US08234175B2
Device, system, and method of collaborative distribution of digital merchandise. For example, an apparatus for collaborative distribution of Digital Merchandise Items (DMIs) includes: a first computing device having an agent module to receive a command of a first user to purchase a DMI from a second user, to provide information to process a first electronic payment from the first user to the second user, to receive the DMI from a second computing device of the second user, to receive a confirmation that a second electronic payment was made from a third user to the first user, to transfer a copy of the DMI from the first computing device to a third computing device of the third user, to calculate a first portion of the second electronic payment to be maintained by the first user, to calculate a second portion of the second electronic payment to be transferred to the second user, and to provide information to process an electronic payment of the second portion from the first user to the second user.
US08234165B2
The current invention allows the distribution of content material to and from digital tuner. The advertising medium also provides royalty to the content material owners for the users “use” of content.
US08234162B2
In particular, systems and methods are provided for delivering a discount using a virtual currency. Inventive systems and methods offer a high perceived savings value to an end-user while maintaining the perception of product value. Further, systems and methods for providing a discount are described which impose little or no cost on the service or product provider. An embodiment of an inventive method includes presenting a display of a price paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency along with a display of an amount payable by the end-user in actual currency in combination with an amount payable in virtual currency by an end-user of an inventive system. The end-user perceives a benefit to using the virtual currency since the price paid in actual currency is less than the displayed price to be paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency.
US08234154B2
Techniques for pharmaceutical market segmentation can include measuring the influence of a plurality of predictors on market share for a pharmaceutical product, assigning districts to a plurality of incidence classes for the pharmaceutical product, and assigning districts to a plurality of segments based on the influence measurements and the incidence class assignments.
US08234149B2
A production and inventory control for a manufacturing facility is provided that facilitates and coordinates improved planning and execution of such facility in a supply chain with a focus on providing an improved and robust planning, production and inventory control, even in the presence of uncertainty. This may include Optimal Planning that can balance the need for low inventory, low cost (i.e., high utilization of equipment and labor), and efficient on-time delivery. The result of such planning is not a schedule per se but a set of parameters that form a dynamic policy that generates an evolving schedule as conditions (demand, production) materialize. An Optimal Execution applies the dynamic policy resulting in a manufacturing system that is robust enough to accommodate moderate changes in demand and/or capacity without the need to reschedule. Optimal Execution may also involve a “Capacity Trigger” that detects when the assumptions regarding demand and capacity used to determine the dynamic policy are no longer valid. The Capacity Trigger also may provide a Trigger Signal to the planner indicating the need for either more or less capacity.
US08234146B2
The invention describes a method and system for conducting online marketing research keeping in consideration the specified budget for the experiment. The invention describes a methodology for effective data collection and optimised utilization of budget through the use of efficient sampling and grouping of users.
US08234132B2
The present invention provides methods and systems for providing longevity insurance by obtaining information useful for issuing a longevity insurance contract for an individual, and determining a premium or an income payment for the individual that are computed based at least in part on an individual's age at a predetermined date that income payments are deferred to. The longevity insurance contract generally provides deferred income payments for a period of time, such as for the life of the individual, beginning at a predetermined date that is after an individual's anticipated retirement, or at a predetermined date that is after the individual's life expectancy, or on or after a specified birthday of the individual.
US08234130B2
A medical guide service for a doctor, a patient, a general user, and a medical institution. The medical guide system may include a unit that creates medical record data and a unit that extracts the medical record data for each patient. The unit that extracts the medical record data uses examination data before a predetermined dividing point in a chronological order as before-dividing-point data and treatment data after the predetermined dividing point in the chronological order as after-dividing-point data. A unit extracts a treatment pattern from the after-dividing-point data. Another unit derives a rule that associates the examination results with the treatment pattern from the treatment pattern and the before-dividing-point data.
US08234123B2
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: identifying one or more relevant reported aspects associated with one or more source users that are relevant to achieving one or more target outcomes, the identifying of the one or more relevant reported aspects being based, at least in part, on the one or more relevant reported aspects' relevancy with respect to the one or more target outcomes; and developing one or more personalized plans designed to facilitate an end user to achieve the one or more target outcomes when one or more emulatable aspects indicated by the one or more personalized plans are emulated, the development of the one or more personalized plans being based, at least in part, on the identifying. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08234122B2
An audio decoding method and apparatus and an audio encoding method and apparatus which can efficiently process object-based audio signals are provided. The audio decoding method includes receiving a downmix signal, which is obtained by downmixing a plurality of object signals, and object side information, extracting metadata from the object-side information and displaying an information regarding the object signals based on the metadata.
US08234116B2
Measurement of Kullback-Leibler Divergence (KLD) between hidden Markov models (HMM) of acoustic units utilizes an unscented transform to approximate KLD between Gaussian mixtures. Dynamic programming equalizes the number of states between HMMs having a different number of states, while the total KLD of the HMMs is obtained by summing individual KLDs calculated by state pair by state pair comparisons.
US08234110B2
A method, system and computer program product for voice conversion. The method includes performing speech analysis on the speech of a source speaker to achieve speech information; performing spectral conversion based on said speech information, to at least achieve a first spectrum similar to the speech of a target speaker; performing unit selection on the speech of said target speaker at least using said first spectrum as a target; replacing at least part of said first spectrum with the spectrum of the selected target speaker's speech unit; and performing speech reconstruction at least based on the replaced spectrum.
US08234107B2
Disclosed herein is a method of grouping similar supplier names together in a database. The syntactical errors in the supplier names are corrected. The supplier names are grouped after correcting the syntactical errors. The abbreviations in the supplier names are captured. The ordering, pronunciation and stemming errors in the supplier names are corrected. A matching algorithm that matches and compares two supplier names is applied that comprises the steps of grouping supplier names based on first set of characters in the supplier names and calculating a matching score between the two supplier using Levenshtein distance between the two supplier names, along with the supplier names' sound codes obtained from a modified metaphone algorithm, length of each word, position of matching and mismatching characters, and stem of words in the supplier names. The matching scores are compared with set thresholds in order to further group the supplier names into clusters.
US08234101B1
A system for designing a circuit, which includes a module, uses a computer. A user may program or adapt the computer to perform computer-aided design functions. The computer obtains a description of the module from the user. The computer parses the description of the module to identify a port of the module, and to obtain information about the port. The computer presents to the user the information that it has obtained about the port.
US08234100B2
A method of simulating an information technology (IT) system to produce parametric data includes translating specifications of the IT system from a first modeling language to a second modeling language; incorporating component constraints into the translated specifications; simulating operation of the IT system based on the translated specifications and the component constraints; and generating a report of parametric data based on the simulation.
US08234074B2
A coarse grain model that mimics a lipid molecule, such as dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), is used to simulate self-assembly of a lamellar bilayer starting from a disordered configuration. The coarse grain model is orders of magnitude less demanding of CPU time compared to all-atom models. An initial bilayer-like structure is generated from a disordered configuration of the coarse grain models using a Monte Carlo simulation. The initial bilayer-like structure is refined using a molecular dynamics simulation. For relatively small systems, the molecular dynamics simulation can be performed under constant volume or constant pressure conditions. For larger systems, the molecular dynamics simulation is preferably performed under constant pressure conditions.
US08234072B2
Methods for determining the locations/heights of fractures in a subterranean formation use a post-fracture log obtained with a compensated neutron or pulsed neutron logging tool. Utilizing predetermined relationships between tool count rates and associated near/far count rate ratios, the methods detect the presence of proppant containing high thermal neutron capture cross-section material, substantially eliminating proppant determination uncertainty resulting from changes in formation hydrogen index. In an interval of a well with given borehole and formation conditions, and not containing proppant, a relationship is developed between detector count rate and near/far ratio. This relationship is used to compute count rate from the ratio in intervals of the well possibly containing proppant and which have similar formation and borehole conditions. The count rate computed from the ratio is compared with the observed detector count rate, with proppant indicated from suppression in observed count rate relative to count rate computed from the ratio.
US08234070B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention sets forth an apparatus for registering a scoring event. The apparatus includes a target having a surface; a sensor, positioned in proximity to the target, adapted to detect the occurrence of a scoring event caused by the presence of a projectile in the scoring area and to determine a trajectory of the projectile; a time tracking device adapted to keep track of time of the scoring event; a location sensing device adapted to identify a location of the apparatus; a true north detection device adapted to detect the direction of true north with respect to the surface of the target; and a controller, coupled to the sensor and the true north detection device.
US08234064B2
It is possible to display a lane guide map that takes into consideration connections between each of the lanes (m1 to m8) and reduction in the visibility of the lane guide map is prevented. The invention includes a current position detecting unit; a lane list setting processing means that produces a lane list (LsI 1) that takes into consideration connections between each of the lanes for lane groups (LkI 1 to LkI 3) in road links that are present in a lane list display section; a rendering range determination processing means that determines whether or not the number of lanes in the lane list (LsI 1) is larger than the number of lanes that has been set in a display unit (35); and a display range adjustment processing means that selects predetermined lanes in the lane list (LsI 1) and displays only the selected lanes. Lanes that have a low display necessity can be removed.
US08234063B2
A method of operation of a navigation system with location profiling includes: calculating a routing region based on a current location for locating a device; calculating a familiarity level in the routing region; generating a routing overlay based on the familiarity level below a familiarity threshold with the routing overlay to compensate for a driver unfamiliarity in the routing region; and generating a compensation route based on the routing overlay for displaying on the device.
US08234058B1
A present novel and non-trivial system, module, and method for generating final approach, missed approach, and departure data for use in an avionics system. A processor receives navigation data and object data, where object data includes terrain data and/or obstacle data. A flight path is defined, an obstacle clearance surface is constructed and examined for object penetration, and procedure data is generated and provided to at least one avionics system. For approach procedures, a decision altitude data is determined from which the procedure data is generated. A penetrated obstacle clearance surface is allowable if a remedy exists to address the penetration. Remedies may include the use of minimum obstacle clearance criteria, an iterative process, a path construction function, an existing departure procedure, and the use of input factors to determine a real-time estimated climb performance which could affect the climb gradient of a missed approach path.
US08234057B2
An inter-vehicle communication apparatus mounted to a subject vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes: reception section receiving information about a peripheral vehicle from the peripheral vehicle; a detection section configured to identify the peripheral vehicle that satisfies a predetermined condition as a same directing peripheral vehicle based on the information about the peripheral vehicle; a determination section configured to determine whether the subject vehicle is one of a lead vehicle and a tail vehicle in a group of vehicles including the subject vehicle and the same directing peripheral vehicle; and a transmission control section configured to control the transmission section based on the determination by the determination section.
US08234056B2
A rating is calculated that represents the traffic conditions of a specified driving route. A driving route is specified that includes a plurality of different roads. The traffic conditions for each of the different roads of the driving route are obtained. A rating is then calculated for the driving route that is based on the traffic conditions for each of the different roads of the driving route.
US08234052B2
A method for managing a torque applied to an output shaft of a combustion engine, the combustion engine including combustion chambers, in each of which there is mounted a piston connected to the output shaft in order to apply a torque to it, the output shaft being connected to a rotary machine associated with a management member. The method involves detecting conditions of deactivation of one combustion chamber and controlling the rotary machine so as to apply to the output shaft, prior to the deactivation of one combustion chamber, a compensating torque which tends to cause a resultant torque applied to the output shaft to tend towards a deactivation torque applied by the combustion engine to the output shaft after deactivation of the combustion chamber.
US08234050B2
A method for controlling slip across a torque limiting clutch includes determining a driveline slip threshold. A cut-off temperature is determined based on at least one of a clutch temperature, a steering wheel input and a vehicle speed. A driveline slip is determined. At least of a spark retardation and a throttle cut-off is initiated when the clutch temperature is greater than the cut-off temperature and the driveline slip is greater than the driveline slip threshold.
US08234049B2
A control module includes a predicted torque control module that determines a desired throttle area based on a transmission torque request and a desired predicted torque. A throttle security module determines a throttle limit based on the desired throttle area and the desired predicted torque and determines an adjusted desired throttle area based on the throttle limit. A throttle actuator module adjusts a throttle based on the adjusted desired throttle area.
US08234042B2
A method for controlling a limited by-wire active front steering system includes measuring an input steering angle, determining a tire saturation limit, and comparing the saturation limit to the input angle. A target actuator angle from a steering actuator is limited when the input angle is greater than the saturation limit. A constant value provides a fixed steering gear ratio when the input angle is less than the saturation limit. A limited by-wire steering system for a vehicle includes a steering device, a sensor for measuring an input steering angle, a controller for calculating a first target actuator angle when the input angle is less than a threshold, and a second target actuator angle when the input angle is greater than the threshold. The threshold is a calibrated saturation limit of a road wheel of the vehicle.
US08234037B2
A method and device for detecting oscillatory faults relating to an aircraft airfoil slaving chain. The device includes units that count the number of overshoots of a threshold value by the current value of a quantity related to the positional slaving of an airfoil. Oscillatory fault is detected based on the number of overshoots of the threshold value being greater than the current value by a predetermined number.
US08234035B2
An in-vehicle electronic control apparatus includes a monitoring control circuit configured such that a monitoring control circuit unit transmits question information; a main control circuit unit transmits answer information generated by a microprocessor; the monitoring control circuit unit applies an addition and subtraction correction to a value of a first present-value memory in response to a result of a comparison between correct-solution information stored in a data memory and the answer information; and when the accumulated present value exceeds an abnormality determination threshold value, the monitoring control circuit unit generates a first abnormality detection signal so as to initialize and restart the microprocessor, and variably sets the abnormality determination threshold value or an abnormality determination time, based on selectively applied setting constants generated with pattern switches.
US08234032B2
A method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot includes searching for a whole path from a starting point to a destination point within a map information entered in the robot; extracting information about an expected distance between the robot and a peripheral obstacle when the robot moves along the searched whole path; and correcting the whole path locally using the information about the expected distance from the peripheral obstacle.
US08234025B2
A control system for a hybrid powertrain determines operator demands, a powertrain operating state, and operating conditions based upon the inputs; selects an operating strategy based upon the operator demands, the powertrain operating state, and the operating conditions; determines a preferred powertrain operating state; and controls the powertrain to the preferred powertrain operating state based upon the selected operating strategy, the operator demands and the operating conditions.
US08234012B1
Method for preparing a chemical delivery line for delivery. In one implementation, the method may include starting a flow of a semiconductor solution from a vessel into the chemical delivery line coupled to the vessel, measuring a volume of the semiconductor solution flowing through the chemical delivery line, and performing a subsequent process when the volume of the semiconductor solution is equal to or greater than the volume of the chemical delivery line.
US08234000B2
Methods for obtaining data and for manufacturing a dental component and a physical dental model of at least a part of a dental structure are provided which can improve processing times and provide sufficient manufacturing accuracy. An embodiment of the method can comprise obtaining a first data record for manufacturing the dental component and a second data record for manufacturing the physical dental model. The first data record can comprise data based on a portion of a digital dental model. The second data record can comprise data based on at least the portion of the digital dental model. In this regard, the data upon which the first and second data records are based can be obtained using first and second scanning resolutions in order to improve processing times and provide sufficient accuracy.
US08233991B2
Methods for selecting Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), or other medical electrical stimulator, electrode configurations from a set of electrode configurations are provided. Each electrode configuration represents a polarity or a polarity percentage of the electrodes of an electrode array. The selected electrode configurations may be used in a medical electrical stimulator. Such methods of selecting electrode configurations results in a more efficient programming and use of the stimulation system.
US08233989B1
Alternative stimuli, i.e., stimuli other than the constant amplitude stimuli used in prior fitting schemes, are used to set the parameters of a hearing prosthesis, such as a cochlear implant system. The use of such alternative stimuli allows the entire fitting process to be completed in a very short time period, and generally eliminates the need for secondary adjustments. In one preferred embodiment, the alternative stimuli comprise white noise that is internally generated within the speech processor.
US08233987B2
A means for treating breathing disorders by stimulating respiratory muscles or nerves to entrain respiratory systems while leaving respiratory drive intact. Embodiments of the invention employ frequency analysis to determine if appropriate stimulation energy is being applied.
US08233983B2
In an implantable heart stimulator and a method for operation thereof, stimulation pulses are delivered to a heart. The amplitude of the delivered stimulation pulses can be selectively set. For setting the amplitude, threshold searches are performed at selected time intervals. Each threshold search determines a threshold value required for achieving capture. The amplitudes of the respective stimulation pulses are set to a value that exceeds the determined threshold value by a safety margin. The safety margin is selected as a function of the selected time intervals.
US08233981B2
An active implantable medical device including circuits for calculating an atrio ventricular delay (AVD) period. The device is able to detect the atrial and ventricular events; calculate an AVD and to start the AVD on detection of a spontaneous or paced atrial event. The device is able to deliver a low energy ventricular stimulation pulse at the expiration of the AVD in the absence of a detected spontaneous ventricular event. To calculate the AVD, the device uses an acceleration sensor to deliver an endocardiac acceleration (EA) signal representative of the movements produced by the contractions of the atrial cavity; and analyzes the EA signal to identify and isolate in the EA signal a component corresponding to the fourth peak of endocardiac acceleration (PEA4) associated to the atrial activity, and to calculate the AVD based on a parameter of this component.
US08233977B2
A device that programs a medical device includes a display and a user input device. The device displays a graphical representation of a plurality of electrodes on a medical lead implanted in the patient, and displays an active electrode template at a first position relative to the graphical representation of the electrodes. A processor of the device receives input dragging the active electrode template. In response to the input dragging the active electrode template, the processor adjusts at least one parameter of electrical stimulation delivered to the patient via the lead based on the position of the active electrode template relative to the graphical representation of the electrodes on the medical lead.
US08233971B2
A diagnostic ECG system analyzes lead traces for evidence of ST elevation in the lead signals. The pattern of ST elevation in leads having predetermined vantage points to the electrical activity of the heart and, in some instances, the presence of ST depression in certain other leads, identifies a specific coronary artery or branch as the culprit coronary artery for an acute ischemic event. The identity of the culprit coronary artery or branch is presented to the interventional cardiologist so that the correct coronary artery is accessed and the obstruction cleared. The technique can be used with standard 12-lead ECG systems as well as with ECG systems using fewer or more leads.
US08233970B2
Method for processing cardioelectric signals and corresponding device. The method enables processing previously sampled cardioelectric signals so as to filter the T wave, thereby improving the visualization of the P wave. The method comprises the following stages: [a] dyadic decomposition the signal into bands by calculating its wavelet transform up to a range of frequencies comprised in a first range of 15 to 150 Hz and preferably 20 to 100 Hz, [b] selection of significant bands with P wave [c] processing of the significant bands by modifying the wavelet coefficients using statistical parametric models, and preferably statistical parametric noise suppression models, [d] weighting the non-significant bands by multiplying them by a weighting function, and [e] reconstructing the signal The invention also relates to a device for carrying out this method.
US08233965B2
An embodiment of the invention is to make possible a non-invasive grading of a tumor based on parameters determined from a frequency distribution (histogram) of values in a map representing cerebral blood volume (CBV) or cellular metabolism in the tumor. The method is especially applicable to brain tumors such as gliomas where histological grading is difficult. The invention provides a precise and consistent grading since it relies on values selected from the whole tumor (not just from hot spots); since it takes the diversity or heterogeneity of the vascularization into account by analyzing the frequency distribution (not just a mean value); and since it involves and allows for a more automated procedure wherein any subjective contributions from human operators is not critical to the resulting grading. CBV maps may be obtained by perfusion imaging using MRI or CT scanning. Cellular metabolism maps may be obtained from a glucose metabolism map obtained by positron emission tomography (PET).
US08233963B2
A method and apparatus for identifying a member used in a navigation system. The navigation system can determine the identification of an instrument via an input. The input can be substantially automatic when an instrument is introduced into the navigation system field or assembly.
US08233962B2
An improved method is disclosed for imaging in an interventional medical procedure that is more advanced than a conventional 2D image processing application and less restrictive than a 3D reconstruction image processing application. In contrast to the prior art 2D imaging application in which a single 2D image is acquired, the inventive method acquires and stores a set of 2D anatomical images while rotating a C-arm/X-ray source using a single injection of contrast agent. In lieu of performing a 3D reconstruction, the multiplicity of anatomical views provided by the set of 2D anatomical images adequately serve as a visual “rotatable roadmap” to perform classical 2D-roadmapping navigation. The “rotatable roadmap” assists a user to locate an ideal working view of the patient's region of operative interest.
US08233960B2
The present invention provides a method and device of quantitatively or qualitatively examining and diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) by: irradiating a sample derived from an examinee or other animal with light having a wavelength in a range of 400 nm to 2500 nm or a wavelength in part of the range; detecting reflected light, transmitted light, or transmitted and reflected light to obtain an absorption spectral data; and analyzing absorbance at all measurement wavelengths or at specific wavelengths in the absorption spectral data by using an analytical model prepared beforehand.
US08233959B2
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for processing sensor data, including calculating a rate of change of sensor data and/or determining an acceptability of sensor or reference data.
US08233948B2
A mobile computing device is provided that includes a front housing segment and a back housing segment. The front housing segment includes a first front slot and a first front securement feature or cleat. The back housing segment includes a first back slot and a first securement feature or cleat. The front housing segment and the back housing segment are positioned so that the first back securement feature is received and slideably engaged with the first front slot, and the first front securement feature is received and slideably engaged with the first back cleat. A combination of (i) the first back securement feature being received and slideably engaged with the first front slot, and (ii) the first front securement feature being received and slideably engaged with the first back securement feature, enable the front housing segment and the back housing segment to slide along a path that includes an extended position and a contracted position. As described with one or more embodiments, the path may be arced or otherwise include a radius of curvature.
US08233942B2
A mobile terminal in provided. The mobile terminal includes a housing having at least one manipulation part, a signal display unit located in the housing, the signal display unit being configured to selectively display one of at least two inputable signal sets, the selectively displayed inputable signal set being visible through the at least one manipulation part, and an input unit located in the housing, the input unit being configured to receive at least one signal corresponding to the selectively displayed inputable signal set.
US08233926B2
A system and method is proposed for adapting the spatial transmission strategy in a cellular MIMO (multiple input multiple output) communication system for the downlink. Spatial mode adaptation, the choice of multiplexing, transmit diversity, number of streams, space-time code family, and the like are performed slowly based on side information from other base stations. Base stations exchange their transmission plans with neighboring base stations and broadcast this information to active users. Each user measures its susceptibility to spatial interference and returns this information to the base station. The base station then schedules active users according to the decisions made in interfering base stations and the preferred transmission strategies of its own users.
US08233904B2
A pilot-measurement control method and a dual-mode terminal are provided. After entering a tunnel state, an idle state protocol submodule does not wait for a measurement start command to trigger pilot measurement. Instead, the idle state protocol submodule directly triggers pilot measurement by actively querying for high rate packet data (HRPD) measurement permission variable information. Alternatively, measurement indication information sent by an initialization protocol submodule is buffered in advance, so that after entering the tunnel state, the idle state protocol submodule can trigger pilot measurement by querying for the buffered information. Alternatively, the idle state protocol submodule performs pilot measurement according to received measurement indication information sent by an air interface connection management protocol submodule when the idle state protocol submodule is activated.
US08233902B2
An apparatus and method for handover in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes, upon handover execution, estimating a channel, controlling a transmission power of a Mobile Station (MS) depending on the channel estimation result, and transmitting a handover message using the controlled transmission power.
US08233895B2
A source device is initially enabled to maintain data synchronization with a host server over a wireless communication network via a first wireless transceiver for user data of an application program associated with a user account. To enable a target device, the source device is operative to establish a programming session with the target device via a second wireless transceiver. During the programming session, the source device causes user account data (e.g. an encryption/decryption key for the data-synchronized communications) for the user account to be transmitted to the target device via the second wireless transceiver. The user data associated with the application program may be transferred from the source device to the target device via a removable memory card such as a secure digital (SD) card.
US08233892B1
The present invention discloses a portable radio frequency (RF) paging system providing conventional beeping, vibration, and illumination alarms as well as playing or transmitting a pre-recorded message to a responder. The paging system comprises transmitter and receiver modules. The transmitter portion of the paging system is to be capable of digitally recording a verbal message for replay or transmission to the receiver upon initiation of a page. The receiver portion of the paging system is housed within a pen-shaped enclosure which may be conveniently attached to a responder's pocket while also functioning as a normal writing instrument.
US08233891B2
In a telecommunications network including a plurality of mobile terminals, a method of analysing missed call events in relation to at least one of the plurality of mobile terminals, the method including: determining the occurrence of a missed call event; recording the missed call event in a database, including an identity relating to the called terminal; determining and allocating a status of the called mobile terminal to the missed call event, the status selected from a plurality of options, with at least one option relating to an unreachable terminal situation; and analysing the missed call event data relating to unreachable situations to identify the existence of any patterns relating to a particular called terminal/user, called terminal type, location and/or time period. The method may also be embodied in a network element, such as a Call Alert Application Server.
US08233890B2
Included are embodiments of a method for communicating user preferences to at least one environment. At least one embodiment includes receiving a request from an environment for preference information related to a user and receiving a user identifier from the environment, the user identifier obtained via a portable user device. Other embodiments include determining at least one user preference related to the user, determining capabilities related to the environment, and communicating at least one user preference to the environment.
US08233888B1
Computer-readable media and methods are provided for utilizing analytics collected by a mobile device to inform a user and to implement rules that instruct the mobile device on handling of calls. Analytics that include data about calls made and received by the mobile device are collected by the mobile device. An application on the mobile device uses the analytics to rank callers and provides the rankings to the user. A rule is received by the mobile device that indicates how to handle inbound and outbound calls based at least on the rankings. The analytics and rules are also useable for promotional purposes and can be shared with other services.
US08233882B2
One embodiment is a method of providing security in a virtualized mobile device including virtualization software that supports one or more virtual machines, the method including: (a) receiving a security policy at the virtualized mobile device, which security policy includes one or more location or location-time scenarios for the virtualized mobile device, which scenarios identify applications to be curtailed, and how they are to be curtailed and applications that are to be enabled, and how they are to be enabled; (b) collecting one or more of mobile device location information or information related to time spent at the location; identifying a scenario that pertaining to the one or more of the location and time information; and (c) curtailing or enabling applications in accordance with the identified scenario.
US08233868B2
A radio receiver device includes a radio signal processing section and a digital processing section. The radio signal processing section converts a received radio signal into a digital signal, demodulates the digital signal and detects a S/N ratio of the radio signal. The digital processing section digitally processes digital signals and switches over its operation mode based on the detected S/N ratio, thereby controlling a digital noise generated in the digital processing. The radio processing section checks whether the S/N ratio is lowered by a digital noise of the digital processing section or a shielding body external to the radio receiver device. The digital processing section switches over its operation mode to reduce the digital noise only when the cause of the fall of the S/N ratio is caused by the digital noise.
US08233866B2
A wireless device includes an antenna, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry, and baseband processing circuitry. The baseband processing circuitry couples to the RF circuitry and is operable to determine operational calibrations settings that may include pre-distortion characteristics and RF signal path settings, both of which are determined via calibration operations. The calibration operations are initiated when an operational value of the wireless device compares unfavorably to at least one operational threshold. Monitoring circuitry coupled to the RF circuitry and to the baseband processing circuitry monitors operational characteristics of the RF circuitry. Calibration operations may be initiated based upon RF circuitry temperature, supply voltage, PA current, PA gain input level/average, among other triggers.
US08233858B2
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
US08233851B2
In accordance with another representative embodiment, a high-frequency signal transmitter a power amplifier configured to supply a high-frequency signal; an antenna configured to transmit the high-frequency signal; a transmission line configured to transfer the high-frequency signal from the power amplifier to the antenna; and an impedance matching circuit connected to the transmission line. The high-frequency signal transmitter also comprises a mismatch detector. The mismatch detector is configured to designate a comparatively poor linearity region and a comparatively good linearity region by dividing a Smith chart into the two regions based on Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR) contours drawn on the Smith chart at a point on the transmission line where the impedance matching circuit is connected, to measure a time-dependent reflection coefficient of the high-frequency signal transmitter in terms of a phase and a magnitude, to determine whether the reflection coefficient is located in the comparatively poor linearity region or the comparatively good linearity region, and based on a result of the determination, to improve the linearity of the high-frequency signal transmitter.
US08233847B2
In integrated circuit includes a processing module that determines a selected one of the plurality of power modes based on a function being currently performed by at least one non-transceiver module of a host device, and generates a power mode signal based on the selected one of the plurality of power modes. An RF transmitter generates a transmit signal at a selected one of the plurality of operating power levels based on the power mode signal and that operates from at least one transmitter power supply signal generated and selected by a power management circuit in response to the power mode signal.
US08233843B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a communication module which performs close proximity wireless transfer, a connection establishing module which establishes connection between the communication module and an external device, and a capture image transmission module which transmits screen capture image data to the external device when a command for requesting data transmission is received from the external device in a state where connection between the communication module and external device is established. The command is determined in a protocol for transmitting and receiving data between the communication module and the external device, and is added a parameter for specifying the attribute of requested data as images.
US08233842B2
A NFC communicator or NFC communications enabled device has a data store to store data, an inductive coupler to couple inductively with the magnetic field of a radio frequency signal and a signal supplier to supply a radio frequency signal to the inductive coupler. A modulator is provided to modulate a radio frequency signal in accordance with data and a demodulator is provided to extract data from a modulated radio frequency signal inductively coupled to the coupler A controller enables the NFC communicator or NFC communications enabled device both to initiate near field radio frequency communication with another near field RF communicator and to respond to near field radio frequency communication initiated by another near field RF communicator. The inductive coupler has an antenna and a variable impedance element and the controller is operable to control the variable impedance element to control a magnetic field strength associated with a radio frequency signal supplied by the signal supplier.
US08233838B2
A registration server (40) is connected to a mobile terminal (20) via a communication network (10) and registers desired scene information specifying a desired scene of a user in a broadcast program together with the communication address information (telephone number or mail address or the like) of the mobile terminal (20). A scene management server (42) classifies and manages the scene information on the real scene appearing in the broadcast program. A message transmission server (46) checks whether the real scene corresponds to the desired scene. If it does, the scene management server (42) transmits scene information indicating that broadcast of the desired scene is or has been started via the communication network (10) or the data broadcast to the user, i.e., the mobile terminal (20). In response to the notification of the scene information, the user of the mobile terminal (20) can view the scene substantially in real time by the TV On instruction without performing channel setting.
US08233837B2
An image forming apparatus is provided and includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet at an image forming position; a regulating roller that conveys the recording sheet; a supply path from the regulating roller to the image forming position; an inversion path that is configured to merge with a position on the supply path between the regulating roller and the image forming position and bends and inverts the sheet; a return path that is configured on an opposite side of the regulating roller from the supply path to return the recording sheet to the supply path; and a control unit which rotates the regulating roller in a return rotational direction to convey the inverted recording sheet into the return path, and in a feed rotational direction to convey the recording sheet to the image forming position.
US08233834B2
The present invention provides a waste particulate toner collection container system for an image forming apparatus that includes a waste particulate toner spreading device movably disposed within the container in a reciprocating manner generally along its length, the device including a spine member having on a first end a first plurality of spaced apart raking tine members and on a second end a second plurality of spaced apart raking tine members disposed substantially transversely of the length of the spine member, and a crank arm attached at the first end of the spine member. A post disposed on an inner wall of the container supports the device at a point along the length of the spine member between the first and second pluralities of raking tine members, and a drive mechanism is operatively connected to the crank arm for imparting reciprocating movement to the device.
US08233832B2
A fixing unit for fixing a toner image onto a sheet passing between a first element and a second element pressed against the first element includes a looped coil surface formed with a coil so that the coil surface generates a magnetic field for induction-heating the first element, the coil surface including an inner edge defining an opening region; an upright wall disposed inside the opening region, an opening being formed in the upright wall; a center core disposed along the opening region, the center core including a conductive shaft and a magnetic tube configured to at least partially cover the conductive shaft; and a nonconductive cap inserted into the opening, the nonconductive cap partially covering the conductive shaft to electrically insulate the coil from the conductive shaft.
US08233826B2
A housing of a developing apparatus is provided with a conveying member in a developer supplying and recovering portion, and two agitating members rotating in the same direction respectively as viewing rotating shafts from a near side in an axial direction, in a developer agitating portion. A guide is provided in an inner bottom surface of the housing between two agitating members. A braking portion suppressing a discharge of a developer is provided in a downstream side of the developer agitating portion in a developer conveying direction of the first agitating member, and a discharge portion is provided in a downstream side of a disc of the braking portion.
US08233824B2
A gear mechanism is provided and includes a first sun gear; a first planetary gear configured to mesh with the first sun gear; a first arm configured to keep a distance between the first sun gear and the first planetary gear and configured to swing around a rotation axis of the first sun gear; a second sun gear; a second planetary gear configured to mesh with the second sun gear; a second arm configured to keep a distance between the second sun gear and the second planetary gear and configured to swing around a rotation axis of the second sun gear; and an interlocking unit configured to connect the first arm and the second arm with each other for interlocking the swinging of the first arm and the second arm, the interlocking unit configured to move independently of rotations of the first sun gear and the second sun gear.
US08233809B2
A method for the polarization independent frequency domain equalization (FDE) chromatic dispersion compensation on polarization multiplexing (POLMUX) coherent systems. Operationally, time domain signals are converted to frequency domain signals such that time domain convolution can be done as simple multiplications in the frequency domain. These frequency domain signals then converted back to time domain for subsequent use. The input signal size and FFT size are advantageously designed so that the output signals can be continuous with some overlap between two successive frames.
US08233808B2
An optical transmission system based on four-wave mixing and configured in a WDM-PON topology where a signal light between an optical line terminal and each of optical network units is multiplexed and demultiplexed at a WDM. The optical line terminal transmits downlink signal light having wavelengths λd1, . . . , λdN and pumping lights having wavelengths λp1, . . . , λpN which are different by a predetermined wavelength difference Δλ from the wavelengths of the downlink signal lights. Each of the optical network units demultiplexes the downlink signal lights to receive a portion of the downlink signal lights, generates an uplink signal light to be transmitted from each of the optical network unit to the optical line terminal by using a portion of the downlink signal lights and the four-wave mixing from the pumping lights, and outputs a modulated uplink signal light.
US08233800B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for providing communications service in a communications ring undergoing an upgrade process includes increasing an existing rate of a node to a higher rate. With the increase, the node is operable to transmit a second frame at the higher rate. The second frame has a higher number of time slots than a first frame having a number of slots equal to N. The method also includes occupying a number of the time slots of the second frame equal to N using data to be received by an existing node. The method also includes providing at least one identifier to the existing node that will receive the second frame. The identifier identifies the occupied time slots of the second frame. The method also includes transmitting the second frame of data to the existing node.
US08233792B2
An apparatus, system and method are provided for a switchable fiber termination (SFT) incorporated into an optical network device that responds to a test signal received via an optical network carrying data. The test signal may be a part of a multiplexed signal carrying data and is separated from the data by a wavelength division multiplexer. The SFT may be used to determine the characteristics of an optical network, including the operational status of optical network devices.
US08233790B2
Provided is a control section that, when created data is set to be recorded in both a first memory card and a second memory card and an amount of empty space in a writing buffer memory is less than or equal to a predetermined value, performs control to record the created data in only the first memory card and erases, from the buffer memory, data that has been recorded in the first memory card; and a transmission control section that, while a transmission path for image files from the first memory card to the second memory card is open, transmits to the second memory card, from among pieces of image data recorded in the first memory card, image files that are not recorded in the second memory card. When a memory card with a low communication speed is used, the effective recording speed is not decreased.
US08233788B2
An illumination device for photography which can photograph an image expressing a movement of the object is provided. The device comprises a light emission unit which emits, continuously and at an constant emission amount, an illumination light, and a light emission control unit which controls the emission unit and changes a light emission intensity during the acquisition of a single still image by exposing object light on an imaging unit provided in a photographic device, wherein the light emission control unit, during the acquisition of the single still image, causes the illumination light to emit continuously at a first light emission intensity in a first time period, and causes the illumination light to emit continuously at a second light emission intensity with a lower intensity than the first light emission intensity in a second time period after the elapse of the first time period.
US08233780B2
A reproducing apparatus and method includes a reproducing unit to reproduce mainstream data and sub audio data separately added in the mainstream data, wherein the reproducing unit comprises a counter used in reproducing the sub audio data. Accordingly, it is possible to more naturally reproduce still image data, such as a browsable slide show, to which sub audio data is additionally included, thus preventing an interruption in reproduction of the sub audio data even during a forward or reverse play.
US08233777B2
A method of transmitting encrypted data, recording medium including the encrypted data, apparatus for reproducing the same using a local storage and method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes downloading a data associated with the recording medium to the local storage, constructing a virtual package by binding the downloaded data to a disc package within the recording medium, decrypting an indexing item of an index table within the virtual package using a key within a key file associated with the recording medium, and reproducing the decrypted indexing item, wherein information for solving a mismatch that occurs between the indexing item of the index table and an indexing item of the key file is included in the virtual package. By the present invention, the data associated with the recording medium is downloaded from outside to the local storage while contents provided by a content provider are protected. And, both of the data within the recording medium and the data within the local storage can be efficiently reproduced using a virtual package. Therefore, the present invention can provide more convenient functions to a user.
US08233760B2
A method for making low PMD fiber comprising the steps of: (i) making an initial fiber preform; (ii) modifying said initial fiber preform to introduce higher birefringence than that of the initial fiber preform into modified preform; and (iii) drawing an optical fiber from the modified preform and bi-directionally spinning the drawn fiber during draw.
US08233747B2
A method and apparatus for generating a super-resolution image are provided. The method may include obtaining a first set of RAW data representing a first image captured at a first resolution and obtaining, from the first set of RAW data, at least one first sample of data associated with the first image. The method may also include obtaining a second set of RAW data representing a second image captured at the first resolution, and performing image registration as a function of the first set of RAW data and the second set of RAW data so as to obtain at least one second sample of data associated with the second image. The first set of RAW data is used as a reference for the second set of RAW data. The method further includes combining the at least one first sample of data with at least one second sample of data to form a collection of samples, and interpolating the collection of samples to form the super-resolution image.
US08233746B2
An image processing device is provided that includes an image acquisition unit that obtains video data that includes a plurality of consecutive frames, and also obtains image data that correspond to some of the frames and have a higher spatial resolution than the frames. The image processing device also includes a super resolution processing unit that uses a plurality of the frames to perform super resolution processing on the frames, and that generates super resolution images that correspond to the frames. The image processing device further includes a motion estimation unit that uses the video data to detect a motion vector between the super resolution images and an image generation unit that, based on the super resolution images corresponding to the image data and on the motion vector, generates motion compensated image data that corresponds to the frames.
US08233736B2
A digital photographing apparatus, a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and a recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method are provided. The digital photographing apparatus includes: a data obtainer that obtains long exposure first data about a first image of a subject and short exposure second data about a second image of the subject; a third data generator that generates third data about a third image by warping the first data so that the subject of the first image and the subject of the second image match each other; and a second data amender which, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, amends the second data so that the second data value S(x, y) at the pixel (x, y) of the second image has the third data value W(x, y) at the pixel (x, y) of the third image.
US08233734B2
Images are upsampled using a knowledge base derived from a plurality of high-quality training images. The knowledge base is used to refine a high-frequency component including high-frequency aspects of a high-resolution, low-frequency image, interpolated from a low-resolution full-frequency image, into a high-frequency component. An enhancement step is performed without using a knowledge base to construct a high-compatibility component from the low-resolution, full-frequency image. The low-resolution, full-frequency image is combined with the coarse high-frequency component to yield an enhanced high-frequency component. A second knowledge base step is performed to construct an improved high-frequency component from the enhanced high-frequency component. The improved high-frequency component is blended with a high-resolution, low-frequency image to yield a high-resolution image.
US08233729B2
A method and an apparatus for generating a coded block pattern for highpass coefficients are provided. The method includes receiving a quantized highpass coefficient (HP), wherein the HP includes a macroblock data; dividing the macroblock into a plurality of blocks; performing lapped transform (LT) operations of two stages on the said block data, concurrently calculating a plurality of coded block patterns of the blocks corresponding to all possible HP prediction directions; performing a calculation to obtain selection information of the HP prediction directions according to lowpass coefficients (LPs) generated through LT operations of the two stages; selecting a corresponding coded block pattern among the said coded block patterns according to the above-mentioned selection information of the HP prediction directions and outputting the selected coded block pattern.
US08233718B2
A system and method is provided for using a first vascular image, or more particularly a plurality of control points located thereon, to identify a border on a second vascular image. Embodiments of the present invention operate in accordance with an intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) device and a computing device electrically connected thereto. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, an IVUS console is electrically connected to a computing device and adapted to acquire IVUS data. The IVUS data (or multiple sets thereof) is then provided to (or acquired by) the computing device. In one embodiment of the present invention, the computing device includes a plurality of applications operating thereon—i.e., a border-detection application, an extrapolation application, and an active-contour application. These applications are used to (i) identify a border and control points on a first IVUS image (i.e., any IVUS image), (ii) extrapolate the control points to a second IVUS image (i.e., another IVUS image), (iii) identify a border on the second IVUS image, and (iv) adjust the border on the second IVUS image in accordance with at least one factor. In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one factor is selected from a group consisting of gradient factor, continuity factor, and curvature factor.
US08233716B2
A method and system is provided for finding stable keypoints in a picture image using localized scale properties. An integral image of an input image is calculated. Then a scale space pyramid layer representation of the input image is constructed at mulitple scales, wherein at each scale, a set of specific filters are applied to the input image to produce an approximation of at least a portion of the input image. Outputs from filters are combined together to form a single function of scale and space. Stable keypoint locations are identified in each scale at pixel locations at which the single function attains a local peak value. The stable keypoint locations which have been identified are then stored in a memory storage.
US08233706B2
An image processing apparatus performs a gradation conversion on an input image (frame) input from the outside to generate a conversion image and performs a plurality of smoothing processes corresponding to a plurality of preset level values on the generated conversion image or a reduced image generated from the conversion image to generate a plurality of level-value-limited conversion images. Then, the image processing apparatus selects one or a plurality of conversion images from the plurality of level-value-limited conversion images, synthesizes the selected images, generates a synthesis image, performs the gradation conversion on the generated synthesis image, and generates a smoothed image that is converted to have the same gradation as that of the input image.
US08233705B2
A method for adjusting a color in a color space comprises adjusting the color along a gradient path to a point in or on a color gamut. The gradient path is determined from a potential field derived from the color gamut consisting of gamut points in the color space. The potential field can be derived from one or more points in the color gamut and different functions may be used to determine the potentials due to different points in the gamut. The potential at a point in the color space due to the gamut point can be a function, including an inverse power, of distance of the point in the color space from the gamut point. The gradient path can be determined from the gradient of the potential field by quadric error-based surface simplification of a surface mesh representing a surface of the gamut.
US08233699B2
A wafer inspection system and a method for inspecting a wafer. The method includes: acquiring multiple frames that cover a first area that comprises a die and a first surrounding area that surrounds the die; wherein the frames partially overlap to provide overlap areas; and processing a sequence of decomposed images of overlap areas such as to align mutually misaligned frames and generating a die reference image.
US08233698B2
A pattern inspection apparatus includes a first unit configured to acquire an optical image of a target workpiece to be inspected, a second unit configured to generate a reference image to be compared, a third unit configured, by using a mathematical model in which a parallel shift amount, an expansion and contraction error coefficient, a rotation error coefficient, a gray-level offset and an image transmission loss ratio are parameters, to calculate each of the parameters by a least-squares method, a forth unit configured to generate a corrected image by shifting a position of the reference image by a displacement amount, based on the each of the parameters, and a fifth unit configured to compare the corrected image with the optical image.
US08233697B2
A method and device generate digital still pictures of wafer-shaped elements, such as wafers or solar cells, which are transported in series on a conveyor belt during a production process. The device has a camera taking pictures of the wafer-shaped elements in sections step-by-step, in particular continuously taking digital pictures line-by-line (linear scanning) transverse to the transport direction, and then sampling the recorded image data. The device also includes a hardware-based image data processing unit, e.g. FPGA, for detecting edges of the wafer-shaped elements that indicate a beginning or an end of each of the wafer-shaped elements. The edge detection is for controlling the generation of the digital still pictures for visual inspection to find defective areas of the elements.
US08233688B2
A method of detection and compensation for respiratory motion improves the registration between a 3D pre-operation image and X-ray images acquired during a cardiac intervention. By synchronizing the X-ray images with the electrocardiogram, the disclosed method thus eliminates the motion related to the heart cycle from these images, thus isolating the contribution of the respiratory motion. From this point, an algorithm is proposed capable of attributing the motion remaining in the radiography images to respiration. The algorithm also enables this motion to be detected and compensated for in order to obtain a registration between 3D cardiac images and radiography images.
US08233681B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for hierarchical registration (102) between a blood vessel and tissue surface model (100) for a subject and a blood vessel and tissue surface image for the subject are disclosed. According to one method, hierarchical registration of a vascular model to a vascular image is provided. According to the method, a vascular model is mapped to a target image using a global rigid transformation to produce a global-rigid-transformed model. Piecewise rigid transformations are applied in a hierarchical manner to each vessel tree in the global-rigid-transformed model to perform a piecewise-rigid-transformed model. Piecewise deformable transformations are applied to branches in the vascular tree in the piecewise-transformed-model to produce a piecewise-deformable-transformed model.
US08233678B2
An image processing apparatus for processing an image, includes a face detector for detecting an image of a face of a subject contained in a captured image, based on image information of the captured image supplied from an imaging unit, a face feature detector for detecting a face feature contained in the face image, based on image information of the face image detected by the face detector, a normalizer for normalizing the face image detected by the face detector, based on a detected position of the face feature detected by the face feature detector and generating a normalized face image, and a face expression detector for detecting a face expression contained in the face image, based on image information of the normalized face image generated by the normalized.
US08233676B2
In a human feature recognition system that is intended to provide substantially real-time recognition of body segments, various methods and structures are provided to facilitate real-time recognition with reduced computation requirements, including a face detection module employing an active boosting procedure and a lazy boosting procedure on a hybrid cascade structure, a human body segmentation module and a boundary matting module. The hybrid cascade structure is in the form of a tree where one type of node represents a strong classifier learned from active boosting, another type of classifier is obtained by low-computation-load lazy boosting, and weak classifiers are obtained from the previous layers.
US08233669B2
A systems and methods for providing an image forming machine capable of monitoring the image quality of images that the image forming machine produces and detecting changes in the image quality. The monitoring system using statistical techniques to fit predetermined models to a measured image quality of time sequence of formed images. The predetermined models used to find current and predicted values of image quality and notifying a user or service provider when the image quality has changed.
US08233655B2
Headphones capable of giving an optimum mounting feeling to the head of everybody by merely being mounted and without special adjustment, and also capable of being mounted for many hours without giving stress to the user. A headphone cabinet is connected to one end of a link arm, a head pad is provided at the other end of the link arm, and a lateral pressure produced by a spring member is distributed to the headphone cabinet and the head pad via the link arm.
US08233652B2
A detachable earpiece auditory device comprises a housing, a speaker, and a connector. The housing has a sound outlet, a second opening, and a spring element positioned at the second opening. The speaker is provided within the housing and comprises an electrically conducting speaker terminal at an outer surface of the speaker. The connector comprises a first insert part, an electrically conducting connector terminal, and a second insert part. The first insert part is insertable into the second opening. The electrically conducting connector terminal is positioned in the first insert part to obtain electrical contact with the electrically conducting speaker terminal and forms a mating pair of a speaker terminal and a connector terminal when the first insert part is inserted into the second opening. The second insert part operatively contacts the spring element to bias the speaker terminal against the connector terminal with a predetermined bias force.
US08233643B1
A system and method for amplifying an information carrying signal provided on electrical supply power are provided. An input amplifier unit receives an input signal which contains an information carrying component and a supply power component. A power conversion unit is coupled to the input amplifier unit. The input amplifier unit amplifies the information carrying component of the input signal to generate an amplified signal. The power conversion unit generates at least one complementary set of offset supply levels each referenced to a non-zero offset ground level adaptively defined responsive to the electrical supply power, such that the amplified signal is referenced about the offset ground level. In certain embodiments, an output conditioning unit is employed to generate an output signal comprising an amplified version of the information carrying component of the input signal extracted from the amplified signal.
US08233637B2
Disclosed herein are apparatus, method, and computer program product whereby a device receives an acoustic signal. In response to the received acoustic signal, the device outputs electrical signals from a first input audio transducer and a second input audio transducer. The second input audio transducer is less sensitive than the first input audio transducer.
US08233635B2
According to the invention, there is provided an audio signal receiving apparatus which receives audio signals transmitted from external connection apparatuses through a plurality of channels, including an audio signal transmitting scheme determining unit which determines a transmitting scheme of the audio signal in the external connection apparatus on the basis of channel mapping information representing types of the audio signals transmitted by the external connection apparatuses. When the audio signal to be received is changed, a process to be executed is changed depending on the transmitting scheme of the audio signal.
US08233622B2
Synchronized pseudo-random number outputs are produced at a transmitter and a receiver of a high-speed serial interconnection. At the transmitter, using logic XOR operations, each data word of parallel data is selectively scrambled with one of the pseudo-random numbers and transmitted via a high-speed serial interface. The receiver de-scrambles the received serial data stream and restores the parallel data.
US08233616B2
An encryption processing unit executes an arithmetic operation decided in advance and outputs an arithmetic result as an element on an algebraic torus. A compressing unit outputs, when the arithmetic result is an exceptional point representing an element on the algebraic torus that cannot be compressed by a compression map for compressing an element on the algebraic torus into affine representation, a compression result obtained by compressing the arithmetic result according to the compression map and outputs, when the arithmetic result is the exceptional point, an element belonging to a specific set decided in advance that does not overlap a set to which a compression result obtained by compressing the arithmetic result, which is not the exceptional point, belongs.
US08233611B1
A system and method employed in a call center provide a memory structure for use in maintaining a call queue including data representing a plurality of calls to be serviced, and the data is structured so as to represent an order in which the plurality of calls are to be serviced. The call queue data further indicates whether each call is to be handled as an inbound or an outbound call. When an incoming call is received by the call center and no service representative is currently available to service the call, the caller is prompted to elect to either wait on-line for a next available service representative or to disconnect the call and receive a call back at a later time. An aspect of this technology is that the caller does not lose his or her place in the queue and is not stuck on hold.
US08233610B2
A method of receiving a call from a first caller that is requesting for assistance with a product. Once the call center receives the call, a call-processing switch routes the first caller to a first agent. Once the caller is routed to the first agent, a first message is transmitted to both the first caller's terminal and the first agent's terminal. After the first message is presented to the first caller and the first agent, the call-processing switch will monitor the communications stream for distress. During monitoring of the communications stream, the call-processing switch will estimate whether a level of distress is present in the communications stream. If it is estimated by the call-processing switch that there is distress present in the communications stream, the call-processing switch will transmit a second message to the first caller's terminal and the first agent's terminal.
US08233608B2
A method of redirecting a directory-assistance call includes receiving a directory-assistance request from a caller, determining via a free directory-assistance service whether information corresponding to the directory-assistance request is available, responsive to a determination that the information is available, presenting, to the caller, the information free of charge to the caller and, responsive to a determination that the information is not available, redirecting the directory-assistance call to a chargeable directory-assistance service.
US08233606B2
The present invention provides methods, devices, and systems for allowing a conference call participant to place a conference call on hold. Additionally, a participant is provided with a number of rejoin and/or hold options that can be executed when the participant puts the conference call on hold and takes the conference call off of hold. The rejoin and/or hold options available to the participant may vary depending upon participant preference or the nature in which the participant is rejoining the conference call.
US08233605B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for monitoring a conference. A first bridging function is established that bridges together signals received from all conference participants. A second bridging function is established that bridges together signals received from i) a subset of the conference participants, ii) an output of the first bridging function, and iii) a monitor of the conference. The second bridging function isolates the monitor's signals from the conference such that only the subset of the conference participants may communicate with the monitor during the conference.
US08233601B2
An interrupt payment system (100) comprising means (100) for detecting an interrupt signal generated by a party to a call; means (102) for obtaining details of a payment to be made on detection of an interrupt signal; a payment processor (104) operable to process the payment in accordance with the obtained details (104); and means (100) for resuming the call between all parties concerned on processing of a payment by the payment processor (104).
US08233599B2
A communication apparatus includes a main unit connectable to the Internet and at least one secondary unit that is connectable to the Internet via the main unit. The main unit includes, a communication control unit that controls telephone communication with an external apparatus via the Internet, a storing unit that stores at least one user ID assigned individually to at least one user authorized to use the communication control unit in association with the main unit and the at least one secondary unit and an activating unit that is capable of activating the communication control unit for each user ID.
US08233598B2
A remote conversation management device to manage conversations on a first communication device. The method includes maintaining a gateway node having a first interface to enable the gateway node to receive conversation control information from the remote conversation management device and a second interface to couple the gateway node to a communication network, where the communication network is configured to support a conversation between a first communication device and one or more other communication devices over the communication network. The method further includes storing in a message buffer the media of the conversation as the media is received through the second interface from the communication network and receiving conversation control information from the remote conversation management device through the first interface. The method further includes managing the rendering of the media of the conversation for the first communication device in response to the received control information from the remote conversation management device by controlling the timing of when the media of the conversation is (i) retrieved from the message buffer and (ii) transmitted over the communication network to the first communication device.
US08233597B2
A method is provided for playing one or more key portions of a voice communication. The method includes storing, in a memory, a communication that includes one or more speech signals and a tag identifying a key portion of the one or more speech signals. The communication and the tag are retrieved from the memory. The key portion of the communication identified by the tag is played for a first end user.
US08233594B2
An integrated messaging system for performing various types of messaging across different types of networks, including integrated user interfaces and administrator interfaces. Embodiments include a communication server that couples among networks of different types, and an interface module that couples to the communication server. The interface module may be hosted on a messaging server of a network. The interface module pulls various user information from the messaging server, including information relevant to at least the network that includes the messaging server. A cache couples to the communication server and to the interface module to hold information from the communication server and/or the user information pulled from messaging server. The interface module directs a message from the messaging server and/or the cache to at least one device on the networks using the user information.
US08233591B2
The present invention provides a technique for providing a forced hold service such as is used for an emergency services call, which is supported at least in part over a packet network. The forced hold service acts to effectively hold a connection for the call with a called party, even when the caller takes an action that would normally end a call, such as going on hook, pressing end, or the like. When the caller takes an action that would normally end the call, the forced hold service allows the caller to automatically reconnect to the emergency services provider over the held connection upon going offhook, pressing send, or the like. Alternatively, the emergency services provider can effectively re-engage the call wherein the caller is reconnected over the held connection upon going offhook, pressing send, or the like.
US08233582B2
A circuit may include a source of electrical energy and a plurality of current loads. Each load may be of a different amount. For each current load, a resistance may be in series between the source and the current load. The resistance may be weighted inversely proportional to the amount of the current load with respect to the other resistances. For each resistance, an integrator may generate an integrated output representative of an integration of the current traveling through the resistance. A summer may generate a summed output which is representative of the sum of each of the integrated outputs, weighted inversely proportional to the resistance that is associated with the integrated output.
US08233568B2
An adaptive receiver to provide reliable estimates of the symbols for the high-order MQAM and MPSK modulated signals received in the presence of amplitude fading and phase dynamics induced due to time-varying atmospheric or terrestrial multipath fading encountered in wireless communication channels. The adaptive receiver encompasses an adaptive tracking loop comprised of adaptive channel fade envelope estimator derived from the high-order modulated signal, a novel phase detector to separately estimate the phase due to the fading channel and the reference oscillator from that due to the data modulation present in the received signal without the need of any pilot symbol or pilot carrier, and a Kalman filter, a fixed-lag smoother and a smoothed symbol detector.
US08233567B2
A method for recovering data includes oversampling an input data signal to provide sample sets, and storing a plurality of sample sets in addressable memory. The sample sets are processed, using sequential logic to make determinations of respective samples suitable for use in data recovery from corresponding sample sets. One function applied for the determination, includes taking a first mean transition position in a first group of sample sets, taking a second mean transition position in a second group of sample sets, computing a slope value for change in transition position, and making the determination based on the order of the plurality of samples, the first and second means, and the slope. The determined samples are obtained and data recovery is achieved. Sample sets can be modified according to equalization functions. Other modifications include encoding the sample sets for data compression.
US08233566B2
A system (100) and method (300) detect the presence of a narrowband signal having a bandwidth ΔF2 in a wideband frequency channel having a bandwidth ΔF1>ΔF2. The method (300) includes digitizing (310) a signal received in the frequency channel; transforming (320) the digitized signal into N digital frequency domain components; averaging (330) the power spectrum of the N digital frequency domain components over a plurality of samples; filtering (340) the averaged power spectrum of the N digital frequency domain components with a filter having M non-zero values spanning a bandwidth, ΔF3, where N>M and ΔF1>ΔF3; computing (350) a mean, μk, a modified standard deviation, βk, and a peak value, PMAX of the filtered, averaged power; and detecting (360) the presence of the narrowband whenever PMAX>(k1*μk)+(k2*βk), where k1 and k2 are selected to provide a probability of detection, a probability of missed detection, and a probability of false alarm.
US08233559B2
A method of transmitting a pilot method in a multi-antenna system is provided. The method comprises generating a preceding matrix including a preceding vector, the preceding vector being applied to each of data streams to be transmitted, performing preceding procedure for a pilot by using the preceding matrix, and transmitting the precoded pilot, wherein transmission power of the precoded pilot is determined specifically to the each of the data streams. The transmission power of a precoded pilot can be controlled adaptively, individually and independently for each channel to improve channel estimation performance.
US08233553B2
A digital broadcast demodulator receives a tuner signal output from a tuner and carries out demodulation processing on the tuner signal by using an internal clock signal that is synchronized with a reference signal. The digital broadcast demodulator has an internal clock-signal generator and an internal clock frequency controller. The internal clock-signal generator generates the internal clock signal, and the internal clock frequency controller controls a frequency of the internal clock signal in accordance with a reception channel.
US08233548B2
A noise reduction device includes a two-dimensional noise reducing unit for reducing noise by arithmetic processing within an image, a three-dimensional noise reducing unit for receiving the video signal from the two-dimensional noise reducing unit and reducing noise by arithmetic processing between images, a first noise reduction intensity setting unit for setting noise reduction intensity of the two-dimensional noise reducing unit, and a second noise reduction intensity setting unit for setting noise reduction intensity of the three-dimensional noise reducing unit. The second noise reduction intensity setting unit sets the noise reduction intensity of the three-dimensional noise reducing unit, so that the noise reduction intensity of the three-dimensional noise reducing unit becomes lower as the noise reduction intensity of the two-dimensional noise reducing unit becomes higher.
US08233530B2
A method, system and computer program provide a mechanism for smoothing the transition back from a virtual (computer generated) scene to a related video stream. An event such as a user input or timeout is received triggering a return to display of the video stream from a virtual scene related to content of the video stream. A number of time points and/or camera angles are either presented to the user or are automatically searched for the best match. The list may be presented in order according to an automatically detected matching criteria. The virtual scene may a scene constructed locally within a computer or digital video recorder (DVR) and the matching performed locally based on angle and time information provided from a content provider such as a server, or the virtual scene generation and matching may be performed at a remote location such as the content server.
US08233519B2
A signal processing unit and a wireless communication device are provided for making it possible to detect a frequency by means of a small scale operation circuit in a short time. The signal processing unit and the wireless communication device are comprised of a carrier data generating unit; a carrier demodulation unit; a matched filter unit that divides carrier demodulated data into a plurality of portions, carries out despread processing and accumulating operation processing as partial correlation processing, further carries out full addition processing for the partial correlation processing result, and outputs correlation detected data; a correlation peak detecting unit that detects a correlation peak from the correlation detected data and outputs correlation peak position information; a coarse frequency deviation detecting unit that outputs a frequency deviation amount with respect to the carrier demodulated data to the carrier data generating unit; and a fine frequency deviation detecting unit that outputs a fine frequency deviation amount from the correlation detected data and the correlation peak position information to the carrier data generating unit.
US08233517B2
A combination of parametric and non-parametric approaches are disclosed for enabling pilot-based SINR estimation for MIMO systems. The pilot-based SINR estimation embodiments account for precoding applied during either single-stream or multi-stream data transmission. The pilot-based SINR estimation embodiments also account for code reuse interference which arises during multi-stream data transmission when spreading codes are reused on the data channel. Accordingly, mismatches that exist between the data channel and the pilot channel because of precoding and/or code reuse are inherently accounted for by the pilot-based SINR estimation embodiments disclosed herein.
US08233497B2
A communication control apparatus controls radio communications with other communication device through a relay device. The communication control apparatus includes a transmission control unit that notifies a data transmission to the relay device, and performs the data transmission to the relay device when the transmission control unit receives a response to the notification from the relay device indicating that the data transmission is possible, and stops a data transmission when the transmission control unit receives a response to a notification made by another communication device from the relay device, a collision conjecture unit that conjectures a collision of frames at the data transmission in accordance with a predetermined condition, and a threshold value control unit that sets a threshold value to determine an assertion or a negation of the transmission control unit in accordance with a result of the conjecture of the collision.
US08233481B2
Methods and systems for providing access class based picocell policy enforcement includes determining whether user equipment registered with a radio access point is known to an enterprise other than a macro telecommunications service provider and eligible for differentiated services, recovering an internet protocol (IP) address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment, confirming that the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment is within a predetermined range, determining whether the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, as opposed to a macro telecommunications service context, and when the IP address associated with communication traffic from the user equipment uniquely identifies an enterprise context, causing IP packets received from the Internet to be routed to an enterprise controller that services the user equipment via the radio access point.
US08233466B1
A system and method are provided for more effectively utilizing modems in a WiMAX environment, so as to improve network connectivity while providing access for both fixed as well as portable computing devices. The apparatus connects one or more computing devices to a network-based information system through at least a first WiMAX modem that is located within the apparatus. A second WiMAX modem can be removably coupled to the apparatus so as to improve network connectivity and operability. In the event, the second WiMAX modem is removed and coupled to a portable computing device, network connectivity provided by the first WiMAX modem is maintained.
US08233465B2
A method for wireless communication begins by determining whether legacy devices are within a proximal region of the wireless communication. The method continues, when at least one legacy device is within the proximal region, formatting a frame to include: a legacy preamble; a signal field; an extended preamble; at least one additional signal field; at least one service field; an inter frame gap; and a data field.
US08233463B2
Disclosed is a method for constructing a virtual backbone in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). The method including the steps of setting a ‘Dominator’ status for a gateway or a sink node within the WSN, setting a ‘CoveredByDominator’ status for each neighbor node positioned in the transmission range of a node for which the ‘Dominator’ status is set, and setting a ‘NULL’ status for each of the other nodes, transmitting a beacon frame by periods from each node to neighbor nodes thereof within the WSN, receiving, by each node in the ‘CoveredByDominator’ status, the beacon frame from neighbor nodes thereof in the ‘NULL’ status, computing a time duration of a defer timer, and enabling the defer timer to operate by the computed time duration; and changing, to the ‘Dominator’ status, a status of a node whose defer timer expires earliest among the nodes all having the ‘CoveredByDominator’ status.
US08233461B1
Methods and systems for complementing network discovery with physical discovery are provided. In one embodiment, a universal physical discovery layer and a legacy network discovery layer are provided. The legacy network discovery layer is implemented using a legacy network discovery protocol. The legacy network discovery layer is separate from and communicates with the universal physical discovery layer. Data representing a physical relationship type between the physical entities is obtained and used to establish the physical relationship type at the universal physical discovery layer.
US08233456B1
Techniques for establishing a dynamic ad-hoc wireless network are disclosed. A node transitions between wake and sleep modes during periods defined as beacon intervals. Before a network connection is established and while it is awake, the node transmits network connection request and also listens for network activity. If a beacon or response message is not detected while the node is listening, the node enters sleep mode and thereby conserves power. The node optionally changes the duration of its detection period and/or the time at which it listens for network activity relative to the start of each beacon interval. Information elements are optionally included with transmitted beacons or response messages.
US08233455B2
A wireless communication method and device may be used to perform a media independent handover between technologically diversified access networks. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may be configured to communicate with a plurality of technologically diversified access networks, such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.X networks and Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) networks. The WTRU may include a plurality of access network specific protocol stacks and a media independent handover (MIH) function. The WTRU may be configured to communicate information with each of the plurality of access network specific protocol stacks using protocols specific to each to the plurality of access network protocol stacks.
US08233444B2
A wireless system and method including a medium access control (MAC) layer adapted to transmit and receive spectrum management commands for wireless devices operating in restricted channels.
US08233437B2
A communication system includes mobile IP communication apparatuses in an access service network and having proxy mobile IP client functioning units, foreign agent functioning units, and DHCP proxy functioning units, which have a common IP address. The DHCP proxy functioning unit of a first mobile IP communication apparatus, connected with a mobile station before movement, reports information about the mobile station to a second mobile IP communication apparatus connected with the mobile station after movement. The DHCP proxy functioning unit of the second mobile IP communication apparatus receives the information about the mobile station and further receives from the mobile station, an update message addressed to the common IP address, executes an IP address update process based on the information about the mobile station, and reports an update result to the proxy mobile IP client functioning unit and the foreign agent functioning unit in the second mobile IP communication apparatus.
US08233430B2
A terminal transmits a request for a resource assignment to a base station, and acquires a value of a resource for data transmission. The terminal does not transmit the new data to the base station when the resource for data transmission does not exist, and transmits the new data to the base station otherwise, after acquiring the value. The terminal autonomously transmits, when the new data is transmitted to the base station and a NAK signal is received from the base station, the retransmission data to the base station without sending a transmission request to the base station for resources to transmit the retransmission data.
US08233420B2
Technology for a wireless multi-hop network is provided. A method by which a source node operates in a wireless multi-hop network includes selecting one of first to M-th frame structures (M is a natural number greater than or equal to 2), based on a data packet generation interval, when the source node is in an active state, synchronizing with neighboring nodes in a first synchronization period of the selected frame structure, and when the source node is in the active state, transmitting a control packet to a next hop in a data period of the selected frame structure, and waiting for a response from the next hop, the control packet indicating that the source node will transmit a data packet in a sleep period subsequent to the data period and including information on the selected frame structure. Here, each of the first to M-th frame structures defines a frame including at least one synchronization period, at least one data period, and at least one sleep period, and having a different duty cycle.
US08233418B2
Embodiments of a mobile station and method for dynamically changing a sleep cycle are generally described herein. The mobile station is configured to dynamically switch a sleep cycle without deactivating a current power savings class (PSC). In some embodiments, the mobile station may generate a dynamic sleep-cycle switching message to request a change in the sleep cycle of the mobile station when changes in downlink traffic are detected. The dynamic sleep-cycle switching message may indicate either one of a plurality of predefined sleep cycles or may indicate parameters defining a new sleep cycle. This may allow the sleep cycle of the currently active PSC to be changed without deactivation.
US08233415B2
A method for generating preamble structures to be used in multi-mode wireless communication systems. The method includes generating a basic element sequence in a predefined length, wherein the basic element sequence has a circularly orthogonal property; generating a type-A preamble by repeating the basic element sequence a number of predefined times; and generating a type-B preamble by adding respective values of real parts to values of imaginary parts of elements in the type-A preamble. The type-A preamble and type-B preamble are cross-correlated.
US08233413B2
Techniques, apparatuses, and systems for dynamically changing downlink and uplink allocations can include operating a base station under time division duplexing to communicate with one or more mobile devices using a frame structure, adjusting a downlink-uplink ratio to change an allocation between uplink and downlink data capacities in the frame structure, determining a mute interval based on the adjusted downlink-uplink ratio, generating mute information based on the mute interval to identify the one or more areas of the frame structure effected by the allocation change, and transmitting the mute information to the one or more mobile devices.
US08233404B2
Control of uplink transmit power for a first mobile station operating with scheduled uplink data transmissions. A change in uplink scheduled status for the first mobile station is detected (301). Filtering of uplink interference measurements for the first mobile station is adapted (302) to account for the detected change in uplink scheduled status for the first mobile station. Alternatively a change in uplink scheduled status for a second mobile station is detected and a current filtering state for filtering of uplink interference measurements for the first mobile station is adjusted by applying an estimated expected change in interference associated with the detected change. A signal quality for uplink transmissions from the first mobile station is determined (303) based on measurements of received signal strength from the mobile station and the filtered uplink interference measurements. An uplink transmit power command is generated (304) for the first mobile station based on a comparison of the estimated signal quality to a signal quality target.
US08233402B2
Disclosed are method and apparatus for characterizing the temporal loss characteristics of a packet data network by multicast-based inference. Multicast probes are transmitted from a source node to a plurality of receiver nodes, which record the arrivals of the multicast probes. From the aggregate data comprising recorded arrivals of the end-to-end paths from the source node to each receiver node, temporal loss characteristics of individual links within the network may be calculated. In a network with a tree topology, the complexity of calculations may be reduced through a process of subtree partitioning.
US08233401B2
In one embodiment, a network device receives an Internet protocol (IP) registration request, such as a mobile IP registration request, from an access terminal. The network device may be a home agent that is configured to register the access terminal for IP services at the network layer. In addition to registering the access terminal at the network layer, the network device may facilitate registration at another layer, such as the application layer. In one example, registration information for the access terminal for an application layer registration, such as information needed to register for a session initiation protocol (SIP) services, is determined. The network device then facilitates registration at the application layer automatically using the registration information.
US08233388B2
Systems and methods for controlling the flow of information content in a network are described. The system includes a tracking module that remembers a sensitivity level of the information content and a location of that information content with respect to the system. A marking module is included that receives the sensitivity level from the tracking module upon a call for the information content. The marking module marks a sensitivity tag in a packet header associated with the information content according to the sensitivity level. Flow of the information content in the network is controlled according to the sensitivity tag.
US08233383B2
The network relay device of the invention makes a pair with at least a specific network device to relay data in a network. The network relay device includes: a control module that sends and receives a control frame signal to and from the specific network device, selects either of a master mode and a backup mode based on at least the control frame signal sent from the specific network device, and changes a working state according to a result of the selection; and a communication module that is under control of the control module to open a port and enable data transmission via a line linked to the port in the case of setting a master state to the working state, and to block off the port and disconnect the line linked to the port in the case of setting a backup state or another non-master state to the working state. The control module changes the working state from the backup state to a first intermediate state in response to selection of the master mode, determines whether the specific network device is in the backup state, based on the control frame signal sent from the specific network device, and changes the working state from the first intermediate state to the master state after confirmation that the specific network is in the backup state.
US08233382B2
A cable modem termination system (CMTS) provides for ordered switchover of the cable modems it serves when a primary module of the CMTS fails. When the primary module in the CMTS fails, a backup module takes over service of the cable modems. The backup module restores the service flows of the cable modems based on a restoration order determined by session recovery priorities that are related to quality of service levels required by the service flows. In particular, service flows that are engaged in VoIP “911” calls are restored first. Service flows engaged in other VoIP calls are next restored. Lastly, service flows engaged in regular data sessions are restored.
US08233374B2
In a multi-layer optical disc, having three (3) or more recording layers thereof, for enabling an easy focus lead-in operation onto a desired recording layer, reflectivity of respective recording layers are so determined that a ratio between the reflectivity of the desired recording layer and the reflectivity of other recording layers is equal or greater than a predetermined value, upon basis of the reflectivity of the other recording layers.
US08233373B2
A seek-scan-probe memory device, utilizing a media electrode to allow active cantilevers to contact the storage media, and a pull electrode to pull up cantilevers away from the storage media when in an inactive mode. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08233363B2
Provided are a method of controlling a recording operation in an optical disc drive to improve recording quality and an optical disc drive employing the method. The method includes setting recording power and parameters related to the generation of recording pulses by successively performing an optimum power controlling (OPC) process for adjusting recording power and an optimum write strategy (WST) tuning control (OWC) process for adjusting parameters related to the generation of recording pulses. The method also includes performing data recording based on the set recording power and the set parameters related to the generation of recording pulses.
US08233361B2
A write-once recording medium is provided, which comprises a management information area for recording management information for managing a recorded state, and a user data area for recording user data. The user data area is configured to contain at least one recording area. At least one session is configured to contain at least one of the at least one recording area. The management information contains range information indicating a recording range of the at least one recording area and identification information for identifying the recording area located at a boundary of the session.
US08233354B2
A radio-controlled timepiece that receives a standard time signal containing a time code and adjusts internal time data, the radio-controlled timepiece including a reception unit that receives the standard time signal, and a control unit that controls the reception unit. The reception unit has an amplifier circuit that amplifies a reception signal of the standard time signal, and an analog/digital conversion circuit that digitizes the amplified reception signal and acquires a time code. The control unit sets the reception mode of the reception unit to a normal reception mode or to a high sensitivity reception mode that improves reception performance compared with the normal reception mode, sets the reception mode to the high sensitivity reception mode for a specific period that is set based on the time code of the standard time signal after establishing at least second synchronization with the time code of the standard time signal, and otherwise sets the reception mode to the normal reception mode.
US08233353B2
A multi-sensor sound source localization (SSL) technique is presented which provides a true maximum likelihood (ML) treatment for microphone arrays having more than one pair of audio sensors. Generally, this is accomplished by selecting a sound source location that results in a time of propagation from the sound source to the audio sensors of the array, which maximizes a likelihood of simultaneously producing audio sensor output signals inputted from all the sensors in the array. The likelihood includes a unique term that estimates an unknown audio sensor response to the source signal for each of the sensors in the array.
US08233352B2
A system and method for performing audio source localization that uses minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beams or other super-directive beams that are more suitable for reducing noise, interference and/or acoustic coupling than the delay-and-sum beams conventionally used in performing audio source localization based on a Steered Response Power (SRP) approach. Since super-directive beams such as MVDR beams do not provide good properties for performing conventional SRP-based audio source localization, an embodiment of the present invention utilizes a different metric than maximum response power in order to determine which of a plurality of beams provides the best response for audio source localization. This metric involves identifying which beam provides the smallest measure of distortion with respect to a reference power or reference response.
US08233351B2
A system and method for locating subsurface diffractors. The method operates on two-dimensional (2-D) seismic data that includes one or more 2-D seismic lines. The 2-D seismic data may be preprocessed to enhance diffracted energy. For each hypothetical diffractor location in a set of hypothetical diffractor locations, the method involves analyzing at least a subset of the seismic traces of the one or more 2-D seismic lines, in order to compute a value indicating an extent to which those seismic traces contain diffraction arrivals consistent with the hypothetical diffractor location. The method may further involve generating, storing and displaying an image (or map) based on the computed values. The image may illustrate areas of high, intermediate and low diffraction, and may be used to assess the formation.
US08233343B2
A sense amplifier resistant to malfunctions associated with offsets in inverter pairs is presented. The sense amplifier includes inverter pairs and a controller. Any one input terminal of the inverter pairs is electrically connected to a bit line and the other one input terminal is electrically connected to a /bit line. The controller is configured to precharge the bit line and the /bit line to a level corresponding to an offset of the inverter pairs in response to a first control signal. The controller senses a voltage difference of the bit line and the /bit line using the inverter pairs by connecting output terminals of the inverter pairs to the bit line pairs in response to a second control signal.
US08233338B2
A multi-bit test control circuit includes an operation unit, a delay unit, and a generation unit. The operation unit is configured to combine a single source signal inputted to each bank with a delay signal generated by delaying the source signal by a certain time to generate a first pulse signal. The delay unit is configured to delay the first pulse signal by a certain time. The generation unit is configured to combine an output signal of the operation unit with an output signal of the delay unit to generate a second pulse signal for a bank interleaving multi-bit test.
US08233335B2
A semiconductor storage device, a first internal bus, a second internal bus, and a third internal bus have bus widths decreasing stepwise from a memory cell array side to a data output circuit side. A first selection circuit and a second selection circuit divide the data, which is input via the first or second internal bus, according to a rate of a decrease in bus width in an input and an output, time-divide the divided data, and output the divided data to the second or third internal bus.
US08233330B2
A static random access memory (SRAM) circuit includes a pair of complementary global bit-lines, and a pair of complementary local bit-lines. A global read/write circuit is coupled to, and configured to write a small-swing signal to, the pair of global bit-lines in a write operation. The SRAM circuit further includes a first multiplexer and a second multiplexer, each having a first input and a second input. The first input of the first multiplexer and the first input of the second multiplexer are coupled to different one of the pair of global bit-lines. A sense amplifier includes a first input coupled to an output of the first multiplexer, and a second input coupled to an output of the second multiplexer. The sense amplifier is configured to amplify the small-swing signal to a full-swing signal, and outputs the full-swing signal to the pair of local bit-lines in the write operation.
US08233329B2
Methods of programming a memory, memory devices, and systems are disclosed, for example. In one such method, each data line of a memory to be programmed is biased differently depending upon whether one or more of the data lines adjacent the data line are inhibited. In one such system, a connection circuit provides data corresponding to the inhibit status of a target data line to page buffers associated with data lines adjacent to the target data line.
US08233315B2
Spin injection device having semiconductor-ferromagnetic-semiconductor structure and spin transistor
A spin injection device and spin transistor including a spin injection device. A spin injection device includes different semiconductor materials and a spin-polarizing ferromagnetic material there between. The semiconductor materials may have different crystalline structures, e.g., a first material can be polycrystalline or amorphous silicon, and a second material can be single crystalline silicon. Charge carriers are spin-polarized when the traverse the spin-polarizing ferromagnetic material and injected into the second semiconductor material. A Schottky barrier height between the first semiconductor and ferromagnetic materials is larger than a second Schottky barrier height between the ferromagnetic and second semiconductor materials. A spin injection device may be a source of a spin field effect transistor.
US08233311B2
The variable resistance nonvolatile storage device includes a memory cell (300) that is formed by connecting in series a variable resistance element (309) including a variable resistance layer (309b) which reversibly changes based on electrical signals each having a different polarity and a transistor (317) including a semiconductor substrate (301) and two N-type diffusion layer regions (302a, 302b), wherein the variable resistance layer (309b) includes an oxygen-deficient oxide of a transition metal, lower and upper electrodes (309a, 309c) are made of materials of different elements, a standard electrode potential V1 of the lower electrode (309a), a standard electrode potential V2 of the upper electrode (309c), and a standard electrode potential Vt of the transition metal satisfy Vt
US08233308B2
In some aspects, a method of forming a memory cell is provided that includes (1) forming a first conductor above a substrate; (2) forming a diode above the first conductor; (3) forming a reversible resistance-switching element above the first conductor using a selective deposition process; and (4) forming a second conductor above the diode and the reversible resistance-switching element. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08233304B2
A memory module may include a circuit board connectable to a system memory bus through a plurality of contacts disposed along one edge of the circuit board, the system memory bus having three positions for connecting memory modules. A plurality of memory chips may be mounted on the circuit board. The circuit board may include a plurality of D/Q traces to couple a corresponding plurality of D/Q signals from respective contacts to the plurality of memory chips or to one or more buffer chips that isolate the system memory bus from the memory chips. Each of the plurality of D/Q traces may have a predetermined trace impedance selected to provide a predetermined D/Q signal quality level when the memory module is installed in any of the three positions on the system memory bus and equivalent memory modules are installed in the other two positions.
US08233295B2
Methods, system and apparatus are provided for quickly approximating a peak summed magnitude (A) of a phase voltage (Vph) waveform in a multi-phase system that implements third harmonic injection.
US08233288B2
An electronic component package includes: an insulating carrier substrate; a connection wiring that is provided on one side of the carrier substrate; an IC chip that is connected to the connection wiring; an external connection land that is disposed on the other side of the carrier substrate and is connected to the connection wiring via a wiring in the carrier substrate; and a solder ball that is disposed on the external connection land. A region of the external connection land that can be bonded to the solder ball has an outer shape that includes at least one arc portion and at least one straight portion. With this configuration, it is possible to provide an electronic component mounted apparatus in which bonding failure of the external connection land and the circuit board-side land with the solder ball can be reduced, and the bonding state can be easily inspected, and a method of inspecting a bonding portion therein.
US08233285B2
A holder secures a linecard to a chassis. The holder acts as a releasable expansion bolt. To alleviate tolerance requirements for the linecard and/or chassis, the holder secures with minimal additional pressure being applied to force the linecard against the chassis. Rather than screwing a linecard face plate to the chassis card guide, the holder locks the linecard in place without requiring movement of the face plate against the chassis card guide. A gap may remain between the face plate and the chassis, substantially allowing for a desired amount of insertion of electrical connectors without adverse pressure or movement caused by the securing.
US08233279B2
A wedge lock for use with a single board computer includes a first portion configured to move in a first direction and a second portion configured to move in a plurality of directions in response to the movement of the first portion and to facilitate securing the single board computer in an operating environment and to facilitate conduction cooling of the single board computer.
US08233274B2
A computer chassis cooling sidecar for cooling one or more computers in a chassis of computers in a data center, the sidecar including an air intake chamber and a chassis delivery chamber, the air intake chamber having a first opening at a bottom end for receiving air from beneath the data center through perforated tiles in the floor of the data center located on the side of the computer chassis, the air intake chamber having at the top end a directional vane shaped to direct airflow from the side of the chassis to a chassis delivery chamber; wherein the chassis delivery chamber resides in front or back of the chassis and has an opening to receive air from the air intake chamber and an opening to deliver the received air to the front or back of the computer chassis.
US08233272B2
Patient monitoring systems can include a docking station and a display unit. The display unit can be coupled with the docking station or decoupled from the docking station. Some display units can include one or more actuators that aid in decoupling the display unit from the docking station that can be actuated while the display unit is being gripped.
US08233266B2
Energy storage modules generally include a housing with component parts arranged therein. The component parts are in this case either capacitors, for example double-layer capacitors and/or electrolyte capacitors. According to the invention, a filler is provided in the housing and binds electrolyte liquid occurring in the even of damage or else electrolyte gases. Beds of material with a large specific surface area, such as zeolites or else active carbons, are suitable as fillers. The surfaces are also possibly catalytically coated.
US08233260B2
A gas lighting device including: a body formed by an electrically insulating material and carrying a plurality of high-voltage outputs for the connection to spark generating means; a transformer accommodated in the body and including a primary winding wound about and carried by a ferromagnetic material core, a carrying element formed by an electrically insulating material and designed to contain within a tubular drum thereof the primary winding, and a secondary winding consisting of a plurality of coils externally carried by the drum of the carrying element, electrically insulated from the primary winding and essentially coaxial with the latter; the core is bar-shaped and accommodated inside the carrying element and the drum directly supports also the high-voltage outputs, which are integrally obtained on the drum so as to form therewith the carrying element and laterally overhangingly protrude from the drum.
US08233258B2
The present invention relates to a protective circuit to provide over voltage protection for an ASD. The protective circuit provides the benefits of fewer components with lower power ratings than existing protective circuits. The protective circuit may be incorporated directly in the ASD for continuous protection or mounted externally and connected to the ASD under operating conditions that require the circuit. This flexibility for mounting the protective circuit allows the capacitor of the protective circuit to be sized either in relation to capacitive elements on the DC bus within the ASD or according to external capacitance observed at the output of the ASD. In addition, the circuit is only operative during an overvoltage condition allowing for power ratings lower than would be required for continuous operation.
US08233254B2
A coordinated arc fault protection scheme in a hierarchical power distribution system is disclosed. The methods according to embodiments of the present invention may be considered an “event and time graded” analysis. In event and time based analysis, the number of confirmed arc signature may be monitored with respect to time in the main feeder line as well as the branched feeders. The confirmed arc signature in the branched feeder, as well as in the main feeder, may be captured and time stamped. A trip command may be issued first in the intended branched feeder if the branched feeder experiences a minimum number of events within a given time. During the same time period, the main feeder also monitors similar arcing events. If the tripping of the branched feeder occurs and the main feeder still detects arcing events, the main feeder may be tripped after a certain period of time or a certain number of confirmed arc signature. If there is no arc in the branched feeder and the main feeder itself experiences the arc, then the main feeder may be tripped after a predetermined period of time so that the current to all the branched feeders may be cut and the main feeder may be protected.
US08233252B2
An ESD protection circuit is provided having a first field-effect transistor, which has a first drain terminal, a first source terminal and a first control terminal, and having an input network which, in the event that a first voltage present between the first drain terminal and the first source terminal crosses a threshold value, alters a second voltage that appears between the first control terminal and the first source terminal. The input network contains a second field-effect transistor, complementary to the first field-effect transistor, having a second drain terminal, a second source terminal and a second control terminal, wherein the first drain terminal is connected to the second source terminal and, through a first resistance, to the second control terminal, and the second drain terminal is connected to the first control terminal and, through a second resistance, to the first source terminal.
US08233248B1
A method and system for fabricating a magnetic transducer is described. The transducer has a device region, a field region, and a magnetoresistive stack. The method and system include providing a hard mask on the magnetoresistive stack. The hard mask is inorganic and includes a sensor portion and a line frame. The sensor portion covers a first portion of the magnetoresistive stack corresponding to a magnetoresistive structure. The line frame covers a second portion of the magnetoresistive stack in the device region. The method and system include defining the magnetoresistive structure in a track width direction using the hard mask and providing at least one hard bias material after the magnetoresistive structure is defined. A first portion of the hard bias material(s) is substantially adjacent to the magnetoresistive structure in the track width direction. The method and system also include removing a second portion of the hard bias material(s).
US08233236B2
A magnetic write head includes a main pole, a return yoke forming a magnetic path with the main pole, a side shield formed at both sides of the main pole, and a shield gap layer formed between the side shield and the return yoke. The side shield and the return yoke have portions connected to each, and are separated from each other by the shield gap layer in an area except for the portions which contact. A first gap layer formed of a nonmagnetic insulation material is formed between both sides of the main pole and the side shield. A gap is formed between an end portion of the main pole and an end portion of the return yoke and a second gap layer is formed in the gap with a nonmagnetic insulation material.
US08233220B2
The invention relates to an optical system for providing on-axis destructive interference of light received from an object along a predetermined system optical axis. The system comprises a receiving and guiding optical structure and a combining optical structure. The receiving and guiding optical structure is for receiving and guiding at least three beams of light received from said object, the receiving and guiding optical structure arranged to provide a relative optical path difference between the at least three beams; the combining optical structure is for combining the at least three beams. According to the invention, a polarization varying optical structure is arranged between the receiving and guiding optical structure and the combining optical structure, for varying a polarization state of the beams relative to each other in order to provide on-axis destructive interference.
US08233219B2
Optical multilayer thin-film filters (OMTFFs) are disclosed. An exemplary filter includes a transparent substrate, a multilayer film (MF) on a surface of the substrate, and a top layer. The MF is of alternatingly laminated layers of a high-refractive-index (HRI) material and a low-refractive-index (LRI) material. The top layer is on an uppermost layer of the MF and is of a material having atoms of lower atomic weight than atoms of either the HRI or LRI materials. The OMTFFs are made in a vacuum environment by alternatingly laminating respective thin films of the HRI and LRI materials on the substrate. The top layer is formed on the MF. Between forming the MF and top layer is a suppression step in which the newly formed MF is exposed to moisture by briefly venting the vacuum to atmosphere. The moisture inhibits migration of the low-molecular-weight atoms into the HRI and LRI materials.
US08233218B1
An article comprises a volume of material having at least one faceted or curved surface, and at least one diffraction grating on at least one surface of the article. The diffraction grating comprises a set of diffractive elements formed in a deformable layer attached to the surface of the article. A method comprises forming the set of diffractive elements by deformation of the deformable layer, and attaching the deformable layer to a surface of the article. The layer can be deformed to form the diffractive elements before or after it is attached to the surface of the article.
US08233215B2
The present disclosure relates to streamlining optical module and/or subassembly development, manufacturing, and testing through introducing a memory component within a module and/or subassembly that is utilized with a host module for system calibration and/or configuration. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention can streamline optical amplifier (EDFA) module and/or subassembly development, manufacturing, and testing. The present invention includes an optical module/sub-assembly without control circuitry, i.e. a “dumb module”, but with a memory that is used to load relevant data from a supplier. This data is utilized to calibrate, test, and configure the optical module/sub-assembly in a host module. The host module includes control circuitry to access this memory in the optical module/sub-assembly and to calibrate, test, configure, and control the optical module/sub-assembly. Advantageously, this additional memory reduces manufacturing time without the disadvantage of adding complexity in the optical module/sub-assembly.
US08233211B2
An electrochromic display device including a substrate including a dividing wall and a concave portion surrounded by the dividing wall, a first conductive layer formed on a bottom surface of the concave portion, a second conductive layer formed on the dividing wall to electrically connect the first conductive layer within adjacent concave portions to each other in a predetermined direction, a third conductive layer disposed opposite to the first conductive layer, a first color-development layer and an electrolyte layer formed between the first conductive layer and the third conductive layer, and an insulating layer formed on the second conductive layer on the dividing wall.
US08233210B2
Embodiments of systems and methods for providing a hybrid illumination aperture in optical lithography are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08233209B2
An optical scanning system includes a light source, a polygon mirror, a first optical system, a second optical system, and a monitoring device. The light source includes a plurality of light-emitting units. The first optical system is arranged on an optical path of light beams, and guides the light beams from the light source to the polygon mirror. The second optical system guides the light beams deflected by the polygon mirror to a photosensitive drum. The monitoring device monitors light amount of light beams emitted from the light-emitting units. An optical axis of a coupling lens and a cylindrical lens is inclined from a normal of a deflection-reflection surface of the polygon mirror with respect to a sub-scanning direction.
US08233190B2
A printer status interface controller displays an interface at a client system with a first color from among a plurality of colors associated with a first print cartridge position associated, from among a plurality of print cartridge positions of a printer. The printer status interface controller receives a user selection within the interface to specify an association of a second color from among the plurality of colors with the first print cartridge position. Responsive to the user selection to associate the second color with the first print cartridge position, a printer color association controller adjusts a reference to the first color in a print document to print in the second color through a second print cartridge in a second print cartridge position from among the plurality of print cartridge positions.
US08233183B2
A printing apparatus includes: a detecting portion that detects a connection with an external storage device that stores print data and print completed page information of the print data; a reading portion that reads the print data and the print completed page information from the external storage device; and a printing portion that prints the print data from a next page of a print completed page with reference to the print completed page information.
US08233170B2
Devices and methods wherein if a predefined recognition dot pattern designed to prohibit an image data outputting is detected from image data acquired by an image data acquiring unit, outputting of the image data is prohibited, and if a predefined recognition mark to cancel image data outputting prohibition is detected, the outputting of the image data is permitted.
US08233166B2
An image forming apparatus that picks only necessary pages up from a plurality of originals and copies after aligning in an order of pages so as to reduce a work burden on a user is provided. The image forming apparatus having a copy function includes an identification information extracting portion for extracting identification information (page number and heading information) which identifies originals from image data of read originals, a selecting portion for displaying the extracted identification information and accepting the identification information selected by the user as a target for image formation, and an output portion for printing image data excluding the identification information from the image data of the target for image formation accepted by the selecting portion. Here, the identification information is preferably formed with code information.
US08233165B2
A document processing apparatus which is capable of causing predetermined processes to be performed using sheets of one fixed format, in both of the case of scanning a fixed format sheet which has a description entered therein and the case of scanning a sheet which has a description entered therein but is other than the fixed format sheet. When a fixed format sheet having an entry made thereto is scanned in, a multifunction machine executes a first document processing process. When a fixed format sheet has been previously scanned in, if a sheet other than the fixed format sheet is scanned in, the multifunction machine executes s second document processing process. When no fixed format sheet has not been previously scanned in, if a sheet other than the fixed format sheet is scanned in, the multifunction machine executes a usual process.
US08233158B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining the layer thickness and the refractive index of a sample.It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for determining the layer thickness of a sample (layer) having high light scattering characteristics that allows a fast (real-time process) and cost-effective measurement having a high accuracy.The method according to the present invention comprises: irradiating a first optical radiation onto the sample (4), wherein the first radiation is substantially perpendicularly irradiated onto the surface of the sample (4), and determining a first reflection spectrum (10) resulting from reflection of the first radiation on the sample (4); irradiating a second optical radiation onto the sample (4), wherein the second radiation is irradiated onto the surface of the sample (4) under an oblique angle, and determining a second reflection spectrum (12) resulting from reflection of the second radiation on the sample (4); determining a minimum of the first reflection spectrum (10), determining a minimum of the second reflection spectrum (12), and determining the layer thickness and the refractive index of the sample (4) using the minimum of the first reflection spectrum (10) and the minimum of the second reflection spectrum (12).
US08233148B2
Hyperspectral imaging systems that may be used for imaging objects in three-dimensions with no moving parts are disclosed. A lenslet array and/or a pinhole array may be used to reimage and divide the field of view into multiple channels. The multiple channels are dispersed into multiple spectral signatures and observed on a two-dimensional focal plane array in real time. The entire hyperspectral datacube is collected simultaneously.
US08233147B2
The invention relates to a spectrometer for material analysis and to a control method for a spectrometer. The spectrometer includes a radiant source (140) formed by multiple single radiation sources (141) having different central wavelengths, for generating a measuring signal, a measurement object (100) containing a material to be analyzed, at least one electrically tunable Fabry-Perot filter (120, 220) for the band pass filtering the measuring signal by at least two pass bands, and a detector (300, 400) for detecting said filtered measuring signals received from the measurement object (100). The spectrometer has: means (312) for modulating each of the single radiation sources (141) and correspondingly means (307, 309) for demodulating the detected signals such that the signal from each single radiation source can be distinguished from each other in the detector (300, 400); and means for detecting (300, 400) and demodulating (306, 307) multiple pass hands simultaneously.
US08233146B2
The present invention provides an optical cuvette for use in a flow-type particle analyzer, wherein the cuvette includes a removable flow tube containing a flow channel oriented coaxially.
US08233140B2
The present invention provides a measuring apparatus which measures a shape of a surface of a measurement target object, comprising a light projecting optical system configured to split light from a light source into measurement light and reference light so that the measurement light enters the surface of the measurement target object and the reference light enters a reference mirror, a light receiving optical system configured to guide the measurement light reflected by the surface of the measurement target object and the reference light reflected by the reference mirror to a photoelectric conversion device, and a processing unit configured to calculate the shape of the surface of the measurement target object based on an interference pattern which is detected by the photoelectric conversion device and formed by the measurement light and the reference light.
US08233139B2
An immersion system is used in an immersion exposure, wherein a substrate is exposed with an exposure light through an optical member and a liquid, and that fills an optical path of the exposure light between the optical member and the substrate with the liquid. The immersion system comprises: a first member, which is disposed around the optical path of the exposure light and has a first surface that faces in a first direction; a second member that has a liquid recovery port, which is disposed on the outer side of the first surface with respect to the optical path of the exposure light; a first drive apparatus that is capable of moving the first member parallel to the first direction; and a second drive apparatus that is capable of moving the second member parallel to the first direction independently of the first member; wherein, a space between the first surface and a front surface of an object can hold the liquid; and a liquid between the liquid recovery port and the front surface of the object is recovered via the liquid recovery port.
US08233137B2
In a single or multiple stage lithography apparatus, a table provides a confining surface to a liquid supply system during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading. In an embodiment, the table has a sensor to make a measurement of the projection beam during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading.
US08233131B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate and a CF substrate arranged to face each other and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween, wherein a plurality of first supports are arranged to extend from one of the substrates to reach the other substrate and a plurality of second supports, which are shorter than the first supports, are arranged to extend from one of the substrates to the other substrate.
US08233129B2
Provided is a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device containing a liquid crystal panel which holds a liquid crystal between first and second glass substrates. The method includes: an injecting step of injecting the liquid crystal from an injection hole for injecting the liquid crystal, which is provided on at least one side of the liquid crystal panel; a sealing step of sealing the injection hole with a sealing material; a beveling step of processing sides of the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate, at which the injection hole is provided, into a shape in which a thickness of each of the sides increases from end portions of the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate toward central portions thereof; and an etching step of etching the first glass substrate and the second glass substrate by chemical polishing.
US08233125B2
A liquid crystal display having electrodes on a single substrate. A transparent planar electrode elongated in the transverse direction is formed on the inner surface of a substrate, and an insulating film is deposited thereon. A plurality of linear electrodes, which are elongated in the longitudinal direction and either transparent or opaque, are formed on the insulating film. Potential difference between the planar and the linear electrodes generated by applying voltages to the electrodes yields an electric field. The electric field is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal central line of the linear electrodes, and has parabolic or semi-elliptical lines of force having a center on a boundary line between the planar and the linear electrodes. The line of force on the planar and the linear electrodes and on the boundary line between the planar and the linear electrodes has the vertical and the horizontal components, and the liquid crystal molecules are re-arranged to have a twist angle and a tilt angle. The polarization of the incident light varies due to the rearrangement of the liquid crystal molecules.
US08233124B2
A liquid crystal display device is disclosed, which can control a viewing angle in vertical and horizontal directions without forming a specific liquid crystal display panel, the liquid crystal display device comprising a display screen including a plurality of color pixels and liquid crystal molecules; and a viewing-angle control pixel controlling the liquid crystal molecules, an alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules being inclined to a vertical or horizontal direction in the display screen, wherein the viewing-angle control pixel is formed independently of RGB pixels, to thereby control the viewing angle in the horizontal and vertical directions.
US08233117B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a reflective color filter arranged to intersect with an optical path of light emerging from a principal surface of a light guide plate, and a recycle portion arranged at a side of the light guide plate opposite to the reflective color filter. Out of light incident on the light guide plate, light reflected by the reflective color filter is returned to the reflected color filter again by being reflected by the recycle portion via the light guide plate.
US08233114B2
An optical element manufacturing method according to the present invention includes: disposing a mask on a transparent photosensitive resin; patterning said transparent resin by applying an exposure light to said transparent photosensitive resin through said mask to form a transparent layer; forming a light absorbing layer by filling a gap in the transparent layer with a black curable resin; and illuminating a mask surface of the mask with the exposure light at an angle.
US08233109B2
A display housing for a portable computing device that utilizes a plastic cover bonded to an internal metal frame is described. To account for thermal cycling issues and in particular to prevent bond slippage, multiple types of adhesives are employed to join the metal frame and the plastic cover. In particular, a very high bond (VHB) adhesive material is used in certain areas to bond the metal inner frame to the plastic cover and a liquid adhesive is used in other areas. The plastic cover can be translucent to light. A method of coating the plastic cover to block light, such as from a backlight used for the display, is described.
US08233091B1
Methods having corresponding apparatus and computer-readable media comprise: receiving television signals and a message at an apparatus, wherein the television signals include an NTSC television signal and an ATSC television signal, wherein the message represents first and second arrival times representing absolute times of arrival at the apparatus of a first wavefront of the NTSC and ATSC television signals, respectively; measuring third and fourth arrival times, based on a local clock, after receiving the message, wherein the third and fourth arrival times represent times of arrival at the apparatus of a second wavefront of the NTSC and ATSC television signals, respectively; and providing a clock correction signal for the local clock based on the first arrival time, the second arrival time, the third arrival time, and the fourth arrival time.
US08233088B2
A method for modulating a video signal. Frames of a plurality of frames are selected for modulation. A first magnitude alternation pattern is designated for each of a first area of a field of the selected frames. A second magnitude alternation pattern is designated for each of a second area of the field of the selected frames. The intensity of a plurality of pixels of a plurality of scan lines of the field of the selected frames is altered as designated by either the first magnitude alternation pattern or the second magnitude alternation pattern.
US08233087B2
A motion adaptive video deinterlacer may process fields of video derived from frames of video. The deinterlacer may use multiple pixel motion engines to provide motion information about the pixels within each field. The output of the motion engines may be used to deinterlace the fields of video based on the detail within a field of video. The deinterlacer may use motion recursion and motion recirculation to provide temporal motion expansion for the pixels within each field. In addition, the deinterlacer may detect various cadences for various regions within the frames of video. The cadences may be detected using a calculated threshold, or without using a calculated threshold.
US08233082B2
The image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes a front plate 12 fitted to an outer cylindrical surface of a lens barrel 5b and a rear plate 13 placed on the backside of a liquid crystal panel 7, and an accessory shoe 11 is fixed to a rib 12a formed on the top of the front plate 12 and a rib 13a formed on the top of the rear plate 13. Consequently, it is possible to enhance the strength of attachment of the accessory shoe 11. Therefore, even when an external device with a large weight such as a strobe device 51 is attached to the accessory shoe 11, it is possible to avoid deformation or damage to the accessory shoe 11.
US08233079B2
In an environment recognition apparatus including a light projector that intermittently projects a light pattern toward an object to be measured existing in an environmental space in accordance with a duty factor of a pulse train defining one frame, a camera that outputs a difference image between an image of the object taken at an exposure where the light pattern is projected and an image of the object taken at an exposure where the light pattern is not projected and the object is recognized based on the difference image, there is equipped with a timing controller that controls the projection timing by varying a pulse repetition period in the pulse train in one frame at random, thereby effectively avoiding the interference with the other while using a camera of ordinary sensitivity.
US08233078B2
Autofocus operations in a digital camera are described. In one embodiment, a processor detects a face in an image captured by the camera, and calculates the size of the face. It selects from amongst a number of previously stored face sizes, one that is closest to the calculated face size. It retrieves a previously stored lens focus position that is associated with the selected, previously stored face size. It signals a moveable lens system of the digital camera to move to a final focus position given by the retrieved, previously stored lens focus position. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08233075B2
Methods and systems for adjusting a video imaging system that includes an auto-focus mechanism wherein an input from a user of the video imaging system invokes an auto-focus procedure. Responsive to the input, the auto-focus mechanism is scanned over a range of focal distance from a first setting to a second setting indicated by the input. A sequence of images using the video imaging system is captured while scanning the auto-focus mechanism over the range. The images in the sequence are processed so as to compute a measure of focal quality with respect to each of the images. The measure of the focal quality is analyzed so as to select an optimal focal distance, and the auto-focus mechanism is set to the selected focal distance.
US08233071B2
An object of the present invention is to eliminate the influences of the leakage etc. of charges from a photodiode to a storage part during the electronic shutter operation. To achieve this object, the present invention includes: a photodiode which generates and accumulates a signal charge according to the amount of light from an object; an amplification part which amplifies a signal charge outputted from the photodiode and outputs the amplified signal to the outside; a storage part which temporarily stores the signal charge; and a transfer device which transfers the signal outputted from the photo-electric conversion device to the storage part via the amplification part.
US08233066B2
An imaging system capable of black level calibration includes an imaging pixel array, at least one black reference pixel, and peripheral circuitry. The imaging pixel array includes a plurality of active pixels each coupled to capture image data. The black reference pixel is coupled to generate a black reference signal for calibrating the image data. Light transmitting layers are disposed on a first side of a pixel array die including the imaging system and cover at least the imaging pixel array and the black reference pixel. A light shielding layer is disposed on the first side of the pixel array die and covers a portion of the light transmitting layers and the black reference pixel without covering the imaging pixel array.
US08233063B2
The solid state image pick-up device comprises a chip wherein an object to be photographed is put directly on the back surface of the chip, a light incident on the object enters the inner portion of the chip, signal electric charges generated in the inner portion of the chip by the light, the signal electric charges are collected in a photo detective region and the photo detective region has a barrier diffusion layer adjacent thereto so as to collect the signal electric charges effectively. The above-mentioned structure of the solid state image pick-up device can provide superior features that the chip of the solid state image pick-up device is protected from the deterioration of elements included in the chip and the destruction of the elements by Electro Static Discharge, resulting in the reliability improvement of the chip.
US08233055B2
A chronological sequence of a plurality of images is obtained, and one of the plurality of images obtained is set as a reference image while remainders thereof are set as object images. A plurality of parameters for converting each of main subject portions of respective plurality of object images to be aligned so as to be superimposed on a main subject portion of the reference image are calculated. Images are combined such that the main subject portions are superimposed with alignment degrees of the parameters degrading as distance from a predetermined location increases.
US08233054B2
A scenery imaging apparatus includes a dividing unit that divides, into plural cells, a scenery image captured in an arbitrary direction, as an initial scenery image, by an image capturing unit; a calculating unit that calculates respective distances to portions of initial scenery respectively corresponding to the cells; a determining unit that determines an image capturing direction based on the distances calculated by the calculating unit; and a judging unit that judges, based on the distances calculated by the calculating unit, whether a portion of the initial scenery corresponding to a cell is a distant view. The determining unit further determines the image capturing direction based on a portion judged to be a distant view.
US08233045B2
An image enhancing system for a vehicle comprises a display unit for displaying modified images and an imaging device for receiving captured images—enhanced by the image enhancing system. The system further includes an image enhancing module in communication with the display unit and the imaging device—such that pixels located in the captured images are enhanced by repositioning the pixels from a first position to a second position via a transfer operation.
US08233044B2
A method for demultiplexing time-division multiplexed digital video data which originates from multiple sources. The video data is not indexed nor identified to the sources. A first set of digital video data representative of a first image is identified as representative video data of the first source. A second set of digital video data representative of a current image is then retrieved. A difference ratio is calculated using the representative digital video data and the current set of digital video data. If the difference ratio is above a threshold, a display query is prompted to a user to indicate the source. If the response is indicative with a new source, the current set of digital video data is stored to a second memory location associated with the second source and identified as a representative of the second source.
US08233036B2
A three-dimensional image display apparatus having improved resolution and an expanded elementary three-dimensional space is disclosed. The three-dimensional image display apparatus includes a display device sampling, multiplexing, and displaying a plurality of parallax images so as to implement a three-dimensional image; and a lenticular lens plate provided on the front surface of the display device and having a vertical axis tilted from a vertical axis of the display device by a predetermined angle α. The number of parallax images included in an elementary three-dimensional image of the three-dimensional image is a multiple of 5.
US08233030B2
A picture signal processing device is provided capable of correcting black level in a display device with minimal memory capacity, by switching the capture region of input picture signals from valid display region to a blanking region at the timing of automatic signal format detection, such as input signal switchover.
US08233029B2
The present invention provides a reproduction apparatus capable of automatically switching an input of a television to an output from a broadcast receiver such as an STB. A television, upon receiving a notification command notifying that output of video or audio is to start, switches its input to an output from an apparatus which has sent the notification command. An STB, upon receiving an instruction command instructing that output of video or audio should be started, sends the notification command to the television. A DVD recorder includes: a decoder that reproduces video or audio recorded in a DVD-RAM disc; a data output I/F that outputs the reproduced video or audio to the television; and a command sending and receiving I/F that sends the instruction command to the STB when the output of the reproduced video or audio ends.
US08233018B2
An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus may include a first casing and a second casing above the first casing. The second casing is provided with an upper surface including a generally horizontal surface, a lower surface extending beyond the upper surface in a generally horizontal direction and a side surface connecting an end edge of the upper surface and an end edge of the lower surface with each other over the whole area. The first casing is provided with an upper surface coming into contact with the lower surface of the second casing over the whole area and a side surface including a generally vertical surface. An inclined surface connecting the generally vertical surface of the first casing and the generally horizontal surface of the second casing with each other, is provided continuously along the first casing and the second casing.
US08233005B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for modifying objects. In one embodiment, tracking data is obtained which identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object. The range of the object includes a viewable field. In response to determining that the object requires modification, a size of the object is compared with a set of size constraints to form a comparison. Thereafter, the size of the object is modified based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.
US08232999B2
The surface of a body of water can be animated by deconstructing a master wave model into several layer models and then reconstructing the layer models to form an optimized wave model. A wave model is obtained, which describes the wave surfaces in a body of water. The wave model is comprised of a range of wave model frequencies over a given area. A primary layer model, secondary and tertiary layer models are constructed based on portions of the wave model frequencies. An optimized wave model is constructed by combining the primary, secondary, and tertiary layer models. A wave surface point location is determined within the given area. A wave height value is computed for the wave surface point location using the optimized wave model. The wave height value that is associated with the surface point location is stored.
US08232996B2
A first image having annotations is segmented into one or more image regions. Image feature vectors and text feature vectors are extracted from all the image regions to obtain an image feature matrix and a text feature matrix. The image feature matrix and the text feature matrix are projected into a sub-space to obtain the projected image feature matrix and the text feature matrix. The projected image feature matrix and the text feature matrix are stored. First links between the image regions, second links between the first image and the image regions, third links between the first image and the annotations, and fourth links between the annotations are established. Weights of all the links are calculated. A graph showing a triangular relationship between the first image, image regions, and annotations is obtained based on all the links and the weights of the links.
US08232989B2
A method and apparatus for enhancing control of an Avatar in a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment is provided. In one embodiment, a user can control one or more controllable aspects of an Avatar directly via interacting with a touch sensitive user input device such as a touchpad or touch sensitive screen. Interaction with the touch sensitive user input device enables more precise control and more direct control to be implemented over the action of the Avatar in the virtual environment. Multiple aspects of the Avatar may be controlled, such as the Avatar's forward motion, orientation, arm movements, and grasping of objects.
US08232988B2
The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for pre-computing image manipulations.
US08232975B2
A touch panel including at least a first sensing string and at least a second sensing string is provided. The first sensing string arranged in a first direction includes first sensing pads electrically connecting with each other and at least a first connecting pattern. The first connecting patterns are located between two adjacent first sensing pads. The second sensing string does not contact the first sensing string and is arranged in a second direction which crosses with the first direction. The second sensing string includes second sensing pads and at least a second connecting pattern. The second sensing pads electrically connected with one another are located among the first sensing pads. The second connecting pattern is located between two adjacent second sensing pads. Resistivities of the first connecting pattern and the second connecting pattern are lower than those of the first sensing pad and the second sensing pad respectively.
US08232974B2
The liquid crystal display device is for recognizing a variation in liquid crystal capacitance according to a touch to be capable of sensing whether or not the device is touched and the position of a touched region and includes a first substrate and a second substrate being opposite to each other; a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other on the first substrate to define pixel regions; pixel transistors respectively disposed at the intersections of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines, and pixel electrodes respectively disposed in the pixel regions; a common electrode disposed on the entire surface of the second substrate; a liquid crystal layer filling a gap between the first and second substrates; liquid crystal capacitors between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode; first storage capacitors disposed between the pixel electrodes and first storage electrodes on the first substrate; second storage capacitors and sensing capacitors in series between the gate lines and the common electrode; a read out line being parallel with the data lines; and switching transistors, each of which is provided with a gate electrode connected to a node between the second storage capacitor and the sensing capacitor, a drain electrode connected to the read out line, and a source electrode connected to a power voltage line.
US08232968B2
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user is likely to have intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The learning function is disabled, however, when the relevant words are found to be in a special category for which frequency learning, i.e., frequency revision, is not employed.
US08232967B2
A computer keyboard provides for one or more of processing, interfacing, input/output control with respect to the computer and/or one or more devices coupled to the keyboard, and/or for control of one or more devices coupled to the keyboard. The keyboard comprises at least one processor, and may also include one or more busses and/or other devices, that, individually in cooperation, perform such functions. In one embodiment, the processor receives telephony signals from the computer and provides telephony signals to the computer, performing the processing necessary to support telephony functions such as conversion of audio signals. Audio signals from computer sound cards and other audio signal sources may be mixed with telephony signals in keyboards according to the invention. Displays and associated input devices incorporated by the keyboard are provided to control telephony and other keyboard processor functions.
US08232966B2
An optical navigation system with optical imaging of multiple inputs using a single navigation sensor. The optical navigation system includes a tactile interface device, an image sensor, and a processor. The tactile interface device facilitates a navigation input. The image sensor intermittently generates images of a surface of the tactile interface device and images of a contact navigation surface. The image sensor also generates the images of the surface of the tactile interface device exclusive of the images of the contact navigation surface. The processor is coupled to the image sensor. The processor generates a first navigation signal based on the images of the tactile interface device and generates a second navigation signal based on the images of the contact navigation surface.
US08232956B2
A video with a display definition most suitable for the type of the video content to be displayed can be displayed. A liquid crystal display apparatus controls the luminance of the backlight light source according to the APL of the video signal measured by an APL measuring portion (16). The range of the video signal the APL of which is measured can be determined by, e.g., the luminance level of the video signal or by the genre information included in the inputted video signal or the OSD display information used when the liquid crystal apparatus (1) performs OSD display. The drawing shows the state that the upper and lower non-video areas are removed and an effective video area is determined. With this, the additional information displayed when the video signal is of a specific genre and the OSD-displayed additional information can be excluded, and the luminance of the backlight light source can be controlled to realize a display definition most suitable for the video signal.
US08232954B2
A shift register is disclosed. The shift register has a plurality of stages dependently coupled to an input line of a start pulse and is driven by first, second and third clock signals respectively input to first, second and third input lines. The shift register includes a voltage controller to prevent leakage currents.
US08232947B2
To suppress a malfunction of a circuit due to deterioration in a transistor. In a transistor which continuously outputs signals having certain levels (e.g., L-level signals) in a pixel or a circuit, the direction of current flowing through the transistor is changed (inverted). That is, by changing the level of voltage applied to a first terminal and a second terminal (terminals serving as a source and a drain) every given period, the source and the drain are switched every given period. Specifically, in a portion which successively outputs signals having certain levels (e.g., L-level signals) in a circuit including a transistor, L-level signals having a plurality of different potentials (L-level signals whose potentials are changed every given period) are used as the signals having certain levels.
US08232943B2
A liquid crystal display device includes pixel cells that can be dot-inverted by a row-inversion driving scheme. According to an embodiment of the invention, a liquid crystal display device includes a first data line, a second data line, a first gate line, a second gate line, a third gate line, at least three of the sub-pixels arranged immediately adjacent along one of the data lines and corresponding to different colors to form a pixel, and a driving integrated circuit for sequentially driving the first, second and third gate lines in a horizontal period. During the horizontal period, a first signal supplied to a first sub-pixel of the pixel has a polarity opposite from a second signal supplied to a second sub-pixel of the pixel and the same as a third signal supplied to a third sub-pixel of the pixel.
US08232931B2
A drive circuit is provided for an OLED in a pixel array. The circuit includes input voltage signal receiving means. Output voltage signal generating means are operably connected to the pixel diode. Means are provided for processing the input voltage signal to replicate the inverse IV characteristic of the pixel diode, to form the output voltage signal.
US08232930B2
A display apparatus of the present invention has been made so that: in cases where a video signal cannot be normally received, the display apparatus allows a display representing whether a video signal is not normally received due to presence of other wireless communication apparatus. The displaying is carried out when the video signal is not normally carried out. That is, the display apparatus of the present invention is a display apparatus for wirelessly receiving at least (i) a recognition information signal for determining whether or not the display apparatus is identified with a wireless transmitting apparatus and (ii) a video signal, the display apparatus, including: display means (12) for carrying out a display in accordance with at least the video signal; wireless receiving means (9) for receiving at least the recognition information signal and the video signal each transmitted wirelessly; recognition information signal detection means (15) for detecting the recognition information signal of the signals received by the wireless receiving means (9); and display control means (15) for outputting a signal causing the display means (12) to display display information which indicates that it is not possible to receive a signal and whose display format is changed according to the recognition information signal detected by the recognition information signal detection means (15).
US08232924B2
A patch antenna includes a ground plane on a surface of a substrate. Patch radiators are formed on another surface of the substrate. Each patch radiator includes tuning slots extending from an edge of the patch radiator toward an interior section such that the slot is separate from a feed point of the patch radiator. In some embodiments, the patch antenna includes a first feed-through conductor disposed through the ground plane and substrate and coupled to the patch radiator. In some embodiments the patch antenna with the first feed-through conductor is a razor patch antenna. An antenna system includes a patch antenna and a transceiver board, which includes a substrate and a ground plane on the substrate. A second feed-through conductor runs through the ground plane and transceiver substrate to connect to a transceiver device. The transceiver board and patch antenna are abutted such that the first and second feed-through conductors connect.
US08232923B2
The present invention is an antenna structure of a radio frequency identification system transponder, especially an antenna structure wherein an insulation layer and a foldback circuit, an opening of which faces toward a coupling part, are provided at corresponding positions of an antenna body which is provided with the coupling part. The foldback circuit is provided with a radio frequency integrated circuit, such that radio signals can be transmitted by induction by the foldback circuit and the coupling part. By this foldback circuit, an issue of directivity of the radio signals can be reduced, an effective read range of the radio signals can be increased, as well as a near field induction function and a far field induction function can be provided at a same time. Therefore, when manufacturing an RFID transponder, a production speed can be increased and production cost can be reduced.
US08232920B2
A semiconductor chip integrating a transceiver, an antenna, and a receiver is provided. The transceiver is located on a front side of a semiconductor substrate. A through substrate via provides electrical connection between the transceiver and the receiver located on a backside of the semiconductor substrate. The antenna connected to the transceiver is located in a dielectric layer located on the front side of the substrate. The separation between the reflector plate and the antenna is about the quarter wavelength of millimeter waves, which enhances radiation efficiency of the antenna. An array of through substrate dielectric vias may be employed to reduce the effective dielectric constant of the material between the antenna and the reflector plate, thereby reducing the wavelength of the millimeter wave and enhance the radiation efficiency. A design structure for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design for such a semiconductor chip is also provided.
US08232912B2
In an FM/CW type radar device (R), when object candidate information storage means (M5) stores as object candidate information a distance or a relative speed for an object that is determined based on a combination of peak signals on the rising side and the falling side in each detection area, if a difference in frequency between peak signal 1 determined in a given detection area and peak signal 2 determined in another detection area is no greater than a predetermined value and object candidate information due to peak signal 1 and object candidate information due to peak signal 2 stored in the object candidate information storage means (M5) are substantially equal to each other, grouping means (M7) carries out grouping of the two peak signals and, furthermore, object information calculation means (M8) calculates the distance or relative speed for the object based on a combination of peak signals on the rising side and the falling side after the grouping processing. This enables the distance and relative speed of an object to be calculated with good precision by means of an FM/CW type object detecting apparatus while minimizing the amount of arithmetic processing and the processing time.
US08232911B1
A method and system provide for confirmation of friendly aircraft as a backup to conventional IFF (identification, friend or foe) telecommunication systems and methods. An IFF secondary radar signal is generated and directed to an aircraft. When no confirming response is received within a pre-determined time period, the invention provides for generating and transmitting a pre-arranged modulated signal to the aircraft. In response to receiving the pre-arranged modulated signal, the aircraft notifies the aircrew to execute a pre-arranged kinematic maneuver that is detected by the systems using radar means to confirm that the aircraft is a friendly aircraft.
US08232910B1
A system and method for a terrain awareness warning system. The system includes a radar system configured to transmit a first radio frequency wave and receive a second radio frequency wave, a display for receiving a display signal representative of an obstacle source and an obstacle source data circuit. The obstacle source data circuit includes an interface and a display circuit. The interface is coupled to the radar system and the display. The display circuit is configured to determine the obstacle source based on the second radio frequency wave and to transmit the display signal representative of the obstacle source.
US08232908B2
According to one embodiment, inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) image processing includes receiving an ISAR image from an inverse synthetic aperture radar. A standard deviation profile is generated from the ISAR image, where the standard deviation profile represents a standard deviation of the ISAR image. The standard deviation profile is normalized to form a normalized standard deviation profile. A mean value profile is generated from the ISAR image, where the mean value profile represents a mean value deviation of the ISAR image. The mean value profile is normalized to form a normalized mean value profile. The normalized standard deviation profile and the normalized mean value profile are combined to form a sum normalized range profile. The sum normalized range profile may be processed to classify a target in the ISAR image.
US08232892B2
A system for automating service operations at a well includes a service rig having at least one input device, an engine connected to an engine electronic control unit having a engine controller area network, a plurality of crown sheeves, a cable, an output device, a communication infrastructure, and at least one of a computer and an operator station; at least one remote server in electronic communication with the communication infrastructure; and a web portal in electronic communication with the at least one remote server.
US08232877B2
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: receiving a context boundary; receiving a boundary criteria for the context boundary; identifying a personal physical characteristic for monitoring a monitored person; detecting a personal noncompliance to the boundary criteria based on a discrepancy of the personal physical characteristic; and generating an alert based on the personal noncompliance for displaying on a device.
US08232873B2
A driver assistance system and method outputs, as a function of certain conditions, at least one piece of information, in particular a warning, to the driver of a motor vehicle. The driver assistance system can be transferred into a demonstration and/or learning mode, in which the conditions applied for outputting the piece of information are different from the normal mode of operation.
US08232871B2
A system, an apparatus, and methods are provided for data communications associated with a vehicle. The apparatus preferably includes at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and a plurality of electrical conductors connected to the at least one electronic subsystem and associated with the vehicle. A vehicle data communications protocol converter is preferably connected to the plurality of electrical conductors for converting a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol such as an infrared, an RF data, an Internet, or other network communications protocol. The apparatus also preferably includes a transceiver connected to the data communications protocol converter for transmitting the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and receiving the data communications protocol from another portion of the vehicle, a remote data communications terminal, another vehicle, or another communications network.
US08232866B2
Systems and methods for remote, long standoff biometric identification using microwave cardiac signals are provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method for remote biometric identification using microwave cardiac signals, the method including generating and directing first microwave energy in a direction of a person, receiving microwave energy reflected from the person, the reflected microwave energy indicative of cardiac characteristics of the person, segmenting a signal indicative of the reflected microwave energy into a waveform including a plurality of heart beats, identifying patterns in the microwave heart beats waveform, and identifying the person based on the identified patterns and a stored microwave heart beats waveform.
US08232859B2
A controlling device is provided and is configured to detect a device and to control the detected device. Alternatively, a controlling device is provided and is configured to detect a device and to receive at least one command from a remote control device. The controlling device may control the device using the received command.
US08232852B2
The present invention relates to an integrated dual-track surface-wave filter comprising two input interdigital transducers, an output interdigital transducer, and a shield stripe therebetween, which are integrated on a piezoelectric wafer. The integrated dual-track surface-wave filter is characterized in that the two input interdigital transducers share one output interdigital transducer and one comb-like electrode that has a bus bar arranged at the middle thereof, and in that main lobe regions of apodized envelope curves on the two parallel input interdigital transducers are staggered to be at cross overlapping positions, and in that the bus bar on the common comb-like electrode is segmented to connect respective fingers on the two input interdigital transducers. In this manner, the present invention effectively narrows the chip area occupied, consumes less substrate materials and decreases the volume of the encapsulated enclosure, thereby reducing the manufacture cost effectively.
US08232848B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor integrated circuit device that includes a ring oscillator circuit, performs a proper oscillation operation, and expands the range of oscillation frequency variation. The ring oscillator circuit includes, for instance, plural differential amplifier circuits. MOS transistors are respectively added to input nodes of a differential pair of the differential amplifier circuits. Further, gate control circuits are incorporated to control the gates of the MOS transistors, respectively. The gate control circuits cause the MOS transistors to function as an amplitude limiter circuit in mode 3, exercise control to turn off the amplitude limiter circuit in mode 2, and use the amplitude limiter circuit to start oscillation in mode 1.
US08232843B2
An oscillator having a plurality of operatively coupled ring oscillators arranged in hyper-matrix architecture. The operatively coupled ring oscillators are either identical or non-identical and are coupled through a common inverter or tail current transistors. Due to the arrangement of the ring oscillators in a hyper-matrix structure, the ring oscillators are synchronized and resist any variation in frequency or phase thereby maintaining a consistent phase noise performance
US08232839B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising a linearizer that has a plurality of switchable first gain characteristics, the linearizer switching to the first gain characteristic to generate an intermediate signal from an input signal by using the switched first gain characteristic, and outputting the intermediate signal to a circuit having a second gain characteristic, wherein the linearizer includes: a linearization unit that has at least one of first rectifier, and linearizes the input signal; and a linearization reducing unit that has a plurality of second rectifiers having polarity opposite to polarity of the first rectifier and a first switching unit selecting at least one of the second rectifiers based on a control signal, the linearization reducing unit being connected in parallel to the linearization unit and reducing linearization of the input signal by the linearization unit.
US08232831B2
Multiple input and/or gain stage Gilbert cell mixer designs are disclosed. The designs allow one input to be turned on at a time, and are suitable, for example, for use in receiver and transmitter applications. In addition, the designs allow for the inputs of the multi-input Gilbert cell mixer to be connected together, thereby allowing for switching of gain states within the Gilbert cell mixer. The mixer design may include, for example, a Gilbert cell mixer stage, and a plurality of input/gain stages. Each input/gain stage has its output connected to the input of the mixer stage, and is configured for receiving an input signal and applying a gain factor to that input signal to provide a signal for mixing with the LO. Each input/gain stage is configured with stage select circuitry for enabling or disabling that stage, so that only one input/gain stage is active at a time.
US08232825B2
The invention describes self-timed RS-trigger with the enhanced noise immunity. Declared effect is achieved due to that circuit containing storage unit (1), indication unit (2), paraphase data input (3, 4), paraphase data output (5, 6), and indication output (7), is modified by adding two inverters (8, 9) and preindication unit (10). Inverters increase output capability of the trigger's paraphase data output and provide an electric isolation of the outputs of the storage unit from an external environment that leads to increasing immunity of the data stored in the trigger to influence of noises at signal wires. The preindication unit provides the trigger's indicatability.
US08232823B1
Circuits and a method for tuning an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. The IC includes multiple programmable fuses coupled to a control block. The programmable fuses used may be one-time programmable (OTP) fuses. The control block reads settings or data stored in the programmable fuses. A tuning circuit coupled to the control block receives the delay transmitted by the control block. The tuning circuit allows tuning of the IC without changes to the fabrication mask. The tuning circuit may include delay chains to provide additional delay to the IC when needed and the delay in the tuning circuit is configured based on the delay value stored in the programmable fuses and transmitted by the control block.
US08232819B2
Disclosed is a closed-loop feedback system for controlling the soft error rate (SER) due to radiation strikes on electronic circuitry. A variable sensitivity soft error rate detector provides and output corresponding to the soft error rate. This output is supplied to a voltage control. The output of the voltage control is fed back to the sensitivity control of the sensor—thus forming a feedback loop. The output of the voltage control may be the power supply of the soft error rate sensor. The output of the soft error rate sensor may also be used to enable and disable fault tolerant schemes or alert a user.
US08232817B2
The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus that enable characterization of an electrical property of a semiconductor specimen, e.g., dopant concentration of a near-surface region of the specimen. In exemplary method, a target depth for measurement is selected. This thickness may, for example, correspond to a nominal production thickness of a thin active device region of the specimen. A light is adjusted to an intensity selected to characterize a target region of the specimen having a thickness no greater than the target depth and a surface of the specimen is illuminated with the light. An AC voltage signal induced in the specimen by the light is measured and this AC voltage may be used to quantify an aspect of the electrical property, e.g., to determine dopant concentration, of the target region.
US08232815B2
A plunger for holding and moving electrical components in particular IC's to and from a contacting device connected to a test bed, comprises a head piece with a fluid distribution chamber through which temperature-controlled fluid flows. A suction head is arranged such that the temperature-controlled fluid flows around the suction head and is diverted along the suction head to the component.
US08232811B2
There is disclosed an electrostatic discharge (ESD) device tester and a method of operating the tester. In an embodiment, the method comprises operating the tester by uniquely identifying an ESD device to be tested using identification means provided on the tester; taking at least one test measurement of the uniquely identified ESD device using testing means provided on the tester, the testing means being configurable in dependence upon data associated with the uniquely identified ESD device; and storing the at least one test measurement in a storage means provided in the tester. A running average of test measurements for the uniquely identified ESD device may be stored on the tester in order to compare a test measurement against the running average. A test is repeated if a test measurement falls outside of a predetermined range of the running average.
US08232793B2
Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a method and apparatus for determining information regarding a load in a planar wireless power transfer system by extracting system operating parameters from one or more test points in the transmitter circuit. As shown in FIG. 1, a specific embodiment showing three test points in the transmitter circuit from which operating parameters can be extracted. The transmitter circuit is designed to produce a magnetic field, by driving the transmitter coil, which inductively couples to a receiver coil such that power is provided to a receiver. By extracting operating parameters from the transmitter circuit, the receiver does not need to incorporate sophisticated signal processing and can be manufactured with low cost.
US08232792B2
A system and method for controlling the output voltage of a power supply that includes a control section and an interconnect section having an output point. A voltage regulator provides a control section voltage, and a current measurement device measures a control section current and generates a current signal. A controller receives the current signal and a voltage command signal representing a desired output voltage at the output point of the interconnect section. The controller generates an adjusted voltage command signal based on the voltage command signal representing the desired output voltage, the current signal, a control section internal resistance and an interconnect section external resistance. The voltage regulator receives the adjusted voltage command signal and provides a control section voltage based thereon in order to supply an output voltage at the output point that is substantially equal to the desired output voltage.
US08232778B1
A generator controller provides independent and redundant overvoltage protection to an associated generator. The generator controller monitors the generator output at a first point of a regulation and a second point of regulation. A generator control unit (GCU) provides overvoltage protection based on the generator output monitored at the first point of regulation, including at least one of tripping a first generator control relay (GCR) to remove excitation from an exciter winding and tripping a generator line contactor (GLC) to disconnect the generator output from a bus. A overvoltage protection unit (OPU) provides independent, redundant protection based on the generator output monitored at the second point of regulation, including at least one of tripping a second GCR to remove excitation from the exciter winding and tripping the GLC to disconnect the generator output from the bus.
US08232774B2
According to some embodiments, battery charge management using a scheduling application is disclosed. A first parameter may be received from a scheduling application running on a mobile computing device having a battery pack. Based on at least the first parameter and battery pack data, a required charge percentage for the battery pack may be determined and the remaining capacity of the battery pack may be determined. If the remaining capacity of the battery pack is less than the required charge percentage, a charge termination voltage may be determined and the battery pack may be charged to the charge termination voltage.
US08232760B2
A system and method for controlling an AC motor drive includes a control system programmed with an energy algorithm configured to optimize operation of the motor drive. Specifically, the control system input an initial voltage-frequency command to the AC motor drive based on an initial voltage/frequency (V/Hz) curve, receives a real-time output of the AC motor drive generated according to the initial voltage-frequency command, and feedback a plurality of modified voltage-frequency commands to the AC motor drive, each of the plurality of modified voltage-frequency commands comprising a deviation from the initial V/Hz curve. The control system also determines a real-time value of the motor parameter corresponding to each of the plurality of modified voltage-frequency commands, and feeds back a modified voltage-frequency command to the AC motor drive so that the real-time value of the motor parameter is within a motor parameter tolerance range.
US08232752B2
An electric motor control apparatus that can quickly and accurately locate a short-circuit fault point. The electric motor control apparatus includes: a current controller determining respective phase voltage commands according to currents flowing in respective phases of an electric motor and a torque current command; a switching element drive circuit instructing, based on the respective phase voltage commands, an inverter to perform a switching operation; the inverter receiving a switching operation signal to drive the electric motor; current detectors disposed in series with the switching elements in the respective phases of the inverter; and a short-circuit point locating mechanism storing a test pattern indicative of a predetermined combination for turning on the switching elements of the inverter, and locating a short-circuit fault point based on the test pattern and current detection values in the respective phases detected by the current detectors in response to the test pattern.
US08232750B2
A traction drive system comprising a plurality of electric motors selectably connected to a main shaft by engagement devices, each motor or combination of motors provides distinct performance characteristics along a broad spectrum of performance characteristics; and a method of managing a traction drive system including sensing physical parameters of the fraction drive system, selecting an electric motor having well-suited performance profile based on pre-selected criteria against which the sensed parameter is compared, and engaging one or more of the corresponding motors to the main shaft.
US08232748B2
An electromagnetic wave having a phase velocity and an amplitude is provided by an electromagnetic wave source to a traveling wave linear accelerator. The traveling wave linear accelerator generates a first output of electrons having a first energy by accelerating an electron beam using the electromagnetic wave. The first output of electrons can be contacted with a target to provide a first beam of x-rays. The electromagnetic wave can be modified by adjusting its amplitude and the phase velocity. The traveling wave linear accelerator then generates a second output of electrons having a second energy by accelerating an electron beam using the modified electromagnetic wave. The second output of electrons can be contacted with a target to provide a second beam of x-rays. A frequency controller can monitor the phase shift of the electromagnetic wave from the input to the output ends of the accelerator and can correct the phase shift of the electromagnetic wave based on the measured phase shift.
US08232741B2
An electronic ballast provides controlled preheating for a discharge lamp. A power converting circuit receives a DC power input and converts it into an AC power output. A starting circuit coupled to the power converting circuit generates a high voltage for starting the lamp. A control circuit controls the power converting circuit to generate AC power output to the lamp dependent on a mode of operation. A symmetry detecting circuit determines a positive-negative symmetrical state of the output power provided to the discharge lamp with respect to ground. The control circuit has a starting mode wherein the discharge lamp is triggered to start with a high voltage generated by the starting circuit, an electrode heating mode wherein the AC power output of the power converting circuit is controlled to a first frequency for heating each lamp electrode, and a steady-state mode wherein the AC power output of the power converting circuit is controlled to a second frequency for maintaining lighting of the discharge lamp. The control circuit shifts from the electrode heating mode to the steady-state mode when the symmetry detecting circuit determines that the AC power output is in a positive-negative symmetrical state in the electrode heating operation.
US08232740B2
A capacitive current-sharing control circuit for LED lamp strings includes a signal generating unit, a control unit, a current-sharing unit, and a light-emitting unit. The control unit is used to control a driving voltage, which is generated from the signal generating unit, to drive the light-emitting unit, thus effectively providing a stable current source to the light-emitting unit to maintain illuminating brightness of the LED lamp strings.
US08232731B2
The invention relates to a method, a control system and a shed wherein the lighting is adjusted depending on the presence of an animal in a specific section of a shed. The shed is divided into a number of sections, for example a separation section. When no cows have access to the separation section and the section is therefore empty, the control system ensures that the lighting in the respective section is switched off. As the control system according to the invention controls both access to the section and lighting thereof, it is possible to dispense with movement sensors for controlling lighting in the respective sections.
US08232729B2
For production of plasma from a medium gas mass in an elongated shape, electric field forming elements 3, 4 that form an electric field in the medium gas mass are provided. The electric field forming elements form an electric field so that partial discharge occurs from the electric field forming elements toward both sides in the longitudinal direction of the medium gas mass. Accordingly, plasma 5 is produced from the medium gas mass. The medium gas mass is formed by, for example, gas supply members 1,2 that guide medium gas, through an internal hollow, to the electric field forming elements. An electric field forming area includes, for example, at least one high-potential electrode 3 and a voltage applying unit 4 that applies a voltage to the high-potential electrode. Plasma limited in medium gas can be produced with high energy efficiency stably over a wide range of parameters through a simple configuration.
US08232727B1
An electronic ballast circuit includes a filament drive circuit that can adjust the pulse width of a pulsed heating signal in accordance with the lamp current to a gas-discharge lamp. A logic device, such as an SR flip-flop, is used to control a switch that is coupled to the primary winding of a filament drive transformer coupled to the lamp filaments. The logic device opens and closes the switch device to generate the pulses of the pulsed heating signal and thus controls the pulse width of the pulses. A clock signal triggers logic device to start a pulse while the end of the pulse is determined by a signal level across a resistor in series with the primary winding of filament drive transformer. Once this signal level is at or above a threshold level, logic device switches the switch device to end the pulse.
US08232726B2
The present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus. The plasma display apparatus comprises an upper substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode formed on the upper substrate, a lower substrate disposed to face the upper substrate, and a third electrode and a barrier rib formed in the lower substrate. First and second black matrices are formed in the upper substrate and are separated from each other on a same straight line. According to the present invention, while maintaining the function of improving a contrast ratio and reflectance of a black matrix, a short and a spotted pattern that may occur when simultaneous exposure is performed can be reduced, and so the picture quality, the cost of production, and efficiency can be improved.
US08232722B2
A light emitting device includes a semiconductor nanocrystal and a charge transporting layer that includes an inorganic material. The charge transporting layer can be a hole or electron transporting layer. The inorganic material can be an inorganic semiconductor.
US08232702B2
A high-speed sleeveless rotor for an electric machine is provided. The rotor includes a shaft rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and a rotor core circumscribing at least a portion of the shaft wherein the rotor core includes an axially oriented slot. The slot includes a radially outer slot opening, a radially inner slot floor, and a slot sidewall extending therebetween. The slot floor includes a topstick attachment member extending radially outward from the slot floor and configured to engage a topstick positioned in the slot opening and the slot sidewall includes a shoulder configured to engage the topstick, preventing radially outward movement of the topstick.
US08232696B2
Provided is a magnetic electricity generator having a coil structure capable of selectively changing output characteristics by using the same armature coil structure. In the magnetic electricity generator having armature coils and a magnet, the armature coils are configured with plural circuits of three-phase armature coils, wherein coil groups of each phase coil of the three-phase armature coils are divided into two or more coil groups, connection ports (T1 to T7, T9, T11, T13 to 22, T24, T26, and T28 to T30) are disposed to each coil group, and intermediate connection ports (T8, T10, T12, T23, T25, and T27) are disposed to one coil group in each phase coil, and wherein the connection ports and the intermediate connection ports are selectively connected with wires between the phase coils according to desired output voltage and current, so that output voltage characteristics can be adjusted according to connection scheme.
US08232693B2
A resolver is configured to determine the rotational position of a first member that is selectively rotatable about an axis with respect to a second member. The resolver includes a stator core, a plurality of wire windings operatively connected to the stator core, a winding support between the windings and the stator core, and a cover at least partially enclosing the windings. One of the cover and the winding support defines a pin that is fittable inside a hole in the second member. The pin functions as a locating feature, which ensures that the stator is accurately mounted to the second member. Because the pin is part of the winding support or the cover, the locating feature does not entail the use of an extra part, thereby simplifying assembly of the stator.
US08232688B2
A voice coil motor type focusing actuator is disclosed to have a fixed unit, a movable unit and two resilient holding members. The fixed unit has a bracket with two slide shafts and a plurality of magnets mounted in the bracket. The movable unit has a lens holder movably mounted inside the bracket and a coil wound around the lens holder. The lens holder has two lugs. Each lug has a through hole for the slide shaft of the fixed unit to insert thereinto. The resilient holding member is fastened between the bracket of the fixed unit and the lens holder of the movable unit. When a current is supplied to the coil, a magnetic force is produced between the coil and the magnets to move the movable unit. When the current stops, an elastic force due to the resilient holding unit is utilized to pull the movable unit back to its original position.
US08232682B2
A bipolar pulse generator is implemented in a simple structure while providing a high efficiency design having a relatively low total size, while still allowing access by fibers used to control a photoconductive switch that activates the generator. The bipolar pulse generator includes a stacked Blumlein generator structure with an additional transmission line connected to a load at its near end and short-circuited at its distal end. An extra transmission line is positioned between the Blumlein generator's structure and the load provides specified limited gap between positive and negative sub-pulses. The bipolar pulse generator further includes a bended Blumlein generator structure, in which an existing intrinsic “stray” transmission line is used to provide the bipolar pulse. Still further, bipolar pulse generator includes stepped transmission lines, with additional switches positioned between steps, which are charged by different voltages.
US08232678B2
The invention relates to a pop reduction system for a switching power conversion system (0, 1), which system comprises an analogue control system (0) and a switching power stage (1), where the pop reduction system comprises an extra power stage (2), controllable means (3) for establishing or eliminating an extra signal path from the output of said control system (0) via said extra power stage (2) to the output terminal of said switching power conversion system (0, 1} and control means (34) for controlling said controllable means (3), whereby establishing or elimination of said extra signal path is attained. The invention furthermore relates to a corresponding method for pop reduction and generally to amplifier systems comprising the pop reduction system according to the invention.
US08232676B2
An exemplary method of providing electrical power is provided. A first alternating current is received from a grid. The first alternating current is converted to a first direct current using a first inverter in electrical communication with the grid. The first inverter is also in electrical communication with a fuel cell system. The first direct current is converted to a second alternating current using a second inverter, and the second alternating current is provided to a load.
US08232674B2
Methods of regulating an output voltage of a multi-output isolated power converter are disclosed. One method includes allowing the output voltage to vary unregulated when the output voltage is below a threshold value and preventing the output voltage from increasing when the output voltage reaches the threshold value. Additional methods and multi-output power supplies are also disclosed.
US08232657B2
Packaged semiconductor assemblies including interconnect structures and methods for forming such interconnect structures are disclosed herein. One embodiment of a packaged semiconductor assembly includes a support member having a first bond-site and a die carried by the support member having a second bond-site. An interconnect structure is connected between the first and second bond-sites and includes a wire that is coupled to at least one of the first and second bond-sites. The interconnect structure also includes a third bond-site coupled to the wire between the first and second bond-sites.
US08232655B2
An electroless Cu layer is formed on each side of a packaging substrate containing a core, at least one front metal interconnect layer, and at least one backside metal interconnect layer. A photoresist is applied on both electroless Cu layers and lithographically patterned. First electrolytic Cu portions are formed on exposed surfaces of the electroless Cu layers, followed by formation of electrolytic Ni portions and second electrolytic Cu portions. The electrolytic Ni portions provide enhanced resistance to electromigration, while the second electrolytic Cu portions provide an adhesion layer for a solder mask and serves as an oxidation protection layer. Some of the first electrolytic Cu may be masked by lithographic means to block formation of electrolytic Ni portions and second electrolytic Cu portions thereupon as needed. Optionally, the electrolytic Ni portions may be formed directly on electroless Cu layers.
US08232653B2
A wiring structure includes a conductive pattern on a substrate, a first insulation layer pattern between adjacent conductive patterns and a second insulation layer pattern on the first insulation layer pattern. The first insulation layer pattern is separated from the conductive pattern by a first distance to provide a first air gap. The second insulation layer pattern is spaced apart from the conductive pattern by a second distance substantially smaller than the first distance to provide a second air gap. The wiring structure may have a reduced parasitic capacitance while simplifying processes for forming the wiring structure.
US08232643B2
Lead free solder interconnections for integrated circuits. A copper column extends from an input/output terminal of an integrated circuit. A cap layer of material is formed on the input/output terminal of the integrated circuit. A lead free solder connector is formed on the cap layer. A substrate having a metal finish solder pad is aligned with the solder connector. An intermetallic compound is formed at the interface between the cap layer and the lead free solder connector. A solder connection is formed between the input/output terminal of the integrated circuit and the metal finish pad that is less than 0.5 weight percent copper, and the intermetallic compound is substantially free of copper.
US08232632B2
An electrical interconnect assembly for electrically interconnecting terminals on a first circuit member with terminals on a second circuit member. The electrical interconnect assembly includes a housing having a plurality of through openings extending between a first surface and a second surface. A plurality of composite contacts are positioned in a plurality of the through openings. The composite contacts include a conductive member having a central portion and at least first and second interface portions. One or more polymeric layers extend along at least the central portion conductive member. One or more coupling features on the composite contacts engage with the housing. At least one engagement feature formed in the polymeric layers proximate the first interface portion mechanically couples with the terminals on the first circuit member.
US08232631B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor package includes forming a protection layer on a support plate, stacking substrates on the protection layer, electrically connecting the substrates to each other, forming a molding layer on the support plate, and removing the support plate while the protection layer remains on the substrates. The stacked substrates are offset from adjacent substrates.
US08232630B2
Even when a mold part of an IC module is exposed from an opening provided in a substrate of an inlay, occurrence of malfunction, communication disorders or the like of the IC module due to the influence of an external impact or the like is prevented. By combining a sealing member including an insulating layer and an adhesive layer in a stacked manner to a shape covering a mold part of the IC module, occurrence of malfunction, communication disorders or the like of the IC module is prevented even if there is an influence of an external impact or the like. Meanwhile, by providing a sealing member, concentration of stress on the mold part in a line pressure test is alleviated by limiting the size of the sealing member, and also occurrence of cracks in the mold part can be prevented.
US08232626B2
An electronic or micromechanical device having first (11) and second (12) surfaces and a via extending through the device from the first surface to the second surface. The via comprises integrally formed first (84, 86), second (82) and third (88) portions. The first portion (84, 86) extends from the first surface (11) to the second surface (12). The second portion (82) extends over a part of the first surface (11) of the device. The third portion (88) extends over a part of the second surface (12) of the device. Preferably the first portion comprises first and second parts, the second part extending through an active region of the device and having a narrower width than the first part. A method of forming and filling the via is also disclosed.
US08232625B2
The present invention generally relates to a circuit structure and a method of manufacturing a circuit, and more specifically to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit with a through wafer via structure and a method of manufacture. An ESD structure includes an ESD active device and at least one through wafer via structure providing a low series resistance path for the ESD active device to a substrate. An apparatus includes an input, at least one power rail and an ESD circuit electrically connected between the input and the at least one power rail, wherein the ESD circuit comprises at least one through wafer via structure providing a low series resistance path to a substrate. A method, includes forming an ESD active device on a substrate, forming a ground plane on a backside of the substrate and forming at least one through wafer via electrically connected to a negative power supply of the ESD active device and the ground plane to provide a low series resistance path to the substrate.
US08232614B1
A package system includes a first substrate structure including at least one first conductive structure that is disposed over a first substrate. A second substrate structure includes a second substrate. The second substrate structure is bonded with the first substrate structure. The at least one first conductive structure is electrically coupled with the second substrate through at least one germanium-containing layer.
US08232611B2
Improved high quality gate dielectrics and methods of preparing such dielectrics are provided. Preferred dielectrics comprise a rare earth doped dielectric such as silicon dioxide or silicon oxynitride. In particular, cerium doped silicon dioxide shows an unexpectedly high charge-to-breakdown QBD, believed to be due to conversion of excess hot electron energy as photons, which reduces deleterious hot electron effects such as creation of traps or other damage. Rare earth doped dielectrics therefore have particular application as gate dielectrics or gate insulators for semiconductor devices such as floating gate MOSFETs, as used in as flash memories, which rely on electron injection and charge transfer and storage.
US08232607B2
A self-aligned gate cap dielectric can be employed to form a self-aligned contact to a diffusion region, while preventing electrical short with a gate conductor due to overlay variations. In one embodiment, an electroplatable or electrolessly platable metal is selectively deposited on conductive materials in a gate electrode, while the metal is not deposited on dielectric surfaces. The metal portion on top of the gate electrode is converted into a gate cap dielectric including the metal and oxygen. In another embodiment, a self-assembling monolayer is formed on dielectric surfaces, while exposing metallic top surfaces of a gate electrode. A gate cap dielectric including a dielectric oxide is formed on areas not covered by the self-assembling monolayer. The gate cap dielectric functions as an etch-stop structure during formation of a via hole, so that electrical shorting between a contact via structure formed therein and the gate electrode is avoided.
US08232606B2
A high-k dielectric and metal gate stack with minimal overlap with an adjacent oxide isolation region and related methods are disclosed. One embodiment of the gate stack includes a high dielectric constant (high-k) dielectric layer, a tuning layer and a metal layer positioned over an active region defined by an oxide isolation region in a substrate, wherein an outer edge of the high-k dielectric layer, the tuning layer and the metal layer overlaps the oxide isolation region by less than approximately 200 nanometers. The gate stack and related methods eliminate the regrowth effect in short channel devices by restricting the amount of overlap area between the gate stack and adjacent oxide isolation regions.
US08232601B1
The present invention relates a transient voltage suppressor (TVS) for directional ESD protection. The TVS includes: a conductivity type substrate; a first type lightly doped region, having a first type heavily doped region arranged therein; a second type lightly doped region, having a second type heavily doped region and a third type heavily doped region arranged therein; a third type lightly doped region, having a fourth type heavily doped region arranged therein; a plurality of closed isolation trenches, arranged on the conductivity type substrate, wherein at least one of the plurality of closed isolation trenches is neighbored one of the type lightly doped regions; and a first pin. Accordingly, the TVS of present invention may adaptively provide effective ESD protection under positive and negative ESD stresses, improve the efficiency of ESD protection within the limited layout area.
US08232595B2
In a high frequency amplifying MOSFET having a drain offset region, the size is reduced and the on-resistance is decreased by providing conductor plugs 13 (P1) for leading out electrodes on a source region 10, a drain region 9 and leach-through layers 3 (4), to which a first layer wirings 11a, 11d (M1) are connected and, further, backing second layer wirings 12a to 12d are connected on the conductor plugs 13 (P1) to the first layer wirings 11s, 11d (M1).
US08232591B2
An illuminating efficiency-increasable and light-erasable memory including a substrate, a memory device, many dielectric layers, and many cap layers is provided. The substrate includes a memory region. The memory device includes a select gate and a floating gate, and the select gate and the floating gate are disposed adjacently on the substrate in the memory region. The dielectric layers are disposed on the substrate and cover the memory device. The dielectric layers have an opening located above the floating gate. Each of the cap layers is disposed on each of the dielectric layers, respectively.
US08232586B2
A silicon photon detector device and methodology are provided for detecting incident photons in a partially depleted floating body SOI field-effect transistor (310) which traps charges created by visible and mid infrared light in a floating body region (304) when the silicon photon detector is configured in a detect mode, and then measures or reads the resulting enhanced drain current with a current detector in a read mode.
US08232585B2
Devices and methods for providing JFET transistors with improved operating characteristics are provided. Specifically, one or more embodiments of the present invention relate to JFET transistors with a higher diode turn-on voltage. For example, one or more embodiments include a JFET with a PIN gate stack. One or more embodiments also relate to systems and devices in which the improved JFET may be employed, as well as methods of manufacturing the improved JFET.
US08232574B2
A surface mount light emitting device package with mechanical latching means for locking a lens on to the package is provided. The surface mount light emitting package may include an encapsulation layer or a lens, a lead frame, at least one lead, a body, a die, and a layer of transparent gel encapsulant material. The lead frame may include at least one protrusion which is bent upward to from at least one latch for engaging the lens.
US08232569B2
A semiconductor light emitting device is provided. The semiconductor light emitting device comprises a conductive supporting member, an N-type semiconductor layer on the conductive supporting member; an active layer on the N-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer on the active layer, an ohmic contact layer on the P-type semiconductor layer, and an electrode on the ohmic contact layer.
US08232568B2
A light emitting device and method for making the same are disclosed. The device includes an active layer disposed between first and second layers. The first layer has top and bottom surfaces. The top surface includes a first material of a first conductivity type, including a plurality of pits in the substantially planar surface. The active layer overlies the top surface of the first layer and conforms to the top surface, the active layer generating light characterized by a wavelength when holes and electrons recombine therein. The second layer includes a second material of a second conductivity type, the second layer overlying the active layer and conforming to the active layer. The device can be constructed on a substrate having a lattice constant sufficiently different from that of the first material to give rise to dislocations in the first layer that are used to form the pits.
US08232558B2
An electronic device includes a silicon carbide drift region having a first conductivity type, a Schottky contact on the drift region, and a plurality of junction barrier Schottky (JBS) regions at a surface of the drift region adjacent the Schottky contact. The JBS regions have a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type and have a first spacing between adjacent ones of the JBS regions. The device further includes a plurality of surge protection subregions having the second conductivity type. Each of the surge protection subregions has a second spacing between adjacent ones of the surge protection subregions that is less than the first spacing.
US08232554B2
A transistor array substrate includes a substrate, plural pads, plural shorting bars, at least one pixel array, plural first wires, and plural second wires. The substrate has at least one panel region and a peripheral circuit region surrounding the panel region. The pads and the shorting bars are disposed in the peripheral circuit region. The pixel array, the first wires, and the second wires are disposed in the panel region. The panel region has a pair of first edges and a pair of second edges. The first edges are connected between the second edges. The shorting bars are connected to the pads. The first wires and the second wires are electrically connected to the pixel array. The first wires are connected to some shorting bars through one of the first edges. The second wires are connected to the other shorting bars through at least one second edge.
US08232553B2
A semiconductor device is protected from static electricity introduced through bump pads and probe test pads. The semiconductor device includes a bump pad through which data is inputted, a first electrostatic discharge unit configured to discharge static electricity introduced through the bump pad, a probe test pad through which data is inputted, the probe test pad having a larger size than the bump pad, a second electrostatic discharge unit configured to discharge static electricity introduced through the probe test pad, and an input buffer unit configured to buffer the data transferred through the bump pad or the probe test pad.
US08232550B2
Compositions that contain an organic semiconductor dissolved in a solvent mixture are described. More specifically, the solvent mixture includes an alkane having 9 to 16 carbon atoms in an amount equal to 1 to 20 weight percent and an aromatic compound in an amount equal to 80 to 99 weight percent. The semiconductor material is dissolved in the solvent mixture in an amount equal to at least 0.1 weight percent based on a total weight of the composition. Methods of making a semiconductor device using the compositions to form a semiconductor layer are also described.
US08232548B2
A light-emissive device is prepared by depositing a polymer layer on a substrate. The deposition process utilizes a formulation comprising a conjugated polymer dissolved in a solvent, the solvent including a trialkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon wherein at least two of the alkyl substituents are ortho to one another. The deposition of the polymer layer on the substrate may be accomplished by an ink-jet method.
US08232529B2
An idling time period after applying a bias to a conversion element until a start of an accumulation of the conversion element for deriving an image and an accumulation period from the start of the accumulation to a termination of the accumulation are measured. An offset correction of the image is conducted by using a dark current accumulation charge quantity in the accumulation calculated based on the measured idling time period and accumulation period and stored dark current response characteristics. Thus, even just after applying the bias to the conversion element, the offset correction can be properly conducted. An imaging apparatus which can execute a good radiographing without increasing costs and a size even just after applying the bias to the conversion element is provided.
US08232522B2
In the case of inspecting samples having different sizes by means of a semiconductor inspecting apparatus, a primary electron beam bends since distribution is disturbed on an equipotential surface at the vicinity of the sample at the time of inspecting vicinities of the sample, and what is called a positional shift is generated. A potential correcting electrode is arranged outside the sample and at a position lower than the sample lower surface, and a potential lower than that of the sample is applied. Furthermore, a voltage to be applied to the potential correcting electrode is controlled corresponding to a distance between the inspecting position and a sample outer end, sample thickness and irradiation conditions of the primary electron beam.
US08232520B2
The invention provides an ionization source for mass spectrometers named Universal Soft Ionization Source (USIS), wherein the ionization chamber combines various physical effects including InfraRed and UltraViolet normal or laser light, ultrasound, electrostatic potential and differential temperature to analyze polar, non-polar, low, medium or high molecular weight molecules, in order to ionize a variety of compounds.
US08232518B2
A method of characterizing surfaces comprises the steps of: directing a beam (2) of neutral atoms or molecules on a surface (3) for characterizing; and detecting in position-sensitive manner the neutral atoms or molecules of said beam that have been diffused forwards by said surface (3) for characterizing; the properties of said beam (2) being selected in such a manner that at least some of said neutral atoms or molecules that are diffused forwards are diffractive by said surface for characterizing.A device for implementing such a method comprises means (1) for generating such a beam (2) of neutral atoms or molecules and position-sensitive detector means (4) for detecting the neutral atoms or molecules that are diffused forwards by said surface (3) for characterizing.
US08232509B2
The invention provides a retainer system for retaining a positive temperature coefficient resistor in a heater housing shaft having a shaft side wall. The retainer system includes a base, a spring, and shaft engagement means. The spring is formed in and spaced apart from the base. The spring extends radially outwardly from a longitudinal axis of the base and the spring has a neck that curves radially backwardly, spaced apart from the base and toward the longitudinal axis of the base. The spring also has a contact surface presented outwardly, away from the base. The shaft engagement means are for engaging the shaft side wall and securing the base within the shaft at a desired distance from the resistor. The retainer system can be secured within the shaft with the spring flexed to a desired extent and with the contact surface urged against the resistor to retain the resistor in the shaft.
US08232503B2
In a laser annealing system for workpieces such as semiconductor wafers, a pyrometer wavelength response band is established within a narrow window lying between the laser emission band and a fluorescence emission band from the optical components of the laser system, the pyrometer response band lying in a wavelength region at which the optical absorber layer on the workpiece has an optical absorption coefficient as great as or greater than the underlying workpiece. A multi-layer razor-edge interference filter having a 5-8 nm wavelength cut-off edge transition provides the cut-off of the laser emission at the bottom end of the pyrometer response band.
US08232497B2
A relief valve for discharging a dielectric gas between two volumes (V1, V2) of a high-voltage or medium-voltage interrupting chamber. There is used as a closure member a flexible metal blade secured to the body, the closure member therefore being opened by deformation of the flexible blade from a closed position (FIG. 1) in which it is pressed against a closure member seat formed in the body to a fully open position in which it fits closely against a stop member secured to the valve body while remaining within its elastic limit, the open passage for the gas being open in this fully open position (FIG. 1A) and the return of the blade from its fully open position to its closed position being possible because of its flexibility.
US08232494B2
A keyboard, wherein an opposing force generated between two magnet faces of the same polarity is used to return each key button to its original position after being pressed. As a result, the keyboard can be made capable of withstanding harsh environments while offering a satisfactory tactile response for the user.
US08232472B1
An early streamer emission terminal is disclosed. According to embodiments, the early streamer emission terminal creates an upward propagating streamer earlier than conventional lightning protection systems and/or devices. In particular, the early streamer emission terminal collects ground charges during an initial phase of thunderstorm development. When a thunderstorm begins to generate downward step leaders, the ambient electric field around a grounded lightning protection system induces current into the grounded lightning protection system. The induced current is a flow of negative charge toward the ground, while a positive charge is released to form an upward streamer. The construction of the early streamer emission terminal triggers the flow of positive upward charge microseconds earlier than traditional lightning rods or other similar devices.
US08232466B2
A sound generating device for being removably securable to or directly about a person's hand or finger for producing sound when the hand is reciprocally moved. The device includes a sound generating portion secured or securable to an attachment portion, where the attachment portion is securable to or directly about the hand or finger. Preferably, the sound is percussive caused by components of the device striking each other upon rapid and repeated reciprocal hand movement. The device is light in weight, does not require striking the hand or finger or other portion of the body, and is shaped and contoured to conform to hand shape, and preferably includes an adjustable attachment portion to adapt to differing sizes and shapes of hands and fingers; the device also may be modular, wherein the attachment portion may comprise a plurality of differing sizes of mounting structures for the same sound generating portion.
US08232462B1
A soybean cultivar designated S100300 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S100300, to the plants of soybean cultivar S100300, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar S100300, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar S100300. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S100300. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S100300, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar S100300 with another soybean cultivar.
US08232448B2
This application is in the field of sialic acid chemistry, metabolism, antigenicity, and the production of transgenic non-human mammals with altered sialic acid production. More particularly, this application relates to N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) being an immunogen in humans, and the production of Neu5Gc-free mammalian products for laboratory and human use.
US08232447B2
It is an object to provide a gene-modified non-human animal having inactivated MGAT2 gene and a gene-modified non-human animal cell, which are useful for the search of the function of MGAT2 in vivo. It is another object to provide a method for screening of a compound capable of inhibiting the activity of MGAT2 and a compound capable of inhibiting the activity of MGAT2. It is further another object to provide a method for detecting a disease induced by abnormal lipid metabolism based on the expression level or activity of MGAT2. A method for screening of a compound by using a gene-modified non-human mammal having the artificially inhibited expression of MGAT2 gene and a cell thereof enable to prevent or treat a disease induced by abnormal lipid metabolism. Also a screening of a compound capable of inhibiting or enhancing the function of MGAT2 enables to prevent or treat a disease induced by abnormal lipid metabolism.
US08232437B2
Unleaded blend compositions, as well as formulated gasolines containing them have a Motor Octane Number (MON) of at least 80 comprising either: (i) component (a) at least 5% (by volume of the total composition) of at least one hydrocarbon having the following formula I R—CH2—CH(CH3)—C(CH3)2—CH3 I wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, especially triptane, or (ii) at least 2% of component (a′), which is at least one branched chain alkane of MON value of at least 90 and of boiling point 15-160° C. or a substantially aliphatic hydrocarbon refinery stream, of MON value of at least 85, at least 70% in total of said stream being branched chain alkanes, said stream being obtainable or obtained by distillation from a refinery material as a cut having Initial Boiling Point of at least 15° C. and Final Boiling Point of at most 160° C., said Boiling Points being measured according to ASTMD2892, or (iii) at least 10% of component (a″), which is at least one branched chain alkane of 8-12 carbons with at least 4 methyl or ethyl branches The components (a), (a′) and (a″) give rise to reduced emissions to the composition or gasoline on combustion.
US08232435B2
The present disclosure relates to a new and efficient manufacturing process for the production of HFC-1225ye. The process involves contacting at least one hexafluoropropane selected from the group consisting of 1,1,1,2,2,3-hexafluoropropane and 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane with a suitable catalyst in a reactor to obtain a product mixture containing HFC-1225ye (1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene) where the pressure in the reactor ranges from about 0.5 psig to about 100 psig.
US08232434B2
A novel process for producing a fluoroalkyl iodide telomer is provided, which is able to obtain a fluoroalkyl iodide telomer having a desired chain length, efficiently.A fluoroalkyl iodide represented by the general formula RfI (wherein Rf is a C1-10 fluoroalkyl group) and tetrafluoroethylene are used as a telogen and a taxogen, respectively. These compounds are supplied to a distillation apparatus. In a reaction zone located in an intermediate part of the distillation apparatus, the compounds are subjected to a telomerization reaction in the presence of a metal catalyst with heating to generate a fluoroalkyl iodide telomer represented by the general formula Rf(CF2CF2)nI (wherein Rf is the same as defined above and n is an integer of 1-4). Thereafter, a fraction comprising the fluoroalkyl iodide telomer is separated by distillation.
US08232433B2
The present invention is intended to provide a catalyst which is for synthesizing butanol from ethanol at a high selectivity and which comprises strontium phosphate apatite having the Sr/P atomic ratio of 1.5-2.0, and the synthesis method.
US08232430B2
The present disclosure relates to a method for the stereoselective production of cis-4-tertbutylcyclohexanol comprising contacting 4-tert-butylcyclohexanone with hydrogen gas, a catalyst comprising a ruthenium-aminophosphine complex and a base, wherein the complex is of the formula RuX2(PNH2)a(P2)b (I), wherein X is anionic ligand, (PNH2) represents an aminophosphine ligand of the formula (II) R1R2P-L-NH2 and (P2) represents a diphosphine ligand of the formula (III) R3R4P-L-PR5R6.
US08232423B2
Anionic acid-labile surfactants may generally comprise compounds represented by the formula: wherein R1 is independently selected from —(CH2)0-9CH3, R2 is selected from the group consisting of —H and —(CH2)0-5CH3, Y is an anion, X is a cation, and n is an integer from 1 to 8. Methods of making and using the anionic acid-labile surfactants are also described. The anionic acid-labile surfactants may be used to facilitate the solubilization of proteins and other molecules in an aqueous environment.
US08232422B2
This invention relates to the discovery of functionalized triclosan monomers and oligomers that, when incorporated into a substrate of, or applied as part of a coating to, medical devices and/or consumer products may extend the duration of antimicrobial properties to the medical devices and/or consumer products.
US08232413B2
The present invention relates to a process for the production of crystalline particles of a glucagon receptor antagonist compound. The process includes the steps of generating microseeds and subjecting the microseeds to a crystallization process. The resulting crystalline particles have a mean particle size of less than about 100 mm. The present invention also provides for a pharmaceutical composition which includes the crystalline particles produced by the method described herein and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
US08232410B2
The present invention relates to novel benzimidazole derivatives and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Another aspect of the invention relates to methods of treating a patient infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Francisella tulerensis by administering to the patient a benzimidazole derivative or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US08232402B2
Novel quinolinone farnesyl transferase inhibitors are provided. These new compounds are useful in the treatment or prevention of synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson's Disease, Diffuse Lewy Body Disease, multiple system atrophy, and disorders of brain iron concentration including pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (e.g., PANK1), or other neurodegenerative/neurological diseases. Provided compounds are also useful in the treatment of proliferative diseases such as cancer, and in the treatment of neurological diseases, such as cognitive impairment, depression, and anxiety. The treatment including administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of an inventive farnesyl transferase inhibitor compound.
US08232397B2
The present invention provides process for the production of opiate alkaloids. In particular, the present invention provides processes for the production of buprenorphine or a derivative of buprenorphine that minimizes the formation of impurities.
US08232393B2
An electron transport material based on fused aromatic electron-deficient compounds. The accumulation of aromatic rings with an electron deficiency allows free-radical anions to be stabilized very efficiently in these systems.
US08232384B2
An antisense molecule capable of binding to a selected target site to induce exon skipping in the dystrophin gene, as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 to 202.
US08232380B2
Regulatory regions suitable for directing the expression of a heterologous polynucleotide under light conditions in which the red/far red ratio is less than 1 are described, as well as nucleic acid constructs that include these regulatory regions. Also disclosed are transgenic plants that contain such constructs and methods of producing such transgenic plants.
US08232378B2
Compositions and methods for identifying inhibitors of RNA-target molecule interactions are provided as well as identifying inhibitors that block the role of tRNA in protein synthesis. The methods involve forming a mixture comprising a tRNA fragment molecule containing a modified nucleotide, a target molecule capable of binding to the tRNA fragment, and a test compound. The mixture is incubated under conditions that allow binding of the tRNA and the target molecule in the absence of the test compound. Assays can then be performed that detect whether or not the test compound inhibits the binding of the tRNA molecule and the target molecule. High throughput assays are also provided.
US08232375B2
Disclosed is an azo compound represented by the formula (1) or (2) or a salt thereof. The azo compound or the salt thereof has an excellent light-polarizing property, and is extremely useful as a dichroic dye for use in a polarizing plate that shows less color leakage in a visible light range or a polarizing plate for a liquid crystal projector comprising the aforementioned polarizing plate. (1) (2) wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a hydroxyl group, a sulfonate group or a carboxyl group; R2 to R5 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group or an acetylamino group; X represents a benzoylamino group which may have a substituent, a phenylamino group which may have a substituent, a phenylazo group which may have a substituent, or a naphthotriazole group which may have a substituent; m represents a numeral number of 1 or 2; and n represents a numeral number of 0 or 1.
US08232374B2
The invention includes a process for extracting a heterologous target protein from Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells that includes lowering the pH of a whole E. coli cell solution to form an acidic solution, disrupting the cells to release the protein into the acidic solution, and separating the cellular debris from the released protein to obtain a protein product enriched in the heterologous target protein. The invention also includes addition of a solubility enhancer.
US08232370B2
The present invention relates to a novel bacteriophage-originated protein having antimicrobial activity, more precisely an antimicrobial protein originated from lytic bacteriophage having killing activity specific to Staphylococcus aureus which is the causing agent of infectious diseases in human and animals, a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention and treatment of the disease caused by Staphylococcus aureus, an antibiotic and a disinfectant containing the bacteriophage-originated antimicrobial protein as an active ingredient.
US08232356B2
A method is described for producing an aqueous thickener dispersion from a monomer composition made of at least one ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrophobic monomer, (i) an at least partially polymerized pre-emulsion being produced from 10 to 80 wt.-% of said monomer composition, and (ii) the residual quantity of said monomer composition being added completely to the at least partially polymerized pre-emulsion and initiating a radical polymerization. The monomer composition preferably also comprises an associative monomer. The method avoids disadvantages of batch polymerization, such as inadequate batch-to-batch reproducibility and safety problems.
US08232354B2
The present invention provides the method for producing a polylactic acid resin composition, including steps (1) and (2)step (1): adding the polycarbodiimide cross-linking agent to the polylactic acid resin to cross-link the polylactic acid resin; andstep (2): mixing the cross-linked polylactic acid resin prepared in the step (1) with the uncross-linked polylactic acid resin.
US08232352B2
There are provided a rubber composition simultaneously improving low loss factor and wear resistance as compared with the conventional ones as well as a tire using such a rubber composition.The invention lies in a rubber composition using a modified conjugated diene rubber and being excellent in the low loss factor and wear resistance as well as a tire. The rubber composition of the invention is formed by compounding a filler to a rubber component containing (A) a modified conjugated diene rubber having a cis-bond content in conjugated diene portion of not less than 87% and a vinyl bond content of not more than 2% and containing a functional group reactive with a filler and (B) a modified polymer having a modifying functional group number per 1 molecule of an unmodified polymer of not less than 0.6.
US08232347B2
A high-quality oxygen-absorbing resin composition which is obtained without suffering resin scorching. Also provided are pellets for the oxygen-absorbing resin composition which comprise a thermoplastic resin (A) and an oxidation catalyst. After the pellets are mixed with a trigger resin and a thermoplastic resin (C), the trigger resin functions as a trigger to cause the oxidation of the thermoplastic resins (A) and (C) to proceed. As a result, the resultant composition absorbs oxygen.
US08232344B2
According to the present invention, there can be provided a structure preventing the nonspecific adsorption, and a target substance-detecting element and a target substance-detecting kit. A first aspect of the present invention is a structure including: a substrate; and a membrane, present on the surface of the substrate, having a polymer of a monomer represented by the following General Formula (1) or (2): (wherein R represents H or CH3; x represents an integer of 2 to 5, and y represents an integer of 1 to 7, with the proviso that x+y=an integer of 3 to 10), and (wherein R1═H or CH3, and R2 represents O or NH; a represents an integer of 2 to 5, and b represents an integer of 1 to 7, with the proviso that a+b=an integer of 3 to 10).
US08232343B2
An environmentally-friendly polylactic acid resin composition includes (A) a mixed resin including (a1) a polylactic acid (PLA) resin and (a2) a polycarbonate resin, and (B) a compatibilizer capable of forming a stereo-complex with the polylactic acid resin. According to the present invention, the polylactic acid resin composition is environmentally-friendly and has excellent appearance and improved welding impact strength, as well as improved mechanical strength and heat resistance. Accordingly, it can be used for manufacturing various molded products requiring heat resistance and mechanical strength, for example electronic parts, office machines, miscellaneous goods, and the like.
US08232342B2
One aspect of the invention relates to a transparent ABS resin composition having excellent impact resistance and flowability, which comprises about 10 to about 50 parts by weight of a rubber/(meth)acrylate-aromatic vinyl-unsaturated nitrile graft copolymer; about 50 to about 90 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin matrix; and about 0.2 to about 0.5 parts by weight of a fluidizer, per 100 parts by weight of a base resin comprising the rubber/(meth)acrylate-aromatic vinyl-unsaturated nitrile graft copolymer and the thermoplastic resin matrix.
US08232340B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a rubber composition having high breaking strength, excellent in bead durability without the generation of rubber cracking during mounting and demounting of the rim, and excellent in fuel efficiency.The present invention relates a rubber composition for a chafer comprising: (A) a diene rubber comprising (A1) 10 to 60% by mass of a butadiene rubber containing 2.5 to 20% by mass of a 1,2-syndiotactic polybutadiene crystal, (A2) 5 to 50% by mass of a tin-modified butadiene rubber polymerized with a lithium initiator and having 50 to 3000 ppm content of tin atoms, 5 to 50% by mass of vinyl bond amount and a molecular weight distribution of at most 2.0, and (A3) 20 to 75% by mass of a diene rubber other than the butadiene rubber (A1) and the tin-modified butadiene rubber (A2); and (B) 5 to 30 parts by mass of silica (B) based on 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber components, wherein elongation at break of the rubber composition for a chafer is at least 280%.
US08232339B2
A molded fibrous basic magnesium sulfate filler-containing olefin polymer composition product is produced by a process comprising the steps of preparing a fibrous basic magnesium sulfate tiller-containing master batch composition which comprises an olefin polymer, a fibrous basic magnesium sulfate filler, an elastomer, a specific lubricant and a specific filler-surface treating agent; mixing the master batch composition and a propylene polymer-containing diluent resin; kneading the resulting mixture in a molten state; and molding the molten mixture to give the molded product.
US08232324B2
A curable resin composition comprising (a) a compound having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and at least one ion conductive group, (b) a compound having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups, (c) an organosilicon compound having at least two SiH groups, (d) a platinum group catalyst, and (e) a solvent is dried and cured by heating into a cured film having excellent ionic conduction and serving as electrolyte membrane. The electrolyte membrane and an electrolyte membrane/electrode assembly satisfy fuel cell-related properties including ionic conduction and film strength as well as productivity.
US08232318B2
The invention provides methods for the treatment of cancer in a subject by the administration of myrsinoic acid A and/or one or more myrsinoic acid A analogs.
US08232316B2
This invention pertains generally to prostacyclin analogs and methods for their use in promoting vasodilation, inhibiting platelet aggregation and thrombus formation, stimulating thrombolysis, inhibiting cell proliferation (including vascular remodeling), providing cytoprotection, preventing atherogenesis and inducing angiogenesis. Generally, the compounds and methods of the present invention increase the oral bioavailability and circulating concentrations of treprostinil when administered orally. Compounds of the present invention have the following formula:
US08232313B2
The present invention discloses pharmaceutical compositions containing 1-methyl-D-tryptophan and its utility to enhance rejection of tumor or virus-infected cells or to delay the progression of tumor growth. The present invention shows that pharmaceutical compositions containing 1-methyl-D-tryptophan enhance the efficacy of alternative antitumor or antiviral treatments such as chemotherapy, vaccination or cytokine therapy.
US08232303B1
Disclosed are fluorescent compounds useful as intracellular pH probes. In particular, the invention teaches a two-photon absorbing, water soluble, fluorescent compound, a fluorene derivative, which is effective as a near-neutral pH indicator and particularly as an intracellular probe. A method for chemical synthesis of the claimed compounds is provided.
US08232302B2
The present invention relates to modulators of ATP-Binding Cassette (“ABC”) transporters or fragments thereof, including Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (“CFTR”), compositions thereof, and methods therewith. The present invention also relates to methods of treating ABC transporter mediated diseases using such modulators.
US08232299B2
The present invention relates to compounds that are suitable for treatment of disease states and influence cellular vesicular systems, especially the formation and/or function of lipid droplets, said compound having the general formula I (I) wherein X are each independently hydrogen, halogen, —C1-20-alkyl, —C2-20-alkenyl, —C2-20-alkinyl, —C5-6-cykloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, adamantyl, heterocyclic, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, Or —N—(R1, R2) group; n is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; R1 and R2 may each be independently hydrogen, straight or branching alkyl, cyclo-alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heterocyclic group, wherein each is un-substituted or halogen substituted; or R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen in between them form a 5 or 6 member ring; A is a single bond, —O—, —S—, —CH2-, or —NH—; Y is O or S; Z is O or S; R′ and R″ are each independently methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, isobuthyl, sec-butyl or terc-butyl; with the restriction that: X(n) cannot all be fluorine, and A be a single bond, and Y, as well as Z be O, and R′, as well as R″ be isopropyl, and R1 and R2 be hydrogen at the same time. The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and to use of such compounds for treatment of disease states.
US08232296B2
6-Methyl-5-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-N-{[5-(methylsulfonyl)pyridin-2-yl]methyl}-2-oxo-1-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1,2-dihydropyridine-3-carboxamide 4-methylbenzenesulfonate and a novel crystalline form thereof are disclosed together with processes for preparing such salt and form, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such a salt and form, and the methods of treatment using such a salt and form.
US08232291B2
Novel heterocyclic aromatic compounds are provided that are useful in stimulating endogenous production or release of growth hormone, said compounds having the general structure of formula I wherein R1, R1′, R2, R3, R4, Xa, Y, Z and n are as described herein. The compounds provided herein are useful in treating obesity, osteoporosis (improving bone density) and in improving muscle mass and muscle strength.
US08232290B2
The present application is directed to novel P2X7R antagonists that are indol-3-carboxamide or azaindole-3-carboxamide compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same and their use for the prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of diseases mediated by P2X7R activity.
US08232287B2
It is intended to provide a pyrimidyl indoline compound which structurally differs from compounds used as active ingredients in conventional oral hypoglycemic agents and has excellent hypoglycemic effect. The present invention provides a compound represented by the general formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:
US08232281B2
The specification describes the use of selected DPP IV inhibitors for the treatment of physiological functional disorders and for reducing the risk of the occurrence of such functional disorders in at-risk patient groups. In addition, the use of the above-mentioned DPP IV inhibitors in conjunction with other active substances is described, by means of which improved treatment outcomes can be achieved. These applications may be used to prepare corresponding medicaments.
US08232278B2
Specifically substituted pyrido(3,2-d)pyrimidine derivatives having the structural formula (I) are useful for the treatment of hepatitis C.
US08232275B2
Compounds which are active against viruses have the following formulas: wherein B is a purine or pyrimidine heterocyclic ring or base. In a preferred embodiment, the purine include 6-aminopurine (adenine), 6-hydroxypurine (hypoxanthine), 2-amino-6-hydroxypurine (guanine), 2,6-diamino-purine, 2-amino-6-azidopurine, 2-amino-6-halo substituted purines such as 2-amino-6-chloropurine, 2-amino-6-fluoropurine, 2-amino-6-alkoxypurines such as 2-amino-6-methoxypurine, 2-amino-6-cyclopropylaminopurine, 2-amino-6-alkylamino or 2-amino-6-dialkylamino substituted purines, 2-amino-6-thiopurine, 2-amino-6-alkylthio substituted purines, 3-deazapurines, 7-deazapurines and 8-azapurines. The pyrimidine incorporates cytosine, uracil and thymine, 5-halo substituted cytosines and uracils, 5-alkyl substituted cytosines and uracils including derivatives with a saturated or unsaturated alkyl group and 6-azapyrimidines.
US08232274B2
Disclosed is a set of compounds useful as glucan synthase inhibitors having the generic structure of Formula I: wherein the various moieties A, D, R6, etc., are as defined in the specification. These compounds are useful in treating or preventing fungal infections in a patient.
US08232270B2
The present invention belongs to pharmaceutical field. It relates to a novel family of bivalent (−)-meptazinol compounds and/or their salts, as well as the preparation and utilization of the compounds in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and dementias such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In the present invention, bivalent (−)-meptazinol compounds were synthesized, from the starting material (−)-meptazinol, successively by N-demethylation forming (−)-nor-meptazinol and then by acylation with α,ω-alkanediacyl dihalides or alkylation with α,ω-dihaloalkanes. Results from in vitro cholinesterase inhibiting test and AChE-induced Aβ aggregation test demonstrated that the bivalent (−)-meptazinol compounds and/or their salts were novel bivalent inhibitors of both AChE and Aβ aggregation. The most potent compound inhibited both AChE and BChE at nM level, which was 10000 and 1500 times more potent than (−)-MEP hydrochloride, respectively. It inhibited AChE-induced Aβ aggregation by a factor of 2 compared with propidium.
US08232268B2
The present invention provides β-methyl carbapenem compounds and pharmaceutical compositions useful in the treatment of bacterial infections and methods for treating such infections using such compounds and/or compositions. The invention includes administering an effective amount of a carbapenem compound or salt and/or prodrug thereof to a host in need of such a treatment. The present invention is also in the field of synthetic organic chemistry and is specifically provides an improved method of synthesis of β-methyl carbapenems which are useful as antibacterial agents.
US08232265B2
Disclosed are ionic liquids and methods of preparing ionic liquid compositions of active pharmaceutical, biological, nutritional, and energetic ingredients. Also disclosed are methods of using the compositions described herein to overcome polymorphism, overcome solubility and delivery problems, to control release rates, add functionality, enhance efficacy (synergy), and improve ease of use and manufacture.
US08232242B2
The present invention relates to treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases with mammal beta defensins.
US08232237B2
A cleaning article comprises a substrate in the form of a wipe loaded with a cleaning agent and loaded with a heat generating agent which generates heat when the wipe is exposed to water.
US08232236B2
The claims encompass hard surface cleaner and hard surface treatment compositions containing particular ampholytic polymers which impart not only good residual cleaning properties but in particular give fast drying properties to the cleaning compositions. The polymers are for example terpolymers formed from diallydialkyammonium chloride, anionic monomers and N,N di-C1-C8 alkyl(meth)acrylamides.
US08232231B2
A stabilized herbicidal composition, comprising a fenoxaprop ester herbicide, a salt of 2,4-D, a salt of MCPP-P and a salt of Dicamba, which may also optionally contain additional stabilizers such as triethylamine. Also disclosed is a stabilized herbicidal composition comprising a fenoxaprop ester herbicide in combination with a bromoxynil mixed ester herbicide. The stabilized herbicidal compositions of the present invention may also contain one or more surfactants and/or safeners.
US08232220B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing an artificial lightweight aggregate containing bottom ash. The method includes the steps of: (a) mixing 100 parts by weight of clay and 10-100 parts by weight of bottom ash to obtain a mixture; (b) extrusion-molding the mixture by using an extruder and cutting the extrusion-molded mixture to form a molded article; (c) drying the molded article by using a rotary drier; and (d) sintering the dried article at 1050-1150° C. for 15-45 minutes to produce the artificial lightweight aggregate. The aggregate produced according to the invention is lightweight, cost-effective, and has uniform water absorption.
US08232219B2
The present invention relates to a dielectric ceramic composition comprises a main component including a dielectric oxide having a composition shown by [(Ca1-xSrx)O]m[(Zr1-y-z-αTiyHf2Mnα)O2], note that, 0.991≦m≦1.010, 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦0.1, 0
US08232217B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device has supplying a first reactant gas into buffer chamber provided in a reaction chamber of the film deposition apparatus to form a first film over an inner wall surface of the buffer chamber, and supplying a second reactant gas into the reaction chamber to form a second film over a semiconductor substrate.
US08232210B2
A method of forming an integrated circuit (IC) device feature includes forming an initially substantially planar hardmask layer over a semiconductor device layer to be patterned; forming a first photoresist layer over the hardmask layer; patterning a first set of semiconductor device features in the first photoresist layer; registering the first set of semiconductor device features in the hardmask layer in a manner that maintains the hardmask layer substantially planar; removing the first photoresist layer; forming a second photoresist layer over the substantially planar hardmask layer; patterning a second set of semiconductor device features in the second photoresist layer; registering the second set of semiconductor device features in the hardmask layer in a manner that maintains the hardmask layer substantially planar; removing the second photoresist layer; and creating topography within the hardmask layer by removing portions thereof corresponding to both the first and second sets of semiconductor device features.
US08232203B2
A method of manufacturing a memory device is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate, forming a number of memory sectors on the substrate, wherein each of the memory sectors is coupled to an adjacent one via a first diffused region in the substrate and is coupled to another adjacent one via at least one second diffused region in the substrate, forming a first dielectric layer on the memory sectors, forming a first conductive structure through the first dielectric layer to the first diffused region, and at least one second conductive structure through the first dielectric layer to the at least one second diffused region, forming a patterned first mask layer on the first dielectric layer, the first conductive structure and the at least one second conductive structure, the patterned first mask layer exposing the first conductive structure, and etching back the first conductive structure.
US08232191B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including forming a gate insulating film and a gate electrode over a Si substrate; forming a recess in the Si substrate at both sides of the gate electrode; forming a first Si layer including Ge in the recess; forming an interlayer over the first Si layer; forming a second Si layer including Ge over the interlayer; wherein the interlayer is composed of Si or Si including Ge, and a Ge concentration of the interlayer is less than a Ge concentration of the first Si layer and a Ge concentration of the second Si layer.
US08232185B2
There is provided a method that allows semiconductor chips to be obtained from a semiconductor wafer at high yield, while sufficiently inhibiting generation of chip cracks and burrs. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor chip comprises a step of preparing a laminated body having a semiconductor wafer, an adhesive film for a semiconductor and dicing tape laminated in that order, the semiconductor wafer being partitioned into multiple semiconductor chips and notches being formed from the semiconductor wafer side so that at least a portion of the adhesive film for a semiconductor remains uncut in its thickness direction, and a step of stretching out the dicing tape in a direction so that the multiple semiconductor chips are separated apart, to separate the adhesive film for a semiconductor along the notches. The adhesive film for a semiconductor has a tensile breaking elongation of less than 5% and the tensile breaking elongation of less than 110% of the elongation at maximum load.
US08232174B2
The present disclosure provides a method for controlled formation of the resistive switching layer in a resistive switching device. The method comprises providing a substrate (2) comprising the bottom electrode (10), providing on the substrate a dielectric layer (4) comprising a recess (7) containing the metal for forming the resistive layer (11), providing on the substrate a dielectric layer (5) comprising an opening (8) exposing the metal of the recess, and forming the resistive layer in the recess and in the opening.
US08232167B2
A method of fabricating transistors on a semiconductor substrate includes forming transistor gates of first and second transistors located in first and second areas of the semiconductor substrate, respectively. The transistor gates have generally vertical sidewalls. Source and drain regions are simultaneously formed for the first and second transistors. Temporary spacers are formed on the vertical sidewalls of the first and second transistor gates. The temporary spacers of the first transistor abut a semiconductor structure such that the source and drain regions of the first transistor are vertically covered. The temporary spacers of the second transistor cover a portion of the source and drain regions of the second transistor such that a portion of the source and drain regions remain exposed. The semiconductor substrate is exposed to an implant dopant to change the dopant level of the exposed portions of the source and drain regions of the second transistors.
US08232165B2
A semiconductor structure includes an n-channel field effect transistor (NFET) nanowire, the NFET nanowire comprising a film wrapping around a core of the NFET nanowire, the film wrapping configured to provide tensile stress in the NFET nanowire. A method of making a semiconductor structure includes growing a film wrapping around a core of an n-channel field effect transistor (NFET) nanowire of the semiconductor structure, the film wrapping being configured to provide tensile stress in the NFET nanowire.
US08232164B2
Disclosed is a damascene method for forming a semiconductor structure and the resulting semiconductor structure having multiple fin-shaped channel regions with different widths. In the method, fin-shaped channel regions are etched using differently configured isolating caps as masks to define the different widths. For example, a wide width isolating cap can comprise a dielectric body positioned laterally between dielectric spacers and can be used as a mask to define a relatively wide width channel region; a medium width isolating cap can comprise a dielectric body alone and can be used as a mask to define a medium width channel region and/or a narrow width isolating cap can comprise a dielectric spacer alone and can be used as a mask to define a relatively narrow width channel region. These multiple fin-shaped channel regions with different widths can be incorporated into either multiple multi-gate field effect transistors (MUGFETs) or a single MUGFET.
US08232162B2
A method of forming a deep trench structure for a semiconductor device includes forming a mask layer over a semiconductor substrate. An opening in the mask layer is formed by patterning the mask layer, and a deep trench is formed in the semiconductor substrate using the patterned opening in the mask layer. A sacrificial fill material is formed over the mask layer and into the deep trench. A first portion of the sacrificial fill material is recessed from the deep trench and a first dopant implant forms a first doped region in the semiconductor substrate. A second portion of the sacrificial fill material is recessed from the deep trench and a second dopant implant forms a second doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second doped region is formed underneath the first doped region such that the second doped region and the first doped region are contiguous with each other.
US08232159B2
A phase change memory device having buried conduction lines directly underneath phase change memory cells is presented. The phase change memory device includes buried conduction lines buried in a semiconductor substrate and phase change memory cells arranged on top of the buried conductive lines. By having the buried conduction lines directly underneath the phase change memory cells, the resultant device can realize a considerable reduction in size.
US08232156B2
Vertical heterojunction bipolar transistors with reduced base-collector junction capacitance, as well as fabrication methods for vertical heterojunction bipolar transistors and design structures for BiCMOS integrated circuits. The vertical heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a barrier layer between the intrinsic base and the extrinsic base that blocks or reduces diffusion of a dopant from the extrinsic base to the intrinsic base. The barrier layer has at least one opening that permits direct contact between the intrinsic base and a portion of the extrinsic base disposed in the opening.
US08232151B2
A plurality of gate structures are formed on a substrate. Each of the gate structures includes a first gate electrode and source and drain regions. The first gate electrode is removed from each of the gate structures. A first photoresist is applied to block gate structures having source regions in a source-down direction. A first halo implantation is performed in gate structures having source regions in a source-up direction at a first angle. The first photoresist is removed. A second photoresist is applied to block gate structures having source regions in a source-up direction. A second halo implantation is performed in gate structures having source regions in a source-down direction at a second angle. The second photoresist is removed. Replacement gate electrodes are formed in each of the gate structures.
US08232147B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) and a fabricating method thereof are provided. The TFT includes a channel layer, an ohmic contact layer, a dielectric layer, a source, a drain, a gate, and a gate insulating layer. The channel layer has an upper surface and a sidewall. The ohmic contact layer is disposed on a portion of the upper surface of the channel layer. The dielectric layer is disposed on the sidewall of the channel layer, and does not overlap with the ohmic contact layer. The source and the drain are disposed on portions of the ohmic contact layer and the dielectric layer. A portion of dielectric layer is not covered by the source or the drain. The gate is above or below the channel layer. The gate insulating layer is disposed between the gate and the channel layer.
US08232139B1
Integrated structures having high performance CMOS active devices mounted on passive devices are provided. The structure includes an integrated passive device chip having a plurality of through wafer vias, mounted to a ground plane. The structure further includes at least one CMOS device mounted on the integrated passive device chip using flip chip technology and being grounded to the ground plane through the through wafer vias of the integrated passive device chip.
US08232136B2
The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for micro-patterning organic layers of OLEDs. The disclosed methods do not require applying pressure to the film, nor do they require heat treatment, surface treatment or fast release rate of a stamp from the substrate. The disclosed methods are particularly advantageous over the conventional shadow masking techniques for providing large array fabrication with small features. In one embodiment of the disclosure, one or more organic films are selected for the OLED as a function of their individual or combined sublimation temperature. The material is selected in view of the depth and shape of the features that are to be formed in the organic layer. The disclosed embodiments can provide minimum feature size of 13 μm which is suitable for high resolution OLED displays.
US08232130B2
The invention relates to a process of bonding by molecular adhesion of two layers, such as wafers of semiconductor material, wherein propagation of a first bonding wave is initiated from a pressure point applied to at least one of the two layers, and wherein the first bonding wave step is followed by propagating a second bonding wave over an area, for example, in the vicinity of the pressure point. Propagation of the second bonding wave may be obtained through the interposing of a separation element between the two wafers and the withdrawal of the element, for example, after the beginning of the first bonding wave propagation.
US08232126B2
A manufacturing method for a micromechanical component, a corresponding composite component, and a corresponding micromechanical component are described. The method has the following steps: providing a first composite of a plurality of semiconductor chips, the first composite having first front and back surfaces; providing a second composite of a corresponding plurality of carrier substrates, the second composite having second front and back surfaces; imprinting a structured adhesion promoter layer on the first front and/or second front surfaces, the layer having degassing channels; aligning the first front and second front surfaces corresponding to a plurality of micromechanical components, each having a semiconductor chip and a corresponding carrier substrate; connecting the first front and second front surfaces via the structured adhesion promoter layer by applying pressure so that a gas from the ambient atmosphere is able to escape to the outside through the degassing channels; and separating the micromechanical components.
US08232119B2
A method for manufacturing a heat dissipation bulk of a semiconductor device including the following steps is described. An electrically conductive layer is formed to cover a surface of a temporary substrate. At least one semiconductor chip is connected to the electrically conductive layer by at least one metal bump, wherein the at least one metal bump is located between the at least one semiconductor chip and the electrically conductive layer. A metal substrate is formed on the electrically conductive layer, wherein the metal substrate fills up a gap between the at least one semiconductor chip and the electrically conductive layer. The temporary substrate is removed.
US08232116B2
A light-emissive device is prepared by depositing a polymer layer on a substrate. The deposition process utilizes a formulation comprising a conjugated polymer dissolved in a solvent, the solvent including a trialkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon wherein at least two of the alkyl substituents are ortho to one another. The deposition of the polymer layer on the substrate may be accomplished by an ink-jet method.
US08232099B2
The present invention provides an expression vector, containing expressibly (a) a polynucleotide encoding a fusion protein of a mutant of a repressor protein, which binds to an antibiotic, and a target protein, and (b) a polynucleotide encoding a protein controlling the transcription of the polynucleotide in (a), the transcription of the polynucleotide in (a) and the degradation of said fusion protein, which is the expression product of the polynucleotide in (a), being controlled inside a cell by the presence or absence of an antibiotic inside the cell.
US08232096B2
A diffusion controlling bioreactor that selectively controls the molecular diffusion between fluids through at least one microchannel in fluid communication with a reaction reservoir. Length and cross-sectional area of the microchannel may be selected to obtain a predetermined rate of molecular diffusion between fluids. When the fluids are liquids, flow through the microchannel is laminar and the capillary action of the microchannel and fluid is such that the fluid flow is regulated, and may have a structure configured to minimize the chances of fluid leakage from the bioreactor, even if the bioreactor is turned in various directions. In certain embodiments, one or more diffusion control chambers regulate fluid flow and diffusion between a reaction reservoir and an outside atmosphere.
US08232094B2
The present invention relates to methods for amplifying nucleic acids in micro-channels. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for performing a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a continuous-flow microfluidic system and to methods for monitoring real-time PCR in such systems.
US08232092B2
A micro bead having a digitally coded structure that is partially transmissive and opaque to light. The pattern of transmitted light is determined by to decode the bead. The coded bead may be structured a series of alternating light transmissive and opaque sections, with relative positions, widths and spacing resembling a 1D or 2D bar code image. To decode the image, the alternating transmissive and opaque sections of the body are scanned in analogous fashion to bar code scanning. The coded bead may be coated or immobilized with a capture or probe to effect a desired bioassay. The coded bead may include a paramagnetic material. A bioanalysis system conducts high throughput bioanalysis using the coded bead, including a reaction detection zone and a decoding zone. Alternative method for barcode determination is based on barcode pattern image processes. Microbeads can also be settled down to the bottom of the well in a microplate, so the barcode can be decoded by image processed directly. Therefore, multiple-analyte tests can be performed in one single well. Microplate is a standard format; each plate can have 96, 384, or 1536 patient samples. The bead image is taken with a conventional microscope and optical detector from the bottom of an optically clear microplate, and barcode pattern can be decoded by image software. Therefore, the whole bead experiment can be performed in the microplate without taking the beads out.
US08232087B2
The present invention relates to novel JP170 like subtilases from wild-type bacteria, hybrids thereof and to methods of construction and production of these proteases. Further, the present invention relates to use of the claimed subtilases in detergents, such as a laundry or an automatic dishwashing detergent.
US08232067B2
Provided herein are, inter alia, methods for identifying a candidate compound for treating the toxic effects of compounds or molecules that bind to albumin in a subject. The methods include identifying test compounds that inhibit the binding between FcRn and albumin.
US08232065B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for developing diagnostic tests (e.g., detection, screening, monitoring, and prognostic tests) based on biomarker information from legacy clinical sample sets, for which only small sample volumes (e.g., about 0.05 to about 1.0 mL or less per sample) are typically available. For example, biomarkers (e.g., about 10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 300, or more) may be detected in the clinical samples through the use of single molecule detection and each biomarker may be detected in an assay that includes about 1 μL or less of a legacy clinical sample.
US08232057B2
Oligonucleotide sequences and methods for specifically detecting and differentiating amongst pathogenic E. coli in a complex sample. The complex sample can be a food sample, water sample, or selectively enriched food matrix. The methods of detection may utilize PCR amplification with, or without, an internal positive control, and appropriate primer pairs. Reagents for performing the methods can be supplied as a kit and/or in tablet form.
US08232055B2
Comparative genomic hybridization assays and compositions for use in practicing the same are provided. A characteristic of the subject comparative genomic hybridization assays is that solid support immobilized oligonucleotide feature elements, e.g., in the form of an array, are employed. Specifically, at least first and second nucleic acid populations prepared from genomic templates are contacted with a plurality of distinct oligonucleotide feature elements immobilized on a solid support surface and the binding of the at least first and second populations is then evaluated. Also provided are kits for use in practicing the subject methods.
US08232043B2
A method of making a lithographic printing plate includes the steps of a) providing a lithographic printing plate precursor including (i) a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, (ii) a coating on the support including a photopolymerizable layer, and, optionally, an intermediate layer between the photopolymerizable layer and the support, b) image-wise exposing the coating in a plate setter, c) optionally, heating the precursor in a preheating unit, and d) developing the precursor off-press in a gumming unit by treating the coating of the precursor with a gum solution, thereby removing the non-exposed areas of the coating from the support, wherein the coating further includes a compound capable of interacting with the support, the compound being present in the photopolymerizable layer and/or in the intermediate layer.
US08232033B2
A toner, a developer, a two-component developer, a developing device and an image forming apparatus are provided. In the image forming apparatus, images are formed with a developer that fills a developing tank of the developing device. The developer includes the toner containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, and a release agent, the release agent having an acid value of less than 4 mgKOH/g and in which an amount of the release agent exposed on a surface of toner is 0.5% by weight or more and 2.5% by weight or less of a total amount of the toner.
US08232013B2
A fuel cell system has a purge valve that adjusts the amount of nitrogen in a hydrogen circulation channel and a fuel electrode to be discharged through a discharge channel. A purge rate correcting unit variably sets a target control value of the nitrogen content in the hydrogen circulation channel and the fuel electrode by taking into account whether a driving mode is set in a normal power generation mode or an idle mode. An opening of the purge valve is controlled on the basis of the target control value.
US08232005B2
A hybrid lead acid electric storage battery uses conventional lead-acid secondary battery chemistry. The battery is a sealed battery or an unsealed battery. The battery has a set of positive battery grids (plates) having cores of thin titanium expanded metal with a thickness, if flattened, preferably in the range 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm and most preferably 0.3 mm to 0.4 mm. The grid cores are of a titanium alloy containing a platinum group metal. The cores are coated with hot dip lead and are not lead electroplated.The negative plates are carbon based assemblies. Each such assembly has a metal core, preferably a sheet of expanded copper, a corrosion shield sealing the metal core, and an outer layer primarily of activated carbon covering the shield.
US08232002B2
The external terminal 19 has sword-guard portion 191 provided with a terminal portion 193 formed at one end thereof and a cylindrical crimping member 192 formed at another end thereof, the cylindrical crimping member 192 being inserted through openings each formed at a first insulating member 211, the opening-sealing plate 13, a second insulating member 212 and the collector 181, and being crimped in a diameter-enlarging direction, so that the sword-guard portion 191 of the external terminal 19, the opening-sealing plate 13 and the collector 181 are mechanically-fixed and a thin-walled portion made thinner than other portions formed in a tip portion of the cylindrical crimping member 192 is adhered to the collector, and the thin-walled portion 194 and the collector being welded with a high energy beam.
US08231998B2
A battery includes a first portion including a substrate having formed thereon a current collector and an anode electrode material. A second portion is formed on a substrate and includes a current collector and a cathode electrode material. The first portion is joined to the second portion and a separator is disposed between the first portion and the second portion as joined to separate the anode electrode material from the cathode electrode material. An electrolyte is placed in contact with the anode electrode material, the cathode electrode material and the separator.
US08231994B2
A battery cover mechanism used in a portable electronic device includes a housing, a battery cover and an operating member. The housing has a first surface, a receiving groove defined therefrom for receiving a battery and an elastic arm disposed thereon adjacent to the receiving groove. The battery cover is detachably mounted on the housing to cover the receiving groove and defines a notch therethrough. The operating assembly comprises a pedestal and an operating member. The pedestal is fixedly mounted on the battery cover and releasably resisted by the elastic arm. The operating member is rotatably assembled with the pedestal and accommodated within the corresponding notch of the battery cover so as to make the elastic arm release the pedestal to detach the battery cover from the housing.
US08231986B2
For the purpose of solving problems inherent to a white Al2O3 spray coating, i.e. drawbacks that the injury resistance, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, abrasion resistance and the like are poor and the light reflectance is high because the coating is porous and weak in the bonding force among particles, there are proposed a spray coating member having excellent injury resistance and the like in which a surface of a substrate is covered with a colored Al2O3 spray coating of a luminosity lower than grayish white, achromatic or chromatic color.
US08231985B2
The aluminum-nitride-based composite material according to the present invention is an aluminum-nitride-based composite material that is highly pure with the content ratios of transition metals, alkali metals, and boron, respectively as low as 1000 ppm or lower, has AlN and MgO constitutional phases, and additionally contains at least one selected from the group consisting of a rare earth metal oxide, a rare earth metal-aluminum complex oxide, an alkali earth metal-aluminum complex oxide, a rare earth metal oxyfluoride, calcium oxide, and calcium fluoride, wherein the heat conductivity is in the range of 40 to 150 W/mK, the thermal expansion coefficient is in the range of 7.3 to 8.4 ppm/° C., and the volume resistivity is 1×1014 Ω·cm or higher.
US08231984B2
Target is to provide an organic compound material having a bipolar character.A quinoxaline derivative represented by a general formula (1) is provided. In the formula, R1-R12 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an acyl group, a nitro group, a cyano group, an amino group, a dialkylamino group, a diarylamino group, a vinyl group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic residue group. R9 and R10, R10 and R11, and R11 and R12 are each independent or respectively mutually bonded to form an aromatic ring. Ar1-Ar4 each independently represents an aryl group or a heterocyclic residue group. Ar1, Ar2, Ar3 and Ar4 are each independent or Arl and Ar2, and Ar3 and Ar4 are respectively mutually bonded directly, or Ar1 and Ar3, and Ar3 and Ar4 are bonded via oxygen (O), sulfur (S) or a carbonyl group.
US08231983B2
Disclosed is an organic electroluminescent device having high emission luminance, high external quantum efficiency and long lifetime. Also disclosed are a display and an illuminating device. The organic electroluminescent device is characterized in that it comprises, between a pair of electrodes, a constituent layer including at least a phosphorescence emission layer, wherein at least one in the constituent layer contains a compound represented by formula (1),
US08231980B2
A medical implant includes iridium oxide. The iridium oxide has a plurality of Ir—O σ bonds and a plurality of Ir═O π bonds. The iridium oxide has a ratio of the Ir—O σ bonds to the Ir═O π bonds that is greater than 1.3.
US08231970B2
Coating compositions are disclosed that include corrosion resisting particles such that the coating composition can exhibit corrosion resistance properties. Also disclosed are substrates at least partially coated with a coating deposited from such a composition and multi-component composite coatings, wherein at least one coating later is deposited from such a coating composition. Methods and apparatus for making ultrafine solid particles are also disclosed.
US08231948B2
A method of forming integral articles having non-line-of-site contours includes the steps of providing a plurality of molds, the molds having at least one mold channel therethrough. The plurality of molds are stacked on one another to form a mold stack, wherein at least one portion of the mold stack provides a non-line of sight multi-level channel through at least partial overlap of the mold channels between adjacent ones of the plurality of molds. A flowable material is applied to the mold stack. The flowable material is pressed to fill the mold channels in each of the plurality of molds to form an integral article comprising a plurality of stacked integrally connected levels of the material, wherein through interconnection of the integrally connected levels the integral article provides at least one non-line of sight contour traversing in its thickness direction. The mold stack is then separated or removed to free the integral article.
US08231943B2
A method for joining sections of coated pipe comprises providing two sections of metal pipe, each section of metal pipe having at least a first polymeric coating on its outer surface. The first polymeric coating comprises a first polymer coating selected from the group consisting of a first epoxy/olefin interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) layer, a thermoplastic layer, and a thermosetting layer. The sections of metal pipe are aligned end-to-end and bonded together to form a desired closure. A second polymeric coating comprising a layer of epoxy/olefin semi- or full-IPN is applied to the closure and to any desired additional area of coated pipe to form a seam and to secure the joint. A method for patching a damaged coated pipe using a patch comprising a polyolefin/epoxy semi- or full IPN is also disclosed. A kit comprises a semi-IPN and/or full-IPN repair stick, sheet-like patch, melt, or powder, which is useful to repair damage to a polymer coated metal pipe or to girth weld together ends of two sections of a polymer coated metal pipe.
US08231941B2
This invention provides novel methods for the formation of redox-active polymers attached to surfaces. In certain embodiments, the methods involve providing redox-active molecules bearing at least a first reactive site or group and a second reactive site or group; and contacting the surface with the redox-active molecules where the contacting is under conditions that result in attachment of said redox-active molecules to said surface via the first reactive site or group and attachment of redox-active molecules via the second reactive site or group, to the redox-active molecules attached to the surface thereby forming a polymer attached to said surface where the polymers comprise at least two of said redox-active molecules.
US08231937B2
Compartmentalized chips of at least two chemically similar crystallizable thermoplastic polymers each having a different intrinsic viscosity placed in separate zones are disclosed. These compartmentalized chips exhibit thermal characteristics that are different from the traditional technique of homogeneously combining the two materials into the chip. These compartmentalized chips in their amorphous, crystalline and solid phase polymerized forms exhibit a longer crystallization half time than the homogeneous mixture, thus permitting faster injection cycle times when compared to an equivalent homogenous mixture.
US08231933B2
One embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence device, including forming an organic light emitting layer by a relief printing method, the method including transferring an organic light emitting material ink from an ink supplier to a printing plate, and subsequently transferring the organic light emitting material ink from the printing plate to a substrate, wherein a solvent of the organic light emitting material ink comprises a solvent having a vapor pressure over 500 Pa at 20-25 degrees Celsius, and wherein the time between the reception of the ink by the printing plate and the transfer of the ink to the substrate is equal to or less than 5 seconds.
US08231930B2
An implantable member for use in the body is provided herein. This implantable member includes a porous biocompatible substrate; the substrate having at least one surface sealed fluid-tight with self-aggregating protein particles of substantially the same diameter range. The self-aggregated protein particles are formed from a deposited aqueous slurry of the protein particles.
US08231924B2
Methods for reducing the sodium content of finished food products comprising adding trehalose to suitable food products in an amount ranging from greater than 0% to less than 1.5% by weight of the finished food product and by optionally further adding sodium and or potassium. Ingredient systems for achieving salt (i.e. sodium) reduction in suitable food products are also provided. The ingredient systems comprise trehalose and can include sodium, potassium, or combinations thereof.
US08231918B2
A method for delivering a short coffee extract faster from a closed capsule containing ground coffee by injecting water under pressure within the capsule. The capsule is filled with ground coffee, has a delivery membrane and is extracted in a coffee extraction device and pressurized water is injected in the capsule under pressure. The coffee beverage is released through the beverage delivery membrane of the capsule with engaging means engaging in and/or against the membrane. The pressure loss is reduced in the coffee bed by providing ground coffee having a reduced percentage of fines (F) depending on the average particle size (D4,3). The extraction yield is maintained between 15 and 30% and the coffee extract of 25 or 40 grams is delivered in a flow time of 20 seconds or less.
US08231915B2
Disclosed herein is a method of using megestrol acetate. In one embodiment, the method comprises informing a user that megestrol acetate is metabolized by a cytochrome p450 isozyme. In another embodiment, the method comprises obtaining megestrol acetate from a container associated with published material providing information is metabolized by a cytochrome p450 siozyme. Also disclosed are articles of manufacture comprising a container containing a dosage form of megestrol acetate, wherein the container is associated with published material informing that megestrol acetate is metabolized by a cytochrome p450 siozyme, a method of treatment, and a method of manufacturing a megestrol acetate product.
US08231913B2
Phytoceutical compositions for the prevention and treatment of circulatory disorders, such as Angina Pectoris and Ischemic Heart Disease are taught. A specific combination of extracts of plants is taught, as well as principles for varying the formulations based on categorizing plants into one of three groups, Energy, Bio-Intelligence, and Organization and selecting several plants from each group. Such combinations have synergistic effects as demonstrated by gene expression levels, yet exhibits minimal side effects.
US08231912B2
The present invention is directed to anti-microbial cleanser compositions comprising linalool, hinokitiol and dipropylene glycol. The present invention further provides methods for using these compositions to maintain eyelid hygiene, to treat an ocular disorder or to clean a skin surface. The cleanser compositions of the present invention can be in the form of a foam, gel or liquid.
US08231900B2
Small-volume oral transmucosal dosage forms or NanoTabs® comprising a predetermined amount of a pharmaceutically active drug are provided. Exemplary applications include use of the NanoTabs® to administer a drug for the treatment of acute, post-operative or breakthrough pain.
US08231897B2
The present invention provides a hydrostatic delivery system including a hydrostatic couple and an agent of interest. The hydrostatic couple includes at least one hydrodynamic fluid-imbibing polymer, and at least one hydrostatic pressure modulating agent. This delivery system has the ability to control the release of one or more agents of interest within a fluid environment following zero-order kinetics.
US08231896B2
A non-gelatin encapsulation system for liquid filled soft capsules, by nature of the carrier, the cationic-ionic balance of the carrier and the active ingredients, or the concentration of the active ingredients and excipients, are difficult or impossible to commercially encapsulate in gelatin capsules. In particular, the system is adapted for the encapsulation of highly basic, or alkaline, fills. The system provides for a predominantly starch and gelling carrageenan based shell, which displays high resistance to both concentrated fills and to alkaline fills, in particular, to those fills which contain the salt or salts of weak acids and strong bases.
US08231893B2
A multicomponent material, which is comprised of chitosan material being coated onto an inert carrier material. The multicomponent material can be incorporated into an absorbent structure. In one aspect of the invention, the multicomponent material can be incorporated throughout the thickness of an absorbent structure. Absorbent articles comprising the multicomponent material are also provided.
US08231889B2
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from which pyrogen has been removed are provided for use in numerous biomedical applications. PHAs which have been chemically modified to enhance physical and/or chemical properties, for targeting or to modify biodegradability or clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (RES), are described. Methods for depyrogenating PHA polymers prepared by bacterial fermentation processes are also provided, wherein pyrogens are removed from the polymers without adversely impacting the polymers' inherent chemical structures and physical properties. PHAs with advantageous processing characteristics, including low melting points and/or solubility in non-toxic solvents, are also described. PHAs are provided which are suitable for use in in vivo applications such as in tissue coatings, stents, sutures, tubing, bone and other prostheses, bone or tissue cements, tissue regeneration devices, wound dressings, drug delivery, and for diagnostic and prophylactic uses. Properties which are selected for include degradability, elasticity, inclusion of functional groups or derivatized groups, which can in turn be used to attach targeting agents, and bioadhesion.
US08231882B2
The present invention provides a moisturizer comprising, as an active ingredient, a saccharide having 3-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucose as a structural unit. The moisturizer of the present invention improves the water retention capacity of the stratum corneum, and is useful for prevention and improvement of rough skin.
US08231875B2
The invention relates to an antibody molecule having specificity for antigenic determinants of IL-17, therapeutic uses of the antibody molecule and methods for producing said antibody molecule.
US08231872B2
The present invention relates to novel regulatory T cell proteins. One protein, designated PD-L3, resembles members of the PD-L1 family, and co-stimulates αCD3 proliferation of T cells in vitro. A second, TNF-like, protein has also been identified as being upregulated upon αCD3/αGITR stimulation. This protein has been designated Treg-sTNF. Proteins, antibodies, activated T cells and methods for using the same are disclosed.In particular methods of using these proteins and compounds, preferably antibodies, which bind or modulate (agonize or antagonize) the activity of these proteins, as immune modulators and for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disease, allergy, infection and inflammatory conditions, e.g. multiple sclerosis is disclosed.
US08231867B2
This invention relates to compositions comprising a bacterium of the genus Dietzia that is useful for treating paratuberulosis in ruminants and to a method for culturing the bacterium. The invention further relates to methods of treating Johne's disease by administering to a mammal a composition of the invention.
US08231861B2
The present invention provides methods of identifying candidate therapeutic agents for use in the treatment of acute pancreatitis.
US08231859B2
This disclosure relates to compositions for delivering agents to a subject, and in particular, to compositions for delivery of therapeutic agents or diagnostic agents in the presence or absence of targeting moieties. In part, this disclosure relates to compositions comprising a hydrophobic group with a first end and a second end, a first metal binding domain linked to the hydrophobic group, a metal ion capable of being chelated to the first metal binding domain, and an agent linked to a second metal binding domain capable of chelating to the metal ion.
US08231857B2
Disclosed are catalysts and methods that can reform aqueous solutions of oxygenated compounds such as ethylene glycol, glycerol, sugar alcohols, and sugars to generate products such as hydrogen and alkanes. In some embodiments, aqueous solutions containing at least 20 wt % of the oxygenated compounds can be reformed over a catalyst comprising a Group VIII transition metal and a Group VIIB transition metal, preferably supported on an activated carbon-supported catalyst. In other embodiments, catalysts are provided for the production of hydrogen or alkanes at reaction temperatures less than 300° C.
US08231854B2
An efficient and cost-effective method for treating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is provided. The method includes comprising: dispersing said carbon nanotubes in a dispersing medium to prepare a dispersion system; mixing said dispersion system with adsorbent so that type-specific carbon nanotubes contained in said dispersion system are absorbed onto the adsorbent, wherein the adsorbent is modified by a chemical/biological modifier so as to have different adsorption selectivity to carbon nanotubes of different types; and separating the adsorbent from the dispersion system, whereby the type-specific carbon nanotubes adsorbed onto the adsorbent is separated from the carbon nanotubes of another type enriched in the dispersion system; carbon nanotubes produced by the treatment method, and CNTs devices comprising thereof.
US08231851B2
An exhaust gas containing a perfluoride compound (PFC) and SiF4 is conducted into a silicon remover and brought into contact with water. A reaction water supplied from a water supplying piping and air supplied from an air supplying piping are mixed with the exhaust gas exhausted from the silicon remover. The exhaust gas containing water, air, and CF4 is heated at 700° C. by a heater. The exhaust gas containing PFC is conducted to a catalyst layer filled with an alumina group catalyst. The PFC is decomposed to HF and CO2 by the catalyst. The exhaust gas containing HF and CO2 at a high temperature exhausted from the catalyst layer is cooled in a cooling apparatus. Subsequently, the exhaust gas is conducted to an acidic gas removing apparatus to remove HF. In this way, the silicon component is removed from the exhaust gas before introducing the exhaust gas into the catalyst layer. Therefore, the surface of the catalyst can be utilized effectively, and the decomposition reaction of the perfluoride compound can be improved.
US08231849B2
The method and system relate to reducing the content of hazardous chemicals when handling malodorous gases emanating from a pulp mill and before burning said malodorous gases in final incineration equipment in oxygen excess environment in order to oxidize the sulphur compounds. The flow of malodorous gases is transported to final incineration (C2) by using liquid ring pumps. The hazardous chemical, preferably ammonia, is bound or dissolved in the liquid used in the liquid ring pump. A part of the liquid used in the liquid ring pump is bled off to final destruction different than the final incineration equipment in oxygen excess environment.
US08231836B2
Inorganic fiber mounting and insulating sheet materials for use in pollution control devices with at least one edge of the inorganic fiber sheet material having at least one group of two or more fibers fused together. A pollution control device comprising such a sheet material. A process for cutting at least one section from a sheet containing inorganic fiber material, where the sheet material is suitable for use in a pollution control device. The fibrous sheet material is cut so that the cut edge has at least one group of two or more fibers fused together. A laser beam can be used to cut the desired section out of the inorganic fiber sheet material.
US08231833B2
A whispering gallery mode resonator based optical sensor assembly comprises a flow channel permeable to optical energy and first and second optical waveguides adjacent to a section of the flow channel and adapted to be in first and second evanescent field couplings respectively with the section such that the section forms a whispering gallery mode resonator. The resonator is responsive to an optical signal conveyed in the first optical waveguide and communicates a second optical signal to the second optical waveguide indicative of a resonance wavelength of the whispering gallery mode resonator. A detector optically coupled to the second optical waveguide detects the output signal. A signal processor detects a shift in the output signal responsive to an analyte fluid flowing through the flow channel. The shift is indicative of the identity of at least one constituent of the analyte fluid.
US08231828B2
By the conventional technique for dispensing more than one reagents accurately, the system is complicated and thus a compact and inexpensive system is difficult to realize. In the present invention, the pressurized dispensing system utilizing a capillary is realized, and in addition, in order to reduce the leakage of reagents different from the reagent dispensed, by forming air layers at the tips of the capillaries after dispensing, a compact, simple, inexpensive analysis apparatus is realized.
US08231826B2
A hot-strip cooling device and a cooling method are provided wherein uniform cooling of a hot-rolled steel strip using coolant is possible from the leading end to the trailing end of the steel strip. A cooling device (10) includes a plurality of round nozzles (15) disposed obliquely in such a manner as to eject rod-like flows of coolant at an ejection angle θ toward the upstream side in a direction in which a steel strip (12) travels, and a pinch roll (11) disposed on the upstream side with respect to the round nozzles (15) and configured to pinch the steel strip (12) in combination with a roller table (8).
US08231823B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for heating preforms of a thermoplastic material, the preforms, after having been heated, being subjected to a reshaping operation, and microwaves being applied to the preforms, at least during a portion of the period of heating, in a resonator.
US08231798B2
A tray for a dry etching apparatus includes substrate accommodation holes penetrating a thickness direction and a substrate support portion supporting an outer peripheral edge portion of a lower surface of a substrate. A dielectric plate includes a tray support surface supporting a lower surface of the tray, substrate placement portions inserted from a lower surface side of the tray into the substrate accommodation holes and having a substrate placement surface at its upper end surface. A dc voltage applying mechanism applies a dc voltage to an electrostatic attraction electrode. A heat conduction gas supply mechanism supplies a heat conduction gas between the substrate and substrate placement surface. The substrate is retained on the substrate placement surface with high degree of adhesion. Cooling efficiency of the substrate is improved and processing is uniform at the entire region of the substrate surface.
US08231797B2
A process for producing at least one air gap in a microstructure, which includes the supply of a microstructure comprising at least one gap filled with a sacrificial material, this gap being limited over at least part of its surface by an impermeable membrane but which may be rendered permeable by the action of a chemical etchant, this etchant also being capable of degrading the sacrificial material and the contacting of the microstructure with said chemical etchant in order to make the membrane permeable and degrade the sacrificial material, and the removal of the chemical etchant from the microstructure and in which the chemical etchant is a fluid containing hydrofluoric acid and/or ammonium fluoride. Applications include microelectronics and micro-technology.
US08231794B2
A water filtration system (60, FIG. 2) wherein pressured feed water (water with impurities to be filtered out) passes downstream from an upstream end of a passage (66) through a filter arrangement (74) in the passage, to a filtrate storage region (82), during filtrate production. Pressured water, such as at 50 psi (3 bars) from a tap water source (110), provides the pressured feed water during filtrate production, and also pressurizes the filtrate during backflushing. A filtrate pressurizing apparatus (90) includes a movable member or piston (92) that lies in a chamber (94), and that has a feed side (134) that is pressurized by tap water during a backflush and that has a filtrate side (132) that presses against filtrate, the feed side having a larger diameter (D2) than the filtrate side (D1) to produce an increased pressure during backflushing.
US08231793B2
A cartridge type filter is mounted in a housing and is serviced through the top of the housing. The cartridge includes first and second media packs axially stacked. The second media pack is in series behind the first media pack, and filters a portion of the liquid therethrough. The second media pack has a higher efficiency than the first media pack. The overall design has a drain system which allows liquid to drain from the interior of the filter housing and back to the sump before the filter cartridge is completely removed from the housing. Other optional features include an oil cooler, various valving, and a filter cartridge lockout mechanism.
US08231781B2
A filter assembly, filter element and methods are provided. The filter assembly includes a filter base in which a filter element is mounted. The filter element includes a bypass valve carried by the filter element that operates independent of and free of interaction with the filter base. Methods include providing an entirely new bypass valve for the filter assembly by inserting a filter element including a complete bypass valve into the filter base such that bypass valve structures of the filter base are rendered useless or superfluous.
US08231780B2
The present invention is a storm water filter system for filtering floatable debris and non-floating pollutants from storm, water passing through a storm water drain system vault. The storm water filtering system has a vault having chamber having a floating skimmer panel between the inlet thereto and the outlet therefrom. The skimmer panel has a filter passageway therethrough for filtering the storm water while the floatable skimmer panel captures floatable debris and trash from the storm water. Storm water entering the vault inlet passes through a filter element in the skimmer panel and out the vault outlet and also can pass under the floating skimmer panel when the floatable skimmer panel is floated to a raised position to thereby prevent storm water from accumulating on the inlet side of the wall.
US08231779B2
A filtering device for fluids features a filter element located in a filter housing and a heating device located in the flow path of the fluid. The heating device comprises a heating element that is held by a heating support which is located at the inner surface of the cover, with a water outlet connection being designed as one-piece with the heating support, the water outlet connection being directed outwards through a recess in the cover.
US08231766B2
A novel board for printed wiring comprising a fine conductor wiring having a clear and favorable boundary line and fabricated by an ordinal printing method such as screen printing, a printed wiring board using the same, and methods for manufacturing them. A board for printed wiring and a method for manufacturing the same are characterized in that the surface of a board is subjected to one of the surface treatments: (a) roughening, (2) plasma treatment, (3) roughening and then plasma treatment, and (4) roughening and then forming of a metal film coating by sputtering. A printed wiring board and a method for manufacturing the same is characterize in that a conductor wiring is fabricated by printing using a conductive paste containing metal particles the average particle diameter of which is 4 μm or less and the maximum particle diameter of which is 15 μm or less. Another printed wiring board and a method for manufacturing the same is characterized in that the surface of a conductor wiring fabricated using a conductive paste containing metal particles M and a binder B at a volume ratio of M/B of 1/1 to 1.9/1 is etched, a plating coating is formed on the surface.
US08231755B2
One embodiment includes an application of multilayer thermo-reversible dry adhesives in robotic handling of objects.
US08231751B2
A method for reworking an electrically conductive layer of a composite skin is disclosed in which a patch replaces the altered section of the electrically conductive layer. The method is performed by removing a portion of the electrically conductive layer to reveal the underlying composite skin. A patch is formed, having an electrically conductive section coupled to an adhesive having a low dielectric breakdown strength, and is then introduced over the underlying composite skin such that the adhesive layer covers the underlying composite skin and overlaps an unremoved portion of the electrically conductive layer. The patch is applied such that the electrically conductive section within the patch covers the adhesive layer and overlaps the unremoved section of the electrically conductive layer. The adhesive layer preferably has a low dielectric breakdown strength, so that electricity from lightning which strikes the composite skin may be conducted through the adhesive.
US08231729B2
It is disclosed an apparatus for growing a nitride single crystal using a flux containing an easily oxidizable substance. The apparatus has a crucible for storing the flux; a pressure vessel for storing the crucible and charging an atmosphere containing at least nitrogen gas; furnace materials disposed within the pressure vessel and out of the crucible; heaters attached to the furnace material; and alkali-resistant and heat-resistant metallic layers covering the furnace material.
US08231726B2
An object of the present invention is to obtain, with respect to a semiconductor light-emitting element using a group III nitride semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor light-emitting element having an excellent light extraction property by selecting a specific substrate dopant and controlling the concentration thereof. The semiconductor light-emitting element comprises a substrate composed of a group III nitride semiconductor comprising germanium (Ge) as a dopant, an n-type semiconductor layer composed of a group III nitride semiconductor formed on the substrate, an active layer composed of a group III nitride semiconductor formed on the n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer composed of a group III nitride semiconductor formed on the active layer in which the substrate has a germanium (Ge) concentration of 2×1017 to 2×1019 cm−3. The substrate is produced in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere using a melt comprising at least a group III element, an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and germanium (Ge) and nitrogen.
US08231723B2
An ink set, comprising: an oil based ink composition containing a metallic pigment; and at least one or more oil based ink compositions selected from a group consisting of a chromatic color ink composition containing chromatic color pigment, a black ink composition containing black pigment, and a white ink composition containing white pigment.
US08231703B1
A family of materials wherein nanostructures and/or nanotubes are incorporated into a multi-component material arrangement, such as a metallic or ceramic alloy or composite/aggregate, producing a new material or metallic/ceramic alloy. The new material has significantly increased strength, up to several thousands of times normal and perhaps substantially more, as well as significantly decreased weight. The new materials may be manufactured into a component where the nanostructure or nanostructure reinforcement is incorporated into the bulk and/or matrix material, or as a coating where the nanostructure or nanostructure reinforcement is incorporated into the coating or surface of a “normal” substrate material. The nanostructures are incorporated into the material structure either randomly or aligned, within grains, or along or across grain boundaries.
US08231700B2
Herein is disclosed a pleated filter comprising an upstream face and a downstream face and comprising at least one flexible inextensible tridirectional scrim in discontinuous contact with the downstream face of the pleated filter and bonded to the pleat tips of the downstream face of the pleated filter. In additional embodiments, an additional tridirectional scrim may be provided in discontinuous contact with the upstream face of the pleated filter and bonded to the pleat tips of the upstream face of the pleated filter. In further embodiments, at least one continuous, substantially nonlinear adhesive strand may be provided on at least one face of the pleated filter.
US08231691B2
The present invention relates to disperse azo dyes based on a phthalimido-substituted aniline coupling component and an aromatic-carbocyclic or an aromatic-heterocyclic diazo component, to a process for the preparation of such dyes and to their use in the dyeing or printing of semi-synthetic and, especially, synthetic hydrophobic fiber materials, more especially textile materials.
US08231674B2
A continuous loop and button construct and technique for ligament repair and fixation, including bone to bone, or soft tissue to bone. The continuous loop, which is attached to the button, is formed of a flexible material and is provided with at least one joined region (a bridged, stitched, bonded or knotted region) to form a closed loop figure-8 construct with proximal and distal openings with respect to the fixation device. The figure-8 construct (either bridged, stitched, bonded or knotted) is adapted for attachment to a bone block of a BTB graft, for example, and used for ligament reconstruction.
US08231672B2
A system for measuring the size of a capsular bag of an eye of a subject includes a size indicator and a sizing gauge. The size indicator is configured for insertion into a capsular bag and includes a peripheral portion and a pair of arms. The peripheral portion is configured to engage the capsular bag. Each of the arms has a proximal end and a distal end, the arms being joined to one another at the proximal ends. The peripheral portion is joined to the distal ends of the arms. The arms form an angle that depends on a size of the capsular bag into which the size indicator is placed. The sizing gauge has a body having a front surface, along with first and second features disposed along or behind the front surface. The features are configured to correspond to an angle that is within a predetermined range of angles of the arms of the size indicator when the size indicator is placed within a capsular bag.
US08231652B2
Embodiments of the invention include a medical instrument with a sealing device. In embodiments, the medical instrument is an endoscopic device having a seal between an elongate shaft member and/or on a portion of a handle to, for example, prevent flow communication between a lumen of the elongate member and the external environment.
US08231650B2
An improved embolic filter frame having looped support struts. The frame configuration provides enhanced longitudinal compliance, improved sealing against a vessel wall, low profile delivery, and a short deployed length. The looped support struts have a high degree of “radial” stiffness with a low degree of “longitudinal” stiffness. In the deployed state, the frame exerts a relatively high stress onto a vessel wall to maintain an effective seal, yet remains compliant in the longitudinal direction. Minor displacements of the support wire or catheter are therefore not translated to the filter. The looped support struts elongate when tensioned and assume a compressed and essentially linear form. While constrained in this linear state by a delivery catheter, the support struts exert minimal stress onto the delivery system. The overall delivery profile and stiffness are therefore reduced. When the delivery catheter constraint is removed during deployment, the struts “snap open” and assume a looped configuration which exert a high degree of force onto the vessel wall, creating an enhanced filter to vessel wall seal. In addition, the looped struts and the central collar connecting the support struts to the support wire, are positioned essentially within the plane of the filter opening. The overall deployed length of the embolic filter is therefore reduced.
US08231646B2
Devices and methods are disclosed for the control of blood perfusion pressure within a blood vessel that undergoes arterialization. A cannula is introduced that contains a stenosis that either resorbs or is removed in time, allowing a gradual increase in blood pressure between two blood passages connected at either ends of the cannula. Particular emphasis has been made with the use of the cannula for the vessels in the heart.
US08231644B2
A head portion includes an engaging portion capable of engaging with an engagement portion, a slit formed by cutting a part of a peripheral wall surface of the engaging portion, a protuberance which protrudes inward from the peripheral wall surface of the engaging portion, the protuberance including a slope the height of projection of which gradually increases along the circumference of the peripheral wall and which is oriented in a direction of rotation in a rotating operation, and a stop surface extending in radial directions of the engaging portion. The head portion includes an elastically deformable portion configured to cause at least one of two opposite side portions of the slit to be elastically deformed so that the slit is widened until a preset value is reached by the torque applied from the engaging portion to the engagement portion with the protuberance in mesh with an interlocking portion.
US08231640B2
A suture instrument includes: a therapeutic insertion section having a suture section for suturing tissue; a cylindrical main operation unit; a rod section in the main operation unit, for discharging a suture thread and end section members connected to the suture thread; a pusher's distal end section for pressing the end section member; and a guide mechanism for rotating the rod section after linear movement of the pusher's distal end section at a position where one of the end section member is fed from a distal end of the suture section, the rod section being rotated in the circumferential direction to a position where the other one of the end section members is fed from the distal end of the suture section, so that each one of the end section members is discharged one after another and so that the end section members can be separated finally.
US08231638B2
In one implementation, a method is disclosed in which a lock sensing mode is entered for a robotic surgical instrument. In the lock sensing mode, the degrees of freedom of movement in the robotic surgical instrument are switchably reduced. Further in the lock sensing mode, one or more end effectors of the robotic surgical instrument are switchably clamped together in the robotic surgical instrument. An increased level of torque may also be applied to the end effectors to increase a gripping force applied by the one or more end effectors in response to the reduced degrees of freedom of movement in the robotic surgical instrument.
US08231632B1
An adapter attached between a syringe containing a bone void filler and the head of a cannulated surgical screw allows the cannulated surgical screw to be used as a port to inject bone void filler into a bone void during the course of a surgical repair which would use a surgical screw to attach broken or separated bone fragments providing a more secure bone anchor matrix within which the surgical screw is set.
US08231627B2
System, including methods, apparatus, kits, and components, for installation of a bone plate using an insertion tool attached to a bone plate and providing a blade for lifting soft tissue off bone in front of the bone plate as the insertion tool is advanced along a surface of the bone.
US08231626B2
A system for securing a bone fixation device to a bone comprises a flexible longitudinal element configured to wrap about and stabilize one of a target portion of bone and a bone stabilizing element. The longitudinal element includes a plurality of projections extending distally from a first surface thereof. Each projection includes a proximal abutting surface in combination with a bone fixation element including a channel extending therethrough sized and shaped to slidably receive therein a portion of the longitudinal element distal of the head. The bone fixation element includes a recess shaped to receive the head and prevent the head from being drawn distally through the channel. The bone fixation element or the longitudinal element includes a tab configured to engage one of the proximal abutting surfaces to prevent the projections of the longitudinal element from moving proximally relative to the tab.
US08231620B2
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus, a system, and a method of electrosurgery to maximize the manipulability of instrumentation inserted at a single access point.
US08231617B2
A radio-frequency thermal balloon catheter includes a catheter tube including an outer tube and an inner tube, a balloon connected to an end part of the outer tube and an end part of the inner tube, and capable of coming into contact with a target diseased part when inflated, a radio-frequency electrode placed in the wall of the balloon or inside the balloon to transmit radio-frequency current, a lead wire electrically connected to the radio-frequency electrode, a temperature sensor capable of measuring temperature inside the balloon, and a swirling current producing means for making a fluid contained in the balloon swirl in a vertical plane in the balloon so as to reduce an upper-lower temperature difference between an upper part and a lower part of the interior of the balloon due to convection of the fluid to naught.
US08231601B2
A long catheter can be inserted into a patient while eliminating the need for a sterile field by incorporating the long catheter into an infusion tubing and carrying it in with the infusion. The long catheter has a structure that prevents it from leaving the infusion tubing when fully extended and therefore becomes a connector for fluids to transfer down the long catheter by infusion through the infusion tubing. Use of an adjustable seat connector allows the long catheter to be stopped at varying points during insertion and even to allow the long catheter to be reversed by pulling suction on the infusion tubing and retracting the long catheter back into the infusion tubing. The long catheter also remains within the sterile confines of the infusion tubing and therefore is prevented from becoming contaminated.
US08231599B2
A process for detoxifying the blood of a patient in need thereof involves: collecting albumin from human plasma and/or plasma fractions; diafiltration of a mixture containing the collected albumin; stabilizing the resulting diafiltered albumin mixture with sodium chloride and an amino acid in the absence of any added fatty acid; pasteurizing the stabilized albumin mixture; diafiltering the pasteurized mixture to remove, among other things, stabilizers; and detoxifying the blood of the patient by administering the resulting albumin to the patient. In one embodiment, the amino acid stabilizing agent is acetyl tryptophan. The resulting albumin has at least about 80% albumin binding capacity relative to natural plasma albumin, and is storage stable for about 30 months at 30° C.
US08231585B2
The syringe is a prefillable or prefilled syringe having a syringe cylinder which is delimited to one side by a plunger and which to the other side opens into a syringe connection having a free end closed by a membrane. The syringe cylinder, the syringe connection and the closing membrane are formed as one piece as a plastic injection molded part.
US08231567B2
The invention includes a device having a chamber within a syringe. A fluid passageway extends through a syringe piston. A valve is associated with the passageway controlling fluid passage through the piston. The invention includes a piercing structure having a head segment and a body portion, with a channel through the body portion and through at least one surface of the head without passing through the tip. In another aspect the invention encompasses a method of preparing an agent for administration to an individual. A first component is provided within a syringe and a second component is provided within a vial. A closed valve is associated with a fluid passageway between the vial and the syringe barrel through a piston. Valve repositioning allows fluid passage and sliding of the piston joins the first and second components. Repeated sliding of the piston mixes the components to produce the medication agent.
US08231563B2
An electrokinetic actuator for fluid flow titration including two chambers separated from one another by a porous dielectric disposed therebetween. A plurality of electrodes are disposed about a perimeter of the first and second chambers. Polar electrolyte disposed within the actuator is able to pass through the porous dielectric between the first and second chambers upon the application of an electric field or electric potential to the plural electrodes. A mechanical valve actuation mechanism connected to the second chamber allows for fine titration of fluid flow using electro-osmosis, including full-flow and/or complete cut-off. The polar electrolyte is isolated to prohibit intermixing with a fluid being titrated (such as cerebrospinal fluid).
US08231561B2
An air sleeve for stimulating blood flow and providing aeration around, under and within a cast includes a base film with an array of nodal air cells, at least some of which are perforated on a skin side of the base film. A spacer fabric layer, which is at least partially air permeable, is disposed on the skin side of the base film, and a valve is extendable through the cast and is in fluid communication with the air cells.
US08231557B2
An assembly for heat treating an area of biological tissue, including an energy generating device for supplying energy to a focal point in said area, a device for measuring the spatial temperature distribution in said area, and a control unit for controlling the movement of the focal point along a predetermined path to give a spatial temperature distribution consistent with a pre-sent distribution, characterized in that, as the focal point moves along the path, the control unit controls the distribution of the energy provided by the generating device depending on the measured temperature distribution and the pre-set distribution, in accordance with a control law including a proportional-integral-derivative term.
US08231555B2
Posture-responsive therapy is delivered by the medical system based on posture state input from only one of multiple posture sensors at any given time. An example implantable medical system includes a first posture sensor and a second sensor. A processor controls therapy delivery to the patient based on at least one of a patient posture state or a patient activity level determined based on input from only one of the first or second posture sensors. In some examples, one of multiple posture sensors of an implantable posture-responsive medical system is used to automatically reorient another posture sensor (of the system), which has become disoriented. The disoriented posture sensor may be automatically reoriented for one or more posture states at a time.
US08231553B2
The present disclosure relates to a method for performing electrosurgery. The disclosed method includes providing a wireless, bite-activated switch configured for use within a surgeon's mouth. The disclosed switch includes an activator, a transponder, and an antenna. The switch communicates with an electrosurgical energy source, such as without limitation, an electrosurgical RF or microwave generator, to convey the state of the switch and activate the generator. The disclosed method provides providing the wireless switch with a unique identifier and associating the generator with the unique switch to ensure only the intended switch can control the electrosurgical generator.
US08231550B2
A device for loading a guide wire into the open end of a tubular instrument, such as a catheter. The device can be a block of material having a groove in its surface. The ends of the guide wire and the tubular instrument are placed into the groove and moved toward each other. When the ends meet, the groove guides the guide wire into the open end of the tubular instrument. The groove, or at least a portion of the groove, can have a cross-sectional contour that closely matches the outside radius of the tubular instrument. The groove can have a substantially vertical wall and a substantially non-vertical wall. A variety of attachment mechanisms may be provided for attaching the device to a towel draping a patient.
US08231538B2
An embodiment of the invention is an in-vivo blood pressure sensor device including a strain transducer and flexible biocompatible material that carries the strain transducer. The flexible biocompatible material is configured to encircle the outside of a blood vessel when surgically installed. A preferred embodiment in-vivo blood pressure sensor device of the invention includes a strain transducer carried by a flexible biocompatible ring that is configured to be surgically installed to encircle a blood vessel. The device also includes passive circuitry encased in biocompatible material for sensing strain in the strain transducer and for providing data to an external reader. The passive circuitry is also configured to be surgically installed in a subject. The device further includes a telemetry coil encased in biocompatible material and configured to be surgically installed in a subject, to receive power via inductive coupling to an external reader, to supply power to the passive circuitry and to act as an antenna for communications with an external reader.
US08231530B2
Gastric emptying classification systems, displays, methods for classifying gastric emptying data, methods for treating patients, and methods for developing gastric emptying classification systems are disclosed.
US08231517B2
An electromagnetic cardiac assembly adapted to assist ventricular output in a human heart includes a magnetic mat adapted for mounting inside a human body adjacent the heart. The mat is made from a material responsive to application of an electromagnetic field so as to be movable into compressive relation with the heart in response to application of the electromagnetic field thereto and movable out of said compressive relation to permit the heart to relax when application of said electromagnetic field is discontinued. The mat has a posterior surface that substantially conforms to an anterior surface of the heart without flexing the mat. The assembly also includes an electromagnetic subassembly adapted for mounting on the human body in functionally cooperative relation with respect to the mat, and for alternately generating and discontinuing the electromagnetic field so that the mat alternately moves into and out of the compressive relation with the heart.
US08231510B2
An exercising device includes an elongated tube with a central axis that is filled with a particulate material of a selected weight. The particulate material shifts within the elongated tube to provide flexibility along the length of the tube and wherein the elongated tube compresses when pressure is applied thereto.
US08231501B2
A multi step transmission comprising gear sets, shafts and shift elements. The sun gear of set (P1) couples drive shaft (1). The carrier of set (P1) couples shaft (3) which couples, via brake (03), housing (G). Shaft (3) couples shaft (1), via clutch (13), and shaft (5) via clutch (35). Shaft (5) couples the ring and sun gears of sets (P2, P4) respectively, and shaft (8), which couples the sun gear of set (P3), via clutch (58). Shaft (1) couples shaft (7) which couples, via clutch (17), the carrier of set (P4). Shaft (6) couples the ring gear of set (P1) and the carrier of set (P2). The sun gear of set (P2) couples shaft (4) which couples, via brake (04), housing (G). The ring gear of set (P3) couples housing (G). Output shaft (2) couples the ring gear and carrier of sets (P4, P3) respectively.
US08231495B2
A multi-stage transmission comprising planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3, P4), shafts, and shift elements. The sun gear of gearset (P1) couples housing (G), the carrier of gearset (P1) couples shaft (3) which couples housing (G), via brake (03), and shaft (1) via clutch (13) and shaft (5) via clutch (35). Shaft (5) couples the ring gear of gearset (P2) and the sun gears of gearsets (P3, P4). Shaft (1) couples the sun gear of gearset (P2) and the carrier of gearset (P3). Shaft (6) couples the carrier of gearset (P2) and the ring gear of gearset (P1), the ring gear of set (P4) couples shaft (4) which couples housing (G) via brake (04), and output shaft (2) couples the carrier of gearset (P4) and shaft (7), which couples, via clutch (27), the ring gear of gearset (P3).
US08231490B2
A power train according to an embodiment of the invention includes two sets of planetary gear set, one clutch, and two brakes and provides one electric vehicle mode, two hybrid modes, and one engine mode The power train has a simple configuration, high power performance, and reduced weight and fuel consumption. In particular, the power train makes it possible to reduce a significant amount of fuel consumption especially when a vehicle is traveling at a constant high-velocity.
US08231489B2
A guide useful to install or remove a belt from a belt module is shown. This guide is made up of an elongated structure with a center aperture over which an endless belt is initially draped during installation. Once rotably attached to a belt module, the guide is moved downwardly to form a belt form over a top of the top drive rollers. A tube is attached to a bottom drive roller to help transfer the belt to the bottom drive roller and form the belt around the entire module. Once the belt is slidably positioned adjacent each drive roller, the belt is transferred from the guide and tube to the drive rollers for final installation.
US08231487B2
The invention relates to a bladder for an inflatable ball including structure for receiving an electronic device therein. The structure facilitates at least one of cushioning, positioning, locating, and supporting the electronic device. The structure cushions reaction forces arising from a foot strike to the bladder and/or provides a restoring force to the electronic device subsequent to a foot strike to maintain the device in its predetermined position.
US08231480B2
Golf club heads are releasably engaged with shafts so that the club heads and shafts can be readily interchanged and/or so that the shaft position with respect to the club head can be readily changed. Assemblies for connecting the club head and shaft may include: (a) a shaft engaging member including a rotation-inhibiting structure; (b) a club head engaging member including a shaft-receiving chamber and a retaining structure for engaging the rotation-inhibiting structure; and (c) a securing system for releasably securing the shaft engaging member with respect to the club head engaging member. The club head and shaft may be changed by releasing the securing system and exchanging the original parts with different parts. Furthermore, the shaft may be bent or otherwise extend at an angle from the shaft engaging member so as to allow adjustment of the shaft position with respect to the club head.
US08231478B1
A golf facilitating device (sometimes herein referred to as a “golf club” or a “Gimme Club”) is disclosed. The golf club may include a shaft, a club head coupled to the shaft, and a rotatable guiding mechanism coupled to at least one of the shaft and the club head. The guiding mechanism may include at least one guardrail, and a receptacle coupled to the at least one guardrail, wherein the rotatable guiding mechanism facilitates guiding a golf ball between a first position and a second position.
US08231477B2
A golf aid (10) comprising an elongate alignment member (12) provided with at least one through-hole (16) for receiving a golf tee. The golf aid can provide a golfer who is looking down at the ball (30) to ensure the club head (32) is correctly addressing the ball with an indication of the line along which the ball is intended to travel.
US08231475B2
The constant velocity pivot joint includes an outer joint part (12), an inner joint part (14) and rollers (28) disposed between the outer joint part (12) and the inner joint part (14). The rollers (28) each comprise an inner ring (48) with an inner roller surface (54) and an outer ring (42) with an outer roller surface (56). A plurality of rolling members (46) is disposed between the inner ring (48) and outer ring (42) so that the outer ring (42) can roll off on the inner ring (48). The inner ring (48) forms an axial guide, which fixes the position of the rolling members (46) relative to the inner ring (48) in the axial direction. Furthermore, an inner ring (48) and the outer ring (42) are axially displaceable relative to each other to a limited extent.
US08231470B2
Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for conducting a contest. One embodiment provides a contest that is played by multiple players across a communications network, in which the players compete to earn points awarded by a central contest administrator and the individual players are ranked based on their total number of points. In addition, individual ones of the players are allowed to select a sponsor from a set of previously identified sponsors, and the players also can earn points, which contribute to their totals for ranking purposes, from the sponsors they have selected. For this purpose, individual ones of the sponsors in the set are allocated points and have flexibility regarding how to award their allocated points to the players that have selected them.
US08231469B1
A game server stores data pertaining game players prematurely dropping out from games during the occurrence of the games, either voluntarily, involuntarily, or both. The games involve use of the wireless devices, such as cell phones, PDAs, or other types of devices. The game server includes a processor and machine instructions executable by the processor making available the data, or a ranking for each game player derived from the data, to the game players. Thus, the game players can access the data and make an informed decision as to whether to include a particular game player in a future game, based on their past history of prematurely dropping out of games.
US08231452B2
The present invention is a gaming machine including a display, which shows a plurality of cells indicating a plurality of symbols, and a controller, which selects a cell in a cell-selecting stage provided between a primary game and a secondary game on the display, controls the plurality of symbols in the secondary game and gives a predetermined function to the selected cell in the secondary game.
