuit is configured by MOS transistors coupling the gates and bodies of the MOS transistors.
US08154262B2
A power supply unit for supplying electric current of a supply voltage to a control unit in an electronic control system has switching regulator dropping an input voltage to an intermediate voltage, a first series regulator producing electric current of the supply voltage from the intermediate voltage, and a second series regulator producing electric current of the supply voltage lower than electric current produced in the first series regulator. During the standby mode of the control unit, an FET of the switching regulator is locked to the on state to accumulate electric charge in a capacitor of a smoothing circuit, while an output transistor of the first series regulator is locked to the off state. When a wake-up condition is satisfied in the control unit, the FET starts the switching operation, and the output transistor immediately starts the driving operation while using the charge supplied from the capacitor.
US08154260B2
Within generator systems maintenance of stability in terms of voltage is desirable. Generally, several generators will be arranged in parallel within the generator system with one generator voltage controlled to provide dynamic responsiveness to load switching. With regard to some loads which are generally of an active nature, the capacity of a first generator, which is voltage controlled, may be insufficient to adequately avoid transient voltage instability. By providing an actuator signal from a load to act as a pre-emptive or forward feed to an electrical current controlled generator, that second electrical current generator can be arranged to provide additional or reduced electrical current to avoid system voltage instability.
US08154256B2
A method and apparatus is provided for determining when a battery, or one or more batteries within a battery pack, undergoes an undesired thermal event such as thermal runaway. The system uses an insulated conductive member mounted in close proximity to, or in contact with, an external surface of the battery or batteries to be monitored. A voltage measuring system is coupled to the conductive core of the insulated conductive member, the voltage measuring system outputting a first signal when the temperature corresponding to the battery or batteries is within a prescribed temperature range and a second signal when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature that falls outside of the prescribed temperature range.
US08154252B2
A process for monitoring the status of a battery. Steps of the process include measuring a battery current and comparing the battery current to a predetermined threshold. A battery status is determined as one of charging, discharging and quiescent. For a battery charging status determination, the charging state of charge of the battery is computed. For battery discharge status determination, the discharge current is compared to a predetermined threshold. Based upon the discharge current comparison, a basis for the discharge current is selected from one of a plurality of predetermined discharge conditions and the discharging state of charge of the battery is computed for the select discharge condition. For a quiescent status, the quiescent state of charge of the battery is computed. The computed state of charge of the battery is provided in a quantitative form.
US08154246B1
A method and system provides for the charging of electric vehicles according to user defined parameters. The method and system can include an enhanced thermostat, personal computer, and/or an electric vehicle charger which can receive various user defined vehicle charging parameters such as an initial price set point at which to start the charging of an electric vehicle. Another charging parameter can include one or more price offsets relative to the initial set point that can be provided by a user or generated by a computer program. The price offsets allow charging of an electric vehicle at prices above the desired initial price set point when the time remaining to charge an electric vehicle has diminished and the desired initial price set point has not been reached by the energy market. The price offsets can be assigned according to predetermined increments of time, such as an on an hourly basis.
US08154245B2
Systems and methods are provided for charging a USB device. A USB connector may be used to couple the system to a USB port on the USB device, the USB connector including a bus voltage (Vbus) connector, a positive data (D+) connector, and a negative data (D−) connector. Charger circuitry may be used to receive a source voltage and convert the source voltage into the bus voltage (Vbus), wherein the bus voltage (Vbus) is used to charge the USB device. Presence detect circuitry may be used to compare a first voltage present on the D+ connector with a second voltage present on the D− connector in order to detect when the USB connector is coupled to the USB port of the USB device.
US08154242B2
A fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell stack and an EESD electrically coupled to a common high voltage bus line. The EESD has a higher voltage output than the fuel cell stack, and thus the stack is unable to fully charge the EESD, for example, at system shut-down. In order to allow the fuel cell stack to fully charge the EESD, the EESD is separated into a plurality of separate electrical storage banks having lower voltage potentials. A series of contactors are provided to electrically couple the storage banks in series during normal system operation, and separately charge the storage banks using the fuel cell stack so that they are fully charged. The series of contactors can also be configured so that the storage banks can be electrically coupled in series during normal operation of the system and be electrically coupled in parallel during charging at system shut-down.
US08154241B2
An electric power steering system includes a multi-phase electric motor, an inverter connected to the rotary electric machine and an electronic control apparatus. One phase of the motor is pulled up by a resistor. The electronic control apparatus detects disconnection abnormality between the motor and the inverter by checking phase voltages of the inverter by stopping the inverter operation. If disconnection is detected, current is supplied to the remaining normal two phases. The electronic control apparatus detects short-circuit abnormality by checking an electric angle (rotation angle) of the motor.
US08154234B2
A protective device enables reliably cutting a drive region off the power supply of a guided vehicle. The drive region is connectible to the power supply via at least one drive region switch and it comprises stator sections that are strung together. The sections are connectible to a drive region supply line by way of a stator section switch. The protective device has a control unit for opening at least one switch in the event of a malfunction. The object is to provide a protective device that is inexpensive and that allows a flexible allocation of the power supply to the drive regions. For this purpose, the control is adapted to open all stator section switches and the one or more drive regions switches in the event of a malfunction.
US08154230B2
A control apparatus is to drive a power converter. The power converter has a power supply unit, a switching member electrically connected to the power supply unit, and a power accumulator electrically connected to the switching member. The control apparatus controls a rotary machine with a terminal electrically connected to the power accumulator. A calculator calculates, based on a command voltage to the rotary machine, a command value for an output current to the power accumulator and the rotary machine. A chopper control unit carries out chopper control of the power converter by switching on and off the switching member based on the command value for the output current to thereby convert a voltage across the power accumulator into a desired voltage relation to a voltage of the power supply unit.
US08154229B2
In a control system designed to use a plurality of voltage vectors expressing a switching mode for a switching circuit to thereby control a difference between a current actually flowing through a multiphase rotary machine and a command current value therefore within an allowable range, a calculating unit calculates a direction of change in the difference during the switching mode for the switching circuit being set to a zero vector. A zero-vector setting unit sets the switching mode for the switching circuit to the zero vector when a preset positional condition between the difference and the direction of change in the difference is met in a space.
US08154222B2
One embodiment of the present invention includes a current regulator circuit. The circuit includes at least one switch configured to periodically couple and decouple a respective at least one voltage rail to an inductor to maintain a current through the inductor. The circuit also includes a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller configured to set a duty-cycle associated with a switching signal to control the at least one switch based on a feedback signal that is associated with a magnitude of the current. The circuit also includes a switch-controlled current path configured to shunt the current from a load in response to a control signal. The circuit further includes an error circuit configured to provide an error term to the PWM controller upon activating the control signal to adjust the duty-cycle substantially instantaneously in response to the control signal.
US08154218B2
Method and apparatus for retrofitting HID lamps with system to periodically adjust operating wattage
A method, apparatus, and system for increasing usable light from a high intensity lighting fixture to a target area without an increase in energy use. In one aspect, the circuit is retrofitted into an existing lamp circuit that allows selective change in operating power or wattage to the lamp, over a substantial period of operation time, to save energy. In one aspect operating wattage of the lamp would be reduced. In another aspect of the invention, reduction in operating wattage is accomplished by a switchable capacitance in electrical communication with the lamp circuit.
US08154216B2
Described is a plasma electrode-less lamp. The device comprises an electromagnetic resonator and an electromagnetic radiation source conductively connected with the electromagnetic resonator. The device further comprises a pair of field probes, the field probes conductively connected with the electromagnetic resonator. A gas-fill vessel is formed from a closed, transparent body, forming a cavity. The gas-fill vessel is not contiguous with (detached from) the electromagnetic resonator and is capacitively coupled with the field probes. The gas-fill vessel further contains a gas within the cavity, whereby the gas is induced to emit light when electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source resonates inside the electromagnetic resonator, the electromagnetic resonator capacitively coupling the electromagnetic radiation to the gas, which becomes a plasma and emits light.
US08154204B2
A plasma display panel includes a front plate having a dielectric layer covering a display electrode formed on a substrate and a protective layer formed on the dielectric layer, and a rear plate facing the front plate so as to form a discharge space. The plasma display panel also includes an address electrode in a direction crossing the display electrode, barrier ribs for partitioning the discharge space, and phosphor layers. The protective layer is constructed by forming a ground film on the dielectric layer and adhering agglomerated particles to the ground film. The agglomerated particles are produced by coagulating a plurality of crystal particles made of metal oxide.
US08154197B2
Provided is an organic light emitting diode display device which can improve brightness and color coordinate characteristics in all emission wavelength ranges, and thus can enhance light extraction efficiency and color reproducibility. The organic light emitting diode display device includes a substrate, a first electrode disposed on the substrate, an organic layer disposed on the first electrode and having an emission layer, a second electrode disposed on the organic layer, and first and second refraction layers. A stack of the first and second refraction layers is disposed either between the first electrode and the substrate or on the second electrode. A refractive index of the first refraction layer is smaller than a refractive index of the second refraction layer. A thickness of the first refraction layer is no greater than 100 nm.
US08154187B2
There is provided a light emitter substrate which can suppress halation by forming a rib between adjacent light-emitting members of respectively different light emitting colors, and at the same time can withdraw a potential difference when a discharge occurs between adjacent metal backs, thereby achieving a desired discharging current suppressing capability. For that purpose, the plural parallel ribs protruding from a substrate are formed, a phosphor is provided between the adjacent ribs, plural divided metal backs are disposed respectively on the phosphors in the direction along the ribs, the metal back is connected to a feeding resistor on the rib by means of a connection conductor, and the feeding resistor is covered by a high-resistance cover member.
US08154186B2
A lamp assembly includes an inner assembly that has a CFL source, an electronics board, and a holder that interconnects the CFL source and electronics board. An outer, light transmissive envelope surrounds the inner assembly and various fixing arrangements are disclosed for securing the inner assembly to the outer envelope. Three primary mechanisms are a ratchet mechanism, a spring mechanism, or using adhesive to secure the inner assembly to the outer envelope under a predetermined tension.
US08154184B2
The present invention provides an electron beam apparatus provided with an electron-emitting device which has a simple structure, shows high electron-emitting efficiency and stably works. This electron beam apparatus has an insulating member and a gate formed on a substrate, a recess portion formed in the insulating member, a protruding portion that protrudes from an edge of the recess portion toward the gate and is provided on an end part of a cathode opposing to the gate, which is arranged on the side face of the insulating member; and makes an electric field converge on an end part in the width direction of the protruding portion to make an electron emitted therefrom.
US08154181B1
A light-guide type light-emitting device includes a heat-dissipating unit, a conductive unit, a light-emitting unit and a light-guiding unit. The heat-dissipating unit includes at least one heat-dissipating body. The conductive unit is disposed on a first side of the heat-dissipating body. The light-emitting unit is disposed on a second side of the heat-dissipating body, and the light-emitting unit includes a plurality of light-emitting elements electrically connected to the conductive unit. The light-guiding unit includes at least one light-guiding element disposed on the light-emitting unit for receiving light beams generated by the light-emitting unit, and the light-guiding element has a plurality of micro light-guiding structures formed on the outer surface thereof. Hence, the instant disclosure can not only mate the light-emitting unit with the light-guiding unit to solve glaring problem as a result of using LED, but also provides a wider light-emitting range.
US08154176B2
Tunable vibration energy scavengers and methods of operating the same are disclosed. The disclosed energy scavengers comprise a beam with a main body, wherein the beam comprises at least one flap and means for changing a shape of the at least one flap, wherein the at least one flap is physically attached to the main body along a longitudinal side of the main body. The disclosed methods comprise tuning the shape of the at least one flap, thereby tuning the stiffness of the structure.
US08154172B2
The invention relates to a circuit for highly efficient driving of piezoelectric loads, comprising a linear driving circuit portion connected to the load through an inductive-resistive connection whereto a voltage waveform is applied. Advantageously, the circuit comprises further respective circuit portions, structurally independent, connected in turn to the inductive-resistive connection through respective inductors to supply a considerable fraction of the overall current required by the load in the transient and steady state respectively.
US08154166B2
A dual-winding layer arrangement for a three-phase, four pole motor is provided.
US08154155B2
A machine tool protection apparatus, for a machine tool, that is provided for monitoring of a protection region associated with a tool, including a first sensor unit that is provided for reception of a first protection signal. The machine tool protection apparatus further includes at least one second sensor unit that is provided for reception of a second protection signal.
US08154153B2
Method and apparatus for providing a communication channel through an output cable of a power supply
A power supply system is introduced herein. The power supply system includes a power converter to supply a power source to an electronic circuit through an output cable of the power supply. A communication unit is coupled to the output cable of the power supply to develop a communication channel between the power converter and the electronic circuit in order to report the status of the power converter to the electronic circuit.
US08154149B2
A propulsion system is provided that includes an energy system, wherein the energy system comprises a first energy storage system electrically coupled to a direct current (DC) link, a bi-directional boost converter electrically coupled to the first energy storage system and to the DC link, and a second energy storage system electrically coupled to the bi-directional boost converter. The propulsion system further comprises an electric drive coupled to the DC link, an auxiliary energy source coupled to the energy system; and a system controller, wherein the system controller is configured to determine an operational status of the first energy storage system and an operational status of the second energy storage system, and if the first and second energy storage systems are determined to be non-operational, then the system controller causes energy from the auxiliary energy source to be supplied to the first energy storage system.
US08154145B2
A flow energy installation with a roller-like rotor (1) is presented. The roller-like rotor (1) rotates about an axis (A1) and has a plurality of rotor blades (2). One of the rotor blades (2), a plurality of the rotor blades (2) or all rotor blades (2) have associated with themselves at least one efficiency-improving fluid conducting fin (3) which in the direction of rotation is arranged upstream or downstream of the rotor blade (2). The rotor (1) is at least partly surrounded by at least one efficiency-improving diffuser element. The flow energy installation can be operated with liquid and/or gaseous media at any desired orientation of the axis (A1).
US08154133B2
A low dielectric constant film/wiring line stack structure made up of a stack of low dielectric constant films and wiring lines is provided in a region on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate except for the peripheral part of this surface. The peripheral side surface of the low dielectric constant film/wiring line stack structure is covered with a sealing film. This provides a structure in which the low dielectric constant films do not easily come off. In this case, a lower protective film is provided on the lower surface of a silicon substrate to protect this lower surface against cracks.
US08154128B2
A three-dimensional 3D interconnect structure with a small footprint is described, useful for connection from above to levels of circuit structures in a multi-level device. Also, an efficient and low cost method for manufacturing the 3D interconnect structure is provided.
US08154125B2
A chip package structure including a carrier, a chip, and an underfill layer is disclosed. The carrier has a number of bumps disposed thereon. The chip has an active surface. The chip is flip-chip bonded and electrically connected to the carrier through the bumps such that the active surface of the chip faces the carrier. The underfill layer is disposed on the carrier between the chip and the carrier such that a gap is maintained between the underfill layer and the chip.
US08154124B2
A semiconductor chip has a main surface, a back surface and a plurality of side surfaces. A plurality of electrodes is provided on the main surface of the semiconductor chip so as to be arranged in a plurality of lines. An insulating film is formed on the main surface of the semiconductor chip so as to expose at least one of the plurality of electrodes. A plurality of leads are formed on the insulating film, each of the plurality of leads having a first end and a second end, and the first end of the lead being connected to the one of the plurality of electrodes. A base resin film is formed on the insulting film and the plurality of leads, the base resin film having a plurality of electrodes holes exposing a part of the second end of each of the leads and a device hole in which the first end of the lead and the one of the plurality of electrodes are located.
US08154121B2
Polymer interlayer dielectric and passivation materials for a microelectronic device are generally described. In one example, an apparatus includes one or more interconnect structures of a microelectronic device and one or more polymeric dielectric layers coupled with the one or more interconnect structures, the polymeric dielectric layers including copolymer backbones having a first monomeric unit and a second monomeric unit wherein the first monomeric unit has a different chemical structure than the second monomeric unit and wherein the copolymer backbones are cross-linked by a first cross-linker or a second cross-linker, or combinations thereof.
US08154120B2
A chip-mounted film package includes a base film, an effective film package defined on the base film by a cutting line, a driving chip mounted on the effective film package, a plurality of input pads arranged on an input area of the effective film package and connected to the driving chip, and a plurality of output pads arranged on an output area of the effective film package and connected to the driving chip, wherein the output area includes at least one extended portion that protrudes from a side of the effective film package in a horizontal direction of the base film.
US08154112B2
The semiconductor memory apparatus related to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wiring substrate arranged with a device mounting part and connection pads aligned along one exterior side of the wiring substrate, a plurality of semiconductor memory devices including electrode pads which are arranged along one external side of the wiring substrate, a semiconductor memory device group in which the plurality of semiconductor memory devices are stacked on the device mounting part of the wiring substrate so that pad arrangement sides all face in the same direction, and a controller device including the electrode pads arranged along at least one external side of the wiring substrate, wherein the electrode pads of the plurality of semiconductor memory devices and the electrode pads of the controller device are arranged parallel to an arrangement position of the connection pads of the wiring substrate.
US08154107B2
A semiconductor device having at least one transistor covered by an ultra-stressor layer, and method for fabricating such a device. In an NMOS device, the ultra-stressor layer includes a tensile stress film over the source and drain regions, and a compressive stress film over the poly region. In a PMOS device, the ultra-stressor layer includes a compressive stress film over the source and drain regions and a tensile stress film over the poly region. In a preferred embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor forming a CMOS device and covered with an ultra stressor layer.
US08154098B2
A reverse image sensor module includes first and second semiconductor chips, and first and second insulation layers. The first semiconductor chip includes a first semiconductor chip body having a first surface and a second surface facing away from the first surface, photodiodes disposed on the first surface, and a wiring layer disposed on the second surface and having wiring lines electrically connected to the photodiodes and bonding pads electrically connected to the wiring lines. The second semiconductor chip includes a second semiconductor chip body having a third surface facing the wiring layer, and through-electrodes electrically connected to the bonding pads and passing through the second semiconductor chip body. The first insulation layer is disposed on the wiring layer, and the second insulation layer is disposed on the third surface of the second semiconductor chip body facing the first insulation layer and is joined to the first insulation layer.
US08154094B2
A micromechanical component having a substrate, having a cavity and having a cap that bounds the cavity. The cap has an access opening to the cavity. The cap has a diaphragm for closing the access opening.
US08154090B2
The invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory cell and to an associated fabrication method, a source region (7), a drain region (8) and a channel region lying in between being formed in a substrate (1). In order to realize locally delimited memory locations (LB, RB), an electrically non-conductive charge storage layer (3) situated on a first insulation layer (2) is divided by an interruption (U), thereby preventing, in particular, a lateral charge transport between the memory locations (LB, RB) and significantly improving the charge retention properties.
US08154086B2
It is intended to achieve a sufficiently-small SRAM cell area and a stable operation margin in an E/R type 4T-SRAM comprising a vertical transistor SGT. In a static type memory cell made up using four MOS transistors and two load resistor elements, each of the MOS transistor constituting the memory cell is formed on a planar silicon layer formed on a buried oxide film, to have a structure where a drain, a gate and a source are arranged in a vertical direction, wherein the gate is formed to surround a pillar-shaped semiconductor layer, and each of the load resistor elements is made of polysilicon and formed on the planar silicon layer.
US08154078B2
A semiconductor structure is provided. A second conductivity type well region is disposed on a first conductivity type substrate. A gate structure comprising a first sidewall and second sidewall is provided. The first sidewall is disposed on the second conductivity type well region. A second conductivity type diffused source is disposed on the first conductivity type substrate outside of the second sidewall. A second conductivity type diffused drain is disposed on the second conductivity type well region outside of the first sidewall. First conductivity type buried rings are arranged in a horizontal direction, separated from each other, and formed in the second conductivity type well region. Doped profiles of the first conductivity type buried rings gradually become smaller in a direction from the second conductivity type diffused source to the second conductivity type diffused drain.
US08154075B2
A split gate type nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having a FinFET structure includes a semiconductor substrate, parallel trenches on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and select and memory gate electrodes perpendicular to the trenches. While either the select or the memory gate electrodes are formed prior to the other gate electrodes, each remaining gate electrode is formed adjacent to a side wall of each of the gate electrodes. The semiconductor memory device includes source/drain regions each formed between each pair of the select gate electrodes and between each pair of the memory gate electrodes in protruding portions between each pair of the trenches. A difference between heights of the select gate electrodes and the memory gate electrodes is equal to or greater than a difference between heights of insulation layers formed on the bottom of each of the trenches and the source/drain regions.
US08154067B2
A method of selectively forming a spacer on a first class of transistors and devices formed by such methods. The method can include depositing a conformal first deposition layer on a substrate with different classes of transistors situated thereon, depositing a blocking layer to at least one class of transistors, dry etching the first deposition layer, removing the blocking layer, depositing a conformal second deposition layer on the substrate, dry etching the second deposition layer and wet etching the remaining first deposition layer. Devices may include transistors of a first class with larger spacers compared to spacers of transistors of a second class.
US08154062B2
An image sensor device includes a substrate including a light sensing, region therein and a reflective structure on a first surface of the substrate over the light sensing region. An interconnection structure having a lower reflectivity than the reflective structure is provided on the first surface of the substrate adjacent to the reflective structure. A microlens is provided on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface. The microlens is configured to direct incident light to the light sensing region, and the reflective structure is configured to reflect portions of the incident light that pass through the light sensing region back toward the light sensing region. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.
US08154061B2
A bottom gate thin film transistor and an active array substrate are provided. The bottom gate thin film transistor includes a gate, a gate insulation layer, a semiconductor layer, a plurality of sources and a plurality of drains. The gate insulation layer is disposed on the gate. The semiconductor layer is disposed on the gate insulation layer and located above the gate. An area ratio of the semiconductor layer and the gate is about 0.001 to 0.9. The sources are electrically connected with each other, and the drains are electrically connected with each other.
US08154058B2
A bio-sensor includes a gate dielectric formed on a silicon semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode of a conductive diamond film formed on the gate dielectric, probe molecules bonded on the gate electrode for detecting biomolecules, and source/drain regions formed on the semiconductor substrate at the sides of the gate electrode. The gate electrode is a comb shape or a lattice shape.
US08154055B2
A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor includes a photodiode formed in a substrate structure, first to fourth gate electrodes formed over the substrate structure, spacers formed on both sidewalls of the first to fourth gate electrodes and filled between the third and fourth gate electrodes, a first ion implantation region formed in a portion of the substrate structure below the spacers filled between the third and fourth gate electrodes, and second ion implantation regions formed in portions of the substrate structure exposed between the spacers, the second ion implantation regions having a higher concentration than the first ion implantation region.
US08154054B2
In a semiconductor chip in which external connection pads are arranged in three or more rows in a staggered configuration at the peripheral portion thereof, a first pad which is arranged in the outermost row is used as a power supply pad or a ground pad for an internal core circuit. To the first pad, a second pad which is arranged in the second outermost row is connected with a metal in the same layer as a pad metal. The resistance of a power supply line to the internal core circuit has a value of the parallel resistance of a resistance from the first pad and a resistance from the second pad, which is by far lower than the resistance from the first pad. Therefore, it is possible to prevent circuit misoperation resulting from an IR drop in the power supply of the internal core circuit.
US08154041B2
A light emitting device including a substrate, a first conductive semiconductor layer on the substrate, an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer, and a reflective layer under the substrate and including a light reflection pattern configured to reflect light emitted by the active layer in directions away from the reflective layer.
US08154038B2
A device structure includes a substrate; a group-III nitride layer over the substrate; a metal nitride layer over the group-III nitride layer; and a light-emitting layer over the metal nitride layer. The metal nitride layer acts as a reflector reflecting the light emitted by the light-emitting layer.
US08154024B2
An amorphous oxide containing hydrogen (or deuterium) is applied to a channel layer of a transistor. Accordingly, a thin film transistor having superior TFT properties can be realized, the superior TFT properties including a small hysteresis, normally OFF operation, a high ON/OFF ratio, a high saturated current, and the like. Furthermore, as a method for manufacturing a channel layer made of an amorphous oxide, film formation is performed in an atmosphere containing a hydrogen gas and an oxygen gas, so that the carrier concentration of the amorphous oxide can be controlled.
US08154017B2
An amorphous oxide semiconductor contains at least one element selected from In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of InxGayZnz, wherein the density M of the amorphous oxide semiconductor is represented by the relational expression (1) below: M≧0.94×(7.121x+5.941y+5.675z)/(x+y+z) (1) where 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦1, and x+y+z≠0.
US08154016B2
Disclosed herein is a composition containing hetero arylene or arylene showing a p-type semiconductor property in addition to thiophene showing a p-type semiconductor property and thiazole rings showing a n-type semiconductor property at a polymer main chain, an organic semiconductor polymer containing the composition, an organic active layer containing the organic semiconductor polymer, an organic thin film transistor (OTFT) containing the organic active layer, an electronic device containing the OTFT, and a method of preparing the same. The composition of example embodiments, which is used in an organic semiconductor polymer and contains thiazole rings, may exhibit increased solubility to an organic solvent, coplanarity, processability and an improved thin film property.
US08154008B2
A light emitting diode (LED) for minimizing crystal defects in an active region and enhancing recombination efficiency of electrons and holes in the active region includes non-polar GaN-based semiconductor layers grown on a non-polar substrate. The semiconductor layers include a non-polar N-type semiconductor layer, a non-polar P-type semiconductor layer, and non-polar active region layers positioned between the N-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer. The non-polar active region layers include a well layer and a barrier layer with a superlattice structure.
US08154006B2
A CMOS logic portion embedded with a PCM portion is recessed by a gate structure height as measured by a thickness of a gate oxide and a polysilicon gate to provide planarity of the CMOS logic portion with the PCM portion is described.
US08153993B2
The present invention relates to a front plate for an ion source that is suitable for an ion implanter. The front plate according to the invention comprises obverse and reverse sides, an exit aperture for allowing egress of ions from the ion source that extends substantially straight through the front plate between the obverse and reverse sides, and a slot penetrating through the front plate from obverse side to reverse side at a slant for at least part of its depth, the slot extending from a side of the front plate to join the exit aperture. The slot is slanted to occlude line of sight into the ion source when viewed from in front, yet provides an expansion gap.
US08153988B2
A neutron detector employs a porous material layer including pores between nanoparticles. The composition of the nanoparticles is selected to cause emission of electrons upon detection of a neutron. The nanoparticles have a maximum dimension that is in the range from 0.1 micron to 1 millimeter, and can be sintered with pores thereamongst. A passing radiation generates electrons at one or more nanoparticles, some of which are scattered into a pore and directed toward a direction opposite to the applied electrical field. These electrons travel through the pore and collide with additional nanoparticles, which generate more electrons. The electrons are amplified in a cascade reaction that occurs along the pores behind the initial detection point. An electron amplification device may be placed behind the porous material layer to further amplify the electrons exiting the porous material layer.
US08153985B2
Neutron detection cells and corresponding methods of detecting charged particles that make efficient use of silicon area are set forth. Three types of circuit cells/arrays are described: state latching circuits, glitch generating cells, and charge loss circuits. An array of these cells, used in conjunction with a neutron conversion film, increases the area that is sensitive to a strike by a charged particle over that of an array of SRAM cells. The result is a neutron detection cell that uses less power, costs less, and is more suitable for mass production.
US08153970B2
A scanning electron microscope for digitally processing an image signal to secure the largest focal depth and the best resolution in accordance with the magnification for observation is disclosed. The angle of aperture of an optical system having a plurality of convergence lenses is changed by changing the convergence lenses and the hole diameter of a diaphragm. The angle α of aperture of the electron beam is changed in accordance with the visual field range corresponding to a single pixel, i.e. what is called the pixel size.
US08153960B2
An ion guide or ion trap (1) is disclosed having an entrance electrode (2) and an exit electrode (3). The potential of the exit electrode (3) is periodically dropped for a relatively short period of time allowing some ions to escape from the ion guide or ion trap (1) via an aperture in the exit electrode (3). The period of time that the potential of the exit electrode (3) is dropped for is progressively increased and ions emerge from the ion guide or ion trap (1) in a mass to charge ratio dependent manner. The ion guide or ion trap (1) may be operated as a mass separator or low resolution mass analyser.
US08153953B2
A light receiving circuit includes: a transimpedance amplifier circuit which is connected to a light receiving element; a differential amplifier which operates by a predetermined current supplied by a current source to output a current corresponding to a differential signal between a signal outputted from the transimpedance amplifier circuit and a predetermined reference signal; a current mirror unit which outputs a current corresponding to the current outputted from the differential amplifier; and a conversion unit which converts the current outputted from the current mirror unit into voltage.
US08153952B2
A flame scanning device is provided for monitoring a flame. The device includes a radiation collection and transmission element for collecting flame radiation and transmitting it to detection elements, a flame sensor element for the detection of radiation and conversion of the detected radiation into electrical signals, and an evaluation unit for the conversion of the electrical signals into flame parameters. The flame sensor element can include at least two individual detectors each with an individual central detection wavelength and a width of observation window, respectively. The individual central detection wavelength and the width of observation window are not overlapping and are covering individual regions of interest of the spectrum of radiation.
US08153947B2
An image sensor formed of an array of pixels, each pixel including a photodiode coupled between a first reference voltage and a first switch, the first switch being operable to connect the photodiode to a first node; a capacitor arranged to store a charge accumulated by the photodiode, the capacitor being coupled between a second reference voltage and a second node; a second switch coupled between the first and second nodes, the second switch being operable to connect the capacitor to the first node; and read circuitry coupled for reading the voltage at the second node.
US08153941B2
A first plate material is set on a work stage. The first plate material includes first components commonly connected to a first connection member. A second plate material is subsequently set on the work stage. The second plate material includes second components commonly connected to a second connection member. The second components are superposed on the corresponding first components. The first components as well as the second components can be handled as a one-piece component. It leads to an improved productivity. Heat surfaces of a heat block contact the second components. The connection members are prevented from thermal expansion. The constant intervals are reliably maintained between the adjacent first components and the adjacent second components.
US08153937B2
A system according to the present invention includes a cabinet, a basin positioned within the cabinet to contain and thermally treat a liquid bath, and a rack or tray disposed on the cabinet that supports exposed scope optics above the liquid bath within the basin. The scope optics resides outside of the bath in a dry state, thereby permitting the remaining scope portions within the bath to be thermally treated. This enables accurate temperature warming of the scope to reduce trauma of tissue and retrieval of enhanced images by the scope during a medical procedure. The present invention permits medical personnel or operating room staff to warm scopes in a controlled environment while maintaining scope optics in a dry state.
US08153930B1
Methods and apparatuses are provided for improving the intensity profile of a beam image used to process a semiconductor substrate. At least one photonic beam may be generated and manipulated to form an image having an intensity profile with an extended uniform region useful for thermally processing the surface of the substrate. The image may be scanned across the surface to heat at least a portion of the substrate surface to achieve a desired temperature within a predetermined dwell time. Such processing may achieve a high efficiency due to the large proportion of energy contained in the uniform portion of the beam.
US08153923B2
There are a multiplicity of methods of making through-holes. In particular in the production of a multiplicity of film-cooling holes, as in gas turbine blades or combustion chamber elements, small time advantages are also important when making a hole. The method according to the invention, to make the hole close to the final contour in each case in sections in a top and a bottom region in order to then produce the final contour with other laser parameters, achieves time advantages.
US08153922B2
A method of repairing an aperture and adjacent defect in a part which is started by removing one or more defects adjacent an aperture in a base material. The material is removed to create a weld seam that extends past an area of high stress concentration on the aperture. An insert of material containing a profile that corresponds to the profile of the base material removed adjacent the aperture and a combination top and runoff plate that encompasses the insert of material are provided. A backing plate is inserted underneath the combination top and runoff plate and insert such that there remains an air space between the backing plate and the combination plate which prevents the combination plate from becoming fused to the backing plate during a welding process. The insert is welded to the base material, and the backing plate is removed. Excess material is removed from the insert to obtain an aperture containing a profile essentially the same as the profile of the aperture prior to initiating the repair.
US08153918B2
An automatic switch control includes a wheel member having a cam member with a ramp surface. A first plunger mechanism has a first spring member that is operable to urge a first cam follower into sliding engagement with the ramp surface. A second plunger mechanism has a second spring member that is operable to urge a second cam follower into sliding engagement with the ramp surface. The second plunger mechanism is disposed on an opposite side of the toggle from the first plunger mechanism when the automatic switch control is installed over the switch. An electric motor is operable to rotate the cam member to position the first plunger mechanism in a retracted condition and to position the second plunger mechanism in an extended condition that is operable to move the toggle to the on position.
US08153917B2
A moving contact head for tap switches comprises a moving contact head installation plate component (200) rotating with a switch main shaft (100), and a holder-type moving contact head (300) arranged on the moving contact head installation plate component (200). The holder-type moving contact head (300) is divided into two sets of upper and lower moving contact head components, which are connected to each other and formed a holder shape; wherein, each moving contact head component comprises a moving contact head unit (320) consisting of a plurality of single moving contact heads (321) in parallel, and a leaf spring component (330) arranged on the moving contact head component (320); both ends of each single moving contact head (321) are provided with a contact point, respectively. A contacting ring (500) is clamped at one ends of the two moving contact head units (320), and a static contact head (600) is clamped the other ends of the two moving contact head units to deform a leaf spring (331) in the leaf spring component (330). However, the reaction force by the leaf spring (331) causes the moving contact head unit (320) to contact with the contacting ring (500) and the static contact head (600) to achieve on-state of large current.
US08153909B2
A coreless wiring board has no core board but a laminated structure in which a conductor layer and resin insulating layers are alternately laminated into a multilayer. Each of the resin insulating layers is formed to contain a glass cloth in an epoxy resin. A plurality of via holes is formed to penetrate each of the resin insulating layers, and a filled via conductor for electrically connecting the conductor layers is formed in the via holes respectively. A tip of the glass cloth contained in each of the resin insulating layers is protruded from an internal wall surface of the via hole and cuts into a sidewall of the filled via conductor.
US08153905B2
A method for manufacturing a printed wiring board includes forming a metal film on a surface of an insulative board, a plating resist on the metal film, and a plated-metal film on the metal film exposed from the plating resist, covering a portion of the plated-metal film with an etching resist, etching to reduce thickness of the plated-metal film exposed from the etching resist, removing the resists, and forming a wiring having a pad and a conductive circuit thinner than the pad by removing the metal film exposed through the removing of the plating resist, a solder-resist layer on the surface of the board and wiring, in the layer an opening exposing the pad and a portion of the circuit contiguous to the pad, a solder film on the pad and portion of the circuit exposed through the opening, and a solder bump on the pad by solder reflow.
US08153901B2
A multilayer circuit board is fabricated by: preparing a film comprising a first protective film and a first interlayer adhesive; preparing a first circuit board having a first base and a conductive post protruding therefrom; stacking the first interlayer adhesive and the conductive post together; peeling off the first protective film; preparing a second circuit board including a conductive pad receiving the conductive post; and bonding the first circuit board and the second circuit board through the first interlayer adhesive so that the conductive post and the conductive pad face each other, wherein the first interlayer adhesive 104 at the top portion of the conductive post is selectively removed while peeling off the first protective film.
US08153888B2
A high-efficiency lateral multi-junction solar cell (C) includes ultra-low profile planar spectral band splitting micro-optics having a shortpass filter (48) reflecting desired frequencies of light (24) to a reflective mirror (58) combined with spectrally optimized photovoltaic (solar) cells.
US08153886B1
An increased efficiency Concentrator Photovoltaic System having a plurality of solar cells laterally spaced from each other on a substrate panel. The solar cells are mounted on electrically conductive areas of an otherwise non-conductive top surface of the substrate with each cell isolated from another by a non-conductive area. The individual cells are connected using ribbons or wires, between the front contact of the solar cells to the conductive area of another cell to form a circuit connecting the cells in a desired configuration. A plurality of tubular enclosures for concentrating light on the solar cells are mounted directly above the solar cells.
US08153882B2
A computer implemented method allows a user to adjust tracks in a musical arrangement. The method involves a user selecting a musical position of an audio track, which the user desires to adjust in time, either by compressing it or expanding it, by indicating with a pointing device, such as a mouse, the position in the time line of the audio track that the user wishes to alter. A first marker is then displayed at the selected musical position in the audio track. Boundary markers defining transients in the audio signal surrounding the selected musical position are then automatically generated by analysis of the audio signal, and are displayed on the audio track. The two boundary markers define an audio segment that is to be adjusted in tempo by the user moving the first marker along the time line.
US08153864B2
The invention provides a method for devitalizing plant seed, the method comprising the steps of hydrating a viable whole plant seed and freezing the hydrated whole plant seed. The invention further provides a collection of devitalized whole plant seed wherein the integrity of genomic DNA and protein within the devitalized plant seed is preserved.
US08153862B2
The present invention relates to cytochrome P450 protein originating from Arabidopsis thaliana which can be used for increasing seed size or storage protein content in seed or for increasing water stress resistance of plant, a gene encoding said protein, a recombinant plant expression vector comprising said gene, a method of increasing seed size or storage protein content in seed and a method of increasing water stress resistance of plant by using said vector, plants produced by said method and transgenic seed of said plants. According to the present invention, by using cytochrome P450 gene of the present invention, seed size or storage protein content in seed can be increased or water stress resistance of plant can be increased.
US08153860B2
Isolated nucleic acid fragments and recombinant constructs comprising such fragments for altering embryo/endosperm size during seed development are disclosed along with a method of controlling embryo/endosperm size during seed development in plants.
US08153854B2
A process for producing an alkylate having a low Reid vapor pressure, the process including: contacting a C6+-containing hydrocarbon stream with a mixture of isopentane and isobutane in the presence of an acid catalyst in an alkylation reactor to form a dilute alkylate product, wherein the C6+-containing hydrocarbon stream includes at least one of oligomers of C3 to C5 olefins and a dilute alkylate produced by contacting an isoparaffin with at least one of C3 to C5 olefins and oligomers of C3 to C5 olefins; fractionating the dilute alkylate product to form an isobutane-rich fraction, a n-butane-rich fraction, a fraction containing isopentane, and an alkylate product having a Reid vapor pressure less than 0.35 bar (5 psi); recycling at least a portion of the fraction containing isopentane to the alkylation reactor.
US08153852B2
This invention is for a catalyst for conversion of alkanes having two to six carbon atoms per molecule to aromatics. The catalyst is a MFI zeolite with a crystallite size of less than 15 microns with, in addition to silicon and aluminum, germanium as a framework element. Platinum is deposited on the zeolite. The zeolite may contain other optional tetravalent and trivalent elements in the zeolite framework. The catalyst is synthesized by preparing a zeolite containing aluminum, silicon, germanium and, optionally, other elements in the framework, calcining the zeolite and depositing platinum on the zeolite. The catalyst may be used for aromatization of alkanes, such as propane, to aromatics, such as benzene, toluene and xylenes.
US08153848B2
Branched, highly-substituted C9-C13 homoallyl alcohols of formula I, in which R1 and R2 are selected from H or Me and R3 is selected from H, Me and Et. The compounds are useful in fragrance applications in which a floral note is desired.
US08153846B2
The present invention provides a method of making sulfur containing fluoroalkyl amines which overcomes the problems of previously known methods. Sulfur containing fluoroalkyl amines are useful as intermediates for compounds which are in turn useful for imparting water and oil repellency to textiles. Sulfur containing fluoroalkyl amines used in this manner may be found in Example 8 of Rondestvedt et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,732) wherein they are made by reacting an iodo-fluoroalkyl with an aminoalkyl thiol. Specifically, Rondestvedt et al. teaches reacting CF3(CF2)5(CH2)2I (an iodo-fluoroalkyl) with HS—CH2CH2—NH2 (an aminoalkyl thiol) to make CF3(CF2)5(CH2)2—S—CH2CH2—NH2 (a sulfur containing fluoroalkyl amine). Unlike previously known methods, the method of the present invention can achieve higher yields of sulfur containing fluoroalkyl amines without resorting to costly solvents. Furthermore, unlike previously known methods, the method of the present invention can produce oxidized forms of sulfur containing fluoroalkyl amines wherein the sulfur atom thereof is oxidized.
US08153837B2
The invention provides biocompatible resorbable polymers, comprising monomer units having formula (I), formula (II), formula (III) or formula (IV). The polymers degrade over time when implanted in the body, and are useful as components of implantable medical devices.
US08153826B2
The present invention relates to industrially useful production processes in which (±)-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethyldecahydronaphtho[2,1-b]furan-2(1H)-ones and further (±)-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethyldo decahydronaphtho[2,1-b]furans are produced from raw materials which are readily available at low costs, through short steps and in a simple manner. The process for producing (±)-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethyldecahydronaphtho[2,1-b]furan-2(1H)-ones represented by the general formula (III): which includes the steps of cyclizing a homofarnesylic acid amide represented by the general formula (I): wherein R1 and R2 are each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and wavy lines each represents a carbon-to-carbon single bond having a cis or trans structure, and/or a monocyclohomofarnesylic acid amide represented by the general formula (II): wherein R1 and R2 and wavy lines are the same as defined above; and dotted lines represent that a carbon-to-carbon double bond is present at any of positions represented by the dotted lines, in the presence of an acid agent; and subjecting the cyclized product to hydrolysis.
US08153825B2
A process is described for preparing phthalic anhydride by catalytic gas phase oxidation of o-xylene, in, in a main reactor, a gaseous mixture of o-xylene and an oxygenous gas is passed through at least two reaction zones whose temperature can be controlled independently, and converted to a gaseous intermediate reaction product which comprises unconverted o-xylene, phthalic anhydride underoxidation products and phthalic anhydride, and the intermediate reaction product is introduced into a postreactor, wherein the temperature of the reaction zones in the main reactor is regulated in such a way that the concentration of unconverted o-xylene in the intermediate reaction product is at least 0.5% by weight. The process allows an increase in the overall yield of phthalic anhydride without or without significant deterioration in the product quality.
US08153813B2
Compounds of formula (I) are useful in treating conditions or disorders prevented by or ameliorated by histamine-3 receptor ligands. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions of compounds of formula (I), methods for using such compounds and compositions, and a process for preparing the compounds.
US08153807B2
The present invention discloses novel compounds of Formula I: (I) having 11-HSD type 1 antagonist activity, as well as methods for preparing such compounds. In another embodiment, the invention discloses pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of Formula I, as well as methods of using the compounds and compositions to treat diabetes, hyperglycemia, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and other conditions associated with 11-HSD type 1 activity.
US08153806B2
The invention provides new and useful analogs of 4-amino-thalidomide. These analogs include S(−)-4-amino-thalidomide and R(+)-4-amino-thalidomide. The invention also provides processes for making these analogs. Further, the invention provides methods for inhibiting angiogenesis and treating angiogenesis-associated diseases, including cancer and macular degeneration, by administering these compounds.
US08153800B2
Inhibitors of HCV replication of formula (I) and the N-oxides, salts, and stereoisomers, wherein each dashed line represents an optional double bond; X is N, CH and where X bears a double bond it is C; R1 is —OR7 or —NH—SO2R8; R2 is hydrogen, and where X is C or CH, R2 may also be C1-6alkyl; R3 is hydrogen, C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkoxyC1-6alkyl, or C3-7cycloalkyl; R4 is aryl or Het; n is 3, 4, 5, or 6; R5 is halo, C1-6alkyl, hydroxy, C1-6alkoxy, phenyl, or Het; R6 is C1-6alkoxy or dimethylamino; R7 is hydrogen; aryl; Het; C3-7cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C1-6alkyl; or C1-6alkyl optionally substituted with C3-7cycloalkyl, aryl or with Het; R8 is aryl; Het; C3-7cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C1-6alkyl; or C1-6alkyl optionally substituted with C3-7cycloalkyl, aryl or with Het; aryl is phenyl optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents; Het is a 5 or 6 membered saturated, partially unsaturated or completely unsaturated heterocyclic ring containing 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, and being optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents; pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds (I) and processes for preparing compounds (I). Bioavailable combinations of the inhibitors of HCV of formula (I) with ritonavir are also provided.
US08153797B2
This invention relates to novel chromen-2-one derivatives useful as monoamine neurotransmitter re-uptake inhibitors.In other aspects the invention relates to the use of these compounds in a method for therapy and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of the invention.
US08153793B2
The present invention provides an sulfonamide derivative having DP receptor antagonistic activity and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the said compound as an active ingredient, and further a therapeutic agent for treating allergic diseases.A compound of the general formula (II): wherein the ring A is an aromatic carbocyclic ring etc.; the ring B is a nitrogen-containing non-aromatic heterocyclic ring etc.; the ring C is an aromatic carbocyclic ring etc.; R1 is carboxy etc.; R2 is independently a halogen atom etc.; R3 is optionally substituted alkyloxy etc.; R4 is independently a halogen atom etc.; R5 is independently optionally substituted alkyl etc.; M is sulfonyl etc.; Y is a single bond etc.; L1 is a single bond etc.; L2 is a single bond etc.; k is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1 or 2; and q is 0, 1, 2 or 3; provided that a) k is not 0 when the ring B is a 6-membered nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring containing one or two nitrogen atom(s) and the ring C is a benzene ring, etc.; a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or a hydrate thereof.
US08153790B2
In one embodiment the present invention encompasses 4-(2,6-dichloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)-3,5-dimethylbenzonitrile (“ETHER”), 4-(4,6-dichloropyrimidin-2-yloxy)-3,5-dimethyl-benzonitrile (“ETHER C-2 isomer”), mixtures and salts thereof of. The present invention encompasses the use of ETHER and salts thereof to prepare Etravirine and Etravirine intermediates, and salts thereof. In another embodiment the present invention encompasses the use of ETHER and salts thereof to prepare debrometravirine (“DEBETV”) and salts thereof. In yet another embodiment the present invention encompasses the use of ETHER and salts thereof to prepare 4-(6-chloro-2-(4-cyanophenylamino)pyrimidin-4-yloxy)-3,5-dimethyl-benzonitrile (“ARCPBN”) and salts thereof. The compound, 4-(2,6-dichloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)-3,5-dimethylbenzonitrile “ETHER” of formula (A) wherein n is either 0 or 1 and HA is an acid.
US08153788B2
Compounds of the formula (I) or salts thereof, in which in which R1 is an optionally substituted amino group or analogous group, and R2 to R7 are each as described herein, are suitable as herbicides and crop growth regulators. The compounds (I) can be prepared by the processes described, via intermediates including novel intermediates for example of the formula (III).
US08153779B2
Described are modified mononucleotides and processes for their production. The nucleotides have a structure in which B is a purine or pyrimidine, S is a sugar unit, Y is an OH, a monophosphate, or a diphosphate, and Acc is an electron acceptor selected from the group consisting of (a) —CN and (b) —SO2—R′ in which R′ contains one amino-substituted alkyl or one optionally substituted aryl.
US08153771B1
Mutants of human FGF-1 are disclosed having increased stability and mitogenic potency. In the FGF-1 polypeptide, primarily residue 12 is substituted with threonine and/or residue 134 is substituted cysteine, valine or threonine to render the polypeptide more stable and/or to increase its mitogenecity.
US08153757B2
A solution process for polymerizing one or more α-olefins of formula CH2═CHR, where R is H or an alkyl radical C1-12, to produce a polyolefin soluble in the reaction medium, the process comprising:a) polymerizing said one or more α-olefins in a solution phase in the presence of a polymerization catalyst and a inert solvent having a vapor pressure lower than 100 kPa at 20° C.;b) separating the produced polyolefin from the unreacted monomers and the inert solvent by means of a sequence of at least three volatilization chambers operating at a decreasing pressure, the second devolatilization chamber being operated at a pressure from 0.8 to 5 bar.
US08153748B2
A thermosetting composition containing an aluminosiloxane, a silicone oil containing silanol groups at both ends, and a silicone alkoxy oligomer. The thermosetting composition of the present invention can be used for, for example, encapsulating materials, coating materials, molding materials, surface-protecting materials, adhesive agents, bonding agents, and the like. Especially, in a case where the thermosetting composition of the present invention is used as an encapsulating material, the thermosetting composition is suitably used for, for example, photosemiconductor devices mounted with blue or white LED elements (backlights for liquid crystal displays, traffic lights, outdoor big displays, advertisement sign boards, and the like).
US08153746B2
Methods of making unsaturated modified vegetable oil-based polyols are described. Also described are methods of making oligomeric modified vegetable oil-based polyols. An oligomeric composition having a modified fatty acid triglyceride structure is also described. Also, methods of making a polyol including hydroformylation and hydrogenation of oils in the presence of a catalyst and support are described.
US08153740B2
The present invention relates to an ampholytic copolymer, to polyelectrolyte complexes which comprise such an ampholytic copolymer, and to cosmetic or pharmaceutical compositions which comprise at least one ampholytic copolymer or one polyelectrolyte complex.
US08153734B2
The present invention discloses a process for preparing polyethylene resins in a double loop reactor wherein the catalyst system comprises a bis-tetrahydroindenyl and a bis-indenyl catalyst component deposited on the same support. It also discloses the polyethylene resins obtained by the process and their use to prepare films having a good compromise of haze, processing and mechanical properties.
US08153729B2
Dendritic macroinitiator compositions are provided comprising a compound of the general formula, Fx-[G-n]-I, where F is the chain end functional group of the dendrimer, x is the number of chain end functional groups, G is the dendrimer, n is the generation number of the dendrimer, and I is the initiating group. Hybrid dendritic-linear copolymers made from these macroinitators can act as highly efficient dispersing agents for a range of nanoparticles in matrix materials.
US08153724B2
A moisture curable composition is capable of cure to an elastomeric body. The composition includes an extended polymer, a suitable cross-linking agent, a suitable condensation catalyst, an organic plasticizer, and one or more fillers. The extended polymer includes an organosiloxane containing polymer of a specific formula and an organic extender selected from linear or branched mono unsaturated hydrocarbons, wherein the organopolysiloxane polymer comprises from 5 to 20% by weight of the composition. The cross-linking agent includes at least two hydroxyl and/or hydrolysable groups reactive with the organopolysiloxane polymer. The organic plasticizer is selected from one or more of the group of natural drying oils, fatty acid(s), fatty acid esters, polyols, and organic phosphates.
US08153720B2
It is intended to provide a polymer alloy including a polyphenylene sulfide resin, a polyphenylene ether resin, and a talc, which is excellent in a balance between tenacity (impact strength) and rigidity and in die wear resistance. The present invention provides a resin composition including 45 to 99 parts by weight of a polyphenylene sulfide resin (a), 55 to 1 part(s) by weight of a polyphenylene ether resin (b), 1 to 20 part(s) by weight of a compatibilizer (c) with respect to 100 parts by weight in total of the components (a) and (b), and 20 to 200 parts by weight of a talc (d) having an average particle size of 25 to 100 μm or 20 to 200 parts by weight in total of a talc (d) having an average particle size of 25 to 100 μm and a fibrous filler (e) with respect to 100 parts by weight in total of the components (a) and (b).
US08153708B2
The present invention provides a process for forming a waterborne composite polyurethane/acrylic polymer dispersion without the use of N-methyl pyrrolidone. The process includes polymerizing a reaction mixture of polyisocyanate, polyol, and a hydroxyl and carboxylic acid functional reactant in an organic solvent medium of alkyl carbonate, then adding ethylenically unsaturated monomers and inverting the mixture into an aqueous medium. Addition polymerization is performed to yield a waterborne composite polyurethane/acrylic polymer dispersion, and any remaining alkyl carbonate is hydrolyzed. The resulting aqueous polymer dispersions are environmentally friendly and are suitable for use in coating compositions that conventionally contained similar dispersions prepared in the presence of N-methyl pyrrolidone. Comparable physical properties are observed.
US08153703B2
Benzotriazole UV/Visible light-absorbing monomers are disclosed. The UV/Vis absorbers are particularly suitable for use in intraocular lens materials.
US08153691B2
A method for preparing compositions, comprising docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and optionally one or more fatty acids selected from the group consisting of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), arachidonic acid (ARA), linoleic acid (LA), and α-linoleic acid (ALA), that are administered to felines for treating feline inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
US08153684B2
Equol (7-hydroxy-3(4′hydroxyphenyl)-chroman), the major metabolite of the phytoestrogen daidzein, specifically binds and blocks the hormonal action of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in vitro and in vivo. Equol can bind circulating free DHT and sequester it from the androgen receptor, thus altering growth and physiological hormone responses that are regulated by androgens. These data suggest a novel model to explain equol's biological properties. The significance of equol's ability to specifically bind and sequester DHT from the androgen receptor have important ramifications in health and disease and may indicate a broad and important usage for equol in the treatment and prevention of androgen-mediated pathologies. Thus, equol can specifically bind DHT and prevent DHT's biological actions in physiological and pathophysiological processes.
US08153678B2
The invention relates to the malic acid salt of N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-5-formyl-2,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxamide, to the use thereof as an intermediate for preparing the malic acid salt of sunitinib, and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said malic acid salt of sunitinib.
US08153672B2
The invention relates to crystalline forms of 4-[3,5-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-[1,2,4]triazol-1-yl]benzoic acid and to its amorphous form, to processes for the preparation thereof, to compositions containing the same and their uses for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of the human body.
US08153670B2
The present invention is directed to compounds represented by Formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, hydrates, and prodrugs thereof which are inhibitors of Factor Xa. The present invention is also directed to and intermediates used in making such compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, methods to prevent or treat a number of conditions characterized by undesired thrombosis and methods of inhibiting the coagulation of a blood sample.
US08153668B2
The present invention relates to polymorphic forms of (S)-tetrahydrofuran-3-yl 3-(3-(3-methoxy-4-(oxazol-5-yl)phenyl)ureido)benzylcarbamate, processes therein, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and uses therewith.
US08153663B2
This invention relates to novel indazole derivatives of formula I: wherein R1 to R7 are as defined in the description and in the claims, as well as physiologically acceptable salts thereof. These compounds are FXR modulators and can be used as medicaments.
US08153660B2
One object of the present invention are novel substituted piperidyl-propane-thiols of the formula (1), wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are defined as below. Another object of the present invention is to provide agonists or antagonists of CCR-3, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, more particularly to provide pharmaceutical compositions comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a therapeutically effective amount of at least one of the compounds of the present invention or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US08153659B2
Provided are 4′-O substituted isoindoline compounds, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, clathrates, stereoisomers, and prodrugs thereof. Methods of use, and pharmaceutical compositions of these compounds are disclosed.
US08153655B2
The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of voltage-gated sodium channels. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds of the invention and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disorders.
US08153639B2
Fused pyrimidines of formula (I): wherein A, n, R1, R2, and R3 have any of the values defined herein and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof have activity as inhibitors of PI3K and may thus be used to treat diseases and disorders arising from abnormal cell growth, function or behavior associated with PI3 kinase such as cancer, immune disorders, cardiovascular disease, viral infection, inflammation, metabolism/endocrine disorders and neurological disorders. Processes for synthesizing the compounds are also described.
US08153637B2
The present invention relates to phenyl-alkyl piperazines of formula (I): in which A, R1, R2 and R3 are as defined herein, having TNF-modulating activity. The invention also relates to the preparation thereof, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and to the therapeutic use thereof.
US08153630B2
Disclosed are protein kinase inhibitors of Formula Ia and Ib, compositions comprising such inhibitors, and methods of use, thereof. More particularly, these compounds and compositions are inhibitors of Aurora-A (Aurora-2) and Aurora-B (Aurora-1) protein kinase. Also disclosed are methods of using these compounds and compositions to prevent and treat diseases associated with protein kinases, especially diseases associated with Aurora-A or Aurora-B, such as cancer.
US08153616B2
The multiphase combination preparation for oral therapy of dysfunctional uterine bleeding and for oral contraception contains a first phase consisting of 2 daily dosage units, each containing 3 mg of estradiol valerate or <3 mg of estradiol; a second phase consisting of a first group of 5 daily dosage units, each consisting of a combination of 2 mg of dienogest with 2 mg of estradiol valerate or <2 mg of estradiol, and a second group consisting of 17 daily dosage units, each consisting of a combination of 3 mg of dienogest with 2 mg of estradiol valerate or <2 mg of estradiol; a third phase consisting of 2 daily dosage units, each containing 1 mg of estradiol valerate or <1 mg of estradiol; and another phase consisting of 2 daily dosage units of a pharmaceutically harmless placebos.
US08153615B2
The syntheses and in vitro antitumor properties of carbamate-containing, dicarbamate-containing, and ureido-containing phospholipid compounds that have an ether linkage at the C-1 position of a glycerol backbone, a carbamate, dicarbamate, or ureido moiety at the C-2 position of the glycerol backbone, and a phosphocholine, phosphonocholine, or glycoside moiety at the C-3 position of the glycerol backbone are described. The synthesis and antiproliferative activity of ether lipids with a naphthol moiety at the C-1 position are also described. These compounds were shown to be potent inhibitors of cancer cell growth. These compounds are useful for killing cancer cells and treating cancer.
US08153606B2
Oligonucleotide compounds modulate expression and/or function of an apolipoprotein (ApoA1) polynucleotides and encoded products thereof. Methods for treating diseases associated with apolipoprotein-A1 (ApoA1) comprise administering one or more Oligonucleotide compounds designed to inhibit the Apo-A1 natural antisense transcript to patients.
US08153601B2
The invention provides an azithromycin-containing aqueous pharmaceutical composition, which comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of azithromycin, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and at least one member selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and which does not comprise boric acid or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and a method for the preparation of the composition, wherein an azithromycin-containing liquid is maintained at pH of 4.0 or higher throughout the method for the preparation. The composition has good heat and storage stability.
US08153592B2
This description provides methods and materials related to modulating Toll-like receptor activity. For example, methods and materials for increasing or decreasing the responsiveness of a TLR4 polypeptide are provided.
US08153588B2
The invention relates to a combined pharmaceutical preparation comprising parathyroid hormone and a bone resorption inhibitor, said preparation being adapted for (a) the administration of parathyroid hormone during a period of approximately 6 to 24 months; (b) after the administration of parathyroid hormone has been terminated, the administration of a bone resorption inhibitor during a period of approximately 12 to 36 months.
US08153585B2
The present invention provides isolated polypeptides having VEGF antagonist activity, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment of subjects having a disease or disorder associated with VEGF activity or subjects having tumors expressing a VEGF receptor. The polypeptides of the invention include polypeptides comprising a portion of SEQ ID NO: 1 having VEGF antagonist activity, polypeptides comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 or a portion thereof having VEGF antagonist activity, and a polypeptide having the structure of formula (I), set forth above. The present invention further includes analogs and derivatives of these polypeptides having VEGF antagonist activity.
US08153582B2
A personal-care article, for receiving body exudates, having a self-assembling peptide is provided.
US08153578B2
In one embodiment, a method for recycling soap includes scraping the surface of a soap bar using a bladed implement; soaking the soap bar in a cleansing solution including dimethyl benzylammonium chlorides monohydrate; placing the soap bar on a rack in a Rational Clima Plus Combi unit; placing a pan under the rack; steaming the soap bar using the Rational Clima Plus Combi unit for five minutes at 212° F.; cooling the soap bar in a refrigerator unit at 38° F. for at least seven minutes; and packaging the soap for reuse.
US08153575B1
The present technology relates to compositions and processes for improved dry cleaning using densified carbon dioxide. The methods utilize a composition comprising densified carbon dioxide and a plurality of magnetic particles comprising a lipase wherein the lipase is immobilized on the surface of one or more of the plurality of magnetic particles.
US08153572B2
Aqueous conditioning shampoo comprising cleansing surfactant and a conditioning gel network, the gel network comprising a particulate having a melting point above 70° C. and glyceryl monostearate.
US08153571B2
Composition for permanent or semipermanent tinting of keratin fibers with oil-in-glycol lamellar gel
The present invention has for object an oil-in-glycol lamellar gel, which comprises (a) at least one glycol, (b) at least one fatty alcohol, (c) at least one cationic surfactant, (d) at least one non-ionic surfactant and (e) at least one amino acid, for application as an addictive for permanent or semi-permanent keratin fiber color products, being the said lamellar gel able to improve dispersion of colorant agents in the color composition and the distribution, diffusion, interaction and maintenance of the colorant agents in the keratin fibers, which results in greater color vitality and retardation of the discoloring process.
US08153570B2
A quaternary ammonium salt detergent made from the reaction product of the reaction of: (a) a hydrocarbyl substituted acylating agent and a compound having an oxygen or nitrogen atom capable of condensing with said acylating agent and further having a tertiary amino group; and (b) a quaternizing agent suitable for converting the tertiary amino group to a quaternary nitrogen and the use of such quaternary ammonium salt detergents in a lubricating composition.
US08153569B2
Disclosed is lubricant base oil that is excellent in lubricity, sludge solubility, low viscosity, and low temperature characteristics and capable of realizing low volatility. The lubricant base oil contains as its main component a diester or triester synthesized from a divalent or trivalent carboxylic acid of 9 or less carbon atoms and a monovalent glycol ether such as an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether of 3 to 25 carbon atoms and is useful as base oil for lubricating oil and grease. Di(hexyloxyethyl) adipate may be cited as an appropriate example of the diester.
US08153564B2
A cross-linking composition comprising (a) an aqueous liquid; (b) a pH buffer; (c) a cross-linkable organic polymer; and (d) a solution of a zirconium cross-linking agent comprising the product of contacting a zirconium complex with an alkanolamine and ethylene glycol wherein the mole ratio of alkanolamine to zirconium is 2:1 to 4:1 and the mole ratio of ethylene glycol to zirconium is 1:1 to 10:1. Optionally, water, hydroxyalkylated ethylenediamine, or both are added to the zirconium complex. The cross-linking composition of this invention is useful in oil field applications, for example, for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation and for plugging permeable zones or leaks in a subterranean formation.
US08153559B2
When the Glyphosate-tolerant crops, known as Round-Up Ready crops, are sprayed with Glyphosate in the field, the crops may exhibit some extent of phototoxicity, although the weeds are killed, as intended. Use of safener additive in present invention as plant growth regulator (PGR), along with Glyphosate, will result in reduced phototoxicity to the crops and thus better crops growth, while the herbicidal activities of Glyphosate are not affected.
US08153556B2
An herbicidal composition containing (a) benfluralin and (b) either diflufenican, flufenacet or prosulfocarb provides synergistic control of selected weeds in cereals.
US08153553B2
A gas sorbing system is formed by gas sorbing components which are dispersed in a polymeric matrix which is porous or permeable to the gases to be sorbed. The gas sorbing components include a central nucleus, selected among a silica particle, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and a spherosilicate, to which there are bound at least one organic or metalorganic radical carrying a functional group, which is able to chemically fix the gas to be sorbed, and at least one anchoring organic radical including a chain of carbon atoms, which has the functionality of fixing the nucleus in the matrix polymer.
US08153550B2
Provided is a process of manufacturing an oil adsorption foaming sheet for preventing or recovering pollution of ocean or soil by oil or hydrocarbon. The oil adsorption foaming sheet is manufactured by mixing polyurethane prepolymer with refined peat moss, lecithin as a dispersion and surfactant agent, N-methylmorpline as a foaming agent, and triethylenamin as a catalyst, to thereby form a foaming composite, foaming the foaming composite, to thereby obtain a soft continuous air bubble foaming body, slicing the foaming body, and drying the sliced foaming body into a moisture content of 2 wt % or below.
US08153548B2
The isomerization catalyst is a solid acid catalyst formed with a base of tungstated zirconium mixed oxides loaded with at least one hydrogenation/dehydrogenation metal catalyst from Groups 8-10 (IUPAC, 2006) and impregnated with at least one alkali metal from Group 1 (IUPAC, 2006). The metal from Groups 8-10 is preferably selected from platinum, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and mixtures thereof, and most preferably is platinum. The Group I alkali metal is selected from lithium, sodium, potassium rubidium and cesium and mixtures thereof, and is preferably lithium, sodium, or potassium. Preferable, the catalyst forms, by weight, a base having between about 80-90% zirconium mixed oxides and between about 10-20% tungstate; between about 0.1-3.00% Group 8-10 metal; and between about 0.01-1.00% Group 1 alkali metal.
US08153545B2
Metal complexes, catalyst compositions containing the metal complexes, and processes for making the metal complexes and the catalyst compositions are described for the manufacture of polymers from ethylenically unsaturated addition polymerizable monomers. The metal complexes have chemical structures corresponding to one of the following formulae: wherein MI and MII are metals; T is nitrogen or phosphorus; P is a carbon, nitrogen or phosphorus atom; groups R1, R2 and R3 may be linked to each other; Y is a divalent bridging group; X, X1, and X2 are anionic ligand groups with certain exceptions; D is a neutral Lewis base ligand; and s, o, k, i, ii, p, m, a, b, c, d, c, t, and y are numbers as further described in the claims.
US08153542B2
A method for treating a catalyst base that comprises a contact area of porous material. A fluid, such as a flue gas stream, can be conducted along the contact area. A catalytically relevant substance is introduced into pores of the catalyst base using a transport fluid and remains on pore wall areas after removal of the transport fluid. The introduction is carried out such that an amount of the catalytically relevant substance relative to the surface remains on the pore wall areas as a function of location within the pore and decreases within the pore after exceeding a specific pore depth. A blocking fluid can first be introduced into pore regions beyond the specific pore depth, thus blocking these regions when transport fluid containing the catalytically relevant substance is introduced.
US08153536B2
This invention provides apparatus, protocols, and methods that permit wafers to be loaded and unloaded in a gas-phase epitaxial growth chamber at high temperatures. Specifically, this invention provides a device for moving wafers or substrates that can bath a substrate being moved in active gases that are optionally temperature controlled. The active gases can act to limit or prevent sublimation or decomposition of the wafer surface, and can be temperature controlled to limit or prevent thermal damage. Thereby, previously-necessary temperature ramping of growth chambers can be reduced or eliminated leading to improvement in wafer throughput and system efficiency.
US08153523B2
A method of semiconductor fabrication including an etching process is provided. The method includes providing a substrate and forming a target layer on the substrate. An etchant layer is formed on the target layer. The etchant layer reacts with the target layer and etches a portion of the target layer. In an embodiment, an atomic layer of the target layer is etched. The etchant layer is then removed from the substrate. The process may be iterated any number of times to remove a desired amount of the target layer. In an embodiment, the method provides for decreased lateral etching. The etchant layer may provide for improved control in forming patterns in thin target layers such as, capping layers or high-k dielectric layers of a gate structure.
US08153522B2
A method of forming a mask for use in fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming first non-removable portions of a photoresist material through a mask having a plurality of apertures, shifting the mask, forming second non-removable second portions of the photoresist material overlapping the first portions, and removing removable portions of the photoresist material arranged between the first and second portions. The formed photoresist mask may be used to form vias in an integrated circuit. The pattern of vias produced have the capability to exceed the current imaging resolution of a single exposure treatment.
US08153519B1
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes depositing and stacking a hard mask layer and a sacrificial layer over an etch target layer forming a mask pattern with holes defined therein over the sacrificial layer, forming first pillars filling the holes; removing the mask pattern, forming second pillars by using the first pillars as an etch barrier and etching the sacrificial layer, forming spacers surrounding sidewalls of each second pillar, removing the second pillars, etching the hard mask layer by using the spacers as etch barriers to form a hard mask pattern, and forming a hole pattern by using the hard mask pattern as an etch barrier and etching the etch target layer.
US08153517B2
The present invention discloses methods and apparatuses for the separations of IC fabrication and assembling of separated IC components to form complete IC structures. In an embodiment, the present fabrication separation of an IC structure into multiple discrete components can take advantages of dedicated IC fabrication facilities and achieve more cost effective products. In another embodiment, the present chip assembling provides high density interconnect wires between bond pads, enabling cost-effective assembling of small chip components. In an aspect, the present process coats the component surfaces to facilitate the bonding of the bond pads. In another aspect, the present process coats the bond pads with shelled capsules to facilitate the bonding of the bond pads.
US08153492B2
Forming a high-κ/metal gate field effect transistor using a gate last process in which the channel region has a curved profile thus increasing the effective channel length improves the short channel effect. During the high-κ/metal gate process, after the sacrificial materials between the sidewall spacers are removed, the exposed semiconductor substrate surface at the bottom of the gate trench cavity is etched to form a curved recess. Subsequent deposition of high-κ gate dielectric layer and gate electrode metal into the gate trench cavity completes the high-κ/metal gate field effect transistor having a curved channel region that has a longer effective channel length.
US08153486B2
A method for fabricating a capacitor includes forming an etch stop layer, a first isolating insulation layer, and a floating layer over a substrate including storage node contact plugs to form a resulting substrate structure; etching the floating layer, the first isolating insulation layer, and the etch stop layer to form a plurality of open regions; forming a conductive layer over the substrate structure; forming a second isolating insulation layer over the conductive layer, the second isolating insulation layer filling upper portions of the open regions; etching portions of the remaining floating layer to form a floating pattern; performing a storage node isolation process in a manner that the floating pattern is exposed to form a plurality of storage nodes having sidewalls supported by the floating pattern; and removing the etched first isolating insulation layer.
US08153482B2
A well-structure anti-punch-through microwire device and associated fabrication method are provided. The method initially forms a microwire with alternating highly and lightly doped cylindrical regions. A channel ring is formed external to the microwire outer shell and surrounding a first dopant well-structure region in the microwire, between source and drain (S/D) regions of the microwire. The S/D regions are doped with a second dopant, opposite to the first dopant. A gate dielectric ring is formed surrounding the channel ring, and a gate electrode ring is formed surrounding the gate dielectric ring. The well-structure, in contrast to conventional micro or nanowire transistors, helps prevent the punch-through phenomena.
US08153468B2
A light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The light emitting device comprises a substrate, a gate electrode positioned on the substrate, a first insulating layer positioned on the substrate comprising the gate electrode, an amorphous silicon layer positioned on the first insulating layer so that a predetermined area thereof corresponds to the gate electrode, ohmic layers that positioned on a predetermined area of the amorphous silicon layer, the ohmic layers defining a source area and a drain area, a source electrode or a drain electrode electrically connected to any one of the ohmic layers and a cathode that is electrically connected to the other one of the ohmic layers, a second insulating layer positioned on the substrate comprising the source electrode or the drain electrode and the cathode, the second insulating layer comprising an opening exposing a portion of the cathode, an emitting layer positioned within the opening, and an anode positioned on the substrate comprising the emitting layer.
US08153459B2
An organic light emitting diode display device includes a switch TFT and a drive TFT formed on a substrate; an overcoat layer formed on the TFTs; a drain contact hole exposing portions of a drain electrode of the drive TFT by removing portions of the overcoat layer; a first electrode contacting to the drain electrode of the drive TFT; a bank pattern exposing an aperture area of a pixel; an organic layer formed on the first electrode; and a second electrode formed on the organic layer, wherein the bank pattern blocks regions where the drain contact hole is formed.
US08153447B2
A nonvolatile ferroelectric perpendicular electrode cell comprises a ferroelectric capacitor and a serial PN diode switch. The ferroelectric capacitor includes a word line perpendicular electrode as a first electrode and a storage perpendicular electrode as a second electrode apart at a predetermined interval from the word line perpendicular electrode to have a column type, where a ferroelectric material is filled in a space where the first electrode are separated from the second electrode. The serial PN diode switch, which is connected between a bit line and the ferroelectric capacitor, selectively switches a current direction between the bit line and the ferroelectric capacitor depending on voltage change between the bit line and the ferroelectric capacitor.
US08153444B2
A chromatographic specific binding assay strip device, comprising: a non-permeable platform strip; a permeable membrane testing strip positioned on top of said non-permeable platform strip, with the testing strip comprising at least one capture reagent site containing a capture reagent for at least one specific analyte, a sample receiving pad positioned on top of and at a proximal end of the non-permeable platform strip, with the sample receiving pad having contact with a proximal end of said permeable membrane testing strip, a reservoir pad positioned on top of and at a distal end of said non-permeable membrane testing strip, with the reservoir pad having contact with a proximal end of said permeable membrane test strip; a supporting strip attached to and extending from the proximal end of said non-permeable platform strip; and a conjugate pad positioned on said supporting strip, said conjugate pad comprising a semi-permeable membrane containing a colorant conjugate. The semi-permeable membrane acts as a barrier between the conjugate pad and the sample receiving pad, regulating the flow through the semi-permeable membrane and overall flow of the assay. By dipping the conjugate pad into a sample solution, there will be increased binding between the analyte in the sample and the conjugate (preferably colloidal gold), thereby giving improved results on the lateral flow assay.
US08153443B2
This invention provides methods of diagnosing or predicting susceptibility to Crohn's Disease by determining the presence or absence of genetic variants. In one embodiment, the present invention provides methods to diagnose and/or predict susceptibility to Crohn's Disease in an individual by determining the presence or absence of anti-Cbir1 reactivity and the presence or absence of TLR5 risk variants. In another embodiment, the present invention provides methods to diagnose Crohn's Disease by determining the presence or absence of NFKB1 haplotype H3 and/or ASCA expression. In another embodiment, the present invention provides methods of diagnosing Crohn's Disease by determining the presence or absence of Cbir1 specific peripheral blood T cell proliferation.
US08153430B2
The invention is directed to methods related to surgery, for example gastrointestinal surgery. In particular, the invention is methods of treating fistulae, promoting accelerated healing of anastomoses and preventing failure of anastomoses. Such methods utilize novel compositions, including but not limited to extraembryonic cytokine secreting cells (herein referred to as ECS cells), including, but not limited to, amnion-derived multipotent progenitor cells (herein referred to as AMP cells), conditioned media derived therefrom (herein referred to as amnion-derived cellular cytokine solution or ACCS), cell lysates derived therefrom, and cell products derived therefrom, each alone or in combination.
US08153424B2
A method of differentiating embryonic stem cells into ventral spinal progenitor cells is disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention comprises culturing a population of cells comprising a majority of cells that are characterized by an early rosette morphology and are Sox1−/Pax6+ in the presence of retinoic acid, wherein the cells express Hoxb4, but not Otx2 or Bf1.
US08153423B2
This invention relates to the isolation and propagation of pluripotent cells isolated from the mammalian late epiblast layer, termed Epiblast Stem Cells' (EpiSCs). These cells are useful in a range of applications, including the generation of transgenic animal species.
US08153403B1
A process for detecting the presence of a mutation in an oligonucleotide strand such as a DNA strand from a gene without the need for DNA sequencing is provided. The inventive process provides a rapid pre-test to screen for the presence or absence of a mutation in a target gene of a subject to determine whether laborious sequencing protocols are required to further characterize a mutation. The inventive process provides a rapid screening protocol for identifying and detecting a genetic mutation in a patient who presents with a disease.
US08153394B2
An apparatus and method are provided for visually monitoring, detecting, and/or determining the presence, absence, and/or growth of harmful or potentially harmful bacterial microorganisms beneath a wound dressing, in one example used to cover an indwelling central venous catheter or other catheter. A bacteria detection apparatus includes a barrier membrane, a permeable membrane for placement proximate a wound or a catheter insertion site, and an indicator between the barrier membrane and the permeable membrane for indicating the presence of bacteria proximate the permeable membrane. A method of using a bacterial growth detection apparatus is also provided.
US08153393B2
Spirolactam targeting compounds, related compounds, uses of such compounds, and methods of making such compounds are disclosed.
US08153387B2
A method for immobilizing glycoprotein is disclosed. A surface is provided. Next, a boronic acid is contacted to the surface. The boronic acid is represented as Y—R—B—(OH)2 and includes a boronic acid group (B—(OH)2), a linker R, and a functional group Y, in which the boronic acid is bonded to the surface via the functional group Y. A glycoprotein is contacted to the boronic acid, wherein two spatially adjacent hydroxyl groups of a carbohydrate chain form a boronate ester with the boronic acid group of the boronic acid to immobilize the glycoprotein. The goal of site-specific and covalent protein immobilization without interfering the binding affinity of an antibody to antigen may be thus achieved with the reaction of boronic acid and the carbohydrate chain of Fc region.
US08153371B2
A probe, a set of probes, and a probe carrier on which the probe or the set of probes is immobilized, are provided for classification of fungus species. The probe or the set of probes is capable of collectively detecting fungus of the same species and distinguishingly detecting those fungus from fungus of other species. The probe is an oligonucleotide probe for detecting a pathogenic fungus DNA and includes at least one of base sequences of SEQ ID NOS. 1 to 4 and mutated sequences thereof.
US08153368B2
The present invention relates to a new tumor suppressor, designated FJX1. Also described are diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic uses of the FJX1 protein and the FJX1 gene, alone or in combination with traditional cancer therapies.
US08153365B2
The present invention relates to novel bicyclic and tricyclic nucleoside and nucleotide analogues as well as to oligonucleotides comprising such elements. The nucleotide analogues, LNAs (Locked Nucleoside Analogues), are able to provide valuable improvements to oligonucleotides with respect to affinity and specificity towards complementary RNA and DNA oligomers. The novel type of LNA modified oligonucleotides, as well as the LNAs as such, are useful in a wide range of diagnostic applications as well as therapeutic applications. Among these can be mentioned antisense applications, PCR applications, strand displacement oligomers, as substrates for nucleic acid polymerases, as nucleotide based drugs, etc. The present invention also relates to such applications.
US08153364B2
An emulsion is useful in allowing a wide variety of gene products to be expressed via eukaryotic in vitro expression. The emulsion comprises a silicone based surfactant, a hydrophobic phase and a hydrophilic phase; wherein the hydrophilic phase comprises a plurality of compartments containing a functional in vitro eukaryotic expression system.
US08153361B1
This invention relates to the field of nucleic acid chemistry, more specifically to compositions of matter that are nucleic acid analogs, and processes that use them. Still more specifically, these compositions comprise two fragments of DNA-like molecules, each having one or more ends modified to carry a reactive group, where the reactive group on one fragment can form a transient covalent bond with the reactive group on the other under conditions of dynamic equilibrium to form a composite, where the composite can then bind to a target oligonucleotide, such as a DNA or RNA molecule. Most specifically, once the transient covalent bond forms, the composite serves as a primer for a template-directed polymerization using a DNA polymerase, an RNA polymerase, or a reverse transcriptase. Once incorporated, the epimerization causes the base pair to be destabilized, the duplex containing the epimerized nucleoside to likewise be destabilized, and the double strand to then disassociate. This leaves the template available to template the synthesis of another complementary oligonucleotide containing the epimerizing base.
US08153358B2
Compositions and methods are provided for selection and enrichment of a target gene from a library of polynucleotide sequences such as might be formed from a genome or by random mutagenesis of a genetic sequence. The selection and enrichment occurs in aqueous droplets formed in an emulsion that compartmentalize individual polynucleotides from the library or a plurality of polynucleotides that may include polynucleotides not derived from the library, transcription and translation reagents and optionally additional chemical and enzyme reagents. The selection and enrichment method utilizes a polynucleotide adaptor which when ligated to the polynucleotide fragment enables amplification to occur in the presence of an adaptor specific primer.
US08153351B2
Photolithography methods using BARCs having graded optical properties are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a photolithography method comprises the steps of depositing a BARC overlying a material to be patterned, the BARC having a refractive index and an absorbance. The BARC is modified such that, after the step of modifying, values of the refractive index and the absorbance are graded from first values at a first surface of the BARC to second values at a second surface of the BARC. The step of modifying is performed after the step of depositing.
US08153350B2
The present invention includes a lithography method comprising forming a first patterned resist layer including at least one opening therein over a substrate. A protective layer is formed on the first patterned resist layer and the substrate whereby a reaction occurs at the interface between the first patterned resist layer and the protective layer to form a reaction layer over the first patterned resist layer. The non-reacted protective layer is then removed. Thereafter, a second patterned resist layer is formed over the substrate, wherein at least one portion of the second patterned resist layer is disposed within the at least one opening of the first patterned resist layer. The substrate is thereafter etched using the first and second patterned resist layers as a mask.
US08153344B2
Described are aqueous compositions of an effective amount of at least one photosensitive material and at least one polymerizable component that are adapted to at least partially form photosensitive microparticles or at least partially crosslinked photosensitive polymeric microparticles. The photosensitive polymeric microparticles are made of integral surface and interior domains wherein at least one of the surface and/or interior domains is photosensitive. Also described are aqueous dispersions of such microparticles, ways of producing such microparticles and photosensitive articles such as optical elements that incorporate the photosensitive polymeric microparticles.
US08153343B2
A toner in which even a toner containing crystalline polyester exhibits excellent fixing property, chargeability, color reproducibility, and long-term stability, as well as a two-component developer, a developing device, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The toner includes toner base particles which contain a colorant and a binder resin containing at least crystalline polyester and an amorphous resin; and a mixed oxide of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide externally added to the toner base particles, and the toner is so adjusted that the binder resin contains 20% by weight to 50% by weight of the crystalline polyester and that a compositional proportion of aluminum oxide in the mixed oxide of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide falls within a range of 35% by weight or more and less than 50% by weight.
US08153342B2
A developer including a toner and a carrier, wherein the carrier is a ferrite carrier coated with a silicone resin and the following relationships are satisfied: log(ΔQ(t)/Q∞)=−kobt ΔQ(t)=Q∞−Q(t) −2.5 ≦log(kob)≦−1 wherein Q(t) is a charge quantity (μC/g) of the developer after t sec which is a stirring time of the toner and the carrier; Q∞ is a saturated charge quantity (μC/g) of the developer; and kob is a chargeable speed of the developer.
US08153333B2
An assembling operation of a fuel cell is effectively simplified. With the simple and economical structure, the desired sealing function is achieved. The fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly and first and second metal separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly. Connection channels are provided on the first metal separator. The connection channels connect the oxygen-containing gas supply passage and the oxygen-containing gas discharge passage to the oxygen-containing gas flow field. The membrane electrode assembly has first overlapping portions overlapped on the connection channels for sealing the connection channels. The first overlapping portions comprise, in effect, a gas diffusion layer.
US08153322B2
A fuel cell system having a fuel cell, a reactant gas pipe for supplying a reactant gas to the fuel cell, and an injector for driving a valve body at a predetermined drive cycle by an electromagnetic driving force to separate the valve body from a valve seat, regulating conditions of the gas on the upstream side in the reactant gas pipe and supplying the gas to the downstream side. A gas element component responding to the physical quantity of the reactant gas circulating through the reactant gas pipe is integrally provided in the injector so as to come close to the injector.
US08153319B2
A system and technique for purging condensate from an electrochemical cell stack prior to operating the stack in one of a power producing mode of operation and an electrochemical pumping mode of operation is provided. The system and technique include storing hydrogen in the anode and cathode chambers of the stack to place the stack in a shutdown state, purging the anode and cathode chambers of condensate prior to starting operation of the stack, and preventing a fuel starvation condition in the stack while purging by sequencing communication of a fuel flow and an oxidant flow to the anode chamber with an oxidant flow to the cathode chamber while purging the condensate.
US08153317B2
The invention relates to a heat exchanger for a hot fuel cell. The heat exchanger includes a first flow circuit for receiving a cool air stream and a second flow circuit for receiving a hot fluid coming from the cell, the first and second flow circuits having common surfaces for heat exchange. In accordance with the present invention, each of the first and second flow circuits comprises a plurality of concentric annular ducts that are interconnected. The two walls of each duct are mechanically decoupled from each other, thereby enabling them to expand independently of one another and avoiding mechanical stresses within the heat exchanger.
US08153315B2
A system voltage indicated by an intersection of a graph of an FC maximum output characteristic of the output voltage/output power characteristic of a fuel cell and a graph of a load device maximum output characteristic is output so as to obtain optimal output power, thereby matching an output current-output voltage characteristic of a fuel cell and a maximum output characteristic of a load. Thus, a fuel cell system which has high operating efficiency and which is free of physical failures is provided.
US08153314B2
An alert method capable of preventing problems due to excessive lowering of a remaining fuel amount of a fuel cell system is provided. The alert method includes the following steps of: switching over operation/stopped states of the fuel cell system, detecting that the state of the fuel cell system is switched over to a stopped side, and communicating information related to the remaining fuel amount to a user when fuel of the fuel cell system is consumed in a state where the switch is switched over to a stopped side. According to the alert method, information related to the remaining fuel amount is communicated to the user when fuel is consumed by the fuel cell system while in a practically stopped state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent excessive lowering of the remaining fuel amount of the fuel cell system.
US08153282B2
There is provided a coated article (e.g., solar cell) that includes an improved anti-reflection (AR) coating. This AR coating functions to reduce reflection of light from a glass substrate, thereby allowing more light within the solar spectrum to pass through the incident glass substrate. In certain example embodiments, the AR coating includes a graded base layer having a varying refractive index value, and an overcoat layer which may be provided for destructive interference purposes.
US08153278B2
An organic electroluminescence device, includes: a pair of electrodes; and at least one organic layer including a light emitting layer, the light emitting layer being provided between the pair of electrodes, wherein at least one layer of the at least one organic layer contains a compound represented by formula (I) as defined in the specification.
US08153277B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an organic compound having excellent characteristics, which is excellent in electron injection/transport performance, has hole blocking property and is high in stability in a thin film state, as a material for an organic EL device having high efficiency and high durability, and further to provide an organic EL device having high efficiency and high durability using this compound. The invention relates to a compound represented by general formula (1), which has a thiadiazole ring structure substituted with a substituted pyridyl group, and to an organic EL device having a pair of electrodes and at least one organic layer interposed therebetween, wherein the compound is contained as a constituent material of at least one of the organic layer(s).
US08153276B2
A polymer compound comprising at least one of residues of compounds of the following formula (1): (wherein, ring A, ring B and ring C represent each independently an aromatic ring or non-aromatic ring optionally having a substituent, Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5 represent each independently C-(Q)z or nitrogen atom, Q represents a substituent or hydrogen atom, z represents 0 or 1, the ring A and the ring B may share an atom other than Z5 constituting each ring, and one or more and two or less of the rings A, B and C are non-aromatic rings.).
US08153271B2
The invention relates to a coated article which has (i) at least one electrically non-conducting base layer, (ii) at least one layer of copper and/or a copper alloy, and (iii) a layer which contains at least one electrically conductive polymer, wherein the copper or copper alloy layer (ii) is positioned between the base layer (i) and the layer containing the conductive polymer (iii), and which is characterized in that the layer (iii) contains at least one precious metal or at least one semiprecious metal or a mixture thereof. The invention also relates to a process for its production and also its use for the prevention of corrosion and to preserve the solderability of printed circuit boards.
US08153270B2
The invention concerns a decorative casing fabricated by bonding a film having a polarizing characteristic to the surface of the casing body via an adhesive layer, and an object of the invention is to provide the casing with enhanced decorativeness by designing the adhesive layer so as to render various color effects in addition to the effect rendered by the polarizing characteristic. The polarizing film is bonded to the surface of the casing body via the adhesive layer containing a special-effect material having a color effect. According to the present invention, by directly bonding the polarizing film to the casing via the adhesive layer that produces a desired color effect, other effects such as color hue can be conferred in the film bonding step, and thus a casing having an excellent decorative effect can be manufactured by a simple process without increasing the number of process steps.
US08153263B2
The present invention relates to an optical article comprising on one of the main surfaces thereof an external water- and/or oil-repellent coating, characterized in that a temporary coat of a dried polyurethane latex-based composition is directly deposited onto the external water- and/or oil-repellent coating.
US08153250B2
Disclosed is a double-faced pressure-sensitive adhesive tape which includes a foam substrate, one pressure-sensitive adhesive layer arranged on or above one side of the substrate, and another pressure-sensitive adhesive layer arranged on or above the other side of the substrate. The adhesive tape has a total thickness of 250 μm or less. The adhesive tape is thin but highly waterproof (sealable against water). The adhesive tape preferably has a tensile strength of 0.5 to 20 MPa for further superior processability.
US08153249B2
An article including a substrate, and a base layer formed on a surface of the substrate, and methods for treating the surface of the substrate are provided.
US08153231B2
Embodiments of a thin web comprising a plurality of channels extending through the film are disclosed. The channels are in a substantially closed position but are capable of being in an open position to allow flow from the female side through the film to the male side. In certain applications, a greater pressure on the female side than the male side is capable of opening the channels. Embodiments may also include a thin web comprising a plurality of three dimensional apertures extending through the plastic film. The apertures may form a substantially closed channel defined by a sidewall and the channels being disposed at an angle greater than 70° with respect to a female side of the film. The thin web may be a plastic film or a thermoplastic film comprising a polyolefin, for example, or any other suitable material. The polyolefin may comprise at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, low density polyethylene, or high density polyethylene, for example.
US08153228B2
A protective cover formed substantially of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene yarns and having first and second opposing edges connected by a high shear strength hook and loop fastener system. The high shear strength hook and loop fastener system includes areas of a plurality of high shear strength hooks along opposing edges of the cover and an intermediate disposable strip having a plurality of loops on both sides of the strip configured to be received between the areas having the plurality of hooks. The cover wraps around the sling so that a portion of the first edge and second edge overlap with the intermediate disposable strip to form the releasable connection. When the edges are released, the intermediate strip may be replaced, when worn, by a new intermediate strip with the remainder of the cover and fastener system being reusable.
US08153227B2
A substrate for floorings, such as synthetic grass turf includes: a pad made of a first heat-meltable material, a stabilizing mesh made of a second heat-meltable material, and a connection layer set between said pad and the mesh. The connection layer includes a third heat-meltable material with a melting point lower than the melting point of the first and of the second heat-meltable materials. The connection layer is a discontinuous layer with a granular structure, so that the substrate is permeable to liquids in order to enable, for example, draining-off of rainwater.
US08153223B1
A label structure is disclosed for mounting on a container and includes a base panel for affixing to a surface of the container. An adhesive is applied to at least a portion of a rear face of the base panel for adhering the base panel to the container. The label structure further includes a leaflet associated with the base panel for application to the container with the base panel, and the leaflet comprising at least one panel with opposite faces. The label structure also includes a laminating strip securing the leaflet to the base panel, and the laminating strip overlies the leaflet and overlying the base panel. In some embodiments, the leaflet is positioned adjacent to the base panel and does not overlie the base panel. In other embodiments, the leaflet has a width dimension that is greater than a width of the base panel.
US08153218B2
A hydraulic brake hose assembly has a core hose layer, a first reinforcing layer over the core hose layer, an intermediate hose layer, a second reinforcing layer over the intermediate hose layer, and an outer hose layer over the second reinforcing layer. The first reinforcing layer has a braid pattern formed in a 4-over, 4-under pattern, and the second reinforcing layer has a braid pattern formed in a 3-over, 3-under pattern.
US08153209B2
A cellulose acylate film having a water vapor permeability at 40° C. and 90% RH of from 100 to 400 g/(m2·day), of which the water vapor permeability change after kept at 60° C. and 95% RH for 1000 hours is from −100 g/(m2·day) to 10 g/(m2·day). This film is an excellent optical compensatory film.
US08153207B2
A silicon oxide of a film thickness of about 50 nm is formed on a surface of a silicon substrate by thermal oxidation. Silver is implanted into the silicon oxide with implantation energy of about 30 keV by a negative ion implantation method. By subjecting the silicon oxide, into which the silver has been implanted, to heat treatment at a temperature of not lower than 200° C. and lower than the melting point of silver, silver particles are formed. By oxidizing the surface portions of the fine particles by heat treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, silver oxide is formed as a coating layer.
US08153196B2
Coating compositions, articles, and methods of coating articles are provided. The coating compositions and methods provide abrasion resistant formable coatings when cured on a substrate. The articles can be formed after the coating compositions are applied to a substrate and cured.
US08153194B2
The invention intends to provide a method for preventing deterioration in quality of the primer layer resulting from spinning-off and reattachment of a primer liquid on forming a polyurethane primer layer on a substrate for an eyeglass lens or the like using a coating composition containing a moisture-curing polyurethane resin.The method for producing a laminate according to the present invention comprises performing spin-coating while a spin-coating apparatus is forcefully evacuated through the side wall and/or the bottom thereof, on producing a laminate by spin-coating the surface of a substrate with a coating composition containing a moisture-curing polyurethane resin. More preferably, the spin-coating apparatus comprises a top cover, a lower chamber, and a rotatable substrate supporting device installed in the lower chamber; exhaust ports are provided in the top cover and at the bottom of the lower chamber; and the substrate supporting device is housed in a cylinder member wherein the aperture of at the lower end is larger than the aperture at the upper end.
US08153187B2
A method for forming an oxygen resistant aluminum oxide layer on an outer surface of a thermocouple sheath composed of a nickel alloy containing between 1% to 7% aluminum comprises removing a pre-formed oxide layer from the outer surface so as to create a prepared sheath; performing a controlled oxidation by subjecting the prepared sheath to atmospheric conditions at a temperature between 1000° C. and 1250° C. so as to form the oxygen resistant layer on the thermocouple sheath and to thus form an oxidized sheath; and cooling the oxidized sheath so as to prepare the oxidized sheath for service.
US08153178B2
A method and apparatus for producing a non-Newtonian fluid product including a non-Newtonian fluid base product including at least one second phase is shown. A second phase dispersion apparatus is shown which receives the at least one second phase and the non-Newtonian fluid base product and disperses the at least one second phase within the non-Newtonian fluid base product to produce the non-Newtonian fluid product.
US08153177B2
An improved ice cream cone holder includes a conical portion with an open end and a closed end and at least one de-nesting formation about the open end to inhibit vacuum formation in stacks of the holders. Additionally, embodiments comprise at least one drainage formation at the open end to allow melt to enter the conical portion rather than to overflow a rim of a disc portion formed about the open end. Embodiments contemplate varying a distribution pattern of the drainage formations, the de-nesting formations, or both from holder to holder.
US08153171B1
Alcohol constitutes a majority of the solution. Water, melaleuca alternifolia, amebicidal, acetate, aloe barbadensis, larrea tridentat and benzoic acid constitute a minority of the solution. The minority of the solution optionally includes a corticosteroid and a nutritional supplement.
US08153163B2
The present invention relates to a pearl pigment obtained by coating the surface of a flaky powder with a colored metal or a colored metal oxide and further coating the surface of the above colored metal- or colored metal oxide-coated flaky powder with a colorless metal or a colorless metal oxide, wherein when the pearl pigment is applied onto the surface of black artificial leather in an average amount of 0.05 mg/cm2 and the intensity of light reflected from the pearl pigment is measured using illuminant C at a 2° viewing angle with a spectrophotometric colorimeter which is provided with a sheet polarizer S on the light incident side and a sheet polarizer P on the light receiving side, the powder reflection light which is incident to the pearl pigment as a measurement sample at an angle of 45° to the direction normal to the surface of the sample and is received in the direction normal to the surface of the sample has absolute values a* and b* of 10 or less, and make-up cosmetics containing the pearl pigment.
US08153154B2
An arginine-grafted bioreducible poly(disulfide amine) (“ABP”) as a reagent for efficient and nontoxic gene delivery is described. ABP forms positively charged nano-particles of less than 200 nm with plasmid DNA. ABP is biodegraded under reducing conditions, such as the cytoplasm. ABP exhibits much higher transfection efficiency than polyethyleneimine in mammalian cells and exhibits no cytotoxicity.
US08153149B2
The present invention relates to novel anesthetic compositions containing a non-polymeric carrier material and an anesthetic, where the compositions are suitable for providing a sustained local anesthesia without an initial burst and having a duration for about 24 hours or longer. Certain compositions are also provided that include a first anesthetic and a second anesthetic. In such compositions, the second anesthetic is a solvent for the first anesthetic and provides an initial anesthetic effect upon administration to a subject. The non-polymeric carrier may optionally be a high viscosity liquid carrier material such as a suitable sugar ester. The compositions can further include one or more additional ingredients including active and inactive materials. Methods of using the compositions of the invention to produce a sustained anesthetic effect at a site in a subject are also provided.
US08153146B2
The invention is an organic pesticide or fungicide made from components of hop extract by preparing stable aqueous emulsions of hop acids and other hop extract components. The hop acids and other hop extract components are suspended as stable, colloidal preparations in water, which can be sprayed on plants for pest control.
US08153144B2
The multiphase personal care composition of the present invention comprises a first phase and a second phase. The first phase is comprised of structured surfactant phase that comprises at least about 0.5% of alkylamphoacetate. The alkylamphoacetate comprises a Percentage Diacetate of less than about 15%.
US08153143B2
An acidic composition for external use which contains an acidic polysaccharide and water as essential ingredients, and an agent for accelerating the penetration into skin or the like of a cosmetic preparation, hair-growing agent or preparation for external use, each containing the composition. The composition is easy to manufacture, and shows a stronger cosmetic or therapeutic effects than conventional compositions.
US08153142B2
A skin treatment composition of the present invention is an external composition for skin comprising an alkylene oxide derivative expressed by Formula (I): R1O-[(AO)m(EO)n]—R2 (I) wherein AO is an oxyalkylene group of C3 or C4; EO is an oxyethylene group; m and n are 1≦m≦70 and 1≦n≦70 respectively, wherein EO is 20˜80% by weight with respect to a total of AO and EO; each of R1 and R2 is a hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group having C1-4. The alkylene oxide derivative (I) has a moisturizing effect, a rough skin improving effect, a stickiness improving effect, and a transdermal absorption promoting effect. When a refreshing agent is used together therewith in the composition of the present invention, the refreshing effect lasts for a long time and it is excellent in feeling of use without skin stimulation.
US08153136B2
Compositions and methods for treating and/or preventing a variety of diseases and conditions that are amenable to immunotherapy and, in one particular embodiment, compositions and methods for treating and/or preventing cancer in an animal are described. Specifically improvements related to the use of a yeast-based vaccine comprising a yeast vehicle and an antigen that is selected to elicit an antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune response in an animal, for use in prophylactic and/or therapeutic vaccination and the prevention and/or treatment of a variety of diseases and conditions are disclosed.
US08153129B2
The present invention provides novel antibody sequences that bind human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) and neutralize hCMV infection. The novel sequences can be used for the medical management of hCMV infections, in particular for preparing pharmaceutical compositions to be used in the prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of hCMV infections.
US08153127B2
The present invention relates to a method for identifying a TMEFF2 modulator, comprising (a) contacting a cell which expresses TMEFF2 with a candidate compound to be tested; (b) measuring whether said compound to be tested decreases or increases the level of a constituent of the cAMP signalling pathway, preferably the CRH signalling pathway, in said cell when compared to a corresponding cell which does not express TMEFF2; (b′) optionally determining whether said compound is capable of reduncing the binding between Activin and TMEFF2; and (c) identifying said modulator compound. Furthermore, a method for identifying a TMEFF2 modulator comprising determining whether said TMEFF2 modulator is capable of reducing the binding between Activin and TMEFF2 is contemplated. It also relates to uses and methods applying a TMEFF2 agonist for the treatment of Cushing's Syndromes and a TMEFF2 modulator for the treatment of affective disorders. Furthermore, methods of diagnosing affective disorders or Cushing's Syndromes are provided.
US08153117B2
Methods and compositions for producing therapeutic agents using chondrocytes are provided. The genetically engineered chondrocytes can be used to express the therapeutic agent in a subject, including in an environment typically associated with chondrocytes and in an environment not typically associated with chondrocytes.
US08153110B2
Disclosed is a siRNA-encapsulating polymeric micelle complex (a polyion complex) having high monodispersibility and structural stability and excellent in the ability of transporting siRNA into a cell. Further disclosed are a nucleic acid delivery device, a nucleic acid delivery kit, a pharmaceutical composition, and a gene therapy agent, each of which uses the complex. The polyion complex is characterized by comprising: a block copolymer composed of a polyethylene glycol moiety and a polycation moiety having a thiol group as a side chain at the terminus; and siRNA.
US08153109B2
An object of the invention is to provide an aqueous solution of a No. 1 permanent waving agent through reconstitution upon use in a simple manner, which solution contains a cyclic mercapto compound as a reducing agent and realizes excellent characteristics such as high waving effect and good appearance of waved hair. The invention provides an alkylene carbonate dilution containing a cyclic mercapto compound in an amount of 7 to 80 wt. %; an alkylene carbonate for use in preparation of the alkylene carbonate dilution; and an aqueous reducing chemical agent which is prepared from the alkylene carbonate dilution and an aqueous base material.
US08153105B1
A sunblock or sunscreen composition with enhanced photostability and a method for preparing and using the novel photostabilizer are provided. The combination of avobenzene, dimethyl capramide, and polyester-8, a copolymer of adipic acid and neopentyl glycol that is terminated with cyanodiphenyl propenoic acid, provides an extra layer of protection to keep the sunscreen working longer to protect the skin from damaging ultraviolet rays, namely, UVA and UVB. Sunblock products with SPF-15 for moderate sun protection. SPF-30 for higher sun protection and SPF-50, specially formulated for fair skin provides high sun protection. The sunblock compositions with the novel photostabilizer have a clean, dry formula that glides on easily for quick absorption, while enlisting sea plant extracts and anti-oxidant vitamins A, C, and E that aid in the reduction of cell damaging free radicals for younger looking skin.
US08153102B2
The invention relates to process for the preparation of formulations comprising a microorganism Mycobacterium w for the management of bronchial Asthma (obstructive lung disease).
US08153096B2
The present technology provides compositions that are intimate mixtures of hydrogen fluoride and a polyacrylate-polyacrylamide cross-linked copolymer, as well as methods and preparing and using such compositions. The compositions are less hazardous and, therefore, more conveniently stored, transported, and handled in comparison to pure hydrogen fluoride. Further, the hydrogen fluoride may be readily recovered from the compositions of the invention for use.
US08153092B2
Provided is a method for manufacturing hydroxylamine. In this method, an aqueous reaction medium containing acidic buffer agent and nitrate ions in the presence of a limited amount of metal impurities such as Fe is introduced into a hydroxylamine synthesis reactor in the presence of catalyst to proceed hydroxylamine synthesis by reduction of nitrate ions with hydrogen gas as reducing agent in the aqueous reaction medium to produce hydroxylamine. The reaction is processed in the aqueous reaction medium with a limited amount of metal impurities, such that the selection rate of the hydroxylamine product is increased while high catalytic activity is kept.
US08153091B2
To provide a simple highly-pure Xe retrieval method and device with high retrieval efficiency by functionally removing such elements as water, CO2 and FCs from waste gases from semiconductor production processes, such as the plasma etching, that contain low-concentration Xe. For samples containing xenon and fluorocarbon, this invention is characterized by having at least first adsorption means (A1) filled with synthetic zeolite with pore size of 4A or smaller and aluminum oxide, arranged serially, gas separation means (A2) composed of silicone or polyethylene hollow fiber gas separation membrane modules 4, second adsorption means (A3) filled with either activated carbon, synthetic zeolite with pore size of 5A or larger, molecular sieving carbon with pore size of 5A or larger, or a combination of these, and reaction means (A4) filled with calcium compounds as reactant.
US08153090B2
A system to control the emissions of a fluid stream in a cyclical fashion utilizing an up-flow cycle and a down-flow cycle. The system may include a first inlet and a first outlet at a first end of the system and a second inlet and a second outlet at a second end of the system, a catalyst zone between the first end and second end, two heat transfer zones, at least one heat transfer zone positioned between the catalyst zone and the first end of the system and between the catalyst zone and the second end of the system, and two heating zones, at least one heating zone positioned between the catalyst zone and each of the at least one heat transfer zones. The symmetrical arrangement permits a bi-directional fluid cycle to recover a portion of the energy supplied to the system during each cycle.
US08153086B2
A liquid container having a top opening, a base, and an extraction chimney which extends into the container and which is in alignment with the top opening is presented. The extraction chimney is intended for the withdrawal of liquid by a liquid-withdrawal element that is introduced into the liquid container through the extraction chimney. The extraction chimney has a liquid-permeable zone in its bottom region, adjacent to the liquid container base. The liquid permeability of the liquid-permeable zone of the extraction chimney can be adjusted between a setting for minimal liquid permeability and a setting for greater liquid permeability. The extraction chimney can be adjusted while the extraction chimney remains in the liquid container.
US08153077B2
A method for producing nitrobenzene is disclosed which comprises forming a dispersion comprising benzene-containing droplets or particles dispersed in a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid, wherein said particles have a mean diameter less than one micron, and subjecting the dispersion to reaction conditions comprising a pressure in the range of about 203 kPa (2 atm) to about 6080 kPa (60 atm) and a temperature in the range of about 20° C. to about 230° C., whereby at least a portion of said benzene is nitrated to form nitrobenzene. A system for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
US08153074B2
An ozone generating system includes a water reservoir for accepting water from a water source, such as an inverted water bottle or a point of use water source. Once delivered to the reservoir, water therein may be dispensed for human consumption. An ozone generator produces ozone and such ozone is delivered to water within the reservoir through an ozone diffuser connected to the ozone generator and positioned within the water reservoir at a central bottom location. The water reservoir includes a cover which is sealed closed to prevent release of generated ozone into the atmosphere. Filter means, such as an active carbon filter, is provided which captures and neutralizes excess ozone within the reservoir. Preferably, the ozone generator is mounted inside of the dispenser, either above the water reservoir or below the water tank, inside of the cooler cabinet.
US08153066B2
A device for supporting chromophore elements suitable for emitting fluorescence in response to light excitation, the device comprising a substrate having a surface layer carrying the chromophore elements, forming a planar waveguide, and containing photoluminescent constituents which emit guided luminescence at the excitation wavelength(s) of the chromophore elements when they are excited by primary excitation light illuminating the surface layer. The invention is particularly applicable to biochip type devices.
US08153064B2
An isothermal reaction and analysis system may include a receiver to receive sample holders, a thermal control subsystem to control a temperature of the receiver, an excitation subsystem, a detection subsystem and an analysis subsystem. Excitation sources and/or detectors are positioned to enhance data collection. Sample holders may include filters, selectively blocking and passing wavelengths or bands of electromagnetic radiation.
US08153058B2
A device for the treatment of a liquid or gaseous medium, in particular water or air, using UV radiation, comprises a UV radiation source (24), with an axial longitudinal direction and an essentially perpendicular, in particular radial direction of irradiation (R), with several layers of transmissive treatment chambers (K1-K4), serially arranged one on the other in the radiation direction (R), separated from the UV radiation source (24) and from each other by a transparent, UV-transmissive separating layer (T1-T4) which is UV transparent. The chambers, beginning with a first treatment chamber (K1), adjacent to the UV radiation source, form a flow channel for the medium running in the longitudinal direction of the UV radiation source (24), the flow channel emptying (26) into the subsequent treatment chamber (K2, K3, K4) that is at a greater distance from the UV radiation source (24) in the direction of irradiation (R).
US08153052B2
The present invention provides a method for forming a refractory metal-intermetallic composite. The method includes providing a first powder comprising a refractory metal suitable for forming a metal phase; providing a second powder comprising a silicide precursor suitable for forming an intermetallic phase; blending the first powder and the second powder to form a powder blend; consolidating and mechanically deforming the powder blend at a first temperature; and reacting the powder blend at a second temperature to form the metal phase and the intermetallic phase of the refractory metal-intermetallic composite, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature.
US08153049B2
A stack of copper plates is placed in a melting chamber having a closed roof of refractory material. The stack is placed in a tilted orientation leaning against a side wall of the melting chamber, with lower edges of the copper plates resting on an inclined hearth surface. A door to the melting chamber is closed to block the infiltration of oxygen. A burner is fired into the melting chamber to heat the closed roof of refractory material, and the stack of copper plates is melted under the influence of combustion products from the burner and heat radiated from the closed roof. Molten copper is drained downward from the bottom edge of the inclined hearth surface to avoid immersing the copper plates in a molten bath.
US08153044B2
A thermoplastic film is transversely stretched, and then transported in a heat-treating zone (46) such that the ratio (G/D) of an inter-roll distance (G) to a roll lap length (D) is 0.01 to 3, and the ratio (V2/V1) of an exit-side transporting speed (V2) to an entry-side transporting speed (V1) is 0.6 to 0.999. The thermoplastic film is heat-treated in the heat-treating zone (46) at (Tg−20)° C. to (Tg+50)° C., in which Tg is the glass transition temperature of the film. The heat-treated thermoplastic film exhibits an Rth/Re ratio of at least 0.5 and less than 1, an Rth/Re ratio range of 0.01 to 0.1 in the width direction, and a thermal dimensional change of 0.001% to 0.3% under conditions of 80° C. and 200 hours.
US08153040B2
The invention relates to a method of pressing pressing-material mats during the production of wood-material panels in a continuous press, wherein the continuous press has upper and lower heating plates, upper and lower entry plates, which project on the entry side and form an entry mouth, and, in the upper and lower parts of the press, endlessly circulating steel pressing belts which, with the interposition of rolling bars, are supported on the entry plates and the heating plates, wherein the height h0 of the entry gap and, possibly, the entry contour of the entry mouth are set, and wherein a pressing-material mat, which is produced, and possibly pretreated, in a spreading station arranged upstream of the press, is introduced into the continuous press and pressed therein. This method is characterized in that the entry-gap height is checked, set and/or regulated in dependence on the density and/or the weight per unit area of the pressing-material mat.
US08153033B2
An amorphous transparent conductive film containing as a main component a six oxygen-coordinated metal oxide, and satisfying, in a radial distribution function (RDF) obtained by an X-ray scattering measurement, a relationship of A/B>1, providing that the maximum value of RDF at an interatomic distance of from 0.30 nm to 0.36 nm is A and the maximum value of RDF at an interatomic distance of from 0.36 nm to 0.42 nm is B.
US08153029B2
An aqueous composition including (a) a dispersion of at least one electrically conductive polymer doped with at least one highly-fluorinated acid polymer and (b) a second material which can be a second polymeric acid, an acid salt of the second polymeric acid, or a combination thereof.
US08153022B2
A semiconductor phosphor nanoparticle including nanoparticle core made of a group 13-group 15 semiconductor; a shell layer coating the semiconductor nanoparticle core; and a metal-containing modified organic compound and a modified organic compound binding to a surface of the shell layer is disclosed.
US08153016B2
The fabrication of a touch sensor panel having co-planar single-layer touch sensors fabricated on the back side of a cover glass is disclosed. It can be desirable from a manufacturing perspective to perform all thin-film processing steps on a motherglass before separating it into separate parts. To perform thin-film processing on a motherglass before separation, a removable sacrificial layer such as a photoresist can be applied over the thin-film layers. Next, the motherglass can be scribed and separated, and grinding and polishing steps can be performed prior to removing the sacrificial layer. In alternative embodiments, after the protective sacrificial layer is applied, the bulk of the coverglass can be dry-etched using a very aggressive anisotropic etching that etches primarily in the z-direction. In this embodiment, the etching can be patterned using photolithography to create rounded corners or any other shape. The photoresist can then be removed.
US08153015B2
The invention concerns article having a surface oxide layer up to 20 nm thick, the surface oxide layer comprising chromium and cobalt oxides where the atomic ratio of Cr/Co is more than 3. The invention also concerns methods for treating a chromium containing material, said method comprising contacting said material with a gas plasma under conditions effective to oxidize at least a portion of the material; and contacting said material with an acid. The treated surface is corrosion resistant and can be used in orthopedic implants, especially the wear surface of the orthopedic implant to reduce wear, and other corrosive environment.
US08153014B2
A mixture of single-walled carbon nanotubes (“SWNTs”) is separated into fractions of enriched chirality by preparing an aqueous suspension of a mixture of SWNTs and a surfactant, injecting a portion of the suspension on a column of separation medium having a density gradient, and centrifuging the column. In some embodiments, salt is added prior to centrifugation. In other embodiments, the centrifugation is performed at a temperature below room temperature. Fractions separate as colored bands in the column. The diameter of the separated SWNTs decreases with increasing density along the gradient of the column. The colored bands can be withdrawn separately from the column.
US08153008B2
Device (5) for filtering blood including a filter unit (7) having a blood filter, an inlet (8) for blood to be filtered and being connectable to an artery of a patient and a blood outlet (9) for filtered blood and being connectable to a vein of the patient, and having a filtrate container (6,14), that encloses the filter unit (7), for receiving filtrate (12) passing through the blood filter during a filtering process and that the filtrate container (6,14) is a closed container, which in a filled state is arranged to establish a counter-pressure over the blood filter, whereby the filtering process is interrupted. The invention also concerns a system including the above device.
US08153006B1
A method of treating thin stillage from an ethanol production process that includes in a digester, treating thin stillage from the ethanol production process using anaerobic digestion to produce an ammonia-rich liquid product. During anaerobic digestion of the thin stillage, with a solids/liquids separation system of the digester, the ammonia-rich liquid product may be separated from a mixed liquor to produce a permeate. At least a portion of the permeate from the solids/liquids separation system of the digester may be recycled directly to the ethanol production process. A mesophilic anaerobic digester with a thin stillage COD loading rate of about 3 kg/m3/d to at least about 7.5 kg/m3d. An anaerobic biomass prepared by a method that includes subjecting the biomass to at least one stress event.
US08153004B2
An apparatus and method to separate grease and solids from wastewater before reaching the sewers using a grease trap, wherein said grease trap comprises a detachable residue trap reducing turbulence and including a mesh which efficiently trap solid particles from the water waste in other to make easier the compliance with regulating agencies.
US08152998B2
A liquid filtering apparatus is placed in a vessel having a bed of filtration material, the bed comprising at least two different sizes of filter media wherein the filtration material is stratified using upper and lower spaced apart inverted cones so that the unfiltered liquid first contacts coarse grained filtration material and then finer grained filtration material. The apparatus includes an intake for introducing unfiltered liquid that includes a washbox, an airlifting tube extending from the washbox and including an intake end and means for introducing a primary gas to the airlifting tube, the airlifting tube passing through a central pipe, which extends from just below the washbox to a position just above the intake end. The apparatus is devoid of screen cartridges. Methods of filtering and cleaning the filtration material are also disclosed.
US08152993B2
Methods are provided for decoking the radiant coils in an ethylene cracking plant. The decoking process is controlled by monitoring the coil outlet temperature to control the rate of burning of coke in the radiant coils. Air flow rates, steam flow rates and coil outlet temperatures are controlled during the decoking process to prevent tube damage, minimize decoking time and maximize coke removal.
US08152991B2
Embodiments of nanoelectronic sensors are described, including sensors for detecting analytes such ammonia. An environmental control system employing nanoelectronic sensors is described. A personnel safety system configured as a disposable badge employing nanoelectronic sensors is described. A method of dynamic sampling and exposure of a sensor providing a number of operational advantages is described.
US08152990B2
Process and apparatus to remove colloids and nitrogen compounds from contaminated water by coagulating the colloids and separating them from the water. The solids are floated by sparging and then the floating solids are swept from the surface of the water into an exit port using a conveyor from which downwardly depending flaps skim or near the surface, thus sweeping the floating floc into the exit port.
US08152989B2
A system and process for treating ballast water within an ocean going vessel by generating hypochlorite for treating the ballast water. The system comprises one or more hypochlorite electrolytic cells in fluid communication with ballast water. The total organic carbon content of the ballast water is ascertained and the amount of hypochlorite generated is modulated in response to the total organic carbon content of the ballast water. In one embodiment the system comprises a total organic carbon analyzer for measuring total organic carbon content.In one embodiment of the process of the invention, hypochlorite production is modulated so that the residual halogen-containing oxidizing agent is maintained in the ballast water. In another embodiment of the process, hypochlorite production is modulated to maintain a weight ratio of hypochlorite to total organic carbon in the ballast water ranging from about 1.0 to about 3.0.
US08152986B2
The present invention concerns the area of surface coatings in the form of organic films, the coatings being in the form of organic films. It most especially relates to a method for forming copolymer organic films by electrochemical grafting on electrically conductive or semi-conductive surfaces using electrolytic aqueous solutions containing at least one protic solvent, at least one radically polymerizable monomer and at least one surfactant. The invention also concerns surfaces obtained with the use of this method, their applications especially for preparation of microelectronic components, biomedical devices or screening kits, as well as the electrolyte solution used in the course of the method.
US08152985B2
A process for chrome plating magnesium and its alloys. The process uses a combination of electroless nickel plating, a multi-stage copper coating transition system and multiple layers of electrodeposited nickel to form a corrosion resistant system of substantial impermeability and interlayer adherence suitable for direct chromium electroplating.
US08152980B2
A method and an article of an electrically conductive ceramic interconnect bonded to a compatible ceramic housing for an oxygen partial pressure sensor system. The interconnect includes a LaxSryAlzMn1−zO3 (LSAM) having a stoichiometry enabling good electrical conductivity at high temperatures and the LSAM also bonded to a yttria stabilized zirconia forming a stable and durable seal.
US08152974B2
The invention relates to a porous electrode used in an electrochemical cell, containing a carrier and/or catalytic agent, which is characterized by that it consists of two or more layers with different average pore sizes, out of which layers the contact layer with the smallest average pore size is in contact with the membrane, and one or more supporting layers with a greater average pore size are linked to the other side of this contact layer. Furthermore, the invention relates to a procedure for the manufacturing of such electrodes and to electrochemical cells containing such electrodes.
US08152973B2
There is disclosed a cleaning device for a heat exchanger which safely and effectively cleans the heat exchanger and which can sufficiently obtain a deodorizing effect and a sterilization effect. The cleaning device for the heat exchanger includes an electrolysis unit for treating dew condensation water of the heat exchanger by an electrochemical technique, a supply unit for supplying electrolytic water produced by the treatment performed by this electrolysis unit to an outer surface of the heat exchanger, and an control unit for controlling the electrolysis unit and the supply unit, and the control unit allows the electrolysis unit to electrolytically treat the dew condensation water of the heat exchanger and produce the electrolytic water, and allows the supply unit to supply the produced electrolytic water to the outer surface of the heat exchanger.
US08152971B2
A method for manufacturing a cutting tool includes the steps of providing a body of cermet or cemented carbide, having a cutting edge with an edge radius Re smaller than 40 μm, a flank a rake face, applying by PVD a single or a multilayer coating to at least a part of the surface of the body, comprising at least a part of the cutting edge and applying by PVD said single or multilayer coating, comprising PVD coating with at least one oxidic layer.
US08152970B2
A method and apparatus for quenching metallurgical coke made in a coking oven. The method includes pushing a unitary slab of hot coke onto a substantially planar receiving surface of a hot car. The hot car containing the coke is then transported to a quench car station. The unitary slab of hot coke is pushed onto a substantially planar receiving surface of a quench car at the quench car station. Quenching of the slab of hot coke is conducted in the quench car with a predetermine amount of water. After quenching, the quenched coke is dumped onto a receiving pad for collection thereof.
US08152969B2
A hydrofoil for a paper production installation has a side that faces the wire formed with a wear strip. The wear strip is formed with plates that are organized in layer and formed of ceramic material. The wear strip is formed by a plurality of layers which lie on one another, each of thin plates which are situated next to one another. The layers of ceramic material are connected to one another by adhesive layers.
US08152963B2
The present invention aims at providing: a recycling usable regenerated particle aggregate; a method for allowing stable manufacture of the regenerated particle aggregate; a paper containing the regenerated particle aggregate, the paper exhibiting excellent property in case of newsprint papers, printing papers, book printing papers, and electrophotographic printing papers that use the regenerated particle aggregate, and especially a neutralized paper containing the regenerated particle aggregate; and a coated paper for printing having especially excellent printability, using the regenerated particle aggregate. Problems will be solved by: a regenerated particle aggregate obtained through dehydration, drying, calcination, and pulverization using a deinked froth discharged at a used paper deinking treatment process as a main raw material; a method for manufacturing the regenerated particle aggregate; a paper containing the regenerated particle aggregate as an internal filler; a coated paper for printing having a coating of the regenerated particle aggregate as a pigment for coating.
US08152961B2
This invention relates to paper products and/or substrates suitable for being made and/or converted into wallboard tape; which also may be known as joint tape and/or drywall tape, having a pH of at least 7.0 and containing a plurality of cellulose fibers, a wet strength additive, an alkaline sizing agent, and an anionic promoter, as well as methods of making and using the same.
US08152952B2
A device for repairing a structural component (305) having a first member (401) adapted for bonding to a structural component (305).
US08152944B2
Composition for preparing a crosslinked pressure-sensitive adhesive, comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive comprising a polymer component based on one or more monomers having at least one ethylenically unsaturated bond and for which the glass transition temperatures Tg of the corresponding homopolymers are at least 0° C., some of the monomers having at least one ethylenically unsaturated bond also having at least one carboxyl group, acrylic esters and/or methacrylic esters which are each selected such that the glass transition temperatures Tg of the corresponding homopolymers are not more than −20° C., at least one resin component having a softening point of at least 100° C., and at least one difunctional or polyfunctional crosslinker.
US08152937B2
Disclosed is a ferritic stainless steel sheet which has excellent corrosion resistance against sulfuric acid in the high-temperature environment and shows less surface roughness at a bent part which is bent at 90° or more. Specifically disclosed is a ferritic stainless steel sheet which has the following chemical composition: C: 0.02 mass % or less, Si: 0.05 to 0.8 mass %, Mn: 0.5 mass % or less, P: 0.04 mass % or less, S: 0.010 mass % or less, Al: 0.10 mass % or less, Cr: 20 to 24 mass % Cu: 0.3 to 0.8 mass %, Ni: 0.5 mass % or less, Nb: 0.20 to 0.55 mass %, and N: 0.02 mass % or less, with the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities; and which has such a structure that the maximum particle diameter of an S-containing precipitate is 5 μm or smaller.
US08152935B2
There are provided a method, between a diffusion process and a quenching process, a normalizing process of performing step cooling in which a temperature lowering treatment and a temperature keeping treatment are alternately repeated plural times so that a temperature history from the first temperature to a predetermined temperature satisfies a predetermined condition; an after-normalizing maintaining process of maintaining the temperature of the whole workpiece for a predetermined time after the normalizing process so that the whole workpiece becomes the predetermined temperature, thereby producing fine crystal grains in the workpiece; and a reheating process of raising the temperature of the workpiece to the second temperature, after the after-normalizing keeping process. According to the invention, even when a process temperature is set high to make rapid progress of carburization and diffusion and thus the process time is shortened, uniformity in temperature is achieved between a surface and a inside of a workpiece by the high-temperature process and crystal grains are prevented from being coarse, thereby obtaining a workpiece having a predetermined property value.
US08152934B2
An adjustable nozzle dispenser and a multi-nozzle dispenser are disclosed for washing an aerofoil of a gas turbine engine. The dispensers are characterized by their nozzle arrangements being capable of washing at least two different parts of the aerofoil. A system and a method of operating such a nozzle dispenser is included.
US08152929B1
The subject invention relates to cleaning products that are highly effective in cleaning articles that are susceptible to scratching, scuffing and/or abrasion. More specifically, the present invention relates to cleaning products that are made with a non-abrasive fabric that is comprised of a multitude of non-woven polyester fibers which are bound together with an ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer binder into the form of a sheet. These cleaning products are highly effective at removing foreign matter from a substrate surface without scratching or scuffing the surface of the substrate. These cleaning products can be use to clean inanimate articles and in cleaning open lesions on humans and animals. The present invention more specifically discloses a method for cleaning an article which is susceptible to scratching, scuffing and/or abrasion which comprises rubbing the surface of the article with a non-abrasive fabric which is comprised of a multitude of non-woven polyester fibers which are bound together in the form of a sheet with an ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer binder. The subject invention further reveals a mitt having a body, a thumb compartment, and a finger compartment wherein said mitt is comprised of a non-abrasive fabric which is comprised of a multitude of non-woven polyester fibers which are bound together in the form of a sheet with an ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer binder.
US08152922B2
A system and method for mixing a plurality of gases for an atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactor. The mixer is configured to mix the plurality of gases while minimizing the potential for re-circulation within the mixer. The mixer is further configured to maintain the flow velocity of the plurality of gases as the gases pass through the mixer.
US08152920B2
A crucible and method for the crystallization of silicon utilize release coatings. The crucible is used in the handling of molten materials that are solidified in the crucible and then removed as ingots. The crucible does not require the preparation of a very thick coating at the end user facilities, is faster and cheaper to produce, presents an improved release effect and allows the production of silicon ingot without cracks. The crucible includes a base body, a substrate layer containing silicon nitride, an intermediate layer containing silica, and a surface layer containing silicon nitride, silicon dioxide and silicon.
US08152910B2
In a modular gas-separating adsorber assembly, a pair of cylindric vessels, filled-in by a given amount of an adsorbing material (either a mainly adsorbing or a mainly adsorbing material) are always operatively assembled with a top plate and a bottom plate, the top and bottom plates being mutually coupled by tie rods, engaged in the plate corners, the bottom plates and top plates forming plate chambers and being operatively connected with the chamber formed by adjoining cylindric vessel, the plates having projecting fittings to be assembled with the plate chambers included in adjoining vessels.
US08152907B2
A gas purification apparatus capable of removing fine particles of substantially any size without lowering the efficiency of gas supply. A loader module of a substrate processing apparatus includes a fan filter unit for producing a downward flow of atmospheric air in the internal space of a transfer chamber. The fan filter unit includes a fan for generating an atmospheric air flow, a filter of mesh structure for trapping and removing particles mixed in the atmospheric air flow, an irradiation heater disposed between the fan and the filter, and a high temperature part disposed in the atmospheric air flow and higher in temperature than the filter.
US08152903B2
Hindered cyclic polyamines and their salts are absorbents useful in acid gas treatment processes.
US08152902B2
The invention relates to compositions that can be used to adsorb low concentration, preferably, for example less than 15 ppm, of unwanted or target substances. Typically the absorbance can be from an enclosed vapor phase. Such absorbency is accomplished in a contained substantially enclosed gaseous volume or atmosphere using a composition comprising a cyclodextrin compound and a polyethylenimine that can have an absorbency capability for low concentrations of unwanted or target substances. Such absorbency can be obtained with thermoplastic materials used in the form of bulk polymer or a film, fiber, web, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, sheet, packaging and other such structures including or surrounding the enclosed volume. The adsorbent of the invention is typically used in the context of an enclosed volume, also known as an enclosed ambient vapor phase that contains the adsorbent of the invention and the unwanted or target substances at a concentration that is not desirable. The concentration should be reduced to non-offensive sensed limits or a limit that does not produce a biological response.
US08152895B2
A process of producing magnesium metal includes providing magnesium carbonate, and reacting the magnesium carbonate to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. The carbon dioxide is used as a reactant in a second process. In another embodiment of the process, a magnesium silicate is reacted with a caustic material to produce magnesium hydroxide. The magnesium hydroxide is reacted with a source of carbon dioxide to produce magnesium carbonate. The magnesium carbonate is reacted to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. The invention also relates to the magnesium metal produced by the processes described herein.
US08152883B2
A cyclone chamber for a vacuum cleaner includes a cylindrical wall defining an internal cavity. An inlet port extends tangentially from the wall such that air entering the cavity via the inlet port causes a cyclonic flow to develop within the chamber. An exit tube extends axially from the chamber and has a flared opening presented into the chamber. A vortex shield is centered axially within the chamber adjacent to the opening and extends radially from the opening toward the wall. The vortex shield forms a barrier to prevent in the most part, large but light weight particles, carpet fibers and the like from escaping into the exit tube.
US08152880B2
An air intake apparatus for a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. There is disclosed an air intake apparatus including ducting members for fluidly communicating cleaned intake air, for combustion, in the direction of the internal combustion engine. The apparatus also features an air filter element arranged on the duct members, as well as a case for housing the air filter element. The communicating duct members are engineered such that the air filter element can be pivoted from the case to an open position, such as for cleaning, while nevertheless remaining upon on the air communicating duct members.
US08152876B2
The invention relates to a filter element, consisting of a filter medium (10) that is pleated in a zigzag manner and has a concentric form, and an end disk (11) disposed on a front, and a second end disk (12) disposed on the opposite front, wherein the end disk (12) has a concentric opening (13) and extends substantially annularly across the pleats of the filter medium. The end disk (12) has a ring collar (14) extending radially toward the outside. The ring collar (14) has a seal (15) that surrounds the ring collar at least partially, wherein the seal has an axially extending region, which carries radially peripheral sealing lips (17), and said radially peripherals sealing lips are supported in a groove (18) or in a housing wall (19) of a housing receiving the filter element.
US08152868B2
Middle distillate fuel composition is provided containing (a) a middle distillate base fuel comprising at least in part a biodiesel fuel component, and (b) a Fischer-Tropsch derived paraffinic base oil component with a viscosity of at least 8 mm2/s at 100° C.
US08152867B2
This invention relates to a process, a plant, and a biofuel for integrated biofuel production, such as with butanol, biodiesel, and/or sugar product. The integrated process includes the step of removing hexose from a feedstock to form a lignocellulosic material. The process also includes the step of converting the hexose to butanol and/or a biodiesel material, and the step of depolymerizing lignocellulosic material to form pentose and a residue. The process also includes the step of converting the pentose to butanol and/or a biodiesel material.
US08152863B2
Provided is a pigment dispersion composition suitable for a colored curable composition which enables retaining adhesion capability of a colored pattern and inhibiting the generation of residues, even when a relatively severe development condition is employed. Furthermore, a red colored composition capable of forming a red colored thin film with excellent spectral characteristics. The pigment composition contains an azo pigment represented by the following Formula (1); at least one of acidic functional group-containing organic pigment derivative, anthraquinone derivative, and triazine derivative; and a dispersant. The red colored composition contains a red pigment; a yellow pigment; and a dispersant, in which specific spectral characteristics are satisfied when a colored transmitting film having a thickness of 0.6 μm is formed using the red colored composition.
US08152858B2
There is provided a head hair dyeing method using a two-part hair dye composition which contains: a first part containing a first part stock solution and a propellant, the first part stock solution containing an alkali agent and a surfactant; a second part containing a second part stock solution and a propellant, the second part stock solution containing hydrogen peroxide and a surfactant; and two aerosol containers for respectively discharging the first part and the second part as foam, the method including respectively discharging the first part and the second part as foam from the containers, applying the foam mixture to the head hair, and then re-foaming the mixture on the head hair.
US08152853B2
A knee joint prosthesis for implantation to replace a portion of a knee joint. The knee joint prosthesis includes a tibial tray and a bearing member that engages the tibial tray. The prosthesis also includes an insert with a base that is fixed to the bearing member and an extension portion that extends away from the bearing member and the tibial tray. The extension portion has an axis, and the extension portion includes a threaded portion. The prosthesis further includes a post that is rotatably coupled to the extension portion, and the post is rotatable about the axis of the extension portion relative to the insert. Furthermore, the prosthesis includes a retention member that threadably couples to the threaded portion of the insert to limit movement of the post along the axis away from the bearing member and the tibial tray.
US08152848B2
A structural/biological implant and method of use. The implant being utilized as a single or multiple staged system that is designed to encourage new alveolar bone growth with or without the need to obtain autologous bone. The implant has an apical portion that is fastened into existing bone, with the remainder of the implant left outside of existing bone. The exposed portion of the implant may have an external shape or configuration with a variety of attached and/or integrally formed mechanical retention and stability elements. Osteotropic/angiotropic material may be associated with the implant to induce and or conduct new bone growth and possible vascularization, thus, rather than fitting the implant into the bone, the bone is grown integratively with the implant. The osteotropic/angiotropic materials may be simultaneously placed with the staged implant to provide consistent stabilization for the materials and to provide an immediately available surface for bone cell adhesion and growth. The invention thus allows implants to be used in location where the volume and/or shape of the bone would not be adequate for existing implant systems.
US08152847B2
Methods of using cartilage implant devices are provided. The methods include locating articular cartilage having a lesion, and utilizing an implant having dimensions compatible with the lesion. The method further includes forming a cavity in the articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and cancellous bond, and engaging the implant with the cavity so that the lower face of the articular end of the implant abuts against the subchondral bone, and the stem of the implant abuts against the cancellous bone.
US08152844B2
A holder for an annuloplasty ring having a template defining a proximal face opposite the distal face, and a peripheral edge about which the annuloplasty ring conforms. The annuloplasty ring anchors to the template using one or more flexible filaments. The template includes a single cutting well on its proximal face over which the flexible filament is suspended. Desirably, the single cutting well is located adjacent the peripheral edge so as to be away from any handle connections for ease of access. The flexible filament emerges above the proximal face of the template at only one location at the cutting well, thus presenting a one cut quick-release structure that is highly visible to the surgeon. The annuloplasty ring may have a relatively rigid inner core surrounded by a suture-permeable cover, and the peripheral edge may be formed by a lower axial wall and an upper radial ledge that projects outward from the rigid inner core but not quite as far as a sewing margin of the ring. The ring and holder may be for mitral annuloplasty rings and generally have a D shape in plan view, and may be three-dimensional with upward anterior and posterior bows.
US08152840B2
A catheter assembly includes a main catheter branch and a side catheter branch. The main catheter branch includes a main balloon, a side balloon and a side inflation member. The side inflation member intersects the side balloon at a location on the side balloon that is offset laterally from a central line passing from a distal most point on the side balloon to a proximal most point on the side balloon. The side balloon is configured to extend radially outward relative to the main balloon when the side balloon is inflated. The side catheter branch can be centrally aligned with the side balloon central line and be positioned laterally adjacent to the side inflation lumen.
US08152839B2
Coils, such as embolic coils, and related methods, devices, and compositions, are disclosed.
US08152836B2
Medical devices and related methods for closing a perforation in a bodily wall The medical device generally includes a suture having opposing first and second ends and a set of visceral staples. Each visceral staple includes a base and two tines connected to the base, the tines spaced apart two define a slot therebetween. The slot slidably receives the suture therein. Each visceral staple is attached to the bodily wall adjacent the periphery of the perforation. The ends of the suture are tensioned to reduce the distance between the visceral staples and compress the bodily wall around the perforation. The ends of the suture are secured to maintain the compression of the bodily wall and close the perforation.
US08152834B2
A pair of forceps including first and second elongated members pivotally connected together. A handle and a head are defined at opposing ends of the first and second elongated members. In one preferred embodiment, a threaded cannula receiving chamber is disposed in the head, and the elongated members are separable via manipulation of the first and second elongated members with respect to each other.
US08152831B2
An embolic protection device includes a foam body attached to a plurality of flexible struts. The foam body has a generally conical geometry and the bottom of the conical geometry having a generally conical recess. The filter portion has pores sized such that blood cells can pass through the foam body, but larger material such as objects would be trapped in the recess. Each strut is attached along the periphery of the foam body and extend from the first end of the foam body to a connection point located proximate the first end.
US08152816B2
The patent discloses a system and method for correcting changes in the shape of joint bones in a bone joint, including: providing a three-dimensional imaging data set of a bone joint; identifying the joint bones in the data set based on the shapes of the joint bones; inscribing a portion of a joint bone to be reconstructed with a base shape; determining contour deviations of the inscribed joint bone from the base shape by ascertaining contour distances between the base shape and the shape of the inscribed joint bone in different incision planes; determining a three-dimensional deviating volume using the contour deviations; and using the deviating volume for correction planning.
US08152812B2
Erosion of elements of the ossicular chain in the middle ear, resulting in hearing loss, is corrected by creating a bridge between the eroded elements, employing a bone cement formed as a paste of a self-hardening material, which is molded into an elongated bridge, secured at its two ends to the elements to be bridged, and supported in its desired position until the material hardens to fuse the two elements, at which time the support may be removed. The material is preferably hydroxyapatite cement, bone source, or similar material, such as ionomeric bone cement. These materials strongly bond to the contacting bone and may stimulate bone in-growth, resulting in osseointegration. The apparatus for forming the bridge consists of a reservoir of the bridge material in liquid or paste form connected to a bridge supporting tube. The tube is preferably placed in contact with the two elements to be bridged and the bone source material is injected into the tube using a manually actuated plunger until the tube is full. The tube is then supported, manually or otherwise, until the material hardens and the supporting tube is removed.
US08152799B2
A RF catheter system includes a catheter with a proximal portion, a distal portion having a distal end and a lumen extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion. Inner and outer coaxially aligned conductors extend within the catheter and are coaxial with the lumen. A deflectable catheter guide is disposed within the catheter lumen and extends proximally within the catheter lumen and terminates distally of the distal end of the catheter to define a biological ablation pathway. A radio-frequency antenna is disposed at the distal portion of the catheter and is in electrical communication with the inner and outer coaxially aligned conductors. The radio-frequency antenna is adaptable to receive and transmit radio-frequency energy for ablating biological tissue along the ablation pathway.
US08152796B2
Apparatus and method of performing percutaneous laser spinal disc decompression with the patient retaining consciousness. The clear plastic hub of a discectomy needle has a translucent hub with a chamber which is filled with a saline solution prior to insertion of an optical fiber of a laser apparatus through the needle. Gas production from the vaporization of the nucleus of the disc by the optical fiber of the laser apparatus forms bubbles in the water or saline fluid interface thereby providing the physician with an indication of the rate of vaporization of the disc nucleus. In addition, the detection of gas bubbles in an awake, responsive patent facilitates (a) determining the appropriate amount of laser energy required, (b) confirmation of disc vaporization, (c) following the course of laser surgery, and (d) minimizing the potential for laser associated patient injury.
US08152793B2
The membrane shell of an implantable dosage system according to the invention is particularly suitable for subcutaneous applications to release an active agent with steady amounts during a longer period of time. The membrane shell (3) according to the invention comprises a first half (1) and a second half (2), which both halves comprise a continuous closure edge (8, 9), and are adapted to be connected to each other through a closable joint. The closure edges (8, 9) of the halves comprise at least one groove (10) and/or at least one protrusion (11) as continuous or discontinuous, and the membrane shell (3) is adapted to be closed so that at least one protrusion (11) and/or at least one groove (10) of the second half becomes opposed to at least one groove (10) and/or at least one protrusion (11) of the first half through a snap-fit joint.
US08152790B2
A connector for medical use includes an adapter equipped at its center with a needle extending into a chamber and optionally terminating in a part of a terminal end of the chamber. The terminal end has a cross section suitable for receiving, by friction, a luer type male connector. The needle a terminal part including an orifice or orifices, which is encased in a cavity of an elastic seal having, in the thickness of its free end, a slit or equivalent. The elastic seal has a free end at a tangent to that of the chamber and is provided with a ring encircling its terminal part at least as far as the zone opposite the orifice or orifices of the needle. Along part of the length of the terminal end of the chamber, the outer surface of the elastic seal and/or the inner surface or thickness of the ring has at least one recess for promoting the expulsion of the material constituting the seal, at the time of passage of the needle.
US08152779B2
A needle assembly adapted for fluid communication with a vial containing a substance to be delivered to a subject, the needle assembly including a needle held in a needle holder, the needle holder confined to move in a housing, and an activation mechanism for activating delivery of the substance through the needle, the activation mechanism including a safety latch that initially impedes movement of the needle holder, wherein when the safety latch is placed on the subject, the safety latch moves to a position that permits moving the needle holder to cause the needle to protrude outwards of the housing to pierce the subject to allow administration of the substance to the subject.
US08152776B2
A an arm band or strap is provided adapted to be adjustably and comfortably worn about the wrist or forearm of a patient receiving dialysis treatment. Located on the exterior of the band or strap is a pair of oppositely and axially extending tabs having an underside of hook or loop fastener material complimentary to hook or loop fastener material provided on the band or strap exterior. A pair of infusion tubes are adapted to be removably secured respectively between the tabs and the exterior surface of the strap by the interengaging action of the complimentary hook or loop fastener on the surface of the worn band or strap and the underside of each tab, respectively. The worn strap or arm band and the tabs combine to stabilize the infusion tubes during such treatment all of the while permitting safe use of the patient's hands.
US08152774B2
A valve assembly for the sealed reception of an elongated object is provided. The assembly includes a valve body defining at least one opening configured and dimensioned to permit entry of an elongated object and defining a central longitudinal axis, and an elongated seal member having a resilient sealing structure and defining an aperture in general alignment with the opening of the valve body whereby the aperture is configured and dimensioned such that upon insertion of the object into the aperture, the resilient sealing structure resiliently engages the outer surface of the object in a tight manner. The sealing structure includes a plurality of elongated bristle members attached to the seal member. The bristle members are positioned to engage the elongated object upon at least partial insertion of the elongated object into the valve body. Each bristle member is adapted to be displaced relative to the longitudinal axis to facilitate expansion of the aperture of the seal member upon entry of the elongated object therein.
US08152770B2
A medical device includes a base member coupled to a needle assembly and a retractor mechanism enables retraction of the needle into the base member for safe disposal of the device. In one embodiment, a stop mechanism prevents rotation of the needle assembly in a use position.
US08152766B2
The present invention relates to a device for delivering medicament, comprising a container (12) arranged to contain medicament, which container further comprises an opening arranged to expel medicament from the container, pressure means (16, 18) arranged to exert pressure on the medicament inside the container (12) for expelling a certain predetermined quantity of the medicament through the opening, driving means (26, 42) for driving said pressure means (16, 18), and activation means (46) for activating said driving means (26, 42) wherein said device comprises pressure release means (20) which are adapted, arranged and designed such that, when the predetermined dose has been expelled through the opening, the pressure on the medicament is released.
US08152762B2
A retractable safety syringe may comprise a needle, needle holder, syringe body, and a plunger. A proximal portion of the body and a piston of the plunger may define a variable vacuum compartment. A through hole pneumatically connecting ambient air and the variable vacuum compartment may be formed through a thumb platform and rigid shaft of the plunger for allowing air to escape out of the variable vacuum compartment when a piston of the plunger is traversed toward the retracted position and allow air to be introduced into the variable vacuum compartment when the piston is traversed toward the engaged position. A retraction force may be created by the variable vacuum compartment by covering an entrance of the through hole and traversing the piston to the engaged position. At the engaged position, the piston may engage the needle holder and the retraction force may retract the piston, needle holder and needle into the syringe body to prevent accidental needle pricking and needle reuse.
US08152752B2
Shunt devices and a method for continuously decompressing elevated intraocular pressure in eyes affected by glaucoma by diverting excess aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye into Schlemm's canal where post-operative patency can be maintained with an indwelling shunt device which surgically connects the canal with the anterior chamber. The shunt devices provide uni- or bi-directional flow of aqueous humor into Schlemm's canal.
US08152751B2
An access disconnection system includes: an arterial line; a venous line; a transmitter configured to transmit a sound wave in one of the arterial and venous lines when connected to a patient; a receiver configured to receive the sound wave from the other of the arterial and venous lines when connected to the patient; and electronic circuitry coupled to at least one of the transmitter and receiver, the circuitry configured to send a disconnection output indicative of a change in the sound waves received by the receiver from the transmitter sufficient to expect that an access disconnection of one of the arterial line and venous lines has occurred.
US08152750B2
The present invention relates generally to the field of hemodialysis, including methods and kits that can be employed to improve hemodialysis therapy. The present invention encompasses methods and kits useful for reducing vascular access complications associated with hemodialysis therapy and prolonging the period of time for which a vascular access site can be used in a patient.
US08152747B2
The current invention is a spinal and upper cervical impulse treatment device and controller, which delivers multiple impulses of variable frequency and variable force in a linear direction, as well as rotational forces, for patient treatment. Known chiropractic impulse devices are all hand held devices. In contrast, the spinal and upper cervical impulse treatment device is mounted on a fixed stand and armature, allowing reliable positioning and directional alignment in three dimensions. Fixed mounting also facilitates ease of use. A safety coupling is incorporated to avoid patient injury due to excessive force on the treatment site in the fixed mounting scenario Smooth sinusoidal waveforms are a preferred waveform for impulse delivery and sine waves are generated digitally in the apparatus. Data validation is used to ensure correct directional alignment prior to device activation Patient safety and consistency in treatment protocols are considered in the spinal and upper cervical impulse treatment design
US08152745B2
Sensors and methods for automatically detecting and recording physical activities of an individual are described. An event is detected, in which data representative of at least one physical activity of an individual is received from an activity monitor associated with the individual. The data is combined into at least two intermediate calculations. A score is generated from the at least two intermediate calculations. The score is compared to a predefined threshold to decide whether or not an event has occurred. Data representative of the event is recorded.
US08152742B2
A medical device with a corrugated shaping ribbon is provided. The corrugated shaping ribbon for the medical device, which may be provided in the form of a guide wire or catheter, specifically a crossing guide wire or catheter, provides a mechanism by which energy can be stored as the distal tip of the medical device engages a lesion or other area of occlusion within a blood vessel. By storing such energy and continuing to apply force, eventually the distal tip extends thereby releasing the stored energy and allowing the distal tip to advance or cross through the lesion.
US08152736B2
A device (6) to sample molecules of biological interest is described. The device (6) includes capture zones (10) whose developed surface area is much greater than the surface so that sampling by contact allows a sufficient quantity of molecules to be obtained to achieve reliable analysis, whilst being sized so that the device (6) is neither invasive nor aggressive.In particular, the device comprises tiered capture zones (10) located on a support (12) fabricated using microtechnology techniques; the capture zones (10) may advantageously be functionalised.
US08152722B2
A method and apparatus for quickly determining an imaging region associated with the current transmission in an ultrasonic imaging system includes determining a profile of the imaging region to be processed and, in turn, boundaries of that imaging region according to characteristics of the current transmitted sound field and the demand of the imaging mode. The method also includes computing a set of rectangular coordinates of points on the imaging region to be processed according to the determined boundaries.
US08152715B2
The present invention provides an endoscope with a watertight and air-tight endoscope handle that in preferred embodiments contains in its interior a solid-state light source and a gas permeable and liquid impermeable sealed compartment holding a battery and an electronic circuit, where the sealed compartment is preferably transverse to the long axis of the endoscope handle, and, in certain embodiments, at least partially surrounded by a movable structure.
US08152710B2
An implantable restriction device can be configured to provide a restriction in a patient, for example as a function of the pressure of fluid. The implantable restriction device can include one or more sensors configured to sense a variety of parameters, such as pressure of the fluid within the implantable restriction device, pulse width, pulse amplitude, pulse count, pulse duration, or frequency, electrical characteristics, or other parameters. Data obtained by the one or more sensors (for example, the data representing pressure, pulse characteristics, and so on) may be communicated to a device located external to the patient, such as a data logger, using telemetry coils or other communicators. The data logger may store the data, and may communicate the data to a remote location via a network such as the Internet. A docking station may be provided to couple the data logger to a network and/or to recharge a cell in the data logger. The logged data may be analyzed and/or displayed using a variety of techniques to assess and/or track the condition of the restriction device or of the patient, to monitor patient physiology, or for other purposes.
US08152709B2
The present patent application is directed to a magnetic therapeutic pad for a human spine. The magnetic therapeutic pad includes a substrate layer and a support layer above the substrate layer. The support layer includes a plurality of ridge frames spaced with one another. Upper edges of the ridge frames protrude out from an upper surface of the substrate layer. A plurality of magnets are disposed on the upper edges of the ridge frames according to the human meridian system. The ridge frames respectively correspond to a Governor meridian, inner Urinary Bladder meridians, and outer Urinary Bladder meridians on a human's back. The upper edges of the ridge frames form a curvature that is compatible with a curvature of a human back.
US08152704B2
The present invention resides in a pulley training system comprising a pulley wheel mounted on an axle within a pulley housing and a cord configured to be draped over the pulley wheel. An attachment strap may be configured to be adjustably attached to the pulley housing. A first clip may be configured to be attached proximate a first end of the cord, and a second clip may be configured to be attached proximate a second end of the cord.
US08152698B1
A dual-mode exercise machine includes a base, a swivel, two pedals, two impedance elements, a linkage and a pin. The swivel is pivotally connected to the base. The pedals are pivotally connected to the swivel. Each impedance element connects a related pedal to the swivel. The linkage includes a middle lever pivotally connected to the base and two lateral levers each for connecting a related pedal to the middle lever so that the pedals can be pivoted up and down alternately. The pin can be inserted in an aperture of the swivel and an aperture of the base to prevent the pivotal of the swivel but allow the pivotal of the middle lever. Alternatively, the pin can be inserted in an aperture of the middle lever and another aperture of the base to prevent the pivotal of the middle lever but allow the pivotal of the swivel.
US08152688B2
A continuously variable transmission may have a first set of rollers and a second set of rollers that act upon skewed driving and driven surfaces of discs. The input to output ratio of the continuously variable transmission may be changed by pushing either one of the first and second sets of rollers closer to a rotating shaft. To maintain symmetrical loading within the continuously variable transmission, an idler disc assembly may have a strain compensator that deflects to compensate for deflection of outer discs due to elasticity of the main shaft.
US08152677B2
A traction drive transmission has an outer ring 40, a sun roller 10, support rollers 30, and one or more loading rollers 20. The outer ring 40 includes a raceway 42 presented inwardly. The sun roller 10 includes a raceway 12 presented outwardly toward the raceway 42 of the outer ring 40. The sun roller 10 is offset eccentrically with respect to the outer ring 40 so that a wedge gap 112 exists between the raceways 42, 12 of the outer ring 40 and sun roller 10. The support rollers 30 are located between the outer ring 40 and sun roller 10. Each support roller 30 has first and second raceways 36, 38 that have different diameters and contacts the raceway 12 of the sun roller 10 along its first raceway 36 and the raceway 42 of the outer ring 40 along its second raceway 38. Each loading roller 20 is located at the wedge gap 112 between the raceway 42 of the outer ring 40 and the raceway 12 of the sun roller 10. Each loading roller 20 has first and second circular raceways 22, 26 that have different diameters and contacts the raceway 12 of the sun roller 10 along its first raceway 22 and the raceway 42 of the outer ring 40 along its second raceway 26.
US08152667B2
A control device for a vehicular drive system is disclosed as including reverse drive for suppression means operative to preclude output member, such as an output shaft and drive wheels, of an automatic transmission portion from inputting a reverse drive force to a differential portion. This prevents a power transmitting member from rotating in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of the same with a running position being set. This suppresses a first electric-motor rotation speed, determined with an engine rotation speed and a power transmitting member rotation speed based on the relationship on mutually relative rotation speeds in the differential portion, from increasing to a high level. This results in improved durability of a first electric-motor.
US08152663B2
An arrow for use with a bow has a shaft, an arrowhead and vanes, wherein at least one of the vanes or the shaft contain substantive phosphorescent dye or substantive phosphorescent pigment in a transparent or translucent carrier.
US08152658B2
Analysis of pitches to determine both their velocity and the location at which they arrive at the batter. The speed of the pitch is adjusted according to an adjustment value whose magnitude is a function of the location of the pitch relative to the batter. For example, high outside pitches would have a different adjustment value than low inside pitches. These adjustment values are calculated to take into account the fact that hitters must swing at different pitches at different times. That is, they must swing at some pitches earlier than others, depending on the location of the pitch. The adjusted speed, or “effective velocity,” of the pitch is thus a function of both the pitch's velocity and its location relative to the batter, making it a more useful metric than velocity or location alone.
US08152648B2
Disclosed is a whitewater park and whitewater park systems. A recreational waterfall system for traversal by watercraft that includes at least one headgate to produce a surge of water over a waterfall and to limit access to the waterfall by watercraft. A recreational watercraft launch that accelerates a watercraft while traversing said waterfall and a downstream crest a variable exit geometry causes the watercraft to be directed in an upward direction. A recreational waterfall has water flowing over a crest with variable cantilever determining a distance from the edge that the water flowing over the crest impacts water in the pool. A whitewater park has multiple routes of varying difficulties between pools.
US08152647B2
An infant swing has a base member supported by hanger members for reciprocal movement. A seat that can be utilized in other applications is detachably mounted on and latched to the base member, which is formed with a swivel mechanism that allows the seat to be selectively positioned in a back-and-forth swing configuration or a sideways swing configuration. The swivel mechanism utilizes a triangular guide that engages an elliptical retainer to cause a lateral shift in the center of gravity of the seat when re-positioned. The base member also incorporates a recline mechanism that can be actuated with one hand. The recline actuation mechanism uses a self-centering push bar that is formed with protrusions engaged with slotted channels to lock the seat in a selected recline position. The push bar is operable to either transverse direction to release the protrusions from the slotted channels for selecting the new recline position.
US08152640B2
A player can change the direction of the right hand of a character object, or extend and retract the right arm of the character object, by changing the direction of the core unit 70. The player can change the direction of the left hand of the character object, or extend and retract the left arm of the character object by changing the direction of the subunit 76. The player can retract and extend a leg of the character object, by shifting the center of gravity in the front-back direction when the player is standing on the load controller 36.
US08152638B2
A gaming machine includes a housing, which is playable by a plurality of players, that has a station provided for each individual player; an operation detection unit that detects an operation of a player present at each of the stations performing a bet operation through a bet image displayed on the image display unit; an image capturing unit, provided at the housing, that can capture images of a player present at each of the stations, and a determination unit that determines tampering or an error of a game by comparing image capturing information obtained by the image capturing unit with predetermined information.
US08152637B2
According to functions (the first to the third target position setup functions 242, 244, and 246) which set up as a target position, a position of reference image, a position decided by orientations of multiple cards, and a position of a character image being a counterpart selected in combined actions display program, and functions to display a scene where the character image moves from above the identification information to the target position (action data string searching function 248, movement posture setup function 250, 3D image setup function 252, image drawing function 254, image display setup function 256, table rewriting function 258, distance calculating function 260, repetitive function 262), it is possible to expand a range of card game used to be played only in a real space up to a virtual space, and to offer a new game which merges the card game and video game.
US08152633B2
Providing content in a game based on wireless signals. A wireless signal may be detected. Content in a game may be provided based on the detection of the wireless signal. The content may have been unavailable in the game prior to said detecting the wireless signal. For example, a characteristic of the wireless signal (e.g., an ID of a wireless signal from a wireless access point) may be determined and the content may be based on the characteristic of the wireless signal.
US08152631B2
An illustrative method provides real-time streaming video generated and transmitted from a server to an electronic gaming machine (EGM) that permits wagering on games. The EGM transmits a video request to the server during the play of a first game on the EGM. The video request includes information that specifies corresponding video images to be displayed during the play of the first game. Streaming video information is generated by and received from the server in response to the video request and processed to create the video images. The video images are displayed by the EGM during the ongoing play of the first game.
US08152629B2
A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides players with one or more enhanced wagering opportunities. One enhanced wagering opportunity enables a player to continue playing one or more primary games at the maximum wager even if the player's continued play causes the gaming device's credit meter to fall below zero credits. In one such embodiment, after playing one or more maximum wager games which cause the credit meter to drop below zero, the player's player tracking account is utilized to cover any amount of credits the gaming device's credit meter is below zero.
US08152624B2
A gaming device, system and method which enables a player to apply a large wager amount to a plurality of plays of a background game in increments or portions. The gaming device apportions or applies the large wager amount to a plurality of plays of a background game. The gaming device displays a play of the primary game to the player that provides a primary game outcome which has an award equal to the amount of the sum of the background game results.
US08152623B2
A gaming terminal (1) and a method for playing a wagering game utilizing a two-way cascading symbol feature are disclosed. The wagering terminal has first and second displays, with a first game outcome displayed as a plurality of symbols (14) on the first display (15). The symbols (14) are analyzed to determine if they satisfy a predetermined condition. All symbols satisfying the condition are added to the second display (17). The symbols (16) in the second display (17) then are analyzed for a winning combination. If no winning combination exists, the game is over. A winning combination awards the player credits, before removing the winning symbols from the second display (17). All remaining symbols shift down one position. The symbols (16) in the upper display (17) are analyzed until no more winning combinations exists.
US08152614B2
Baccarat is executed by placing a bet using a bet screen 70 displayed on a liquid crystal display 10. On the bet screen 70 is provided a bet-with-a-bonus button 201 in addition to an ordinary bet button 75. When the amount of bets is indicated using the bet-with-a-bonus button 201, a card game which is separate from Baccarat is executed as a bonus game subsequent to Baccarat, and the player is awarded a bonus payout based on an outcome of the bonus game. The odds when the amount of bets is indicated using the bet-with-a-bonus button 201 is set to be lower than the odds indicated using only the ordinary bet button 75.
US08152613B2
Methods and systems for damaging objects in digital environments are provided. The objects may be defined by a number of tiles. Tiles may be joined together to form objects of various sizes, shapes, and facades. The tiles may be broken up or divided into smaller tiles as the objects sustain damage. These smaller tiles may be rejoined to the objects providing virtually unlimited ways in which the objects can be damaged. In addition, the objects may incorporate stress-related damage that allows the object to break or collapse under its own weight.
US08152603B2
A slide holder for mounting to a sample holder having a pair of openings therein, for a grinder/polisher includes a plate for receiving the slide. The slide holder includes a pair of stems extending from the plate and configured and spaced for receipt in the sample holder openings. A locking element is mounted to each stem. The locking elements are mounted to pivot eccentrically relative to a center axis of each stem. The stems are inserted into the sample holder openings and the locking elements are pivoted to lock the slide holder to the sample holder and to prevent the stems from disengaging from the sample holder.
US08152596B2
An apparatus for deburring boards includes a platform, on which first and second guiding rail units perpendicular to each other are fixed, a deburring unit mounted on the first guiding rail unit, a carrying unit adapted for carrying the boards and mounted movably on the second guiding rail unit perpendicular to the first guiding rail unit, and a driving unit disposed on the platform and operable to drive the carrying unit to move between a loading/unloading zone, where the carrying unit is spaced apart from the deburring unit, and a processing zone, where the carrying unit is disposed between opposite deburring members of the deburring unit so that opposite deburred edges of each board contact respectively the deburring members. The driving unit further drives the carrying unit to move back and forth within the processing zone a predetermined number of times, thereby deburring the boards.
US08152589B2
A play set comprises master and slave toy vehicles and a stationary base unit. The master toy vehicle includes a radio frequency (RF) receiver to be controlled by a manually operated RF remote control unit and an infrared (IR) transmitter configured to broadcast an IR tracking signal. The slave toy vehicle includes a directional receiver to detect the source of the IR tracking signal and an on-board, self-directing control circuit coupled to the at least one directional receiver to control the slave toy vehicle to chase the master toy vehicle. The base unit includes a platform with a game controller and one or more targets mounted so as to move when struck by the master toy vehicle. The game controller and one or both of the toy vehicles are configured for one way or two way wireless communication between the game controller and toy vehicles(s). The game controller is configured to initiate and control one or more modes of game play through the targets or communication with the toy vehicles.
US08152577B1
An electric boat comprising a boat housing with a rechargeable battery bank; two wind turbines disposed in sides of the boat housing, the wind turbines are driven by oncoming wind; a first turbine system operatively connected to the wind turbines via a first drive shaft; a transformer's power inverter/charge controller operatively connected to the rechargeable battery and to the first turbine system; an electric motor operatively connected to the transformer's power inverter/charge controller or rechargeable battery; jet pump for propelling the boat, the jet pump is operatively connected to the electric motor; and a plurality of solar panels disposed on the boat housing operatively connected to the rechargeable battery.
US08152574B2
Upon fitting of the first housing 10 and the second housing 50, joints 21, 63 of the two terminals 20, 60 are superposed in the fitting portion 11, the two joints 21, 63 having respective bolt-insertion holes 21A, 63A that allow for insertion of a bolt V thereinto so that the two joints 21, 63 are fixed together. The fitting portion 11 of the two housings 10 has an operation hole 23 that allows for bolting of the two terminals 20, 60. A first shield shell 40 is attached to the first housing 10. The first shield shell 40 is fixable to the case. A second shield shell 70 is attached to the second housing 50. The second shield shell 70 in a fitted state of the two housings 10, 50 is slidable between: a position to expose the operation hole 23 to the outside; and a position to cover the operation hole 23 and to cooperate with the first shield shell 40 to cover the fitting portion 11.
US08152569B2
An extension to USB includes an insulative tongue portion and a number of contacts held in the insulative tongue portion. The contacts have four conductive contacts and a plurality of differential contacts for transferring differential signals located behind/forward the four standard USB contacts along a front-to-rear direction. The four conductive contacts are adapted for USB 2.0 protocol and the plurality of differential contacts are adapted for non-USB 2.0 protocol. The extension to USB is capable of mating with a complementary standard USB 2.0 connector and a non-USB 2.0 connector, alternatively.
US08152564B2
A connector having protection components includes an insulation body, a signal transmission module provided in the insulation body, a first protection component set and a second protection component set both electrically connected to the signal transmission module. The signal transmission module includes a circuit board and an input terminal set and an output terminal set electrically connected to the circuit board. The first protection component set is electrically connected between the input terminal set and the output terminal set for protection between the lines. The second protection component set is electrically connected between the first protection component set and a grounding line, thereby providing protection between the lines and a grounding line.
US08152557B2
The present invention is a positive locking mechanism for a universal serial bus (USB) connector which includes at least one mounting portion connected to the USB connector with the mounting portion having an aperture. The present invention also includes at least one flange in proximity to the mounting portion, with the flange having an aperture, as well as a fastener inserted through the aperture of the flange and the aperture of the mounting portion, where the fastener is used to connect the mounting portion to a structure.
US08152551B2
A coaxial cable connector includes a connector body having a first end and a second end, a coupling nut freely rotatable and disposed in relation to the first end of the connector body and a post having a first end and a second end, the post further including a open-ended port retaining portion. The coupling nut includes an internal threaded portion and is disposed in overlaying relation relative to the port retaining portion, which is configured for engaging an external port. The port retaining portion defines a locking collet that prevents loosening of the engaged port, while still guaranteeing electrical continuity without requiring excessive tightening of the connector.
US08152549B1
A plurality of connecting elements projects from a body's surface. A plurality of indents is defined in the body's surface. Each stem element includes first and second stalks projecting orthogonally from the surface. The first stub includes a pyramidical cap section and at least one generally planar wall. The second stalk is generally parallel to the first stub and spaced apart from the at least one wall, defining a gap therebetween. The second stalk includes a stem projecting from the surface. A lip section extends from a distal end of the stem and protrudes outwardly relative to the stem. An engagement section extends from the lip section. A free end of the engagement section defines a distal end of the second stalk. An outer surface of the engagement section defines a first gradient tapering from the lip section to the distal end of the second stalk.
US08152540B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a connector terminal protection cap for a harness and a harness assembly that are capable of protecting connector terminals provided on one end of a harness and that does not come off easily during transfer or transport but can be easily removed at an assembly site. Provided are a connector terminal protection cap that is made of plastic and is attached to a connector provided on one end of a harness to protect connector terminals, the connector terminal protection cap including a cap main body that has an opening at one end thereof that serves as a mating portion to be fitted to a connector main body and a cap-shaped cylinder portion that is formed integrally with and continuously from the mating portion to cover an outer circumference of the terminals, and a pair of pawl members and that are provided at opposing positions on an outer circumference of the mating portion of the cap main body, anchoring to the connector main body, thereby attaching the cap main body to the connector main body in a freely attachable/detachable manner.
US08152535B2
A socket includes a first relay board provided above a mounting board; a second relay board detachably provided above the first relay board; and a frame part provided at side parts of the first relay board and the second relay board, wherein the frame part is configured to hold the first relay board and the second relay board and detachably configured to hold an electronic device being mounted above the second relay board; and the first connecting part comes in contact with the first relay board and the second connecting part comes in contact with a pad of the electronic device, so that the electronic device and the mounting board are electrically connected to each other.
US08152533B1
Provided is an electrical connector, including a case, a plurality of contacts and a magnetic unit. The case has a receiving cavity and formed by mounting a first shell, a second shell and a third shell. The second shell is mounted on the front of the first shell, and the third shell is mounted on the above of the first and second shells. The contacts are inserted into the case from the second shell, and pass through the receiving cavity to extend out of the first shell. Rear ends of the contacts are held by and soldered on the solder-assist pieces. The magnetic unit includes at least two magnetic bodies separately located on the upside and downside of the contacts, so that efficiently using the inside space of the electrical connector, increasing the size of the magnetic unit and enhancing the magnetic attraction.
US08152527B2
A method of practicing aiming of a gun at a moving target includes providing a first simulated target, providing a second simulated target in spaced-apart relationship with respect to the first simulated target, providing a gun, positioning the gun with respect to the first simulated target and the second simulated target and repeatedly aiming the gun at the second simulated target while visually focusing on the first simulated target. The first simulated target represents a position of the moving target upon shooting of shot from the gun. The second simulated target represents a position of the moving target upon striking of the moving target with the shot.
US08152521B2
The present invention concerns an orthodontic appliance for accelerating the tooth aligning effect and shortening the treatment period, and has an object to provide an appliance which can bring about higher aligning effect than usual ways by giving vibration to tooth to be aligned to activate bone remodeling of the targeted tooth and the alveolar bone and enhance the shift of the tooth. This appliance includes a vibrating element and a dental mouthpiece having the vibrating element built therein. The provision of the vibrating element in the dental mouthpiece facilitates the application of vibration and handling, and continues the treatment safely even at home. The inner shape of the dental mouthpiece serves aligning treatment as well as acceleration of the effect.
US08152506B1
Described herein is a removable food compressing attachment in combination with a pressure generating device. The food compressing attachment connects to an aperture within the pressure generating device, so the aperture is continuous with the food compressing attachment interior. When a longitudinal cooking tool inserts into the food compressing attachment interior, food flowing from the aperture enters the attachment interior under pressure from the pressure generating device. The compressed food within the attachment interior forms a fixed continuous shaped mass along the longitudinal cooking tool which traverses the attachment interior. There is also a removable template by which the food compressing attachment can produce a narrower continuous food mass along the longitudinal cooking tool.
US08152504B2
A positive displacement rotary machine with a body having an internal spherical working surface divided into bypass and propulsion areas, a rotor with a working rotational surface, a ring working cavity formed by the working surfaces of the body and rotor, and a C-shaped separator mounted in part of the cavity at an angle to a plane of the rotor rotation. The cavity is partitioned by the separator at the bypass area, and the working medium openings are located from opposite sides of the separator. The working surface of the rotor has at least one slot. In each slot is mounted a piston capable of sealing the working cavity, and performing rotational oscillations in a slot plane. The piston is at least in the form of a part of a disk and has at least one through-cutout for the separator passage, and can seal the through-cutout at the propulsion area.
US08152498B2
A peristaltic pump having a casing defining a tube race, a flexible tube disposed in the tube race, and a rotor with one or more rollers adapted to act against the flexible tube. The casing has a first section having the tube race and a first part of fitting means, and a second section having the rotor and a second part of the fitting means. The first and second parts of the fitting means are a releasable snap-fit together.
US08152488B2
A blower for a vacuum cleaner has a diffuser with an increased efficiency by coupling the attack angle A of the diffuser vanes with the attack angle B of the return guide vanes where angle A is between 4° and 6° and angle B is between 6° and 20°.
US08152487B2
An inverter-integrated electric compressor that is capable of solving various problems caused by thermal expansion of a gel material filled inside an inverter accommodating section for vibration prevention and moisture prevention and capable of increasing reliability is provided. In the inverter-integrated electric compressor, an inverter accommodating section (11) is integrated with a periphery of a housing (2) accommodating an electric compressor; an inverter device (20) is accommodated inside the inverter accommodating section; a gel material (30) for vibration prevention and moisture prevention is filled in the upper section thereof so as to leave an air layer (31); an upper opening in the inverter accommodating section is sealed with a cover member (18); and a vent valve (40) formed of a moisture-permeable waterproof membrane (42) is provided in the cover member.
US08152482B2
A displacement control valve for a variable displacement compressor. The displacement control valve includes a drive force transmission body, a pressure sensitive chamber, an internal passage, and a valve body. The valve body includes an annular seal which is contactable with a valve seat surface facing toward the first valve body. The drive force transmission body includes a drive rod and a valve body structure having a shaft passage and forming the first valve body. The drive rod is fitted to the shaft passage and coupled to the valve body structure so as to form a gap passage between an outer surface of the drive rod and a wall surface of the shaft passage. The internal passage includes a recess arranged radially inward from the annular seal, the shaft passage, and the gap passage. The gap passage is in direct communication with the recess.
US08152481B2
This invention is to provide a piston-type compressor that assures optimal lubrication by supplying oil in plentiful quantity to a sliding portion in a cylinder block having cylinders formed therein, through which pistons slide reciprocally. A crankcase is defined by a cylinder block 1 having formed therein a plurality of cylinders 17 through which pistons slide, and a housing mounted at the cylinder block 1, and as a shaft passing through the crankcase rotates, a swashplate disposed inside the crankcase is made to rotate, thereby engaging the pistons to reciprocally slide through the cylinders. At the cylinder block 1, an inbound oil guide passage 35 having one end thereof made to open over an area at the end surface of the cylinder block facing the crankcase between adjacent cylinders 17 and another end thereof connecting to a sliding portion inside the cylinder block.
US08152478B2
A double cylinder compressor with controlled capacity having a capacity switch device, and a reservoir having an inlet and two outlets which are connected with an upper and a lower cylinder of the double cylinder compressor through the capacity switch device. The capacity switch device being switched to realize the connection in series or in parallel for the cylinders of the double cylinder compressor, as a result, the discharge capacity of the compressor is that of the second stage cylinder when the connection in series, or the sum of the two cylinders when the connection is in parallel.
US08152467B2
A blade of a fluid-flow machine has at least one cavity 2 arranged in the blade 1, with the cavity 2 connecting to a fluid supply, and at least one outlet opening 3 connecting the cavity 2 to a flow path, in which the blade 1 is arranged. The outlet opening 3 is of a nozzle-type design and essentially inclined in a direction of a main flow extending longitudinally to a corresponding surface of the blade 1. The outlet opening 3 extends over at least a part of the blade 1 height and the outlet opening 3 forms a step in a contour of the blade 1 profile, with a fluid jet issuing from the outlet opening 3 essentially tangentially attaching onto the blade surface.
US08152466B2
A variable diameter helicopter rotor and method of using are disclosed. The variable diameter helicopter rotor includes a rotor hub operable by helicopter controls at variable revolutions per minute, and a linearly extensible rotor blade connected to the rotor hub, a linear span of the rotor blade only adjustable in response to an amount of centrifugal force generated in the rotor blade by a rotational speed of the rotor hub, an operational rotor blade to effect at least lift of the helicopter. The linearly extensible rotor blade can include telescoping inner and outer sections, and a restrictive force device positioned between the inner and outer sections. The variable diameter helicopter rotor can be used by adjusting a linear span of rotor blades connected to the rotor hub by an amount corresponding to an amount of centrifugal force generated in the rotor blades by a rotational speed of the rotor hub.
US08152464B2
A helical auger turbine and hydrokinetic device for use with electrical generators for producing electricity. A helical turbine blade may be mounted on a central shaft, and a flange extending perpendicularly to an edge of the turbine blade. The helical auger may be a multi-section auger having radial sections covering a radial arc of between 45 degrees and 180 degrees, and that are rotational molded with identical center sections. The auger may have tapered end sections. The radial and end sections may be interlockingly mounted onto the central shaft to enable the complete transfer of torque captured by the helical auger by a moving fluid media, such as a tidal water flow, to the central shaft. The adjacent surfaces of the radial and end sections may be flush with one another to reduce disruptions of the moving fluid flowing over the completed helical auger and rotating the assembled helical auger.
US08152463B2
In impingement air cooling of gas turbine components, cooling air velocity packs of a certain amplitude and a given frequency are applied to impingement air openings, with intervallic annular swirl structures being formed which penetrate a cross-flow and hit a component to be cooled with high intensity, thus providing for efficient cooling. In order to obtain annular swirl structures with optimum cooling effect, the Strouhal number, which is determined by a ratio of amplitude, frequency of the velocity packs and size of impingement air cooling openings, ranges between 0.2 and 2.0, and preferably between 0.8 and 1.2.
US08152456B2
The invention relates to a turbojet compressor comprising a shroud and a plurality of blades, each fixed via its root to the shroud. Level with each blade root, the shroud presents a suction-side ramp and a pressure-side ramp extending from the trailing edge of the blade to beyond its leading edge. The pressure-side and suction-side ramps join together upstream from the leading edge of the blade to form a projection presenting a profile that is twisted about the axis of the shroud so as to force the gas stream flowing in each flow passage to go round the blade root essentially on the suction-side thereof, and the suction-side ramp presents a profile that is inclined relative to the outside surface of the shroud so as to deflect the gas stream flowing in the corresponding flow passage from the suction-side surface of the blade towards the pressure-side surface of the adjacent blade.
US08152449B2
A vacuum generator seal can comprise an upstream annular cavity adjacent to the upstream side of the bearing, a downstream annular cavity adjacent to the downstream side of the bearing, and at least one drain slot positioned on the upstream side of the bearing housing. The vacuum generator seal can include a retainer that at least partially defines the upstream annular cavity. The retainer may be in contact with the bearing housing and may have a tight clearance with the impeller hub. The retainer along with a supply of grease packed within the annular cavities can seal the bearing; and the drain slot can direct water and waste away from the bearing and towards the scroll.
US08152444B2
A fluid flow machine includes an annulus duct formed between a casing and a rotor drum, which is rotatable about a machine axis. At least one row of rotor blades is arranged in the annulus duct, with the latter forming a main flow path and with at least one fluid injector nozzle being arranged in the area of a wall of the casing and/or of the rotor drum. At least part of the injector nozzle protrudes into the main flow path and is provided for the generation of a jet which is tangentially directed to the wall of the main flow path.
US08152440B2
A wind turbine blade instrumentation structure and method is provided for fluid dynamic polymer-based contact sensors measuring ambient pressure based on the resistivity changes across the sensor. The pressure sensors may applied in predetermined patterns to airfoil structures, such as wind turbine blades, without impacting the blade structure and fluid dynamic characteristics. The pressure sensors measure blade performance with high fidelity. The pressure measurements are transmitted to processing to determine blade characteristics and environment including flow separation, stagnation point, angle of attack, lift and drag and wind speed. Further processing of the pressure distribution may identify wind shear, up-flow and yaw error.
US08152437B2
A power plant includes a first turbine having a plurality of turbine stages. The first turbine discharges a first fluid flow. A second turbine is operatively coupled to the first turbine. The second turbine receives the first fluid flow from the first turbine and a second fluid flow. An interface member is mounted between the first and second turbines. The interface member includes a main body portion having an inner surface, an inlet portion and an outlet portion that combine to form a fluid flow path that extends between the first and second turbines. The interface member further includes an input member having an input passage that leads the second fluid into the fluid flow path. The interface member also includes a baffle plate that extends toward the fluid flow path. The baffle plate establishes a flow gap between the input passage and the inlet and outlet portions.
US08152431B2
The present invention relates generally to a stocking system and its operating method. The stocking system comprises a shelf assembly, a first crane, and a second crane. The shelf assembly stores a plurality of cassettes. The first crane is installed at one side of the shelf assembly and loads/unloads the cassettes to/from the shelf assembly. The second crane is installed at the other side of the shelf assembly and loads/unloads the cassettes to/from the shelf assembly.
US08152427B2
A fastening mechanism including a shaft, wherein the shaft is effectively threaded; the shaft includes a threaded non-deformable material interspersed with at least one portion of a threaded deformable material.
US08152425B2
A pair of pipe bunks are utilized on in combination with a flatbed truck, deck of a work boat, or other conveyance means for securing loads of long, heavy, structural members during transportation. The pipe bunks have particular utility for oilfield tubulars. Each pipe bunk comprises a horizontal base member which is attached cross-wise to the flatbed of the truck, or deck of the workboat. A horizontal beam is attached to the horizontal base member and a vertical member is affixed to each opposing outside end of the horizontal beam. Adjustable slide members are slidingly attached to the horizontal base member, where each adjustable slide member has a vertical member which is disposed in offset facing relation with a respective outside vertical member. The slide members are attached to the horizontal base member with guide members. The slide members are adjustable with respect to the distance of each from the respective outside vertical member to accommodate the width of the desired load. The slide members are locked into position to secure the relative position of the slide members with the respective outside vertical members.
US08152424B2
A vehicle wheel chock for a vehicle restraint system for an auto-rack railroad car which secures a vehicle in the auto-rack railroad car. The vehicle wheel chock is configured to be positioned on a grating adjacent to a tire of the vehicle.
US08152422B2
A control method for a tool machine is provided. The machine tool includes adjustment devices which are used to produce relative displacement between a machining head and a work piece. The adjustment movements are detected by sensors associated with the adjustment devices. A value for the relative displacement from the machining head to the work piece is determined from the signals of the sensors associated with the adjustment devices. The adjustment devices are controlled according to the value of relative displacement in order to produce predetermined adjustment movements. State variables which describe relative displacement between the machining head and work pieces are detected in at least one additional sensor. The state variables are taken into account when the value for the relative displacement is determined.
US08152421B2
An apparatus for drilling a workpiece has a shaft portion including a holder to hold a drilling tool rotating around a first axis. A reduction gear is connected to the shaft portion. A cylindrical member, including an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, rotatably contains the shaft portion at an eccentric position. The cylindrical member is connected to the output shaft of the reduction gear and rotated around a second axis parallel to the first axis. A slide containing cylinder contains the shaft portion, the reduction gear and the cylindrical member. The slide containing cylinder has a sliding structure for axially moving the shaft portion, the reduction gear and the cylindrical member. A drilling tool is simultaneously rotated around the first axis, revolved around the second axis and is axially moved.
US08152414B2
A device and method for the reduction of vortex-induced vibration of a deepwater riser. A device for attachment to a structure, which is subject to movement relative to a fluid surrounding the structure, for reducing vortex-induced vibration effects on the structure, the device comprising: a flexible netting (4) interconnecting a plurality of relatively inflexible members comprising a plurality of elongate members (3) and a plurality of spacer members (6), wherein each elongate member has a first cuter boundary and each spacer member has a second outer boundary wherein the second boundary extends radially outward of the first outer boundary relative to the netting, over at least: a substantial portion of the boundary.
US08152413B2
An improved buoyancy compensation device having a lesser change in buoyancy with depth than conventional buoyancy compensation devices which use ambient pressure bladders is disclosed. The improved device comprises one or more elastic members that, throughout the working range of diving pressures and volumes, is always elastic and, when pressurized, maintains an internal air pressure that is always greater than the ambient pressure at any dive depth. The invention also relates to a method of providing a buoyancy compensation device with an elastic member having a lift versus depth characteristic that approaches the lift versus depth characteristic of a constant or fixed volume buoyancy compensation device.
US08152408B1
Barrier elements provide security from terrorist threats by ability to withstand both vehicle collisions and explosive blasts. Each barrier element is prefabricated to include a massive block of durable material, preferably of high strength concrete, with at least one tunnel extending at least partially between respective cavities in two opposite sides of the block. Each barrier element also includes at least one beam that is preferably made of steel and extends through one such tunnel. Multiple blocks are positionable slidably on top of the ground side-against-side with their beams coupled longitudinally to one another at least approximately end-to-end. Retainer means can be used to block coupling means from entry into the tunnels. Forces from a vehicle collision or an explosive blast can cause barrier elements to rotate relative to one-another when the couplings between beams hinge or bend as the durable material that interferes with the rotation breaks away.
US08152401B2
A surgical skin marker has a handle body and a removably attached marking tip that is provided in a protective sterilized bag. After a single use, the marking tip can be removed and discarded. A new marking tip can be attached for a subsequent surgical procedure or treatment. Such a marker can help maintain a sterile surgical environment while minimizing waste and costs.
US08152392B2
A tag label device includes a cartridge, a cartridge holder portion, and an antenna. The cartridge has a first roll around which a cover tape is wound and is detachably mounted in the cartridge holder portion. The cover tape has a plurality of RFID circuit elements To for transmitting and receiving information disposed thereon. Each of the RFID circuit elements To has an IC circuit part for storing information and an antenna connected to said IC circuit part. The antenna is disposed in the vicinity in a surface intersecting a tape surface of a path of the cover tape fed out from the first roll and transmits created RFID tag communicating information to the antenna by wireless communication and writes it to said IC circuit part. With this arrangement, the tag label device can arrange a tag medium as the cartridge without restricting the mounting/dismounting property of the cartridge and the layout of the cartridge holder portion.
US08152386B2
A fiber optic assembly comprising an adapter assembly defining an internal cavity, a first end for a receiving a first fiber optic connector, and a second end for receiving a second fiber optic connector, wherein the first and the second fiber optic connectors are dissimilar. A fiber optic connection comprising a first fiber optic connector comprising a connector housing, a first multi-fiber ferrule, and a clearance about an end face of the first multi-fiber ferrule for clearing a ferrule surround during connector mating, and a second connector that is a FOCIS 5 compliant MTP connector.
US08152385B2
Duplex fiber optic connectors and fiber optic cable assemblies suitable for polarity reversal along with methods of polarity reversal are disclosed. The duplex fiber optic connector assemblies and fiber optic cable assemblies allow rotation of individual fiber optic connectors within the housing assembly for polarity reversal. In one embodiment, the duplex fiber optic cable assembly may use a single boot and a single fiber optic cable, thereby reducing the backside footprint of the cable assembly for improved access and/or airflow. In another embodiment, the housing of the duplex assembly has integral detents to limit rotation, and may further include a removable trigger mechanism and/or a rotatable boot to facilitate polarity reversal.
US08152383B2
In a tapered roller bearing, the roller coefficient γ is greater than 0.94. At least one member of an inner ring, an outer ring, and the tapered rollers includes a nitrogen-rich layer, and the grain size number of austenite crystal grains in the nitrogen-rich layer is greater than 10. A cage of the tapered roller bearing includes a small annular portion continuous on a small end face side of the tapered rollers, a large annular portion continuous on a large end face side of the tapered rollers, and a plurality of bars that connect the small and large annular portions. The cage has trapezoidal pockets between adjacent ones of the bars. Each of the bars has cut-away portions on the narrow side of the pockets.
US08152381B2
A rolling bearing which has a sealing arrangement and a sensor component, particularly an encoder, which is fitted with a mounting flange. The rolling bearing further has an inner ring and an outer ring between which rolling members are arranged. The sealing arrangement is equipped with at least one sealing element between the inner ring and the outer ring. In order to provide a rolling bearing which can easily be retrofitted with a retrofit sensor, particularly a retrofit encoder, and is well protected against environmental influence, the sensor component that is fitted with the mounting flange is designed as a retrofit part, while at least one water discharge port is disposed in the region of the mounting flange.
US08152380B2
A sleeve bearing assembly and method of construction therefor includes a woven inner portion bonded to an injection molded elastic outer portion. The inner portion includes a first yarn of lubricious yarn material and a second yarn of material that is different than the first yarn. The first yarn substantially provides an inner bearing surface and the second yarn substantially provides an outer surface that is bonded to the outer portion. The first and second yarns are woven together so that the first yarn is woven in one of a weft direction corresponding to a circumferential direction of the journal bearing surface or a warp direction corresponding to an axial direction of the journal bearing surface to substantially provide the bearing surface and the second yarn is woven in a direction different than the first yarn to substantially provide the outer surface bonded to the outer portion.
US08152374B2
The invention pertains to a protective cover for a backpack, the cover preventing unauthorized access to the backpack and its contents. Apertures and slots are formed in the protective cover to allow the straps on the backpack to pass through the cover, so that the protective cover and backpack can be retained on the shoulders of the user. A single, elongated zipper on the protective cover provides access to the interior thereof, and the end point of the zipper is hidden from view when resting upon the back of the user.
US08152370B2
An optical fiber temperature sensor comprising: an optical pulse generator; an optical fiber into which said optical pulses are fed; an optical receiver to receive said optical pulses reflected by said optical fiber and to convert them into an electrical signal; a processor which receives said electrical signal and determines the temperature along said optical fiber; said optical receiver comprising a first filter and a second filter to filter said optical pulse reflected by said optical fiber, characterized in that said first and said second filters filter two adjacent portions of anti-Stokes optical signals or of Stokes optical signals.
US08152365B2
A method and system are disclosed for determining at least one optical characteristic of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. Once the optical characteristic is determined, at least one parameter in a processing chamber may be controlled for improving the process. For example, in one embodiment, the reflectivity of one surface of the substrate may first be determined at or near ambient temperature. From this information, the reflectance and/or emittance of the wafer during high temperature processing may be accurately estimated. The emittance can be used to correct temperature measurements using a pyrometer during wafer processing. In addition to making more accurate temperature measurements, the optical characteristics of the substrate can also be used to better optimize the heating cycle.
US08152364B2
A film is inserted between two rigid substrates which form a sample. The sample is fixed at a first end in a device for measuring creep. The device comprises means for applying a predetermined force on a free end of the sample. The film being sheared, study of its creep can be performed.
US08152356B2
A spray blended emulsifier comprises: a blending kettle, a feeding tank, a sprayer, a residuum pump, a thermal resistance probe, a tee valve and discharge tube; the charge pipe underneath said feeding tank is mounted on the upper cover of the blending kettle, and extended into the blending kettle. The sprayer contains a spraying channel and a guide plate; the spraying channel contains a nozzle inlet, a turbulent path, a blending chamber and a nozzle outlet connected in series; the nozzle inlet is of a funnel pattern. The spray blended emulsifier is structurally characterized by that, spraying channel and guide plate are mounted into the sprayer, a turbulent path is placed in the spraying channel, and the liquid flow has a Reynolds number larger than 3000.
US08152354B2
A light source unit includes; a first base layer, a plurality of conductive pads disposed on the first base layer, a second base layer disposed on the first base layer and including a plurality of openings therein exposing the plurality of conductive pads, a wiring portion disposed on the second base layer, and a plurality of light source elements disposed on the plurality of conductive pads exposed by the plurality of openings in the second base layer.
US08152353B2
A surface emission apparatus includes a first light source for emitting invisible light rays; a second light source for emitting visible light rays; a light guide having a light entrance surface for entering therethrough into the light guide the invisible light rays emitted from the first light source and the visible light rays emitted from the second light source, and a light exit surface for emitting the invisible light rays and the visible light rays therethrough out of the light guide; and a plurality of optical devices disposed on a surface of the light guide which confronts the light exit surface, for scattering more of the invisible light rays than the visible light rays.
US08152347B2
The invention herein comprises a linear lighting system which incorporates light emitting diode (LED) light sources with one or more distinct colors including broad band white light. The LED die or die arrays are mounted to a high thermal conductivity circuit board comprising COB technology which can include both the LED die and electronic drive components resulting in a more compact and reliable design with improved thermal and optical performance at lower cost. In conjunction with high efficiency imaging collection optics and aberration corrected cylindrical optics, the output of the LED sources are imaged to a bright line suitable for use in machine vision applications and the like.
US08152334B2
A lighting device having a support module comprising a disk for supporting LEDs and having an outer perimeter with a curved portion and a housing with an inner surface having a curved portion configured to receive the curved portion of the support module disk so that the disk can be aimed by external adjustment devices with the curved portions of the disk and housing remaining in contact. The external adjustment device facilitates aiming of the disk without the need to open the sealed LED module. Heat from the LEDs and/or LED mounting assembly can be transferred via the contact of the curved surfaces to the outside air while the module is tilted, e.g., up to 15 degrees, or more, from vertical.
US08152319B2
A backlight module and a liquid crystal display are disclosed. In the backlight module having a reflector base, a phosphor layer is disposed on the reflector base, and a plurality of blue light emitting diode (LEDs) are disposed above the reflector base and the phosphor layer for emitting a first light beam. An optical film is disposed above the reflector base, the phosphor layer and the blue LEDs for allowing P-polarized light of the first light beam to pass therethrough and reflecting S-polarized light of the first light beam to the phosphor layer so as to excite the phosphor layer to generate a second light beam of which the wavelengths are different from those of the first light beam. After being reflected to the optical film by the reflector base, the second light beam transmits through the optical film, and mixes with the first light beam to generate white light.
US08152314B2
A display device (100) of the present invention has a first switch (3) and a second switch (4) on an upper surface of its casing, and includes a control circuit (18) for controlling the first switch (3) and the second switch (4) and a light source (19) inside the casing. The control circuit (18) performs control so that the light source (19) is turned on when the second switch (4) is pressed after a predetermined period of time has passed from when the first switch (3) was pressed. Thereby, the display device (100) of the present invention prevents entering of a person into a projection area before projection of video, and controls inadvertent start-up.
US08152308B2
A mobile terminal having a projector and a method for controlling a display unit in of the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes outputting, if a presentation application is selected, a screen image for performing the selected presentation application through the display unit and the projector, turning off power supplied to an entire area of the display unit, and performing, if a touch is detected through the touch screen, a function according to the detected touch in the selected presentation application.
US08152300B2
An ophthalmic lens with premium vision corrections provides significantly improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. The premium vision corrections include precisely correcting for two aberration mode sets simultaneously, second-order astigmatism and fourth-order spherical aberration, instead of correcting for only second-order astigmatism or simultaneously correcting for all aberrations present. Fourth-order astigmatism, sixth-order spherical aberration, and third-order coma are additionally corrected in other premium vision correction schemes. In addition, methods are provided for prescribing and fabricating the premium vision lenses to permit mass customization.
US08152298B2
A device for enhancing support of eyeglasses on the head of a person. The device is in the form of an independent support member or an adjustable strap having a support member to enhance support of eyeglasses. The strap may include a cushion to provide comfort. The support member includes a hook for supporting the eyeglasses. The device is useful for supporting eyeglasses from the bridge of the nose of a person who has undergone rhinoplasty surgery or for supporting heavy equipment associated with eyeglasses used for surgical applications. The independent support member is easily attached to a head-engaging device and eyeglasses to enhance support of the eyeglasses.
US08152297B2
The present invention relates generally to safety eyewear and more particularly to a safety eyewear that includes a coloration or tinting of an outer peripheral edge of the lens for indicating a performance characteristic of the safety eyewear or the lens and selected absorption of visible wavelengths of light. In one embodiment, the eyewear includes a VLT rated lens having a light visible tint or slight mist tint to provide ornamental coloration of the outer peripheral lens edge. The lens has a roughened or textured cut along an outer peripheral edge of the lens to diffract light. The outer peripheral lens edge is color coded according to a performance characteristic of the lens or the eyewear. In operation, the ornamental color of the outer peripheral edge of the lens is activated upon the diffraction of light along the roughed or texture outer peripheral edge of the lens while still meeting industry VLT requirements for a substantially clear lens.
US08152296B2
Mechanism for producing vacuum pressure and air flow for drawing recording paper of various widths to the platen surface of a printer enables such pressure and air flow to be held in a suitable range without adjusting the suction. A first suction area with the same width as the minimum width of the recording paper is disposed width-wise in the middle of the platen surface that opposes the inkjet head of the printer, and second suction areas are disposed on the left and right sides of the first suction area. The first suction area is divided into a grid by intersecting ribs to form first chambers, each having a first suction hole formed in a bottom thereof that communicates with a vacuum channel. The second suction areas are also segmented to form second chambers. Second suction holes are selectively formed in some, but not all, of the second chambers and are appropriately spaced from the first suction holes. The front edge of the first suction area is offset slightly from the front edge of the second suction areas.
US08152292B2
Ink absorbing particle to absorb an ink includes a polymer. The ink absorbing particles in a TMA needle penetration have a minimum temperature Ts10b of from about 80° C. to about 150° C. at which a needle enters to a depth of 10 μm, a minimum temperature Ts100w of about 40° C. or lower at which a needle enters to a depth of 100 μm when an equivalent amount of water is absorbed, and a minimum temperature Ts400w of about 50° C. or higher at which a needle enters to a depth of 400 μm when an equivalent amount of water is absorbed.
US08152287B2
An ink cartridge assembly includes an ink cartridge including a body defining an ink chamber therein, and a sealing member. The body has an opening formed therethrough, and an interior of the ink chamber is configured to be in fluid communication with an exterior of the ink chamber via the opening. The sealing member is configured to close the opening. The ink cartridge assembly also includes a cover member including a first portion configured to engage the body, and a second portion. The cover member is configured to cover the opening when the first portion engages the body. When the second portion moves the second portion is configured to apply a force to the sealing member to move the sealing member away from the opening to facilitate fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the ink chamber, and to disengage the first portion from the body.
US08152277B2
The printing head has connection terminals for performing an electrical connection of signals including drive signals of print elements by contacting connection terminals in on an apparatus side when the head is mounted onto an ink jet printing apparatus. Connections of all terminals can be guaranteed by detecting contacts of a part of terminals. Among the terminals in the head, terminals whose distances from the connection terminals in the printing apparatus become maximum when a deviation occurred in the mounting are used as terminals for contact detection. For example, from among the connection terminals arranged in a planar area, which is rectangular-shaped, terminals positioned in corners are used as the terminals for the contact detection. When the contacts of these terminals are detected, the connections of all the terminals inside the area can be guaranteed.
US08152274B2
An image forming apparatus that provides an easy installation and separation of a print head thereto and therefrom. The image forming apparatus can include a body, a print head including a nozzle part having a length at least a width as wide as a printable printing medium, a head mount provided at the body to mount the print head, at least one first connector provided at the head mount, and at least one second connector provided at the print head to correspond to the at least one first connector. The first connector and second connector are connected with each other as the print head is mounted to the head mount.
US08152262B2
A method and apparatus for subdividing and printing regions of a substrate with multiple print heads or multiple print head assemblies which substantially decreases printing time is described. The method includes a feathering method which reduces overlap artifacts which is useful in any printing situation where adjacent regions are printed that could be misaligned, offset, or have slightly different colors.
US08152261B2
In a serial inkjet printing apparatus mounting a plurality of kinds of inks which have different properties and are arranged in parallel, high-speed bidirectional printing is realized without causing an influence of fixing period to prolong output time more than necessary. In order to realize the high-speed bidirectional printing, an order of executing forward print scanning and backward print scanning is controlled so as to further reduce a sum of time required to form an image and time required to wait for the formed image to be fixed. Thus, also in the bidirectional printing, between a forward direction and a backward direction, print scanning in a direction having shorter fixing period is set prior to that in the other direction. Consequently, total time required for image output can be further reduced.
US08152259B2
An image forming apparatus comprises a body, an engine part provided in the body and including a recording head that ejects droplets of a recording liquid, the engine part recording an image on a recording medium by the recording head while feeding the recording medium in a main scanning direction, a medium discharging part provided in the body at a side of the engine part, the medium discharging part feeding the recording medium to a medium take-up part after recording of the image with the engine, and a cartridge loading part that holds a cartridge of the recording liquid in a detachable manner, the cartridge loading part being provided in the body of the image forming apparatus and feeding the recording liquid to the recording head of the engine part, wherein the cartridge loading part is provided underneath the medium discharging part.
US08152256B2
A storage device for a refrigerator includes a storage box defining a storage chamber storing food therein and installed removably in a storage space, an opening/closing unit for opening/closing partly or fully the storage chamber, and a guide unit for guiding the opening/closing of the storage chamber by the opening/closing unit. An apparatus/method is provided.
US08152255B2
A refrigerator having an improved receiving box in contact with a cover. The refrigerator includes a first receiving box, and a cover installed to come into contact with the first receiving box and adapted to be pivotally rotated as the first receiving box is pulled out or pushed in. The first receiving box includes a sidewall having a downwardly-inclined slope with respect to a front of the first receiving box. The cover is pivotally rotated downward by movement of the cover on the downwardly-inclined slope when the first receiving box is pulled out and is pivotally rotated upward when the first receiving box is pushed in. With this configuration, the refrigerator has the effect of allowing a user to easily move food stored in a plurality of receiving spaces from one receiving space to another.
US08152254B2
A connection structure, for a refrigerator having a drawer door, of an anti-wobbling means which prevents the shaking phenomenon of a door is provided. There are advantages in that structural elements constituting the anti-wobbling means are easily connected to each other, and that a detachment between the structural elements is not occurred.
US08152253B2
An anti-falling apparatus for a cabinet includes a receiving member capable of being mounted to the cabinet. An extending arm is slidably received in the receiving member. The extending arm includes a first end a second end, and is capable of moving from a first position to a second position. A supporting sub-assembly is attached to the first end of the extending arm. A first distance from the first end to a top of the receiving member is greater than that a second distance from the second end to the top of the receiving member.
US08152236B1
A restraining apparatus for a child consists of a frame with a back; the back of the frame has parallel back rods which can be adjusted lengthwise and a bottom foldably attached to the back by lockable hinges. The back and the bottom each have a foundation rod further comprising a stop. The apparatus also has a cover for the frame. The cover has an upper portion containing a plurality of slots, and a plurality of straps which fit removably through the slots to adjust to the height of the child to be restrained.
US08152231B2
Collapsible seats may be installed on a track or rail system to allow the collapsible seats to move laterally within a vehicle's interior. The track system also may permit removal of the collapsible seats from the vehicle. The collapsible seats may include a seat back with multiple sections joined by flexible hinges that permit folding of the seat pan and seat back in a lateral direction. In certain embodiments, the seat pan or the headrest also may include multiple sections joined by flexible hinges. The flexible hinges may allow the seats to collapse laterally to reduce the width of the seats. The available space for seating or cargo storage may be adjusted by selectively collapsing, expanding, and removing the collapsible seats.
US08152229B2
A sunroof apparatus for opening or closing an opening formed on a fixed roof of an automobile includes: a movable front panel and a movable rear panel both provided in the fixed roof; a panel frame made of engineering plastic and attached around one of the panels; a hollow elastic weatherstrip attached around the panel frame attached around the one of the panels; a panel frame made of the engineering plastic and attached on a periphery end section of other one of the panels, the other one of the panels having a butt end section and the periphery end section; and a hollow elastic weatherstrip attached to the panel frame attached to the other one of the panels, wherein the opening is closed when the weatherstrip of the one of the panels and the butt end section of the other one of the panels butt against each other. This structure can enhance efficiency in molding weatherstrips since the weatherstrip attached around the two panels are in a hollow structure.
US08152226B2
A cab for a construction machine, a construction machine, and a motor grader are described. The construction machine and the motor grader each have the cab mounted thereon. The cab includes a floor and a roof, each having a respective front side having corresponding left and right ends, which are diagonally cut forward. A front window is provided on a front surface of the cab is formed in a trapezoidal shape. Upper and lower window frames are disposed along both the left and right ends of the floor and the roof. Frames are also disposed on front sides of side window frames along both left and right side window frames of the front window. When mounted on a construction machine or motor grader used for road surface and ground operations, the cab increases visibility of the area to be operated upon, specifically, visibility in the forward view.
US08152221B2
Vehicle slide door structure includes a lower slide rail (42) provided on a slide door (21), and a link mechanism (81) provided between a vehicle body (11) and the slide rail (42). The link mechanism (81) is pivotably connected at one end portion to the vehicle body (11) and pivotably and slidably connected at the other end portion to the slide rail (42). The link mechanism (81) includes a plurality of linkages or link members (84, 85) and connection sections (96, 98, 101) where the linkages or link members are pivotably connected with each other between the one end portion and the other end portion of the link mechanism.
US08152217B2
A roof operating device includes a roof member operated so as to be extended from and stored in vehicle body, a lid operated to be opened and closed when the roof member is operated, an operation switch, actuators driving the roof member and the lid, a first and second closer mechanisms provided at first and second portions and operated for moving the lid so as to be in a fully closed state, and each of the first and second closer mechanisms including a striker, a latch and a half latched state detection portion for detecting a half latched state between the latch and the striker, wherein after the half latched state detection portions detect the half latched state, and the operation switch is continuously operated, the first and second closer mechanisms are synchronously operated in order to move the lid so as to be in a fully closed state.
US08152208B2
A panel lock includes a stationary support base adapted to mount to a frame of an article near a panel mounted on the article. The panel lock also includes a panel-movement blocker mounted to the stationary support base to block selectively movement of the panel from a closed position to an opened position at the option of a user.
US08152204B2
A fluid connector assembly comprising (a) a connector body having an inner concave seat having a portion defining a frustoconical surface; (b) an elongate tube having a flared end; and (c) a nut; wherein the connector body is adapted to receive the elongate tube and the nut to form a substantially rigid connection, and wherein the flared end of the tube and the frustoconical surface of the seat are engaged so as to form a fluid seal between the body and the tube; and wherein the flared end has a portion defining an abutment surface having a borderline region in abutment with the frustoconical surface of the inner seat of the body; and wherein the abutment surface of the flared end is a spherical surface.
US08152194B1
An object of this invention is to provide a way for a person to lock and secure the hitch of an unhitched utility trailer. Another object of this invention is to allow a person to keep an unhitched utility trailer from being stolen when the utility trailer is not hooked to a truck hitch.
US08152193B2
A method of securing a watercraft to a watercraft trailer is disclosed. The method includes driving the watercraft in a watercraft receiving portion of the trailer, moving a lever towards a front of the trailer in response to a hull of the watercraft coming into contact with the lever, and retaining a pin connected to the hull of the watercraft in response to the lever moving towards the front of the trailer. A method of releasing a watercraft from a watercraft trailer is also disclosed.
US08152190B2
A stem connecting the handlebars and steerable fork of a cycle has one tube attached to the handlebars and another tube attached to the steerable fork with the tubes capable of being rotated and locked with respect to one another. This arrangement allows for various configurations of the handlebars and fork including the typical riding configuration as well as an alternate configuration where the handlebars are folded with respect to the fork. Change in configuration is accomplished without tools by way of a biased locking arrangement for the tubes.
US08152188B2
A motion control system for lever propulsion of a wheelchair enables a number of different manipulations at the hand grip of the lever. In some embodiments, as many as five user-controlled operations may be performed without need to remove a hand from the hand grip. A user applies force to the hand grip to initiate the motion lever in its forward and rearward strokes. In addition, the hand grip may be pivoted relative to the lever in order to control a brake. A parking brake mechanism may be provided at the hand grip to apply constant brake force. The direction shifter at the top of the hand grip may be used to shift between forward, neutral and rearward modes of operation. In some embodiments, steering of a front caster wheel is possible by rotating the hand grip. Further along the lever, the power applied per lever stroke is adjustable.
US08152185B2
A wheel is described in which the axle carrier is pivoted to a forked McPherson strut support, which in turn is joined with a McPherson strut on the one hand and a control arm on the other, wherein a dual bearing is present between the control arm and the forked McPherson strut support. The advantage to this is that the two bearings of the dual bearing can vary in stiffness, so that the resultant degree of freedom makes it possible to more exactly influence steering behavior, thereby enabling an improvement in the overall steering behavior of the vehicle. Even given an unchanged bearing bush stiffness by comparison to prior art, the greater distance between the bearing bushes and steering axis reduces the angle by which the forked McPherson strut supports can turn in the event of lateral forces.
US08152180B2
A hand cart includes an upright frame and a metal toe plate with a peripheral edge. The toe plate is slightly canted toward the ground when the cart is in a free-standing upright orientation. An extension unit slides onto the toe plate. The extension unit is canted slightly toward the ground when the cart is in a free-standing upright orientation. The extension unit include a plate and a strap. The plate is on top of the toe plate. The strap extends from the plate and down and beneath the toe plate. A fastener extends laterally from the toe plate and through the extension unit. The fastener secures the extension unit on the toe plates, generates a tensile force acting to displace the extension unit away from the peripheral edge of the toe plate, and generates compressive force which presses the extension unit against the toe plate.
