US08254664B2
A method for measuring errors of workpieces by comparing a three-dimensional model and the workpieces manufactured according to the three-dimensional model is provided. The method converts a point cloud of each workpiece to a measured triangular mesh model, and aligns each measured triangular mesh model to the three-dimensional model. The method further compares each measured triangular mesh model with the three-dimensional model to check for differences between two model so as to obtain errors of each workpiece, and generates one or more analysis reports according to the errors of each workpiece.
US08254660B2
In a first embodiment, a picture is taken of the traveling wire cable in a stationary position at intervals that are equal to the ratio produced from the lay length or a multiple of the lay length and the travel speed of the wire cable, at least op one lay length or the above-mentioned multiple of the lay length, and the successive images are compared on at least one lay length or the above-mentioned multiple of the lay length and are monitored for changes in the image which are indicative of damages. In a second embodiment, the wire cable is instead of taking pictures exposed to flashes and the exposed image is detected on at least one lay length or the above-mentioned multiple of the lay length and monitored for changes in the image. Preferably, the respective repetition of the same outer stranded wire of the traveling wire cable is detected in the same location and every repetition or every other repetition or every third repetition is used for triggering the taking of a picture or for triggering the flash. In a third embodiment, a picture is taken of a large portion of the wire cable using a specialized camera and the image is split up into recurring units of length that correspond to the size of a lay length or a multiple of the lay length and the successive units of length are compared and inspected for changes in the image.
US08254651B2
After prepared biological samples have been submitted to liquid-chromatography/mass spectrometry equipment, digital images are produced that show variations. Some of these variations may be of interest while others are not of interest. Variations in regions of interest can be correlated and correlation scores produced to classify biological features aid in scientific discovery. Shape properties of variations can also be calculated by geometric scores. A microalignment method aids the correlation calculation without resorting to macroalignment.
US08254650B2
A method of fluorescence imaging is provided. The method provides for simultaneously acquiring image data at a plurality of phases and a plurality of frequencies from a region of interest, identifying at least one desired signal and at least one background signal in the acquired image data associated with the region of interest, constructing a digital filter based upon the at least one desired signal and the at least one background signal, wherein the digital filter is configured to enhance image contrast and applying the digital filter to the acquired image data associated with the region of interest to enhance image contrast in the acquired image data. Systems and computer programs that afford functionality of the type defined by this method are also provided.
US08254644B2
First, a face within an image, which is a target of detection, is detected. Detection data of the face is employed to detect eyes which are included in the face. Detection data of the eyes are employed to detect the inner and outer corners of the eyes. Detection data of the inner and outer corners of the eyes is employed to detect characteristic points of the upper and lower eyelids that represent the outline of the eyes.
US08254640B2
A false color composite image is created by assigning mid infrared data from three time-spaced images of an area of interest to corresponding RGB color components for the false color composite image. The RGB color components for the false color composite image are then converted into color space data and classified into a number of color classes. An age is assigned to the color classes to create a classified image of age classes of the area of interest.
US08254633B1
The present invention is a method and system to provide correspondences between a face camera track and a behavior camera track, for the purpose of making correspondence between the data obtained from each track. First, multiple learning machines are trained so that each of the machines processes pairwise person images from a specific pose region, and estimates the likelihood of two person images belonging to the same person based on image appearances. Then, the system acquires a person image associated with a behavior camera track, determines the pose of the person image based on its floor position, and corrects the pose of the person image. The system also acquires person images from face camera images associated with a face camera track, and combines the images with corrected person images from the previous step to form pairwise person images. The pairwise person image is fed to the trained pose-dependent pairwise person verification machines according to the pose of the person images, to compute the appearance match scores between the pair of person images. Finally, the combination of the appearance match scores and the spatiotemporal match scores of the pair of person images determines whether or not the person images belong to the same person.
US08254631B2
An automated security attendant for a mechanical gate includes an interface that queries a visitor as to the name and destination of the visitor, and then automatically proceeds with authentication of the visitor. The system includes cameras and recording equipment for capturing the visitor's face and license plates, and records this information along with a time and date stamp of the event. The visitor can be authenticated in accordance with a pre-stored list of names or license plates, or can be authenticated in real time through contact with authorized personnel. The system can further initiate two way conversation with between the visitor and the authorized personnel, and provide the authorized personnel with the image of the visitor's face and/or license plate. The system can also monitor the gate for damage and alert authorities where the security of the gate has been compromised.
US08254627B2
A method for following hand movements in an image flow, includes receiving an image flow in real time, locating in each image in the received image flow a hand contour delimiting an image zone of the hand, extracting the postural characteristics from the image zone of the hand located in each image, and determining the hand movements in the image flow from the postural characteristics extracted from each image. The extraction of the postural characteristics of the hand in each image includes locating in the image zone of the hand the center of the palm of the hand by searching for a pixel of the image zone of the hand the furthest from the hand contour.
US08254626B2
An output apparatus includes a section that acquires a moving image, a section that extracts a moving object in the acquired moving image, a section that identifies an object area, which is an area occupied by the extracted object in each moving image component image in a plurality of moving image component images included in the acquired moving image, a section that selects a plurality of moving image component images in which the identified object areas are not in positions that overlap with one another from among the plurality of moving image component images included in the acquired moving image, a section that generates a single synthesized image by superimposing images that include a plurality of object areas included in each moving image component image in the plurality of moving image component images selected, and a section that outputs the generated synthesized image.
US08254623B2
An image display device includes a housing including a front cabinet and a back cabinet. Inside the housing, arranged are a flat display panel, a speaker which emits voice forward, and a circuit board which displays an image on the flat display panel and transmits an audio signal to the speaker. Here, the flat display panel is attached to the front cabinet while the speaker and the circuit board are attached to the back cabinet. A sound emitting hole through which an acoustic wave from the speaker should pass is formed in at least a part of a region surrounding a display screen of the flat display panel on a front surface of the front cabinet, and the speaker has such a posture that a sound emitting surface thereof is inclined with respect to the display screen of the flat display panel and faces outside of the display screen.
US08254614B2
The present invention is a new horn loudspeaker comprising multiple sound radiators mounted to the sidewalls of the horn. At least two sound radiators mounted to the sidewalls of the horn with a “Hyperbolic Paraboloid” (saddle point) shaped lens placed medially between the sound radiators creating an improved horn characteristics for more uniform directivity, improved power response, reduced beaming as a function of frequency and twice the power the power handling.
US08254606B2
The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus of communicating instructions to a hearing assistance device, such as a hearing aid. In various embodiments instructions are formed using tones sent to the hearing assistance device. The instructions can be used to control the operation of the hearing assistance device. The signals may include dual tone multifunction signals or other nonstandard signals. Various detection processes are provided which include but are not limited to using a modified complex Goertzel algorithm to detect tones. The remote device can be a standard device or can be modified to provide the proper signals. The following techniques can be applied to hearing assistance devices including, but not limited to completely-in-the-canal devices, in-the-canal devices, behind-the-ear devices, receiver-in-canal devices, and implanted devices, such as cochlear implants.
US08254604B2
Provided are an array speaker system and a method of implementing the same. The array speaker system includes a group setting unit setting one or more combinations of a plurality of speakers included in an array speaker system into at least one group according to a predetermined adjustment factor, a signal assignment unit dividing an input signal into at least one sound source signal according to the adjustment factor and selectively assigning the divided sound source signal(s) to the set group(s), a sound adjustment unit adjusting a sound source signal to be output through speakers within the group according to sound source characteristics of the group, and a signal output unit outputting the adjusted sound source signal through the speakers within the group. Using the array speaker system, sound adjustment and sound output optimized for each frequency band can be obtained during output of a sound source signal having a broad range of frequencies, and a near-field effect that distorts an output sound source signal can be prevented. Moreover, stereo and multi-channel effects can be obtained and the directivity of the array speaker system can be improved.
US08254598B2
An integrated circuit for providing programmable microphone interface includes an input terminal for receiving an input signal and an output terminal for providing an output audio signal. In an embodiment, the integrated circuit includes a bias circuit, an amplifier circuit and two feedback circuits. The amplifier circuit includes a first input, a second input, and an output. The first input receives either the input signal or a feedback signal, depending upon mode control signals. The second input receives either the feedback signal or the input signal depending upon the mode control signals. The first feedback circuit is in communication with the output and the first input of the amplifier and includes a first resistor and a first capacitor connected in parallel. The second feedback circuit includes an integrator circuit and provides the feedback signal. The mode control signals can be set in a programmable mode control register.
US08254595B2
An apparatus configured as a compandor to achieve a defined dynamic range for an output signal in response to an input signal. In particular, the apparatus comprises a first circuit adapted to generate a first signal from the input signal, wherein the first signal includes a first dynamic range (e.g., a first sensitivity and first compression point); and a second circuit adapted to generate a second signal from the input signal, wherein the second signal includes a second dynamic range (e.g., a second sensitivity and second compression point) that is different from the first dynamic range of the first signal. The apparatus may further include a third circuit adapted to generate an output signal related to a sum of the first and second signals. By adjusting the first and second dynamic ranges, an overall dynamic range for the output signal of the companding apparatus may be achieved.
US08254585B2
A method of encoding input signals (l, r) to generate encoded data (100) is provided. The method involves processing the input signals (l, r) to determine first parameters (φ1, φ2) describing relative phase difference and temporal difference between the signals (l, r), and applying these first parameters (φ1, φ2) to process the input signals to generate intermediate signals. The method involves processing the intermediate signals to determine second parameters (α; IID, ρ) describing angular rotation of the first intermediate signals to generate a dominant signal (m) and a residual signal (s), the dominant signal (m) having a magnitude or energy greater than that of the residual signal (s). These second parameters are applicable to process the intermediate signals to generate the dominant (m) and residual (s) signals. The method also involves quantizing the first parameters, the second parameters, and dominant and residual signals (m, s) to generate corresponding quantized data for subsequent multiplexing to generate the encoded data (100).
US08254580B2
Methods, a client node and a key server node are provided for distributing from the key server node, and acquiring at the client node, self-healing encryption keys. The client node and the key server node are part of a key distribution network that comprises a plurality of client nodes. An encryption key is obtained from a combination of a forward key with a backward key, wherein the backward key is distributed at a time separated from the time of the forward key by a self-healing period. The forward and backward keys are updated in a multicast rekey message, at a given time, encrypted by an encryption key defined for a previous time. Optionally, when a sibling of the client node joins or leaves the key distribution network, a unicast rekey message is used to renew the forward and backward keys at the client node.
US08254579B1
Cryptographic keys are distributed to computer systems to be remotely managed by a management node. First secure channels are established between the management node and trusted computing platforms associated with the computer systems. Cryptographic keys are sent to the trusted computing platforms via the first secure channels, wherein the cryptographic keys are stored in the trusted computing platforms and retrieved from the trusted computing platforms by the computer systems. Second secure channels are established with the computer systems using the retrieved cryptographic keys. Commands are remotely executed on one or more of the computer systems via the second secure channels.
US08254572B2
A portable device initially accesses a secure server and requests a certificate. The secure server generates a random key and encodes the generated key to generate a representation of the key, such as a two-dimensional bar code or an audio signal, and communicated to a local device, such as a laptop or desktop computer, using a web interface. The local device is used to present the representation of the key to a mobile device. The mobile device then captures the representation of the key from the local device, for example using an image capture device or audio capture device, and extracts the key by decoding the representation of the key. The key is then stored by the mobile device and used to securely communicate with the secure server without manually entering the key.
US08254564B2
An improved keypad for a handheld electronic device has keys wherein the engagement surface thereof is oriented oblique to the actuation axis of the key. The oblique arrangement of the engagement surfaces visually and tactually distinguishes one key from another, which facilitates their incorporation into various handheld electronic devices with relatively small form factors.
US08254563B2
This invention discloses a system for line powering in communications. The system for line powering includes a power supply at the central office and remote power supply units (PSUs) connected to the power supply, wherein the power supply at the central office comprises at least two central office PSUs, and the central office PSUs provide power for the remote PSUs after being connected in parallel. At least two central office PSUs are set and connected in parallel to provide power for the remote PSUs, which provides redundant power backup for the remote PSUs and ensures reliability of normal communications in the network communication system. This method also helps to reduce the number of PSUs at the central office power supply part, to save space of the equipment room and to facilitate monitoring of central office PSUs. Thereby, this solution achieves reliable communication services, high integration of central office equipment and cost-effective network communication system.
US08254555B1
Systems and methods for managing calls, both inbound and outbound, for available agents over a plurality of lines, where each call received or placed is pre-identified to be connected to one specific agent and upon the automatic detection of the call being received or answered, the call is either connected to the specific agent or placed in a queue for that specific agent.
US08254552B2
A method to be executed in a session initiation protocol (SIP) environment is provided that includes detecting, by a first agent, a potential lost connection associated with a signaling path. The signaling path couples a first endpoint and a second endpoint and is operable to exchange signaling data. The potential lost connection is associated with a call between the first and the second endpoint, the first agent being associated with the first endpoint. The method also includes communicating a reinvite to a second agent that is associated with the second endpoint in order to determine whether the call between the first endpoint and the second endpoint is active.
US08254546B2
A method (300) and system (100) are disclosed to proxy mobile and network originated call sessions. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method having the steps of simulating (302-314) a seamless phone directory, and simulating (318-344) a mobile originated call as a network originated call according to a selected identifier of the phone directory proxy.
US08254543B2
A sensor event controller dynamically switches a destination to which sensor event data are to be notified, according to a service application program (AP) that a user is using, and notifies sensor event data in compliance with an interface of the service AP as the notification destination. An information collection part stores information for identification of a service AP used on a browser and header information transmitted/received between the browser and the service AP in a collected data storage part. Upon receiving sensor event data, a data-notified application determination part decides that the service AP used on the browser is a service AP as the notification destination, by referring to the collected data storage part. A notified data conversion part converts the sensor event data so that the data are compliant with an input interface of the service AP as the notification destination, and transmits a processing request to the service AP as the notification destination, the processing request being generated by adding the header information to the converted sensor event data.
US08254542B2
A phone key registration process between a user and an institution directed to establishing an audible sound or a collection of audible sounds recognizable to a user and stored with the institution. Subsequent to establishing the phone key, when the institution calls the user, the registered phone key may be played back to the user allowing the user to authenticate that the calling party is, indeed, the institution which the user registered the phone key with. Such a process may prevent an unauthorized party without knowledge of the phone key to call a user acting as the institution to illegally obtain private or sensitive information.
US08254541B2
Caller ID validation system and methods are provided. When a call is placed over a communication network, a validation system receives the call signaling, and processes the call signaling to identify originating node information in the call signaling. The originating node information is inserted by the communication network when handling the call and pertains to a network node that originates the call into the network. The validation system also processes the call signaling to identify caller ID information for the call. The validation system then processes the originating node information and the caller ID information to determine whether the call originated from the originating node. If the call did originate from the originating node, then the validation system determines that the caller ID information is valid.
US08254537B2
A Presence Server receives presence information associated with a Presentity, wherein the presence information comprises one or more presence attributes and the Presentity is associated with a Presence Source and a first Watcher. The Presence Server further receives a request from a second Watcher to view a presence attribute of the one or more presence attributes. The Presence Server may further receive a message from the first Watcher specifying a desire to be notified of who is watching the Presentity, presence attributes being filtered, and/or throttling or deferring of presence attribute updates being implemented by the Presence Server. The Presence Server conveys to the first Watcher watcher notification information that informs of Watchers watching the Presentity, what is being watched, presence attributes being filtered, and/or throttling or deferring of presence attribute updates. The Presentity then determines whether to publish a presence attribute update based on the watcher notification information.
US08254535B1
Techniques are described for performing actions for users based at least in part on spoken information, such as spoken voice-based information received from the users during telephone calls. The described techniques include categorizing spoken information obtained from a user in one or more ways, and performing actions on behalf of the user related to the categorized information. For example, in some situations, spoken information obtained from a user is analyzed to identify one or more spoken information items (e.g., words, phrases, sentences, etc.) supplied by the user, and to generate corresponding textual representations (e.g., via automated speech-to-text techniques). One or more actions may then be taken regarding the identified information items, including to categorize the items by adding textual representations of the spoken information items to one or more of multiple predefined lists or other collections of information that are specific to or otherwise available to the user.
US08254530B2
In systems which support oral entry of Personal Identification Number (PIN) values in order to establish access to user accounts, a user is prompted to enter the PIN value for a particular account. The entered PIN value is analyzed by a speech recognition engine to extract both a multi-digit number and the user's expression of that number. The extracted multi-digit number is compared to a multi-digit number stored in a user record associated with the account. If the user previously specified that expression matching is required, the extracted expression of the multi-digit number is compared to a preferred expression stored in the user record. Matches must be found for both the numbers and the form in which those numbers are expressed in order for the user to be authenticated. The user may elect to dispense with the expression matching requirement.
US08254529B2
A method and apparatus for identification of emergency conditions present at a given geographic location of an Internet Protocol (IP) based device and the subsequent appropriate alerting of an Emergency Services Notification (ESN) telephone number. The method and apparatus serve to monitor an IP packet flow from an IP telephony device and sense a datagram within the packet flow corresponding to an ESN dialing sequence. Upon sensing the ESN dialing sequence, the normal call packet flow is interrupted while IP-based call set-up information is returned as though a normal IP-based call were placed. An ESN call server is then alerted of the ESN dialing sequence and functions to forward the IP packet flow to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) appropriate to the IP telephony device along with location information corresponding to a civic address at which the IP telephony device is located.
US08254523B2
An imaging apparatus having an X-ray detector and an image display unit comprises first and second display magnification calculation units and a selection unit. The first display magnification calculation unit receives information of the detected image size, a binning condition and a display frame size, and thereby calculating a first display magnification so as to maximize a display area of the detected image. The second display magnification calculation unit temporarily changes the received binning condition, and by using the temporarily changed binning condition and the received detected image size, and calculates a second display magnification so as to maximize a display area. The selection unit selects the first display magnifications and the temporarily change binning condition if the first display magnification is closer to one and the second display magnification with one.
US08254522B2
A dynamic image, of a quality required for diagnosis that does not increase the radiation dosage of a person being imaged, can be captured by a dynamic imaging system that includes an imaging console which has a control unit. The control unit analyzes at least one of the frame images captured at an initial state of dynamic imaging, calculates an index indicating the quality of the image, and calculates, by using the calculated index, an upper limit frame rate fsup such that the index indicating the quality of the frame image captured by the dynamic imaging is below a determined reference value. The frame rate used for dynamic imaging is determined according to the calculated upper limit frame rate fsup and a lower limit frame rate finf required to diagnose the dynamic state of the imaged region. An imaging device may image the person at the determined frame rate.
US08254519B2
An X-ray inspection apparatus includes a scanning X-ray source for emitting an X-ray, an X-ray detector drive unit having a plurality of X-ray detectors mounted thereon and being capable of independently driving the plurality of X-ray detectors, and an image acquisition control mechanism for controlling the X-ray detector drive unit and acquisition of image data from the X-ray detectors. The scanning X-ray source emits an X-ray by moving an X-ray focal point position of the X-ray source to each of originating point positions of X-ray emission, which are set for the X-ray detectors such that X-rays are transmitted through a plurality of prescribed inspection areas of an inspection object and enter the X-ray detectors. Image pickup by the X-ray detector and movement of another X-ray detector are concurrently performed in an alternate manner. The image acquisition control mechanism acquires image data, and an operation unit reconstructs an image.
US08254518B2
Some aspects include acquisition of a first plurality of projection images of a volume using a megavoltage x-ray source, each of the first plurality of projection images associated with a respective one of a first plurality of locations of the megavoltage x-ray source, acquisition of a second plurality of projection images of the volume using a kilovoltage x-ray source, each of the second plurality of projection images associated with a respective one of a second plurality of locations of the kilovoltage x-ray source, and performance of digital tomosynthesis reconstruction to generate a three-dimensional image of the volume based on the first plurality of projection images and the second plurality of projection images. The first axis may be perpendicular to the second axis.
US08254514B1
An early-late gate based ADC timing approach is described for performing early-late gate timing recovery despite the presence of multipath signal distortion. Multipath conditions may severely distort Barker correlator magnitudes generated for taps within two taps of a determined bit synchronization time. Exemplary embodiments of the described approach may combine Barker correlator magnitudes for several receive chains to calculate the timing error correction corresponding to a difference of early and late taps. The approach may be used to increase the size and stability of Barker correlator magnitudes generated for taps far away from a determined bit synchronization time. Such embodiments allow early-late differences to be generated using combined Barker correlator magnitudes generated at taps that are two or more chips from a determined bit synchronization time, thereby avoiding multipath distortion that may distort Barker correlator magnitudes generated within two or more chips from the determined bit synchronization time.
US08254512B2
Method and apparatus for increasing coherent integration length while receiving a positioning signal
A receiving method and apparatus for increasing coherent integration length while receiving a positioning signal from transmitters such as GPS satellites. In order to compensate for frequency drifts that may occur in the positioning signal, a hypothesis is made as to the frequency drift, which is inserted into the receiving algorithm. Advantageously, the length of coherent integration can be increased at the expense of reducing the length of incoherent integration while keeping the total integration length the same, the net effect of which is an increase in signal detection sensitivity. The frequency drift hypothesis has any appropriate waveform; for example, approximately linear or exponential. The hypothesized frequency drift can be inserted into the receiver algorithm in any suitable place; for example, the data block may be adjusted for the hypothesized frequency drift, alternatively the reference signal may be adjusted, or the frequency samples of either the data block or the reference signal may be adjusted.
US08254507B2
Aspects of a system for STBC/SFBC in a communication system using angle feedback may include a receiver, which enables reception of signals via a plurality of receiving antennas. The receiver may enable computation of a rotation factor value based on the received signals and utilization of the computed rotation factor value to receive subsequent signals via the plurality of receiving antennas. The received signals may comprise preamble data. The receiver may enable computation of channel estimate values based on the received preamble data. A rotation angle value may be computed based on the computed channel estimate values. The rotation factor value may be computed based on the computed rotation angle value. The receiver may enable transmission of feedback information comprising the computed rotation factor and/or the computed rotation angle.
US08254506B2
An adaptive electronic transmission signal cancellation circuit for separating transmit data from receive data in a bidirectional communication system operating in full duplex mode is disclosed. The output of a main transmitter responsive to a first bias current is connected to the output of a receiver through an internal resistor. A first replica transmitter responsive to a second bias current and matched to the main transmitter current gain and rise/fall time characteristics is connected to the input terminal of the receiver, and produces a cancellation voltage between the output terminal of the main transmitter and the input terminal of the receiver as a function of the second bias current and the internal resistor. A second replica transmitter matched to the current gain and rise/fall time characteristics of the main transmitter and the first replica transmitter and responsive to the second bias current is connected to the output terminal of the main transmitter for canceling excess current, developed by the first replica transmitter, at the output terminal of the main transmitter.
US08254503B1
An automatic gain control tracking system including a variable gain amplifier and an automatic gain control module. The variable gain amplifier is configured to amplify an input signal in accordance with a first gain, in which i) the input signal comprises a plurality of orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, and ii) each of the plurality of orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the input signal is preceded by a respective cyclic prefix. The automatic gain control module configured to vary the first gain of the variable gain amplifier during the respective cyclic prefix preceding each of the plurality of orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the input signal.
US08254497B2
A method for detecting a cyclostationary signal in a signal to be analyzed, received from a transmitter by a receiver or read from a recording medium by a reader device. According to this method, the value of a discrimination function J is estimated, expressed as a quadratic form of the cyclic correlation coefficients of the signal to be analyzed for a set (I*M) of non-zero time shifts and a set (IK) of cyclic frequencies, and the value 1 - γ ( v , U σ 4 J ) is compared with a wrong detection rate η in order to determine whether said cyclostationary signal is present in the signal to be analyzed, wherein γ(ν,x) is the normalized lower incomplete gamma function, ν is the product of the cardinal (M) of said set of non-zero time shifts and of the cardinal (K) of said set of cyclic frequencies, U is the width of the autocorrelation window on which the cyclic correlation coefficients are calculated, and σ4 is the square of the noise variance.
US08254496B2
A power amplifier (10) comprises: an A/D converter (11) for converting, to a time discrete signal, an envelope signal included in a high-frequency modulated signal and including only an amplitude modulated component of the high-frequency modulated signal; a switching amplifier (12) for amplifying the output signal of the A/D converter (11); a low-pass filter (13) for removing high frequency noise from the output signal of the switching amplifier (12); a plurality of high-frequency power amplifiers (15-1 to 15-n) for receiving the output signal of the low-pass filter (13) as a power supply and for amplifying a carrier signal included in the high-frequency modulated signal; and a power controller (14) for adjusting the average power of the output signal of the power amplifier (10) by controlling the total gains of the plurality of high-frequency power amplifiers (15-1 to 15-n).
US08254494B2
A method of implementing data transmission is provided, which comprises: A) comparing bit by bit data to be transmitted currently with previous transmitted data, and counting to obtain total number of different bits; and B) when it is determined that the total number of different bits is more than a half of number of bits of the data to be transmitted currently, inverting the data to be transmitted currently and then converting the inverted data into a differential signal for transmission. A device of implementing data transmission is also provided. The method and device provided by embodiments of the present invention can minimize electromagnetic interference during data transmission.
US08254491B2
An equalizer provided in a digital transmitter compensates for attenuation in a signal channel to a digital receiver. The equalizer generates signal levels as a logical function of bit history to emphasize transition signal levels relative to repeated signal levels. The preferred equalizer includes an FIR transition filter using a look-up table. Parallel circuits including FIR filters and digital-to-analog converters provide a high speed equalizer with lower speed circuitry. The equalizer is particularly suited to in-cabinet and local area network transmissions where feedback circuitry facilitates adaptive training of the equalizer.
US08254487B2
A method includes broadcasting, at a transmitter, messages comprising antenna configuration, antenna spacing and a number of antenna of the transmitter and reference signals; generating, at a receiver, a codebook comprising a plurality of antenna beams based on the broadcasted messages; receiving, at the receiver, the broadcasted reference signals; selecting, at the receiver, an antenna beam among the plurality of antenna beams within the codebook in dependence upon a predetermined performance criteria of a data communication system and in dependence upon the broadcasted reference signals; feedbacking to the transmitter, at the receiver, information comprising the antenna beam selected by the receiver; optimizing, at the transmitter, a beamforming process by utilizing the feedback information from the receiver; transmitting, at the transmitter, data signals by utilizing the optimized beamforming process; and receiving and processing, at the receiver, the data signals in dependence upon the selected antenna beams within the codebook.
US08254483B1
A transmission within a wireless cellular network may include a first and second type of information. A subframe includes a plurality of symbols, at least one symbol is designated as a data symbol and at least one symbol is designated as a reference signal symbol that contains a pre-defined reference signal. The first type of information is embedded in the data symbols. If the second type of data is expected, then the second type of information is embedded in at least one reference symbol by quadrature amplitude modulating the pre-defined reference signal. The subframe is then transmitted from one node in the network to a second node. If it is determined that the second node is not expecting the second type of information, then a discontinuous transmission (DTX) response is embedded in the reference symbol instead of the second type of information.
US08254476B2
A wireless communication device that transmits a wireless signal by carrying out linear precoding processing using a plurality of transmission antennas is provided with: a phase pattern control unit for selecting a phase pattern that reduces peak-to-average power ratio; a phase rotation unit for carrying out phase rotation on a modulation signal using the phase pattern selected in the phase pattern control unit; a control signal generation unit for generating a control signal based on the phase pattern selected in the phase pattern control unit; and a preceding unit for carrying out linear precoding processing on output signals from the phase rotation unit and output signals from the control signal generation unit.
US08254471B2
A method for remote crosstalk cancellation, includes: filtering, at a first transmitting end which is connected to a first receiving end over a first line, crosstalk source signals according to values of filtering parameters; synthesizing, at the first transmitting end, a first signal to be transmitted over the first line and the filtered crosstalk source signals; transmitting the synthesized signal from the first transmitting end to the first receiving end over the first line; receiving, at the first transmitting end, a noise statistic related value fed back from the first receiving end; and adjusting, at the transmitting end, the values of the filtering parameters according to the noise statistic related value. A corresponding device and a signal processing system for remote crosstalk cancellation are provided.
US08254470B2
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding a stream of digital (binary) data on AGC (automatic gain control) pulses or back porch pulses of the type conventionally used for copy protection in the analog television or video realm. The data is encoded onto the tips of the AGC or back porch pulses added to blanking intervals of an analog video signal. Each pulse tip may define, for instance, 10 to 15 digital bits (1 or 0) in the form of square waves or rectangular waves with two states, high and low, representing respectively 1 and 0. In another version, the digital data is similarly encoded onto the pulse tip of back porch pulses present at the end of video fields for copy protection. This digital data conveyed in an analog signal may be read by an associated decoder in a consumer device and the resulting data decoded, for instance, for copy control, storage permission, network access, user identification, or carrying additional data, such as commentary or text relevant to the accompanying video. The data bandwidth here is substantial since each AGC or back porch pulse may carry, for instance, 15 bits of digital data and the AGC or back porch pulses may be present in each of the horizontal and vertical blanking intervals of a video signal.
US08254467B2
A method and system for scaling frames of a compressed image stream, each frame including a mosaic of pixels. For each frame of the encoded image stream, the even-numbered lines of the frame are scaled as a first grouping of lines, while the odd-numbered lines of the frame are scaled as a second grouping of lines. This grouping of the lines of the frame may occur within the frame itself or by dividing the frame into sub-frames, in which case the even-numbered lines of the frame are scaled independently from the odd-numbered lines of the frame and a scaled version of the frame is then generated by merging the scaled even-numbered lines of the frame with the scaled odd-numbered lines of the frame.
US08254463B2
In macroblocks to which a prediction mode determination step, which determines whether or not a prediction mode applied to the macroblocks is a predetermined prediction mode, and an encoded data selection step, which selects a predetermined type of encoded data corresponding to the pixels at predetermined positions in the macroblocks to which the predetermined prediction mode is applied, are applied, there is provided a bit distribution step for more preferentially distributing bits to a predetermined type of encoded data selected at the encoded data selection step than a predetermined type of encoded data that is not selected at the encoded data selection step in the macroblocks to which the predetermined prediction mode is applied. With these steps, it is possible to provide an encoded data selection method which can limit the encoded data per one macroblock transmitted from a decoding device to a recoding device to less than a predetermined value while suppressing the lack ratio of the amount of information of the encoded data as much as possible.
US08254460B2
A video frame arithmetical context adaptive encoding and decoding scheme is presented which is based on the finding, that, for sake of a better definition of neighborhood between blocks of picture samples, i.e. the neighboring block which the syntax element to be coded or decoded relates to and the current block based on the attribute of which the assignment of a context model is conducted, and when the neighboring block lies beyond the borders or circumference of the current macroblock containing the current block, it is important to make the determination of the macroblock containing the neighboring block dependent upon as to whether the current macroblock pair region containing the current block is of a first or a second distribution type, i.e., frame or field coded.
US08254453B2
A multi-format video decoder includes a bitstream buffer, a system controller, a bitstream decoding unit, an intra mode decoding unit and a shared prediction module. The system controller selectively generates a first control signal or a second control signal according to a video bitstream. The bitstream decoding unit generates a decoding information signal according to the video bitstream when receiving the first control signal. The intra mode decoding unit generates an intra mode signal when receiving the second control signal. The shared prediction module performs an AC/DC prediction upon a current block of the video bitstream to generate a current first prediction result according to the decoding information signal and performs an intra prediction upon the current block to generate a current second prediction result according to the intra mode signal. The shared prediction module includes shared components being utilized in the AC/DC prediction and the intra prediction.
US08254452B2
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a first reference frame picture list and a second reference frame picture list including multiple reference frame pictures respectively and determining a reference frame picture index based on display order information for the multiple reference frame pictures. A first reference field picture having a different parity from the macroblock is selected if the first reference field picture index is an odd number, and a second reference field picture having a same parity as the macroblock is selected if the second reference field picture index is an even number. The macroblock is decoded based on the first and second motion vector information and the selected first and second reference field pictures.
US08254451B2
An image coding apparatus includes a reference index assignment unit that assigns reference indices to reference pictures which can be referred to by a current picture to be coded, each of the reference indices having a different value and being assigned to a corresponding one of the plural reference pictures. An image coding unit performs field-coding on the current picture to be coded, by referring to the reference pictures indicated by the reference indices assigned by the reference index assignment unit, and codes the reference indices. The reference index assignment unit assigns, to one of two reference pictures included in the plural reference pictures, a reference index having a value smaller than a value of a reference index to be assigned to the other reference picture. One of the two reference pictures is temporally closer to the current picture to be coded.
US08254438B2
This application is concerned with a non-intrusive video quality measurement method, in particular where the video signal having: an original form; encoded form in which video signal has been encoded using a compression algorithm utilizing a variable quantiser step size such that the encoded signal includes a quantiser step size parameter; and, a decoded form in which the encoded video signal has been at least in part reconverted to the original form. The method comprises the steps of: a) generating a first quality measure which is a function of said quantiser step size parameter; b) generating a second quality measure which is a function of the spatial complexity of the frames represented by the video signal in the decoded form; and, c) combining the first and second measures in order to obtain an estimate for the subjective visual quality of the decoded video.
US08254435B2
A variable delay circuit delays a carrier signal having a predetermined frequency, and outputs a modulated signal. A delay setting unit sets a delay period for the variable delay circuit according to a data signal to be modulated. The delay setting unit assigns each symbol in the data signal to any one of positive edges and negative edges in the carrier signal, and sets a delay period for the variable delay circuit at the timing at which a positive edge in the carrier signal passes through the variable delay circuit, according to the symbol value in the data signal assigned to the positive edge. Furthermore, the delay setting unit sets a delay period for the variable delay circuit at the timing at which a negative edge in the carrier signal passes through the variable delay circuit, according to the symbol value in the data signal assigned to the negative edge.
US08254434B2
In a method for estimating a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless mobile communication system, noise is estimated from adjacent received signals of at least two adjacent subcarriers and received signals of subcarriers, noise power is calculated by calculating a mean square value of the estimated noise by summing squares of the estimated noise, a mean square value of the received signals is calculated by summing squares of the received signals, signal power is calculated by subtracting the noise power from the mean square value of the received signals, and the SNR is calculated using the signal power and the noise power. Thus, the method of the present invention having low complexity can estimate an SNR efficiently regardless of channel changes on a frequency axis when one OFDM symbol includes preamble data.
US08254432B2
A receiver receives chip-level data items via a plurality of individual distinct path signals in a signal cluster that is wirelessly received. Channel estimates and timing reference signals, and lock indications of valid components values in the channel estimates are generated utilizing the received chip-level data items. Rake receiver fingers are assigned to the received individual distinct path signals based on the generated channel estimates and timing reference signals, and/or the lock indications. Each of the received chip-level data items corresponds to one of the assigned rake receiver fingers. At least a portion of the received chip-level data items may be combined utilizing the assigned rake receiver fingers. The generated one or more combined chip-level data items may be despreaded to generate corresponding symbol-level data.
US08254429B1
In accordance with embodiments, a communication system includes a first device and a second device in communication with the first device. The second device has at least a first pair and a second pair of antennas. The second device spreads a communication bit by a predetermined spreading factor and forms a first set of spatial block codes in frequency domain based on the spread communication bit. The first set of spatial block codes being consecutively transmitted on one of the first and second pairs of antennas.
US08254428B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving pilot symbols for demodulation of control channel information in the uplink of a wireless communication system are provided. When an Evolved Node B (ENB) expects to receive both the Channel Quality Information (CQI) and the Acknowledgement (ACK)/Negative ACK (NACK) from a User Equipment (UE) in a certain subframe, if the UE transmits only the CQI channel, the ENB is prevented to detect the nonexistent ACK/NACK information from the CQI channel, thereby avoiding false alarm.
US08254421B1
A wavelength conversion laser light source includes a fundamental wave laser light source; a wavelength conversion element for converting a fundamental wave emitted from the fundamental wave laser light source into a harmonic wave; and an element temperature holding section for holding the wavelength conversion element at a temperature as set, wherein the element temperature holding section includes a magnetic metal formed on at least a part of the surface of the wavelength conversion element via an insulating material, and a magnetic flux application section for heating the magnetic metal with an application of a magnetic flux to the magnetic metal.
US08254420B2
Laser light wavelength control is provided by periodically predicting a next position of a light controlling prism using a model of the prism's motion characteristics. The prediction is then updated if a measurement of laser output wavelength is obtained. However, because the predictions are made without waiting for a measurement, they can be made more frequently than the laser firing repetition rate and the prism can be repositioned at discrete points in time which can occur more frequently than the laser firing events. This also reduces performance degradation which may be caused by being one pulse behind a laser measurement and the resultant laser control signal being applied.
US08254403B2
A packet forwarding apparatus identifies the class of the received packet, determines whether there is a capacity for storing the received packet, spending a dedicated free capacity corresponding to the identified class, stores the packet in the buffer, spending the corresponding dedicated free capacity if there is the capacity for storing the packet, determines whether the packet may be stored spending a jointly owned free capacity if the packet may not be stored spending the dedicated free capacity, stores the packet in the buffer, spending the corresponding jointly owned free capacity if there is the capacity for storing the packet, discards the packet if the packet may not be stored spending the jointly owned free capacity, and selects a predetermined class according to a priority control and reads out the packet from the buffer for transmission.
US08254394B1
According to specific embodiments of the invention, a technique is described for providing constant bit rate (CBR) service over shared access channels in a computer network. The technique of the present invention provides a plurality of linked lists of grant allocation elements at the head end of the network for implementing CBR service to requesting nodes on each shared access channel. Each grant allocation element corresponds to a respective unsolicited CBR grant allocated to a particular node on a selected channel. A CBR service request sent by a particular node to the head end is handled by an admission control engine within the head end. If admission control admits the CBR service request, it inserts one or more unsolicited grant allocation elements relating to the admitted request in at least one of the plurality of linked lists. Each linked list of grant allocation elements is used to generate a CBR portion of a respective, fixed size, grant allocation MAP message. Each grant allocation MAP message includes a first portion of N minislot allocations reserved primarily for CBR purposes, and a second portion of M minislot allocations reserved primarily for non-CBR purposes. Using the technique of the present invention voice traffic or other CBR applications may be supported on shared access channels with delay bound and zero jitter.
US08254388B2
A packet reception portion receives packets of user traffic transferred on the network. The received packets are transferred to an address extraction portion via a distribution portion, and the transmission source address and destination address are extracted. Based on these addresses, a packet generation portion generates probe packets the transfer destination of which is the address destination. A packet transmission portion transmits the probe packets to the network. The transmitted probe packets are received as probe response packets by the packet reception portion. The probe response packets received by the packet reception portion are transferred to a result storage portion via the distribution portion. The result storage portion stores transmission source addresses included in the probe packets in a result storage DB.
US08254384B2
A packet transmission system, a packet transmission method, a packet update method, a host apparatus, and a computer program product thereof for the packet transmission system are provided. The packet transmission method comprises the following steps: transmitting a first positioning packet that has a first message serial number; receiving the first positioning packet; generating a temporary packet that has a second message serial number; determining that the first message serial number is smaller than the second message serial number; transmitting the temporary packet; receiving the temporary packet and updating the first message serial as the second message serial number; and transmitting a second positioning packet that has the second message serial number. Thereby, the system not only prevents repeat transmission, but also enhances positioning reliability by using two-way transmission.
US08254383B2
The invention relates to a method for routing packets. The method includes receiving a first packet to route, obtaining a first route entry using a first IP address associated with the first packet, where the first route entry includes a first prefix, a first route nexthop generation (RNG) and a first route nexthop pointer (RNP) to a second route entry. The method further includes comparing a route generation (RG) for the second route entry with the first RNG where the RG for the second route entry and the first RNG are equal, obtaining a first neighbor cache entry (NCE) from a first NCE pointer (NP) stored in the first route entry, and routing the first packet using the ARP information in the first NCE, where a route dependency list pointer (RDLP) in the second route entry points to the first route entry.
US08254377B1
A method for managing services for a network service provider includes the steps of receiving a Feature Request Message from a switching node associated with a mobile station within a non-circuit switched network at a registration node. The Feature Request Message includes a code for activating a feature within the registration node enabling connections to the non-circuit switched network. A service request is received for providing a network service to the mobile station at the registration node. The service request is routed to the switching node associated with the non-circuit switched network responsive to the feature within the registration node enabling connection to the non-circuit switched network being activated.
US08254373B2
A method of managing a communications network, managing secure transactions conducted by digital communications devices over a communications network and computer program product therefore. A Back to Back User Agent (B2BUA), for example, receives numerical input from a networked digital communications device, e.g., a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) device, and determines when and whether the SIP device displays digits entered at the devices. The B2BUA analyzes received digits for an identification (ID) code and selectively couples the SIP devices with a media server capable of providing prompting the SIP devices. In cooperation with the media server, the B2BUA directs replacing sensitive codes (e.g., passwords or Personal Identification Number (PIN)) with placekeepers or suppressing display altogether. After sensitive code input is complete, digit entry display resumes.
US08254372B2
Communication apparatus having interfaces for exchanging data with first and second neighbors, a memory for storing codec information regarding the communication apparatus and a control entity operative to detect a message from the first neighbor, the first message being indicative of codec information regarding an originating entity. In response, the control entity assesses compatibility between the codec information regarding the originating entity and the codec information regarding the communication apparatus. If the assessment is positive, the control entity self-identifies the communication apparatus as a candidate for terminally supporting a subsequent codec-bypass negotiation with the originating entity. If the assessment is negative, the control entity self-identifies the communication apparatus as a candidate for non-terminally supporting such negotiation. The invention thus capitalizes on the realization that although an end-to-end codec-bypass connection may not be possible, it may nevertheless be possible to achieve bandwidth savings by establishing a codec-bypass connection along only a portion of the path.
US08254371B2
A server, upon receiving a request to complete a call over a packet-switched network, looks up an address on the packet-switched network on a local table. If the local table does not contain a matching address, the server asks a routing server to identify a receiving server address. The routing server identifies a suitable address and sends a message to the originating server containing the address. The routing server may consider such factors as the volume of calls currently being handled by various potential receiving servers in selecting a receiving server. The receiving server then receives, via the packet-switched network, a message requesting a telephone connection to a second telephone device. Before completing the connection to the second telephone device, information in the message representing the address of the device on the packet-switched network that originated the message is identified. The address information is compared to selected predetermined addresses for permitted origins of the message. The permitted origins may be other servers or clients of the receiving server. If the address in the message corresponds to a predetermined permitted address, the server will proceed with completion of the call. If the address in the message does not correspond to a predetermined permitted address, the server will refuse to complete the call.
US08254357B2
In an example embodiment, there is described herein a technique that provides network availability to wireless clients (e.g., wireless clients running mission critical applications such as voice applications or medical devices) when a portions of a network is unavailable, such as when performing an image upgrade. One or more access points are switched to a standalone mode of operation, for example an AP that can operate using HREAP (Hybrid Remote Edge Access Point) mode, for maintaining network availability while a portion of the network is unavailable.
US08254353B2
With respect to wireless communication apparatuses to which a plurality of clients are connected by wireless, uneven distribution of load is prevented, without monitoring the situation of the uneven distribution of the load among wireless communication apparatuses. The wireless communication apparatuses (access points) connected by wireless to the plurality of clients have a responding unit (wireless LAN unit and CPU) that responds to a connection request from a client at different response timing depending on the number of clients connected. Since the responding unit responds at different response timing depending on the number of clients connected and the wireless communication apparatus that has a small number of clients responds quickly, dispersion of the load can be achieved.
US08254351B2
A communication network contains several nodes, which are equipped with transmitter/receiver units for wireless communication, including nodes referred to as mobile nodes that are installed on mobile machines. So that decentralized decisions can be made regarding the use of the mobile machines at the sites where the machines are located, a memory for storing the operating parameter profiles of several of the mobile machines is assigned to each node; every node is designed to transmit profiles stored in its assigned memory via its transmitter/receiver unit, and to update the profile of a particular mobile machine stored in its assigned memory based on a profile of this mobile machine that is received from another node.
US08254348B2
A method of communicating among vehicles in a convoy or otherwise in close proximity is provided. The method includes initiating an internet protocol layer on a wireless hub of a first vehicle. The first vehicle also synchronizes with at least a one other vehicle having a wireless hub. A voice signal is received at the first vehicle. The voice signal is then converted into packets. Finally, the packets are sent from the wireless hub of the first vehicle to the wireless hub of the at least one other vehicle using a networking protocol.
US08254347B2
Unique identifiers are assigned to sets of adjacent access points in a wireless, local area network (WLAN). Thereafter, a unique identifier may be forwarded to a mobile device which uses the identifier to associate itself with one of the adjacent access points. Associating a mobile device with an adjacent access point using unique identifiers allows a WLAN to meet its load balancing objectives.
US08254343B2
Embodiments of a multi-radio platform and method for mitigating the effects of interference are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the multi-radio platform includes co-located radios including a Bluetooth transceiver and a wireless network transceiver. The wireless network transceiver may apply a transmit-active noise-cancellation matrix to signals received by the wireless network transceiver when the Bluetooth transceiver is transmitting and may apply a transmit-inactive noise-cancellation matrix to signals received when the Bluetooth transceiver is not transmitting. The transmit-active noise-cancellation matrix may mitigate effects of emissions generated by the Bluetooth transceiver when the Bluetooth transceiver is transmitting. The transmit-inactive noise-cancellation matrix is to mitigate effects of platform noise generated by platform elements of the multi-radio platform.
US08254341B2
A control channel transmitting method includes selecting one control channel format from among a plurality of control channel formats having different numbers of control points, according to whether to carry out multiple input multiple output transmission; and transmitting a control channel with the use of the selected control channel format.
US08254329B2
A method for transmitting a reference signal, a method for establishing a reference-signal transmission pattern, and a method for establishing a block are disclosed. The reference-signal density is adjusted according to the request degree of the channel estimation performance, and then the reference signal is transmitted to a destination. As a result, the apparatus prevents prevent resources from being unnecessarily wasted, and acquires a high channel estimation performance as necessary, resulting in an increased production yield of a system.
US08254328B2
A priority computation process computes a priority of each user for each RB (Resource Brock) using a reception SINR. A maximum priority user selection/RB allocation process selects a user with the maximum priority for an unallocated RB and allocates the RB to the user. A frequency axis/space axis unallocated RB presence determination process proceeds to scheduling for a next user if there is an unallocated RB on the frequency or space axis. A projected channel vector update process updates a projected channel vector of an unselected user by GS orthogonalization. An orthogonal coefficient computation process computes an orthogonal coefficient. A corrected SINR computation process computes a corrected SINR. A next MIMO layer priority computation process computes priorities of unselected users for a corresponding RB in the next multiple MIMO layer. The priorities of the unselected users are used in the next user scheduling processing.
US08254321B2
A method and apparatus for serving high speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) cell change are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) sends a measurement report to a radio network controller (RNC) when a signal strength of a target cell approaches a signal strength of a source cell. The RNC adds the target cell in an active set and sends pre-loaded HS-DSCH configuration information for the target cell to the WTRU. The WTRU sends another measurement report when a signal strength of the target cell exceeds that of the source cell. The WTRU monitors a high speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH) on the target cell based on the pre-loaded HS-DSCH configuration information and decodes an HS-SCCH transmission. The WTRU determines whether a MAC-hs/ehs reset is required and if so resets a MAC-hs/ehs entity prior to receiving an HS-DSCH transmission from the target cell.
US08254318B2
A wireless communication system and joint beamforming method across multiple base stations for communicating with mobile stations. The wireless communication system communication system includes base stations and mobile stations. At least one of the base stations includes a joint beamformer controlling beamforming for the base stations. Each of the mobile stations receive information from the base stations, maintain a multiple-input and multiple-output active set (MAS) of base stations, and provide precoder weights to each of the base stations included in the MAS. The joint beamformer calculates joint beamforming weights for controlling communications between the base stations and mobile stations.
US08254307B2
An improved data communication network including a wireless link for accessing, from an end user machine, objects in a selected web page retrievable from an Internet server by means of suitable request messages is described. The wireless link includes a subscriber unit coupled to the end user machine and a base station coupled to the server. Web page data packets retrieved from the server with the use of the request messages are intercepted and locally stored in a gateway unit on the base station side of the wireless link. The gateway unit generates, from the retrieved web page data packets, additional request messages suitable for retrieving, from the server, object data packets corresponding to the objects on the selected web page. Such retrieved object data packets are also stored in the gateway unit. At least a portion of the stored object data packets, together with the stored web page data packets, are selectively released for transmission in bundled form over a single assigned channel on the wireless link. Such transmitted object data packets are locally stored in an additional gateway unit on the subscriber unit side of the wireless link, while the transmitted web page data packets are forwarded to the end user machine. The end user machine re-generates the object retrieval request messages, which in turn are used to directly retrieve the object data packets locally stored in the additional gateway without the necessity of again traversing the wireless link.
US08254303B2
Embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for efficient control signaling over shared communication channels with wide dynamic range. Some embodiments includes a gateway configured to encode and to transmit multiple physical layer headers, including a first physical layer header and a second physical layer header. The first physical layer header may span a first length and represent a first modcode; the second physical layer header may span a second length and represent a second modcode. The second length may be longer than the first length. Embodiments may include multiple terminals in wireless communication with the gateway via satellite, including a first terminal configured to decode the first physical layer header and to determine the first modcode. Embodiments may include a second terminal configured to decode the second physical layer header and determine the second modcode.
US08254301B2
A method for establishing and maintaining the network and a corresponding ad-hoc moving-device to moving-device network having a plurality of moving-devices grouped into a Local Peer Group (LPG) is disclosed. A group header node (GH) is selected from the plurality of moving wireless devices in the LPG. The GH controls and manages the LPG by broadcasting a plurality of control messages, including a heartbeat message at a fixed interval. The LPG also includes at least one group node (GN). The at least one GN can communicate with the GH via a network link created between the at least one GN and the GH. The GNs join the LPG via the GH. If there is more then one GH in an LPG, header resolution occurs to select only one GH.
US08254297B2
A base station (1) receives a HS-DPCCH at a base station reception unit (22) through a base station receiving antenna (12), and the HS-DPCCH is despread and demodulated by the base station despreading unit (21). The demodulated HS-DPCCH is decoded by the base station channel decoding unit (20), and ACK/NACK/DTX is extracted at a HARQ-ACK detection unit (19) and then the HS-DPCCH is delivered to a HS-SCCH transmission power decision unit (18). The HS-SCCH transmission power decision unit (18) decides transmission power of a HS-SCCH according to the detection status of the ACK/NACK/DTX. The HS-SCCH transmission power thus decided is notified to a base station control unit (17), which notifies the same to a base station spreading/modulation unit (14), so that the decided value is applied to the HS-SCCH transmission power.
US08254285B2
Switching and routing functions may be provided in a data plane of a network switch by having all functions and algorithms needed to handle all related interface, logical and physical, under one interface manager to keep track of bindings between virtual interfaces and logical interfaces, as well as maintain the statuses of ports that belong to the virtual interface and the actual logical ports. When the actual interface goes down, the virtual interface may go down along with it. The bindings may also include definitions. All of these bindings may be located in a single routing information base (RIB) database, eliminating the need for multiple bindings to be kept in various places. Furthermore, a hardware abstraction layer in the control plane can also then be mirrored in the data plane, eliminating the need for the customer to create a layer performing the same tasks.
US08254277B2
A method of providing internet protocol television (IPTV) diagnostics. The method includes receiving customer premise equipment (CPE) information from a diagnostic applications program interface (API) executing in a CPE. The CPE information is stored in a database. An issue is detected with the CPE and the CPE information in the database corresponding to the CPE experiencing the issue is accessed. The issue is resolved in response to the CPE information the database.
US08254276B2
A method and apparatus of providing packet data services that includes establishing an over-the-air communication connection between a mobile station and a wireless network infrastructure. The mobile station communicates a version and capability indication of a wireless packet data standard supported in the mobile station to the wireless network infrastructure. The wireless network infrastructure communicates a version and capability indication of the wireless packet data standard supported in the network infrastructure to the mobile station. Operation of the mobile station and wireless network infrastructure are adjusted in accordance with the indicated versions and capabilities.
US08254269B2
A method for inspection of compressed data packages, which are transported over a data network, is provided. The data packages comprise a data package header containing control data for securing the correct delivery and interpretation of the package and a payload part containing data to be transferred over the data network. The method comprises the steps of: a) extracting payload data from the payload part of the package, b) appending the extracted payload data to a stream of data, c) probing the data package header so as to determine the compression scheme that is applied to the payload data, d) applying the determined compression scheme to at least one search pattern, which has previously been stored in a search key register, and e) comparing the compressed search pattern to the stream of data. The method can be carried out by dedicated hardware.
US08254266B2
In a method for determining link and route metrics, in order to determine an optimal path for time-critical transmission such as video telephony or VoIP, for use in routing protocols, the route metric is calculated as the product of the link metrics, wherein the link metrics in turn are calculated from the formula L=1−(1−A1*A2)^(W+1), wherein L is the link metric, A1 and A2 are the data packet arrival rates in the outgoing and incoming directions of a link, and W is the maximum number of retransmissions per link. The route metric is optimal for the route which has the lowest number of lost packets.
US08254265B2
A session controller configured to receive a data packet from a packet-switched network having multiple communication links is disclosed. The disclosed session controller is further configured to define a call-routing policy based on layer-five information, layer-two information, layer-three information and layer-seven information from the data packet. The call-routing policy is configured to define a least-cost routing (LCR) call route for an ingress call over at least one of the plurality of communication links. The LCR call route is associated with an operational cost that is lower than an operational cost associated with at least one other call route over at least one communication link from the plurality of communication links. The session controller is also configured to associate the ingress call to an egress-call peer based on the call routing policy.
US08254255B2
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a module within a first stage of a switch fabric, a module within a second stage of the switch fabric, and a module within a third stage of the switch fabric. The module within the first stage is configured to send data to the module within the second stage. The module within the second stage is configured to send data to the module within the third stage. The module within the second stage is configured to send a first suspension indicator to the module within the third stage. The module within the third stage is configured to send a second suspension indicator to the module within the first stage in response to the first suspension indicator. The module within the first stage is configured to stop sending data to the module within the second stage in response to the second suspension indicator.
US08254254B2
A communication apparatus, connected to a first network configured to control use of a service provided in the first network from a second network, sends a first signal to the second network for ending a data request from the second network issued to the service in the first network using a first protocol for connecting the first network with the second network if the type of the service is the data supply service when the service in the first network has ended. Furthermore, the communication apparatus sends a second signal for ending the service in the first network after sending the signal for ending the data request using a second protocol for controlling the service in the first network.
US08254248B2
Aspects of a method and system for implementing redundancy for streaming data in audio video bridging networks are provided. Network resources may be reserved over a plurality of network paths. Reserved resources may be utilized for the transmission and/or reception of a corresponding plurality of data streams, wherein one or more of the streams may comprise redundant data. A plurality of data streams may be transmitted and/or received by a plurality of network interface hardware devices. Similarly, a plurality of data streams may be transmitted and/or received by a plurality of ports integrated into a single network interface hardware device. Each of the plurality of data streams may be assigned a unique identifier and the identifier of a first data stream may differ by one bit from an identifier of a data stream comprising data redundant to the first data stream.
US08254245B2
A method for transmitting a downlink control channel in a mobile communication system and a method for mapping the control channel to physical resources using a block interleaver are provided. In order to transmit a downlink control channel in a mobile communication system, information bits are modulated to generate one or more modulation symbols according to a specific modulation scheme, the modulation symbols are interleaved using a block interleaver, and the interleaved modulated symbols are mapped to resource elements allocated for transmission of at least one control channel in a subframe, thereby transmitting the at least one control channel.
US08254232B2
A mass-storage device according to an embodiment of the invention is disclosed that includes a laser and an indication mechanism. The laser at least optically writes to an optically writable surface of an optical disc incident to the laser. The indication mechanism indicates whether the optically writable surface incident to the laser is an optically writable label surface or an optically writable data surface of the optical disc.
US08254227B2
A frequency-modulated coding and data recording and storage device that uses plasmonic-dielectric nanostructures of concentric two-layer core-shell design to store data includes a flat transparent substrate having a top surface divided into cells with side dimension d on the order of tens of nanometers and a core-shell plasmonic-dielectric nanostructure disposed in each cell. Each plasmonic nanostructure of concentric core-shell has a predetermined ratio of radii and a predetermined aspect ratio such that when an infrared or visible wavelength signal is applied to each said core-shell plasmonic-dielectric nanostructure a peak scattering amplitude of the applied signal is at different plasmonic resonance frequencies for core-shell plasmonic-dielectric nanostructures with different ratio of radii and different aspect ratios. The sampled values of a signal to be recorded are assigned to each cell and the ratio of radii and/or aspect ratios of the core-shell plasmonic-dielectric nanostructures in the assigned cells are selected to provide a corresponding plasmonic resonant frequency.
US08254219B2
An objective lens actuator includes a plurality of objective lenses, a first lens holder on which the plurality of objective lenses are mounted, and a drive mechanism that drives the first lens holder. At least one of the plurality of objective lenses is mounted on the first lens holder while being held by the second lens holder. Formed on the second lens holder are a slide part which slides the second lens holder with respect to the first lens holder at a time of assembly, and a projection arranged outward of the slide part and protruding toward the first lens holder with the second lens holder being mounted on the first lens holder. The lens holder has a groove formed therein where the projection is securely adhered.
US08254211B2
An electronic device that receives a radio signal according to specific conditions and displays specific information, including a reception unit that receives the radio signal; an electrophoretic display unit that displays the specific information; a display drive unit that supplies a drive signal corresponding to content of the specific information to be displayed to the electrophoretic display unit; and a control unit that instructs the reception unit to receive the radio signal and instructs the display drive unit to supply the drive signal to the electrophoretic display unit, instructs the display drive unit to supply a drive signal for displaying an indication that the reception unit is receiving the radio signal to the electrophoretic display unit before instructing the reception unit to receive the radio signal, and controls the display drive unit to stop supplying the drive signal while the reception unit is receiving the radio signal.
US08254207B2
In various embodiments, seismic receivers may detect seismic energy and transmit digital signals representative of the seismic energy to an S-line interface module (SLIM) and/or a smart antenna module (SAM) for collection. A SLIM may be used to connect two or more seismic receivers together. A SAM may include a memory medium for storing digital signals from seismic receivers (e.g., received directly from the seismic receivers or received through a connection to a SLIM) and a wireless transmitter to transmit data stored on the memory medium. The SAM may further include a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving and storing timestamps, clock data, and/or positional data relative to the seismic receivers. The timestamps, clock data, and/or positional data may be transmitted along with the digital signal data to an external source (e.g., a laptop) for analysis to detect characteristics of subterranean formations.
US08254198B2
Programmable anti-fuse circuitry including at least one anti-fuse cell having a first anti-fuse device coupled between a supply voltage and a first node and a second anti-fuse device coupled between the first node and a ground voltage, and control logic coupled to the first node and arranged to generate a programming voltage having one of at least a first voltage level for breaking-down the first anti-fuse device but not the second anti-fuse device and coupling the first node to the supply voltage; and a second voltage level for breaking-down the second anti-fuse device but not the first anti-fuse device and coupling the first node to the ground voltage.
US08254190B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for driving a memory circuit. In one embodiment, the memory circuit is driven utilizing a first resistance value in a first mode of operation. Further, in a second mode of operation, the memory circuit is driven utilizing a second resistance value. In another embodiment, a device is provided for driving a memory circuit without active termination utilizing a resistor.
US08254176B2
A stable and reliable EEPROM device includes an EEPROM cell having first, second and third control voltage terminals for performing operations for programming, reading and erasing data, respectively, a first transistor configured to supply a programming operation voltage to the first control voltage terminal during the programming operation, a second transistor configured to supply a ground voltage to the first control voltage terminal, the data of which will not be programmed during the programming operation, and a third transistor connected to the second control voltage terminal and turned on by an address selected for reading the data of the EEPROM cell during the reading operation.
US08254173B2
Some embodiments include NAND memory constructions. The constructions may contain semiconductor material pillars extending upwardly between dielectric regions, with individual pillars having a pair of opposing vertically-extending sides along a cross-section. First conductivity type regions may be along first sides of the pillars, and second conductivity type regions may be along second sides of the individual pillars; with the second conductivity type regions contacting interconnect lines. Vertical NAND strings may be over the pillars, and select devices may selectively couple the NAND strings with the interconnect lines. The select devices may have vertical channels directly against the semiconductor material pillars and directly against upper regions of the first and second conductivity type regions. Some embodiments include methods of forming NAND memory constructions.
US08254172B1
A non-volatile semiconductor memory is disclosed comprising a memory device including a plurality of memory segments. A program command is issued to the memory device to program a memory segment, and a program time required to execute the program command is saved. An erase command is issued to the memory device to erase the memory segment, and an erase time required to execute the erase command is saved. A wear leveling algorithm is executed for the memory segment in response to the program time and the erase time.
US08254171B2
The invention decreases the number of writing processes of EEPROM. When a mode change signal is L level, a EEPROM is set to a bank mode. In this case, first and second memory banks are independently accessed by a control signal of a first port and a control signal of a second port, respectively. When the mode change signal is H level, the EEPROM is set to a combine mode. In this case, the first and second memory banks are combined into a 4k-bit memory bank, and accessed by the control signal of the first port.
US08254164B2
Provided may be a semiconductor device using magnetic domain wall movement. The semiconductor device may include a magnetic track having a plurality of magnetic domains and a thermal conductive insulating layer configured to contact the magnetic track. The thermal conductive insulating layer may prevent or reduce the magnetic track from being heated due to a current supplied to the magnetic track.
US08254162B2
A method and system for providing a magnetic junction are described. The method and system include providing a free layer, a symmetry filter, and a pinned layer. The free layer has a first magnetic moment switchable between stable states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. The symmetry filter transmits charge carriers having a first symmetry with higher probability than charge carriers having another symmetry. The pinned layer has a second magnetic moment pinned in a direction. The symmetry filter resides between the free layer and the pinned layer. At least one of the free layer and the pinned layer lies in a plane, has the charge carriers of the first symmetry in a spin channel at a Fermi level, lacks the charge carriers of the first symmetry at the Fermi level in another spin channel, and has a nonzero magnetic moment component perpendicular to the plane.
US08254159B2
In a method of discharging bit-lines for a non-volatile semiconductor memory device performing a read-while-write operation. The method include discharging a global write bit-line to a ground voltage based on a write command within a first period. The method also includes maintaining the discharged voltage of the global write bit-line in the ground voltage during a second period.
US08254146B2
A capacitor seat and two conductors are utilized to install a capacitor seat on a PCB by soldering the two conductors on electrical contacts of the PCB. The capacitor is installed on the capacitor seat in a fastening way such as by pressing downward, rotating the capacitor or in other feasible fastening ways to be electrically connected with the electrical contacts on the PCB. If the detachable capacitor device has errors or is damaged in use, or a user wants to replace it with a different type of the capacitors to test or adjust the characteristic of the circuit, it is easy to replace the capacitor.
US08254141B2
The present invention is to provide a circuit board capable of loading high electrical current, which comprises an insulation plate and a plurality of conductive plates each positioned on the insulation plate by riveting. A plurality of first insertion holes of the insulation plate are aligned with a plurality of second insertion holes of the conductive plates, respectively, so that the aligned first and second insertion holes of the circuit board can be welded with a plurality of electric components (such as resistors, capacitors, fuses, etc.). Therefore, the insulation plate and each of the conductive plates can be easily combined with each other by riveting to form a finished product of the circuit board without some complicated steps including exposure, development and etching, so that the manufacturing process of the circuit board capable of loading high electrical current can be efficiently simplified.
US08254137B2
An electronic device for use in a health care setting has a rigid enclosure assembly formed by a rigid shell and a rigid printed circuit board carrying circuitry for operating the device. A switch dome layer and an overlay are independently attached to the device but not to each other, whereby the overlay may be removed without disturbing the dome layer and a better tactile response is achieved.
US08254126B2
An electronic circuit device includes a bus bar, a base component and an electronic component. The bus bar has an external connector terminal capable of receiving electric power from an external power source. The base component has a metallic heat radiation portion and is disposed to oppose the bus bar. The electronic component is held between the bus bar and heat the radiation portion of the base component. The bus bar further includes fixing terminals extending toward the base component. The fixing terminals are fixed to the base component to constitute fixing portions. The fixing portions are configured to have elasticity and exert a restoring force such that a distance between the bus bar and the base component reduces. The electronic component is in pressure contact with the bus bar and the base component by the restoration force of the elasticity of the fixing portions.
US08254124B2
A space-saving, high-density modular data center and an energy-efficient cooling system for a modular data center are disclosed. The modular data center includes a first cooling circuit including a primary cooling device and a plurality of modular data pods. Each modular data pod includes a plurality of servers, a heat exchange member coupled to the first cooling circuit and a second cooling circuit coupled to the heat exchange member and configured to cool the plurality of servers, the second cooling circuit including a secondary cooling device configured to cool fluid flowing through the second cooling circuit. Each modular data pod also includes an auxiliary enclosure containing at least a portion of a distributed mechanical cooling system, which is configured to trim the cooling performed by a central free-cooling system.
US08254120B2
An enclosure for electronic assemblies is provided, with a first deck surface and a first side wall with a short side and a long side and a second deck surface, disposed such that it faces the first deck surface, and a second side wall, disposed such that it faces the first side wall, with a short side and a long side, as well as with a first venting element, which extends in the direction of the long side along one of both side walls, and a plurality of plug-in slots for electronic assemblies that are arranged in parallel to one another, whereby the electronic assemblies are disposed, in the plugged-in state, vertically to both long sides of both side walls, and the first deck surface includes, along the end oriented toward the first side wall, a first opening and the first venting element, on the enclosure's outer side of the first deck surface, is disposed at least partially above the first opening, and the first and/or the second deck surface includes a second opening, along the end that faces the second side wall, for entering or exiting air, so that the venting element generates in the interior of the enclosure an air current that preferably flows vertically to the surface of the side walls.
US08254118B2
An electronic device with a latching assembly includes a housing, a battery cover, a circuit board, and a latching assembly. The battery cover includes a pair of hook portions. The circuit board is mounted in the housing. The latching assembly includes a touch element, a magnetic element, and a pair of latching elements. The touch element and the magnetic element are electrically connected to the circuit board. The latching elements are connected with two opposite ends of the magnetic element, respectively. The latching elements cooperate with the hook portions to secure the battery cover to the housing. When the touch element is touched, a touch signal is generated and transmitted to the circuit board, the circuit board charges the magnetic element in response to the touch signal, and when the magnetic element is charged, the magnetic element contract to cause the latching elements to disengage from the hook portions.
US08254117B2
A computer includes a rear panel, a peripheral component, and a security device. The peripheral component includes a connector connected to the rear panel and a cable. The security device is attached to the rear panel and covers the connector. The security device defines a guiding slot. The cable extends through the guiding slot and the security device blocks the connector from moving out of the rear panel.
US08254102B2
A mounting apparatus includes a case, a first sliding member, a second sliding member, a first supporting member, and a second supporting member. The first sliding member is slidably received in the case. The second sliding member is slidably received in the first sliding member. The first supporting member is rotatably connected to the second sliding member. The second supporting member is rotatably connected to the second supporting member and configured for positioning a speaker.
US08254099B2
A housing of a portable electronic device includes a main body, a cover assembled to the main body, and a protecting member positioned between the main body and the cover and integral with the main body. A part of the protecting member forms a protruding first protection surface and a sunken second protection surface, a transition surface between the first protection surface and the second protection surface defines a third protection surface, and a protection flange is formed on the second protection surface. The first protection surface and the third protection surface tightly contact the cover to form a protection structure that prevents outside contamination from entering the housing, and the protection flange prevents contamination that passes through the protection structure from further entering the housing.
US08254096B2
An all-in-one computer includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a main body, a cover, and a fasten member. The main body defines a receiving space to receive the HDD, and a fasten hole. The receiving space is bounded by a number of walls. A first raised edge protrudes from the number of walls in the receiving space. The cover includes a board, a first hook, and a mounting piece defining a through hole. The board includes opposite first and second ends. The first hook extends from the first end. The mounting piece extends from the second end. When the cover is mounted to the main body, the first hook snappingly hooks an inner side of the first raised edge, the board is stopped by the first raised edge, and the fasten member can extend through the through hole and engage in the fasten hole.
US08254095B2
An audio visual alarm device that can adapt to a familial look is provided. The audio visual alarm device can include an alarm housing having a footprint of a first shape, and a cover housing having a footprint of a second shape. The alarm housing can include circuitry for operating the audio visual alarm device, and the second shape can be different from the first shape. The cover housing can be configured to accommodate the alarm housing and affix to the alarm housing to give the alarm housing an appearance corresponding to the second shape. At least one portion of the alarm housing can protrude through the cover housing.
US08254085B2
A stacked electric double layer capacitor includes a capacitor unit, an aluminum laminate film, and a current collector terminal. The capacitor unit includes a pressure plate, and a current collector plate arranged inside the pressure plate. The aluminum laminate film wraps the capacitor unit, and includes a periphery that defines and surrounds a hole at a side surface of the capacitor unit. The current collector terminal is L-shaped, and includes a contact portion in contact with the current collector plate, and a terminal portion arranged perpendicular to the contact portion, wherein at least a part of the terminal portion is exposed through the hole of the aluminum laminate film, and connected to an external circuit, and the terminal portion is heat-welded to the aluminum laminate film.
US08254083B2
There are provided a ceramic electronic component and a method for producing the ceramic electronic component, where a ground electrode layer can be directly coated with lead-free solder without lowering reliabilities. Terminal electrode 3 is provided with a ground electrode layer 21 of Cu having been formed by firing, a solder layer 22 formed of a lead-free solder based on five elements of Sn—Ag—Cu—Ni—Ge, and a diffusion layer 23 having been formed by the diffusion of Ni between the ground electrode layer 21 and the solder layer 22. Because the diffusion layer 23 of Ni is formed between the ground electrode layer 21 and the solder layer 22, the diffusion layer 23, which functions as a barrier layer, suppresses the solder leach of Cu from the ground electrode layer 21. The diffusion layer 23 of Ni can also suppress the growth of fragile intermetallic compounds of Sn—Cu. Therefore, a decrease in the bonding strength between the ground electrode layer 21 and the solder layer 22 can be prevented.
US08254073B1
A two terminal transmit receive device passes small analog signals with a constant low resistance value to the input of a low noise, low voltage receiver amplifier and can protect the input against the high voltage transmit signals in ultrasound applications without the aid of any power supplies. The device uses depletion-mode transistors that are normally on to pass small analog signal and a voltage detection circuit that quickly turns off the depletion-mode transistors when the presence of high voltage is detected.
US08254072B2
A low voltage DC power supply is provided in a load center for distributing electrical power from electrical power utility lines to multiple branch circuits via a load center bus connected to the utility lines, each of the branch circuits having a circuit breaker coupled to a processor that is shared by multiple circuit breakers in the load center. The low voltage DC power supply includes a switch mode low voltage power supply connected to the processor for supplying the processor with a DC power input, and a line-derived power supply and a fault-derived power supply coupled between the utility and the switch mode power supply for supplying DC inputs to the switch mode power supply. The magnitude of electrical current supplied to the multiple branch circuits from the load center bus is determined by producing signals representing the current levels in the bus at successive locations on opposite sides of each connection of the bus to the multiple branch circuits, and determining the current supplied to each branch circuits from those signals.
US08254066B2
A method for determining a magnetic anisotropy of a free layer of a magnetoresistive sensor. The method includes forming a functional magnetoresistive sensor and also a test sensor on a wafer. The test sensor has a sensor stack that is identical to that of the functional sensor, however the test head does not have a magnetic bias structure for biasing the free layer. A series of tests can be performed to construct a transfer curve for the test sensor. This can then be used to determine a magnetic anisotropy of the test head, which also corresponds to a magnetic anisotropy of the functional head.
US08254063B2
Apparatus and method for forming a head gimbal assembly (HGA). In accordance with various embodiments, a slider is formed with opposing first and second side surfaces, an air bearing feature on said first side surface and a dimple extending from said second side surface adapted to facilitate multi-axial rotation of the slider.
US08254062B2
A suspension assembly with reduced total vertical thickness is provided for a data transducing system that includes a dual-stage actuation system for positioning a data transducer. A first structural element of the suspension assembly includes a plate portion and a boss tower that is connectable to a main actuator of the dual-stage actuation system. A second structural element of the suspension assembly includes a recess that receives the plate portion of the first structural element, an opening through which the boss tower extends for connection to the main actuator of the dual-stage actuation system, and a flexible region to which a microactuator element of the dual-stage actuation system is connected. The suspension assembly also includes a support structure connected to the flexible region of the second structural element that carries the data transducer, and an electrical circuit connection system for making electrical connections to the data transducer and to the microactuator of the dual-stage actuation system.
US08254059B2
In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole, a trailing shield, and a multilayered side/leading shield disposed on a leading side of the main magnetic pole in a down-track direction and on either side of the main magnetic pole in a cross-track direction. The side/leading shield includes an inner layer nearer to the main magnetic pole which surrounds the main magnetic pole on three sides and an outer layer farther from the main magnetic pole than the inner layer which surrounds the main magnetic pole and inner layer on three sides. The inner layer has a saturation magnetization (Ms) that is greater than a Ms of the outer layer, and the trailing shield has a relative permeability of greater than about 50. Other magnetic heads and methods of producing magnetic heads are also presented according to various embodiments.
US08254054B2
A library apparatus includes: a housing, a record medium storage shelf that stores information record media having a barcode for identification; an input-output device in which the information record medium is loaded and which inputs and outputs information to and from the loaded information record medium; a robot that transfers the information record medium between the record medium storage shelf and the input-output device; and a controller that controls operation of the robot; a read unit that is detachably attached to the robot and reads the barcode of the information record medium; and a read unit storage that stores the read unit detached from the robot.
US08254052B2
A thin film magnetic recording head is fabricated by forming a substrate from opposing ferrite blocks which have a ceramic member bonded between them. This structure is then diced to form a plurality of columns, wherein each column has a ferrite/ceramic combination. Each column represents a single channel in the completed head. A block of ceramic is then cut to match the columned structure and the two are bonded together. The bonded structure is then cut or ground until a head is formed, having ceramic disposed between each channel. A ferrite back-gap is then added to each channel, minimizing the reluctance of the flux path. The thin film is patterned on the head to optimize various channel configurations.
US08254046B2
Provided is a camera module that includes a lens section comprising at least one lens, a coil section fixed to the lens section and comprising wiring terminals, a magnet section comprising a permanent magnet, an inner yoke, and an outer yoke, wherein the inner yoke and the outer yoke induce a magnetic force line to pass through the coil section, and a terminal extension section comprising a first terminal and a second terminal that electrically extend from the wiring terminals of the coil section to the outside of the camera module and surround the magnet section so that the first terminal and the second terminal are externally exposed.
US08254037B2
A lens barrel includes: a variable focal length lens system including at least three movable lens groups; and guiding means for moving the variable focal length lens system forward and backward in an optical axis direction. The variable focal length lens system includes at least first, second and third lens groups having positive, negative and positive refracting power, respectively, arranged in this order from an object side. When a lens position setting is changed from a wide angle end state to a telescopic end state, at least the first and third lens groups are moved toward the object side such that air separation between the first and second lens groups monotonically increases and air separation between the second and third lens groups monotonically decreases. The guiding means includes a fixed frame, a rotating frame, a rectilinear guiding frame, a first guide frame, and a second guide frame.
US08254036B2
A zoom lens includes a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, and a positive fourth lens group, which are arranged in this order from the object side of the zoom lens. The focal length of the entire system of the zoom lens is changeable by changing a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group. The first lens group includes two cemented lenses, each composed of a negative meniscus lens and a positive lens cemented together in this order from the object side, and a positive lens, and the two cemented lenses and the positive lens being arranged in this order from the object side. Further, a predetermined formula related to the focal length of the first lens group and the focal length of the entire system is satisfied.
US08254033B2
A projection lens system includes, from the magnified side to the reduced side thereof, a first lens group having negative refractive power, a second lens group having positive refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, and a field lens. The projection lens system satisfies the following conditions: 2.9
US08254024B2
An inflatable display screen has a front wall incorporating a rectangular display screen area, and a plurality of inflatable struts surrounding the screen area and extending rearwardly from the front wall to support the screen in an upright condition. A lower horizontal strut extends across the lower end of the front wall and projects forwards from the display screen area. Lower side struts extend rearwards to a lower horizontal strut extending across the rear end of the structure. A pair of rearwardly arched support struts extends from the upper corners of the front wall rearwards and downwards to the rear corners of the structure at corner junctions between the arched struts, lower side struts and the lower horizontal strut.
US08254022B2
A sample positioning stage for positioning a sample to be inspected relative to an optical inspection device. The stage includes a first generally planar body on which a sample to be inspected can be carried and a second body directly coupled to the first body via bearings extending between them which constrain movement of the first body relative to the second body to a first plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the first body. There is also provided a drive system being selectively operable in a first mode and a second mode.
US08254014B1
An adaptive optics system is provided, comprising a spatial light modulator configured to modulate an incoming beam with an aberrated wavefront, a beamsplitter configured to receive the modulated beam from the spatial light modulator and to divide the modulated beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam, a spatial filter configured to spatially filter the reference beam, and to interfere the spatially filtered reference beam with the measurement beam to form an interferogram, an imaging device configured to capture an image of the interferogram, and a processor configured to determine the aberrated wavefront and to provide control signals to the spatial light modulator to mitigate aberrations in the aberrated wavefront.
US08254013B2
A controller or control method may be designed or configured to operate without information about the current temperature of the device and/or the device's environment. Further, in some cases, the controller or control method is designed or configured to control transition of an optical device to an intermediated state between two end states. For example, the controller may be configured to control a transition to a state of transmissivity that is intermediate between two end states of transmissivity. In such case, the device has three or more stable states of transmissivity.
US08254001B2
A color gamut data creating device includes a target plane determining unit. The measurement points are defined in a color space. The color space has an achromatic axis and an axis perpendicular to the achromatic axis. The target plane determining unit further determines a plurality of target planes. Each target plane has a fixed hue angle and including the chromatic axis. A difference between a maximum saturation at a hue angle of each target plane and a maximum saturation at a hue angle of another target plane that is adjacent to the each target plane is lower than a prescribed value. The locating unit that projects, on each target plane, those measurement points that are within a prescribed range relative to the subject target plane. The color gamut creating unit creates color gamut data indicative of a distribution range of the measurement points projected on each target plane.
US08253999B2
A scanning apparatus and a reference light quantity determining method includes scanning a patch that does not overlap previously established reference colors but displays each of the previously established reference colors in a plurality of regions that are spaced a portion from each other, and determining reference light quantities based on the scanning result.
US08253997B2
A correction information creation device including: a recording head; a rotating body; a first detector that detects a period of a pulse signal generated in accordance with rotation of the rotating body; a first calculation section that calculates a period of a clock signal; a second detector that detects a space between corrective images that are formed synchronously with a period of the clock signal, while the rotating body is being rotated at a predetermined rotation speed, by two sets of image formation elements of the recording head; a second calculation section that calculates a distance between a measurement position of a peripheral surface of the rotating body and the axial center of the rotating body; and a memory that stores the calculated distance to serve as information for correcting the period of the clock signal.
US08253995B2
An image reading device is provided. The image reading device includes: a conveying section which includes a first tray for placing a document before reading and a second tray for placing a document after reading, and which conveys a document from the first tray to the second tray via a reading region; a reading section which reads the document passing through the reading region; a stopping section which stops a trailing end of the document conveyed by the conveying section within the reading region; and a determining section which determines whether the document remains within the reading region based on a signal from the reading section.
US08253993B2
A scanner comprising a platen positioned along a first plane and configured to support an article to be scanned; one or more illuminators positioned below the platen along a second plane parallel to the first plane, and configured to emit light beams; one or more mirrors positioned between the platen and the one or more illuminators, each of the mirrors being configured to direct a light beam having a directional component parallel to the first and second planes emitted by the illuminators onto the article on the platen at the imaging point; one or more sensors configured to detect the light reflecting off the article at the imaging point along a sensor optical path; and a carriage mechanism constructed to affect relative movement parallel to the first and second planes between platen, and the one or more illuminators and the one or more mirrors in a scanning direction.
US08253991B2
A duplex scanning apparatus includes an automatic document feeder and a flatbed scanner. The automatic document feeder includes a first scanning module. The flatbed scanner includes a second scanning module and a first calibration plate. The first calibration plate is disposed on the second scanning module, and includes a calibration plate first end, a calibration plate second end and a calibration plate middle part. A first included angle is defined between the calibration plate first end and the calibration plate middle part, and a second included angle is defined between the calibration plate second end and the calibration plate middle part. As such, each of a distance between the calibration plate first end and the first scanning module and a distance between the calibration plate second end and the first scanning module is shorter than a distance between the calibration plate middle part and the first scanning module.
US08253990B2
A scanner for demarcating each media sheet of a multiplicity of media sheets and a method thereof. The scanner includes a platen, a scanlid, an illuminating mechanism and a scanhead. The platen accommodates the multiplicity of media sheets. The scanlid is pivotally coupled to the platen and provides a background for scanning the multiplicity of media sheets. The illuminating mechanism is coupled to the scanlid and is activated for illuminating the background. The scanhead scans the multiplicity of media sheets. A single background image of the multiplicity of media sheets is captured by activating the illuminating mechanism during scanning. A single foreground image of the multiplicity of media sheets is captured by deactivating the illuminating mechanism during scanning. Edges of each media sheet are detected in the background image, and are combined with the foreground image to extract content thereof.
US08253989B2
An optical reader which reads image information on an original document by moving to the original document includes an illumination unit having at least one light source arranged on a substrate and illuminating the original document, a plurality of mirrors reflecting reflection light from the original document, a focusing lens focusing the reflection light from the original document reflected by the mirrors, and a photoelectric conversion element arranged in a focusing position of the focusing lens, a normal direction of an emission surface of the light source and a normal direction of a light-receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion element are the same direction, an original document reading position is set near an end portion of the optical reader in the normal direction.
US08253988B2
An image reading apparatus is configured to stop a scanning unit and a feeding unit when reading is interrupted, move a reading position of the scanning unit from a home position in a sub-scanning direction and stop it, read an original for a predetermined area including an acceleration distance while the reading position of the scanning unit is moved in a direction opposite to the sub-scanning direction, move the reading position of the scanning unit in the sub-scanning direction and return the scanning unit to the home position after the reading is finished, and activate the feeding unit to start reading the original when the reading is restarted.
US08253985B2
An off page condition or invalid sensors position data is detected by checking the errors from an initial transformation parameter estimation. If an abnormally large error is encountered, a sensor's reading (position data) may be invalid or the sensor was off page. Then the invalid sensor data will be identified and removed. Finally the transformation parameters will be re-estimated using valid sensor position data only. A weighted least-square minimization is used by considering the sensor lift situation. If a sensor is lifted, the weight for the error related to the sensor will be set to a small weight or zero. Also considered are the geometric properties of sensor locations in weighting the sensor error. A confidence measurement of the sensor data and associated error is performed. The confidence measurement is derived from an error ellipse at 95% confidence level.
US08253983B2
A stamping system using a portable communication device is provided. In a preferred form, the stamping system has a server and a portable communication device, the server has a computer program for generating a file code and a log file, the portable communication device has a central processor, a communication unit, and a seal, the seal is used for generating a seal impression, when receiving a file code generation request, the server generates a file code and sends the file code to the portable communication device, the central processor sends a control signal to the seal in response to the file code, the seal generates a seal impression corresponding with the file code, the communication unit sends a log file generation request to the server, and the server generates a log file in response to the log file generation request.
US08253978B2
An image processing apparatus includes an image forming instructing section that notifies an image forming section, whether to perform a first printing processing with a plurality of colors including at least one chromatic color or a second printing processing with only black. A data obtaining section obtains pixel data from a plurality of pixels constituting an image; and an operating section inputs designated color data. A pixel data extracting section extracts pixel data of colors, except for a designated color indicated by the designated color data inputted through the operating section, from pixel data obtained by the data obtaining section. A printing type selecting section selects the first or second printing processing based on each pixel data extracted by the pixel data extracting section. The image forming instructing section notifies the printing type selected by the printing type selecting section as the type of printing processing to be performed.
US08253975B2
A color reproduction system with drift correction that includes a storage module, an image processing module, a printer, a scanner, and a calibration module. The storage module stores one or more current linear response halftones and a set of device independent color signals representative of a calibration target. The image processing module receives the stored device independent color signals and generates binary print data based on the one or more current linear response halftones. The printer prints a copy of the calibration target in accordance with the binary print data. The scanner scans the copy of the calibration target printed by the printer to generate scanned image data that corresponds to the copy of the calibration target. The calibration module generates one or more tone response correction functions based on a comparison between the scanned image data and the stored device independent color signals representative of the calibration target, and creates one or more calibrated linear response halftones based on the generated tone response correction functions. In some instances, the one or more calibrated linear response halftones are stored in the storage module as the current linear response halftones.
US08253973B2
A method for determining a location on an image bearing surface of an image printing system where a toner image is to be printed is provided. The method comprises generating a first signal from a detector that is configured to detect a reference mark on the image bearing surface, and a second signal from a clock system that counts incremental movements of the image bearing surface, determining a first value that correlates the first signal and the second signal, where the first value corresponds to a value of the second signal at a start of characterization of the image bearing surface, and determining a second value using the first value, where the second value provides the location on the image bearing surface where the toner image is to be printed.
US08253964B2
An UI device includes a display unit, a cancel button, an execution button, and print data selection buttons. Identification information of print data during printing is displayed on the display unit, and when the cancel button is pressed for a predetermined time, the print data during printing is canceled. Further, when the pressed time is less than the predetermined time, a list of identification information of the print data is shown so that one of print data can be selected with the print data selection buttons and the selection to cancel is determined with the execution button, thereby canceling the print data.
US08253955B2
An MFP receives notification of a power state of a networked client apparatus or PC from the PC and updates user management information in accordance with the power state of the PC. The MFP determines a security level in real time in accordance with the state of the power supply of the networked client apparatus that is stored in the user management information, and sets the determined security level for the MFP.
US08253946B2
A sensor includes a sensor head with at least two surfaces separated by a gap. One surface is mechanically fixed, a second surface is free to move and deflections of the second surface relative to the first surface are monitored by optical interferometry. An optical fiber could be used to direct light from a light source to the sensor and collect light reflected by the sensor. Interaction of molecules or other objects in the sample with the second surface is detected as a change in amplitude and/or phase of deflection the second surface in response to an applied driving signal. A layer of binding molecules may be immobilized on the second surface and this surface exposed to a sample.
US08253945B2
An optical sensor having a sapphire body is disclosed. A hollow in the sapphire body defines a surface which is used as a surface of a Fabry-Perot cavity. Interferometry is used to detect changes in the length of the Fabry-Perot cavity, and hence changes in, for example, the temperature or pressure of an environment in which the sensor is placed.
US08253944B2
An Interferometric Fiber Optic Gyro (IFOG) device for high accuracy sensing. An example IFOG includes an integrated optics chip (IOC) and a modulation component that modulates one or more light signals passing thru the IOC according to a bias-modulation waveform. A glitch pattern experienced at front-end components of the IFOG includes frequency content that has approximately zero amplitude at predefined sense harmonics. Frequency content of the bias-modulation waveform is below a predefined threshold value at the predefined sense harmonics.
US08253943B2
An interferometer includes a source of a light beam and a beam splitter for splitting the light beam from the source into at least first and second beams. A first reflector is positioned in the path of the first light beam. A second reflector, including a convergent lens and a mirror, is positioned in the path of the second light beam following reflection from a target. Further included is at least one detector for detecting fringes formed by interference of the first and second light beams following reflection from the first and second reflectors, respectively. The mirror of the second reflector has a radius of curvature R within 10% of the value determined using a first formula, and the focal length f of the convergent lens is within 10% of the value determined using a second formula.
US08253934B2
A pattern inspection method and apparatus in which a deep ultraviolet light or an ultraviolet light is irradiated onto a specimen on which a pattern is formed, an image of the specimen which is irradiated with the deep ultraviolet light or the ultraviolet light is formed and the formed image is detected with a rear-surface irradiation type image sensor, which is sensitive to wavelengths of no greater than 400 nmm. A signal outputted from the image sensor is processed so as to detect a defect of the specimen by converting an analog image signal outputted from the image sensor to a digital image signal with an A/D converter, and a display displays information of the defect detected.
US08253920B2
A method for adjusting the picture definition on the camera lens of a motion picture camera. A drive unit is connected to the camera lens which is driven, in the manual focusing operation, by an picture definition handwheel of an operating unit, which displays the adjusted picture definition on a scale dial, and, in the automatic focusing operation, by an auto-focusing device for measuring the distance from an object to be recorded by the motion picture camera and outputting control signals to an electromechanical actuator, which is connected to the picture definition handwheel or to the scale dial of the operating unit, for adjusting or readjusting the picture definition adjusted on the picture definition handwheel or displayed on the scale dial as a function of the distance measured from the object to be recorded.
US08253919B2
A plurality of liquid crystal cells are formed by encapsulating pieces of liquid crystal material with in a plurality of first sealing members, respectively, between a pair of flexible substrate base materials. Only respective parts of the pair of substrate base materials are contained inside a vacuum container, and the liquid crystal cells are formed inside the vacuum container reduced in pressure.
US08253917B2
A substrate for a liquid crystal display panel includes a first projection structure and a second projection structure and/or a depression structure, the substrate for the liquid crystal display panel includes a specific structure at a part of or near the first projection structure, the specific structure having at least one of a planar shape different from a planar shape of the second projection structure and/or the depression structure and a planar area of ⅔ times or less or 1.5 times or more than a planar area of the second projection structure and/or the depression structure.
US08253913B2
A thin film transistor array panel is provided, which includes: a substrate; a plurality of first signal lines formed on the substrate; a plurality of second lines formed on the substrate, intersecting the first signal line, and including a plurality of curved portions having at least two curve points and a plurality of intermediate portions, the curved portions and the intermediate portions alternately connected; a plurality of pixel electrodes located substantially in areas defined by the first and the second signal lines; and a plurality of thin film transistors connected to the first and the second signal lines and the pixel electrodes.
US08253911B2
To improve viewing angle characteristics by varying voltage which is applied between liquid crystal elements. A liquid crystal display device in which one pixel is provided with three or more liquid crystal elements and the level of voltage which is applied is varied between the liquid crystal elements is varied. In order to vary the level of the voltage which is applied between the liquid crystal elements, an element which divides the applied voltage is provided. In order to vary the level of the applied voltage, a capacitor, a resistor, a transistor, or the like is used. Viewing angle characteristics can be improved by varying the level of the voltage which is applied between the liquid crystal elements.
US08253908B2
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display including a pixel electrode including a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode spaced apart with a gap therebetween, a common electrode facing the pixel electrode, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode and including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. The first and second subpixel electrodes include a plurality of branches, and each of the first and second subpixel electrodes includes a plurality of subregions. The branches extend in different directions in different subregions.
US08253907B2
A LCD device includes a plurality of color display pixels and a viewing angle control pixel on a first substrate; a backlight shielding pattern formed at a circumferential region of the viewing angle control pixel; a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of a TFT; a protective film formed on a gate line, a data line, the TFT, the first electrode and the second pixel electrode, wherein a first contact hole is formed to expose part of the backlight shielding pattern; a first common electrode connected to the backlight shielding pattern through the first contact hole of the protective film, which is formed to be overlapped with at least part of the first pixel electrode, part of the TFT, and part of the backlight shielding pattern, wherein a plurality of slits overlapped with the first pixel electrode are formed; and a second common electrode formed by corresponding to the first pixel electrode on a second substrate.
US08253902B2
A liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate, wherein a pixel region is defined by a gate line and a data line, an electric field guide window is formed within the pixel region, and a first alignment layer is formed on the first substrate, the first alignment layer having a predetermined number of domains aligned in different directions on the pixel region; a second substrate facing the first substrate, and having a dielectric rib spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the electric field guide window, and a second alignment layer having a predetermined number of domains aligned in different directions; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and the second substrates.
US08253901B2
A display device includes a light supplying unit generating light and a liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules aligned substantially parallel to the plane of a pair of substrates by anti-parallel rubbing when no voltage is applied to the panel. Bias voltage corresponding to maximum gray level of the panel is determined between threshold voltage of the liquid crystal layer and 40% of maximum voltage.
US08253898B2
A novel transfer material is disclosed. The transfer material comprises, at least, a support, and, thereon, an optically uniaxial or biaxial anisotropic layer and a photosensitive polymer layer. A novel process for producing a liquid crystal cell substrate is also disclosed. The process comprises, at least, [1] laminating a transfer material as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 11 on a substrate; [2] removing the support from the transfer material laminated on the substrate; and [3] exposing the photosensitive polymer layer disposed on the substrate to light.
US08253895B2
A thin film transistor array substrate is provided with a gate line assembly, a data line assembly, and thin film transistors. The data line assembly crosses over the gate line assembly while defining pixel regions. A pixel electrode is formed at each pixel region. A color filter substrate is provided with a black matrix, and color filters of red, green and blue are formed at the black matrix at the pixel regions. An overcoat layer covers the color filters, and a common electrode is formed on the overcoat layer with an opening pattern. The thin film transistor array substrate, and the color filter substrates face each other, and a liquid crystal material is injected between the thin film transistor array substrate, and the color filter substrate. The blue color filter has a thickness smaller than the red color filter or the green color filter such that the liquid crystal cell gap at the blue color filter is larger than the liquid crystal cell gap at the red or green color filter.
US08253893B2
Transflective liquid crystal display device having a color filter and method for fabricating thereof
A color filter substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a base substrate having a transmissive portion and a reflective portion. The transmissive portion has a groove, a color filter layer on the substrate, and a black matrix on the color filter layer.
US08253888B2
Provided is a liquid crystal display device with a backlight including a light guide plate. The light guide plate includes, a reflective polarizing plate for transmitting a P-polarized component and reflecting an S-polarized component, a reflector for reflecting the S-polarized component reflected by the reflective polarizing plate, and a polarization converting member for converting the S-polarized component to a P-polarized component. The reflective polarizing plate and the reflector are tilted at an angle such that reflecting surfaces thereof are not perpendicular to four sides of the liquid crystal display panel and are disposed such that the S-polarized component contained in a main component of light emitted from the light sources is reflected by the reflector. This keeps small the size of the liquid crystal display device and still improves reuse efficiency of the light emitted from the light sources.
US08253887B2
A backlight unit preventing the lift-off of an FPC is disclosed. The backlight unit includes a plurality of light emitting diodes configured to emit light, a flexible printed circuit board on which the plurality of light emitting diodes are mounted, a light guide plate configured to be parallel to the plurality of light emitting diodes, a support main formed of a mold having a rectangular frame shape and configured to accommodate the plurality of light emitting diodes and the light guide plate, and a fixing tape configured to fix the flexible printed circuit board, the support main, and the light guide plate, wherein one side of the fixing tape is attached to the flexible printed circuit board, the other side of the fixing tape is attached to the support main and the light guide plate, and a “T” shape structure is formed between the plurality of light emitting diodes.
US08253883B2
Each of a display panel and a display device includes a display region in which an image with uniform display quality is displayed and a curved line can be displayed in the contour. The display panel includes a shielding member and a plurality of pixels arrayed in a display region, wherein the shielding member includes a shielding curved portion having a curved planar shape, and the shielding curved portion shields the plurality of pixels to form a curved contour of the display region.
US08253882B2
A display device (1) having a curved display surface (2) sandwiches a display panel (5) by means of a pair of curved covers (10, 11). The display device (1) has a plurality of engaging sections (12), which are formed on each of the two side surfaces arranged to face each other with the display panel (5) therebetween and fix the pair of covers (10, 11) so that the covers are not removed. An intermediate position (C1) in the curving direction of the covers (10, 11) and an intermediate position (C2) in the curving direction of the display surface (2) are shifted from each other. The engaging sections (12) on each of the two side surfaces are substantially symmetrically arranged with the display panel (5) therebetween, and the positions where the engaging sections (12) are arranged include at least the both end sections (E1, E2) in the curving direction, and a display surface intermediate section (CB) which includes the intermediate position (C2) of the display surface (2) in the curving direction.
US08253879B2
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal module having a top case, a bottom plate, a liquid crystal display panel in the top case and the bottom plate for displaying a picture, and a drive unit. The liquid crystal display device also includes a drive control unit for generating a control signal for controlling the drive unit and supplying the control signal to the drive unit of the liquid crystal module through at least one connector and cable. The top case of the liquid crystal module includes at least one first and second fastening bent portion for fastening at least one source printed circuit board in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively.
US08253874B2
A liquid crystal display including a pixel electrode having first and second sub-pixel electrodes separated from each other; a gate line electrically connected to the first and second sub-pixel electrodes through thin film transistors, a data line electrically connected to the first and second sub-pixel electrodes through the thin film transistors, a first storage electrode line having a first storage electrode overlapped with the first sub-pixel electrode, wherein a first storage voltage is applied to the first storage electrode line as a cyclic signal; and a second storage electrode line having a second storage electrode overlapped with the second sub-pixel electrode, wherein a second storage electrode voltage opposite in phase to the first storage electrode voltage is applied to the second storage electrode line as a cyclic signal, and wherein the first and second sub-pixel electrodes are electrically connected to the same gate line and to the same data line through the thin film transistors, and the pixel electrode includes a first side disposed parallel to the gate line and a second side disposed parallel to the data line, the second side including a length which is less than a length of the first side.
US08253870B2
A liquid crystal display screen is provided. The liquid crystal display screen includes a capacitance type touch panel, an upper board, a liquid crystal layer, and a lower board. The capacitance type touch panel includes a substrate and a transparent conductive layer located on the substrate. The upper board includes an upper substrate, an upper electrode, and an upper alignment layer. The transparent conductive layer is configured to be an upper optical polarizer. The transparent conductive layer is a carbon nanotube layer having an anisotropic conductivity. The upper substrate is the substrate of the capacitance type touch panel.
US08253869B2
A liquid crystal display device with a touch panel has a reflective display region and a transmissive display region, at least the transmissive display region including a liquid crystal layer energizable according to a lateral electric field mode. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal layer held between a pair of substrate disposed in confronting relation to each other, observer-side circular polarizer 9 disposed outwardly of one of the substrates, back-side circular polarizer 8 disposed outwardly of the other substrate, observer-side compensator 11 for reducing refractive index anisotropy of the liquid crystal layer in the reflective display region and the liquid crystal layer in the transmissive display region, and touch panel 13 disposed between observer-side circular polarizer 9 and observer-side compensator 11.
US08253853B2
A vibrating device includes a dust-screening member which is shaped like a plate as a whole and has at least one side that is symmetric with respect to a symmetry axis, and a vibrating member secured to the dust-screening member and configured to produce, at the dust-screening member, vibration having a vibrational amplitude perpendicular to a surface of the dust-screening member. The vibrating device further includes a drive unit configured to drive the vibrating member to produce vibration Z(x, y) at the dust-screening member, the vibration being expressed as follows: Z(x,y)=Wmn(x,y)·cos(γ)+Wnm(x,y)·sin(γ) where Z(x, y) is vibration at a given point P(x, y) on the dust-screening member, m and n are positive integers including 0, indicating the order of natural vibration corresponding to a vibrational mode, W mn ( x , y ) = sin ( n π · x + π 2 ) · sin ( m π · y + π 2 ) , W nm ( x , y ) = sin ( m π · x + π 2 ) · sin ( n π · y + π 2 ) , and γ is +π/4 or ranges from −π/8 to −π/4.
US08253850B2
In a digital camera, in an automatic shooting stand-by state, when it is judged that an automatic shooting condition has not been satisfied, it is judged whether or not to issue an AE re-processing command (that is, it is judged whether or not the current shooting condition is similar to a condition where the automatic shooting condition is satisfied). When it is judged to issue the AE re-processing command, exposure tracking in an aperture-priority mode is performed, and shooting exposure conditions excluding the aperture value for still-image shooting in the aperture-priority mode are determined. Then, storage is updated. When it is judged that an automatic shooting condition has been satisfied, record processing for still-image shooting is performed with the updated shooting exposure conditions without changing the aperture value.
US08253849B2
The present invention provides a lighting control module, a video camera comprising the same and a control method of the same. The video camera of the invention includes a sensing module, a light-emitting module and a control module. The sensing module receives a reflected light beam from a recording direction of the video camera, and generates an image of a scene in the recording direction. The light-emitting module emits a light toward the recording direction. Additionally, the lighting control module is connected to the light-emitting module for controlling the light-emitting module to periodically emit the light from a first brightness to a second brightness.
US08253844B2
A system and method for exposing different parts of a single field of view for various and differing lengths of time while capturing an image is provided. For astrophotography, unwanted light pollution or over-saturation bleeding from nearby or obtrusive stars may be greatly reduced or eliminated while still capturing the image of the nearby brighter star in the same field of view. Also, a system and method for real-time contrast control while capturing an image to optimize signal-to-noise ratio for various parts of the captured image, is provided. An embodiment of the present invention provides such techniques by using spatial light modulator devices, such as a digital micro-mirror device, to controllably mask different portions of light from an image that expose film or a charge-coupled device. A system and method for a way to use a spatial light modulator device as an active and controllable mask for photolithography, is provided.
US08253841B2
A portable electronic device includes a cover, a printed circuit board, and a lens module mounted on the printed circuit board and covered by the cover. The cover and the lens module both define a light transmitting hole. The cover includes a retaining portion, the lens module includes a latching portion engaged with the retaining portion of the cover, thus ensuring the coaxiality of the light transmitting holes of the cover and the lens module.
US08253835B2
Pixels are two-dimensionally arranged into rows and columns in an image sensing region of a solid-state image sensing device, and divided into a plurality of vertical blocks. A vertical signal line is connected to each pixel column. A voltage read out from a pixel is A/D-converted and held in a holding circuit. A vertical block selection circuit outputs a vertical block selection signal in response to a horizontal sync pulse. An intra-block line selection circuit selects one pixel row in one block or simultaneously selects a plurality of pixel rows in one block, in accordance with the selection signal and a signal for setting the number of lines to be selected. A pulse selector circuit supplies a pixel driving pulse signal to a pixel row selected by the intra-block line selection circuit.
US08253832B2
A method is described for forming a full-color output image from a color filter array image comprising capturing an image using an image sensor including panchromatic pixels and color pixels having at least two different color responses, the pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit wherein for a first color response, the color pixels having the first color response alternate with panchromatic pixels in at least two directions, and for each of the other color responses there is at least one row, column or diagonal of the repeating pattern that only has color pixels of the given color response and panchromatic pixels. The method further comprising, computing an interpolated panchromatic image from the color filter array image; computing an interpolated color image from the color filter array image; and forming the full color output image from the interpolated panchromatic image and the interpolated color image.
US08253830B2
A solid-state image device is provided which has a semiconductor substrate, pixels A each containing a photoelectric conversion portion in which at least two PN junction parts are provide in a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate, pixels B each containing a photoelectric conversion portion in which at least one PN junction part is provided, first color filters provided above the pixels A, second color filters provided above the pixels B; and a detection mechanism for detecting a first color signal and a second color signal from the two PN junction parts of each of the pixels A and a third color signal from the PN junction part of each of the pixels B. According to the above solid-state image device, light can be more efficiently used than a color filter separation method, and superior color reproducibility to that of a three-well structure can be realized.
US08253828B2
The image capture device includes pixel data acquisition unit for acquiring pixel data of a pixel of interest and neighboring pixels from an image capture element; an edge direction determination unit for determining whether a pattern such as an edge is defined by neighboring pixels centered on the pixel of interest; correction unit; and color interpolation unit. When a pixel of interest is determined by a defective pixel determination unit to be a defective pixel, and is moreover determined by the edge direction determination unit not to lie in an edge direction, the correction unit will correct the pixel of interest to a correction value derived from pixel data of neighboring pixels in a symmetrical array centered thereon. For a pixel of interest that has not been corrected, color interpolation according to the direction the edge will be carried out by the color interpolation unit, using the determination outcome of the edge direction determination unit.
US08253820B2
An image processing apparatus includes a low-frequency-component storage unit that stores therein a low-frequency component generated from a frame in an input moving image composed of a plurality of frames, a low-frequency-component generating unit that generates a low-frequency component from an N-th frame of the input moving image, and stores the low-frequency component in the low-frequency-component storage unit, and a dynamic-range correcting unit that corrects a dynamic range by using an (N+1)-th or later frame of the input moving image and the low-frequency component of the N-th frame stored in the low-frequency-component storage unit.
US08253812B2
A video camera includes an image sensor which repeatedly outputs an object scene image produced on an imaging surface by an exposure operation of a focal-plane electronic shutter system in a raster scanning manner. A post-processing circuit extracts a partial object scene image belonging to an extraction area, out of the object scene image outputted from the image sensor. A moving image based on the extracted partial object scene image is displayed on an LCD monitor by an LCD driver. A motion detecting circuit detects motion of the imaging surface in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis. A position of the extraction area is changed by a CPU so that the motion detected by the motion detecting circuit is compensated. The CPU also changes a shape of the extraction area so that a focal plane distortion is restrained, based on the motion detected by the motion detecting circuit.
US08253810B2
An imaging pixel array and associated method and system are disclosed in which the array contains first pixels each having a first photo-conversion device, and second pixels each having a first photo-conversion device and a second photo-conversion device. The first photo-conversion devices are configured to acquire an image during a first integration period. The second photo-conversion devices are configured to acquire a plurality of images during the first integration period. A circuit uses the plurality of image signals and determines from them relative motion between the array and an image during a portion of the first integration period and provides a signal representing the motion which is used for image stabilization.
US08253808B2
The image processing system is an image processing system including an electronic camera and an image output device, in which the electronic camera includes an image pickup unit capturing an object image by an image sensor and outputting raw data of a digital format, a recording unit recording the raw data, a conversion unit reading the raw data from the recording unit to convert the raw data to a data format which can be handled by the image output device, and a transfer unit transferring the converted raw data, and in which the image output device includes a receiving unit receiving the raw data transferred by the transfer unit, an image processing unit performing image processing for output on the raw data, and an image output unit outputting the raw data as an image, thereby shortening the processing time and improving the operability.
US08253796B2
A surveillance system and method for rapid set up and activating communication between at least one wireless input capture device ICD(s) and a corresponding digital input recorder (DIR) and/or another ICD, including the steps of providing base system; at least one user accessing the DIR via user interface either directly or remotely; the DIR and/or ICD searching for signal from the ICD(s) and establishing communication with them, thereby providing a secure surveillance system having wireless communication for monitoring a target environment.
US08253790B1
A cylinder stroke system with a laser proximity detector including a pressure containing tube. The pressure containing tube can include a first tube end and a second tube end. A cylinder rod can be movably disposed within the pressure containing tube. The system can also include a piston disposed on the cylinder rod first end; a first fluid port formed in the pressure containing tube; a second fluid disposed within the pressure containing tube; a blind end cap and mount; a laser secured to the pressure containing tube; at least one optic guide; a lens separating the at least one optic guide from the second fluid. The cylinder stroke system can also include a camera in communication with a main controller. The camera can receive the reflection from the piston and convert the reflection into a reflection signal.
US08253788B2
A method and apparatus for acquiring digital microscope images is disclosed, in which a plurality of magnified images of a specimen are captured for tiling together to provide an overall composite image of the specimen. In accordance with the described method, the specimen is moved relative to an imaging system comprising a microscope and camera in a predetermined path while the plurality of magnified images are captured. In a preferred embodiment, the specimen, contained on a slide, is mounted on a movable microscope stage, and is moved beneath the microscope in the predetermined path. The velocity of the movement of the stage and the shutter speed of the camera is computer controlled to capture overlapping, clear images.
US08253774B2
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates managing one or more devices utilized for communicating data within a telepresence session. A telepresence session can be initiated within a communication framework that includes two or more virtually represented users that communicate therein. A device can be utilized by at least one virtually represented user that enables communication within the telepresence session, the device includes at least one of an input to transmit a portion of a communication to the telepresence session or an output to receive a portion of a communication from the telepresence session. A detection component can adjust at least one of the input related to the device or the output related to the device based upon the identification of a cue, the cue is at least one of a movement detected, an event detected, or an ambient variation.
US08253771B2
An video call management apparatus and associated methodology of controlling interactive voice and video responses is provided. A calling party is identified as an agent or a caller based on a set of agent identities. The calling party is then provided with an agent main menu, when an agent is identified, or a caller main menu when a caller is identified. An agent can be connected to the caller in a sub-queue entry, and a caller can be placed in an existing sub-queue or a new sub-queue can be created if it does not exist. Videomail from a caller for playback to an agent is also received, and the agent may call the caller during or after playback of the videomail. The agent is presented with a system video message containing information and statistics on a completed call.
US08253768B2
A disclosed optical scanner includes a light source unit and a control unit configured to control the light source unit. Light emitted from the light source unit is scanned to expose a scan object surface and form an image on the scan object surface. The light source unit includes plural light sources arranged at a density equal to N (N being an integer of two or more) times higher than a density of pixels on the scan object surface. The control unit controls the light source unit such that one pixel is formed by at least two of the light sources.
US08253767B2
A line head includes first to third light-emitting elements arranged in a first direction; and an optical system that forms images by light emitted from the first to third light-emitting elements on an imaging surface to form images of the light-emitting elements, in which the first light-emitting element is arranged between the second light-emitting element and the third light-emitting element in the first direction; the optical system has a first lens surface that has refractive power and is arranged so as to satisfy a relation of H>0.5D, where H is a distance in the first direction between the geometrical centers of the images of the second and third light-emitting elements, and D is the maximum width in the first direction of a light passing region of the first lens surface through which light emitted from the second and third light-emitting elements passes; and, light emitted from the first and second light-emitting elements do not overlap with each other on a cross section of the first lens surface taken along the first direction so as to include an optical axis of the optical system.
US08253755B2
System and method for image-based color sequence reallocation in sequential color display systems. A method comprises generating a color signal from an image to be displayed, wherein the color signal contains light intensity information, computing percentages of the color sequence to be allocated to each color in a set of colors in a sequential color display system, wherein the computing is based on the light intensity information, allocating the color sequence based on the computed percentages, and displaying the image using the color sequence. The allocation of the color sequence based on the image allows for the elimination of color intensities that are greater than needed in displaying the image. Portions of the color sequence formerly used to display the eliminated color intensities may be used to display colors with usable intensities, thereby increasing the brightness of images.
US08253747B2
A user can control the animation of an object via an interface that includes a control area and a user-manipulable control element. In one embodiment, the control area includes an ellipse, and the user-manipulable control element includes an arrow. In yet another embodiment, the control area includes an ellipse, and the user-manipulable control element includes two points on the circumference of the ellipse. In yet another embodiment, the control area includes a first rectangle, and the user-manipulable control element includes a second rectangle. In yet another embodiment, the user-manipulable control element includes two triangular regions, and the control area includes an area separating the two regions.
US08253744B2
The system (13, 15) for virtually drawing on a physical surface of the invention comprises electronic circuitry, wherein the electronic circuitry is operative to detect movements of a physical object over the physical surface and project a drawing (11) corresponding to the movements on the physical surface. The computer program product of the invention enables a programmable device to function as the system of the invention.
US08253743B2
Disclosed is a character service method and system having a game item function. In one embodiment, a method is provided for generating a character by a character generating system including a gamvatar provider, a gamvatar controller, and a game server. The method includes providing an avatar to a user accessing the character generating system online, checking whether the user desires to combine a game item function with the avatar before progressing a game when the user acquires the game item function, combining the game item function with a corresponding layer of the avatar when the user desires to combine the game item function with the avatar, and d) generating the combined gamvatar.
US08253741B2
A system for creation of perspective images of the present invention includes: A new method for transforming three-dimensional (3D) world coordinates into two-dimensional (2D) screen coordinates using a negative exponential algorithm, instead of the classical projection algorithms that have the distance ‘z’ to the observer in the denominator (division algorithms); A new method for generating realistic perspective images of objects located at any distance from the observer (positive, negative or zero distances) that does not need any correction for zero or negative distances; The demonstration of practical use of the invention by computer graphics programs that generates and displays perspective images based on this exponential algorithm.
US08253734B2
The present invention is a system that grids original data, maps the data at the grid locations to height values at corresponding landscape image pixel locations and renders the landscape pixels into a three-dimensional (3D) landscape image. The landscape pixels can have arbitrary shapes and can be augmented with additional 3D information from the original data, such as an offset providing additional information, or generated from processing of the original data, such as to alert when a threshold is exceeded, or added for other purposes such as to point out a feature. The pixels can also convey additional information from the original data using other pixel characteristics such as texture, color, transparency, etc.
US08253728B1
In general, one or more aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can include associating with each clip in a sequence of one or more clips a copy of a three dimensional (3D) scene that was used to create the clip, where the clip is a sequence of one or more images that depict the clip's respective 3D scene from the perspective of one or more virtual cameras. Input identifying a clip in the sequence is received. In response to the receiving, a copy of the identified clip's associated copy of the 3D scene is presented in an editor.
US08253720B2
An exemplary liquid crystal display includes a power supply circuit, a scaler, and an alternating current off control circuit connected between the power supply circuit and the scaler. The alternating current off control circuit is configured to detect an operation state of the power supply circuit, and output a corresponding control signal to the scaler.
US08253718B2
A power consumption reduction device includes a region-adaptive gray level conversion unit wherein the gray level conversion unit is operable to convert n1 bits of gray level information for a low gray level region into m1 (
US08253706B2
Electronic apparatus and methods of operating the electronic apparatus include less than a frequency associated with a generated waveform. In various embodiments, an apparatus using a differential analog-to-digital converter can perform low frequency noise rejection that can be implemented in a variety of applications. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08253700B2
An exemplary touch panel includes a flexible substrate, a transparent conductive layer, and four electrodes. The flexible substrate includes a surface. The transparent conductive layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate. The transparent conductive layer includes a carbon nanotube layer. The carbon nanotube layer includes carbon nanotubes. The electrodes are separately disposed, and electrically connected with the transparent conductive layer. A display device using the above-described touch panel is also provided.
US08253695B2
A computer-implemented method for providing email at a portable communications device with a touch screen display is disclosed. A first portion of a list of entries with information about corresponding electronic messages is displayed in a first area of the touch screen display. A first portion of an electronic message that corresponds to an entry in the list of entries is displayed in a second area of the touch screen display that is separate from the first area. In response to a first gesture by a user in the first area of the touch screen display, the list of entries is scrolled to display a second portion of the list of entries. In response to a second gesture by the user in the second area of the touch screen display, the electronic message is moved in two dimensions to display a second portion of the electronic message.
US08253691B2
A keyboard includes a plurality of keys associated with alphanumeric characters including the letters A-Z. The keys are split into a left side section and a right side section. The left side section is oriented at least partially above the right side section, or the right side section is oriented at least partially above the left side section. The keyboard is stationary. A mobile communication device includes the keyboard.
US08253689B2
A system to output an icon in response to a hot-key input, including a microcomputer to sense an instruction input through a hot-key and to output a scan code corresponding to the instruction, a keyboard launcher to receive the scan code from the microcomputer, to analyze the scan code, and to generate a message that requests an output of a hot-key icon indicating the operation of the hot-key based on the analyzed scan code, a system basic input/output system (BIOS) to provide information required to output the hot-key icon, and a display manager to receive the message generated by the keyboard launcher and to output the hot-key icon based on the information received from the system BIOS.
US08253682B2
A backlight driving circuit includes a brightness controller, a timing controller, and a logic calculation circuit. The brightness controller is configured to provide a first control signal to the logic calculation circuit, the timing controller is configured to provide a second control signal to the logic calculation circuit, and the logic calculation circuit is configured to select the first or second control signal to adjust a brightness of a lamp.
US08253680B2
A shift register includes a plurality of stages for sequentially outputting scan pulses to drive a plurality of gate lines, wherein each of the stages includes a set node, a pull-up switching device for outputting a corresponding scan pulse according to a logic state of the set node, at least two reset nodes, at least two pull-down switching devices, each of the pull-down switching devices being connected to a corresponding reset node to output an off voltage according to a voltage level of the corresponding reset node, and a node controller for controlling logic states of the nodes of a corresponding stage and logic states of the nodes of stages different from the corresponding stage together, wherein the node controllers of the stages control an output order of the scan pulses from the stages according to a forward voltage and reverse voltage having opposite phases.
US08253676B2
A method for driving an active matrix liquid crystal display device of the invention is provided to drive a common voltage applied on a common electrode facing a pixel electrode by inversion for displaying a part of the display area, wherein the common voltage is controlled by synchronizing the polarity inversion timing of the common electrode with the scan timing of the pixel electrode in an initial position of the displayed area.
US08253674B2
A liquid crystal panel includes a glass substrate with pixel electrodes that are arranged in a matrix shape, TFTs that are connected to the pixel electrodes, and a glass substrate with an opposing electrode and color filters that are arranged in a matrix shape. A liquid crystal layer is formed in a space between the glass substrates by filling a ferroelectric liquid crystal into the space. When writing display data, and when deleting display data that has been written, a voltage, not including 0V, that becomes a voltage potential, or in other words, a voltage that is greater than a threshold voltage at which the optical characteristic of the filled ferroelectric liquid crystal changes is applied between the opposing electrode and pixel electrodes. An image is displayed over all gradation numbers, including the low-gradation side, and the display characteristic is improved.
US08253653B2
An image observation system includes a pair of image observation devices each having i) an image pickup device, ii) an image pickup optical system for directing light rays from an outside world to the image pickup device, iii) a display device for displaying an outside world image obtained by the image pickup system, and iv) a display optical system for directing light from the display device to an observing eye. The optical axis of the image pickup system and the optical axis of the display system are disposed coaxially, wherein the optical axes of the image pickup systems of the pair of image observation devices define a point of intersection, and wherein a focal plane being at a position conjugate with a surface of the image pickup device with respect to the image pickup optical system is disposed at a side of the intersection point of the optical axes of the image pickup systems, which side faces an observer.
US08253651B2
A display apparatus and a method for driving a display panel thereof are provided. Each column of data line in the display panel has two sub-data lines. The driving method is described as follows. An input image signal is divided into a plurality of image segments, and each of the image segments has display data of pixels coupled to two adjacent scan lines. Every K image segments are defined as a group. An image signal is formed by inserting a reset data in each group of image segments. Display data of a first group are written in K batches according to a first start wave. After a predetermined time from the first start wave, the scan lines corresponding to the first group are driven at the same time according to a second start wave, and the reset data is output to the first sub-data lines and the second sub-data lines.
US08253650B2
An electronic device includes a first display, a second display, numerous of first and second guide rail members, a movable unit, and a driver unit. The first guide rail members are configured for guiding the first display to move between a first position and a second position, and the second guide rail members are configured for guiding the second display to move between a third position and a fourth position. The driver unit is configured for driving the movable unit to move the second display between the fourth position and a fifth position along a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the second display. When the first display is in the second position and the second display is in the fifth position, the first display and the second display are coplanar.
US08253649B2
Two or more display components are used to provide spatially correlated displays of 3D content. Three-dimensional content is rendered on multiple displays where the 3D content refers to the same virtual 3D coordinates, in which the relative position of the displays to each other determines the 3D virtual camera position for each display. Although not required, one of the displays may be mobile, such as a cell phone, and the other stationary or nomadic, such as a laptop. Each display shows a view based on a virtual camera into 3D content, such as an online virtual world. By continuously sensing and updating the relative physical distances and orientations of each device to one another, the devices show the user a view into the 3D content that is spatially correlated. Each device has a virtual camera that uses a common pool of 3D geometrical data and renders this data to display images.
US08253633B2
A multi-band monopole antenna for a mobile communications device includes a common conductor coupled to both a first radiating arm and a second radiating arm. The common conductor includes a feeding port for coupling the antenna to communications circuitry in a mobile communications device. In one embodiment, the first radiating arm includes a space-filling curve. In another embodiment, the first radiating arm includes a meandering section extending from the common conductor in a first direction and a contiguous extended section extending from the meandering section in a second direction.
US08253623B2
A system and a method for determining the correct position for a GPS device from a predefined set of alternatives are provided. Based on the known positions of the visible GPS satellites and of the predefined alternative locations, the system determines theoretical distances between each satellite and each location and/or differences thereof. These distances are related to the distance measured between the GPS device antenna and each GPS satellite in order to choose the location from among the predefined location alternatives. Also disclosed are a system and a method for identification of predefined container slots on a freight yard.
US08253612B2
A method and apparatus are provided for calibrating a ladder circuit. The apparatus includes: a logic unit for receiving a first logical signal, a second logical signal, and N control bits and for outputting N alternative control bits and an additional control bit, where N is an integer greater than 1; a core circuit for receiving the N alternative control bits, the additional control bit, and a tuning word, and for outputting an output signal, wherein the core circuit comprises N−1 series elements, N shunt elements with a connectivity controlled by the N alternative control bits, respectively, and a termination element with a connectivity controlled by the additional control bit; and a calibration circuit for receiving the first logical signal, the second logical signal, and the output signal and for outputting the tuning word. When the first logical signal is 0, the apparatus operates in a normal mode and the output signal follows the N control bits; when the first logical signal is 1, the apparatus operates in a calibration mode and the output signal follows the second logical signal. When the apparatus operates in the calibration mode, the tuning word is adjusted in a closed loop manner so as to make the output signal substantially the same regardless of a value of the second logical signal.
US08253611B2
Traditionally, pipelined continuous-time (CT) sigma-delta modulators (SDM) have been difficult to build due at least in part to the difficulties in calibrating the pipeline. Here, however, a pipelined CT SDM is provided that has an architecture that is conducing to being calibrated. Namely, the system includes a digital filter and other features that can be adjusted to account for input imbalance errors and well as quantization leakage noise.
US08253610B2
Poly-phase filters are used to offer an efficient and low complexity solution to rate conversion. However, they suffer from inflexibility and are not easily reconfigured. A novel design for rate converters employ poly-phase filters but utilize interpolation between filter coefficients to add flexibility to rate conversion. This interpolation can be implemented as an interpolation of the poly-phase filter results. Additional approximations can be made to further reduce the amount of calculations required to implement a flexible rate converter.
US08253609B2
The present invention provides coding/decoding a digital signal, in particular using a transform with overlap employing weighting windows. In the invention, two consecutive and equal-size blocks of samples of the signal may be weighted by respective different successive windows. These two windows may be chosen independently of each other according to a criterion specific to the characteristics of the signal (entropy, data rate/distortion, etc.) that are determined for each of the two blocks.
US08253608B2
Data decompression apparatus is disclosed which is arranged to act on compressed data comprising: an ordered stream of references to groups of previously decoded data items; an ordered stream of direct representations of data items to be decoded; and an ordered stream of flags indicating whether each successive decompression operation should act on a reference or a direct representation. The apparatus comprises an output memory area; a detector to detect the number n of consecutive flags indicating that a decompression operation should act on a direct representation; and a data copier for copying to the output memory area either a next referenced group of previously decoded data or a group of n consecutive direct representations from the ordered stream of direct representations.
US08253606B2
The invention relates to a fractional bit encoder (1) and a method for encoding a data stream into code word identifiers for a physical line encoder (13), wherein said fractional bit encoder (1) comprises a (1:K) demultiplexer (3) for a de-multiplexing a received data stream into a predetermined number (K) of bit streams, a first (K1:n) multiplexer (4) for re-multiplexing a first number (K1) of said K bit streams onto n parallel lines transporting n re-multiplexed bit streams and a second multiplexer (5) re-multiplexing a second number (K2) of said K bit streams (K2:1) onto a single line transporting one further re-multiplexed bit stream, wherein n=[ld(M)] and M being a configurable number of different code word identifiers, a class detector (7) which evaluates the first n re-multiplexed bit streams to determine a class of the respective bit combination and a word encoder (10) which encodes the respective bit combination depending on the determined class of the bit combination.
US08253603B2
A method of typing prompting is provided. The method includes: providing a plurality of transparent keys connected to LEDs on a provided keyboard; determining whether a transparent key is pressed; storing the ASCII code of the input of the pressed transparent key; finding at least one ASCII code as a possible next input towards typing a word from a provided dictionary corresponding to a character input method in use according to the stored ASCII code; lighting up at least one LED corresponding to the at least one found ASCII code according to provided relationships between the LEDs and the ASCII codes of the input of the transparent keys. A related electronic device is also provided.
US08253594B2
A keyboard includes a plug, a hub, a keyboard controller, a keyboard circuit, a camera controller, and an image capturing device. The hub includes an output terminal connected to the plug, a first input terminal, and a second input terminal. The keyboard circuit is connected to the first input terminal of the hub via the keyboard controller. The image capturing device is mounted on the keyboard and connected to the second input terminal of the hub via the camera controller. The image capturing device is configured for capturing sensed image signals. The keyboard circuit communicates with the computer via the keyboard controller and the hub, and the image capturing device transmits the sensed image signals to the computer via the camera controller and the hub.
US08253592B1
An external adaptive control system and method control a traffic signal controller assembly. The external adaptive control system determines a non-linear schedule with one or more states corresponding to one or more individual phases with each state having a start time and a duration. The external adaptive control system generates presence data for reception by the controller assembly for each state and its associated duration.
US08253586B1
A performance measuring system integrated with an article of clothing, the system has a computing unit for coordinating, processing and transmission of sensor data connected to a bus and an antenna. A sensor for measuring performance characteristics is connected to the bus; the bus facilitates transmission and reception of control and data values between the computing unit and the sensor. Also, an antenna is connected to the computing unit for communicating with other computing devices and transmission of sensor data. The other computing devices display the sensor data to a user or forward the sensor data onto another communication media such as the internet or interactive television. A social networking system sharing athletic statistics using a webservice, a personal processing unit connectible to the webservice, and a computing unit having an activity program for at least one sensor. This system has an activity update service integrally associated with the webservice.
US08253580B2
A method of parsing a natural language phrase to retrieve data associated with a power monitoring system. An input receives a natural language phrase including terms, one of which indicates a data manipulation action for manipulating data of the power monitoring system. A parser component parses the phrase to extract the terms and maps those terms to corresponding category items. The parser component constructs a structured query based on the category items and provides the query to a processor component that retrieves the data from a data source specified in the submitted phrase. The processor component also manipulates the data according to the data manipulation action. The output from the processor component is provided to a presentation component that formats the manipulated data for presentation on a video display, and the formatted manipulated data is displayed on the video display.
US08253578B2
The present invention provides a smoke sensor of sound wave type that excels in responsiveness and has a low probability of false detection. The smoke sensor has a sound wave generating unit that provides an ultrasound wave to a monitoring space, a sound wave receiving unit that receives the ultrasound wave from the sound wave generating unit via the monitoring space, and a signal processing unit that detects an abnormality of the monitoring space by using an output of the sound wave receiving unit. The signal processing unit includes a smoke density estimation unit that estimates a smoke density in the monitoring space on the basis of a difference between the output of the sound wave receiving unit and a standard value, and a smoke density determination unit that determines the abnormality of the monitoring space by comparing the smoke density estimated by the smoke density estimation unit with a predetermined threshold.
US08253577B2
The present invention generally provides methods and systems for managing a medical gas system by using wireless sensors located at the point of use. In one embodiment, a wireless sensor is fixed to a gas outlet, and is configured to measure gas flow, and to detect whether the gas outlet is connected to a medical device. The gas flow and connection data is included in a wireless signal that is transmitted to a remote server. The data received by the server may be analyzed to determine if any local or system leaks are occurring. In addition, the data may be used to monitor patient therapies, to calculate costs, and to determine replenishment points.
US08253569B2
The apparatus of the present invention are directed to a selectively accessible electromagnetically resonant data storage element (implemented as a resonant tag, card, embedded element and/or similar devices), for inventory and facility control and management, for product tracking during transportation, for security purposes (e.g., personal identification (e.g., passports, driver's licenses, alien registration cards), access control, etc.), and to facilitate various forms of electronic information interchange (for example in electronic commerce, such as payment cards, etc.), that is selectively responsive to predetermined electromagnetic interrogation thereof, that comprises a novel membrane switch component for enabling a user to selectively enable and/or disable interrogatory access to the resonant component, to protect from unauthorized interrogation thereof. The novel membrane switch may be formed through a combination of aligned and configured subcomponents of at least a portion of the element within at least two stacked layers.
US08253566B2
An apparatus for communicating with a RFID tag comprises an antenna for communicating with a RFID circuit element by wireless communication, a signal processing circuit and a radio frequency circuit for accessing an IC circuit part of the RFID circuit element through the antenna based on an access instruction to information in a RFID tag, a storage device for storing at least correlation information of identification information of an object which is to bear a RFID tag containing the RFID circuit element to identification of the RFID circuit element corresponding thereto in a database, a control circuit for accessing the database based on an access instruction to a storage device, a tape feeding roller drive shaft for feeding out a cover film associated with the RFID circuit element, and a print head for printing a print based on a printing instruction.
US08253564B2
A system and method for predictive abnormal behavior detection is disclosed. The system receives surveillance data such as video data and can create and update a plurality of prediction models. The system may also receive video data relating to a moving object and may generate a prediction of the future locations of the moving object based on the generated prediction models. The predicted motion may be scored by a scoring engine to determine if the predicted motion is unsafe or otherwise undesirable.
US08253551B2
A driving monitoring device and method includes controlling a camera to capture a face image of a driver, identifying the face image to determine if the driver is awake, and controlling a camera to capture a first image of the steering wheel. The driving monitoring device and method further includes identifying a steering wheel region and two hand regions, confirming one or more sub regions of the steering wheel region corresponding to the two hand regions, determining that the driver drives the vehicle inappropriately if the confirmed sub regions do not match standard positions, and outputting alert signals to prompt the driver.
US08253550B2
An exemplary road traffic mirror includes a casing, a mirror, a monitor, a processor, and an indicating module. The mirror and the hollow casing define a chamber therein, and the mirror includes a transparent glass and a reflection film formed on the transparent glass, wherein the reflection film is a narrow band pass film. The monitor is configured to automatically monitor road conditions and generate corresponding road condition signals. The processor is configured to analyze the road condition signals, and to generate switching signals. The indicating module is received in the chamber and facing the mirror, wherein the indicating module is configured to be activated by the switching signal and emit corresponding light rays, the light rays of the indicating module passing through the reflection film and forming an indication sign on the outside of the road traffic mirror.
US08253546B2
A magnitude comparator for comparing magnitude of a first data and a second data is disclosed. The first data and the second data are both binary data. The magnitude comparator includes many non-least comparator cells and a P-channel transistor. Each of the non-least comparator cells includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor and a fourth transistor. The drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to the source of the first transistor, and the source of the second transistor is electrically connected to a ground terminal. The third transistor electrically connects the first transistor, and the fourth transistor electrically connects the first transistor and the third transistor. The source of the P-channel transistor electrically connects a supply terminal, the gate of the P-channel transistor electrically connects the ground terminal, and the drain of the P-channel transistor electrically connects the third transistor of the first comparator cell.
US08253544B2
An apparatus and a method of remote control which can enable real time operation of a device in home from a terminal device at remote location through a network are provided. A first server communicates with a terminal device through the Internet and generates device control data for controlling the device. A second server communicates with the device in a predetermined manner to acquire and store a specific address of the device, generates transmission data for transmission of the received device control data from the first server to the device based on the specific address, and transmits the transmission data to the device. This allows real time control of the device from the terminal device through the network to be realized.
US08253543B2
In a RFID tag information system having a plurality of service servers, a single unified server, an operation terminal, an apparatus for producing RFID tags, and a portable terminal, the unified server has a common database storing a list of unissued tag IDs allocatable to an unproduced RFID tag and further storing the tag ID allocated to the produced RFID tag and registration data corresponding to the tag ID, and the apparatus for producing RFID tags writes the tag ID obtained through an apparatus antenna for radio communication with a RFID circuit element provided at a tag tape, the service server allocated by the unified server, and the operation terminal in an IC circuit part through the apparatus antenna.
US08253540B2
A method of reading data (DAT1 . . . DAT4) from transponders (T1 . . . T4) by means of a reader device (RD) during a number (N) of time slots (TS) is disclosed, wherein the seizure of said time slots (TS) by the transponders (T1 . . . T4) is observed in both the reader device (RD) and the transponders (T1 . . . T4). A reorganization (REORG) is performed in dependence on said seizure, wherein both the reader device (RD) and the transponders (T1 . . . T4) choose a new number (N) of time slots (TS). In addition, the transponders (T1 . . . T4) select one of the new time slots (TS) in which to send data (DAT1 . . . DAT4) back to the reader device (RD) so as to adapt the system's capacity to the real demands. Preferably, said reorganization (REORG) takes place without communication between the reader device (RD) and the transponders (T1 . . . T4). The invention further relates to a transponder (T1 . . . T4) and to a reader device (RD) for implementing the inventive method.
US08253539B2
A system and method is provided for managing RFID readers. The system and method manages RFID readers by controlling the RFID readers to reduce interference between RFID transmissions. The system and method locates RFID readers, including mobile and fixed RFID readers, and controls the transmitting of the RFID readers such that proximate readers do not transmit simultaneously. This reduces the interference between RFID readers, and thus can improve the reliability and accuracy of the RFID system.
US08253537B2
A reader obtains tag identification information of an RFID tag circuit element for article via radio communication using an apparatus antenna, stores the obtained tag identification information in a memory, gets area identification information of each room relating to a plurality of rooms storing the articles and a corresponding number of articles in association with each other from a database, calculates the number of the RFID tag circuit elements for article on the basis of a remaining memory capacity of the memory, the tag identification information capable of newly stored, compares the number of articles obtained as above with the number of RFID tag circuit elements for article calculated as above and determines the room with a corresponding number of articles not more than the number of RFID tag circuit elements for article as an inventory-manageable area.
US08253533B2
The present disclosure describes a system for managing a plurality of lockers proximate a theme park attraction, the system having an electronically actuated lock disposed on the plurality of lockers, a guest identifier carriable on the guests person, the identifier usable as an electronic key configured to lock and unlock the lock, an egress sensor positioned at an exit of the theme park attraction and a processor in communication with the lock and the egress sensor and configured to unlock the lock subsequent to being signaled by the egress sensor. A method for using and managing a plurality of lockers is also described.
US08253528B2
A trainable transceiver system includes a trainable transceiver fixedly coupled to a vehicle interior element. The trainable transceiver is configured to receive a characteristic of an activation signal, store the characteristic of the activation signal in memory and to retransmit the characteristic of the activation signal. The trainable transceiver system also includes a portable transmitter that is configured to receive the characteristic of the activation signal from the trainable transceiver, to store the activation signal characteristic and to retransmit the stored activation signal characteristic. The characteristic of the activation signal may be transmitted from the trainable transceiver to the portable transmitter by, for example, an optical transmission or an RF transmission.
US08253523B2
A spiral inductor device is provided. The spiral inductor device includes a first spiral conductive trace with multiple turns and a second spiral conductive trace with multiple turns adjacent thereto, disposed on an insulating layer over a substrate, wherein the outermost turn and the innermost turn of the first spiral conductive trace have a first end and a second end, respectively, the outermost turn and the innermost turn of the second spiral conductive trace have a third end and a fourth end, respectively, and the second and fourth ends are connected to ground. A non-continuous spiral conductive trace with a single turn is disposed on the insulating layer, parallel and adjacent to the outermost turn of the first spiral conductive trace, wherein the non-continuous spiral conductive trace is connected to the ground and at least a portion thereof is disposed between the first and the second spiral conductive traces.
US08253517B2
A full-protection circuit breaker has a line-protection circuit breaker and a residual-current-operated component which can be fitted thereto. A first switching mechanism, located therein, includes a first switching toggle for operation of a first latching mechanism, which is accommodated in the residual-current-operated component. A second switching mechanism, provided in the line-protection circuit breaker, includes a second switching toggle for operation of a second latching mechanism, which is accommodated in the line-protection circuit. The first and the second latching mechanisms are coupled by means of a first coupling element. The first and the second switching toggle are coupled by means of a second coupling element, wherein the second coupling element acts on the first switching toggle with respect to the second switching toggle, pivoting through the predeterminable lead angle in the direction of its connected position.
US08253509B2
A printed circuit board includes a signal layer and a ground layer adjacent to the signal layer. The signal layer includes a pair of differential transmission lines. The ground layer includes a first void, a second void, a third void, and a common mode filter. The first void and the second void are respectively arranged at opposite sides of a projection of the pair of differential transmission lines on the ground layer, and are bridged with the third void. The common mode filter includes a first filter portion positioned in the first void, and a second filter portion positioned in the second void. Each of the first and second filter portions includes a number of coils arranged side by side along a direction parallel to the projection of the pair of differential transmission lines.
US08253499B2
A charge pump includes a first current source, a second current source, a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a fourth switch, a reset switch, an inverse reset switch and a capacitance. The first and third switches have first terminals coupled to the first current source. The second and fourth switches have first terminals coupled to the second current source. The first, second and reset switches have second terminals coupled to a first terminal of the inverse reset switch. The reset switch has a first terminal coupled to second terminals of the third and fourth switches. The first and second switches are respectively controlled by first and second control signals, the third and fourth switches are respectively controlled by inverse signals of the first and second control signals, and the inverse reset switch is controlled by the inverse reset signal.
US08253496B2
A radio frequency (RF) amplifier circuit includes a first impedance matching circuit configured to receive an input RF signal, a control circuit configured to produce a band control signal according to the frequency of the input RF signal, an RF amplifier having its input connected to the first impedance matching circuit. The RF amplifier can produce an amplified RF signal in response to the input RF signal. A second impedance matching circuit can receive the amplified RF signal from the RF amplifier. At least one of the first impedance matching circuit and the second impedance matching circuit has an impedance that is adjustable by the band control signal. A multi-band filter can switch the amplified RF signal from the second impedance matching circuit to one of selectable narrow-band filters in response to the band control signal.
US08253485B2
A power amplifier comprises a series stack of power amplifier devices, connected in parallel to the amplifier input for receiving an RF input signal, and having output terminals being connected in series to the amplifier output. An intermediate coupling capacitor is connected between each adjacent pair of power amplifier devices in the series stack of power amplifier devices for DC isolation of said power amplifier devices. This reduces the required DC supply voltage, as well as allowing shorting of individual power amplifier devices in response to variation in the DC supply voltage.
US08253484B1
In a programmable logic device having high-speed serial interface channels, a clock distribution network for providing one or more high-speed clocks to dynamic phase alignment circuitry of those high-speed serial interfaces includes at least one bus that is segmentable (e.g. using tristatable buffers). This allows the bus to be divided into different portions that can be connected to different clock sources when the high-speed serial interfaces are running at different speeds. In one embodiment, the segmenting elements (e.g., the aforementioned buffers) are located between selected channels (e.g., every fourth channel), limiting the size of the different segments. In another embodiment, segmenting elements are located between each channel, allowing complete user freedom in selecting the sizes of the segments. Thus, instead of providing a bus for every clock source, multiple clocks can be made available to different channels by segmenting a single bus.
US08253483B2
A high-frequency switch module that significantly reduces deterioration of high-frequency characteristics and improves harmonic wave distortion characteristics includes a high-frequency switch and SAW filters mounted on a multilayer substrate. Low pass filters are provided within the multilayer substrate. The terminals of the high-frequency switch are located on the bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate. The high-frequency switch includes a high-frequency circuit ground terminal and a control circuit ground terminal, the multilayer substrate includes therein a ground electrode which is electrically connected to a top surface connection electrode to which the high-frequency circuit ground terminal is connected, and a wiring electrode electrically connected to a top surface connection electrode to which the control circuit ground terminal is connected is arranged so as to be insulated from the ground electrode.
US08253473B2
An integrated circuit integrator includes a first transconductance amplifier having a gain adjustable based upon a first control signal, and receives, as an input, a signal to be filtered, and generates, as an output, a corresponding amplified signal. The first transconductance amplifier includes an R-C output circuit to filter components from the amplified signal, and an output resistance being adjustable based upon a second control signal. A second transconductance amplifier is matched with the first transconductance amplifier, and has a gain adjustable based upon the first control signal, and a matched output resistance adjustable based upon the second control signal. A circuit is configured to force a reference current through the matched output resistance. An error correction circuit is coupled to the second transconductance amplifier and is configured to generate the second control signal so as to keep constant a voltage on an output of the second transconductance amplifier.
US08253453B2
A data processing system (100), such as a System-on-Chip, includes a processor (120), a memory (140) that has an expected minimum data retention voltage, and a brown-out detector (160), which includes a brown-out detection circuit (201) that has an analog output, and an output circuit (248 and 252) that converts the analog output of the brown-out detection circuit to a digital brown-out flag. The brown-out detection circuit includes a self-biased current reference, current mirrors, and a current comparator. The brown-out detector monitors voltage of a power supply of the memory, and the brown-out detector asserts the digital brown-out flag to the processor when the voltage of the power supply is at, or slightly above, a highest expected minimum data retention voltage.
US08253451B1
A clock data recovery module and a method of operation thereof are described. In an embodiment, a data stream is received. Transitions in the data stream are detected to provide phase signaling for indicating phase relationships to the transitions detected. A lock detector receives the phase signaling. The lock detector accumulates phase information from the phase signaling and temporarily stores an accumulated total of the phase information representative of a code change, and the lock detector determines whether the code change is within a set range over a time period and resets the accumulated total at a conclusion of the time period.
US08253450B2
A mask circuit (10) masks the clock pulses of a clock S in accordance with an input mask signal (50), generating and outputting a clock B. A mask control circuit (20) generates a mask signal (50) which assigns mask timings to mask (M−N) clock pulses, to timings other than communication timings to perform data communication, out of the timings of M successive clock pulses of the clock S, based on communication timing information (30) indicating the communication timings of data communication that is performed with a circuit A by a circuit B using the clock B. The mask control circuit (20) then outputs the mask signal (50) to the mask circuit (10).
US08253445B2
An output circuit includes a first differential pair of transistors driven by a first current source and differentially receiving input signals and a second differential pair of transistors driven by a second current source and differentially receiving first control signals (EMT, EMB). Output pairs of the first and second differential pairs are connected to the differential output terminals. A load resistor element pair is connected between a power supply and the differential output terminals. The output circuit further includes a third differential pair of transistors driven by a third current source and differentially receiving second control signals and a fourth differential pair of transistors driven by a fourth current source and differentially receiving third control signals. An output pair of the third differential pair of transistors is connected between one of the differential output terminals and the power supply. An output pair of the fourth differential pair of transistors is connected between the power supply and the other of the differential output terminals.
US08253444B2
A receiving circuit includes an impedance compensating circuit, a first input terminal and a second input terminal coupled to a first signal line and a second signal line, a first signal and a second signal corresponding to differential signals being transmitted at the first input terminal and the second input terminal, respectively, a signal input circuit, coupled to the first input terminal and the second input terminal, which receives the first signal and the second signal are input, and a differential-signal detector that detects whether or not the differential signals are supplied to the first input terminal and the second input terminal.
US08253436B2
Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention including a data transmitting circuit and a data receiving circuit that receives data transmitted from the data transmitting circuit. The data transmitting circuit includes a data output circuit that outputs the data or sets an output to a high impedance state, and a control circuit that outputs a control signal to the data output circuit so that the data output circuit outputs the data when the data transmitting circuit transmits the data, and the data output circuit keeps outputting data last output in the previous data transmission, during a predetermined period after the previous data transmission when the data transmitting circuit further transmits another data after transmitting the data.
US08253432B2
A fork assembly includes a fixed board, a ground portion, a trigger portion, a switch and a resilient element. The ground portion includes a first arm and a second arm located opposite to the first arm, one end of each of the first arm and the second arm is connected to the fixed board, and the other end is free. The trigger portion includes a third arm and a fourth arm located opposite to the third arm, one end of each of the third arm and the fourth arm is connected to the fixed board. The switch is fixed on the other end of the third arm, and includes a normally open contact. The resilient element is configured on the other end of the fourth arm and corresponding to the normally open contact of the switch. The first, second, third and forth arms are conductively and resiliently connected together.
US08253428B2
A probe apparatus exchanging signals with a target device, includes: a contact section electrically connected to the target device by contacting a terminal of the target device; a non-contact section that exchanges signals with the target device in a state not contacting the terminal of the target device; and a retaining section that retains the contact section and the non-contact section, in such a manner that a relative position between the contact section and the non-contact section in a connection direction connecting the non-contact section and a region corresponding to the target device is displaceable.
US08253422B2
A method of improving the clean, rinse and dry processes during the manufacture of ICs, MEMS and other micro-devices to conserve solution and energy while completing the process within a specified time. An electro-chemical residue sensor (ECRS) provides in-situ and real-time measurement of residual contamination on a surface or inside void micro features within the sensor representative of conditions on production wafers. The in-situ measurements are used to design and optimize a production process. The wafers are manufactured in accordance with the production process without the ECRS.
US08253421B2
An impedance measurement method for circuits that has multiple power supply ports and a common ground shared by the multiple power supply ports, that includes finding multiple mutual impedances; finding approximate values for the ground impedance from the multiple mutual impedances; calculating multiple power supply port impedances from the approximate ground impedance values; and generating an equivalent circuit for the applicable circuit based on the ground impedances.
US08253408B2
A method for measuring hearing aid compatibility (HAC) includes providing a probe and scanning testing points of a testing region obtained by the probe. The probe includes a circuit board, an electric field detecting probe, and a magnetic field detecting probe. The electric field detecting probe and the magnetic field detecting probe are located on the circuit board.
US08253394B2
A snubber circuit comprises a first energy storage device and circuitry coupled to the first energy storage device to facilitate capturing, by the first energy storage device, energy of a switching circuit. The snubber circuit also comprises a second energy storage device coupled to the first energy storage device to store the captured energy. The circuitry additionally facilitates resetting of the first energy storage device.
US08253390B2
A power supply device and system have an electrically polarized element in which a remnant electrical polarization is formed and retained. Electrodes are formed on the electrically polarized elements and the remnant electrical polarization generates an electrical potential on the electrodes. Electrical circuits are coupled to the electrically polarized element to control the external electric charges attracted and distributed on the electrodes, for establishing the electrical potential on the electrodes. The electrodes can output electric currents by controlling the external electric charges distribution. The electrically polarized element may be made of ferroelectric material, including a ferroelectric bulk ceramic, ferroelectric multilayer ceramic, ferroelectric single crystal, ferroelectric thin film, ferroelectric thick film and ferroelectric polymer, and all the other materials with electric polarization retained therein. Power supply devices and systems made according to the present invention have very long standby time, small in size and efficient for many applications including RF systems.
US08253385B2
This invention discloses a power supply and a dual-chargeable battery pack therein, wherein the dual-chargeable battery pack comprises a main body provided with an electrical energy storage device, a first connecting device and a second connecting device. The first connecting device comprises a first charging terminal set and a first power output terminal set, wherein the first charging terminal set is configured to receive an input of a first power for outputting to the electrical energy storage device. The second connecting device comprises a second charging terminal set which is configured to receive an input of a second power for outputting to the electrical energy storage device. The electrical energy storage device is configured to output the electrical energy accumulated therein as a third power through the first power output terminal set. The second power is different than the first power.
US08253384B2
An electronic device includes a power cable, a host, a rechargeable battery, and a power management assembly. The power cable is configured for electrically coupling an external power supply to the electronic device. The rechargeable battery is electrically coupled to the host. The power management assembly is electrically coupled to the host and the rechargeable battery. The power management assembly is configured for controlling drawing the maximum rated power of the electronic device from the external power supply through the power cable as the power management assembly is being used, and controlling the host to switch on a power-saving mode, and increase current flowing to the rechargeable battery when the host works in the power-saving mode.
US08253380B2
A characteristic tracking method for a battery module including at least one battery is disclosed. A look-up table is provided according to a primary characteristic of the battery. It is determined whether a battery has satisfied a preset condition when the battery module is operated from a usage state to an idling state. The battery is measured to have obtained a first voltage and a real capacity when the battery satisfies the preset condition. The measured first voltage is utilized to locate a table capacity of the battery from the look-up table. The look-up table is updated according to the real capacity and the table capacity. A peripheral circuit of characteristic tracking method has been exhibited.
US08253379B2
A device for charging a battery system having a number of individual voltage sources situated in a series circuit is provided, which device uses a voltage source and a respective bypass associated with each of the individual voltage sources. A charge current IL is supplied from the voltage source via the bypasses to the individual voltage sources as a function of their charge condition.
US08253375B2
A battery charger includes a bottom case comprising a bottom surface. A cover is attached on the case defining a curved groove and two openings. A seat is fixed on the bottom surface and comprises a first inclined surface inclined relative to the bottom surface. A slider is slidably arranged in the case and comprises two spring contacts aligned with the two openings, respectively. The slider is slidable to a position where the spring contacts protrude out of the two openings. The driving member is arranged in the bottom case and includes a post protruding out of the curved groove. A mating member comprises a second inclined surface inclined relative to the bottom surface engaging the first inclined surface. A first means is for allowing the mating member to slidably connect the mating member to the driving member and allowing the mating member to rotate together with the driving member.
US08253371B2
An improved handheld electronic device in conjunction with an improved holder for the handheld electronic device together form an improved electronic device. The handheld electronic device includes a first battery, and the holder includes a second battery and a charging apparatus. When the handheld electronic device and the holder are electrically connected together, such as when the handheld electronic device is received in a cavity formed in the holder and a plurality of first contacts on the handheld electronic device and a plurality of second contacts on the holder are electrically connected together, the charging apparatus charges the first battery on the handheld electronic device from the second battery on the holder.
US08253359B2
A control system includes an electric rotating machine; a driving circuit that is connected to a DC power supply, the driving circuit includes a frequency conversion unit configured such that, when the electric rotating machine is to be driven in a power running mode, the frequency conversion unit converts an output of the DC power supply into AC electric power, and when the electric rotating machine is to be driven in a regenerative operation mode, the frequency conversion unit converts an output of the electric rotating machine into DC electric power; and a control unit that controls the driving circuit, wherein the control unit judges whether a connection between the DC power supply and the driving circuit is being maintained, and is configured such that, when the connection is not being maintained, regenerative electric power generated by the electric rotating machine is reduced by controlling the driving circuit.
US08253356B2
In a vehicle control system that includes an engine, a first rotary electric machine, a second rotary electric machine and a transmission, a control unit includes a shift state acquisition module that acquires a shift state of a vehicle; a stepped-up voltage reduction permission module that determines whether reduction of a system voltage is permitted on the basis of the acquired shift state; a stepped-up voltage reduction execution module that reduces the system voltage to a predetermined upper limit voltage when reduction of the system voltage is permitted; and a drive control module that controls operations of a converter and inverter to thereby control the first rotary electric machine and the second rotary electric machine.
US08253351B2
A control means has an adjustment function in a microprocessor to adjust variations in an output to a discharge lamp due to variations in components by correcting a duty ratio of a PWM signal for varying an operating frequency of an inverter circuit so that a detected value of a second detection circuit falls within a target range. The microprocessor switches paths to transmit the PWM signal between a path passing through a feedback circuit and a path passing through a voltage follower circuit by switches a switch circuit to supply the signal through the path passing through the voltage follower circuit in adjusting output variations in the preheating mode and the starting mode.
US08253350B2
The present invention discloses an open loop LED driving circuit, having a turn-on period and a turn-off period, the circuit comprising: a power stage, used to store a magnetic energy supplied from a voltage source during the turn-on period and deliver the magnetic energy to a set of LEDs during the turn-off period; and a control unit, having a turn-off period control terminal coupled to the voltage source, and a channel of which a first terminal is coupled to the power stage and a second terminal is coupled to a reference ground, wherein the channel is switched on at a time according to the voltage of the voltage source to determine the turn-off period.
US08253348B2
An illumination device includes a light sensor, a light-emitting unit, a switch unit and a processing unit. The light sensor is configured for sensing ambient light intensity and providing results based on the sensed light intensity. The switch unit is configured for controlling the electrical connection between the light-emitting unit and a power unit. The processing unit includes a control module and a light adjusting module. The controlling module is configured for turning off the switch unit to cut off the electrical connection between the light-emitting unit and the power unit during the sensing of the light intensity. The light adjusting module is configured for adjusting the brightness of the light-emitting unit according to the results provided by the light sensor. A related method is also provided.
US08253340B2
A system and device for and a method of programming and controlling light fixtures is disclosed. A system in accordance with the present invention includes a stationary controller unit that is electrically coupled to the light fixtures. The stationary controller unit is configured to be remotely programmed with a portable commissioning device to automatically control the lights fixtures. The stationary controller unit and the portable commissioning device include light sensors, micro-computers and transceivers for measuring light levels, running programs, storing data and transmitting data between the stationary controller unit and the portable commissioning device. In operation, target light levels selected with the portable commissioning device and the controller unit is remotely programmed to automatically maintain the target level.
US08253322B2
An organic light emitting display device includes a substrate, a display unit that is formed on the substrate, and includes a plurality of organic light emitting regions that emit light, a sealing member disposed above the display unit, and one or more light absorption pattern units formed on a plurality of non-light emitting regions of the display unit.
US08253321B2
The invention relates to a halide phosphor powder for warm-white light emitting diode, which is a kind of low-color-temperature phosphor powder of halide nitride based on garnet of rare earth oxides, uses cerium as activating agent and is characterized in that chloride (Cl−1) and nitrogen ion (N−3) are added to the composition of the phosphor powder and its stoichiometric relationship of the composition is (ΣLn+3)3Al2[(Al(O1-2pClpNp)4]3, wherein ΣLn is ΣLn=Y and/or Gd and/or Tb and/or Lu and/or Dy and/or Pr and/or Ce. In addition, the invention also discloses a use of a warm-white light emitting diode of the said phosphor powder with a weight ratio of 8 to 75%. The light emitting diode has a warm-red color temperature T≦3000 K when it has a power of 1 watt.
US08253318B2
A method of manufacturing a thin film, including: mixing carbon nanofibers into an elastomer including an unsaturated bond or a group having affinity to the carbon nanofibers, and dispersing the carbon nanofibers by applying a shear force to obtain a carbon fiber composite material; mixing the carbon fiber composite material and a solvent to obtain a coating liquid; and applying the coating liquid to a substrate to form a thin film.
US08253317B2
Provided is a field emission lamp (FEL), which includes a plurality of cathode electrodes formed above a first substrate, an anode electrode formed under a second substrate to face the cathode electrode, a fluorescent layer composed of red, green and blue (RGB) patterns formed alternately on the anode electrode in an oblique direction, and a plurality of emitters formed on the cathode electrodes to correspond to the RGB patterns. According to the present invention, as an FEL having a fast response time is used as a backlight unit, a color breaking phenomenon can be prevented in a color sequential driving method.
US08253311B2
A spark plug capable of preventing breakage of a ground electrode. The spark plug is comprised of a ground electrode having a base end portion fixed to a metal shell, a bend portion integrally formed with the base end portion and being bent and a front end portion integrally formed with the bend portion and forming a spark discharge gap “g” with a center electrode. The ground electrode is comprised of a core extending from the base end portion towards the front end portion through the bend portion; and an outer layer disposed outside the core and extending from the base end portion up to the front end portion through the bend portion. The core is made of Hastelloy C serving as a first metal, and the outer layer is made of Inconel 601 serving as a second metal. Hardness of Hastelloy C is higher than that of Inconel 601.
US08253309B2
An improved incandescent lamp and incandescent lighting system are disclosed, for projecting a beam of light with substantially improved energy efficiency. The incandescent lamp includes a pair of reflective ceramic filament supports for supporting one or more filaments in prescribed position(s) within an envelope while reflecting back substantially all visible and infrared light for incorporation into the projected beam or for absorption by the filament(s).
US08253302B2
A surface acoustic wave element includes a piezoelectric member, a comb-teeth electrode, and a reflector. The comb-teeth electrode is arranged on the piezoelectric member. The reflector is arranged on the piezoelectric member. The reflector reflects a surface acoustic wave transmitted from the comb-teeth electrode. The reflector has a plurality of areas, and each of the areas has a frequency to make a reflection efficiency the largest. At least two of the frequencies of the areas are made different from each other.
US08253292B2
A cryogenic submerged turbomachine equipped with one or more combinations of hydrostatic bearings, touchdown ball bearings, thrust bearings, and bushings. The pressurized fluid or gas introduced to the hydrostatic bearing creates a film of lubrication around at least one shaft of the turbomachine. A first combination includes at least a hydrostatic bearing or a pressurized journal bearing. A second combination includes a ball bearing and a thrust disk type bearing acting as a touchdown bearing. This second combination supports the rotor system of the turbine during transient periods when the Thrust Equalizing Mechanism device is not active, and decreases the axial thrust load during operation. A third combination uses a hydrostatic bearing with a sleeve that is joined as a unit with one or more ball bearings acting as touchdown ball bearings on the hydrostatic bearing sleeve.
US08253285B2
A power tool includes a housing, a brushless motor, and a cover member. The housing has an air intake hole and an air exhaust hole formed therein, the housing having an inner surface. The brushless motor has an outer surface disposed in the housing, a first endface near the air intake hole, and a second endface near the air exhaust hole. The cover member covers at least one of the first endface and the second endface for preventing dust from entering the brushless motor. The inner surface of the housing and outer surface of the brushless motor define a circulation path providing communication between the air intake hole and the air exhaust hole.
US08253280B2
A voice coil motor includes a stationary frame defining a first receiving space, a cover, and a base defining a second receiving space. The stationary frame includes a top surface and an opposite bottom surface. The top surface defines at least two first recesses. A first blocking portion is formed between each first recess and the first receiving space. At least two first protruding portions extend from the bottom surface. The cover is mounted to the top surface and includes a first surface facing the top surface. At least two second protruding portions extend from the first surface corresponding to the first recesses. The base supports the bottom surface and includes a second surface facing the bottom surface. The second surface defines at least two second recesses corresponding to the first protruding portions. A second blocking portion is formed between each second recess and the second receiving space.
US08253274B2
A power supply system is disclosed. The system comprises an AC power source from a power grid and a DC power source from an alternative energy source. The alternative energy source is a solar system in the preferred embodiment. The system provides a means of supplying the electrical appliance the DC power from the solar system with the higher priority. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a switch controlled by a controller provides a means of switching the power supply in between the two power sources without disrupting the operation of the appliance. According to another embodiment, a voltage regulator combines power generated from both sources to supply the power for the appliance with consuming the DC power from the solar system as the priority source.
US08253273B2
A power system (110; 210; 310) combines a power source (14) having a DC output (20A, 20B) with an AC supply from the AC grid (12) to provide AC to customer's loads (16) and DC to various DC auxiliary loads (134, 134A). The DC output of the DC power source (14) is connected in steady-state to the DC input (120A, 120B, 60) of a converter/bi-directional inverter (122; 222) for conversion therein to AC for connection (124, 124A, 32) to the customer's loads (16) and (124, 124B) to any AC auxiliary loads (134, 234). During start-up of the DC power source (14), an open isolation switch (70) disconnects that DC power source (14) from the bi-directional inverter (122; 222). A start-up power supply (50, 60; 250, 60; 90, 180, 60) selectively connects (56; 94) between the AC power grid (12) and the bi-directional inverter (122; 222) and/or DC controllers (134A) to provide a supply of rectified DC power at the inverter DC input and to certain DC auxiliary loads (134, 234). DC power is supplied to the auxiliary loads (134; 234) from the inverter DC input substantially continuously during start-up and steady state.
US08253259B2
A microelectronic assembly can include a microelectronic device, e.g., semiconductor chip, connected together with an interconnection element, e.g., substrate, the latter having signal contacts and reference contacts. The reference contacts can be connectable to a source of reference potential such as ground or a voltage source other than ground such as a voltage source used for power. Signal conductors, e.g., signal wirebonds can be connected to device contacts exposed at a surface of the microelectronic device. Reference conductors, e.g., reference wirebonds can be provided, at least one of which can be connected with two reference contacts of the interconnection element. The reference wirebond can have a run which extends at an at least substantially uniform spacing from a signal conductor, e.g., signal wirebond that is connected to the microelectronic device over at least a substantial portion of the length of the signal conductor. In such manner a desired impedance may be achieved for the signal conductor.
US08253258B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor device which includes a semiconductor chip formed with an electrode pad on one surface thereof, a wiring board having a wiring pattern, with its one surface opposing the other surface of the semiconductor chip, a wire for electrically connecting the electrode pad of the semiconductor chip with the wiring pattern of the wiring board, an external terminal arranged on the other surface of the wiring board for electrical connection with the electrode pad through the wire and wiring pattern, and a sealant for fixing the semiconductor chip on one surface of the wiring board such that a hollow is formed between the other surface of the semiconductor chip and the one surface of the wiring board. The wiring board includes a throughhole communicating with the hollow.
US08253248B2
A semiconductor device having conductive bumps and a fabrication method thereof is proposed. The fabrication method includes the steps of forming a first metallic layer on a substrate having solder pads and a passivation layer formed thereon, and electrically connecting it to the solder pads; applying a second covering layer over exposed parts of the first metallic layer; subsequently, forming a second metallic layer on the second covering layer, and electrically connecting it to the exposed parts of the first metallic layer; applying a third covering layer, and forming openings for exposing parts of the second metallic layer to form thereon a conductive bump having a metallic standoff and a solder material. The covering layers and the metallic layers can provide a buffering effect for effectively absorbing the thermal stress imposed on the conductive bumps to prevent delamination caused by the UBM layers.
US08253239B2
In one exemplary embodiment, a multi-chip connector is formed to have a first conductive strip that is suitable for attaching to a first semiconductor die and a second conductive strip that is attached suitable for attaching to a second semiconductor die.
US08253237B2
A power semiconductor arrangement and method is disclosed. One embodiment provides a power semiconductor module. An insulator is arranged between the module and a cooling element, increasing clearances between the power semiconductor module and the cooling element.
US08253236B2
A power semiconductor device includes power semiconductor elements joined to wiring patterns of a circuit substrate, cylindrical external terminal communication sections, and wiring means for forming electrical connection between, for example, the power semiconductor elements and the cylindrical external terminal communication sections. The power semiconductor elements, the cylindrical external terminal communication sections, and the wiring means are sealed with transfer molding resin. The cylindrical external terminal communication sections are arranged on the wiring patterns so as to be substantially perpendicular to the wiring patterns, such that external terminals are insertable and connectable to the cylindrical external terminal communication sections, and such that a plurality of cylindrical external terminal communication sections among the cylindrical external terminal communication sections are arranged two-dimensionally on each of wiring patterns that act as main circuits.
US08253235B2
A semiconductor packaging substrate with improved capability of electrostatic dissipation comprises a dielectric layer, a plurality of leads, a plurality of first electrostatic guiding traces, a plurality of second electrostatic guiding traces and a solder mask. The first electrostatic guiding traces and the second electrostatic guiding traces are formed in pairs in a plurality of electrostatic dissipation regions on the dielectric layer, where each pair of the first and second electrostatic guiding traces are disposed in equal line spacing and are electrically isolated from each other. The solder mask partially covers the leads but exposes the first electrostatic guiding traces and the second electrostatic guiding traces. The first electrostatic guiding traces are connected to some of the leads to enhance protection against electrostatic discharge.
US08253234B2
A mechanism is provided for optimizing semiconductor packing in a three-dimensional (3D) very-large-scale integration (VLSI) device. The 3D VLSI device comprises a processor layer coupled, via a first set of coupling devices, to at least one signaling and input/output (I/O) layer. The 3D VLSI device further comprises a power delivery layer coupled, via a second set of coupling devices, to the processor layer. In the 3D VLSI device the power delivery layer is dedicated to only delivering power and does not provide data communication signals to the elements of the three-dimensional VLSI device, and the at least one signaling and input/output (I/O) layer is dedicated to only transmitting the data communication signals to and receiving the data communications signals from the processor layer and does not provide power to the elements of the processor layer.
US08253229B2
In a stacked layer type semiconductor package constructed by stacking a plurality of packages with each other, the plurality of packages include a semiconductor package including: a semiconductor chip; a substrate in which a concave portion has been formed, the semiconductor chip being mounted in the concave portion; and a wiring line structure constructed in such a manner that the wiring line structure can be externally connected to the semiconductor chip at least just above and just under the semiconductor chip.
US08253228B2
A package on package structure includes a lower package and an upper package. The lower package includes a first semiconductor chip disposed in a chip region of an upper surface of a first substrate. The upper package includes a second semiconductor chip disposed on an upper surface of a second substrate, and a decoupling capacitor disposed in an outer region of a lower surface of the second substrate. The lower surface of the second substrate opposes the upper surface of the second substrate and faces the upper surface of the first substrate. The plane area of the second substrate is larger than the plane area of the first substrate. The outer region of the lower surface of the second substrate extends beyond a periphery of the first substrate.
US08253221B2
A gallium nitride crystal with a polyhedron shape having exposed {10-10} m-planes and an exposed (000-1) N-polar c-plane, wherein a surface area of the exposed (000-1) N-polar c-plane is more than 10 mm2 and a total surface area of the exposed {10-10} m-planes is larger than half of the surface area of (000-1) N-polar c-plane. The GaN bulk crystals were grown by an ammonothermal method with a higher temperature and temperature difference than is used conventionally, and using an autoclave having a high-pressure vessel with an upper region and a lower region. The temperature of the lower region of the high-pressure vessel is at or above 550° C., the temperature of the upper region of the high-pressure vessel is set at or above 500° C., and the temperature difference between the lower and upper regions is maintained at or above 30° C. GaN seed crystals having a longest dimension along the c-axis and exposed large area m-planes are used.
US08253220B2
A nitride semiconductor device includes a first nitride semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, a defect induced layer formed on the first nitride semiconductor layer, and a second nitride semiconductor layer formed on the defect induced layer, contacting the defect induced layer, and having an opening through which the defect induced layer is exposed. The defect induced layer has a higher crystal defect density than those of the first and second nitride semiconductor layers.
US08253216B2
A gallium nitride based semiconductor diode includes a substrate, a semiconductor body including a first heavily doped GaN layer and a second lightly doped GaN layer. The semiconductor body includes mesas projecting upwardly from a lower surface where each of the mesas includes the second GaN layer and a portion of the first GaN layer. Schottky contacts are formed on the upper surface of the mesas and ohmic contacts are formed on the lower surface of the semiconductor body. An insulating layer is formed over the Schottky and ohmic contacts. Vias are formed in the insulating layer to the Schottky contacts and vias are formed in the semiconductor body to the Ohmic contacts. An anode electrode is formed in a first metal pad in electrical contact with the Schottky contacts. A cathode electrode is formed in a second metal pad in electrical contact with the ohmic contacts.
US08253212B2
A photodetector/imaging device comprises a layer of photoconductive material converting incident electromagnetic radiation into electrical charges, the layer of photoconductive material being capable of avalanche multiplication when an electric field of sufficient magnitude is applied thereacross; a readout layer detecting the electrical charge; and at least one interface layer between the layer of photoconductive material and the readout layer, the interface layer coupling electrical charge to or from the layer of photoconductive material and being configured to inhibit uncontrolled rises in current in the photoconductive material during avalanche multiplication.
US08253208B1
A gate dielectric layer (500, 566, or 700) of an insulated-gate field-effect transistor (110, 114, or 122) contains nitrogen having a vertical concentration profile specially tailored to prevent boron in the overlying gate electrode (502, 568, or 702) from significantly penetrating through the gate dielectric layer into the underlying channel zone (484, 554, or 684) while simultaneously avoiding the movement of nitrogen from the gate dielectric layer into the underlying semiconductor body. Damage which could otherwise result from undesired boron in the channel zone and from undesired nitrogen in the semiconductor body is substantially avoided.
US08253206B2
A method for making a semiconductor device by reshaping a silicon surface with a sacrificial layer is presented. In the present invention the steps of forming a sacrificial dielectric layer and removing the sacrificial dielectric layer are repeated multiple times in order to remove sharp edges from the silicon surface near the field oxides. Another aspect of the present invention includes making a MOSFET transistor that incorporates the forming and removing of multiple sacrificial layers into the process.
US08253194B2
A semiconductor structure comprises a drift region of a first conductivity type in a semiconductor region. A well region of a second conductivity type is over the drift region. A source region of the first conductivity type is in an upper portion of the well region. A heavy body region of the second conductivity type extends in the well region. The heavy body region has a higher doping concentration than the well region. A first diffusion barrier region at least partially surrounds the heavy body region. A gate electrode is insulated from the semiconductor region by a gate dielectric.
US08253193B2
An integrated circuit containing an MOS transistor with a trenched gate abutting an isolation dielectric layer over a drift region. The body well and source diffused region overlap the bottom surface of the gate trench. An integrated circuit containing an MOS transistor with a first trenched gate abutting an isolation dielectric layer over a drift region, and a second trenched gate located over a heavily doped buried layer. The buried layer is the same conductivity type as the drift region. A process of forming an integrated circuit containing an MOS transistor, which includes an isolation dielectric layer over a drift region of a drain of the transistor, and a gate formed in a gate trench which abuts the isolation dielectric layer. The gate trench is formed by removing substrate material adjacent to the isolation dielectric layer.
US08253174B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) structure is implemented. This embodiment is much less sensitive than conventional TFTs to alignment errors and substrate distortion. In such a configuration, there is no need to define gate features, so the layout is simplified. Moreover, the gate layer may be patterned by several inexpensive printing or non-printing methods.
US08253171B1
A two terminal switching device includes a first conductive terminal, a second conductive terminal in spaced relation to the first terminal, the first terminal encompassed by the second terminal. The device also includes an electrically insulating spacer that encompasses the first terminal and provides the spaced relation between the second terminal and the first terminal. It also includes a nanotube article comprising at least one carbon nanotube, the nanotube article being arranged to overlap at least a portion of each of the first and second terminals. The device also includes a stimulus circuit in electrical communication with at least one of the first and second terminals that is capable of applying a first electrical stimulus to at least one of the first and second terminals to change the resistance of the device between the first and second terminals from a relatively low resistance to a relatively high resistance.
US08253167B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate and a first and a second plurality of III-V semiconductor layers. The first plurality of III-V semiconductor layers includes a first bottom barrier over the substrate; a first channel layer over the first bottom barrier; and a first top barrier over the first channel layer. A first field-effect transistor (FET) includes a first channel region, which includes a portion of the first channel layer. The second plurality of III-V semiconductor layers is over the first plurality of III-V semiconductor layers and includes a second bottom barrier; a second channel layer over the second bottom barrier; and a second top barrier over the second channel layer. A second FET includes a second channel region, which includes a portion of the second channel layer.
US08253162B2
The present GaN substrate can have an absorption coefficient not lower than 7 cm−1 for light having a wavelength of 380 nm and light having a wavelength of 1500 nm, an absorption coefficient lower than 7 cm−1 for at least light having a wavelength not shorter than 500 nm and not longer than 780 nm, and specific resistance not higher than 0.02 Ωcm. Here, the absorption coefficient for light having a wavelength not shorter than 500 nm and not longer than 780 nm can be lower than 7 cm−1. Thus, a GaN substrate having a low absorption coefficient for light having a wavelength within a light emission wavelength region of a light-emitting device and specific resistance not higher than a prescribed value and being suitable for the light-emitting device is provided.
US08253160B2
A light-emitting diode chip structure including a conductive substrate, a semiconductor stacking layer and a patterned seed crystal layer is provided. The conductive substrate has a surface. The surface has a first region and a second region alternately distributed over the surface. The semiconductor stacking layer is disposed on the conductive substrate, and the surface of the conductive substrate faces the semiconductor stacking layer. The patterned seed crystal layer is disposed on the first region of the surface of the conductive substrate and between the conductive substrate and the semiconductor stacking layer. The patterned seed crystal layer separates the semiconductor stacking layer from the first region. The semiconductor stacking layer covers the patterned seed crystal layer and the second region, and is electrically connected to the conductive substrate through the second region. A fabrication method of the light-emitting diode chip structure is also provided.
US08253153B2
A transparent directional polarized light-emitting device includes a transparent anode and a transparent cathode, a radiation-emitting layer between the anode and the cathode, an optically active reflective layer with a reflection band that matches a chirality and at least partially encompasses a wavelength band of radiation emitted from the radiation-emitting layer, the optically active light blocking layer located on a side of the radiation-emitting layer, and a transparent substrate adjacent to the optically active reflective layer.
US08253142B1
A solid-state imaging device includes a layer including an on-chip lens above a sensor section, and the layer including the on-chip lens is composed of an inorganic film which transmits ultraviolet light. The layer including the on-chip lens may further include a planarizing film located below the on-chip lens. A method of fabricating a solid-state imaging device includes the steps of forming a planarizing film composed of a first inorganic film, forming a second inorganic film on the planarizing film, forming a lens-shaped resist layer on the second inorganic film, and etching back the resist layer to form an on-chip lens composed of the second inorganic film. The first inorganic film constituting the planarizing film and the second inorganic film constituting the on-chip lens preferably transmit ultraviolet light.
US08253133B2
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor of a top-contact structure with suppressed deterioration by a process which is easy and suitable for increase in area without damaging an organic semiconductor pattern. The organic semiconductor pattern is formed on a substrate. An electrode material film is formed on the substrate so as to cover the organic semiconductor pattern. A resist pattern is formed on the electrode material film. By wet etching using the resist pattern as a mask, the electrode material film is patterned. By the process, a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed.
US08253113B2
A charged particle beam irradiation system includes a synchrotron which accelerates an ion beam, an irradiation apparatus for irradiating an object with the ion beam introduced from the synchrotron, detection means for measuring an amount of accumulated charge of the ion beam that orbits in the synchrotron immediately before an extraction control period in an operating cycle of the synchrotron, and beam extraction control means for controlling extraction of the ion beam based on the measurement result of the accumulated beam charge amount so that extraction of a total amount of the ion beam is to be completed with an expiration of an extraction control time, the extraction control time representing a length of the extraction control period of the synchrotron and being set in advance.
US08253106B2
A device for detecting flames in which at least two identical detectors are disposed next to one another. Each detector has an identical signal processing circuit having an amplifier and an A/D converter, and a symmetrical and similar layout, i.e., conductor track placement. Each of the detectors covers a different wavelength range, by way of a preceding filter, and the signal detection takes place at the same time and synchronously, so that a precise analysis of the received radiation occurs using simple algorithms, independent of disruptive influence variables. By using the same detectors and the same signal processing systems, as well as the symmetrical and similar configuration of the conductor track placement, as well as the synchronous control of the signal recording, interference variables occur uniformly on all optical reception channels. This uniform interference can be compensated without complicated algorithms.
US08253098B2
An ionization apparatus comprises a first electrode provided on the outer periphery of a dielectric cylindrical body and a second cylindrical electrode placed inside at a center of the cylindrical body. When an AC high voltage is impressed across the first electrode and the second cylindrical electrode, a barrier discharge occurs within the cylindrical body. A distal end portion of the second cylindrical electrode projects outwardly from the distal end of the cylindrical body, a thermal equilibrium plasma P having a low electron temperature is generated outwardly from the distal end of the cylindrical body without a plasma jet ascribable to the barrier discharge emerging outwardly from the distal end of the cylindrical body. By exposing a sample S to the thermal equilibrium plasma P, particles (atoms, molecules) desorbed from the sample S undergo soft ionization without being decomposed or polymerized.
US08253096B2
There is provided a time-of-flight mass spectrometer of a simple configuration and low cost that prevents temperature drift and provides stable mass spectrum without the use of expensive Invar material for the flight tube which nevertheless is not easily affected by external vibrations and does not deflect under its own weight when held as a cantilever. The flight-tube is made of a CFRP pipe 17a whose inner and outer surfaces are provided with an electroless nickel-plated layer 17b as an electroconductive treatment. Electroconductive adhesive 21 is used for joining to flight-tube holding member 18. Unlike previous flight-tubes made of metal, flight-tubes made of CFRP pipe 17a do not deform even when no temperature adjustment and control system is used. Also, since the specific gravity of CFRP is only about one-fifth of that of stainless steel, the flight-tube does not easily deflect even when it is held as a cantilever. Furthermore, since CFRP has good vibration damping property, it is not easily affected by vibrations.
US08253092B2
An optical die, which is intended to be placed in front of an optical sensor of a semiconductor component, has an optically useful zone having an optical axis and exhibiting a variable refractive index. Specifically the refractive index of the die is variable in an annular peripheral zone lying between a radius Ru enveloping the useful zone and a smaller radius Ro. The index varies as a function of radial distance from a lower value near the smaller radius Ro to a higher value near the radius Ru. The function of the variable refractive index lies between a maximum and minimum profile.
US08253091B2
An optical device includes an array of optical elements located over a package substrate. A controller is also located over the package substrate. The controller is operable to control an operational state of the array in response to an optical signal detected by an optical receiver.
US08253076B2
A heater unit for a respiratory system is designed for natural convection cooling air to pass first through a transformer in the heater unit and then through a heat sink in the heater unit to which is mounted a power switch to conduct heat from the power switch to the cooling air passing through the heat sink. A thermal break may be provided between the heat sink and the transformer. The transformer may be a toroidal transformer with the air passing through an aperture thereof such as from a hollow projection of the heater unit extending into the aperture. One side of the transformer may be situated along a surface of the heater unit and the heat sink secured to the heater unit against the opposite side of the transformer to hold the transformer in place. A venting chamber may be associated with an air exhaust of the heater unit to provide a circuitous exit path for air exiting the heater unit. The venting chamber may extend in generally surrounding relationship with the heater of the heater unit.
US08253069B2
An electric arc welder power supply housing assembly is described in which it is possible to clean internal component parts is achieved by positioning cooling components on a rail system. The rail system may include at least one telescoping track assembly. When the telescoping track assembly is engaged, the housing assembly is in an open position, thus providing access for the maintenance of internal components therein without having to disassemble unnecessary components or parts of the welding power supply.
US08253066B2
Laser-based methods and systems for removing one or more target link structures of a circuit fabricated on a substrate includes generating a pulsed laser output at a predetermined wavelength less than an absorption edge of the substrate are provided. The laser output includes at least one pulse having a pulse duration in the range of about 10 picoseconds to less than 1 nanosecond, the pulse duration being within a thermal laser processing range. The method also includes delivering and focusing the laser output onto the target link structure. The focused laser output has sufficient power density at a location within the target link structure to reduce the reflectivity of the target link structure and efficiently couple the focused laser output into the target link structure to remove the target link structure without damaging the substrate.
US08253062B2
A method for welding includes providing a pair of substrates with no gap between them. The welding process uses lasers that are movable through a locus of points relative to the substrates and each other to weld the substrate together. The movable lasers assist in controlling a formation of a weld keyhole that assists in expelling gases that develop during the welding process.
US08253056B2
A resistance welding apparatus includes a welding gun having a first electrode tip serving as a first welding electrode, a second electrode tip serving as a second welding electrode, and a current branching electrode. The current branching electrode has an annular shape and is disposed in surrounding relation to the first electrode tip. The first electrode tip and the current branching electrode abut against a thinnest workpiece disposed on an outermost side of a stacked assembly that is resistance-welded by the resistance welding apparatus, and have opposite polarities to each other. When an electric current is passed from the first electrode tip to the second electrode tip and through the stacked assembly, a branched electric current flows from the first electrode tip to the current branching electrode.
US08253055B2
There is provided a vacuum circuit breaker including a vacuum valve, a first main circuit conductor fixed to a fixed current-carrying rod end of the vacuum valve, a polygonal movable conductor connected to a movable current-carrying rod end of the vacuum valve, an operation movable rod connected to the movable conductor in an axial direction and connected to an operation mechanism, a second main circuit conductor, through which the operation movable rod is movably inserted, and at least one extendable flexible conductor, which connects side surfaces of the movable conductor and the second main circuit conductor.
US08253041B2
An electronic element packaging module including a lead frame, an insulating layer and at least one electronic element is provided. The lead frame is a patterned metal sheet and has a first surface, a second surface opposite thereto and a through trench passing from the first surface to the second surface. A substrate portion and a plurality of lead portions around the substrate portion of the lead frame are defined by the through trench. The second surface of the lead frame is exposed outside the electronic element packaging module. The insulating layer disposed in the through trench has a third surface and a forth surface substantially coplanar with the first and the second surfaces, respectively. The electronic element disposed on the first surface is coupled to the lead frame.
US08253039B2
The disclosure relates to an electronic component assembly including at least one SMD component (11) having a number of external surfaces (111) limited by edges (112) and at least two electrical terminals (113), an electromagnetic screen (12) for limiting the electromagnetic coupling to and from the SMD component or components, and an electrically insulating layer (13) located between at least one of the surfaces and the electromagnetic screen. The disclosure furthermore relates to a method of manufacturing an electronic component assembly and to the use of an electronic component assembly.
US08253033B2
A lower sub-board of a circuit board includes a first base layer having an upper surface, and a first wiring pattern provided on the upper surface of the first base layer. An upper sub-board of a circuit board includes a second base layer having a lower surface, and a second wiring pattern provided on the lower surface of the second base layer. A connection layer between lower and upper sub-boards includes an insulating layer having a lower surface and an upper surface, the lower surface of connection layer being situated on the upper surface of the first base layer, the upper surface of connection layer being situated on the lower surface of the second base layer, and a via-conductor passing through the insulating layer and connected to the first and second wiring patterns. This circuit board connects the sub-boards to each other via a via-conductor densely.
US08253030B2
A printed wiring board includes a main body having a mounting portion and ground and power supply pads in the mounting portion such that a ground line of a semiconductor device is connected to a ground pad and a power supply line of the device is connected to a power supply pad, and a layered capacitor disposed in the main body and having a high dielectric constant layer and first and second layer electrodes sandwiching the dielectric layer. One of the electrodes is connected to the power supply line and the other electrode is connected to the ground line, the first electrode has a solid pattern including passage holes through which second rod terminals connected to the second electrode pass in a non-contacting manner, and the second electrode has a solid pattern including passage holes through which first rod terminals connected to the first electrode pass in a non-contacting manner.
US08253023B2
Communication cables are provided in which a core lay length of the cable varies along the cable length. The cable may be provided with different segments that have different core lay lengths. It is desirable for neighboring core lay lengths in a cable to differ by a factor of two, to enable a reduction in power-sum alien near-end crosstalk (PSANEXT) when two cables are installed alongside one another. Segments of the cable having different core lay lengths may be spaced periodically along the length of the cable, and the periodicity of the spacing may be altered by a jitter distance. The introduction of jitter into the periodicity of the spacing of the segments increases the likelihood that a beneficial placement of core lay lengths will occur when two or more cables are installed alongside one another.
US08253020B2
An object of the present invention is to facilitate welding connection of an enameled wire to a busbar to increase accuracy and reliability of the welding, and inverter-integrated electric compressor by reducing processes of welding operation. In a busbar connection structure for closely contacting, welding and connecting an enameled wire end portion (27A, 28A) of a coil onto an external connection bent surface (35) formed on a busbar (33), a through hole (36, 46) through which the end portion (27A, 28A) of the enameled wire (27, 28) passes is formed on the inside of a base portion of the bent surface (35) of the busbar (33), and the end portion (27A, 28A) of the enameled wire (27, 28) is passed through the through hole (36, 46), positioned onto a welding point (35A) of the bent surface (35), and welded and connected onto the bent surface (35).
US08253019B2
A cable routing device and a unit for telecommunication and data technology including a housing, wherein terminals or circuit board plug-in connectors (2) are disposed on at least one side of the housing. A cable routing device (10) is disposed on the housing, the cable routing device (10) being configured as a carrier element having attachment means for attaching the cable routing device (10) to the unit. Cable routing elements are attached to the carrier element.
US08253015B2
An electronic device enclosure includes a fixing frame, a chassis, and two panels. The chassis and the panels are correspondingly mounted to different sides of the fixing frame. The fixing frame is sealed by the chassis and the panels. A plurality of rubber gaskets is correspondingly mounted between the fixing frame and each of the panels and the chassis, to prevent moisture and dust from entering.
US08253004B2
A media application for providing outputs (e.g., audio outputs) in response to inputs received from an input device is provided. The media application may connect input mechanisms of an input device with parameters of channel strips (e.g., which may define output sounds) using an intermediate screen object. The media application may first assign an input mechanism to a screen object, and separately map a screen object to a channel strip parameter. The media application may map a screen object to several channel strips simultaneously such that, based on the value of the screen object, the volume of each of the several channel strips changes. The media application may provide a graphical representation of available channel strips using layers. As the media application accesses a channel strip, the appearance of the portion of the layer associated with the channel strip may change. The media application may also allow the patches, which may include several channel strips, to survive after a new patch is selected instead.
US08252999B2
This invention relates to improvements to a stringed musical instrument, and more particularly to guitar design for use with transposing vibrato mechanisms.Vibrato devices for guitars are known. The present device and method improve the ability to of a player to bend entire chords in a manner that maintains harmonic relationship between the individual strings.
US08252991B1
A novel maize variety designated PH17R8 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH17R8 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH17R8 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH17R8 or a locus conversion of PH17R8 with another maize variety.
US08252989B1
A novel maize variety designated 10112250 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing maize variety 10112250 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into 10112250 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety 10112250, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety 10112250. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety 10112250.
US08252981B2
Compositions and methods for conferring herbicide resistance or tolerance to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions include polynucleotides encoding herbicide resistance or tolerance polypeptides, vectors comprising those polynucleotides, and host cells comprising the vectors. The nucleotide sequences of the invention can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in organisms, including microorganisms and plants. Compositions also include transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, isolated polynucleotides encoding glyphosate resistance or tolerance polypeptides are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated polynucleotides containing nucleotide sequences encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 33, or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32.
US08252977B2
Polynucleotides encoding polypeptides that comprise the biosynthetic pathway for carotenoids and apocarotenoids in the coffee plant are disclosed. Also disclosed are a promoter sequence from a coffee carotenoid gene, and methods for using these polynucleotides, polypeptides, and promoter sequences for gene regulation and the manipulation of flavor, aroma, and other features of coffee beans, as well as the manipulation of photosynthesis in the coffee plant.
US08252971B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for protecting wounds, such as surgical incisions. In one embodiment, a dressing for protecting a wound includes: a support cushion configured to surround the wound, the support cushion having sidewalls defining a major axis and a minor axis, the support cushion including at least two perforations that traverse the sidewalls at offset locations; a reservoir configured to be suspended over and in engagement with the support cushion; and a cover configured to be positioned over the reservoir. The at least two perforations may define first and second interlocking J-shaped portions. The support cushion may include a wicking portion configured to surround the wound and a hydrophobic portion configured to surround the hydrophobic portion. The wicking portion may be configured to transfer fluid from the wound to the reservoir. Methods of applying the dressing, and kits including the dressing, also are provided.
US08252957B2
Process for obtaining the crystalline form V of the compound of formula (I):
US08252955B2
A new P—N—P ligand is useful in ethylene oligomerizations. In combination with i) a source of chromium and ii) an activator such as methylalumoxane; the ligand of this invention may be used to prepare an oligomer product that contains a mixture of hexenes and octenes. The hexenes and octenes produced with this ligand contain very low levels of internal olefins when produced under preferred reaction conditions.
US08252948B2
The present invention relates to fat composition, more specifically relates to 60% to 99.9% by weight of diglyceride containing 0.1 to 89.9% by weight of conjugated linoleic acid; 0.001% to 0.2% by weight of banaba extracts fermented by microorganism such as Bacillus sp. or Aspergillus sp.; and the balance being monoglyceride, triglyceride or a mixture thereof.The fat composition of the present invention comprises fermented banaba extracts as an antioxidant, and the fat composition excels in oxidation stability and keeping stability, therefore the fat composition of the present invention may be widely used as cooking oil.
US08252946B2
The present invention relates to crystalline forms A and B of Tigecycline hydrochloride and to methods for the preparation of the same. Furthermore the present invention relates to the use of crystalline forms A and B of Tigecycline hydrochloride as intermediates for the formulation of an anti-infective medicament. Moreover the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising crystalline form A of Tigecycline hydrochloride in an effective amount and to the use of crystalline form A of Tigecycline hydrochloride as anti-infective medicament.
US08252942B2
The invention relates to compositions comprising substituted imidazoline compounds including prodrugs, and salts thereof. In some embodiments, the invention relates to the use of these compositions as therapeutic agents, preferably for the treatment of arthritis or cancer. In further embodiments, The invention relates to the pharmaceutical compositions with effective amounts of substituted imidazoline compounds disclosed herein that function as agonist or antagonists of the genetic expression or interactions with transcription factor NF-κB.
US08252940B2
A method for inhibiting Gram-negative bacterial pathogenesis, a method of screening for compounds that inhibit type III secretion in Gram-negative bacteria, and compounds that inhibit type III secretion in Gram-negative bacteria.
US08252939B2
The invention relates to sulfoximinamid compounds of formula (I), to the enantiomers, diastereomers and salts thereof and to compositions comprising such compounds. The invention also relates to the use of the sulfoximinamid compounds, of their salts or of compositions comprising them for combating animal pests. Furthermore the invention relates also to methods of applying such sulfoximine compounds. The sulfoximinamid compounds of the present invention are defined by the following formula I: wherein Q, Het, R1, R2, R3, R4 and n are defined as in the description.
US08252938B2
3-Halo-6-(aryl)-4-iminotetrahydropicolinic acid esters are heated with polar solvents to prepare 6-(aryl)-4-aminopicolinates.
US08252936B2
Novel heteroaromatic compounds of formula (I): wherein A1, A2, A3, R1, R2, G1, G2, Q1 and Q2 are as defined in claim 1; or salts or N-oxides thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to processes for preparing compounds of formula (I), to insecticidal, acaricidal, molluscicidal and nematicidal compositions comprising them and to methods of using them to combat and control insect, acarine, mollusc and nematode pests.
US08252917B2
The present invention relates to purified and isolated DNA sequences having protein production increasing activity and more specifically to the use of matrix attachment regions (MARs) for increasing protein production activity in a eukaryotic cell. Also disclosed is a method for the identification of said active regions, in particular MAR nucleotide sequences, and the use of these characterized active MAR sequences in a new multiple transfection method.
US08252914B2
The present invention relates to chimeric immune receptor molecules for reducing or eliminating tumors. The chimeric receptors are composed a C-type lectin-like natural killer cell receptor, or a protein associated therewith, fused to an immune signaling receptor containing an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif. Methods for using the chimeric receptors are further provided.
US08252909B2
Synthetic C-glycolipid and its use for treating cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases
The invention is directed to compounds of formula (I) wherein X is O or NH; R′ is a hydrocarbon chain; R3 and R4 are hydrogen, OH or a monosaccharide; R5 is hydrogen or a monosaccharide; Q′ is optionally present and may be a C1-10 hydrocarbon; X′ is optionally present and may be O, S or NR8; and Q3 may be a hydrocarbon or hydrogen. The invention is also directed to the use of the compounds for treating cancer, infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases. The invention is also directed to syntheses of the compounds of formula (I).
US08252908B2
Disclosed are monoclonal antibodies, binding fragments, and derivatives thereof directed to the human melanocortin-4 receptor, as well as pharmaceutical compositions including the same, and therapeutic uses, including methods for treating cachexia and related conditions and diseases, using such monoclonal antibodies, binding fragments, derivatives, and pharmaceutical compositions.
US08252904B2
Compositions and methods for diagnosing ovarian cancer in a patient and for identifying patients with an increased likelihood of having ovarian cancer are provided. The compositions include novel monoclonal antibodies, and variants and fragments thereof, that specifically bind to glycodelin. Monoclonal antibodies having the binding characteristics of a glycodelin antibody of the invention and monoclonal antibodies that bind to a glycodelin epitope of a disclosed antibody are further provided. Hybridoma cell lines that produce a glycodelin monoclonal antibody of the invention are also disclosed herein. The compositions find use in diagnostic methods as well as in screening methods for identifying patients having an increased likelihood of having ovarian cancer. Kits comprising one or more of the disclosed glycodelin monoclonal antibodies and for practicing the methods of the invention are further provided. Polypeptides comprising the amino acid sequence for a glycodelin epitope of a disclosed monoclonal glycodelin antibody and methods of using these polypeptides in the production of glycodelin antibodies are also encompassed by the present invention.
US08252900B2
In certain aspects, the present invention provides compositions and methods for modulating (promoting or inhibiting) growth of a tissue, such as bone, cartilage, muscle, fat, and/or neuron. The present invention also provides methods of screening compounds that modulate activity of an ActRII protein and/or an ActRII ligand. The compositions and methods provided herein are useful in treating diseases associated with abnormal activity of an ActRII protein and/or an ActRII ligand.
US08252895B2
The present invention relates to a new cyclic peptide compound or a salt thereof, which has anti-hepatitis C virus activities based on inhibitory activity against the RNA replication of hepatitis C virus replicon, to a process for preparation thereof comprising a rearrangement reaction under a mild acidic condition and the following amino acid changing reactions etc., to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same, and to a method for prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment of hepatitis C in a human being or an animal.
US08252887B2
The present invention relates to new classes of monomeric compounds, which may be polymerized to form novel biodegradable and bioresorbable polymers and co-polymers. These polymers and co-polymers, while not limited thereto, may be adapted for radioopacity and are useful for medical device applications and controlled release therapeutic formulations.
US08252883B2
Disclosed herein is an organosilicon nanocluster, wherein a silicon cluster is substituted with a conductive organic material, a silicon thin film including the same, a thin film transistor including the silicon thin film, a display device including the thin film transistor, and methods of forming the same. The organosilicon nanocluster may more easily and efficiently form a thin film while maintaining electrical characteristics of an amorphous silicon thin film.
US08252873B1
The present invention relates to superabsorbent polymer comprising the comprising the free radical polymerization product of an aqueous monomer mixture containing at least one α,β-ethylenically unsaturated monomer; at least one monomer having at least two α,β-ethylenically unsaturated groups; a crosslinking agent having at least two polymerizable double bonds; iron ions in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 3 wppm based on the total weight of the aqueous monomer mixture; and at least one chelating agent in an amount to provide a molar ratio of chelating agent to iron ion of from about 0.8 to about 4.0.
US08252853B2
Rubber mixtures are prepared by using, alongside the other constituents, pyrogenically prepared silicon dioxide in the form of crusts whose tamped bulk density (to DIN EN ISO 787-11) is from 185 to 700 g/l.
US08252845B1
Resveratrol has been reported to have hypolipidemic properties. We investigated whether resveratrol and its analogs: pterostilbene, piceatannol and resveratrol trimethyl ether, would activate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) isoform. This nuclear receptor is proposed to mediate the activity of lipid-lowering drugs such as the fibrates. The four stilbenes and ciprofibrate (positive control) were evaluated for the activation of endogenous PPARα in H4IIEC3 cells transfected with a luciferase gene reporter construct. Pterostilbene demonstrated the highest induction of PPARα; the maximal response to pterostilbene was similar to that obtained with the hypolipidemic drug, ciprofibrate.
US08252841B2
The present invention relates to compounds and methods for the treatment of bacterial infections. Because their mechanism of action does not involve killing of bacteria or inhibiting their growth, the potential for these compounds to induce drug resistance in bacteria is minimized. Through inhibiting bacterial virulence, the present invention provides a novel means of treating bacterial infections.
US08252825B2
A compound having the structure wherein R is an angiotensin receptor antagonist active group, and Y is 1) —(CH2)3R5, 2) —C(O)(CH2)2R5, 3) —C(R1R2)OC(O)O(CH2)nR5, wherein n is 1 or 2, 4) —C(R1R2)OC(O)CH2CH2R5, 5) —C(R1R2)OC(O)OCH2CH2C(R3R4)R5, provided that when Y is —C(O)(CH2)2R5, then R is R1, R2, R3 and R4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C1-4 alkyl; R5 is —CH(ONO2)CH(ONO2)R6; R6 is selected from CH3, CH2CH3 and CH(CH3)2; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrate thereof, which is useful for treating hypertension.
US08252822B2
Novel compounds having a fused bicyclic heteroaromatic ring system substituted with a heteroaryl five-membered ring are disclosed. The compounds inhibit growth of a variety of types of cancer cells, and are thus useful for treating cancer. Efficacy of these compounds is demonstrated with a system for monitoring cell growth/migration, which shows they are potent inhibitors of growth and/or migration of cancer cells. In addition, compounds of the invention were shown to stop growth of tumors in vivo, and to reduce the size of tumors in vivo. Compositions comprising these compounds, and methods to use these compounds and compositions for treatment of cancers, are disclosed.
US08252820B2
Compounds of the formula are inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) and, thus, may be employed for the treatment of conditions mediated by PTPase activity. The compounds of the present invention may also be employed as inhibitors of other enzymes characterized with a phosphotyrosine binding region such as the SH2 domain. Accordingly, the compounds of formula (I) may be employed for prevention and/or treatment of insulin resistance associated with obesity, glucose intolerance, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and ischemic diseases of the large and small blood vessels, conditions that accompany type-2 diabetes, including hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, atherosclerosis, vascular restenosis, irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, adipose cell tumors and carcinomas such as liposarcoma, dyslipidemia, and other disorders where insulin resistance is indicated. In addition, the compounds of the present invention may be employed to treat and/or prevent cancer, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases, and diseases involving inflammation and the immune system.
US08252818B2
Compounds of formula (I): are inhibitors of p38 kinase and are useful in the treatment of conditions or disease states mediated by p38 kinase activity or mediated by cytokines produced by the activity of p38.
US08252816B2
Compounds corresponding to formula I: which act as vanilloid receptor ligands, pharmaceutical composition s containing such compounds, a method for producing the compounds, and the use of such compounds to treat pain and various other conditions.
US08252800B2
The present invention relates to compounds of the Formula I, the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and stereoisomers thereof, which inhibit, regulate and/or modulate tyrosine kinase signal transduction, compositions which contain these compounds, and methods of using them to treat tyrosine kinase-dependent diseases and conditions in mammals: wherein n is an integer, preferably n is 1; wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of:
US08252799B2
The present invention is directed to therapeutic agents of the formula (I) which are atypical antipsychotics and which are useful in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders associated with dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A neurotransmission dysfunction. wherein; R1 is C1-6alkyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted with 1-6 fluoro, wherein R1 and the hydroxyl group on the ring are attached to the same carbon atom; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US08252774B2
Novel 5-azaindole bisphosphonate compounds are disclosed, as well as methods of preparing the compounds, pharmaceutical compositions including the compounds, and administration of the compounds in methods of treating abnormal calcium and phosphate metabolism, including bone and joint diseases and other disorders.
US08252772B2
The present invention provides nanoscale and microscale compositions useful for a variety of purposes, including the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a disease treatment system comprising a thermal induction agent and a radiation source, wherein the thermal induction agent comprises at least one carbon nanotube, at least one carbon microtube, or a mixture thereof.
US08252770B2
The present invention concerns an aqueous pharmaceutical composition for bladder instillation, cystitis therapy, or interstitial cystitis therapy, the aqueous composition containing water, hyaluronic acid or a salt thereof and/or chondroitin sulphate or a salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable bivalent metal ion, wherein the bivalent metal ion is chosen from calcium and magnesium, and wherein the bivalent ion lowers the viscosity of the composition.
US08252762B2
This invention provides compounds which comprise modified oligonucleotides capable of inhibitory expression of connective tissue factor and composition containing same as well as methods of treating hyperprolific disorders and fibrotic diseases, and of reducing scarring resulting from wound healing using such compounds.
US08252760B2
Described herein are compositions and methods for the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention and treatment of melanoma or melanoma associated symptoms. The compositions are microRNA molecules associated with melanoma, as well as various nucleic acid molecules relating thereto or derived therefrom.
US08252754B2
The present invention relates to the discovery of a novel molecular pathway involved in long-term hyperexcitability of sensory neurons, which, in higher animals, is associated with persistent pain. It is based on the discovery that, following injury to an axon of a neuron, an increase in nitric oxide synthase activity results in increased nitric oxide production, which, in turn, activates guanylyl cyclase, thereby increasing levels of cGMP. Increased cGMP results in activation of protein kinase G (“PKG”), which then is retrogradely transported along the axon to the neuron cell body, where it phosphorylates MAPKerk.
US08252750B2
Intrauterine Fetal Growth Restriction (IUGR) is a very important clinical problem for which no satisfactory treatment is available so far. The current invention of intravenous (IV) hypertonic glucose supplementation to the mother to improve the glucose transfer to the fetus at the intervillous space by improved facilitated diffusion can be a safe and easy way of treating this problem, as the improved fetal blood glucose can lead to fetal lipogenesis that can conserve the fetal O2 (oxygen) utilization and also relieve the associated metabolic derangements of fetal hypoxia, hypercapnia, and acidosis, apart from replenishing the oxidized coenzymes needed for the carbohydrate metabolism. The use of trans-amniotic fetal feeding studied by animal experiments can be difficult in humans, because of the danger of infection, which can be overcome by the use of implantable ports with a sterile patch technique.
US08252742B2
Methods for enhancing the quality of life of a senior or super senior animal by feeding the animal a composition comprising at least one omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid and various combinations of amino acids, minerals, and antioxidants in amounts effective to enhance alertness, improve vitality, protect cartilage, maintain muscle mass, enhance digestibility, and improve skin and pelage quality. Changes in expression of genes associated with several biological pathways induced in an animal by feeding it said composition are consistent with an enhanced quality of life.
US08252741B2
Described herein is the use of a modified human chemokine, GS-CXCL8(3-73)K11R/G31P or G31P in the treatment of a number of diseases or disorders, including but by no means limited to pulmonary disorders, inflammatory diseases and disorders, cancers and surgical/ischemia reperfusion applications.
US08252738B2
Methods of changing a phenotype of a cell are provided. The methods comprise increasing an amount of an amino acid sequence which is at least 70% identical to an amino acid sequence encoding an LMP protein or a fragment thereof in a cell. The cells may be contacted by either a composition comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the amino acid sequence which is at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence encoding an LMP or its fragment or by a composition comprising acid sequence which is at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence encoding an LMP or its fragment or any combination thereof. The cells may be contacted either in vivo or ex-vivo.
US08252724B2
A fault current limiter, with a superconducting device (1; 21; 31; 41; 51; 61; 71; 72) comprising a sequence of superconducting elements (2a-2f), each with—a substrate (3a-3d), —a superconducting film (5a-5d), and —an intermediate layer (4a-4c) provided between the substrate and the superconducting film, wherein the superconducting films (5a-5d) of adjacent superconducting elements (2a-2f) of the sequence are electrically connected, in particular in series, is characterized in that the substrates (3a-3d) of the superconducting elements (2a-2d) are electrically conducting substrates (3a-3d), wherein the electrically conducting substrate (3a-3d) of each superconducting element (2a-2f) of the sequence is electrically insulated from each electrically conducting substrate (3a-3d) of those adjacent superconducting elements (2a-2f) within the sequence whose superconducting films (5a-5d) are electrically connected in series with the superconducting film (5a-5d) of said superconducting element (2a-2f), and that the intermediate layers (4a-4c) of the superconducting elements (2a-2f) are electrically insulating layers (4a-4c). The inventive fault current limiter is cost efficient in production, and is capable of a short recovery time after a quench event.
US08252718B2
In one aspect, an improved nutritive media is provided that comprises from 10 g/L to 100 g/L of an adsorbent material, from 350 mg/L to 450 mg/L of NH4NO3, from 2000 mg/L to 3000 mg/L of KH2PO4, from 5 mg/L to 25 mg/L of FeSO4, from 600 mg/L to 1500 mg/L of MgSO4; and at least one component selected from the group consisting of: from 150 mg/L to 300 mg/L of Myo-inositol, from 1.5 mg/L to 3.0 mg/L of Thiamine-HCl, from 0.30 mg/L to 0.80 mg/L of Pyridoxine-HCl, from 1.5 mg/L to 3.0 mg/L of Nicotinic acid, from 0.15 mg/L to 0.30 mg/L of Riboflavin, from 0.75 mg/L to 2.0 mg/L of Ca-pantothenate, from 0.01 mg/L to 0.03 mg/L of Biotin and from 0.15 mg/L to 0.30 mg/L of Folic Acid. In another aspect, a manufactured seed is provided comprising the improved nutritive media.
US08252693B1
Various systems and methods related to semiconductor devices having a plurality of layers and having a first conductive trace on a first layer electrically connected to a second conductive trace on a second layer and electrically isolated from a third electrical trace on the second layer are provided. A semiconductor structure can include first, second and third layers. The first conducting layer may be etched to form a first trench for the first conductive trace. A layer of material on the second layer in the first trench can define a patch area, wherein the patch area is disposed in a location where the first trench crosses over the third electrical trace. A second trench may be etched in an area defined by the first trench and the patch area to remove material in the second layer exposed by the first trench, leaving material of the layer under the patch area.
US08252690B2
A method of forming a seed layer of an interconnect structure includes forming a dielectric layer; forming an opening in the dielectric layer; performing a first deposition step to form the seed layer; and in-situ performing a first etch step to remove a portion of the seed layer. The method may further includes additional deposition and etch steps for forming the seed layer.
US08252689B2
The present invention provides a chemical-mechanical planarization method. The chemical-mechanical planarization method includes: providing a substrate including a gate and source/drain regions on the sides of the gate, the gate and the source/drain regions being overlay by an insulating layer, and the insulating layer including a protruding part above the gate and a recessed part above a surface of the substrate between gates; selectively doping the insulating layer such that only the protruding part is doped; and performing CMP on the substrate after doping, to remove the protruding part and planarize the surface of the substrate. By selectively doping the insulating layer, the method makes only the protruding part of the insulating layer doped, enhancing the corrosive attacks on the material of the protruding part by the slurry in the CMP, and increasing the removal rate of the material of the protruding part by the CMP.
US08252668B2
Provided is a photoelectric conversion device fabrication method that realizes both high productivity and high conversion efficiency by rapidly forming an n-layer having good coverage. The fabrication method for a photoelectric conversion device includes a step of forming a silicon photoelectric conversion layer on a substrate by a plasma CVD method. In the fabrication method for the photoelectric conversion device, the step of forming the photoelectric conversion layer includes a step of forming an i-layer formed of crystalline silicon and a step of forming, on the i-layer, an n-layer under a condition with a hydrogen dilution ratio of 0 to 10, inclusive.
US08252667B2
A laser processing method for a semiconductor wafer including a groove forming step of applying a pulsed laser beam having an absorption wavelength to the semiconductor wafer along a division line formed on the semiconductor wafer to thereby form a laser processed groove along the division lines on the semiconductor wafer, wherein the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam to be applied in the groove forming step is set to 2 ns or less, and the peak energy density is set in the range of 5 to 200 GW/cm2.
US08252663B2
A method of transferring a thin layer from a source substrate having a surface layer of a first material along a free surface thereof to a target substrate having at least one surface layer of a second material along a free surface thereof, where the first material differs from the second material, includes forming within the surface layer of the source substrate a weakened zone delimiting a thin layer with respect to the free surface, and assembling the free surface of the source substrate to the free surface of the target substrate in a stack of alternating layers comprising the first and second materials, so that there are, on either side of an interface formed by bringing the free surfaces into intimate contact. The cumulative thicknesses of the layers of the first material are substantially equal to the cumulative thickness of the layers of the second material, the layers having thicknesses at least equal to 50 microns and at least 1000 times the depth at which the weakened zone is formed. The thin layer is detached by applying at least partially thermal energy to fracture the weakened zone.
US08252659B2
The present disclosure is related to method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate (1), comprising active components on the surface of said substrate, depositing a top layer (2) of dielectric material on the surface of said substrate or on other dielectric layers present on said surface, etching at least one first opening (7) at least through said top layer, filling said opening(s) at least with a first conductive material (8), and performing a first CMP step, to form said first conductive structures (3,26), etching at least one second opening (13) at least through said top layer, filling said opening(s) at least with a second conductive material (10), and performing a second CMP step, to form said second conductive structures (4,24), wherein the method comprises the step of depositing a common CMP stopping layer (5,25) on said dielectric top layer, before the steps of etching and filling said first opening(s), so that said same CMP stopping layer is used for stopping the CMP process after filling of the first opening(s) as well as the CMP process after filling of the second opening(s). The disclosure is equally related to devices obtainable by the method of the disclosure.
US08252649B2
Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices and structures thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a gate material stack over a workpiece having a first region and a second region. A composition or a thickness of at least one of a plurality of material layers of the gate material stack is altered in at least the second region. The gate material stack is patterned, forming a first transistor in the first region and forming a second transistor in the second region. Altering the composition or the thickness of the at least one of the plurality of material layers of the gate material stack in at least the second region results in a first transistor having a first threshold voltage and a second transistor having a second threshold voltage, the second threshold voltage having a different magnitude than the first threshold voltage.
US08252644B2
A method for forming a nonvolatile memory cell is provided that includes: (1) forming a rail-shaped first conductor above a substrate, (2) forming a rail-shaped second conductor above the first conductor, and (3) forming a substantially vertical first pillar disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor. The first pillar includes a vertically oriented p-i-n diode, and the p-i-n diode includes: (a) a bottom heavily doped region having a first conductivity type, (b) a middle intrinsic or lightly doped region, and (c) a top heavily doped region having a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type. The bottom heavily doped region is doped by implantation of arsenic ions and the top heavily doped region is doped by implantation of BF2 ions. Numerous additional aspects are provided.
US08252643B2
A semiconductor device which is formed in a self-aligned manner without causing a problem of misalignment in forming a control gate electrode and in which a leak between the control gate electrode and a floating gate electrode is not generated, and a manufacturing method of the semiconductor device are provided. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor film, a first gate insulating film over the semiconductor film, a floating gate electrode over the first gate insulating film, a second gate insulating film which covers the floating gate electrode, and a control gate electrode over the second gate insulating film. The control gate electrode is formed so as to cover the floating gate electrode with the second gate insulating film interposed therebetween, the control gate electrode is provided with a sidewall, and the sidewall is formed on a stepped portion of the control gate electrode, generated due to the floating gate electrode.
US08252636B2
A method of manufacturing at least one nanowire, the nanowire being parallel to its supporting substrate, the method including the formation on the supporting substrate of a structure comprising a bar and two regions, a first end of the bar being secured to one of the two regions and a second end of the bar being secured to the other region, the width of the bar being less than the width of the regions, the subjection of the bar to an annealing under gaseous atmosphere in order to transform the bar into a nanowire, the annealing being carried out under conditions allowing control of the sizing of the neck produced during the formation of the nanowire.
US08252635B2
A trace routing method for a multi-layer interconnection circuit includes the steps of providing stacked contacts with trace stubs at input/output pads of said interconnection circuit, and limiting contacts between conductive layers to two-level contacts in routing areas where maximum routing density is desired.
US08252632B2
The present invention enables improvement of bonding reliability of the conductive adhesive interposed between a semiconductor chip and a die pad portion. Provided is a semiconductor device, in which a silicon chip is mounted over the die pad portion integrally formed with a drain lead, has a source pad over the main surface and a drain electrode of a power MOSFET over the back side, and is bonded onto the die pad portion via an Ag paste. In the device, a source lead and the source pad are electrically coupled via an Al ribbon. Over the back surface of the silicon chip, an Ag nanoparticle coated film is formed, while another Ag nanoparticle coated film is formed over the die pad portion and lead (drain lead and source lead).
US08252630B2
A semiconductor device can include a semiconductor chip, a protective layer pattern, an under bump metallurgy (UBM) layer, and conductive bumps. The semiconductor chip can include a pad and a guard ring. The protective layer pattern can be formed on the semiconductor chip to expose the pad and the guard ring. The UBM layer can be formed on the protective layer and can directly make contact with the pad and the guard ring. The conductive bumps can be formed on a portion of the UBM layer on the pad. Thus, the UBM layer and the guard ring can directly make contact with each other, so that a uniform current can be provided to the UBM layer on the pad regardless of a thick difference of different portions of the UBM layer.
US08252624B2
A method and apparatus for forming solar cells is provided. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device includes a antireflection coating layer disposed on a first surface of a substrate, a barrier layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate, a first transparent conductive oxide layer disposed on the barrier layer, a conductive contact layer disposed on the first transparent conductive oxide layer, a first p-i-n junction formed on the conductive contact layer, and a second transparent conductive oxide layer formed on the first p-i-n junction.
US08252619B2
Systems and processes for treatment of a cadmium telluride thin film photovoltaic device are generally provided. The systems can include a treatment system and a conveyor system. The treatment system includes a preheating section, a treatment chamber, and an anneal oven that are integrally interconnected within the treatment system. The conveyor system is operably disposed within the treatment system and configured for transporting substrates in a serial arrangement into and through the preheat section, into and through the treatment chamber, and into and through the anneal oven at a controlled speed. The treatment chamber is configured for applying a material to a thin film on a surface of the substrate and the anneal oven is configured to heat the substrate to an annealing temperature as the substrates are continuously conveyed by the conveyor system through the treatment chamber.
US08252615B2
An integrated circuit package system that includes: providing a support structure including an integrated circuit and an electrical contact adjacent thereto; providing a first mold having a first cavity with a projection and a recess for collecting flash; engaging the first mold on the support structure with the first cavity over at least a portion of the integrated circuit and the projection and the recess between the at least a portion of the integrated circuit and the electrical contact; and injecting encapsulation material into the first cavity.
US08252606B2
The present invention relates to a sensor for thiol analytes, to a sensor array and to a method of detecting thiol analytes using said sensor.
US08252600B2
The invention relates to a portable measuring device for measuring the salinity, the acidity (pH) or other chemical and physical parameters on different types of surfaces (9) such as inner and outer surfaces of tubes and surfaces of floors, walls, ceilings and such like, whereby the measuring device comprises electronic circuits (2), a measuring unit and a housing (4) in which a test chamber (10) has been formed, whereby the test chamber is provided with: 1) a first opening that can be positioned against a surface to be tested, 2) a second opening through which a fluid such as de-ionized water can be introduced into the test chamber, 3) a resilient seal (11) for sealing the test chamber there where it is brought against the test surface area, 4) a number of sensors (5) taken up in the test chamber that are connected to the electronic circuits and the measuring unit for indicating the value of the shemical or physical parameter to be measured of a solution contained in the test chamber, characterized in that the volume of the test chamber is variable.
US08252596B2
Disclosed are methods for treating a subject suffering from phenylketonuria and/or phenylalanemia. The methods include, in part, enterally administering to the subject a LNAA supplement in which the weight ratio of Leu to Val is greater than 2:1; in which the weight ratio of Leu to iLeu is greater than 3:1; or which includes one or more LNAAs and which further includes Lys. LNAA supplements are also disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for treating a subject suffering from a condition involving a metabolic disorder involving the metabolism of a first amino acid X. The method includes enterally administering to the subject a composition which (i) is substantially free from the first amino acid X and (ii) which includes a second amino acid Y that competes with amino acid X at a gastrointestinal tract transporter.
US08252595B2
Compositions comprising a tripeptide having the sequence XC1C2; wherein X is any amino acid such that XC1C2 is capable of binding a metal in a square planar orientation or square pyramidal orientation or both; and wherein C1 and C2 are the same or different; and wherein C1 and C2 individually are chosen from a cysteine and a cysteine-like nonnatural amino acid, as well as metal-XC1C2 complexes and methods for forming such complexes.
US08252590B2
The present invention relates to mammalian cell culture media which comprise supernatant from some of the fractions of human plasma fractionation according to the Cohn method, more specifically, the supernatant of fractions I and II+III. When said supernatant is added as a culture medium supplement it provides various nutrients and factors for the effective maintenance and/or proliferation of the cultured mammalian cells. In addition, the present invention relates to the preparation process and use of said medium in the culture of mammalian cells.
US08252587B2
The present disclosure relates to a method of expanding myeloid progenitor cells by culturing an initial population of cells in a medium comprising a mixture of cytokines and growth factors that promote growth and expansion of the myeloid progenitor cells. The expanded cell population provides a source of cells as therapeutic treatments for neutropenia and/or thrombocytopenia arising in patients subjected to myeloablative therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
US08252579B2
The present invention concerns a new method of preparation of a strain of evolved micro-organisms for the production of 1,2-propanediol by the metabolism of a simple carbon source, which method comprises the growth under selection pressure in an appropriate growth medium containing a simple carbon source of an initial bacterial strain that has undergone the deletion of the gene tpiA and the deletion of at least one gene involved in the conversion of methylglyoxal (propanal) into lactate, in order to cause, in said initial strain, the evolution of one or more genes involved in the biosynthesis pathway from DHAP to methylglyoxal and then to 1,2-propanediol towards evolved genes that possess an improved “1,2-propanediol synthase activity”, the resulting strain or strains of evolved micro-organisms possessing an improved “1,2-propanediol synthase activity” then being selected and isolated.The invention also concerns the initial micro-organisms and the evolved micro-organisms thus obtained, and a method for the preparation of 1,2-propanediol and possibly acetone by culture of said evolved micro-organisms.
US08252577B2
Provided is a microorganism that can display, on the cell surface, any molecules other than a molecule comprising amino acids, more specifically, a microorganism that displays biotin on a cell surface. The microorganism is capable of co-expressing a biotinylating enzyme and an acceptor peptide having a sequence recognized by the biotinylating enzyme, wherein the acceptor peptide is expressed on the cell surface, so that lysine of the acceptor peptide is biotinylated to display biotin on the cell surface. Also provided is a method for displaying an intended molecule, including not only a molecule comprising amino acids but also any molecules, on a cell surface of a microorganism.
US08252558B2
The present invention, in different aspects and embodiments, provides nucleic acid amplification and detection methods that are both sensitive and fast. In various aspects there are disclosed amplification methods employing different combinations of primers to which can achieve exponential amplification and strand displacement, such as to generate a more than two fold increase of the amount of a target nucleic acid sequence during repeated cycles, while additionally permitting the production of single stranded products. Also provided are detection systems and kits.
US08252554B2
The present invention relates to novel halohydrin dehalogenase polypeptides and the polynucleotides that encode them. These polypeptides are useful in the production of 4-substituted-3-butyric acid derivatives and vicinal cyano, hydroxyl substituted carboxylic acid esters. The invention also provides related vectors, host cells and methods.
US08252552B2
This invention relates to a regulatory element useful for genetically engineering sugarcane or other monocots, to the transformation of the monocots with the regulatory element so that they produce a desired product, and to the regeneration of the monocots transformed with the regulatory element. In particular the present invention provides a nucleic acid encoding the promoter of a sugarcane proline rich protein as shown in Seq ID #3.
US08252551B2
The present invention provides a 2 μm-family plasmid comprising a polynucleotide sequence insertion, deletion and/or substitution between the first base after the last functional codon of at least one of either a REP2 gene or an FLP gene and the last base before the FRT site in an inverted repeat adjacent to said gene.
US08252542B2
Disclosed is a method aiding in the assessment of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). It involves the use of the protein serpin B13 as a marker of SCC. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a method for assessing lung cancer in a tissue sample derived from a patient having non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and for differentiating SCC from adenocarcinoma or large cell carcinoma of the lung.
US08252541B2
The present invention is directed to a splice variant of a human sodium channel alpha subunit and methods and compositions for making and using the same.
US08252539B2
A microfluidic device for analyzing and/or sorting biological materials (e.g., molecules such as polynucleotides and polypeptides, including proteins and enzymes; viruses and cells) and methods for its use are provided. The device and methods of the invention are useful for sorting particles, e.g. virions. The invention is also useful for high throughput screening, e.g. combinatorial screening. The microfluidic device comprises a main channel and an inlet region in communication with the main channel at a droplet extrusion region. Droplets of solution containing the biological material are deposited into the main channel through the droplet extrusion region. A fluid different from and incompatible with the solution containing the biological material flows through the main channel so that the droplets containing the biological material do not diffuse or mix. Biological material within the droplets can be analyzed and/or sorted by detecting a predetermined characteristic of the biological sample in each droplet and sorting the droplet accordingly.
US08252537B2
The present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule comprising a 5′ portion of an intestinal lactase-phlorizine hydrolase (LPH) gene contributing to or indicative of the adult-type hypolactasia. The present invention further relates to methods for testing for the presence of or predisposition to adult-type hypolactasia that are based on the analysis of an SNP contained in the above recited nucleic acid molecule. Additionally, the present invention relates to diagnostic composition and kit useful in the detection of the presence of or predisposition to adult-type hypolactasia.
US08252528B2
Methods, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits are provided which includes accurately sampling a RNA from a tissue of an animal and analyzing RNA in the tissue of the animal as an indicator of physiological state, infectious disease, neoplastic disease, autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerotic disease, or neurological disease in the animal. A method is provided which includes administering at least one compound to an animal wherein the at least one compound is configured to prevent the cleavage of at least one tissue RNA by a ribonuclease. The method further includes collecting a sample of at least a portion of tissue from the animal.
US08252526B2
The present invention relates to certain novel shRNA molecules and methods of use thereof. According to certain embodiments of the present invention, methods for reducing the expression level of a target gene are provided. Such methods generally comprise providing a cell with one or more precursor nucleic acid sequences that encode two or more RNA molecules. A first RNA molecule comprises a double stranded sequence, which includes a guide strand sequence that is complementary to a portion of an mRNA transcript encoded by the target gene. In addition, a second RNA molecule comprises a second double stranded sequence, which includes a second guide strand sequence that is partially complementary to a portion of the mRNA transcript encoded by the target gene. Preferably, the second guide strand sequence comprises one or more bases that are mismatched with a nucleic acid sequence of the mRNA transcript encoded by the target gene.
US08252522B2
The disclosure provides methods, systems and kits for cellular and subcellular identification in a rapid, throughput manner.
US08252519B2
As bacteriophage use in industrial application grows there is a need for commercial quantities of identified bacteriophage. This invention discloses a continuous flow bacteriophage proliferation process that can provide commercial quantities of desired bacteriophage in concentrations suitable for industrial use. Host bacteria and virulent bacteriophage are fed into a reactor vessel where the phage attach to, infect and lyse the host bacteria providing multiple replications of it and coincidentally concentrating the phage.
US08252505B2
A resist composition including a base component (A) that exhibits changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under the action of acid, and an acid generator component (B) that generates acid upon exposure, wherein the acid generator component (B) includes an acid generator (B1) consisting of a compound represented by general formula (b1-2) shown below: [Chemical Formula 1] A+Z− (b1-2) wherein A+ represents an organic cation; and Z− represents an anionic cyclic group, wherein the cyclic group includes an ester linkage within the ring structure, two mutually different groups are bonded to the ring structure, one of these groups includes an ester linkage in which a carbon atom that constitutes part of the ester linkage is bonded directly to the ring structure, and the other group includes an anion moiety.
US08252497B2
A toner, has a number mode diameter of 3 μm or more and 6 μm or lower and a particle size distribution of a toner including an externally-applied agent in the range of 0.6 μm to 400 μm in which the number frequency of a toner smaller than the number mode diameter is smaller than the number frequency of a toner equal to or larger than the number mode diameter.
US08252490B2
A color filter or solid state imaging device comprising a colored pattern formed from a curable composition which includes (A) a pigment, (B) a compound having a defined cyclic urea structure and having an acid group or a basic group, (C) a dispersant, (D) a solvent, (E) a radical polymerizable compound, and (F) a photopolymerization initiator. The pigment may be a pigment having a urea structure or an imide structure. The pigment may also be a pigment having a barbituric skeleton.
US08252489B2
A method includes providing a layout of an integrated circuit design, and generating a plurality of double patterning decompositions from the layout, with each of the plurality of double patterning decompositions including patterns separated to a first mask and a second mask of a double patterning mask set. A maximum shift between the first and the second masks is determined, wherein the maximum shift is a maximum expected mask shift in a manufacturing process for implementing the layout on a wafer. For each of the plurality of double patterning decompositions, a worst-case performance value is simulated using mask shifts within a range defined by the maximum shift. The step of simulating the worst-case performance includes calculating capacitance values corresponding to mask shifts, and the capacitance values are calculated using a high-order equation or a piecewise equation.
US08252488B2
Provided is a mask blank substrate manufacturing method in which a low thermal expansion glass substrate containing titanium (Ti) oxide is polished using a polishing agent, then treated using an aqueous solution containing hydrofluoric acid, then cleaned using an acidic solution with a pH of 4 or less, and then further cleaned using an alkaline solution.
US08252486B2
Disclosed is an electrode catalyst for solid polymer fuel cells wherein CO tolerance is improved. Specifically disclosed is a catalyst for fuel cells having a first catalyst and a second catalyst. The first catalyst contains Pd, C and an oxide, namely SnO2 or TiO2, and the second catalyst contains C and an alloy containing Pt and Ru.
US08252485B2
In a method of producing a particulate electrocatalyst composition, a precursor medium comprising at least a first metal precursor, a liquid vehicle, and a substrate precursor to substrate particles is atomized into precursor droplets. The droplets are then heated to a reaction temperature of not greater than 700° C. to form composite particles comprising said first metal at least partly in an oxide form dispersed on said substrate particles. The composite particles are then collected and are heated at a first treatment temperature no greater than 250° C. in the presence of a reducing atmosphere to at least partly convert said oxide form to the metal.
US08252482B2
A fuel cell includes a power generation portion. The power generation portion at least has a fuel electrode, an oxygen electrode, a solid polymer electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween, and a first opening member including an opening on the fuel electrode side. The fuel cell includes a fuel storage portion storing fuel and including a second opening member that includes an opening. The fuel cell includes a container portion provided on the power generation portion containing the fuel storage portion. The container portion is designed to contain the fuel storage portion such that the fuel storage portion is attachable to and detachable from the power generation portion, while the opening of the first opening member and the opening of the second opening member are positioned so as to be communicable with each other.
US08252479B2
The solid oxide fuel cell of the present invention has a substrate (1); an electrolyte (3) that is disposed on one surface of the substrate (1); and at least one electrode element E having an anode (5) and a cathode (7) disposed on the same surface of the electrolyte (3) with a predetermined space therebetween.
US08252476B2
The present invention prevents a flooding phenomenon by a simple method and receives a relatively small influence by a proton transfer in the catalyst layer so as to provide an MEA having an excellent power generation performance. An MEA of the present invention has an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer on surfaces of the polymer electrolyte membrane and catalyst loaded particles are included in the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer. It is a feature of the present invention that the cathode catalyst layer has more catalysts in a surface region than in a boundary region with the polymer electrolyte membrane in the thickness direction, whereas the anode catalyst layer has more catalysts in a boundary region than in a surface region in the thickness direction.
US08252449B2
The present invention discloses a separator for an electrochemical element which comprises wet nonwoven fabric containing fibrillated cellulose, non-fibrillated fiber, and fibrillated heat-resistant fiber having all of a softening point, a melting point and a thermal decomposition temperature of 250° C. or higher and 700° C. or lower, and dimensional change rates of MD and CD subjected the wet nonwoven fabric to heat treatment at 250° C. for 50 hours of each −3% to +1%.
US08252441B2
A battery support system for supporting at least one battery cell disposed within a battery package is described herein. In one embodiment, the battery support system includes a spacer element having a frame member configured to be proximate to an end of the battery cell. The frame member has first projections extending away from the frame member in a first direction. The first projections are configured to engage a portion of the side surface of the battery cell. In a particular embodiment, the frame member further has second projections extending away from the frame member in a second direction generally opposite the first direction. The second projections are configured or positioned to provide a stand-off between the end of the battery cell and an interior surface of the battery package in which the battery support system is disposed.
US08252429B2
A process for joining a stainless steel part and a zirconia ceramic part comprising: providing a SUS part, a ZrO ceramic part, a Mo foil and a Ni foil; placing the ZrO ceramic part, the Mo foil, the Ni foil, and the SUS part into a mold, the Mo foil and the Ni foil located between the ZrO ceramic part and the SUS part, the Mo foil abutting against the ZrO ceramic part, the Ni foil abutting against the SUS part and the Mo foil; placing the mold into a chamber of an hot press sintering device, heating the chamber and pressing the SUS part, the ZrO ceramic part, the Mo foil, and the Ni foil at least until the SUS part, the ZrO ceramic part, the Mo foil and the Ni foil form a integral composite article.
US08252424B2
A layered film having at least one layer containing particulate pigment in an extrudable thermoplastic material such as an ionomer, ionomeric precursor or the like, and a molded article containing the same. The layered film can be produced by an extrusion process and has a polymeric matrix essentially free of iron/ionomer complexes.
US08252416B2
Disclosed herein is a nanocrystal-metal oxide complex. The nanocrystal of the nanocrystal-metal oxide complex is substituted with two or more different types of surfactants which are miscible with a metal oxide precursor and enable maintenance of luminescent and electrical properties of the nanocrystal. The nanocrystal-metal oxide complex exhibits superior optical and chemical stability and secures high luminescent efficiency of the nanocrystal. Accordingly, when the nanocrystal-metal oxide complex is used as a luminescent material of an electroluminescent device, it can improve luminescent efficiency and reliability of products. Further disclosed herein is a method for preparing the nanocrystal-metal oxide complex.
US08252414B2
Porous particles comprising a polymer binder and at least one additive distinct from any pore stabilizing compound present in the particle, wherein: the polymer binder comprises a solid compositionally continuous phase having an external particle surface; discrete pores are dispersed within the solid compositionally continuous phase, forming internal pore surfaces; and the at least one additive is present primarily in the discrete pores. The additive may further preferably not be present in the solid compositionally continuous phase, and be substantially absent from the external particle surface. A toner set for forming a color electrophotographic image comprising a plurality of different colored toners, where at least one of the different colored toners comprise such porous particles comprising additives, and in a particular embodiment wherein at least two different colored toners each comprise different pigments present primarily in the internal pores. A process of making such porous particles.
US08252413B2
The light calcium carbonate in the form of microparticle aggregate of the present invention has a BET specific surface area not smaller than 10 m2/g and not larger than 25 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.05 cm3/g or larger for pores having a pore diameter of 0 to 1000 Å as determined by the nitrogen adsorption method, and a pore volume ratio of 25% or more for pores having a pore diameter of 250 Å or smaller based on the total pore volume as determined by the nitrogen adsorption method, and shows an oil absorption of 100 cc/100 g or more as determined by using liquid paraffin. By using this light calcium carbonate as a filler of printing paper, superior ink absorbing property and opacity (especially opacity after printing) can be imparted to the printing paper.
US08252407B2
An adhesive article and a method of making the adhesive article are described. The adhesive article includes a facestock film having a first surface, a second surface and end edges wherein the second surface has a plurality of recesses formed therein that provide a path for fluid egress to at least one end edge; and a continuous layer of adhesive adhered to the second surface of the facestock film. The adhesive layer can compress, collapse or flex into the recesses of the embossed surface in response to a force to create a path for fluid egress.
US08252406B2
In order to produce a carrier foil for printed circuit boards, which is particularly suitable for high component densities, it is proposed that said carrier foil be produced from a polymer material comprising a thermoplastically processable, substantially fully fluorinated plastics material.
US08252404B2
Disclosed are high resistivity silicon wafers, wherein the interstitial oxygen concentration thereof is 8×1017 atoms/cm3 (ASTM F121-1979) or less, BMD (Bulk Micro Defect) density—oxygen precipitate within wafer—is 5×107 pieces/cm3 or less, and an electric resistivity thereof is 100 Ω·cm or more. And further disclosed are high resistivity silicon wafers having an electric resistivity of 100 Ω·cm or more, which are cut from crystal region where no COP (Crystal Originated Particle) exist, and in which neither COP (Crystal Originated Particle) nor oxygen precipitate exist at the area from wafer surface to the depth of 5 μm or more owing to high temperature treatment. It is preferable that, in said high resistivity wafers, carbon concentration in wafers is 1×1016 atoms/cm3 or more (ASTM F123-1981), and/or nitrogen concentration is 1×1013 atoms/cm3 or more. Accordingly, high resistivity silicon wafers are provided, wherein the mechanical strength thereof is highly secured, and an excellent characteristic to slip generation is provided, so as to be optimal for base wafers of silicon wafers having a SOI structure or an epitaxial structure.
US08252400B2
A heat-transfer label assembly and method of using the same. In one embodiment, the assembly is adapted for decorating glass articles and comprises a carrier, the carrier comprising a paper substrate overcoated with a layer of polyethylene. The polyethylene layer is overcoated with a skim coat of wax. One or more heat-transfer labels are printed onto the skim coat and are spaced apart from one another. Each label consists of one or more ink design layers, each ink design layer comprising a binder resin, a pigment, a cross-linking resin and a catalyst. The catalyst is capable of causing the cross-linking resin to cross-link the binder resin within 1-2 minutes after the label has been transferred to a glass article that has been preheated to a temperature of about 250° F.-325° F.
US08252399B2
Plastic tanks comprising a propylene-hexene-1 copolymer having a xylene soluble fraction lower than 5% wt with respect to the total weight of the copolymer and satisfying the following relation: A · T m B > 70 wherein A is the MFR measured according to the method ISO 1133 (230° C., 5 kg) expressed in g/10 min, Tm is the melting temperature measured by DSC expressed in ° C. and B is the hexene-1 content expressed in percentage by weight with respect to total weight of the copolymer.
US08252398B2
An adhesive vinylidene fluoride resin sheet, including: an extruded sheet of a vinylidene fluoride copolymer composition comprising 100 wt. parts of polymerized units of a vinylidene fluoride monomer containing at least 60 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride, and 0.01-0.8 wt. part of polymerized units of a monoester of unsaturated dibasic acid. The vinylidene fluoride resin sheet is excellent in adhesiveness with another thermoplastic resin layer, and provides a lamination extrusion sheet with such another thermoplastic resin layer taking advantage of the good adhesiveness.
US08252378B2
To improve the use efficiency of a vapor-deposition material, reduce the manufacturing cost of a light-emitting device including a layer containing an organic compound, and shorten the manufacturing time for manufacturing a light-emitting device. Inside of a film formation chamber is made in a reduced pressure state, and conductive-surface substrate is energized, so that the conductive-surface substrate is heated rapidly, and a material layer over the conductive-surface substrate is evaporated in a short period of time to be vapor-deposited on a film formation substrate, whereby film formation of the material layer is performed on the film formation substrate. Note that the heating area of the conductive-surface substrate which is rapidly heated is set to be the same size as the film formation substrate so that film formation on one film formation substrate is completed by one heating.
US08252375B2
A process for the coating of substrates comprising insertion of a substrate into a process oven, plasma cleaning of the substrate, dehydration of the substrate, withdrawal of a metered amount of one or more chemicals from one or more chemical reservoirs, vaporizing the withdrawn chemicals in one or more vapor chambers, and transfer of the vaporized chemicals into a process oven, thereby reacting with the substrate. An apparatus for the coating of substrates comprising a process oven, a gas plasma generator, a metered chemical withdrawal subsystem, and a vaporization subsystem.
US08252365B2
The method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element includes the steps of: a lower electrode forming step of forming a lower electrode on a surface of a substrate; a piezoelectric film deposition step of depositing a piezoelectric film made of a piezoelectric material by one of epitaxial growth and oriented growth onto a surface of the lower electrode reverse to a surface adjacent to the substrate; an upper electrode forming step of forming an upper electrode onto a surface of the piezoelectric film reverse to a surface adjacent to the lower electrode; and a polarization direction reversal step of reversing a polarization direction of the piezoelectric film by applying an alternating electric field of an intensity not lower than a coercive electric field of the piezoelectric material, between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and then applying a direct electric field of an intensity not lower than the coercive electric field in a direction from the upper electrode toward the lower electrode.
US08252358B2
The present invention provides a substantially protein-free whippable food product having improved stability characteristics without detectable change in the organoleptic characteristics. The product comprises triglyceride fat, one or more sugars, an emulsifier component, a starch component comprising one or more NOSA starches and one or more hydrophilic starches, and optionally an acid component. This product can be stored frozen or at ambient temperatures for extended periods of time and can also be whipped and displayed at ambient temperatures.
US08252355B2
A method of producing cooked rice is disclosed, by which taste and mouthfeel, as well as the aging resistance, of the cooked rice are improved. In this method, process of cooking rice is carried out intermittently in a plurality of steps, interposing one or more cooling steps during the cooking process. In each cooling step, the rice is not heated. Each cooling step is carried out for 1 to 10 minutes at an inner temperature lower than the inner temperature during heating by 0.1 to 10° C. After the final cooling step, the final heating step is carried out to finish the rice-cooking process.
US08252352B2
A package assembly encloses a plurality of individual elongate consumable products. The package assembly includes a plurality of products aligned in a side-by-side array. A package housing encloses the array of products. The package housing has front and back walls for supporting the products therebetween in a closable cover for closing a product dispensing opening. The front wall includes a wall flap extending inwardly towards the back wall in frictional engagement with the array of products for removable retention of the products therein.
US08252351B2
A beverage machine comprises a device designed for brewing a beverage on the basis of ingredients contained in a capsule, the beverage device comprising a way of retaining the capsule in a defined position, a first apparatus for opening a hot water inlet into the capsule while the capsule is retained in the defined position, and a second apparatus for opening a beverage outlet from the capsule while the capsule is retained in the defined position. The beverage machine is characterized in that the first apparatus comprises at least one opening which is directed downwards to the lowermost part of the capsule while the capsule is retained in the defined position.
US08252347B1
A stabilizing and antioxidant composition is prepared from the residue obtained from the saw palmetto berry. The residue from the saw palmetto berry exhibits antioxidant properties that can be used to stabilize various compositions such as food or edible compositions and cosmetics. The saw palmetto residue is also delivered topically or orally to a patient to administer an effective amount of an antioxidant to a patient.
US08252343B2
The present invention provides a method of inhibiting at least one of allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic. The present invention further provides a method for the reduction, prevention or treatment of allergy like symptoms in a subject.
US08252333B2
A biological adhesive formulation comprising dextrin, at least one adhesiveness modifier agent, and at least one antibiotic is suitable for promoting healing of tissue in a patient, for example, to prevent anastomosis of a surgical wound in the digestive system of a patient, and for affixing a prosthesis during a hernia operation.
US08252324B2
A targeted drug delivery nanocarrier and a method of forming the same is disclosed herein. The targeted drug delivery nanocarrier includes a plurality of amphipathic molecules forming a carrier particle having a plurality of drug molecules contained therein. A targeted landscape phage protein assembly is complexed to the carrier particle preferably using the unique method disclosed herein. The targeted landscape phage protein assembly displays a binding peptide that is selected to specifically and selectively bind to a target site. The method for forming targeted drug delivery nanocarriers includes the steps of obtaining a plurality of bacteriophage displaying a binding peptide for a desired target site, treating the bacteriophage with a denaturing agent, mixing the treated bacteriophage with a plurality of carrier particles and purifying the mixture to obtain a plurality of targeted drug delivery nanocarriers.
US08252312B1
The present invention provides an oral solid composition comprising a lipase inhibitor, an acid soluble polymer and an excipient. The composition may further comprise a second active. The composition may also further comprise a functional excipient.
US08252309B2
Dietary supplements—providing energy and strengthening skeletal muscles and facilitating skeletal muscles ability to sustain prolonged periods of physical activity—containing propionyl-L-carnitine or one of its salts, coenzyme Q10, nicotinamide, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and optionally other components such as amino acids and creatines.
US08252305B2
A semi-solid delivery vehicle contains a polyorthoester and an excipient, and a semi-solid pharmaceutical composition contains an active agent and the delivery vehicle. The pharmaceutical composition may be a topical, syringable, or injectable formulation; and is suitable for local delivery of the active agent. Methods of treatment are also disclosed.
US08252299B1
An minimum risk liquid natural insect repellent which comprises citronellal java type oil as the active repellency for the use against biting gnats and the inactive ingredient is low viscosity white mineral oil petroleum type and is a secondary means of protection, and isopropyl myristate as the emulsifier. In a process which consists of a free gas injection vacuum batch mixture procedure.
US08252297B2
The invention relates to an oxygen carrier system which is suitable for applying gaseous oxygen to the skin in cosmetic and dermatological forms of application. Said system comprises 0.1 to 10 percent by weight of a liquid perfluorinated or partially fluorinated hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture, 10 to 85 percent by weight of a liquid silicone polymer or silicone polymer mixture, and 5 to 25 percent by weight of an oil base or water base, all percentages being in relation to the total weight of the carrier system. Major moieties of the inventive system can be introduced without stability problems especially into silicone oil-containing formulations.
US08252296B2
The present invention relates to an aqueous polymer dispersion which is obtainable by free-radical polymerization of a monomer mixture which comprises at least one amide-group-containing compound, at least one crosslinker and at least one monomer with at least one cationogenic and/or cationic group. The invention further relates to the polymers obtainable by drying such a polymer dispersion, and to cosmetic or pharmaceutical compositions which comprise such a polymer dispersion or such a polymer.
US08252288B2
The invention relates to a product which comprises a C4bp domain of a non-mammalian origin, particularly SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:23 or SEQ ID NO:37, or a variant thereof, and an antigen. The product is desirably in the form of a fusion protein. The chicken C4bp domain of SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:23 is also described. Antigens include monomeric antigens such as malarial and influenza antigens. The C4bp domain provides for assembly of multimeric complexes of the antigen, or mixtures thereof. The complexes are useful as vaccines.
US08252278B2
Described herein are baculovirus vectors, host cells containing the baculovirus vectors, methods of using the baculovirus vectors for cloning genes, and kits containing the baculovirus vectors.
US08252273B2
There is provided an ultraviolet absorber having a strong absorptive capacity in the UVA range and an absorptive capacity in the UVB range to have an ultraviolet inhibitory effect in a wide range of wavelength, increasing in an ultraviolet absorptive capacity over the course of ultraviolet irradiation time in both the UVA and the UVB ranges and having an excellent solubility. An ultraviolet absorber comprising, as an active ingredient, a compound of General Formula I: (where —OA is an alkoxy group) that exhibits an ultraviolet A wave absorptive capacity which increases over time and that has an ultraviolet B wave absorptive capacity.
US08252257B2
This invention provides a method involving the use of a non-ammonia-based deNOx catalyst for reducing the amount of NOx in exhaust combustion gas discharged from a boiler and an internal-combustion engine, wherein NOx and CO contained in exhaust gas are allowed to selectively react to reduce and remove NOx. This method involves the use of a catalyst comprising a cerium-zirconium composite oxide with Au supported thereon or a catalyst comprising a cerium-oxide-containing porous carrier with zirconium and Au supported thereon. Use of such catalyst enables purification of NOx and CO in exhaust gas and also enables generation of hydrogen.
US08252256B2
A simple, room-temperature method of producing zinc oxide nanoparticles was established by reacting zinc nitrate hexahydrate and cyclohexylamine (CHA) in either aqueous or EtOHic medium. Particles of polyhedra morphology were obtained for zinc oxide, prepared in EtOH (ZnOE), while an irregular spherical morphology, mixed with some chunky particles forzinc oxide prepared in water (ZnOW). The results indicate that there are significant morphological differences between ZnOE and ZnOW. ZnOE showed a regular polyhedral shape, while spherical and chunky particles were observed for ZnOW. The morphology was crucial in enhancing the cyanide ion photocatalytic degradation efficiency of ZnOE by a factor of 1.5 in comparison to the efficiency of ZnOW at equivalent loading of 0.02 ZnO nanoparticles wt %. Increasing the loading wt % of ZnOE from 0.01 to 0.07 led to an increase in the photocatalytic degradation efficiency from 67% to 90% after 45 minutes and a doubling of the first-order rate constant (k).
US08252255B2
The invention provides a process for producing purified synthesis gas from synthesis gas comprising sulphur contaminants in the ppmv range, the process comprising the step of: (a) contacting the synthesis gas comprising sulphur contaminants with solid sorbent comprising a metal organic framework, thereby separating sulphur contaminants from the synthesis gas to obtain purified synthesis gas.
US08252254B2
The present invention is directed to a precious metal recovery process in which basic ferric sulphates and/or jarosites are controlled by hot curing of the autoclave discharge slurry followed by decomposition of argentojarosite using strong acid consumers.
US08252252B2
Processes for the recovery of ruthenium from materials containing ruthenium or ruthenium oxides or from ruthenium-containing noble metal ore concentrates, with the steps of A. the introduction of the material into a highly alkaline alkali hydroxide melt in the presence of nitrate as oxidizing agent with the formation of an oxidized melt residue with water-soluble ruthenate (RuO4)2−, B. the dissolution of the oxidized melt residue obtained in water, C. the addition of a reducing agent, D. the precipitation of the metals formed, can also be used for separating off selenium. Optionally, ruthenium is separated off by distillation, instead of precipitation, following step B, with the steps of 5C the treatment of the ruthenate-containing solution with an oxidizing agent, 5D distilling off of the RuO4 obtained, 5E taking up of the RuO4 from step 5D in hydrochloric acid. By way of further subsequent purification steps, processes for the recovery of ruthenium targets are obtained.
US08252247B2
The sterilizing tool is configured to wipe debris from and to sterilize and/or dry a working end-site of medical device; using a wiping, twisting, dabbing, push/pull, and/or screwing motion around all of the surface aspects of the device to be sterilized. Additionally, the sterilizing tool is configured to form fit to the surfaces of the end-site and to apply an inclusive layer of an anti-pathogenic agent to the inner and outer surfaces of the working end-site. The sterilizing tool may be frictionally engaged with and retained on the working end-site until removed and the end-site is ready for use. The sterilizing tool is intended for a one time, single use, disposable application.
US08252239B2
The invention aims to reduce the processing time of liquid-liquid extraction, reduce variations in the amount of extraction of a solute, and improve the extraction efficiency. Provided are a container adapted to contain a continuous phase and a dispersion phase that are mutually immiscible liquids, and a solute dissolved in at least one of the continuous and dispersion phases, a water tank accommodating therein the container and containing water around the container, an emulsification ultrasonic oscillation source disposed outside the water tank, on a plane substantially parallel with the interface between the continuous and dispersion phases, a separation ultrasonic oscillation source disposed outside the water tank, an ultrasonic-oscillation-source driving circuit configured to drive the emulsification ultrasonic oscillation source and the separation ultrasonic oscillation source, and a control unit configured to control the ultrasonic-oscillation-source driving circuit such that it sequentially drives the emulsification ultrasonic oscillation source and the separation ultrasonic oscillation source.
US08252232B2
An automated storage system for storing large quantities of samples in trays includes a storage compartment, a tray shuttle compartment abutting the storage compartment on one side and a plurality of independent modules on the other side. The modules perform processing of samples that are retrieved from the storage compartment by a tray shuttle, including extraction of selected samples from retrieved source trays and transfer of the selected samples into a separate, destination tray that can be further processed or removed from the system for use. The independent operation of the modules permits handling and processing to be performed simultaneously by different modules while the tray shuttle accesses additional samples within the storage compartment. In one embodiment, a vertical carousel is used to vertically align a desired tray with the tray shuttle, while the tray shuttle operates within a horizontal plane.
US08252229B2
In one aspect, there is provided assembling an analyte sensor with an analyte sensor insertion device, packaging the assembled analyte sensor and sensor insertion device in a substantially airtight seal, and irradiating the packaged assembled analyte sensor and sensor insertion device at a predetermined dose using one or more electron beam accelerators.
US08252225B2
A multi-layer precursor material for use in forming hardfacing on a tool including hard particles, metal particles and a polymer. Methods of forming a multi-layer precursor film. Methods of using a precursor material to form hardfacing on a tool, including brazing a precursor material onto a surface of the tool. Intermediate structures for use in forming earth-boring tools including a precursor material covering an internal surface of a body of the tools. Methods of forming earth-boring tools include forming a body having a fluid passageway extending therethrough and covering a surface of the body with a hardfacing material. The surface of the body may be located in a region susceptible to erosion when fluid is caused to flow through the fluid passageway.
US08252221B2
A lightweight concrete mixture (e.g., comprising cement and polystyrene foam) is introduced into a compactable mold having a mold cavity defined by plural wall structures including at least two compacting wall structures. After introducing the lightweight concrete mixture into the compactable mold, the compacting wall structures are moved such that the lightweight concrete mixture is compacted in the mold cavity. The respective positions of the plural compacting wall structures can be maintained during curing of the lightweight concrete mixture such that the lightweight concrete mixture is held under compression during curing. A compactable mold may also include one or more tubes for forming tube-shaped cavities within a building block formed in the mold. Tubes can form intersecting cavities within the building block. Tubes can remain stationary while the compacting walls are moved, even when the tubes are attached to a compacting wall.
US08252220B2
Disclosed, amongst other things, is a molding apparatus and an injection molding process. The molding apparatus includes a positioner that is configured to regulate, in use, a relative position between a gate member and a nozzle of a melt distribution apparatus between a retracted position and an extended position for adjusting a volume of a nozzle melt reservoir that is definable between the gate member and the nozzle between a reduced volume and an expanded volume, respectively. The injection molding process includes regulating a relative position between a gate member and a nozzle of a melt distribution apparatus, with a positioner, into one of a retracted position and an extended position for adjusting a volume of a nozzle melt reservoir that is definable between the gate member and the nozzle between a reduced volume and an expanded volume, respectively.
US08252219B2
Novel polymer shrink tubes, such as fluoropolymer shrink tubes and novel uses thereof. The polymer shrink tubes include at least one three-dimensional pattern formed along at least a portion of the inner surface of the tube. The polymer shrink tubes can be used for, for example, embossing a pattern into a polymer tube. Further use includes, for example, forming a catheter with at least one channel located in the catheter wall.
US08252212B2
A method for producing inorganic spheroidized particles according to the present invention includes a step of producing the inorganic spheroidized particles by means of a diffusion type burner (12), wherein the burner (12) comprises a first raw material supply path (1A), a fuel supply path (4A), a raw material diffusion chamber (9), a primary oxygen supply path (5A), a second raw material supply path (6A), a secondary oxygen supply path (7A), and a combustion chamber (8).
US08252207B2
To provide an ink for inkjet recording containing water, water-soluble organic solvent, water-dispersible resin, fluorochemical surfactant or derivative thereof, and coloring agent containing pigment, wherein the ink has a surface tension of 20-35 mN/m and viscosity of 5 mPa·s or more at 25° C., total amount of the water-dispersible resin and the coloring agent in the ink is 5-40% by mass, and mass ratio A/B of the water-dispersible resin A to the coloring agent B is 0.5-4, wherein the ink is applied for a recording medium for inkjet recording containing a support containing cellulose pulp, and one or more barrier layers disposed on at least one face of the support, and wherein the barrier layer contains 30% by mass or more of inorganic pigment having refractive index of 1.5 or more, excluding aluminum hydrate, and 10% by mass or less of an inorganic pigment having a refractive index of less than 1.5.
US08252195B2
The invention relates to compositions and methods that are useful in etching a metal surface. In particular, the invention relates to novel acid compositions and methods of using such compositions in etching a metal surface, preferably an aluminum surface prior to anodizing to dissolve impurities, imperfections, scale, and oxide. The compositions are effective in maintaining their etching capacity and in removing smut produced by the etching of a surface as well as in general cleaning.
US08252194B2
A method of removing at least a portion of a silicon oxide material is disclosed. The silicon oxide is removed by exposing a semiconductor structure comprising a substrate and the silicon oxide to an ammonium fluoride chemical treatment and a subsequent plasma treatment, both of which may be effected in the same vacuum chamber of a processing apparatus. The ammonium fluoride chemical treatment converts the silicon oxide to a solid reaction product in a self-limiting reaction, the solid reaction product then being volatilized by the plasma treatment. The plasma treatment includes a plasma having an ion bombardment energy of less than or equal to approximately 20 eV. An ammonium fluoride chemical treatment including an alkylated ammonia derivative and hydrogen fluoride is also disclosed.
US08252192B2
A method of pattern etching a thin film on a substrate is described. The method comprises preparing a film stack on a substrate, wherein the film stack comprises a dielectric layer formed on the substrate and a mask layer formed above the dielectric layer. A pattern is created in the mask layer, and the pattern is transferred from the mask layer to the dielectric layer by performing a plasma etching process. While transferring the pattern to the dielectric layer, the mask layer is substantially removed using the plasma etching process. The plasma etching process can use a process gas comprising a first gaseous component that etches the dielectric layer at a greater rate than the mask layer, and a second gaseous component that etches the dielectric layer at a lesser rate than the mask layer.
US08252191B2
The present invention provides a method of sub-micron decal transfer lithography. The method includes forming a first pattern in a surface of a first silicon-containing elastomer, bonding at least a portion of the first pattern to a substrate, and etching a portion of at least one of the first silicon-containing elastomer and the substrate.
US08252187B2
A method and apparatus (10) for separating magnetic and non-magnetic particles from water in a domestic central heating system is disclosed. A magnet (60) is located in the housing and the inlet and the outlet are arranged so that, in use, water flows through the apparatus in a cyclonic motion from the inlet downwardly proximate the walls of the housing, and then upwardly within the downwardly flowing water, to the outlet. Particles entrained within the water separate out by vortex separation as the water flows downwardly. Also, magnetic particles entrained within the water are collected on the magnet as the water flows upwardly. The apparatus also comprises a sleeve (30) located within the housing such that an outer circulation channel (31) is defined between the housing and the sleeve. The magnet is located within the sleeve such that an inner circulation channel (61) is defined between the sleeve and the magnet. The inlet (40) of the housing is arranged to deliver the water into the outer circulation channel, and the outlet (50) of the housing is arranged to exhaust the water from the inner circulation channel.
US08252164B2
The present invention provides methods and systems for nanowire alignment and deposition. Energizing (e.g., an alternating current electric field) is used to align and associate nanowires with electrodes. By modulating the energizing, the nanowires are coupled to the electrodes such that they remain in place during subsequent wash and drying steps. The invention also provides methods for transferring nanowires from one substrate to another in order to prepare various device substrates. The present invention also provides methods for monitoring and controlling the number of nanowires deposited at a particular electrode pair, as well as methods for manipulating nanowires in solution.
US08252163B2
A capillary electrophoresis analysis apparatus is provided for analyzing samples by a capillary electrophoresis method that allows for rapid and highly accurate separation and detection.
US08252158B2
An electrochemical oxygen sensor includes a micro-porous plastic membrane supported on a sealing disk and located between a gas inflow port and the sensor's electrolyte. The membrane and disk minimize thermal shock effects due to using the sensor at a first location, at a first temperature, and then moving it to a second location at a different temperature.
US08252155B2
Disclosed herein is an improved electrolytic cell. The cell includes at least one pair of electrodes, an anode and a cathode. In general the anode includes at least one dimension, which is substantially greater than the cathode. In an exemplary embodiment, the length and the width of the anode are greater than the length and width of the cathode. In a first embodiment of a multi-cell chlorine generator, unequal dimension electrodes are stacked together. In a second embodiment of such a generator, the electrodes are of equal dimensions. In another exemplary embodiment of the improved electrolytic cell in accordance with this invention, the cathode forms a U-shaped member and the anode of at least one dimension being greater is located there between. Another embodiment of the chlorine generator includes at least two cells having the U-shaped cathode. In a first exemplary of embodiment of such a chlorine generator, the electrode are parallel to one another. In a second such exemplary embodiment, the electrodes are parallel and are coincident in plane with one another, respectively.
US08252148B2
A mobile waste processing system and method is disclosed for processing materials in a tank, typically an underground storage tank. A mobile fluid processing module is disposed adjacent to or over the tank, and sealingly connected to the tank through a tank riser. Support equipment, which may include an electric power module, a chiller module, a heating module, and a control and monitor module, are disposed a distance from the processing module, and connected thereto. A pump and optionally a dispersal nozzle are deployed from the processing module into the tank, and effluent is extracted for processing. The processing trailer includes effluent processing equipment such as an evaporator and demister, condenser, vacuum pump, and interim storage tank. The effluent is processed, and at least a portion is removed. Some of the processed effluent may be returned to the tank.
US08252141B2
Disclosed herein is a method for recovering a low sodium content lignin from spent kraft cooking liquor without the use a of strong mineral acid for acidulation.
US08252134B2
According to the invention, one or more thermoplastic sheets (NdT: “feuilles thermoplastique” in the original) (2) are applied on a flat or curved tool (13), and strips (NdT: “des bande” in the original) of a polymer are applied and pressed onto the sheets (2). They are maintained by suction pumps (8), the orifices (4) of which open into a closed volume or one substantially delimited by a sealing joint (3) and occupied by a draining fabric (7). The heating treatment concomitant to the deposition to harden or consolidate the prepreg softens the sheets (2), distorts them to the curvature of the tool (13) and incorporates them in the structure of the prepreg.Application to methods of draping parts with composite material.
